《The Greek's Pregnant Bride》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 CHAPTER ONE CHRISTIAN MARKOS TIPPED thest of his champagne down his throat and immediately refilled his ss. He¡¯d known today was going to be hard, but hadn¡¯t imagined quite how torturous it would be. Not even all the running around he¡¯d done with Ro that morning, in their seemingly desperate attempt to find the bride, had mitigated it. Afterwards, he¡¯d stood by the side of his closest friend on the happiest day of his life and all he¡¯d been able to think was how deeply he¡¯d betrayed him. While Ro had been exchanging his vows, Christian had been using all his willpower to stop his gaze flitting to Alessandra. He was still fighting it. Alessandra Mondelli: Ro¡¯s baby sister. A pretty child who¡¯d grown into a ravishingly beautiful woman. The one woman in the world who was totally off-limits. Or should have been. Attired in a long, sleeveless, silk mauve dress, with her glossy, dark-chestnut hair pulled back in a tight chignon, she¡¯d arrived by boat with the radiant bride, the spring sun beaming down on her golden skin. In his eyes the chief bridesmaid outshone everyone, including the famous supermodel bride. Thest time he¡¯d seen Alessandra she¡¯d been wearing a short, creamce dress with ck beading and a pair of ck shoes so high he¡¯d been amazed she could walk in them. But walk in them she had, beautifully, her delectable bottom swaying with every step. That was thest time he¡¯d seen her clothed. Thest time he¡¯d seen her properly she¡¯d been burrowed naked under the bed covers in her apartment. The wedding party had moved from the beautiful gardens by Lake Como and into the Vi Mondelli ballroom. The wedding dinner was over, the evening celebration about to start. He¡¯d made his best man¡¯s speech and managed to raise someughs from the other guests, especially Stefan and Zayed, who¡¯d substituted the speech he¡¯d written with a bluer version. Instead of rxing, knowing his job was done, Christian was on tenterhooks waiting for the music to strike up. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. An American A-list starlet kept making eyes at him, a stunning woman with a body to die for. Just six weeks ago he would have been at her side like a shot. If not her, then one of the other gorgeous women littering this star-studded event already beingbelled ¡®wedding of the century.¡¯ Supermodels, lingerie models, singers... It was like being a child in a sweetshop. If that were the case, then he must have diabetes, because none of the sweets looked remotely tempting. Except one. The forbidden one. How could he have allowed things to get so out of hand? He might flit from bed to bed but he never lost control of himself. To have lost his control with Alessandra... He could me it on all the champagne they¡¯d drunk. He could me it on a lot of things, but all the me was on himself. Alessandra had been vulnerable. Try as she¡¯d done to hide it, she¡¯d been a mess, grieving the loss of her grandfather, the man who¡¯d raised her since she¡¯d been a baby and who¡¯d been buried barely two weeks before. Christian had dropped in at the House of Mondelli, the world-famous fashion house, on his way back from Hong Kong, expecting to take Ro out for a night on the tiles, maybe spend the weekend together on his Italian friend¡¯s yacht. But Ro had been in New York and he¡¯d bumped into Alessandra, who¡¯d insisted he take her out instead. Under normal circumstances he would have made his excuses and got back in his jet to fly on to Athens. If he hadn¡¯t caught the desperation in her beautiful honey-brown eyes, he would have done just that, not found himself recalling how she¡¯d barely been able to stand during the funeral service. When they¡¯d set out for the evening, thest thing he¡¯d expected was that they would end up in bed together. Women came and went in his life on a regr basis. He could only assume that it was the fact Alessandra was someone who was in his life, so to speak, that meant he was having a hard job forgetting and moving on. That and the guilt of it all. She might have been the one to instigate the kiss that had led to them making love, but the me for what followedy firmly on his shoulders. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 He should have been stronger. In the six weeks since he¡¯d seen her, he¡¯d worked hard to push her from the forefront to the back of his mind, enough so that he¡¯d arrived at Lake Como confident he could handle being in her presence without any problems. He¡¯d taken one look at her and all the guilt had churned itself back up. They¡¯d exchanged a few brief words over the course of the day, the same basic pleasantries they¡¯d exchanged with everyone else, but that was the extent of their interaction. So far, at least. There was still the dance to get through. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to hold her in his arms one more time. Stefan said something to him at the exact moment the band started their warm-up. As he spoke, Christian saw Olivia lean in close to press her ear to Ro¡¯s mouth. It was a gesture that reminded him of his dinner with Alessandra, the way she¡¯d leaned into him to hear him speak over the noise of the restaurant; the way her sultry scent had yed under his nose... From the corner of his eye he could see her chatting to the official photographer, the photographer probably getting tips from her. Alessandra Mondelli was one of the most famous fashion photographers in the world, a remarkable achievement, considering she was still only twenty-five. She¡¯d made it all on her own. Just as he¡¯d made his name on his own. Stefan repeated himself; he¡¯d been talking about the charitable foundation they and their friends had formed some years back. Italian Ro Mondelli, Sicilian Stefan Bianco, desert Prince Zayed Al Afzal and he had all taken a keen interest in running and raising money for their charity. They were the so-called Columbia Four, although he couldn¡¯t recall which of them had dubbed them so. Whoever hade up with it, it had stuck. They¡¯d met during their first week at Columbia University and, as incredible as it was to look back on, the bond they¡¯d formed had been instant. That bond had grown and a good few yearster, when it had be obvious all four were heading towards the Forbes World¡¯s Billionaires List, they¡¯d formed the charity. Christian was extremely proud of their charity, founded to ensure disadvantaged kids could get the education they deserved but were unable to afford. It felt good for them to be doing something together that didn¡¯t involve drinking and bedding as many beautiful women as they could. They all believed the bond between them to be unbreakable. But even the strongest steel could be destroyed. He answered with what he hoped sounded like intelligence but, in truth, what came out of his mouth sounded so unintelligible he could be speaking Martian. Luckily Stefan¡¯s attention was diverted by the band striking up their first song. The bride and groom glided onto the dance floor to loud apuse. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Christian¡¯s eyes drifted to his right, back to Alessandra. She was looking straight at him, a trapped expression in her eyes. His chest tightened. A powerful p to his shoulder broke the spell. ¡®Time to get yourself on the dance floor,¡¯ Zayed said, sitting on the empty seat to Christian¡¯s left. Theos. He had to dance with her. Olivia, the bride, had ordered it. The best man and chief bridesmaid... Alessandra met him halfway, her obvious apprehension mirroring what raced inside him. It would help if the band were ying one of the usual upbeat tunes that had made them one of the most famous groups in the world rather than the cover of a romantic bad they were currently warbling. Gritting his teeth, he walked by her side to the dance floor and took her into his arms. His heart jolted at the first touch, a dozen memories ying in his mind. Her scent. Her taste... The back of her dress was low, leaving him no option but to touch her silky skin. It was either that or hold on to her bottom. His handy rigid against her bare back, hardly touching her. Yet, no matter the physical distance he tried to impose between himself and her slender form, his senses filled with Alessandra, her sultry scent ying tricks on him as they moved over the dance floor in a manner more akin to a pair of robots than a couple who¡¯d had a wild night of sex just six weeks before. The stirring that had begun when he¡¯d watched her walk up the aisle and had simmered since took on new life, an ache forming in his groin that he willed away with increasing frustration. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Think of Ro, he ordered himself, staring at his loved-up friend who was locked in the arms of his equally loved-up wife. Ro caught his eye and nodded briefly before leaning down to kiss his bride. That one action felt like a knife in Christian¡¯s guts. What would his friend say if he knew his best man had taken his sister¡¯s virginity? N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. The all-consuming desire he¡¯d felt that night still dwelled in his blood. One night was all he usually needed, all he wanted. Once a woman had been enjoyed, there were no more mysteries to discover, no need for a repeat. His skin felt as if it were dancing its own tune, his body out of kilter with what his head demanded. He followed the words of the song they were dancing to, counting down the time to when the obligatory dance would be over. From the stiffness in Alessandra¡¯s stance, she was counting down the time too. When the song finally came to an end and he made to pull away, she tilted her head to look at him, her doe-like eyes staring at him. Theos, she was so beautiful, those striking eyes set above a snub nose framed by nting cheekbones. Her delicious plump lips parted. ¡®Christian, I...¡¯ Whatever she was going to say was cut short when Zayed tapped her on the shoulder and threw Christian a conspiratorial wink. ¡®I do believe it¡¯s my turn to dance with the beautifuldy,¡¯ he said in a voice loud enough for Ro to hear. The groom turned his head towards the raised voice, his eyes narrowing before he broke into a wide grin. It clearly didn¡¯t cross his mind that any of his friends would dream of doing anything with the sister he was so protective of. Sickened with himself, Christian stepped back and forced a smile, mock-bowing. ¡®She¡¯s all yours.