Page 33 of The Powerful Boss She Craves

It was a potent combination...

Ella pulled back from his mouth to drop little kisses along his jawline, slowly meandering her way to his ear. She kissed the spot where his neck met his ear before whispering directly in his ear, ‘Let’s go upstairs and roll around in your bed.’

He loved the fact that she was so forthright and had no qualms about telling, or showing, how much she wanted him.

‘I can’t wait that long,’ Micah told her, his hand coming up to cover her breast. He dragged his thumb over her nipple and Ella sighed. A second later she stiffened and he felt her legs releasing their grip around his waist.

‘What’s the problem?’ Micah asked, frowning.

‘I am.’

Hearing that voice, Micah cursed. Under the water, he clenched his fists. He told himself to find his implacable expression and, when he thought he had it, he slowly turned around.

His stepmother stood between the loungers and the pool, dressed in a pistachio jumpsuit, three-inch heels and a gold chain as thick as his finger. She wore braids today, and she’d pulled them back from her face, highlighting those world-famous cheekbones. She was in her fifties now but she could still pass for a woman twenty years younger.

‘Jabu isn’t in the house,’ Liyana stated, her eyes locked on his. So far, she hadn’t even acknowledged Ella’s presence.

‘It’s his night off,’ Micah told her, widening his stance and folding his arms. He lifted his eyebrows.

‘Jago?’ Liyana demanded.

‘He’s out for the evening,’ Micah replied, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice.

This was his stepmother, for God’s sake, a woman who’d been around for most of his life. How much longer were they going to keep up this cold war? It was so stupid and it didn’t serve any purpose. But he was stubborn and she was stubborn...

She was also looking stressed, Micah decided. On closer inspection, the grooves next to her mouth seemed deeper, the frown between her eyebrows wider. Liyana was seriously tense, upset about something. Thadie’s wedding problems? Maybe. Whatever it was, she was worried enough to come across from her house to find him. Well, to find Jabu and give him a message...

Micah swiftly crossed to the wall, hauled himself out in one easy movement and walked around the pool to stand a few feet from Liyana. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ella holding out a towel and he took it, nodding his thanks.

‘I’ll see you inside,’ Ella said softly as he wound the towel around his hips.

He shook his head and pointed to the lounger, silently asking her to stay. If they had company, there was a good chance that they’d rein in their tempers and behave themselves. Liyana hated making a scene. Ella wrapped her sarong around her waist and sat down on the edge of the lounger. Just seeing her there made him feel stronger, more in control. Better.

What was she doing to him? Why did she have this effect on him?

Turning his attention back to Liyana, he spoke again. ‘I can see that you are upset, Liyana. And the fact that you are still here tells me that you have something to say. What is it?’

Liyana played with the solid gold bracelet on her arm. ‘I don’t talk to Brianna’s mother any more. I haven’t since...’ She trailed off, looking away.

Yes, he got it. Since the night he’d run out of the house.

‘But Kate and I do have mutual friends, as the society we keep is a very small one,’ Liyana continued.

Micah clenched his fists, trying to keep his temper. His stepmother was a complete snob and considered herself Johannesburg and African royalty. If you wanted to be friends with Liyana Le Roux, you had to be either stupendously rich, famous or powerful. Preferably all three.

Liyana hauled in a deep breath and he noticed that she seemed genuinely upset. ‘I have it on good authority that Brianna has a serious respiratory infection. She’s not responding to the antibiotics and they don’t think she’s going to make it.’

A cold hand encircled Micah’s heart and pushed ice into his veins.

‘Kate is preparing herself for the worst.’

Micah gripped the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. ‘Do they still have a DNR policy in place?’ After Brianna’s father, Phil, died he’d heard that Kate had put a Do Not Resuscitate order in place. In essence, it said that if Brianna had a heart attack the staff would not resuscitate her.

Liyana nodded. ‘Yes. Kate won’t remove her feeding tube but she did put the DNR in place.’

Micah hunched his shoulders. He didn’t know what to say or how to act. He never did. Eventually, he spoke again. ‘Thanks for coming to tell me. Will you let me know if...?’

Liyana nodded, opened her mouth to say something else and shook her head. Then she ducked her head and briskly strode away, back to her house and her life as Theo’s rich widow and society maven.

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