Page 41 of Contracted and Claimed By The Boss

‘You’ll stay in the apartment with us?’

Max immediately dismissed that idea. Luca’s luxury apartment was in a prime Singapore location with stunning views and Max generally stayed with Luca when he was in town, but it lacked privacy. In a hotel room—a large hotel penthouse—he could at least still get time alone with Paige when Amanda went to bed, just as they did here. Staying in the same apartment as Luca, Mia and their children, he’d feel as though it was impossible to slip away, and there was no way Mia would miss the signs of what was going on between him and Paige, and then there’d be a thousand questions and he was afraid he didn’t have any answers. When he thought about what he was doing, the truth was, he simply didn’t know.

‘No.’ He sought an excuse quickly. ‘If I’m going to spoil her, I’m going to completely spoil her, just for one weekend—I’ll book a suite at the Ashworth. I’ll text you details once we take off. See you soon, Luca.’

He disconnected the call with a new-found sense of purpose.

Max, a man of action, was simply relieved that there was something he could do to make his daughter’s life better, and to atone for having failed to realise that her needs were changing as she grew up.

But he could—and would—fix that.

And getting to share Singapore with Paige? a little voice in his head taunted.

Max grinned.

Better and better.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

IT HAD BEEN a stupid idea, Max thought with a scowl, at the end of a long day spent being close to Paige but unable to touch her. And, worse, she was annoyed at him. He didn’t know why, but suspected she thought this whole idea was stupid too. Maybe she had a foresight he lacked, or maybe his initial instinct had been correct—that he was somehow teaching Amanda to bend to bullies.

He sure as hell didn’t enjoy being crammed into his private jet—which had never felt small before, but with Paige and Amanda playing cards across the aisle, Paige’s sleeve dropping down over her shoulder as she laughed so he ached to reach across and fix it, to brush his fingers over her bare flesh, to reach for her chin and tilt her face to his, to kiss her petal-soft lips. But he hadn’t. He’d sat in his chair, like a block of ice, working, reading, staring straight ahead and willing away the hours into Singapore.

It was a seven-hour flight, so when Amanda fell asleep he’d had some hope that Paige might shift across to sit with him, or, better yet, suggest they move to a private cabin, but Paige drifted off almost as soon as Amanda had, leaving Max awake, alone, trying to concentrate but finding that near impossible with Paige across the aisle and so beautiful in sleep.

He realised he’d never seen her like this.

Sleeping.

Lips parted slightly, lashes so dark against her pale skin, hair pulled over one shoulder so again, his fingers ached to reach over and brush through it. Her shirt stayed loose, dropped down on one side.

His mouth went dry and his body tightened, every muscle on alert, hopeful, wishing...

He consoled himself with the knowledge they’d touch down soon, that the presidential suite he’d booked at the prestigious harbourfront hotel would offer more than enough space and privacy for him and Paige to be together.

Except it hadn’t turned out that way.

Paige had settled Amanda into her room—after the flight and waking up for the drive into the city, Amanda was disorientated and a little upset, so it took Paige longer to get her settled, and then she’d evidently fallen asleep in Amanda’s room, leaving Max with nothing to do but go to his own room and hope Paige woke at some point and came to him...

Only, she didn’t.

The next day was spent shopping for Paige and Amanda, and in meetings with Luca. They inspected Luca’s development, as well as the flagship Stone store in Singapore, and for some reason Max found it almost impossible not to talk to Luca about Paige.

Not about their relationship, just about her. About her life, her smile, her hair, how good she was for Amanda, how much of a difference she’d made to their lives. He found he wanted to talk about the small things, but instead, he was silent.

They ate dinner as a family.

Luca and Mia, their kids, and Amanda and Max.

No Paige. ‘There’s no need to include me,’ she’d whispered to him, eyes flashing, so the first wave of misgivings began to form in his gut as he realised she was potentially avoiding him on purpose, rather than just owing to the circumstances of their trip.

By the time he and Amanda came home, he’d reached the end of his rope.

He missed her.

Not just physically, but all of her. He missed sitting on the veranda listening to the ocean and talking to her. He missed hearing about her day, listening to her speak about the kids she’d raised and her experiences in Dubai, and sometimes, when she was feeling particularly brave, her parents. He just missed her.

It should have served as a warning to end things, because at some point Paige would be gone for good and he’d have to get on with normal life, as it had been before.

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