¡¯ He waited for Alessandra to make a good-natured but cutting retort about not being anyone¡¯s property, but her eyes were stark on his face, a fleeting look of panic shing over her which she quickly covered. But not quickly enough. The ballroom of Vi Mondelli had enough waiting staff not to let any guest go thirsty for longer than thirty seconds but Christian wanted to get away from the hubbub of the mingling guests and headed to the bar. After a shot of bourbon, he turned his head to see her now dancing with Stefan. She looked happy to be dancing with him, he thought, taken aback at the strength of his bitterness. It was only natural she¡¯d been stiff and awkward in Christian¡¯s arms. A one-night stand hadn¡¯t been on either of their minds when they¡¯d set out that evening. He¡¯d been her first lover. That, more than anything, was the thing that refused to dislodge from his mind. The woman who¡¯d been vilified by the press for an affair with a married man when she¡¯d been a teenager had been a virgin. He¡¯d always suspected there had been more to the story than had been written but the truth hade as a cataclysmic shock. Whatever the truth, it was none of his business. Alessandra was none of his business. She couldn¡¯t be. He took another shot to clear the bile crawling up his throat and watched Stefan ce a hand to her waist. The bile almost choked him to see herugh at something his friend said in her ear. Zayed appeared at his side. ¡®Hiding yourself away, buddy?¡¯ ¡®Just taking a few moments.¡¯ Stefan finished his dance and came over to join them. ¡®What are we all drinking?¡¯ ¡®Christian¡¯s already on the hard stuff,¡¯ Zayed said, indicating the empty shot sses before them on the bar. Christian hardly listened. Alessandra had left the dance floor. A quick scan of the ballroom found her sitting at a table with a group of people he didn¡¯t recognise. She was staring at him. Their gazes held before he pulled away and fixed a smile on his face for his friends¡¯ benefit. ¡®Who¡¯s ready for a shot?¡¯ Before either could answer, he waved at the barman to pour them a bourbon each. The three friends, sitting in a row at the bar, raised their sses and chanted, ¡®Memento vivere!¡¯ ¡®Remember to live,¡¯ the motto the four friends did live by, and downed their shots. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡®I never thought I¡¯d see us at a wedding for one of our own,¡¯ Zayed mused, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. ¡®I still can¡¯t believe Ro¡¯s got married. I mean...married?¡¯ ¡®Who would have thought he¡¯d fall in love?¡¯ Stefan said with the same incredulous tone. Christian grunted and caught the barman¡¯s attention for another round. Call him cynical, but he couldn¡¯t help wonder how long it would be before the love they felt for each other turned into something ugly. Because that was what marriage did¡ªturned two people full of hope and love into bitter caricatures of themselves. Much safer for everyone¡¯s sake to avoid emotional entanglement. Christian conducted his own affairs by enjoying the moment and then moving on with the minimum of fuss. He had known before he was in double figures that marriage was not for him. Zayed swivelled on his stool to cast his eyes over the ballroom. ¡®There are some hot women here.¡¯ Stefan grinned. ¡®I noticed that lingerie model giving you the eye.¡¯ ¡®I thought she was an actress?¡¯ ¡®No, that was the other one.¡¯ ¡®I tell you who knocks spots off all these women,¡¯ Zayed said. ¡®Alessandra.¡¯ Christian snapped his head round to stare at him. ¡®Don¡¯t even think about it.¡¯ Zayed raised his hands. ¡®I¡¯m just making an observation.¡¯ ¡®Well, don¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®Man, you know I wouldn¡¯t go there. I¡¯d never do that to Ro¡ª Where are you going?¡¯ he added when Christian got up from his stool and made to leave. ¡®To get some air.¡¯ ¡®You not feeling well?¡¯ Stefan was looking at him closely. ¡®It¡¯s been a busy time. I¡¯m probably jetgged. Get another round in¡ªI¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡¯ Instead of going outside, Christian went to the restroom and sshed cold water on his face. He¡¯d been a paper thickness away from punching Zayed. Theos, he needed to get a grip on himself. This was his guilt and his problem. No one else¡¯s. Back in the ballroom his eyes automatically sought Alessandra out. As he found her, she turned her head in his direction, as if some sixth sense told her he was there. Quickly she turned away. He thought he was doing a good job of hiding his guilt-ridden inner turmoil. After that one close call of almost punching one of his oldest and closest friends for an innocuous remark, he joined in with the celebration they were there for, drinking,ughing and horsing about, being the same old Christian he always was when with them. Except, every time he looked, he found Alessandra¡¯s gaze upon him. Their eyes would meet for a fraction of a second before jerking away. She certainly seemed to be enjoying herself, though, dancing with anyone who cared to ask, at one point stealing Olivia from Ro and waltzing her around the floor to screams of delight. Only when the bride and groom, their hands clenched tightly together, left to head off to their secret honeymoon destination did Christian determine his duty to have been done. Exchanging bear hugs with Zayed and Stefan, who called him everyughably demeaning name under the sun for retiring to bed so early, he strode out of the ballroom, unable to resist onest nce at Alessandra. For once, she wasn¡¯t looking at him. He was about to climb the stairs to the sleeping quarters when he heard his name called. Stefan approached him and pulled him into another embrace. ¡®You are ying with fire, my friend,¡¯ he said into his ear. ¡®I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡¯ ¡®Sure you do.¡¯ He pulled back a little and brought his hands up to Christian¡¯s face, pping both his cheeks lightly. ¡®You have to end it. Now.¡¯ Christian¡¯s chestpressed. He couldn¡¯t lie to his friend. ¡®It was over before it started.¡¯ ¡®Good. Keep it that way. For all our sakes.¡¯ * * * Alessandra took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The party was still going strong, a DJ having reced the band, music pounding through the walls. There were revellers all over the vi but thankfully this wing was quiet and devoid of people.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 She waited a few moments before knocking again, louder. Unless Christian had left without telling anyone, he was in there. The dim light seeping under the door testified to this. She¡¯d casually asked Stefan and Zayed where their fellow musketeer had escaped to. She could only hope she¡¯d imagined the suspicious but pitying look in Stefan¡¯s eyes when he¡¯d told her Christian had gone to bed. Please, God, let him be alone in there. What were the chances? She¡¯d been nothing special, just another notch on a bedpost crammed with notches. Christian Markos travelled with a trail of broken hearts attached to him ranging from Hong Kong to London. Some sold their stories to the tabloids, tales of short-lived lust before being discarded. Some spoke with bitterness. Most spoke with longing. Most wanted him to break their hearts all over again. It took an age before the handle turned and the door opened. Christian stood d in a pair of jeans. And nothing else. He blinked narrowing eyes. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ ¡®I need to talk to you. Can Ie in?¡¯ His bronzed throat rose. ¡®That¡¯s not a good idea.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s important.¡¯ His firm lips, usually quirked in an easy smile, mped together. He shifted past her, looking both directions down the wide corridor before ushering her in and swiftly closing the door. His room was tidy, his tuxedo hanging neatly on the door of the wardrobe. The bed was rumpled; a tablet was on the bedside table next to a half-full bottle of bourbon and an empty ss. ¡®Are you drunk?¡¯ she challenged. This was a conversation she needed to have when he was sober. ¡®No.¡¯ He strode to the window and closed the heavy curtains. ¡®Believe me, I¡¯ve been trying to reach that state.¡¯ If only she were in a position to reach that state herself. ¡®Today went well,¡¯ she said, sitting gingerly on the corner chair. She could really do with a shot of that bourbon. It would make what wasing next easier to cope with, of that she was certain. ¡®Ro and Liv looked really happy.¡¯ Their obvious happiness had had the dual effect of making her heart lighten for her brother¡¯s sake and sink at the knowledge it was something she could never have for herself. Christian propped himself against the wall by the window and crossed his arms over his broad chest. She hadn¡¯t really had the opportunity to study his torso in her apartment, and now she could look at it properly she felt the heat she¡¯d experienced that night bloom anew. Years of rowing and track had honed his physique, his form strong and athletic, his shoulders broad. Fine hair dusted across his bronzed chest and she felt an almost unbearablepulsion to hurtle herself into his arms and take sce in his strength. Making love to him had been an experience she would never forget. The single best experience of her life. Try as she had to expel the memories from her head, they¡¯d stayed with her, tantalising her, taunting her with the knowledge it was an experience that could never be repeated. The simple remembrance of his smooth skin flush against her nakedness made her feel as if her insides were being liquidised. ¡®What did you want to talk to me about?¡¯ he asked, cutting the preamble and pulling her back to the present. While he wasn¡¯t being unfriendly, there was none of the easy-going Christian she knew. She didn¡¯t have to be psychic to know he wanted her gone from his room. His regret and self-loathing were obvious. Her heart hammered beneath her ribs, her stomach roiling with nerves that threatened to overwhelm her. This was all her fault... ¡®I¡¯m pregnant.¡¯ CHAPTER TWO THE SILENCE THAT FOLLOWED Alessandra¡¯s stark statement was total. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Christian seemed to dete before her eyes, as if he¡¯d suffered a body blow. Which no doubt her news was, she thought miserably. How she¡¯d kept herself together throughout the day she would never know, her only thought having been that she mustn¡¯t ruin Ro and Olivia¡¯s special day. She mustn¡¯t. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 She¡¯d spent pretty much her entire life trying to keep herself together in public, the hardest before tonight being two months ago when they¡¯d buried her grandfather. The paparazzi had been out in force. She¡¯d worn dark sses until they¡¯d entered the church, refusing to give them the money shot they so desired. Even when Sandro, her alcoholic father, had turned up drunk and made that dreadful scene, she¡¯d kept herposure. Christian and Zayed had been the ones who¡¯d calmly approached him and dragged him away. Christian staggered over to the bed and sat heavily on it, clutching his head. ¡®Please. Say something,¡¯ she beseeched. The back of her retinas burned and she blinked furiously. No matter what happened in the next few minutes, she would not cry. She¡¯d done enough of that. He fixed his blue eyes on her. ¡®How long have you known?¡¯ ¡®A while, I guess, but I only took the test a couple of days ago.¡¯ Sheughed, a hollow sound even to her own ears. ¡®I took three of them, hoping they were wrong.¡¯ At the third positive reading, she¡¯d climbed onto her bed and sobbed. ¡®Have you seen a doctor?¡¯ ¡®Not yet.¡¯ She bit into her lip. It had taken her almost a fortnight to entertain the possibility that herte period might actually mean something, another fortnight before she¡¯d unburied her head from the sand and crossed the threshold into the pharmacy. She¡¯d never believed she would be a mother. Motherhood went hand in hand with rtionships and she certainly didn¡¯t believe in them. ¡®But you¡¯re certain?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ Once the reality of her condition had sunk into her shell-shocked brain, the tears had stopped. Inside her, right in the heart of her womanhood, a tiny life grew. Whatever the oue of this conversation with Christian, nothing could change the fact that this life¡ª her baby¡ªwas a part of her. Nothing could have prepared her for the host of emotions pregnancy would bring. It might be early days in pregnancy terms but already she loved it, this little alien developing within her; knew she would do anything to nurture and protect it. Anything. Silence rang out, the only sound Christian¡¯s heavy breathing. She¡¯d never seen his features¡ªall angles and straight lines forming what had been dubbed one of the most handsome faces in Europe¡ªlook so empty. ¡®I¡¯m so sorry.¡¯ This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. His brows drew together. ¡®Sorry for what?¡¯ ¡®I screwed up.¡¯ She forced herself to look him straight in the eye. ¡®I didn¡¯t take my pill properly.¡¯ He shook his head and expelled a breath through his mouth, running a hand through his cropped dirty- blond hair. ¡®And you didn¡¯t think to tell me that?¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t know the dangers, not properly.¡¯ ¡®How could you not know? It¡¯s basic biology.¡¯ He swore under his breath. ¡®I was put on the pill because my periods were painful, not for the purpose of contraception.¡¯ ¡®You should have told me. Theos, if I¡¯d known you didn¡¯t take it at regr intervals I would have made certain to use a condom.¡¯ ¡®I am sorry, truly sorry.¡¯ The knuckles of his hands were white. She could see his temper hanging by a thread. ¡®You can¡¯t put this on yourself¡ªI can¡¯t put it on you,¡¯ he eventually said. ¡®We were both there. I should have had the sense to use a condom like I normally do.¡¯ She closed her eyes, pushing away thoughts of him with other women. ¡®Christian...I can¡¯t do this on my own. I need your support¡ªnot financially but in other ways.¡¯ Financially she could do it alone. She had her apartment, her career was thriving... She opened her eyes and looked at his still-dazed face. ¡®I know I¡¯ve had a head start getting my head around all this, and that¡¯s unfair on you, but I need your word¡ªon your honour¡ªthat you¡¯ll be there for me and our baby.¡¯ Not that she could trust it. He was a man. Men always broke their promises. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 All the same, she had to try and put a little faith in him. He was the father of her child. But then, her own father was the worst liar of all. He¡¯d lied to her mother on her deathbed, promising to care for their children, never to leave them. That had been the biggest lie of all. The only men she trusted were her brother and her grandfather. It had broken her grieving heart to learn recently that her grandfather had had his own dark secrets. If it hadn¡¯t been for his death, she would never have slept with Christian. She¡¯d bumped into him in the House of Mondelli headquarters after she¡¯d had a meeting with the fashion director about a campaign she¡¯d been hired to shoot. Christian had turned up to take her brother out but Ro had been in New York. She¡¯d been in a bad ce, she could see that now, trying to cope with her grief but not having a clue how to manage it. She¡¯d never known pain like it. It still had the power tonce her. Christian had presented the perfect opportunity for a night out where she could forget her pain for one evening, so she¡¯d talked him into going out with her instead. Not for a minute had she imagined she would fall into bed with him. But she had done just that and now she had to pay the consequences. And so did Christian. She might never be able to trust him but she¡¯d had enough faith, whatever her state of mind, to lose her virginity to him. That had to ount for something. She wished he would say something. His frame was still but his eyes were alert. She couldn¡¯t read them. Couldn¡¯t read him. ¡®When news of the pregnancyes out the press are going to swarm all over it. I¡¯ve lived through one scandal and I can¡¯t go through that again on my own. I just can¡¯t.¡¯ Simply imagining going through it all again made her hands go mmy and her stomach churn. How clearly she remembered those awful days when the paparazzi hadid siege to Vi Mondelli, leaving her a prisoner in her own home. She¡¯d never been so scared and alone in all her life. ¡®If I know I can rely on you for support when I need it, andter on when our baby needs it, I might be able to sleep again.¡¯ Christian¡¯s throat rose before he twisted onto his side and grabbed his bourbon and ss. He poured a hefty measure and offered it to her. She shook her head. ¡®Of course not,¡¯ he muttered, taking arge swallow of it. ¡®You¡¯re pregnant. Did you not drink today?¡¯ ¡®I had a small champagne during the toasts but that¡¯s all.¡¯ He got to his feet and headed back to the window, peeking through the curtain. ¡®Will you support me?¡¯ she pressed. For her own peace of mind she needed to know. If he refused she didn¡¯t know what she would do other than fall into a crumpled ball. Or maybe join a convent. No. She wouldn¡¯t do either. For the sake of the life inside her, she would endure. ¡®Will you support our baby and be its father?¡¯ * * * Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. The ringing that had echoed in Christian¡¯s ears since Alessandra¡¯s pronouncement that she was pregnant subsided. He gazed at her belly, still t under the lc of her dress, not a hint that within ity the tiny seed of life. The life they had created together. His baby. He was going to be a father. As this knowledge seeped through him, he thought of his own father, a man who¡¯d left before Christian had been old enough to memorise his features. He had no memories of him, no possessions to ce a tangible hold on him. Nothing. Not even a photograph. His mother had burned them all. If there was one thing he knew with bone-deep certainty, it was that he didn¡¯t want a child of his being raised without a father to look out for him or her. From infancy it had been just him and his mother, a woman whose bitterness ran so deep it seemed to seep from her pores. His father had turned his back on them both and in turn had created the woman she¡¯d be. Christian would not be that man. He raised his gaze from Alessandra¡¯s belly to meet her eyes, a sharpness driving in his chest to see all the fear and uncertainty contained in them. Despite the braveness she strove to convey, her hands trembled, her teeth driving in and out of her plump lips as she awaited his response. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 He knew what his response must be. ¡®Yes,¡¯ he said, nodding slowly for emphasis. ¡®I will support you and our child. But in return I want you to marry me.¡¯ * * * This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Theb holding Alessandra¡¯s hair in ce had been digging into her scalp all day, a minor irritation that suddenly felt magnified enough for her to yank it out. She got to her feet, swiping fallen hair off her face. For a moment she couldn¡¯t speak, her brain struggling to find the English she¡¯d spoken like a native since early childhood. ¡®I know this is a shock for you. I know, okay? But marriage?¡¯ ¡®Yes, marriage.¡¯ She shook her head, trying her hardest not to let panic set in. ¡®Please, don¡¯t say anything you¡¯ll regret in the morning when you look at the situation with fresh eyes.¡¯ ¡®The morning won¡¯t change the situation. You¡¯ll still be pregnant.¡¯ ¡®And I still won¡¯t be marrying you.¡¯ ¡®Alessandra...¡¯ He bit back his rising voice. ¡®Alessandra, think about it. This is the obvious solution. Marriage will give legitimacy to our child.¡¯ ¡®This isn¡¯t the neenth century. There¡¯s no stigma to children born outside of wedlock.¡¯ His eyes swirled with an emotion she didn¡¯t understand. ¡®Children need and deserve two parents. You know that as well as I do.¡¯ One parent would have been nice in her case, she thought bitterly. Yes, her father was still alive, but he¡¯d never been a real father to her. He¡¯d abandoned her almost from her first breath. By the time of her first birthday, he¡¯d gambled and drunk away their home and had foisted Ro and her into the care of his elderly father. She felt as if she¡¯d been blindsided. Marriage was thest thing she¡¯d expected Christian to suggest. The most she¡¯d hoped for was public support for her and their child, and even that had felt like a pipe dream considering she was dealing with themitment-phobic Christian Markos. He made Casanova look like a monk. She hadn¡¯t allowed herself to hope for anything more substantial, had envisaged her and the baby¡¯s future with Christian flitting in and out when it suited him. She¡¯d even prepared her ¡®please don¡¯t introduce our child to a session of aunties¡¯ speech. In her head she¡¯d prepared for just about every imaginable scenario. Apart from the scenario where he demanded marriage. ¡®Christian, please, be realistic. Marriage is...