Bound By My Scandalous Pregnancy / Redemption Of The Untamed Italian: Bound by My Scandalous Pregnancy / Redemption of the Untamed Italian

Bound By My Scandalous Pregnancy / Redemption Of The Untamed Italian: Bound by My Scandalous Pregnancy / Redemption of the Untamed Italian Clare Connelly Maya Blake Mills & Boon Modern Bound by My Scandalous Pregnancy I have life-changing news… Two months ago, I stood outside Neo’s office ready to beg forgiveness. Instead, I found myself begging for more, as he set me ablaze with his touch. Now, I must tell him I’m pregnant with the child he never expected! Redemption of the Untamed Italian The playboy’s shocking proposal Cesare is sure one sinful encounter with Jemima will be enough. It’s not! Nothing less than claiming her for a red-hot fling will do. But to unravel Jemima’s secrets, the Italian must first prove himself worthy of her… About the Authors (#ulink_33596c39-2ea6-5b57-be8d-0988bd54c5cc) MAYA BLAKE’s hopes of becoming a writer were born when she picked up her first romance at thirteen. Little did she know her dream would come true! Does she still pinch herself every now and then to make sure it’s not a dream? Yes, she does! Feel free to pinch her, too, via Twitter, Facebook or Goodreads! Happy reading! CLARE CONNELLY was raised in small-town Australia among a family of avid readers. She spent much of her childhood up a tree, Mills & Boon book in hand. Clare is married to her own real-life hero, and they live in a bungalow near the sea with their two children. She is frequently found staring into space—a surefire sign that she’s in the world of her characters. She has a penchant for French food and ice-cold champagne, and Mills & Boon novels continue to be her favourite ever books. Writing for Modern is a long-held dream. Clare can be contacted via clareconnelly.com (http://clareconnelly.com) or at her Facebook page. Also by Maya Blake A Diamond Deal with the Greek Signed Over to Santino The Di Sione Secret Baby The Boss’s Nine-Month Negotiation Pregnant at Acosta’s Demand The Sultan Demands His Heir His Mistress by Blackmail Crown Prince’s Bought Bride An Heir for the World’s Richest Man Bound by the Desert King collection Sheikh’s Pregnant Cinderella Rival Brothers miniseries A Deal with Alejandro One Night with Gael The Notorious Greek Billionaires miniseries Claiming My Hidden Son Also by Clare Connelly Bought for the Billionaire’s Revenge Innocent in the Billionaire’s Bed Her Wedding Night Surrender Bound by the Billionaire’s Vows Spaniard’s Baby of Revenge Shock Heir for the King Christmas Seductions miniseries Bound by Their Christmas Baby The Season to Sin Crazy Rich Greek Weddings miniseries The Greek’s Billion-Dollar Baby Bride Behind the Billion-Dollar Veil Mills & Boon DARE Guilty as Sin miniseries Her Guilty Secret His Innocent Seduction Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk. (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk) Bound by My Scandalous Pregnancy & Redemption of the Untamed Italian Maya Blake and Clare Connelly www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk) ISBN: 978-0-008-90012-0 BOUND BY MY SCANDALOUS PREGNANCY & REDEMPTION OF THE UNTAMED ITALIAN Bound by My Scandalous Pregnancy © 2019 Maya Blake Redemption of the Untamed Italian © 2019 Clare Connelly Published in Great Britain 2019 by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental. By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher. ® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries. www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk) Note to Readers (#ulink_41bd071a-0e00-5d98-a1d3-db6d43f192af) This ebook contains the following accessibility features which, if supported by your device, can be accessed via your ereader/accessibility settings: Change of font size and line height Change of background and font colours Change of font Change justification Text to speech Table of Contents Cover (#uc59e5c38-abd2-5b40-a20e-787fd77d1d2e) About the Authors (#ubad3f5b8-a340-561e-8153-504b53215199) Booklist (#u5ea6dca9-f9e4-50ca-b516-609b47322142) Title Page (#u758d056f-75e1-5008-a0e4-55c74acaaa2d) Copyright (#ub03ad78b-05c0-56e0-aa7c-9a9c4f927d77) Note to Readers (#uae76d542-e1c8-5de9-be3a-f613d19be92f) Bound by My Scandalous Pregnancy (#u60f468b2-afa4-5abc-881f-35d704a31305) Back Cover Text (#ucbc71cd4-160f-5ae8-aa2c-aea00e3c1520) CHAPTER ONE (#uf56e0c6a-47ed-547e-9d63-2aaae0753e90) CHAPTER TWO (#u922f1ca4-2a59-5e98-86cd-2b2c3d896da4) CHAPTER THREE (#u2e61d675-c0b1-5860-8cc8-e78c51617f3a) CHAPTER FOUR (#u8e973641-b549-5ead-84bf-54826fef8ed2) CHAPTER FIVE (#u1421d7c2-2698-58fb-a5db-243e1e803f4b) CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo) EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo) Redemption of the Untamed Italian (#litres_trial_promo) Back Cover Text (#litres_trial_promo) Dedication (#litres_trial_promo) PROLOGUE (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER ONE (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER TWO (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER THREE (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo) CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo) About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo) Bound by My Scandalous Pregnancy (#ulink_838326aa-df53-5fcc-9fb7-a372e1a3c25e) Maya Blake One night with the Greek Now I have life-changing news… Two months ago, I, Sadie Preston, stood outside Neo Xenakis’s office ready to beg forgiveness for the biggest mistake of my life. Instead, I found myself begging for more as the impossibly arrogant tycoon set me ablaze with his touch. Now I must tell him I’m pregnant with the child he never thought he’d have! Neo’s scarred by past betrayals and I’ve learned to rely on myself alone. Yet my shocking announcement will bind us together…forever! CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_0237a126-080d-5959-ad70-c233208d6ba4) REINCARNATION. KARMA. SINS coming home to roost. Once upon a time, in the not-too-distant past, if anyone had asked me if I believed in any of those things I’d have rolled my eyes and told them to get real. That life worked on the amount of effort you put into each day. On love. Loyalty. Hard work. How wrong I was. Frozen outside the towering glass and steel offices of one of the most powerful men on the globe, my wrists tingling from the phantom handcuffs that might become real before the hour was out, I wondered which deity I’d wronged to bring me to this end. Did it even matter that the domino effect of sheer rotten luck mostly had nothing to do with me? Was it worth ranting that the sins of the father shouldn’t be visited upon the daughter? No. The awful truth was, while the majority of what happened to me in the past few years wasn’t my fault, this last, shocking misstep was one hundred percent mine. Sure, I could prove that a collection of things had culminated in that one gigantic error, but the reality was inescapable. The buck, and the blame, stopped with me. Time to own it, Sadie. One more minute, I silently pleaded to whatever higher power held my fate in its cruel grip. But, adding to every other misfortune unfolding in my life, my plea went unheeded. The two sharply dressed security guards who’d been eyeing me with increasing wariness through the imposing glass frontage were heading my way. These days the whole world was on edge. I of all people should know that. The economy had been partly responsible for decimating the family I once took for granted. The family currently hanging by a very fragile thread. And dressed in threadbare clothes that were at least five seasons old, my troubled expression reflected in the polished glass, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was wrestled to the ground and arrested for trespassing. Or worse. Disturbingly, that possibility gleamed palatably for a second, attesting to my true state of mind. Really? I’d rather be arrested than— ‘Excuse me, miss. Can I help you?’ I jumped, my hand flying to my throat to contain the heart beating itself into a frenzy. The burlier of the two guards had stepped through the revolving doors without my noticing and now stood a few feet away. Everything about him promised he could switch from courteous to menacing in a heartbeat. Definitely time to own it, Sadie. ‘I…’ I stopped, moved my tongue to wet desert-dry lips. ‘I need to see Mr Xenakis. Is he in?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘You’ll have to ask for him at the reception desk. Do you have an appointment?’ I nearly laughed. How could I make an appointment to confess what I’d done? ‘Um, no. But—’ ‘I think you should leave now, miss.’ His tone indicated it wasn’t a suggestion. ‘Please! It’s a matter of life or death.’ He froze. ‘Whose life?’ I bit the inside of my lip, afraid I’d overexaggerated things a little. For all I knew, the man I’d wronged wouldn’t bat an eyelid at my actions. Truth was, I wouldn’t know until I confronted him. ‘I…I can’t tell you. But it’s urgent. And private. If you could just tell me if Mr Xenakis is in?’ For an interminable minute he simply watched me. Then he grasped my elbow. ‘Come with me, Miss…?’ I hesitated. Once I gave my name there’d be no going back. But what choice did I have? Either confess and plead my case or wait for the authorities to show up at my door. ‘Preston. Sadie Preston.’ With swift efficiency, I was ushered across the stunning atrium of Xenakis Aeronautics, through a series of nondescript doors that led to the bowels of the basement and into a room bearing all the hallmarks of an interrogation chamber. Hysteria threatened. I suppressed it as the guard muttered a stern, ‘Stay here.’ The next twenty minutes were the longest of my life. In direct contrast to the speed with which my life flashed before my eyes after the enormity of what I’d done sank in. The man who entered the room then was even more imposing, leaving me in no doubt that my request was being taken seriously. And not in a good way. ‘Miss Preston?’ At my hesitant nod, the tall, salt-and-pepper-haired man held the door open, his dark eyes assessing me even more thoroughly once I scrambled to my feet. ‘I’m Wendell, head of Mr Xenakis’s security team. This way,’ he said, in a voice that brooked no argument. Dear God, either Neo Xenakis was super thorough about his interactions with the common man or he was paranoid about his security. Neither boded well. Another series of incongruous underground hallways brought us to a steel-framed lift. Wendell accessed it with a sleek black key card. Once inside, he pressed another button. The lift shot up, leaving my stomach and the last dregs of my courage on the basement floor. I wanted to throw myself at the lift doors, claw them open and jump out, consequences be damned. But my feet were paralysed with the unshakeable acceptance that I would only be postponing the inevitable. Besides, I didn’t run from my responsibilities. Not like my father literally had when things got tough. Not like my mother was doing by burying her head in the sand and frivolously gambling away money we didn’t have. A habit that had veered scarily towards addiction in the last six months. I stifled my anxiety as the lift slid to a smooth halt. One problematic mountain at a time. This particular one bore all the hallmarks of an Everest climb. One that might only see me to Base Camp before the worst happened. Not a single member of the sharply dressed staff I’d spotted coming and going downstairs roamed this rarefied space, which boasted the kind of furnishings that graced the expensive designer magazines my mother had avidly subscribed to back when money had been no object for the Prestons. The kind that had always made me wonder if the pictures were staged or if people actually lived like that. Evidently, they did. The dove-grey carpeting looked exclusive and expensive, making me cringe as my scuffed, cheap shoes trod over it. Lighter shades of grey silk graced the walls, with stylish lampshades illuminating the space and the twin console tables that stood on either side of the immense double doors. Made of white polished ash, with handles that looked like gleaming aeroplane wings, everything about them and the glimpse of the expansive conference rooms I could see from where I stood screamed opulence and exclusivity. The type that belonged to owners who didn’t take kindly to strangers ruining their day with the sort of news I had to deliver. Sweat broke out on my palms. Before I could perform the undignified act of rubbing them against the polyester weave of my skirt, Wendell knocked twice. The voice that beckoned was deep enough to penetrate the solid wood, formidable enough to raise the dread digging its claws into me…and enigmatic enough to send a skitter of…somethingelse down my spine. That unknown quality threatened to swamp all other emotions as Wendell opened the doors. ‘You have five minutes,’ he informed me, then stepped to one side. The need to flee resurged. How long would a prison sentence be for this kind of crime, anyway? Too long. My mother wouldn’t survive more upheaval. And with our landlord threatening eviction, the last thing I could afford was more turbulence. With no choice but to face my fate, I took a shaky step into the office. And promptly lost every last gasp of air from my lungs at the sight of the man braced against the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, arms crossed and fierce eyes locked on me. If his surroundings screamed ultraexclusivity and supreme wealth, the man himself was so many leagues above that station, he required his own stratosphere. Even stationary, he vibrated with formidable power—the kind that commanded legions with just one look. And his body… The navy suit, clearly bespoke, enhanced the bristling power of his athletic build. Like his impressive six-foot-plus height, his wide tapered shoulders seemed to go on for ever, with the kind of biceps that promised to carry any load rippling beneath the layers of clothes. Above the collar of his pristine white shirt, his square jaw jutted out with unapologetic masculinity, and his pure alpha-ness was not in any way diluted by the dimple in his chin. If anything, that curiously arresting feature only drew deeper attention to the rest of his face. To the haughty cheekbones resting beneath narrowed eyes, his wide forehead and the sensual slash of his lips. He was…indescribable. Because words like attractive or breathtaking or even magnificent didn’t do him nearly enough justice. And as he continued to appraise me, every last ounce of my courage threatened to evaporate as surely as my breath. Because the way he stared at me, as if he found me as fascinating as I found him, sent a spiralling wave of pure, unadulterated awareness charging through me. For some inexplicable reason my hair seemed to hold singular appeal for him, making me almost feel as if he was touching the tied back tresses, caressing the strands between his fingers. The snick of the door shutting made me flinch—a reaction he spotted immediately as his arms dropped and he began to prowl slowly towards me. Sweet heaven, even the way he moved was spectacular. I’d never truly comprehended the term ‘poetry in motion.’ Until now. Focus, Sadie. You’re not here to ogle the first billionaire you’ve ever met. I opened my mouth to speak. He beat me to it. ‘Whoever you are, you seem to have caught Wendell in a good mood. I don’t believe he’s allowed anyone to walk in off the street and demand to see me in…well, ever,’ he rasped in a gravel-rolling-in-honey voice, sending another cascade of pure sensation rushing over my skin. Momentarily thrown by the effect of his voice, I couldn’t tell if his tone suggested he’d be having a word with Wendell later about that misstep or if the whole thing simply amused him. He was that enigmatic to read. The mystery stretched my already oversensitive nerves, triggering my babble-when-nervous flaw. ‘That was Wendell in a good mood? I shudder to think what he’s like in a bad mood,’ I blurted. Then I cringed harder when the meaning of my words sank in. Oh, no… His eyes narrowed even further as he stopped several feet away from me. ‘Perhaps you’d like to move whatever this is along?’ Impatience coated his tone even as his eyes raked a closer inspection over my body, pausing on the frayed thinness of my blouse, the slightly baggy cut of my skirt following my recent weight loss, before dropping to my legs. The return journey was just as sizzling. Hell, more so. That stain of inadequacy, of not being worthy—which had dogged me from the moment my father’s abscondment-announcing postcard had landed on the front doormat, in shocking synchronicity with the bailiff’s arrival on our doorstep eight years ago—flared like a fever. I didn’t need one of my mother’s magazines to tell me that this man didn’t meddle with the likes of me…ever. It was in every delicious frame of his impeccable body, every measured exhalation and every flicker of those sooty, spiky eyelashes that most women would pay hundreds to replicate. He would date socialites with faultless pedigree. Heiresses with flawless bone structure who listed royalty as close friends. Not the callously abandoned daughter of a disgraced middle-grade financier and an almost-addicted gambler, whose only nod to the arts was learning how to execute a half-decent jet? in year-five ballet. ‘Or do you feel inclined to use your five minutes in melodramatic silence?’ he drawled. The realisation that I’d been gaping at him brought a spike of embarrassment. ‘I’m not being melodramatic.’ One brow hiked, and his gaze scanned me from top to toe again before his face slowly hardened. ‘You stated that you needed to see me as a matter of life or death, but between the time you set foot in my building and your arrival in my office I’ve ascertained that every member of my family is safe and accounted for. My employees’ well-being will take longer, and a lot of manpower to establish, so if I’m being pranked I’d caution you to turn around and leave right now—’ ‘This isn’t about your present family. It’s about your future one.’ He turned to stone. A quite miraculous thing since he was such a big, towering force of a man whose aura threw off electric charges. His ability not to move a muscle would have been fascinating to watch if I hadn’t been terrified of the look in his eyes. The one that promised chaos and doom. ‘Repeat that, if you please.’ I couldn’t. Not if I valued my life. ‘I… Perhaps I need to start from the beginning.’ A single clench to his jaw. ‘Start somewhere. And fast. I’m not a patient man, Miss Preston. And I’m about to be late for an important meeting.’ My rib-banging heart rate shuddered in terror. My life flashed before my eyes. Again. I pushed away disturbingly bleak images of a life unfulfilled and dreams dashed. Curled my sweaty fists tighter and cleared my throat. ‘My name is Sadie Preston…’ When that only prompted a higher arch of his brow I hurried on. ‘I work…worked at the Phoenix Clinic.’ Right until I was summarily fired, three hours ago. But the problem of my unemployment would have to be addressed later. Provided I didn’t end up in jail— My train of thought screeched to a halt as he rocked forward, slid his hands into his trouser pockets and brought muscular thighs into singeing relief. Time pulsed by in silence as the very masculine stance ramped up the heat running through me. ‘For your sake, I hope this isn’t some sort of misguided attempt to garner employment, because I can assure you—’ ‘It’s not!’ My interruption was much more shrill than I’d intended. And I knew immediately that neither it nor my tone had gained me any favours. Hell, his imposing presence seemed to loom even larger in the vast office, his aura terrifying. ‘Please…if you would just hear me out?’ ‘You’re the one who seems to be tongue-tied, Miss Preston. While my precious time bleeds away. So let me make this easy for you. You have one minute to state your business. I advise you to make it worthwhile, for both our sakes.’ Or what? For a single moment I feared I’d blurted the words, the volatile mix of annoyance and trepidation having finally broken me. But he didn’t seem any more incandescent. Simply terribly hacked off at my continued delay in spilling the beans. ‘I was fired this morning because…’ pause, deep breath ‘…because I accidentally destroyed your…’ I squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them, he was still there, breathtaking and immovable as a marble statue. Firm, sensually curved lips flattened. ‘My what?’ he demanded tersely. Tension vibrated through me as I forced my vocal cords to work. ‘I destroyed…your…your stored sperm sample.’ For a horribly tense minute he simply stared at me with utter confusion—as if he couldn’t quite comprehend my words—and then that face that defied description tautened into a mask of pure, cold disbelief. ‘You. Did. What?’ It wasn’t shouted. Or whispered. It was even toned. And absolutely deadly. I shivered from head to toe, severely doubting my ability ever to speak again as I opened my mouth and words failed to emerge. Terrifying seconds ticked away as we stood in rigid silence, gazes locked. ‘Speak,’ he commanded, again without so much as any inflexion in his voice. His lips had gone white with grim fury and he was barely breathing. I prised my tongue from the roof of my mouth. To do what I’d come here to do. Appeal to his better nature. Taking a hesitant step towards him, I tried a small smile. ‘Mr Xenakis—’ One hand erupted from his pocket in a halting motion. ‘Do not attempt to cajole. Do not attempt to prevaricate. I want the facts. Bare and immediate.’ This time his voice had altered. It was a primordial rumble. Like the nape-tingling premonition before a cataclysmic event. My smile evaporated. ‘When I arrived at work this morning…’ late because of my mother and another futile attempt to get through to her ‘… I was given a list of samples to dispose of. I… It’s not part of my job description, but—’ ‘What is your actual job at the Phoenix Clinic?’ The barest hint of an accent had thickened his voice, making him impossibly sexier. ‘I’m a receptionist.’ It was the only half-decent paying job I could find that would support my mother and me until I figured out a way to help her out of her dark tunnel of despair and resume the marketing degree I’d suspended so I could care for her. ‘And what business does a receptionist have handling patient samples?’ His tone was a chilling blade of reason. He wasn’t furious. Not yet, anyway. Right now Neo Xenakis was on a cold, fact-finding mission. I managed to answer. ‘It’s not the usual procedure, but we were severely short-staffed today and the list I was given stated that the samples had already been triple-checked.’ ‘Obviously not. Or you wouldn’t be here, would you?’ he rasped. A wave of shame hit me. My error could have been avoided if I hadn’t been so frazzled. If I hadn’t been worried that my mother and I were about to lose the roof over our heads. If my boss’s medical secretary hadn’t called in sick, leaving me as temporary—and infinitely unlucky—cover. About to attempt another pleading of my case, I froze when a loud buzz sounded from his desk. For the longest time he stared at me, as if trying to decipher whether or not everything I’d told him was some sort of hoax. When the intercom sounded again, he strode to his desk with unbridled impatience. ‘Yes?’ he grated. ‘There’s a Spencer Donnelly on the line for you, sir. He says it’s urgent.’ My breath caught. He heard it and speared me with narrow-eyed speculation. To his assistant, he said, ‘I don’t believe I know a Spencer Donnelly. Who is he?’ I stepped forward, earning myself more intense scrutiny. ‘That’s my boss. My ex-boss, I mean. I think he’s calling you to explain.’ And most likely to ensure the blame stayed squarely on my shoulders. Neo hit the mute button. ‘Is he responsible for what happened?’ he demanded from me. ‘Not…not directly. But he’s the head of the clinic—’ ‘I don’t care what his role is. I care about who’s directly responsible. Are you saying it was you and you alone?’ My nape heated at the imminent fall of the axe, but seeing as there was nothing more I could do but admit my total culpability, I nodded. ‘Yes. It was my fault.’ His nostrils flared as he unmuted the line. ‘Take a message,’ he informed his assistant, then sauntered back to where I stood. For another stomach-churning minute he pinned me beneath his gaze. ‘Tell me what your intention was in coming here, Miss Preston,’ he invited silkily. His even voice did not soothe me for one second. Whatever his reason for depositing a sperm sample at a fertility clinic, the consequences of my mistake would be brutal. Alternate heat and cold flashed through my veins. I would have given everything I owned to be able to flee from his presence. But, seeing as fate and circumstance had already taken everything from me, leaving me with very little of value… ‘I thought you deserved to hear the truth from me. And also my a-apology,’ I said, my throat threatening to close up at the look on his face. He said nothing, simply waited for several seconds before he elevated that characterful eyebrow, his silent sarcasm announcing that I hadn’t actually proffered any apology. I cursed the heat rushing gleefully into my face at his icy mockery as he saw what he was doing to me. ‘I…I’m sorry, Mr Xenakis. I didn’t mean to destroy your property. If there was a way to undo it, I would…’ I stopped, knowing the words were useless. There was no reversing what I’d done. ‘And I’m simply to let you off the hook, am I? Based on you doing the honourable thing by coming here to throw yourself on my mercy?’ What could I say to that? ‘I know it’s a lot to ask, but I promise I didn’t mean to.’ His gaze dropped and I caught the faintest shake of his head as a wave of disbelief flared over his face again. For the longest time he stared at the carpet, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he fought whatever emotion gripped him so tightly. In that moment, my senses wanted to do the unthinkable and put myself in his shoes—but, no. I couldn’t afford to get emotionally carried away. If, by some cruel twist of fate, there was something wrong with Neo Xenakis’s reproductive equipment, wouldn’t he have seemed a little…desolate, somehow, instead of looking as if he could go toe to toe with Zeus? And win? Several expressions flitted across his features, too fast to decipher. But when he lifted his gaze to mine once more, chilling premonition swept over me. Mr Donnelly had known I wouldn’t be let off scot-free, which was why he’d insisted I be the first in the line of fire in admitting culpability. The hurried internet search I’d done on the bus ride into the city had left me reeling at the enormity of the adversary I’d unwittingly created with one fatalistic click of the mouse. Neo Xenakis regarded me with the flat coldness of a cobra about to strike. ‘You didn’t mean to? That applies when you tread on someone’s foot. Or accidentally spill your coffee at an inopportune moment. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Phoenix Clinic has a stringent set of checks in place, does it not?’ I opened my mouth to answer, but he was shaking his head, already rejecting my confirmation. ‘Whatever you thought was going to happen with your coming here, I’m afraid it won’t be that easy, Miss Preston.’ ‘What do you mean?’ God, did he want me to beg? Fall on my face and prostrate myself before him? The weirdest thought entered my head. That however he intended me to pay, it would be welcome. Perhaps even a little…life-changing. When his gaze dropped to my parted lips I entertained the notion, while staring at his mouth, that whatever those reparations were they would be carnal in nature. That I would perhaps even…enjoy it. Sweet heaven, Sadie. What’s wrong with you? Dragging my focus from the lush curve of his lips, I met his gaze—only to find the grey depths alight with the same blaze that singed my blood. Abruptly he turned away, returned to his desk and picked up a sleek-looking tablet. ‘Willa, please come in.’ Confusion mingled with those peculiar feelings rioted through me, rendering me speechless as the door opened and a stylishly dressed blonde entered. The woman was more suited to traipse down a runway than give executive assistance. The dismissive glance she threw me before sashaying her way to her boss’s desk said she was well aware of her assets. ‘Yes, Mr Xenakis.’ Unsurprisingly, her voice dripped with sensual interest as she smiled at him. Curbing my instant dislike for Willa, I listened to them exchange a low-voiced conversation about his upcoming meeting before he rounded his desk. ‘Escort Miss Preston to my penthouse. She’s to stay there until I’m done with my meeting. If she attempts to leave, inform Wendell.’ My irritation at being discussed as if I wasn’t there doubled at the edict he’d just delivered. ‘What? You can’t… I won’t just stay here at your whim!’ The fury he’d kept at bay finally flared into singeing life. ‘You’ve destroyed my property, Miss Preston, making your actions a crime. Attempt to leave and I’ll be forced to let the authorities handle it. You have two options. Stay and discuss this further, after my meeting. Or leave and face the consequences.’ He strode towards the door, throwing over his shoulder, ‘I’ll let you inform Willa of your decision.’ Then he was gone. I veered towards the windows, hoping for a ray of enlightenment. But the typical English weather had greyed in complete alignment with my circumstances. I couldn’t leave. Not unless I wanted to risk worsening my situation. Neo Xenakis was in shock, still grappling with the news. Would he show mercy when he’d calmed down? Was I better off handing myself over to the authorities and pleading my case with a lawyer through the courts? With what funds? Even before I lost my job we were barely scraping by. I didn’t have the resources to pay a lawyer for even ten minutes of his time! I was better off waiting. Perhaps talking him round to getting him to return to the clinic to deposit another sample… Willa’s pointed throat-clearing triggered a wince. Turning, I lifted my chin and met her contemptuous stare. ‘I’ll stay,’ I announced, with as much firmness as I could manage, considering my stomach had gone into a thousand-foot free fall. CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_57ce98fb-957e-5847-b239-3c77e2cfec58) RETREAT. REGROUP. For the dozenth time in what felt like the longest afternoon of my life, I shook my head. ‘You don’t agree, Mr Xenakis?’ I refocused on the leader of the Brazilian marketing team gathered around the conference table and wondered what I’d missed while my brain was stuck in that endless cycle of life-altering words uttered by the most captivating creature I’d ever seen. I’m sorry… I’ve destroyed…everything. To think I’d been convinced she was pranking me. Or, even more amusing, that she had latched on to an inventive method of getting my attention, since most feminine ploys left me cold these days. My steep drop in interest in the opposite sex hadn’t gone unnoticed in recent years. Socialites who’d smugly decided they were an integral part of my healing process were scratching their heads, wondering why I’d permanently lost their numbers. Heiresses who’d eagerly and blatantly sought an alliance with the newly unengaged Xenakis bachelor were left stunned as every avenue of contact was firmly rebuffed. It hadn’t even been worth the time to inform them that the thrill of the chase had stopped being, well…thrilling. That the eighteen months I’d spent sowing every wild oat I could had left me ashen mouthed and even more jaded than I’d been when I woke up in that hospital to the cruellest betrayal. To think I’d imagined that was the worst moment of my life. The stark reality of Sadie Preston’s presence in my penthouse—as per Willa’s confirmation, minutes ago—attested to that moment having well and truly been usurped. Was this how my brother Axios had felt when presented with the noose-like proposition he’d faced almost a year ago? No, Ax’s sentence was finite. It would end…or rather should have been ending in a matter of weeks, had his bride of fewer than twenty-four hours not fled from him and vanished without a trace, leaving him bewildered and stuck in limbo. Christos. If he’s feeling even a fraction of what I’m feeling now… But then the bride he’d acquired hadn’t been wanted. Whereas what Sadie Preston had taken from me was…priceless. The dreaded cancer diagnosis which had precipitated my sperm donation in anticipation of radiation might have turned out to be a false alarm when I was twenty-five, but the scars marring my skin beneath my clothes were a reminder of why that visit to the Phoenix Clinic had turned out to be a pivotal, life-affirming event for me. A light in the bleak darkness of the blissful ignorance I’d lived in for almost a year, before the blindfold had been ripped from my eyes almost as ruthlessly as the accident that had attempted to rob me of my life. Anger and pure, unadulterated disbelief flashed like lightning through my system. I shook my head again, aware that I was attracting bewildered stares from the marketing gurus I’d hired to promote the interests of Xenakis Aeronautics in Brazil. It had taken a draining amount of mental dexterity to get through my other two meetings, and now a quick glance at the presentation slide brought me up to speed with what I’d missed. Or rather, what they’d missed. ‘This isn’t going to work. Besides being unexceptional, you’ve aimed it at the wrong demographic.’ The team leader nodded enthusiastically. ‘Which demographic were you thinking of, Mr Xenakis?’ I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. Was I required to do all their work for them? ‘You have the data from the beta test. From what I’m seeing, you haven’t bothered to consult it. I’m not seeing any application of the feedback we received from millennials with children.’ My chest clenched as another percussive wave of shock pummelled me. Children. Families. Fatherhood. A state I’d never experience now, thanks to the actions of a redhead whose lips had dripped words of remorse but whose attitude vaunted defiance. Those startling green eyes had dared me to bring it on even as her bedroom voice wobbled with apology. That little chin had been raised in silent combat, displaying the silken skin of her throat and a shadow of cleavage. And as for the other treasures hidden beneath her cheap, threadbare clothes…and that hair I wanted to wrap my fist around… Theos mou. Get a grip. It was searing shock that had stopped me from instructing Wendell to hand her over to the authorities as soon as she’d confessed her crime. And shock was the reason she was in my penthouse while I bought myself some time to deal with the earth-shattering news. Besides, as much as I trusted my security chief, some things were private. And this matter couldn’t get more private. Sadie Preston had essentially taken every last shred of hope for my future and trashed it. And the worst thing was that I hadn’t known how much the nebulous prospect of fatherhood had meant until any chance of it had been destroyed—first with betrayal and lies, and then with a careless press of the delete button on a computer. My chest growing tighter, I jerked to my feet, the need to do something clawing through me. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I trust we know which direction we’re heading for in the campaign now?’ At their nods of assent, I headed for the door. ‘You have one week to get it right. Don’t let me down.’ Don’t let me down. Was I wasting my breath, saying that? Was I doomed to be disappointed in everyone I put my trust in? Be it in personal stakes or in a supposedly exclusive, top-of-the-range clinic? My mouth soured as I strode for the lift. The Brazilian contingent only needed a little guidance—they’d come through eventually. If they didn’t, they’d simply be…replaced. While I…Christos, I would never be a father. I braced a hand against the wall, the weight of reality attempting to crush my shoulders. So what if in the past I’d had my doubts about my potential effectiveness as a father? Xenakis men were many things, but exemplary fathers they were not. My grandfather had buried himself in work up to the point when he’d dropped dead of a heart attack, trying to save his near-bankrupt family. And long before that, my father had been denied his father’s favour, resulting in the neglect of his own family. While we tolerated each other now, for the sake of the family business, I didn’t have a single memory of any bonding experience with my father. Boarding school had taken care of my formative years, followed by a gruelling apprenticeship at Xenakis Aeronautics. I had respect and loyalty, earned from my position. But affection? Or, hell, love? In light of the bombshell that had flattened my life three hours ago, even the fake-it-till-you-make-it plan I’d so loftily believed would work with any future offspring had been shattered. The finger I lifted to press the lift button shook with the force of the loss raking my insides. The moment I was inside the cubicle I attempted to breathe through the anguish, to get myself back under control. Not even when Anneka had shown her true colours that day in the hospital three years ago had such a sense of deep loss affected me. While her betrayal had been similarly life altering, deep down a part of me had been thankful to have been given the opportunity to cut her out of my life before she truly sank her claws into me. Sure, my male pride had smarted for well over a year after she’d made a fool of me—cue excessive wild oat sowing—but ultimately, I’d escaped her trap. With this there was not a single upside. Save perhaps making the culprit pay? The notion had gathered considerable pace by the time I entered my penthouse. She stood at the glass window, her attention on the view. At some point between leaving the conference room only minutes ago and now, the sun had decided to shine. It threw a halo over her, turning her hair into living flames. Tendrils had slipped their loose knots, and as I watched she absently tucked a strand over her ear, slid her hand over her nape, then her shoulder, to massage it in firm, circular strokes. The action sent another wave of tension through me, drawing my attention to her translucent skin, to the perfection of her hourglass figure and the stunning legs framed against the glass. Her other hand was splayed against it as if she yearned for the freedom beyond. Sensing my presence, she whirled around, those endless pools of green going wide at the sight of me. ‘Oh… I had no idea you’d returned.’ My lips tightened, and that percussive mix of anger and desolation threatened again. ‘I believe it’s your lack of awareness that has led us to this point.’ She had the audacity to look hurt. The surrealness of it nearly made me shake my head again—but enough. I was done with being confounded. The important thing was how to proceed from here. Doctors. Specialists. Investigate one final time. Every option left a trail of displeasure, and the prospect of having my dire circumstances prodded was even more unwelcome than the verdict I’d woken to after a three-week coma three years ago: the severity of my skiing accident meant that I couldn’t father children naturally. That my only hope of becoming a father rested on a sperm sample donated years ago, when I’d faced another crisis. A seemingly miraculous turn of events that was now crushed to nothing. Sadie Preston fidgeted where she stood, even as that pert little nose started to rise. Christos, had no one ever taught this creature the concept of true contrition? But she wasn’t as calm as she attempted to look. Her chest rose and fell in gathering agitation, and her small feet were curling and uncurling within the cheap flat shoes she wore. The action highlighted the smooth definition of her calves, and against my will I dropped my gaze, the better to absorb it. When that only prompted a sharp need to test their suppleness beneath my fingers, I turned, made a beeline for my drinks cabinet. A dash of Hine in the crystal tumbler clutched in my hand brought a little clarity. At the delicate throat-clearing behind me, I squeezed my eyes shut for a control-gathering second. Before I turned, she was speaking. ‘I know you only need to look at me to remember why I’m here. What I’ve done. But I’ve been thinking… If you wouldn’t mind giving me a little information, maybe we can put our heads together and come up with a solution.’ Another urge to laugh this away in the hope that it was some extended acid dream hit me. ‘“Put our heads together”? Why would we want to do that? Are you a doctor?’ Rose-red lips compressed, drawing my attention to yet another tempting part of her body. The body of your nemesis. ‘You know I’m not. I’m just trying to help—’ ‘I think you’ve done quite enough, don’t you? Imagine we are the last two people on earth. Then be assured that I would rather take my chances with whatever apocalypse I face than accept your help.’ Her translucent skin lost a shade of colour. ‘Do you need to be so cruel?’ she muttered. Absurdly, that plaintive question sent an arrow of guilt through me. Theos mou. What the hell was going on? Was it Upside Down Day? I downed half my drink, hoping the alcohol would burn through the fog. The hope was in vain. So I approached until we stood half a dozen feet apart. ‘Fine. Humour me. How would you propose we “put our heads together”?’ ‘Well, I was thinking that if you wouldn’t mind telling me the circumstances behind your needing to use the Phoenix Clinic the first time around—’ ‘No, I would not. Next scenario.’ She hesitated, the tip of her pink tongue darting out to wet her lower lip. This time the punch in my gut was purely carnal. Ravenous. Demanding. Lustful. For this woman? Christos, the world had truly turned upside down! ‘Okay. If you’re in a position to deposit another sample, perhaps I could contribute financially towards the future storage?’ Bitterness and bleakness lanced me in equal spikes. ‘You don’t look as if you can afford decent attire, let alone the fees of a clinic that charges upward of six figures. Do you have secret access to a gold mine, Sadie Preston? Or clairvoyant insight to the next set of lottery numbers?’ Her eyes flashed. ‘Has anyone ever told you it’s a mistake to judge a book by its cover?’ ‘If I am misjudging you, I’ll consider rendering you an apology. Am I?’ She managed to hold my gaze for all of three seconds before her eyes dropped. Against her smooth cheeks, her long, unadorned eyelashes fanned in a seductive curl, highlighting her delicate eyelids. The combination of delicate, defiant and alluring made me grip my glass harder. But, more than that, I wanted her to lift her gaze, to show me those hypnotic green pools once again. When she did, my breath caught. I was attracted to her. This woman, who’d brought me news of an apocalyptic kind, had awakened a libido grown so jaded I’d set it on the back burner in favour of pursuing even more success in the challenging boardrooms of Xenakis Aeronautics. Was it the heightened bleakness of it all triggering this? And why was I wasting time deciphering it when I had no intention of following through on it? ‘No, you’re not wrong. I can’t afford to foot the bill now. But perhaps we can come to an agreement?’ Here it comes. The age-old proposition. The idea that she would offer herself to me on a platter drew deep disappointment. Enough to make me down the rest of my drink in abject resignation. ‘Enlighten me about this agreement.’ ‘I’m two semesters away from completing a marketing degree. I’ve been top of my class every year. I can maybe work for your company from when I’m done? Pay you back that way?’ Surprise jolted me, followed by the familiar echo of wanting something because I’d been denied it. Had I wanted her on a platter? More specifically in my bed? Yes! I ignored the blaring affirmation, concentrated on what she’d said. So she wasn’t just a simple receptionist. The determination stamped across her face almost made me believe her. Almost. For all I knew she was just spinning tales. Just as Anneka had spun lies around our relationship until an unguarded phone conversation had revealed the depths of her deplorable nature and the lengths she’d been prepared to go to ensure she received an unrivalled payday. ‘How old are you?’ The mutinous look that crossed her face said she was debating not answering. Perhaps suggesting I mind my own business. But she realised very quickly that the question pertained to the proposal she was making. ‘I’m twenty-five,’ she offered, with clear reluctance. ‘Most twenty-five-year-olds are done with their education.’ ‘My circumstances are different. I had to interrupt my education for personal reasons.’ Reasons she clearly wasn’t about to disclose. I hid my disgruntlement. For now. ‘Why a receptionist? Why not a paid internship in your chosen field?’ Impatience crossed her face. ‘With respect, my reasons are private. But what I’ve said can easily be verified with my university professors.’ Enough. This had gone on long enough. ‘You walked in off the street to confess a crime. As admirable as you seem to think admitting your culpability should be, I have zero reason to trust you. Not with my personal property and certainly not with my business. Your offer is declined.’ She inhaled sharply, the action drawing my attention to her chest. To her parted lips. Christos. ‘So that’s it? You’re going to throw me to the wolves?’ ‘For what you’ve done? Yes, Sadie Preston. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.’ Despite his doom-filled decree, he didn’t move. In the hours I’d been stuck in his opulent penthouse, one question had persistently swarmed my mind—why did a man whose every breath and expression spelled out his masculine potency and unapologetic virility need to store a sperm sample? Eventually, curiosity had got the better of me. And the internet had been breathlessly efficient in providing high-resolution digital answers. ‘Is this to be a staring contest?’ he mused now, in a bone-dry tone tinged with that note I’d mistaken for bleakness earlier when I delivered my news. ‘You’re attempting to hypnotise me into reversing my verdict, perhaps?’ ‘What if I am?’ I parried. If he was about to throw me to the wolves, what did I have to lose? One corner of his mouth twitched with stark amusement. But then his face settled into a hard mask. My heart lurched. With every breath I wished I could go back, take my time, pay better attention—even with Mr Donnelly’s unpleasant presence hovering over me. But it was too late. The damage had been done. Neo Xenakis took another step closer, bringing that hard-packed body brimming with tensile, barely leashed power into my space. I wanted to step back, flatten myself against the glass wall, but that would exhibit a weakness I couldn’t afford to show. The internet had supplied ample examples of his shark-like business savvy too. This was a man who relished challenge. He’d never step into the arena with a weaker opponent, and the inevitable victory of his trouncing bigger targets was all the sweeter for it. Was that why I didn’t look away? Was that why I even dared to clench my jaw and all but urge him to do his worst? Because I wanted him to conquer me? White-hot sensation flashed through me, made my nape tingle and my body blaze with the same anticipation I’d felt earlier, even before I knew that he’d entered the room. That misplaced illicit thrill that had ratcheted higher when I turned around to find him watching me with those hooded eyes containing an indecipherable gleam. Here it was again, eating me alive when all I needed to do was hold my tongue and continue to demonstrate appropriate contrition. For how long, though? And then what? He’d given his verdict. Clemency was off the table. And yet, despite what he’d said about throwing me to the wolves, he seemed in the mood to play with me. Seemed perfectly content to indulge in the staring contest he’d ridiculed moments ago. ‘Would it work?’ I asked. Dear God. Be quiet, Sadie. Just shut— To my eternal shame, my stomach chose that pithy moment to announce its intense hunger. Neo Xenakis’s gaze dropped to my belly at the unladylike growl, then returned to mine with a dark frown. ‘When was the last time you ate?’ I shrugged. ‘I don’t remember. It doesn’t matter.’ ‘It matters if I wish to enjoy my evening drink without your digestive system providing accompanying acoustics.’ Heat burned my face. ‘I…I had a coffee this morning.’ His frown deepened. ‘That’s all you’ve had all day? It’s six in the evening.’ ‘I know what time it is, Mr Xenakis.’ He raised a brow at my crisp tone. I wasn’t about to admit I’d gone into the office with hopes of snagging a stray Danish left over from the early-morning client meeting, only to be confronted by an incandescent Mr Donnelly before I could satisfy my raging hunger. After that, fear and panic had eroded my appetite. Until now, evidently. Neo Xenakis regarded me with quiet intensity, weighing his decision for a terse moment. Then his lips flattened. ‘Far be it from me to send a criminal to the gallows on an empty stomach. Shall I instruct my chef to set another place for dinner, or are you in a hurry to face your crimes?’ he drawled. Bite your tongue, Sadie! ‘That depends. Do you intend to torture me for the rest of the evening by recounting just how your wolves are going to tear me apart?’ ‘You think you know what torture is?’ he asked, with a veil of deadly calm that didn’t fool me for a second. I’d inconvenienced him, angered him by necessitating a return trip to the clinic to make a second deposit, when he’d much rather be occupied with other things. Like dating another supermodel. And he wasn’t in a mood to let it go. ‘There are only so many times I can say I’m sorry. It’s clear you’re not going to forgive me or tell me what I can do to make this right. Right now I’m failing to see how joining you for dinner improves my circumstances.’ ‘It could simply be an act of further character exploration on my part. To tell me which way I should lean in the punishment scales. Unlike you, I don’t wish to undertake that task on an empty stomach. But, of course, your options are very much yours to take.’ Oh, how cunning of him. That insidious need to surrender to his will swept over me. I resisted by squaring my shoulders. ‘Then I guess that’s fine. If that’s the only way to progress this…discussion.’ The merest hint of a smile twitched his lips. Then, seeming almost stunned by the action, he scowled. Not the most enthusiastic response I’d ever had to meal-sharing, but I imagined under the circumstances a beggar couldn’t be a chooser. For another short second he stared at me, as if debating the wisdom of his offer. Then abruptly he crossed the vast, magnificently decorated living room to a dainty-legged console table, picked up a phone and relayed a message in rapid-fire Greek. Finished, he set his glass down. ‘Come.’ The command was quiet, but powerful enough to propel me forward. I told myself I couldn’t object because I’d agreed to dine with him. And because I owed Neo Xenakis a few non-confrontational gestures. Thinking he was leading me to the large, antique-filled dining room I’d spotted earlier during my brief and tentative search for the bathroom, I followed him in surprise into a kitchen fit for the world’s most exacting chef. Every imaginable gadget gleamed in polished splendour atop marble surfaces. On a large centre island, silverware gleamed under strategically suspended ceiling lights. Even the elevated stools looked too expensive for such a mundane activity as sitting. But when he pulled one back and waited with tight expectancy, I swallowed the unnerving sensation that I was tangling with a supremely affluent and powerful man. To the stout, rouge-faced chef who entered, I gave a quick smile. With a deferential nod, he started to uncover silver dishes. Glorious smells hit my nostrils, and I stared at the mouth-watering array. Exquisitely prepared Greek meze dishes were laid out next to an old-fashioned English shepherd’s pie. I didn’t fool myself into thinking this consideration had been made because I was joining him on such short notice. If the internet was right, Neo Xenakis was a man of extensive tastes and larger-than-life appetites. Why that reminder triggered another wave of heat through my system I refused to consider as, with a few words, Neo Xenakis dismissed the chef and reached for the bottle of red wine that stood an arm’s length away. Seeing the label, I felt my eyes widen. Once upon a time, before he’d pulled the rug from beneath our feet with his stark betrayal, my father had been as much of a wine enthusiast as my mother was a magazine fanatic. When I was old enough to take an interest, he had often recited his dream vintage collection. The five-figure-price-tagged Ch?teau Cheval Neo cavalierly reached for now had ranked among the top three on my father’s wish list. I watched, slack jawed, as he deftly uncorked the bottle and set it aside to breathe. Catching my expression, he narrowed his eyes. ‘Something wrong?’ I swallowed. ‘Nothing that doesn’t involve my wondering if you normally share expensive bottles of wine with criminals before sending them to their doom.’ His gaze hooded, he shrugged. ‘Satisfying your curiosity isn’t on my agenda, so you’ll just have to keep wondering. Eat.’ I toyed with refusing the order. But I was starving. And, really, he didn’t have to feed me. With one quick call he could have Wendell tossing me out. Staying might grant me the opportunity to make another plea for mercy. I placed two beautifully wrapped vine leaves onto my plate, then added a couple of spoonfuls of Greek salad. About to lift my fork, I paused when his eyes narrowed again, this time on my plate. ‘You haven’t eaten all day and that’s all you’re having?’ ‘Yes.’ He nodded at one of the many platters. ‘The kopanisti won’t keep. Don’t let it go to waste.’ He picked up serving tongs and caught up a dish of salad, roast peppers and an orange paste laid in between two crisp flatbreads. ‘Try it,’ he said. Tentatively, I picked up the large morsel and bit into it. Sensations exploded in my mouth as the orange paste, which turned out to be the most incredible aged feta, combined with everything else immediately became the best thing I’d ever tasted—which in turn triggered a groan of appreciation before I could stop myself. Perhaps my vivid imagination was playing tricks on me, but I could have sworn Neo swallowed hard at that moment, and I felt his tension ramping up. Abruptly, he spooned several more items onto my plate, then reached for the wine bottle. ‘Would you like some wine?’ The chance to try the jaw-droppingly expensive vintage, especially considering that my fate hung in the balance, was too much to resist. ‘Just a little, please.’ After pouring two glasses, he chose steamed white cod and a spoonful of salad himself, which he polished off with a military efficiency that spoke of fuel intake rather than enjoyment. Then he simply sat, slowly twirling the stem of his wine glass, lifting it occasionally to his lips as he watched me eat. Self-conscious, and reluctant to broach the ultrasensitive subject of my crime, I stilled my tongue in favour of enjoying the most exquisite meal I’d had in a long time, all the while painfully aware that his gaze hadn’t shifted from me. ‘Which university?’ I started. ‘What?’ ‘Your marketing degree,’ he expounded. I named it, and again caught the faintest hint of surprise in his eyes as he slotted the information away, his long fingers still twirling his glass. ‘Do you like aeroplanes?’ he asked abruptly, after another stretch of silence. ‘Who doesn’t?’ His lips tightened and his gaze dropped to my empty plate, then shifted to the platters of lamb cutlets, grilled meatballs, roasted vegetables and bread. Sensing he was about to push more food on me, I sat back. ‘That was delicious. Thank you.’ He frowned, then lifted the lid off a dish set apart from the main courses. The scent of spun sugar and warm pastry washed over me, almost eliciting another groan. I’d been cursed with a sweet tooth—one that needed constant attention. ‘Dessert?’ he offered gruffly, pushing the baklava directly in front of me. The sight of the perfect little squares of delight was too much to resist. At my helpless nod, he placed four pieces on a fresh plate and slid it in front of me, again seemingly content to simply sit back and watch me eat. Perhaps this was Neo Xenakis’s method of torture. To feed me until I burst. At that mildly hysterical thought, I let my gaze flick up to meet his. Again that spark flared in his eyes, and the charge seized me, causing tingles from my palms to my toes. ‘If it wasn’t for this wholly unfortunate situation, I’d think you didn’t want me to leave,’ I mused. Then immediately cursed my runaway tongue. He froze, his grey eyes turning as turbulent as a lightning storm. His hand tightened around his glass, his fingers turning white. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—’ ‘Perhaps you’re right,’ he interrupted, his voice low, rough and raw, as if scrabbled from a pit of utter despair. ‘Maybe I don’t want you to leave. Maybe I need you sitting there in front of me as a reminder of what has happened. Of the fact that the nightmare you brought to my doorstep isn’t one I can wake up from.’ The utter bleakness in his tone launched a lump into my throat. My fingers tightened in my lap as the need to reach out, to lay my hand on his or cup that rigid jaw, powered through me. I did neither, sensing it wouldn’t be welcome. ‘Is it really that hopeless? Is there no chance that things can be salvaged?’ My question was a desperate one. But the thought that things could really be so dire for a man so incredibly masculine and virile looking seemed unthinkable to me. ‘Excuse me?’ he rasped icily, his eyes turning almost black with the strength of his emotions. I pushed my plate away and forced myself to answer before I lost my nerve. ‘I… Surely it doesn’t surprise you that I’d wonder why a man who looks like you—’ ‘Looks like me?’ he grated. I wetted suddenly dry lips, suspecting I’d strayed into dangerous territory but unable to locate the road map to take me out of peril. ‘You’re not blind. You look like the poster-perfect image of virility. Is it beyond the realms of probability that I’d wonder why you’d need to use a facility like the Phoenix Clinic?’ His eyes slowly rose. ‘Did you not admonish me for judging you based on your outward appearance?’ Even as my face heated, something inside me reacted sharply to the notion that I might have ended this man’s line with my mistake. Something that utterly rejected that thought. ‘Please answer the question, Mr Xenakis,’ I urged, aware of my escalating desperation. ‘Why? Are you distressed by the thought that a man who “looks like me” might be impotent or infertile?’ he drawled. He was goading me, pure and simple. I should’ve looked away. Backed down. ‘Are you?’ He rose and stepped away from the island. ‘Come with me,’ he grated. Something raw and intense pulsed in his tone, warning me that whatever he had in mind would decimate me emotionally. ‘And if I refuse? Is this where you threaten—’ He slashed one powerful hand across my argument, his lips flattening into a displeased line. ‘A word to the wise, Sadie. If you have any desire for self-preservation left in that body, be wise and stop defying me at every turn. I’m a man who faces adversity head-on. Right now, I’m this close to tossing you out the door and letting the authorities deal with your crimes. But, again, the choice is yours. Leave and face the consequences or indulge the man you’ve so gravely wronged. Which is it to be?’ he asked, his eyes pinning me in place. ‘I… Fine. I’ll do what you want. For now,’ I tagged on, simply because that self-preservation he’d mentioned was kicking in wildly, doubling my thundering heartbeat. ‘I reserve the right to leave any time I want.’ He left the kitchen without responding. I followed, striving not to breathe in his intoxicating scent and failing miserably. Senses jumping, I watched him stroll over to the plush sectional sofa, sit down on it in a deceptively relaxed pose, one long arm lazily stretched out on the top of it. He rested one ankle on his knee, and lifted his wine glass to take a liberal sip. ‘If you wish. But why postpone the inevitable? And why annoy me further by forcing me to carve another appointment into my schedule when we can settle this one way or the other tonight?’ Because I needed the headspace to think straight! But Neo Xenakis would be equally imposing and breathtaking tomorrow—and most likely every day from now until eternity. So why delay the inevitable indeed? With legs turned rubbery, and nigh on useless, I approached him. ‘Let me give you the broad strokes of the consequences of your actions. I come from a large family. Perhaps not your conventional Greek family, but we adore babies without reservation, regardless of how they were conceived,’ he said, his hooded gaze on the contents of his glass. ‘Which means that from a relatively young age, certain obligations have been required of me. Obligations I had every intention of fulfilling at some point in the future. Do you understand what that means?’ My nod was jerky at best. ‘Something along the lines of keeping the family name going?’ ‘Exactly so. And I take my duty seriously. So what do you think you owe me for effectively ending my chances of fulfilling my obligations?’ ‘But…have I really?’ I asked, unabashed curiosity getting the better of my tongue. The turbulent emotion in his eyes receded for a moment, replaced by an equally arresting gleam as his gaze raked my face before resting with quiet ferocity on my mouth. ‘I see we’re back to that little nugget you can’t let go of. Are you asking me if my equipment works, Sadie?’ he drawled. There was a layer of danger to his tone that should have frightened me but instead caused the blood to rush faster through my veins, pushing a flood of colour into my cheeks. ‘I can’t help thinking…it would help to know if the situation is as dire as all that…’ God. Stop talking. ‘And if it isn’t?’ he rasped. ‘Are you hoping that with one simple answer you’ll be absolved of what you’ve done?’ God, we were really discussing his…his… ‘No. Maybe. Yes…’ I whispered. ‘My ability or inability to engage in intercourse is not the issue here,’ he said. ‘Answer the question anyway,’ I blurted, attempting to keep my mind on the important subject at hand and losing the battle in favour of racy thoughts of the exploration of his mouth-watering body first-hand. Growing stupidly breathless, I scoured his face, his sculpted cheekbones, the hard angles of his jaw, the shadowed enticement of his strong throat and…dear God…the sensual curl of his lower lip, currently curved against his glass as he took another lazy sip. The way he simply…lounged in his seat, was deceptively calm in a still-waters-run-deep manner. I wanted to dive into those waters, lose myself in them until I was completely sodden. A different sort of heat pummelled me, low and insistent, charting a path of ravenous need directly between my thighs. Against the lace cups of my bra my nipples tightened, and each breath drew urgent attention to the decadent craving coursing through my body. ‘I could tell you—but should I? I owe you nothing. You have no right to answers. But if you truly want to know if I can get it up, I invite you to find out for yourself,’ he rasped thickly, his hooded gaze announcing that he knew every single yearning crashing through me. My tongue thickened in my mouth, and that same acute urge to test where this alternative route would take me rammed unadulterated temptation through my bloodstream. Sweet heaven. Surely he wasn’t really suggesting what I thought he was…? And surely I wasn’t truly considering it. Was I? CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_7e0165d1-268f-5774-a813-398114b112aa) MY BREATH BURST from between my lips, the wild, dizzying leap of my pulse a damning testament to the fact that his words had exhilarated me for one blind nanosecond before reason reasserted itself. He can’t truly mean that. He’s just toying with you. Even if he wasn’t, the proposal was absurd. ‘Is this a joke?’ ‘Do I look amused, Sadie?’ he returned. No, he didn’t. That raw confession in the kitchen returned, and the looming possible result of my actions—that I’d deprived not just him and his immediate family but the larger Xenakis clan of his future descendants—hit me with powerful force. Helpless despair wove through me, and my chest tightened as I watched him, attempted to see beneath the taut mask of his face. Was this all because he truly didn’t want to be alone to confront the dire position I’d put him in? If so, was this his answer? I shook my head. ‘I…I’m not sure what this is all about.’ He shrugged. ‘You want me to provide spoilers for a story you seem very interested in. I invite you to peek beneath the cover. Or are you all bluster?’ ‘Just so we’re clear, I’m not making any so-called reparation in the form of sex,’ I blurted. Simply because my imagination was threatening to take flight again, and the look in his eyes was sending my senses into free fall once more. I grappled them down—hard. One mocking eyebrow elevated. ‘You jump to conclusions with the same careless abandon that I suspect landed you in this predicament in the first place. Perhaps you should wait until you’re invited to my bed before you respond in one way or another.’ His censure smarted, regardless of the fact that I’d agreed to give him a little leeway in the perpetrator-versus-victim scenario. ‘I’m not stupid, Mr Xenakis. I can read between the lines. And whatever you think is going to happen here, it isn’t,’ I stressed, although the caution was equally for me as it was for him. ‘Has no one told you to quit while you’re ahead?’ Many times. But I never went against my instinct. ‘I believe in laying my cards on the table.’ Slowly, his relaxed stance altered. His arm dropped from the sofa, his body leaning closer as he pinned me with his gaze. With the width of the sofa between us, he wasn’t crowding me. But he didn’t need to. His presence filled every square inch of space, proclaiming his power and glory in ways that were hard to define and impossible to dismiss. ‘Do you? Well, hear this. If I wanted you in my bed you would come—and willingly. Not because of the unfortunate circumstances you find yourself in.’ ‘If that’s some sort of dare, I promise I won’t be taking it,’ I stated firmly, despite that insidious temptation striking deep. Deeper. Making my every breath strain, making my nipples tingle and peak and yearn. God, what was wrong with me? He shrugged again. Drawing my eager attention to the firm, bronzed expanse of his throat. Striking me with a fervent need to place my hand right there…where his pulse throbbed powerfully beneath his skin. I averted my gaze, but the lingering look he gave me said he’d caught me staring. I needed to get up. Leave. Put some distance between myself and the turbulent temptation that oozed out of him. But doing so would send another weakening message. He’d invited me here. I’d lobbed the ball into his court. So I waited for his move. The muted sound of a door opening heralded the arrival of a butler, bearing a silver tray with more drinks on it. While I was a little startled, Neo looked unruffled, as if nothing unusual had happened to interrupt his normal after-dinner routine. He accepted a glass of cognac, then glanced at me. ‘Nightcap?’ I shook my head, surprised at his cordial tone. Then I snapped my spine straight. I couldn’t afford to lower my guard. He still hadn’t spelled out the parameters of my reparation. Nor given me a straight answer to my question… With a few words Neo dismissed the butler. The moment we were alone, he discarded his untouched drink and turned his piercing gaze on me. My eyes connected with his as if pulled by invisible magnets. As much as I was reluctant to admit it, the man was a superb specimen. His impossibly broad shoulders demanded attention, and the gladiator-like synergy of sleekness and power combined with an animalistic aura impossible to dismiss. The look in his eyes intensified, sending the distinct message that now we were getting down to the heart of whatever was on Neo Xenakis’s mind. ‘Come here, Sadie,’ he ordered, confirming my frenzied thoughts. Get up. Walk out. He can’t stop you. But temptation could. It wrapped its sinuous vines around me, hard and fast, left me breathless and speechless. This was theory testing. Curiosity satisfying. Nothing else. My life had taken a left turn this morning. Not that things had been rosy before… My mother and her gambling problem, my landlord’s growing threats, my jobless state… My life and plans were a world removed from what I’d imagined for myself back in the idyllic days when I had the illusion of a solid family. When a fulfilling career, perhaps eventually a family, wasn’t a laughable, ephemeral prospect. The dismaying sensation in the pit of my stomach that had arrived along with my father’s callously dismissive postcard and stayed all these years later, the sensation that mocked and questioned and poisoned my dreams, claimed I was as worthless as my father had deemed me, was very much present now, questioning my audacity to remain here, reaching for this temptation. Step back, it said. This isn’t for you. But I wasn’t ready to step back into my life just yet. I craved more time in this peculiar bubble with Neo Xenakis. Just for a little while longer. Before I could stop the motion, I swayed towards him. He didn’t reach out. Simply lounged against the velvet seat, the king of his shiny castle, awaiting his due. And, like a moth to a flame, I couldn’t resist the danger, the excitement, the otherness he offered. One taste. Then I could end this any time I wanted. One minute, then I could get back to why I was here, perhaps armed with the confirmation that he wasn’t impaired in any obvious physical way. The thought that I was attempting to slot this beneath the banner of research drew a hysterical chortle, quickly smothered beneath the pulses of lust swelling through my system. Before I knew it, my body hovered next to his, almost horizontal on the sofa as I heeded his command. ‘Here I am,’ I replied in a voice that sounded nothing like mine. Storm-tossed eyes traced every inch of my face, lingering longest and fiercest on my mouth. ‘Yes. Here you are,’ he replied. His warm, cognac-tinged breath washed over my lips, causing them to tingle wildly. Desperately, I slicked my tongue over them, then again when his sizzling gaze followed the wet path. His next breath emerged a touch harsher, his sculpted chest straining against his pristine shirt. The tingling flashed to my fingers, where the need to explore that mouth-watering expanse lashed harder and faster. ‘The invitation still stands, Sadie,’ he breathed. Stay. Explore. Indulge. I lifted my hand until it hovered mere inches from his skin. Until his heat caressed my palm, its gravitational pull tugging me with unrelenting force. Was I really doing this? Baiting a predator to avoid my own reality? Snatching a jagged breath, I hesitated. Eyes even fiercer, Neo shifted. My hand met the hard wall of his chest, rested on the powerful thundering heartbeat. Lust burst through like a hot ray of sunshine through fog, melting away the last of my reservations. I slid my fingers up superbly well-defined pecs, over the tie he’d loosened during dinner, to glide around his neck. The thought that I was headed in the wrong direction, going up when I should be heading down, evaporated as I explored him. He’d invited this. And I wanted to make sure my investigation was…thorough. His eyes grew hooded when my fingers speared the hair at his nape. Lustrous strands slid through my fingers, and that small act fired up the tempest coursing through me. Enthralled by the sensation, I repeated the caress. A gruff sound left his throat. His Adam’s apple moved in a strong swallow. Had he moved closer or had I? My gaze fell to his full lower lip, so temptingly close. Promising a heady reprieve from chaos, despair and uncertainty. One tiny, tiny taste. I strained another inch closer, watched his eyes turn darker, felt his chest expand with a heavy inhalation. One second ticked by. Two. Then, with a rush of breath and a growl of impatience, he breached the gap between us, fused his lips to mine in white-hot possession. Indecent. Heavenly. Outrageous and masculine and, oh, so powerful. Neo took control of the kiss, brazenly swept his tongue along the ultrasensitive flesh of my bottom lip before delving in between to taste me. With a whimper of urgent need, I parted my lips wider, welcoming him with the eagerness of a starving woman granted a feast. But even while his lips clung to mine, his hands remained where they were, maddeningly removed from my body. The challenge was too much to resist. Crawling closer, I wrapped both hands around his neck, drew him deeper into the kiss. Dared to meet his tongue with mine on the next sweep. His body jerked and another growl left his throat as our tongues found a unique dance of decadent delight, of thrilling desire that built with each ferocious second. Dear God, he could kiss. Even when he wasn’t putting his complete effort into it, even when he wasn’t touching me, I was nearly driven out of my mind. In another heartbeat that was all I wanted. Neo Xenakis’s hands on me. Then I would stop. Because this was getting out of control. As if he’d heard my silent plea, he finally dropped his hands from the back of the sofa. They glided over my shoulders, down my ribcage, in slow, sensuous exploration to my waist. After the merest hesitation, he wrapped his large hands around my hips and pulled me with supreme masculine ease into his lap. No need for any southern exploration. The unmistakable evidence of his proud manhood was imprinted, hot and thick, against my bottom. At my muted gasp he broke the kiss and edged me back, long enough to deliver a smouldering look of arrogant confirmation. ‘Now you know,’ he breathed. ‘Y-yes…’ A look flickered through his eyes—one that seemed to ask and answer a question in the same heartbeat. Then he was tugging me back into his body, one hand spiked in my hair, the other on my hip, pinning me to his lower body. It was as if he wanted nothing but his powerful masculinity to occupy my mind now he’d provided the evidence. As if I could think of anything else. Feel anything else. With only one lover in my past, and a fleeting one at that, sex was still a mystery to me—a land whose borders I’d barely breached before retreating, first out of disappointment and then through the sheer strain of holding the tattered rags of my life together. Now, presented with this tantalising feast, every past experience paled to nothing. My instinct warned that a man like Neo would have more experience in his little finger than I would in my whole body. That this brief taste was merely a drop in the ocean of what he could deliver to the right woman. Except I wasn’t the right woman. I was the woman he’d goaded into taking this risky, mind-altering challenge. A challenge whose fire blazed to heights I’d never encountered before. You can stop. Now. But his lips were intoxicating. And the way his tongue and teeth and lips commanded mine was intensifying that persistent, needy throb between my legs… With another moan I locked my hands around his neck, strained even closer to that magnificent body. And gasped when he abruptly pulled back, his hooded eyes darting from my parted lips to clash with mine. He let out a heavy, unsteady exhale. ‘This isn’t how I foresaw this meeting evolving,’ he rasped. ‘Me neither,’ I muttered. He gave a short, jerky nod before his fierce gaze bored into mine. ‘Then perhaps it’s best if we draw a line under it,’ he invited. But the slight clench of his fingers on my hip said that wasn’t what he really wanted. And when his hold loosened, when I sensed he was about to disengage, I clenched my gut against the lash of disappointment and loss. ‘Is that what you want? For me to leave?’ His jaw clenched and that hot gaze locked on my lips. ‘The more important question is, are you ready to let go, Sadie? I ask this because you’re clinging to me as if I’m the last piece of driftwood in your ocean.’ My arms unlocked from around his neck, slow with a helpless need to stay connected, moved down his chest. At his deep shudder a powerful sensation gripped me, along with a twinge of uncertainty barely born, before it was smashed beneath the colossal hunger clawing through me. I’d never felt anything like this. And the voice inside telling me I never would again birthed a terrifying need to seize this unique experience. Everything around me was slowly crumbling to dust. My mother’s spiralling gambling. Looming homelessness. The job I no longer had. My own shattered dreams… A secret fear plagued me in the dead of night. One I’d never admitted to anyone. That perhaps my father was right. That unconditional love was an illusion—an obligation fulfilled only up to a point. Or worse, that I hadn’t been worthy of the effort. The urgent need simply to forget for a little while longer hooked me with mighty talons, refusing to let go. ‘Say what’s on your mind,’ Neo insisted. The raw demand in his voice. The turbulent look in his eyes. The edgy hunger in his face. All of them echoed the deep clamouring inside me perfectly. Like two halves of a magnificent, earth-shaking whole. And really, in the desolate landscape of my uncertain future, where and when would I get the chance to experience anything close to this? ‘Maybe I’m not…not ready to let go. Just yet.’ For the briefest moment he hesitated, as if he intended to refuse this…refuse me. More than a little panicked at the thought of being thrust back into my dreary life, I clung to his lapel. Need smashed through his fleeting resistance. Decadent headiness filled me, swirling in a sense of triumph I knew it was unwise to savour. Strong fingers delved back into my hair, impatiently freeing the knot. As if he’d uncovered a wondrous sight, his breath caught as he fingered the long strands. ‘Your hair is like a living flame,’ he rasped, watching the thick tendrils glide over his skin. The next instant he’d tugged open the button holding my jacket closed, pulled it off and had me back against the sofa, angling his powerful body over mine. I clung tighter to him, revelling in the erotic thrill of his kiss. A moan ripped free from him as he settled his hips between mine and I felt the full power of his arousal. ‘Theos mou, you’re intoxicating.’ And he was far from lacking in the ultimate manhood stakes. I wanted to return the compliment, but words failed to form beneath the assault of his touch. His tongue boldly stroked mine, coaxed it into a thrilling dance, and all coherent thought evaporated. We kissed until we grew breathless, only the need for oxygen driving us apart. Frenzied seconds ticked away as Neo stared down at me. From unkempt hair to parted lips to strained nipples. There was nowhere to hide my attraction to this man—the last man I should’ve been doing this with. Whether he felt the same or not became a non-issue as he resolutely levered himself away from me to shrug off his jacket. His tie followed, both tossed away with complete disregard for expense or care. Hot hands slid around my hips once more, moulded them for an exploratory second before gliding downward, past my thighs and calves to my feet. He removed and tossed away my shoes. Eyes locked on mine, he conducted the most maddening caress of one foot before digging an expert thumb into the arch. A melting sensation pooled into my belly, a lusty moan leaving my lips. For one fleeting moment, his lips twitched, as if he’d gleaned something about me that pleased him. By the time he was done with paying the same attention to the other foot, my back was arching off the sofa, my whole body caught in waves of pleasure so unique I couldn’t catch my breath. He caught me in his arms, and sensation, earnest and powerful, overwhelmed me. Neo too, if his almost frenzied need to divest me of my clothing, filling the room with decadent sounds that escalated the passion-infused air, was any indication. In minutes he’d reduced me to my panties and bra, and his hand was exploring every exposed dip and curve. He lowered his head. At the thought that he was about to put his lips on my skin for the first time, I blindly reached for him, eager to undress him before I lost the ability to perform the function. The first few buttons of his shirt came undone, giving me a tantalising glimpse of what lay beneath. But when I reached for the next one, Neo tensed, one hand staying mine. ‘No,’ he rasped, his voice tight. Before I could question his response, he dropped his head and laid an open-mouthed kiss on the pulse racing at my throat, then counterpunched by grazing his teeth over the sensitive flesh. ‘Oh!’ ‘You like that?’ ‘Yes!’ His satisfied growl set off cascades of shivers, rendering my nerve endings even more sensitive as he intensified his caress. One hand slid behind my knee, parting my legs so he could mould his lower body to mine, accentuating his lean hips and the powerful outline of his erection. I swallowed, momentarily apprehensive of his overwhelming maleness. Pausing, his gaze bored into mine. ‘Sadie, do you want this?’ The question was grave, and it also held a warning. He was reaching the end of his tether and he wanted to grant me the opportunity of ending this before insanity spun us completely out of control. I didn’t want it to end. I was on that same edge. I boldly cupped his bristled jaw. He exhaled harshly, his sensual lips planting a hard kiss in my palm even while his eyes demanded an answer. ‘Yes,’ I replied. Whatever regrets came later—and I suspected there would be many—I was too far gone, had given too many pieces of myself to heartache, from my father, worry over my mother, despair over life itself, to deny this unexpected slice of heaven. Even if it came in the form of an intense, larger-than-life man who was losing himself in me because of the colossal wrong I’d done him. ‘I want this,’ I confirmed, glad my voice held firm. The words were barely out of my mouth when, with a deft flick, he released my bra. Eyes locked on mine, he dragged the straps down my arms. For a taut second after he flung it away, his eyes remained on mine. Then his gaze dropped to what he’d uncovered. A breath shuddered out of him. ‘You’re exquisite,’ he breathed. Pleasure arched my back, the act snatching his next breath. His head dropped, sensual lips wrapping around one peak to pull the tight bud into his mouth. I cried out as pleasure ripped through me, my senses scrambling further when his tongue swirled in erotic caresses. More decadent sounds fell from my lips. My fingers slid beneath the collar of his shirt to track urgently over his shoulders, to grip his back, eager to hold him to his task. Neo’s caresses grew bolder as he switched his attention to the twin peak. Arrows of need shot between my thighs, dampening and readying me for the ultimate possession. Possession he seemed determined to tease out as he feasted on my breasts for an age, returning over and over to my mouth to demand torrid kisses. Just when I thought he’d drag the moment out for an eternity he drew down my panties, flinging them away with the same sexy carelessness he’d given my bra. ‘I have to taste you,’ he said, in that deep, raw voice, gripping my thigh to part me to his avid gaze. His stare was so potent, so ravenous, I lost what little breath I had left in my lungs. ‘Neo…’ ‘Shh, no talking, glikia mou. Quite enough words have passed between us.’ Denied that outlet, I grasped another. I touched, I explored, I kissed every covered muscle within reach, delighting in the slivers of heated olive skin he allowed me. Right until his bold lips delivered the ultimate kiss between my thighs. I fell back, boneless, onto the sofa, and another cry was wrenched from my throat as he wreaked wicked havoc between my thighs. All the while delivering rough praise in English and Greek. How had I even contemplated denying myself this soul-stirring experience? Even at this stage, I knew it paled in comparison with my brief sexual foray back at uni. Neo tongued my nerve-filled bud and I screamed, the shameless keening urging him into deeper caresses until it all grew too much. Until I had no choice but to surrender to the blistering release that gripped me tight for several electrifying seconds before tossing me into utter bliss. For endless minutes I drifted, a raw mass of sensation. But in excruciating increments I became aware of my surroundings, of my fingers clenched in his hair. Of the wide, plush sofa beneath me and the hot body slowly prowling up mine. Of the foil caught between his fingers as he eased back, unzipped his trousers and pulled them and his boxers down. His shirt remained on, the tails covering the tops of his thighs. Eyes pinned to mine, he glided the condom on with that mask of hunger stamped on his face. Unable to help myself, I dropped my gaze to his shaft. And again I experienced momentary panic at his sizeable thickness. But, as if he’d willed it away with the sheer force of his attraction, the worry receded as he reclaimed his place between my legs. Nevertheless, I couldn’t suppress my whimper at the first breach. He froze, teeth gritted, as his turbulent gaze searched mine. ‘Sadie…?’ Fear that he would stop, that this insulating little bubble would burst and I would be flung back into dreary reality, pushed me to blurt out, ‘Don’t stop. Please.’ For heart-stopping seconds he didn’t move. Just stared at me with a mixture of edgy intensity and banked lust. Then, as if he didn’t want to leave this bubble either, he thrust deep. Pleasure rolled over me, dissipating the initial sting of his fullness. ‘Yes…’ Relief washed over his face, immediately chased away by wickedly ferocious determination. Another thrust. His groan melded with my moan as he slid to the hilt. ‘You shouldn’t feel this incredible,’ he grunted. ‘But, thee mou, you do.’ His words triggered a weird kind of triumph—a fleeting but overwhelming pride that I was good enough for something, worth this moment of nirvana. I sank deeper into sensation, shuddering at the powerful emotions moving in my chest. Then in pure carnal bliss Neo rolled his hips, driving me further out of my mind. ‘More. Please.’ A wicked pause, then he seized my arms, dragged them above my head. The movement drew my body taut, enlivening every inch of me with intense awareness as he splayed his fingers between mine and proceeded to give me far more than I’d ever imagined possible. With every thrust, every glide of his lips over my skin, I was hurled closer to that intense spark I knew would ignite the most sacred bliss I’d ever known. I wanted to rush it and slow it down at the same time. I wanted to hold it in my palm and savour it even while I strained for complete annihilation with every cell in my body. ‘Please…’ I panted, unsure which path I yearned for more. With a series of piston-fast, mind-melting strokes, the moment arrived. White-hot, searing, intense. I was catapulted into unadulterated bliss, eagerly surrendering to the power and might of it. His head buried in my neck, Neo gave a muted shout, his body shuddering for endless moments in the throes of his own release. After the frenzied pace of his possession time slowed to a crawl, as if the power of our jagged coming together, the intensity of the moment, needed reverse momentum to slow and steady it. Heartbeats slowed. Pulses quieted. Like a powerful drug taking me under, lethargy stole over me. I closed my eyes and drifted, cloaked in a moment’s peace before I had to face what had happened. The moment arrived all too soon. First came the loss of the searing palm-to-palm contact that had somehow heightened this experience from base act to something…more, followed by the complete withdrawal of body heat when Neo rose lithely from the sofa, triggering an acute self-consciousness of my naked state in contrast to his almost completely clothed form. Then, with his thick curse uttered in Greek, but nevertheless unmistakable, I was wrenched from my insulated bubble. The living room lights, which had provided seductive ambience during our furious coupling, suddenly blazed too bright, exposed too much, making me blink a few times before I focused on the man frozen in a half turn from me, a look of stark disbelief and something else that looked like furious self-loathing etched into his face. ‘I… Is something wrong?’ I cringed at my husky sex-hoarse tone. Neo ploughed his fingers through his hair, turned and stalked down the hallway. Dread dripped torturous ice water down my spine. The frantic darting of my mind was locked in place for several long seconds before I jackknifed upward, my feet landing on the plush carpet as I tried to marshal my thoughts. It took far too long to find and wrestle my tangled panties on. I was cursing my shaking hands and their inability to straighten my bra straps when brisk strides signalled Neo’s return. My disquiet intensifying, I glanced his way. He ignored me. I told myself to be glad, but my stomach churned harder, the regret I’d anticipated and almost accepted would arrive suspiciously light in place of the hurt and confusion swamping me. His movements jerky, unlike the smooth, animalistic grace he’d exhibited earlier, he headed for the drinks cabinet, but at the last moment veered away and stopped before the glass wall. Silence pulsed as he stared out, ferocious tension riding his shoulders. I dragged my fingers through my hair, shoving it out of the way in order to secure my bra, and hurriedly punched my fingers through the sleeves of my blouse. I was tugging the sides together when he turned. If his eyes had been turbulent pools before, they were positively volcanic now. But that fury was aimed more at himself than at me. There seemed to be bewilderment, as if I was a puzzle he’d tried and failed to put together and now loathed himself for attempting. He stared at me for another unsettling minute, his lips parted, his chest rising and falling as if he detested the very words he was about to utter. ‘We have a problem,’ he grated. I was surprised he could speak at all, with his jaw locked so tight and the tendons in his neck standing out. The feeling of unworthiness returned—harder, harsher. Not good enough, the insidious voice whispered. Nevergood enough. I pushed it and my roiling emotions away for examination later. Much, much later. ‘I can tell. Although I’m at a loss as to what it is.’ But even as the firm words tumbled from my lips, the cascade and echo of old hurts was deepening, intensifying. ‘If you’re about to tell me you regret what happened, please save your breath. We don’t need to dissect it now or ever. I’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes. You need never set eyes on me again if that’s what you—’ ‘The condom broke.’ The words were delivered like a chilling death knell. I was glad I hadn’t attempted to stand, because my legs would have failed me. I was aware that my jaw had sagged, that I probably made an unattractive sight, sitting there half-dressed, with my skirt askew and unzipped and my blouse wrinkled. He confirmed it with a quick rake of his gaze and a harder clenching of his teeth. ‘Get dressed, Sadie.’ I ignored the command for the simple reason that I couldn’t move, couldn’t force my brain to stop repeating those three damning words on a loop. ‘I… What?’ I finally managed. ‘Cover yourself,’ he repeated tersely. ‘Why? My nakedness didn’t cause the condom to fail,’ I flung back, and then compounded my words with a furious blush as his eyebrows hiked upward in flaying mockery. I turned my back on him, a much more earth-shaking tremble seizing me as the ramifications landed home. While he’d listed everything I may have deprived him of, Neo hadn’t definitely confirmed his inability to father children. So did I face a possible pregnancy on top of everything else? Dear God… Motherhood? When my own blueprint of childhood was so flawed? Somehow, through sheer will to fight this battle on somewhere-near-equal footing, I straightened my clothes, slid my feet into my shoes. There was nothing I could do about my hair, what with the cheap band I’d used nowhere in sight and my refusal to dig around for it under Neo’s heavy, brooding stare. So I took a deep breath, and turned around to face the consequences of yet another wrong turn. CHAPTER FOUR (#ulink_4b35e2ba-f331-5940-a8a7-265f84b744e1) MISTAKE. Big, colossal mistake. Disbelief, raw and searing, tunnelled deep, bedded down into my bones with unstoppable force until I had no choice but to acknowledge its presence. To accept that I’d simply compounded one problem with not one but two further mistakes. For the first time in my life I wanted to find the nearest sand dune. Bury my head in it. But I couldn’t. Because there she stood, a flaming hot testament to the temptation I’d given in to when I should’ve walked away. Should have heeded my own agency to retreat and regroup instead of arrogantly imagining I could handle this—handle her—like a normal business challenge, to be ruthlessly and efficiently dismantled before moving on to the next problem. The chaos she’d brought upon me wasn’t a business problem or even a wider family problem, to be accommodated only so far until it could be slotted under someone else’s problem when in reality it was deeply, straight-to-the-core personal. It had needed addressing, sure. But only once I’d thought things through. Executed a solution with military precision, as I did with everything in my life. Not losing myself in the very object of my misery. Not letting go of the reins of my sanity so thoroughly and completely that the world could’ve burned to the ground and I wouldn’t have minded in the slightest if it meant I could continue to enjoy her silken warmth, the intoxicating clutch of her tight heat. To hear those spellbinding gasps and cries fall from her lips as she begged for more. Acid seared my throat, flooded my mouth, bringing with it a recollection of the only other time I’d let blind lust get the better of me. An invitation to some faceless heiress’s birthday party in Gstaad I’d almost refused—until a possible business opportunity had been thrown in to sweeten the invitation. A big deal bagged, followed by a night of hedonistic revelry. A mistaken conclusion that I’d found a worthy soulmate, even though I’d never truly believed in that sort of flighty fantasy. When that illusion had seemed to hold true in the clear light of day, for weeks and months, I’d congratulated myself for a wise choice made even in the midst of frivolity and decadence. A proposal in Neostros, before friends and family, an engagement party to trump them all, and I was all set to buck the Xenakis family trend of backstabbing and buckling underneath the smallest pressure. Even when suspicions arose…even when I allowed Anneka to talk me into another visit to Gstaad and a reluctant turn on the black ski run ended with me being launched twenty feet into the air and descending via a jagged aspen tree…she hadn’t bailed. Unlike most, who barely remembered their trauma, mine still played out in excruciating detail. I heard her cries as she held my hand and urged me to hold on. And I held on, remaining alert right until the doctors were forced to put me in a medical coma. I embraced even that, knowing she would be waiting for me when I woke. But those fervent wishes for me to hold on had been born not of love but of callous greed and an unconscionable disregard for loyalty and integrity. She calculated every move, right up until my eyes opened—literally and figuratively—to the betrayal and falsehoods so deeply ingrained she wore them like a second skin. One she attempted to hide with tears and cajoling until she’d learned that she couldn’t fool a Xenakis twice. I’d made a vow never to be caught in another traitorous web ever again. Where was that vow an hour ago, Neo? I stifled a growl at the mocking inner voice. There’d been quite enough growling for one night. One lifetime. The cold calculation with which I should have approached this situation finally arrived. I stared at Sadie Preston. Watched her fidget, like she did in my office. Then slowly that chin went up, throwing the face I’d framed in my hands and caressed into alluring relief while those green eyes began to spark. ‘Are you going to stand there glaring at me all night? Look, I know the news is upsetting—’ Harsh laughter barked out of me, startling her, but there was no help for it. ‘You think this is merely upsetting? Do you not understand that there’s no making this right? No glossing over this?’ ‘I was just—’ ‘Attempting to make me feel better? Urging me to look on the bright side? Is that what the episode on the sofa was all about?’ Raw colour flared in her cheeks but she dared another step closer, that temper I’d suspected bubbled just beneath the surface rising. ‘How dare you belittle it?’ she breathed, stunning me with her fierce tone. ‘It wasn’t just a sordid little episode to me.’ ‘Wasn’t it? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you actually mean that.’ Another less readable look flashed in her eyes. Lips that had tasted exquisite beneath mine firmed, holding in whatever response she’d intended to utter for several seconds before she shook her head and spoke anyway. ‘I know there’s nothing I can say or do to alter what’s happened. But I was actually talking about the…the incident with the condom, not what brought me here in the first place.’ Christos, the broken condom. Another intensely unwelcome first in a day of abysmal firsts that needed to be smashed out of existence. But then you wouldn’t have met her. Skat?! What was wrong with me? I’d hung on to her when I should have handed her over to the authorities within minutes of her confession. Now was I playing devil’s advocate with myself? Never crossing paths with Sadie Preston was a trade-off I could cheerfully accept—and that gritty little knot in my stomach that called it out for a white lie be damned. So what if my digital little black book hadn’t been used for the longest stretch since its inception, and she, with that mystifying allure of defiance and sexiness, would’ve been a prime addition to it had we met under different circumstances? Facts were facts. And the simple fact remained: sending her packing should have been my first and only course. ‘The accident with the condom is another consequence to deal with. But it should be a fairly straightforward matter. I’ll start by assuring you that you have nothing to worry about health-wise.’ She arched one well-shaped eyebrow. ‘And I’m to take your word for that? Because you’re…you?’ The clear censure in her tone grated. ‘That’s your prerogative. But other than the fact that I abhor liars, a man in my position would be extremely foolish not to take the necessary precautions when it comes to every facet of his life. My last medical check returned a clean bill of health. You’re the only woman I’ve slept with since.’ Her eyes widened a touch, questions glinting in their depths. ‘And what about…?’ The inevitable question. I needed to answer and it burned its way up my throat—a searing reminder of why my association with this woman should have ended many hours ago. ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t not ask, can I?’ she muttered. Her expression morphed into one I’d seen on too many faces of friends and family members. Even those without full knowledge of what had happened in that hospital room deigned to pity me. It was why I’d banned my family from discussing my accident. ‘I don’t need your pity, Miss Preston. Or whatever that look on your face is supposed to signify. The simple truth is, I cannot father children. The why doesn’t concern you. It’s a proven reality—which makes your offer of a further visit to your previous place of employment null. The only thing I need from you right now is reciprocal reassurance that I’m not at risk after this unfortunate mishap.’ Her expression snapped back to that mixture of fiery irritation, hurt and censure. She wore her feelings so plainly. She would be an abysmal poker player. So why did I crave to keep staring, keep attempting to read what else she felt within this chaos? ‘I tell you this only for reassurance, in light of everything that’s happened. Let’s call it a courtesy.’ She paused, pursed her lips. ‘I’ve had one relationship. It lasted five months, while I was in my second year at uni, and I took every necessary precaution. So you have nothing to fear from me medically either,’ she snapped. A layer of tension released its grip on me, even while questions multiplied in my brain. Questions I batted away because, no, I most definitely did not care who that relationship had been with. Or why it had ended. These days not being ‘in a relationship’ didn’t mean a woman was celibate. Did she belong to anyone now? The urge to know was overpowering enough to force my fists closed, to grit my teeth just so the question wouldn’t tumble out. Thee mou, I was losing it. Her eyes widened as she stared at me. Evidently, my poker face needed work too. She glanced away, her eyes lighting on the shabby little handbag resting on the entryway console table. When she headed for it I remained where I stood, not trusting myself to approach her. But staying put didn’t mean denying myself one final scrutiny of her body. Now that I’d tasted the passion and beauty beneath her tasteless clothes, my body wasn’t in any mood to obey my commands to relegate Sadie Preston to the wasteland where she belonged. Instead, it tracked the supple shape of her calves and ankles, the tempting curve of her backside, the dip of her waist. Her hair… My fist clenched tighter. I’d never given much thought to a woman’s hair before, except perhaps in the way it framed the overall package. I’d dated blondes, brunettes and everything in between without alighting on any specified preference. Sadie’s hair had trademarked its own siren call. One that had hooked into me, driving me to a new and dizzyingly dangerous edge. ‘I suppose you want me to leave?’ I refocused on her face. She’d reclaimed her bag and slung it crossways over her slim torso, dragging my attention to her full breasts. I forced my gaze away from the perfect globes, crossed the living room to the front door to summon the lift. A draining type of despair, a kind I’d never known before—not even when I stared into the heart of Anneka’s cruel betrayal—sapped the dregs of my energy. I held it at bay with sheer willpower. Barely. ‘Neo…’ I pivoted to face her, renewed tension vibrating through to my very bones. ‘I don’t recall inviting you to use my first name. There’s nothing more to discuss. And, just so you’re disabused of any lingering notions of attempting to make this right, let me lay it out for you. There’s no way back from what you’ve done. Short of divine intervention and immaculate conception, you’ve effectively ended me, Sadie Preston. My last hope of ever becoming a father was that sample you destroyed. So I’m confident that you can get it through that stunning red head of yours that if I never see you again it will be too soon. Attempt any form of communication with me for any reason and this stay of execution I’m considering will be off the table and you’ll be handed over to the authorities to answer for your crime. Is that understood?’ All colour drained from her face, but that stubborn chin remained high. Defiant. ‘Perfectly. Goodbye, Mr Xenakis.’ Nine weeks later ‘You shouldn’t be going to work today, Sadie. You look even worse than you did yesterday. And you were out like a light when I looked in on you before I went to bed. I didn’t disturb you because I thought a full night’s sleep would do you good, but I can see it didn’t.’ I busied myself fetching milk I didn’t need from the fridge to make a cup of coffee I didn’t intend to drink. All so I could avoid my mother’s gaze and the questions lurking therein. Despite despair and bone-tiredness leaching the strength from my bones, I strove to remain upbeat. ‘I can’t afford not to go to work. And I’m fine, Mum.’ The I promise I usually tagged on to the reassurance stuck in my throat. I couldn’t promise anything. Because I wasn’t fine. I hadn’t thought it possible to be this far from fine when I blinked back tears as Neo Xenakis’s lift hurled me down to the ground floor after that unforgettable night. I’d been wrong. That cloying sense of unworthiness, germinated after my father’s desertion and watered by doubts and hopelessness, had trebled overnight, and the enormity of what I’d done both before and after meeting Neo Xenakis had thrown me into a state of raw despair. One that’d grown exponentially with the final notice from our landlord a week ago. We were on a countdown clock to homelessness. I hadn’t been able to bring myself to tell my mother yet. But I’d been doing a lot of evading lately. In between sporadic temping I’d ignored the flulike symptoms leaching my energy, initially attributing my delayed period to the condition. Even after a second period was a no-show, I’d refused to believe that fate would be so brutal. That the unthinkable could truly happen. Then had come the bracing, inevitable acceptance that I wasn’t the victim of lingering flu, or a stomach bug that only attacked in the morning, but that, yes, I was capable of conceiving immaculately. Shock. Disbelief. A brief spurt of searing anger at Neo Xenakis and his lies. Followed by that ever-present tug of despair. That feeling of unworthiness. That cruel little reminder that my own blueprint was flawed. But even while despair lodged a heavy stone in my chest there also came a quiet, even more bewildering…elation. Even though I was twenty-five, working jobs that paid a pittance and on the brink of homelessness with a mother who’d promised me, when I finally broke down and begged her to seek help, to combat her growing gambling addiction but had since regressed—as evidenced by the online betting pages I’d spotted on her phone yesterday. That crushing list of failings was what had overwhelmed me last night. Made me pretend to be asleep when my mother entered the bedroom we shared. Elation should be the farthest emotion on my reality spectrum. A hysterical thought flitted across my mind. Perhaps I should have taken a gamble on myself. I’d be wildly wealthy and down one less problem by now. Because, despite all the odds against it, I’d fallen pregnant with Neo Xenakis’s baby after one utterly misguided folly. Ababy… Sweet heaven… I can’t father children… The lie had dripped so smoothly, so convincingly from his lips. And I’d believed him. Had even hurt for him. When all he’d been doing was cruelly toying with my emotions. Had he seen my feverish desire to stay anchored, connected, for just a little while, and viciously exploited it as some sort of payback? Did the man I’d given myself to, in an act I suspected had involved more than just the physical, bear traits of the father who’d so callously rejected me…? ‘Sadie, dear, are you sure you’re all right? You’ve gone as white as a ghost.’ I swallowed the encroaching nausea and a bubble of lurking panic, thankful that my mother hadn’t noticed that on top of my pseudo-flu I was also plagued by bouts of vomiting. ‘I’m not sick, Mum. Really,’ I said, infusing as much warmth into my voice as possible. ‘Okay, well…if you’re sure. I’m going back to bed. Have a good day at work.’ She left the kitchen after sliding a comforting hand down my back. Absurdly, the gesture made my eyes prickle. I blinked the tears away, forced myself to revisit the subject that filled me with equal parts anger and dread: relaying the news to Neo. His last tersely worded warning before tossing me out of his penthouse still lingered, two months on. And I believed he’d meant what he’d said. Then, of course. But in light of this life-changing news… I wouldn’t know until I tried. Again. My initial attempts to contact Neo had met a brick wall, with a few snooty receptionists even threatening to block my number if I kept trying to reach their illustrious boss. Apparently Neo had issued word that I was persona non grata. Initially aggrieved by the realisation, I’d stopped trying to reach him for all of three days, before accepting that this reality wasn’t going to go away. Neo needed to learn of his child’s existence sooner rather than later. And answer a few pointed questions in the process… Since returning to his building and risking arrest or worse was out of the question, I ventured onto social media—only to discover that the Xenakis family were embroiled in the kind of publicity that drove the tabloids wild. Apparently, in the last few weeks, Neo’s older brother Axios had returned from a brief trip abroad with his young wife in tow. A wife whose previous absence had been highly conspicuous, fuelling all kinds of scandalous speculation. Now, not only had the young Mrs Xenakis returned from her mysterious absence without explanation, she’d apparently given birth while she was away. The reunited family had asked for privacy, but already several shots of a baby boy, Andreos Xenakis, had been leaked to the media. He was a gorgeous baby, who bore all the strong characteristics of possessing the Xenakis DNA. How was Neo taking the news? And, the more important question, how would he take my news? It was only eight o’clock. My temp job didn’t start until ten. That gave me a little time to attempt to reach Neo again. Distaste at the thought of stalking him online lingered as I powered up my laptop. The first headline I found made my stomach drop. Xenakis Aeronautics Soars to New Heights in the Far East. Exhaling shakily, I read the article, calming down when I saw it focused mostly on Axios Xenakis and his spearheading of the airline conglomerate’s global expansion. Neo would be taking over the European arm of the company, starting with relocating to Athens with immediate effect. The article was two weeks old. Which meant Neo might now be even further out of reach. Suppressing the strong bite of despondency, I scribbled down the numbers of the Athens office, shut down the laptop and rushed to the bathroom just in time to heave. A quick shower and a judiciously nibbled slice of dry toast later, I picked up my bag and headed for the door—only to pause when my mother called out. ‘Oh, Sadie, when you can, do you think you can buy me some data for my phone? I seem to have run out.’ Desolation deadened my feet. The urge to tell her that I was barely holding it together emotionally and financially, never mind providing a conduit for her addiction, tripped on the edge of my tongue. But I was woefully ill-equipped for a replay of the inevitable tears and depression that had dogged Martha Preston’s life since her husband’s cruel desertion. As much as I wanted to dish out tough love, I could barely hold myself together, and nor could I afford to lose another job because I was late. Vowing to tackle the subject again that evening, I shut the door behind me. The morning trundled by in the tedium of filing and answering phones. After using the first minutes of my late lunch break to calm my nerves, I dialled the number I’d saved. One minute later I hung up, my ears ringing after a crisp, accented voice informed me that while Mr Xenakis was indeed at his office in Athens, he did not accept unsolicited calls. No amount of pleading had shifted the receptionist’s stance. In the middle of the busy London park, I gritted my teeth and resisted the urge to scream. Or dissolve into helpless tears. Instead, on a desperate urge, I called up the web page of a budget airline, my heart racing when I saw a same-day return flight to Athens. It would put further strain on my tight bank balance, and would require even more ruthless financial rationing, but the temp agency had no placement for me tomorrow and I had nothing planned for the weekend besides tormenting myself with the many ways my failed childhood might affect my baby… Without stopping to debate the wisdom of it, I booked the ticket. Regardless of his reasons for stating a blatant untruth, I owed Neo the news that he was going to be a father. Just as he’d deserved to know of my mistake at the Phoenix Clinic. Would he think it was another unforgivable mistake? Would he walk away even sooner than my father had? It didn’t matter. No. It matters. It’s why you won’t stop shaking. I smothered the voice, shrugging mentally. For good or ill, I was going to beard the formidable lion that was Neo Xenakis in his den one more time. But this time, I was suitably armed with what to expect. The seat of the Xenakis airline empire was housed in a sprawling ten-storey building that took up a whole city block in the centre of Athens. Security was twice as tight as in London, but this time I didn’t linger outside. The brief, succinct note I’d hastily written in the taxi ride and shoved into an envelope trembled in my hand as I approached the ultramodern reception desk. Before the efficient-looking receptionist could voice the disdain lurking in her eyes, I held out the envelope. ‘It’s essential that Mr Xenakis sees this immediately.’ Whatever expression she read on my face halted her answer. Rising, she took the note and walked away. I retreated to the nearest set of expensive club chairs, arranged to maximise the appreciation of the stunning marble-floored, three-storey atrium that formed the welcoming entry into the world of Xenakis Aeronautics, the words of the note echoing in my head: Mr Xenakis, I’m downstairs in your lobby. It’s in your interest to give me ten minutes of your time. I’m certain you’ll regret it if you don’t. Sadie Bold words, which would either grant me an audience or fritter away the mercy he’d shown me by not asking Wendell to break out the handcuffs that day in London. I looked up to see Wendell heading my way, as if summoned by my thought. My heart dropped, but I refused to look away. ‘If you’re here to throw me out, you should know that I’ll simply turn around and come straight back. Maybe you should tell your boss that?’ His expression didn’t change. ‘Mr Xenakis will see you now.’ I swallowed my surprise and followed him. This time, knowing the calibre of the man who waited behind another set of imposing doors, I tightened my gut, sure I could mitigate the effect. I was wrong. Being on his home turf had heaped another layer of magnificent appeal upon a man who already held more than his fair share. In the sunlight that filtered through wide, rectangular windows, his dark hair gleamed. A skin-skimming stubble highlighted his strong jaw, and with that sexy dimple in his chin it was impossible to stop the flare of heat that attacked my body, robbing me of vital breath for precious seconds. The matching jacket to his tailored grey trousers hung on a hook in the far corner of his office, leaving him in a pristine white shirt that moulded his broad shoulders and powerful biceps. Terrified I was already losing the fight for composure, I hurried to speak. To get this over with. ‘Thank you for seeing me, Mr Xenakis.’ Eyes that had been conducting a slow, thorough scrutiny of me rose to fix on my face. ‘Miss Preston.’ His voice was grave. ‘I’m beginning to think you have some sort of death wish. Or do you simply relish testing my patience?’ ‘Neither. Believe me, this is the last place I want to be.’ His arrogant head cocked. ‘I sense the inevitable but coming,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘Although I have no earthly idea what it could be.’ Despite his words, he narrowed his eyes, as if he fully suspected a scam. Or worse. Say it. Just say it and leave. I sucked in a breath that went nowhere near replenishing my lungs or giving me the courage I craved. ‘I’m pregnant. The baby is yours. I thought you should know.’ Deathly silence echoed in the vast office. Then he inhaled sharply, the white-hot sound sizzling across the large room. ‘Christos, you do have a death wish,’ he breathed in sizzling disbelief, and his face, unlike last time, when there’d been shock and bleak despair, was a picture of complete and utter fury. ‘I don’t, I assure you. But—’ ‘Then you’ve taken complete leave of your senses. Because that can be the only viable explanation for this—’ He stopped abruptly, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. For one mad moment I wanted to say yes. That only a peculiar strain of madness would explain why I couldn’t look away from his face, why I couldn’t quite catch my breath in his presence. ‘The door is behind you. Use it right now or I won’t be held responsible for my actions.’ It was a hushed entreaty, perhaps even a final attempt at civility for a man hanging by a thread. Considering I’d jumped on a plane with little hope of being granted even this audience, I was surprised I’d got this far. But complete dismissal wasn’t what I’d expected. The urge to linger, to make him believe, if only for the sake of telling my baby someday that I’d tried, fired through me—along with the question that still demanded an answer. The question about his false statement, the consequences of which had certainly taken me by surprise. But Neo’s face was turning even more ashen, his chest rising and falling in rapid shudders as he remained frozen in place. ‘Why?’ The question was ragged, torn from his soul. ‘Excuse me?’ He prowled forward several steps, granting me a better look at his face. And there it was. That look of desolation. ‘Why would you do this? Did someone put you up to it? As a joke, perhaps?’ he asked from between whitened lips. ‘Or a bet?’ ‘We don’t move in the same circles, Mr Xenakis. Nor am I friendly with anyone who would deliberately cause someone distress with such a prank.’ ‘Then tell me why?’ There was a tinge of desperation in his question. Of bewilderment. ‘Because it’s the truth!’ He jerked forward again, his throat moving as his eyes drilled into me. ‘No, it’s not. As I told you in London, I’m incapable of fathering children. Three years ago the best doctors in the world delivered that staggering news. And do you know what I did?’ Numb, I shook my head, my anger at his lies dissipating in the face of the searing emotion in his eyes. ‘I found a set of doctors with better credentials than the original set. Guess what? They arrived at the same conclusion. So now do you see how what you’re saying is impossible?’ Why? Where? How? Questions flashed through my brain even while I accepted that this wasn’t the time or place. I licked lips gone dry with growing anxiety. ‘I can’t speak to your experience. All I can tell you is my truth.’ If anything, his fury grew. ‘Does this truth involve a lapsed memory on your part?’ I shook my head. ‘I’m sorry—you’ve lost me.’ His jaw turned to steel. ‘You wouldn’t be the first woman to find herself in this situation and devise a plan to pass another man’s child off as—’ ‘Don’t you dare finish that sentence!’ ‘Because it’s much closer to this “truth” you seek to ram down my throat?’ ‘Because it’s most definitely guaranteed to get you slapped! And while we’re throwing accusations around, what about what you said to me?’ ‘I beg your pardon?’ ‘You assured me I had nothing to worry about. You said I couldn’t get pregnant! That it was impossible.’ ‘And I have a file of medical reports to back that up. What do you have?’ he snarled. ‘I have that immaculate conception you wished for, apparently. Because three pregnancy tests last week and a trip to the doctor confirms that I’m carrying a baby. Your baby!’ He shook his head, started to speak. I held up my hand. ‘It’s fine if you don’t want to believe me. I don’t care.’ ‘You do care or you wouldn’t be here. Or be crying,’ he grated. Belatedly, I registered the dampness on my cheek. Hating myself for that weakness, I dashed my hand across my cheek. Only to feel more tears spilling. ‘It must be a side effect of being repeatedly labelled a liar. Or… I don’t know… Pregnancy hormones. But, no matter what, this was the right thing to do. And now it’s done.’ There—you’ve said your piece. Now leave. But my feet refused to move. His eyes narrowed with laser focus. ‘If there truly is a baby, does the news distress you that much?’ ‘Yes! You lulled me into a false sense of security, made me think I had the flu when I’m pregnant!’ He went a little pale, his movements jerky as he closed the gap between us. ‘And what would you have done if I’d told you two months ago that there was this possibility, hmm? Considered your options without me in the picture, perhaps?’ ‘Watch your tone, Mr Xenakis. The last thing you should be doing is lounging on that lofty perch and looking down your nose at me. What happened between us was consensual. What happened with the condom was unfortunate. You do not have the right to question my character. Considering the way we parted, do you really think I would be here, right now, if that was my intention?’ He seemed lost for words even as his gaze scoured my face, dissecting my words. ‘You said yourself you only verified the pregnancy a week ago. That means you’re about two months along. It’s not too late for other options. Maybe that’s your plan? To leverage those options?’ His insult sank in, sharp as a stiletto blade. ‘God, you can’t help yourself, can you?’ I realised I’d screamed the words only after they came out. He frowned. ‘Calm yourself, Sadie.’ ‘If you want me to calm down, then stop upsetting me—Neo!’ He sucked in a deep breath, then another. Then he whirled around, dragging his fingers through his hair. Swift strides put the width of the room between us and I watched him stare out of the window at the Friday afternoon traffic, tension riding his shoulders. Walking out through the door should’ve been easy, but again that stubborn need to have him believe me held me rooted to the spot. So when he abruptly grated, ‘Perhaps we should discuss this further. Take a seat. Please,’ I glared at his back for all of half a second before stumbling over to one of the twin plush sofas positioned tastefully at one side of his office. Unlike his stunning but impersonal London penthouse, there were more signs of Neo Xenakis’s personality here. Priceless objets d’art were placed next to pictures of what looked like his family, and there was even a framed child’s drawing. On the coffee table, a large book on Mayan history was open to a well-thumbed page, and several more Aztec-themed books were piled to one side. The notion that in another time or place I’d have liked to get to know this stranger whose baby I carried hit me hard. I was busy pushing the thought away when I heard his deep, low tones. He stood at his desk, speaking in rapid-fire Greek. Done, he returned to the window and stood there for an age. When he turned around, every inch of his body brimmed with purpose. ‘You mentioned that you saw a doctor?’ ‘Yes…after I took the pregnancy tests.’ ‘And?’ ‘Everything’s fine so far.’ ‘This probably won’t come as a surprise to you, but to me the possibility of an offspring is not…unwelcome.’ The depth of yearning in his low, deep voice rocked me to my core, softening a knotted place inside me I hadn’t registered until his words loosened it. Truth be told, I hadn’t allowed myself to think beyond delivering the news. Because when it came down to it, Neo had plenty of other options beyond having a baby with the woman who’d brought chaos into his life. If he was willing to accept— ‘If it’s mine, that is. And at this point I’m hard-pressed to be convinced it is.’ The soft place hardened, strangled tight by his words. ‘You really believe I’d lie about something like this?’ The yearning receded slowly, forced back by the power of his scepticism. And something else. Something dark and grave that took complete control of him, hardening his face into a rigid, implacable mask. ‘I’m a wealthy, influential man. Anyone with a competent internet connection can see for themselves what any association with the Xenakis family represents. Believe it or not, you won’t be the first woman to attempt to saddle me with a paternity claim. Even when the likelihood is remote.’ He believed it. He truly believed he was infertile. Despite the anguish dredging through me, a tiny voice urged reason. Urged me to see this from his point of view. How many headlines had I caught from my mother’s gossip magazines that shouted about a celebrity vehemently denying alleged paternity? How many women had attempted to scam rich men by dangling a baby in their faces? I was wasting my time. Neo wouldn’t believe even if I shouted until I was blue in the face. I rose. ‘Your hang-ups are your problem, not mine. I have a plane to catch, so I guess it’s goodbye, Mr Xenakis.’ He moved with impressive speed. Before I could take my next breath, Neo had arrived before me. ‘That’s it? You came to deliver the news and now you’re just going to head to the airport and return home?’ I dredged up a smile. ‘Let me guess. This is where you expect me to make some sort of demand? Maybe ask for financial support or a McMansion to live in while I carry your child? Well, sorry to disappoint you. I want nothing from you.’ The faint colour tingeing his sculpted cheekbones told me I’d hit the nail on the head. ‘Did you not hear me when I said I want this baby?’ he asked. ‘No, what I heard was you hedging your bets on the off-chance that I’m telling the truth. When you decide whether you want to believe me, I’m sure Wendell will be able to find me—’ ‘No,’ he interrupted. ‘That is most definitely not how this is going to work.’ ‘What’s that supposed to—’ We both froze when d?j? vu arrived in the hideously embarrassing form of my stomach giving the loudest growl known to humanity. He muttered what sounded like an incredulous Greek oath under his breath. ‘Tell me you haven’t been neglecting to eat?’ he bit out. Heat consumed my face. ‘I’m in the throes of a spectacular experience called morning sickness. Anything I eat before a certain time rarely stays down.’ He frowned. ‘Surely there’s a remedy for that?’ I shrugged. ‘If there is, they haven’t found it yet.’ His frown intensified. ‘So the answer is what…? To starve yourself?’ ‘I don’t do it deliberately, you know. My flight here was at an ungodly hour this morning.’ An exasperated puff of air left his lips as he glanced at his watch. ‘It’s now past noon. Does this mean you haven’t eaten all day?’ ‘I tried to eat something on the plane.’ His lips twisted in distaste. ‘Budget airline food?’ ‘We can’t all afford to travel on private jets, Mr Xenakis.’ ‘Neo,’ he drawled. ‘Call me Neo.’ ‘I’m not sure I want to call you anything, to be honest.’ ‘If the child you carry is truly mine there’s one title you won’t be able to deny me,’ he stated with stone-rough gravity, just as a discreet knock sounded on the door. He responded in Greek, and a moment later an impeccably dressed middle-aged woman entered, holding a package which she handed to Neo. Without glancing my way, she discreetly retreated. He studied me for a moment, then reached into the bag. Although I suspected what the contents were, I was still shocked when he took out the oblong package. ‘You sent out for a pregnancy test?’ ‘With the full intention of accepting any offence it might cause you, yes,’ he stated simply, his fingers tight around the box. ‘Will you take the test?’ he asked, his tone containing a peculiar note I couldn’t fathom. There was something going on here. Something beneath the surface that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Again, questions surrounding the reasons why he believed he couldn’t father children crowded my brain. Resolutely, I pushed them away and accepted the status quo. For now. ‘Only to prove I’m not a liar.’ I held my hand out for it but he hesitated, his jaw working for several seconds before he said, ‘You should know that this is merely a preliminary test to confirm your pregnancy. A test for paternity will be necessary when the time is right.’ My hand dropped, something hot and sharp lancing my chest. ‘You really are something else—you know that?’ ‘Ne, I’ve been told.’ His stance didn’t change. ‘If you think I’m going to harm my baby just so your suspicions can be satisfied, you can think again.’ Emotion, heavy and profound and almost sacred, gleamed in his eyes. ‘So you’ve made up your mind? You intend to keep it?’ he rasped, his voice shaken. ‘You think I flew three and a half hours on a cramped middle seat, next to a passenger with a rabid aversion to good personal hygiene, to tell you I’m pregnant, only to go back and get rid of it?’ Neo’s gaze dropped to the hand I’d unconsciously jerked up to cradle my still-flat stomach. ‘You think I don’t have other things to do? I have a life to be getting on with. A mother who needs me to take care of—’ I shut my mouth, but it was too late. The moment his eyes narrowed I knew he was about to pounce on my unguarded revelation. ‘Your mother needs taking care of? What’s wrong with her?’ he demanded sharply. ‘It’s none of your business.’ ‘I beg to differ. If this baby is mine—’ I swatted the rest of his words away. ‘Enough with the ifs. Here—hand it over. I’ll take your precious test.’ Grim-faced, he held out the pregnancy test. I took it, then followed the tall, imposing body that hadn’t diminished one iota in the drop-dead-gorgeous stakes in the last two months down a wide private hallway adjoining his office to a sleek, dark door. The bathroom was another stylish masterpiece—naturally. Gleaming surfaces held exclusive toiletries, polished floors echoed my nervous tread and the wide mirror faithfully reflected my wan features. I diverted my face from it, hurried into the cubicle and took the test. A little over three minutes later, I stepped out. He stood, square and true, five feet from the door, his gaze piercingly intent on the stick in my hand. For a single moment—knowing what this meant even if he doubted me, knowing I was perhaps about to change Neo Xenakis’s life—something moved in my chest. Then he ruined it by holding out an imperious hand for the test. I handed it over. His gaze dropped to it and he swallowed hard. He seemed to rock on his feet—a fascinating feat to watch, especially for a toweringly powerful man like him. He didn’t speak, only held the stick as if it was a magic wand that had the potential to deliver his most heartfelt wish. Afraid I would succumb to softening emotions again, I hurried to speak. ‘As you can see, it indicates how many weeks along I am. I can give you the date of my last period too, if you want?’ It was meant to be sarcastic. It fell far short simply because I wanted him to believe me. Wanted to take away his doubt once and for all. Because I wanted to hurry to the part where, despite the evidence, he’d conclude that fatherhood wasn’t for him after all. That this was a mistake. That I wasn’t worthy to carry his child. He didn’t respond immediately. When he lifted his gaze his eyes were a stormy, dark grey, the pupils almost black. ‘This is sufficient for now,’ he finally said, his voice gravel rough. Then he turned and walked away. CHAPTER FIVE (#ulink_f81316d6-109c-5cb6-a3e8-5da71b071272) I COULD BARELY walk beneath the staggering evidence of what I held in my hand. Confirmation that there was a child, possibly my child, shook through me with every step back to my office. The circumstances astounded me. Seemed almost too good to be true—the stuff of big-screen melodramas. Had the woman who’d brought desolation to my door returned with redemption, despite my threat to her the last time she’d been in my presence? Despite the medical evidence I’d been provided with to the contrary? What were the chances of lightning striking twice? Was I setting myself up for the same kind of betrayal Anneka had dished out so callously? My jaw gritted, my stomach churning with the need for one hundred percent certainty. I sucked in a calming breath, recalling what rash decisions had led me here in the first place. My fingers tightened around the stick. Not that I regretted it…if it was truly happening. A bolt of euphoria threatened to overwhelm my calm. Brutally, I suppressed it. Rationalised it. As Sadie had pointed out, the kit I’d asked my trustworthy assistant to purchase was the highest quality, giving an estimation of gestation. The test announced Sadie was more than three weeks pregnant. Surely she knew how powerful I was? Knew that any information provided could be easily verified by my security team? Would she be so foolish as to toss out falsities that could catch her out? A throat was cleared huskily behind me, making me aware I’d reached my desk, opened the secure thumbprint-accessed drawer that held confidential documents and was in the process of dropping the stick into it. I needed that connection, this visual evidence that maybe, just maybe, I’d defied science and the odds. Again, stunned awe shook through me. A child. My child. But just as swiftly, a less effervescent emotion rose. A little desperate, and a lot dismaying. The thought struck me that I had no true compass as to how to be a father. I’d gone straight from boarding school to boardroom, my spare moments spent watching my grandfather struggle to hang on to the company, and subsequently witnessed my father and Ax embroiled in a cold battle for the helm of the company. I’d used my time on the sidelines efficiently—learned everything I needed to excel in my field. Those lessons hadn’t included how to be a father. ‘Now that we’ve established that there’s a pregnancy, are we done here?’ she asked. Done here? Was she joking? ‘No, we’re not done. Far from it.’ ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ ‘It means I intend to be involved in this baby’s welfare every step of the way. Beginning now.’ I forestalled the questions brimming in her eyes by making a quick phone call. The moment I was done, she approached. Shock born of the earth-shattering news she’d delivered had partly blocked off the stunning effect of her appearance. Now, with the flood dammed and a plan of action swiftly slotting into place in order to secure what she insisted was mine, I couldn’t stem my reaction to her. The white sundress was a cheap and simple design, but on her it looked anything but. The scooped neckline gave a tantalising glimpse of the perfect breasts that seemed to have swelled a size bigger with her pregnancy. And her skin, now her temper had subsided, glowed with an additional translucence that triggered wild tingles in my fingers with a need to trace, to caress… Christos, to lay my lips against that pulse before stealing another taste of those rosebud lips, currently caught between her teeth as she watched me. I bit back a growl as my gaze rose to that final monument to her beauty. Two months on, her hair had grown longer, the ponytail she’d caught the heavy tresses into almost down to the middle of her back. The hunger to set it free, to lose myself in the exotic scent of it, powered through me. ‘Explain what that means. Precisely. Because less than twenty minutes ago you were almost apoplectic about my perceived deception.’ I forced myself to throttle back this insane arousal that fired up only with her. It wasn’t for lack of trying that I’d remained dateless since that night in London. Hell, I might even have cursed Sadie Preston a little for the sudden urge to set my useless little black book on fire because not a single woman listed within sparked the kind of flame she did with a mere look. ‘You have to be aware that I intend to take every precaution with you?’ Her wary glance confirmed that notion was becoming clear to her. ‘I’ve told you I only came here to give you the news—which I could’ve done by phone if you hadn’t blacklisted me.’ While the accusation grated a little, I couldn’t allow it to dissuade me from forging ahead. ‘From this moment forward consider that status reversed. You will have access to me day or night.’ Curiously, her breath caught, and I glimpsed something that looked like excitement in her eyes—which, perversely, triggered a stronger chain reaction within me. Her trite reply attempted to disguise her reaction. ‘Others might find that offer beyond tantalising, but I don’t think much communication between us will be necessary after today…’ Unbidden, my lips twisted in genuine amusement, causing her words to trail off. ‘I fail to see what’s funny.’ Wonder. Apprehension. Raw anticipation. Panic. The cascade of emotions was threatening to send me off balance. ‘You’re carrying my child, Sadie. A Xenakis.’ Her eyes widened. ‘So you believe the baby is yours?’ Betrayal’s curse bit hard—a timely reminder to exercise caution. But for now I needed to buy myself time. After the accusations I’d hurled at her, and her reaction, these negotiations needed to be handled carefully while still keeping her under scrutiny. Because I didn’t intend for history to repeat itself. ‘In utero paternity tests carry unacceptable risks. We will wait until the baby is born.’ Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию (https://www.litres.ru/pages/biblio_book/?art=51679662&lfrom=688855901) на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.