¡¯ ¡®Something neither of us wants,¡¯ he finished for her, meeting her gaze with steady eyes. How clearly she remembered discussing marriage on their night out together, the night their baby had been conceived. Fools had been just one of the many words they¡¯d used to describe people who willingly entered matrimony. They¡¯d even toasted this rare meeting of minds. ¡®Exactly. Something neither of us wants.¡¯ He finished his drink with a grimace. ¡®Seeing as neither of us has any intention of marrying in the conventional sense, marriage each other for the sake of our child isn¡¯t going to destroy either of our dreams. We won¡¯t be making a lifelongmitment to each other, just to our child.¡¯ ¡®But marriage...?¡¯ ¡®Marriage will legitimise the pregnancy and avert any scandal. The press will still swarm over the story, that¡¯s a given, but their angle will be softer towards you.¡¯ ¡®epting paternity will have the same effect. At this moment, that¡¯s all I need. Your eptance. Everything else can be arranged between uster. There¡¯s plenty of time.¡¯ ¡®And what about what I need?¡¯ he challenged. ¡®You tell me I¡¯m going to be a father and that you want my support but when I offer you the biggest support I can¡ªmarriage¡ªyou dismiss it out of hand.¡¯ ¡®What do you need?¡¯ she asked, now thoroughly confused. ¡®What will you get out of us marrying?¡¯ ¡®The chance to be a father,¡¯ he answered with a shrug. ¡®I¡¯ve built up a multi-billion-dor business and have no one to pass it to.¡¯ Chapter 9 Chapter 9 She didn¡¯t bother to hide her scorn. ¡®Money.¡¯ The only thing he enjoyed more than bedding women. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. His blue eyes shed sharply. ¡®No. A legacy. But even if I didn¡¯t have the wealth I would still want us to marry. I know what it¡¯s like growing up without a father and I will not have my child go through that. I want my child to have my name and know he¡ªor she¡ªis mine.¡¯ How did he do it? No wonder he was reputed to be one of the greatest financial minds in the world. Money was what Christian dealt with every day, a world-renowned financial genius advising all the major corporations in all the different sectors. She¡¯d spent days agonising over all the possible details. He¡¯d grasped the situation and dissected all the permutations in an instant. Having only known him as her brother¡¯s friend, she¡¯d never appreciated this side of him before. She appreciated it even less now. ¡®You can still be a father to our child without marriage.¡¯ ¡®And you can still be a single mother without any support other than financially,¡¯ he said, a warning note coming into his voice. ¡®I¡¯ve already told you, I don¡¯t need or want your money.¡¯ He inhaled a long breath. ¡®I¡¯m trying to do what¡¯s right here. I don¡¯t want to force your hand but I have to think of our child. He or she deserves stability¡ªmarriage gives that. Or is your freedom more important?¡¯ Christian watched Alessandra suck her cheeks in at his remark. He didn¡¯t me her. Right then he was prepared to say whatever it took to get her to agree. Theos, an hour ago the thought of marriage would have made him run all the way to Hong Kong but now here he was, virtually coercing her into marrying him. ¡®That¡¯s not fair,¡¯ she said hoarsely. ¡®Life isn¡¯t fair.¡¯ He knew that all too well; it was the whole reason he was demanding this from her. ¡®Marriage needn¡¯t be a prison for either of us. You can carry on with your career.¡¯ ¡®How generous of you. You¡¯re wee to carry on with your career too.¡¯ He ignored her sarcasm, understanding the ce of fear it came from. If he felt his world had just turned on its axis he could only imagine how it must be for her. She had to carry their baby into the world. It was their baby he was thinking of. Christian had grown up knowing somewhere out there was the man who had fathered him but who wanted nothing to do with him, his own son. He had never understood why. He still didn¡¯t. It had taken many years for him to ept his father¡¯s abandonment as a simple fact of life but as a child it had been a painful knowledge. He would never put his own child through that. His child would grow up feeling loved and secure with two parents who both wanted nothing more than to love and protect him or her. Looking at Alessandra rest a protective hand against her still-t stomach, he could see how deeply she already felt for their child. Their child. His responsibility. Their responsibility, to be shouldered together. ¡®When we marry the world will see a united couple...¡¯ he started. ¡®Don¡¯t talk as if it¡¯s a done deal. Marriage changes everything. It¡¯s not just two people signing a piece of paper and exchanging a bit of jewellery. There are legal implications.¡¯ ¡®And it¡¯s those legal implications I want. I want our child to know their parents loved them enough to create a stable family for them.¡¯ ¡®This is too much.¡¯ She got to her feet. He experienced a sharp pang to see her tremble, to witness her keeping it all together, just as she¡¯d done at her grandfather¡¯s funeral. She carried herself so tall it was easy to overlook that she was a slip of a woman. Her glossy hair was sprawled over her shoulders, her golden skin pale. Thest thing he wanted was to hurt her but within himy a deep-rooted certainty that this was the right path for them. It was the only path. ¡®I need to sleep on this,¡¯ she said, her honey eyes brimming with emotion, her usually ent-less English inflected with her Italian heritage. ¡®I can¡¯t agree to marriage just because you¡¯ve clicked your fingers. You might change your mind. I¡¯ve sprung this on you. Everything will look different in the morning.¡¯ Chapter 10 Chapter 10 There were a dozen threats he could make to ensure her agreement. He bit them all back. He felt bad enough as it was without adding more ill deeds to the te against him. There was one more thing he could add, though... ¡®I won¡¯t change my mind but you can go ahead and sleep on it,¡¯ he said. ¡®While you¡¯re lying in your bed thinking, consider the ramifications if you decide not to take me up on my proposal. If you marry me, scandal averted. If you don¡¯t, the press will crucify you and drag your brother and the entire House of Mondelli through the mud with you. Do you really want to go through all that again? Do you want Ro to go through all that again?¡¯ She stilled, stormy eyes locked on his. ¡®Do you want all the spection over who the father is? The old scandal being raked up as the world wonders if you¡¯ve been ying around with another married man?¡¯ ¡®But I never...¡¯ He hated to see the hurt and bewilderment that shed across her features but he had no choice. For their child¡¯s sake he would deploy every weapon in his arsenal to get her agreement. ¡®You know that and I know that. The rest of the world will believe what it wants to believe and, as it¡¯s doing so, the world¡¯s eyes will be on you.¡¯ ¡®You know how to y dirty,¡¯ she said hoarsely, her chest heaving. ¡®I could never have left Greece without learning how. If you refuse, you will have to deal with the press and the world¡¯s attention on your own. I will make no acknowledgement until our baby is born.¡¯ Her throat moved as she swallowed, her eyes zing their loathing at him. ¡®Do not think you can ckmail me, Markos.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want to ckmail you,¡¯ he said, wondering why the sound of his surname being spat from her delicious, plump lipsnded like a barb in his chest. ¡®But you leave me no choice.¡¯ She backed to the door and gripped the handle. ¡®I¡¯m going to my room now. I¡¯ll give you my answer in the morning.¡¯ ¡®There is only one answer.¡¯ ¡®You can still wait on it.¡¯ CHAPTER THREE HIS HEAD THUMPING, Christian entered the magnificent dining room where breakfast was being served. Alessandra was already there. So too were Stefan, Zayed and a handful of other guests who¡¯d stayed the night rather than retire to their yachts or have their helicopters collect them. It was littlefort that every person in the room looked exactly how he felt. Skata. Like crap. He might not have been able to get himself as drunk as he¡¯d wanted but his body was punishing him regardless for the quantity of alcohol he¡¯d consumed. Alessandra¡¯s gaze darted to him. Anyone looking at her could be forgiven for thinking she had a hangover too. Only he knew the dark rings under her bloodshot eyes were caused by a different reason. He doubted she¡¯d had any more sleep than the snatches he¡¯d managed. Even so, she still had that certain charisma that she carried like a second skin; her hair, left loose to tumble halfway down her back, as glossy as ever.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. He took the seat next to Zayed, who was clutching a ck coffee as if his life depended on it, and poured himself a cup of his own. He shook his head as a member of staff asked what he¡¯d like to eat. All he wanted at that moment was hot, sweet caffeine. And a dozen painkillers. No sooner had he taken his first sip than Alessandra rose, murmuring something to Stefan, who gave a painedugh and immediately rubbed at his temples. He waited long enough not to rouse any suspicion, making innocuous hangover talk with his buddies, before saying he was going for a lie down. Alessandra¡¯s room was in a different wing from where he and his uni friends always slept when they stayed at the vi. He hadn¡¯t realised he knew exactly which room was hers until he knocked on the door. After a minute of no response, he nudged it open. It was empty. Moving stealthily so as not to attract attention, he slipped out of the vi and into the gardens. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 After much searching, he tracked her down. She was sitting on the stone steps that led into Lake Como. Only one yacht remained from the handful that had been moored overnight. She didn¡¯t acknowledge his presence. Today she was dressed in ankle-length tight white jeans and a pale-pink cashmere top, the V plunging down to disy a hint of swollen cleavage, the only outward physical sign of the changes taking ce within her. What other changes were taking ce within that gorgeous form...? A stark image came into his mind of the perfection of her breasts, the way they seemed to have been made to fit his hands... If he closed his eyes he could still taste them, taste her... ¡®How are you feeling?¡¯ he asked abruptly, forcing thoughts of her naked body from his mind as he sat on the cold stone beside her. ¡®About as well as can be expected,¡¯ she replied after a long pause. ¡®I never askedst night how you¡¯re coping with the pregnancy¡ªphysically, I mean.¡¯ Another pause. ¡®So far I¡¯ve been lucky. No morning sickness or anything.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve made a few calls and rearranged my schedule so I can stay in Mn for a few days. First thing tomorrow morning, we¡¯re going to see your doctor.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve got a shoot to do.¡¯ She cast sharp eyes at him. ¡®And, before you use me of being selfish again, I¡¯d like to point out that for me to cancel the shoot would mean a good dozen people¡¯s schedules being thrown. We can see the doctor in the afternoon.¡¯ At least she was willing to see a doctor with him. That was a start. ¡®Does this mean you are in agreement to us marrying?¡¯ She fell silent for a few moments, tucking a strand of hair behind an ear. ¡®If we marry, we both automatically be our child¡¯s legal guardian.¡¯ ¡®I am aware of that.¡¯ It was one of the things he wanted¡ªhis paternity to be recognised byw. Marriage might be destructive and capable of ruining people but it was the only way he could ensure his child had his protection. For that reason alone he was prepared to do it. For their child¡¯s sake, it was no sacrifice. She stared at him. ¡®If anything happens to me, you have sole responsibility.¡¯ He felt his blood chill at the sudden solemnity in her tone. ¡®Why are you talking like this?¡¯ ¡®Do you know how my mother died?¡¯ she asked in that same thoughtful tone. ¡®Ro never liked to talk about her other than to say she¡¯d died when he was seven.¡¯ Alessandra would have been a baby, he realised, doing the maths for the first time. Her gaze didn¡¯t falter. ¡®She died having me.¡¯ Theos... ¡®Ro never said.¡¯ He shook his head, trying to digest her words. ¡®Ro suffered the most out of all of us.¡¯ A faraway look formed in her eyes before she blinked it away and cleared her throat. ¡®What happened to her?¡¯ he asked, rubbing his chin, trying to imagine the Mondelli siblings as they¡¯d been then: Ro a child of seven, and Alessandra, so fresh and new-born she¡¯d barely taken her first breath before her mother had been taken away from her forever. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He racked his pounding brain, trying to remember the age Ro had been when he¡¯d gone to live with Giovanni Mondelli, their grandfather. Eight, if he was recollecting correctly, which meant Alessandra had been a year at the most. She¡¯d never known the love of either a mother or a father. At least his own mother had been there. For all her faults, she¡¯d never abandoned him or reneged on her responsibility as a mother. ¡®She suffered from severe pre-empsia,¡¯ Alessandra said, her husky voice soft. Red-hot anger flooded through him, pushing away the ache that had formed in his chest at learning of the tragic circumstances of her birth. ¡®Why the hell haven¡¯t you seen a doctor yet?¡¯ ¡®It doesn¡¯t affect women until theter stages of pregnancy. For the time being, I¡¯m fine. My mother didn¡¯t know what she was dealing with¡ªshe¡¯d already given birth to a healthy child without any complications. Medicine has advanced a lot since then and we can prepare for it. The odds of anything happening to me are remote. But¡ªand this is why I¡¯m saying this now, before I agree to anything¡ªif the worst happens then I need to know that you will rise to your legal and moral duty and raise our child.¡¯ Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡®I would never abandon our child,¡¯ he said harshly. ¡®I¡¯ve lived without a father; I know what it¡¯s like to wonder where you¡¯re from. I will never let our child wonder who I am.¡¯ ¡®My father said that to my mother. He promised he would love and care for us but he broke it¡ªhe broke the promise he made to a dying woman. He abandoned me. He abandoned Ro.¡¯ ¡®I am not your father. What he did was despicable. After the way my own father abandoned me, I would never give up my own flesh and blood.¡¯ ¡®I have to trust that you won¡¯t be like either of our fathers but I find trusting people, especially men, very hard. If I stay single, then I can nominate the guardian of my choosing.¡¯ If fire could have shot from eyes then what burned from Christian¡¯s would have had her in mes. ¡®I will never allow that,¡¯ he ground out. ¡®I would fight for our child through every court in everynd.¡¯ The tension that had been cramping Alessandra¡¯s belly throughout the conversation loosened a touch. She believed him. Their child would have a father. A proper father. She just had to hope her trust in this respect wasn¡¯t misced. For her child¡¯s sake, she had to try. ¡®I¡¯m sorry for being melodramatic. I just need to be sure. We both need to be sure. If we marry then that¡¯s it¡ªwe¡¯re married. For better or worse. And, if I agree, I want you to promise that you will be discreet in your affairs.¡¯ His head twisted at her abrupt change of direction. ¡®My affairs?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not stupid,¡¯ she said with what she hoped sounded like nonchnce. If she was going to marry him, she would do it with her eyes open. Christian was an attractive man¡ªoh, to hell with such an insipid description, he was utterly gorgeous. He had the most beautiful eyes she¡¯d ever seen in a man, a real crystal-blue that made her think of calm, sunlit oceans. When he fixed them on her, though, her internal reaction was turbulent; a crescendo of emotions she struggled to understand. The way he¡¯d made her feel that night... He was used to women throwing themselves at him. She wasn¡¯t so na?ve as to believe marriage would tame him. Theirs was not a love match. ¡®Our loyalty will be primarily to our child but I do not want the humiliation of your liaisons being paraded on the front pages of the tabloids. All I ask is that from now on you choose your lovers wisely.¡¯ He inhaled sharply before expelling the air slowly. If his jaw became any more rigid she feared it would snap. ¡®Anything else?¡¯ he asked icily. She refused to drop her gaze. ¡®Only that if we marry I won¡¯t be taking your name.¡¯ Now she knew how it must have felt like to be red at by Medusa. Forget mere fire; she could feel her blood turn to stone under his deadly stare. ¡®Why. Not?¡¯ he asked through gritted teeth. ¡®Because I like my name and I don¡¯t want to have to start all over again. I¡¯ve spent the past seven years building my career but it¡¯s only been in thest few that my name has be famous for my work rather than my heritage and past exploits.¡¯ Alessandra wasn¡¯t prepared to fool herself. She might be famous at the moment for her photography but she didn¡¯t have the longevity that would still make her name roll off fashion editors¡¯ lips if she took months off. Her work as a photographer could quickly be forgotten, others taking her ce. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. More importantly, although this was something she chose not to share with Christian, figuring she¡¯d pushed him far enough as it was, she didn¡¯t trust that their marriage would survive. If she was a betting girl, she would give them until their baby¡¯s first birthday. By then, Christian would be mouring for his freedom. ¡®You can keep Mondelli as your business name but in our personal life you will be Markos.¡¯ ¡®Do not tell me what I can and can¡¯t do. Marriage will not make you my keeper.¡¯ ¡®I never said it would. However, one of the main factors in us marrying is to promote stability and unity. Sharing a surname is a part of that.¡¯ Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡®If you feel that strongly about it, you can change your name to Mondelli.¡¯ ¡®That is out of the question.¡¯ ¡®Why? Because you¡¯re a man? I never took you for a caveman.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s the tradition of marriage.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re not marrying for traditional reasons. As I pointed outst night, we¡¯re living in the twenty-first century. Plenty of couples marry without taking each other¡¯s surnames. I¡¯m sorry if this disappoints you but I¡¯m not changing my name. It¡¯s non-negotiable.¡¯ ¡®Our child will take my name.¡¯ He stared at her, the fire in his blue eyes, normally so warm and full of vitality, now turned icy cold. ¡®That is non-negotiable.¡¯ ¡®I can agree to that,¡¯ she said, matching his cool tone. It was one thing refusing to take his name for herself¡ª refusing to let their child take his name too would feel as if she was being cruel for cruelty¡¯s sake. ¡®Good.¡¯ The coldness in his eyes thawed a fraction. ¡®Does this mean¡ªfinally¡ªthat you will agree to our marriage?¡¯ ¡®After all this you still want to marry me?¡¯ she asked, a tiny bubble of amusement breaking through the tension. If Christian wanted a wife he could walk all over, she was certain she¡¯d just proved she wouldn¡¯t be that woman. She didn¡¯t want to be a harridan but she knew she needed to establish the ground rules first. She¡¯d worked too hard to build a life that was all her own to give it up without a fight. For her baby it was easy, but for a man? No. ¡®All I want is what¡¯s best for our baby.¡¯ ¡®As do I.¡¯ If that meant marrying Christian, then so be it. Ro had always described him as a man of his word¡ªif she didn¡¯t agree, he would refuse to confirm paternity until after the birth. In the meantime, her name would be dragged through the mud again. She would have to cope with swarms of paparazzi hounding her; read the lies that would follow as spection grew over who her baby¡¯s father was; listen to the taunts that would surely rain down on her. She would have to suffer it alone, just as she had the first time. And it wasn¡¯t just she who would suffer. Ro would too and God alone knew her brother had suffered enough at her hands. But, above and beyond all that, her baby could be the one to suffer the most. Imagining¡ªknowing¡ª what people were thinking of her, were saying about her... It would contaminate her, just like it had the first time. She didn¡¯t want that bitterness and despair to infect her innocent baby. No, whichever way she looked at it, marrying Christian was the obvious, practical thing to do. Her head knew it. Soon enough her twisted guts would believe it too. ¡®How will our marriage work on a practical level?¡¯ she asked, stalling the moment when she would have to say aloud the words agreeing to tie her life to this man beside her. ¡®We will lead our own lives.¡¯ His gaze bore into her. ¡®Our marriage will be private. We can keep separate rooms and lead independent lives so long as we show unity in public.¡¯ ¡®I can ept that,¡¯ she agreed. ¡®But on our wedding night and honeymoon we will need to share a bed.¡¯ Christian stared at her without blinking, making sure she understood. Alessandra¡¯s approach, blunt as it was, was for the best¡ª neither of them wanted there to be any misunderstandings. They would both enter matrimony with their eyes open but their hearts closed. Colour tinged her cheeks. ¡®Surely we don¡¯t need to go that far?¡¯ Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡®I want our marriage to be seen as legal in every respect. To protect our child from undue scandal and spection, people must believe we¡¯re in love.¡¯ He tried to think about their marriage with his business head, consider it as just another merger between twopanies. In essence, that was what it would be¡ªa merger. The profit woulde from the child they would raise together. He¡¯d craved istion since he¡¯d been a small child sharing cramped living space with his mother. His homes were his sanctuary, his space. Even his live-in staff had separate quarters. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Alessandra had been the first woman he¡¯d woken next to and felt a tug of reluctance at having to leave. He couldn¡¯t remember ever feeling so greedy for someone as he had that night, when he¡¯d wanted her so badly it had been as if he were consuming her. If he hadn¡¯t been concerned that she might be feeling the physical soreness he assumed women must feel after losing their virginity, he would have made love to her all night long. Her eyes didn¡¯t waver although more colour crept over her face. ¡®When you say you want it to be seen as legal in every respect, are you implying that we need to have sex?¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ His voice dropped, heat unfurling within him as a memory of a dusky pink nipple floated into his mind. A small gust of wind fluttered across them, causing a strand of her hair to stray across her face. Unthinking, he reached out to brush it away. ¡®But we will be married¡ªwhat couples choose to do in the privacy of their own home is entirely their own business.¡¯ Her throat moved, a subtle movement, but one he recognised. He leaned in closer. ¡®When we stay anywhere that is not under one of our own roofs, we will share a bed. What we choose to do in that bed is nobody¡¯s business but our own.¡¯ Their marriage would be a merger, yes, but not a business merger. This was going to be a merger of two flesh-and-blood people. Something pulsed in her eyes and he knew with certainty that she was remembering how good it had been between them. They had beenbustible. All the supressed memories of that night came back in startling colour. She¡¯d been wild. Carnal. Eager to please and be pleased, to touch and be touched. Her arousal had been a living thing... She cleared her throat. ¡®And if I choose to sleep and only sleep...?¡¯ Then his balls would probably turn blue. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡®Then you will be left to sleep.¡¯ He let his voice drop further, inching his face closer to hers. ¡®But, if you choose not to sleep, you won¡¯t find meining.¡¯ ¡®Is that because you¡¯re not fussy about who you lie in bed with?¡¯ Her words had a breathless quality to them. He could feel the tension emanating from her. ¡®No.¡¯ He shook his head in emphasis and pressed his lips to her ear. ¡®It¡¯s because you¡¯re the sexiest woman I¡¯ve ever known and I get hard every time I think of how you came undone in my arms.¡¯ He moved back to see her lips part and her doe eyes widen. ¡®I understand your opinion of my sex life is less than ttering,¡¯ he said, thinking that she turned the most beautiful colour when she blushed. ¡®But, I assure you, I think with the head on my shoulders and not the one in my boxer shorts.¡¯ She swallowed before saying, ¡®I think that¡¯s a matter of opinion.¡¯ ¡®Point proved,¡¯ he said. ¡®But, to prove my point, I will not make a move on you until we are legally married.¡¯ Her eyes narrowed but he caught the spark that ignited in them. ¡®And, of course, you will still reserve your right to say no.¡¯ He dipped his head to whisper into her ear again, inhaling her scent for good measure. All his senses heightened. He could feel the heat from her skin; knew the spark that had drawn them together in the first ce was still well and truly alive. ¡®We¡¯re both going to have to make sacrifices for this to work¡ªthe bedroom is the one area wherepromise and sacrifice are not needed, where our marriage can be about nothing but mutual pleasure.¡¯ She raised a shoulder and exhaled a shuddering breath that sounded almost like a moan. It was a long moment before she next spoke, breaking the charged silence that had sprung up between them. ¡®I will not have sex with you just because it¡¯s expected.¡¯ He pulled away, creating a little distance so he could look at her. ¡®My only expectation is that, when we¡¯re in public, we both put on a disy of being in love.¡¯ She held his gaze for a fraction longer before blowing out a puff of air and fixing her gaze back on the lake. ¡®Bene.¡¯ Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡®So we are in agreement?¡¯ ¡®Yes. We are in agreement. I will marry you.¡¯ It was Christian¡¯s turn to exhale. Who would have thought he would feel relief to hear a woman agree to marriage? ¡®It would be best to marry as soon as we can¡ªbefore you start showing.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want to arrange anything until I¡¯ve spoken to Ro.¡¯ The mention of her brother¡¯s name hit him like a blow: the metaphorical elephant in the room spoken aloud. ¡®We will speak to him together.¡¯ ¡®It will be best if I speak to him alone. He¡¯s my brother.¡¯ ¡®And he¡¯s one of my closest friends. He¡¯s not going to be happy about this.¡¯ ¡®I would prefer it if he gave us his blessing but if he refuses...¡¯ She sighed, a troubled expression crossing her features. ¡®We will wait until he returns from his honeymoon,¡¯ Christian decided, although his guts made that familiar clenching motion they did whenever he thought of what his friend¡¯s reaction would be. Ro would never forgive him. He didn¡¯t me him. Whatever was thrown his way, he would take. It would be no less than he deserved. He remembered the first time he¡¯d met Ro, Stefan and Zayed during his first week at Columbia. He¡¯d never left Athens before that, never mind Greece. New York had been a whole new world. He¡¯d felt out of his depth on every level, especially whenparing himself to his new friends¡¯ wealth and good breeding. He¡¯d had neither and hadn¡¯t been able to understand why they¡¯d epted him as one of their own. Even now, a decade on when his own wealth rivalled the best in the world, he still struggled to understand what they¡¯d seen in him. He was Christian Markos, born a gutter rat without a penny to his name. She was Alessandra Mondelli, born into one of Italy¡¯s premiere families. She had ss and breeding. She could be a princess. In a perfect world she would marry someone from a simr background. Someone worthy of her. All the same, they might be from disparate backgrounds but on marriage they hadmon ground: rtionships were not for either of them. In that one respect they were perfect for each other. She would never need him or require more than he could give. And he would never need her. Messy,plicated emotions would never infect their marriage. CHAPTER FOUR ALESSANDRA PRESSED THE button allowing Christian into the building and took deep breaths to compose herself. It would be the first time she¡¯d seen him in ten days. They¡¯d spent a couple of days together in Mn, seeing her doctor then a private obstetrician. Both had confirmed that she and the baby were in excellent health. She¡¯d known in her guts everything was well but hearing it vocalised had lifted a weight she hadn¡¯t been aware of carrying until it was gone. A scan had been taken, a copy of which they had both taken before Christian had left. She¡¯d spent hours gazing at that picture, making out the tiny head and limbs, so imperceptible she had to rely on memory from where the nurse had pointed. Sometimes, gazing hard, everything inside her would constrict, her throat closing so tight that she had to swallow to loosen it. Her beautiful baby. Her and Christian¡¯s beautiful baby. She hadn¡¯t see him since, all theirmunicationing via daily text messages and phone calls, during which he filled her in on all the wedding ns. He wanted a Greek wedding so it made sense for him to organise it. She didn¡¯t think she would have been able to handle getting involved anyway. She was having a hard enough time coping with the magnitude of what she¡¯d agreed to. She¡¯d known Christian since she was twelve and Ro had brought the Brat Pack¡ªas she privately called her brother and his little gang of university friends¡ªhome for a week-long holiday at the family vi. But she didn¡¯t know him. He drank bourbon rather than his national drink of ouzo. He was a snazzy dresser. His brain was lauded around the world. He waspletely self-made. He liked rock music. He¡¯d slept with a quarter of the world¡¯s most beautiful women, the others being shared out between her brother, Stefan and Zayed. He was used to getting his own way. And that was it. The rest was a mystery. She was marrying a stranger.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Dio l¡¯aiuti¡ªGod help her¡ªshe would have to share a bed with him on asion. And, dio l¡¯aiuti, the thought made her heat from the inside. Ever since that particr aspect of their talk, it had felt as if a glow had been lit inside of her. His lips against her ear, his breath whispering on her skin...the heat it had ignited... When he entered her apartment, impably dressed in a fashionable navy suit and striped pale-yellow tie, her heart made an involuntary skip. It skipped again when she caught his clean, freshly showered scent. ¡®My apologies for the dy,¡¯ he said, leaning in to give her the traditional kiss on each cheek. Two little kisses; two tiny brushes of his lips against her skin, the hint of his warm breath on her... The lit glow flickered and pulsated low within her, her body responding to his proximity like a bee to a field of pollen. ¡®It¡¯s fine,¡¯ she said, stepping away from him and opening her handbag on the pretext of checking her purse. If he looked at her now, he would see the colour she knew had bloomed on her face scorching up her neck. Christian had been due at her apartment early that morning. He¡¯d calledtest night to say he¡¯d been dyed but would make it to her before lunch. She hadn¡¯t been surprised. Men always made promises they had no intention of keeping. They told lies, whether deliberately or not. Even her grandfather, a man she¡¯d thought full of morality, had lied. Only after his death had she learned he¡¯d had an affair decades ago¡ªwith her new sister-inw¡¯s mother, no less. If her grandfather could lie to the wife he loved so much, then what hope was there for anyone else? The only man she trusted was her brother. She didn¡¯t want to think what the cause of Christian¡¯s dy could have been. ¡®How did it go with the doctor?¡¯ he asked. ¡®Good.¡¯ She bit back the question of whether he would attend any further appointments with her. It would save him having to lie. It would save her having to pretend to believe it. ¡®Your blood pressure?¡¯ ¡®Normal. Everything is normal,¡¯ she said, anticipating further questions along the same vein. Feeling more on an even keel and in control of her reactions, she closed her handbag and looked at him. He was watching her closely. ¡®It wasn¡¯t my intention to miss the appointment. There was a crisis at Bloomfield Bank and I had to attend an emergency board meeting.¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t have to ount for your whereabouts with me.¡¯ She forced a smile. ¡®After all, it¡¯s not as if we¡¯re married or anything.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t deny a tiny bit of the cramp in her belly lessened at knowing he hadn¡¯t been with another woman. He¡¯d given his word not to make a move on her until they married. He¡¯d made no such promise about making a move on another woman. So long as he was discreet, who he slept with was none of her business. Heughed, a familiar sound that plunged her back to the meal they¡¯d shared. Of the Brat Pack, he¡¯d always been her favourite, the one she¡¯d privately dubbed ¡®the Greek Adonis.¡¯ A woman didn¡¯t need wine goggles to appreciate the strength of his jaw or the dimples that appeared when he gave one of his frequent smiles.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. With wine goggles, though, even the most inhibited of females would be putty in his hands. She, the woman who¡¯d thought herself immune to any man¡¯s charms, had been. He hadn¡¯t even tried. A couple of sses of champagne on an empty stomach and an aching heart and she¡¯d felt her secret attraction towards him, locked away out of reach, escape and bloom. Like the gentleman he was¡ªand he was a gentleman in the traditional, chivalrous term of the word¡ªhe¡¯d walked her home and right up to her door. She¡¯d been the one to kiss him, not the usual two-cheek kiss but one right on his mouth. The feel of his lips upon hers, the scent of his skin and warm breath...the effect had been indescribable. It had unleashed something inside her, something craven, a side she¡¯d spent years denying the existence of, telling herself she¡¯d rather die a virgin than give herself to a man. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 It hadn¡¯t felt like giving herself to Christian. Giving implied bestowing a favour, not the hot mix of desire and need that had made her desperate for his touch. She could still feel and taste the heady heat of his breath... But now she was stone-cold sober, her immunity back in its rightful ce. Vivid memories might have the power to jolt her senses but they didn¡¯t have the power to knock her off bnce. No man would ever have that power. Her body might have a Pavlovian response to him but intellectually and emotionally she was safe. When they married he could see whoever he wanted. It made no difference to her. All she cared about was her baby. As long as her baby made it safely into this world, nothing else mattered. Maybe when her baby was ced in her arms, her own ce on this earth would make sense. Maybe then she would lose the feeling she¡¯d carried her entire life that she should never have been born. * * * Christian sensed a slight change in Alessandra¡¯s demeanour, an almost imperceptible straightening of the shoulders and stiffening of the spine. She was looking good. She always looked good. With her long hair loose around her shoulders, she wore faded tight-fitting jeans, a pale-blue cotton blouse unbuttoned to the top of her cleavage, a navy zer and silver ankle boots with a slight heel. Heavy costume jewellery in shades of red hung round her neck and wrists,rge, hooped gold earrings in her ears. Alessandra could wear a sack and carry it off, would still have that beautifully put-together air she carried so well. Her apartment was the same: chic and beautifully put together, the walls and furniture muted but the furnishings bold and colourful. Giant prints of her work hung on the walls, erged, framed covers of Vogue and all the other glossy magazines she¡¯d worked for. He knew it would be a wrench for her to leave, but a third-floor apartment in the heart of Mn¡¯s fashion district was not a feasible ce to bring up a child. He¡¯d raised the subject of her selling it on the phone a few days ago. Her response had been nonmittal to say the least. He¡¯d give her more time to get used to the idea before discussing it again. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Are you ready to go?¡¯ he asked. She nodded, her plump lips drawing together. ¡®Let¡¯s get this over with.¡¯ Out in the courtyard at the back of the building, where his driver waited for them, her yellow Vespa gleamed from its parking space. ¡®I hope you¡¯re not riding on that thing any more,¡¯ he said, nodding at it. ¡®No,¡¯ she answered shortly, getting into the back of the car. He followed her in, a pang hitting his stomach as he recalled the big beam on her face the one time he¡¯d seen her ride on it¡ªthe day of their impromptu date. Another thing pregnancy would force her to give up. When the car started to move, she turned to look at him, a set look on her face. ¡®Christian, let me make one thing quite clear. You are going to be my husband, not my keeper. Do not dictate to me.¡¯ He sighed. ¡®Is this about the Vespa?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®I wasn¡¯t dictating to you. I was satisfying myself that you¡¯re not putting our child¡¯s life at risk by continuing to ride on it, especially here in Mn.¡¯ ¡®That is exactly what I mean. I don¡¯t need you to tell me the drivers here all approach the road as an assault course that must be beaten¡ªI live here. I might not have a penis between my legs but my brain and rationality work perfectly well.¡¯ ¡®I never said it didn¡¯t,¡¯ he said, keeping his tone even. ¡®But you must appreciate that it is my child you are carrying and it is only right I take an interest in its welfare.¡¯ ¡®But it is my life. I will not be told what to do.¡¯ ¡®I am not telling you what to do.¡¯ How he held on to his patience, he did not know. ¡®All I¡¯m saying is that having a child changes things...¡¯ ¡®You think I don¡¯t know that?¡¯ she said, her colour darkening. ¡®You think I¡¯m not aware of the responsibility I have to bring our child safely into this world? Do you think I¡¯m not capable?¡¯ Chapter 18 Chapter 18 ¡®Alessandra...¡¯ He took a breath and fisted his hands into balls. ¡®Will you stop putting words into my mouth? You¡¯re making assumptions.¡¯ Her shoulders hunched before she flopped her head back and took a long breath. ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ she muttered. ¡®I have an aversion to being told what to do.¡¯ ¡®I had already gathered that.¡¯ She cast a sideways nce at him and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her very pretty ear. ¡®As well as my aversion to being bossed around, I also have a tendency to get grumpy when I¡¯m worried about something,¡¯ she admitted, her tone now rueful. ¡®You¡¯re worried about Ro¡¯s reaction to our news?¡¯ ¡®Aren¡¯t you?¡¯ This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. ¡®Whatever happens with your brother, nothing will change. You and I will still marry. If he gives his blessing, then that will be beneficial, but if he doesn¡¯t then we will handle it together. Okay?¡¯ he added when she didn¡¯t answer, simply sank her teeth into her bottom lip and tugged her hand free from his sp. She nodded slowly, and absently rubbed at the top of her hand where his fingers had rested. ¡®Ro is very protective of me. He always has been.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re his sister; nothing will change that.¡¯ Christian was doing his best to project a positive frame of mind for Alessandra¡¯s benefit but was under no illusion about how hot-headed her brother could be. He knew that if the forting meeting was badly handled, their friendship would be ruined. Alessandra¡¯s lungs had closed up. The intimacy of the cab, the forced proximity... Worry about her brother¡¯s reaction faded as Christian¡¯s oaky cologne filled her senses, moisture filling her mouth and bubbling low in her most intimate area. She pressed her thighs together and dragged out a short breath. It wasn¡¯t enough. She needed air. There was nowhere to hide. The traffic outside was atrocious. They were still a couple of streets away from the House of Mondelli, where her brother awaited her. If she were on her Vespa she would be there by now, able to weave in and out of the traffic while turning a deaf ear to the tooting horns. ¡®Let¡¯s walk the rest of the way,¡¯ she said. She needed air. She needed to breathe. ¡®It¡¯ll be quicker.¡¯ Christian nodded and pressed the button to lower the partition, telling his driver to stop the car. As they were already stationary, this required no effort on the driver¡¯s part. Alessandra immediately felt better out in the balmy spring air. She loved the sunshine; knew it was the reason her grandfather had left her the vi in St. Barts, so she had a bolt hole to escape to when the gloomy Mnese winter set in. She had no idea yet what she would do with the apartment in Paris he had also left her, but the vi would remain hers until she took herst breath. Which, if the Mnese drivers had anything to do with it, could be sooner rather thanter. They made it to the entrance of the luxurious building without being squashed by any moving vehicles and stepped inside. She smiled at the morous receptionists and, with Christian by her side, strode past therge rooms homing all the creative minds that made the House of Mondelli such a sess, and through to her brother¡¯s office. His door was closed; Gabrielle, his PA, guarded it with her desk like a sentry. She stood to greet them. Alessandra cast a quick nce at Christian, experiencing the strangestpulsion to grab hold of his hand. He inclined his head and threw a small, encouraging smile. She couldn¡¯t read his eyes. Taking a deep breath, she rapped on the door and pushed it open. Ro was at his desk talking into his phone. A smile formed on his lips at seeing his sister, his eyes pulling into a question at seeing Christian follow her inside and shut the door behind him. He ended the call and got to his feet, sidling round his desk to pull her into an embrace. ¡®You¡¯re looking well, sorellina.¡¯ Little sister. ¡®And you¡¯re looking tanned. Good honeymoon?¡¯ Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ¡®Perfetto.¡¯ She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever seen him so happy. ¡®How¡¯s Liv?¡¯ Somehow his face lit up even more. ¡®She¡¯s wonderful.¡¯ Ro moved on to Christian, giving him a bear hug, which he returned. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m here to see you,¡¯ Christian said. If Ro heard the serious inflection in his friend¡¯s voice he made no sign of it. ¡®Alessandra and I have a lunch date¡ªare you joining us?¡¯ ¡®Ro,¡¯ said Alessandra, cing a hand on her brother¡¯s arm to get his attention. ¡®Christian is here with me. We have something to tell you.¡¯ Immediately the light in her brother¡¯s eyes dimmed, became wary. ¡®Tell me what?¡¯ Christian shifted slightly and ced an arm around her waist. The gesture felt almost protective. ¡®We¡¯re getting married,¡¯ he said, his tone serious. Ro shook his head as if clearing his ears of water. ¡®Married?¡¯ ¡®Yes. We wanted you to be the first to know.¡¯ This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Alessandra pressed closer to Christian in a show of unity and forced a breezyugh. If they could make this look and sound as natural as possible, then Ro should be epting of their ns. That was what she¡¯d been telling herself for almost a fortnight. ¡®I want you to give me away.¡¯ Roughed with her, although not at his usual pitch. ¡®You two are getting married?¡¯ ¡®Si.¡¯ ¡®My little sister and my best friend?¡¯ ¡®Si! Isn¡¯t it wonderful?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s one way to describe it. When did all this happen?¡¯ ¡®We bumped into each other when you were in New York.¡¯ She and Christian had agreed to stick with the truth as much as possible. Neither wanted to lie to Ro. ¡®Christian hade to take you out but, as you were in New York, I talked him into taking me out instead. Then, at your wedding we spent a bit more time together and realised our feelings for each other had changed.¡¯ That was the truth as well. How could someone be just a friend of your brother¡¯s if you were carrying his child? ¡®When do you hope to marry?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve decided there¡¯s no point in hanging around so we¡¯ve set the date for a fortnight. We¡¯re marrying in Athens.¡¯ ¡®That soon?¡¯ Christian¡¯s hand brushed against her back as he pulled away from her and took a step closer to Ro. Neither man spoke. Suddenly she became aware that the atmosphere in the office wasn¡¯t the warm bonhomie she¡¯d intended. It was cold. Icy. As she looked from her fianc¨¦ to her brother, taking in the two sets of lips mped firmly together, her heart sank. For all his outward amiability, Ro hadn¡¯t bought a single word she¡¯d said. And Christian knew it. ¡®Are you pregnant?¡¯ he asked, looking at her briefly, his tone casual. She swallowed, stupidly unprepared for such a question. She ced her arm protectively across her waist. This time he directed the same question to Christian. There was no denying the menace in his stance. ¡®Have you got my sister pregnant?¡¯ Christian drew himself up to his full height. It was like watching two silverbacks square up to each other. Both men were equal in stature, both topping six foot by a good few inches, and both kept themselves in extremely good shape. ¡®Yes. Alessandra is pregnant with my baby and we have agreed to marry. We both want to do the right thing by our child.¡¯ ¡®The right thing by your child?¡¯ Ro snarled, his face aze with fury. ¡®What about my sister? What the hell were you doing messing with her in the first ce?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not going to lie to you,¡¯ Christian said, his tone calm but with a hint of steel underlying his words. ¡®Neither of us meant for this to happen. But it has happened¡ªAlessandra is pregnant with my child and I am going to support them both in every way I can.¡¯ ¡®So she was another of your one-night stands? Is that what you¡¯re telling me?¡¯ Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Christian didn¡¯t answer, keeping his gaze fixed evenly on Ro. ¡®You said neither of you meant it to happen, so I will ask you one more time: was she just a one-night stand to you?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ If Christian intended to borate on his one-syble answer, his words went unsaid when Ro¡¯s arm shot out like a bullet. ¡®Ro, no!¡¯ But her scream came toote to prevent her brother¡¯s fist connecting with Christian¡¯s nose, a resounding crack bouncing off the walls on impact. Christian dropped to the floor with a thump. Immediately Alessandra fell to her knees beside him. Vivid red blood seeped from his nose. ¡®What did you do that for?¡¯ she said, switching to Italian, half-shouting, half-screaming, not looking at Ro, too busy checking Christian¡¯s vital signs. The pulse in his neck pumped strongly, the only blessing she could cling to. She looked up at her brother, who stood frozen. ¡®Don¡¯t just stand there¡ª call for an ambnce.¡¯ Ro¡¯s broad chest heaved, his face a couple of shades paler than it had been when she¡¯d walked into his office. ¡®He doesn¡¯t need an ambnce. He¡¯s alreadying round.¡¯ He was right. Christian¡¯s lips were moving. ¡®At least get some ice,¡¯ she snapped, somehow holding back the tears. Not sure if she was doing the right thing or not, she carefully lifted Christian¡¯s head and ced it on her lap. Being as gentle as she could, she ran her fingers over his hair, not knowing or caring if she was comforting him or herself. Of all the scenarios that had yed itself out in her head, this was not an oue she had prepared for. She should be getting used to that. ¡®Are you still here?¡¯ she snarled at her brother. ¡®He needs ice.¡¯ ¡®He needs castration.¡¯ He swore loudly. ¡®You¡¯re my sister and he¡¯s a yboy¡ª¡¯ ¡®And you¡¯re a hypocrite!¡¯ she interrupted. ¡®The majority of the women you¡¯ve slept with have been someone¡¯s sister. He¡¯s your best friend and you¡¯re just as big a yboy as he is.¡¯ ¡®Not any more, I¡¯m not¡ªand I¡¯m not oblivious to those other women being someone¡¯s sister, but you are my sister.¡¯ ¡®No¡ªI was your sister. After what you¡¯ve just done, I will never call you my brother again. I¡¯ll walk myself up the aisle. Now, get an ice pack and then you can get the hell out of my life.¡¯ * * * Through the ringing in his ears Christian heard the sound of muffled talking. Arguing. Was that Alessandra speaking so emotively? Through thencing pain in his face came the realisation that, yes, it was Alessandra¡ªthat it was her warmp supporting his head, her gentle fingerscing through his hair, her normally calm, husky voice pitched at a much higher octave than he had ever associated it with. Footsteps left the room, the door mming with a close. He winced as the sound reverberated through his pounding head. Well, that had gone better than he¡¯d anticipated. CHAPTER FIVE BACK IN ALESSANDRA¡¯S APARTMENT, Christiany on the sofa, holding the ice pack in ce to the bridge of his nose. Eyes closed, he heard Alessandra pour fresh coffee out; listened as she padded over the thick rug and ced their drinks on the ss table in front of him. Gabrielle had brought the ice pack to him, Ro himself having disappeared from the building. His old friend had seen straight through their deception, exactly as he¡¯d known he would. ¡®You let him hit you, didn¡¯t you?¡¯ He opened his eyes to find Alessandra ring down at him. She¡¯d changed into a short ck skirt, the faded jeans she¡¯d been wearing having been covered in his blood. Her golden legs were bare. Gorgeously bare. He straightened and put the ice pack down beside his mug. ¡®Are you going to answer me?¡¯ ¡®Yes, I let him hit me.¡¯Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®Better to let him get it out of his system now than at the wedding.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s noting to the wedding. I¡¯ve told him he¡¯s not wee.¡¯ Even though the movement hurt, he couldn¡¯t stop the smile forming. ¡®You don¡¯t mean that.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t I?¡¯ ¡®No, you don¡¯t.¡¯ He knew how close the Mondelli siblings were. ¡®I told you, I don¡¯t like being told what to do. I¡¯ve had it up to here with my brother thinking he can run my life.¡¯ She slumped onto the single sofa and rubbed her eyes, smudging her make-up. ¡®Did you know I always refused to do any work for the House of Mondelli?¡¯ ¡®I was aware of that¡ªRo always said he thought it was a shame, as your fashion shoots are some of the best in the business.¡¯ ¡®He said that?¡¯ A look of pleasure shed over her, quickly reced by another grimace. ¡®A few months ago he asked me to do all the photography for the newunch he was working on. For the first time, I said yes. I thought our rtionship had reached the stage where he regarded me as his equal, as Alessandra Mondelli, not just as his little sister. I wanted to be employed for the quality of my work, not out of nepotism. I should have known better. He still thinks he knows best and can ride roughshod over my feelings.¡¯ She made a noise that sounded like a choking growl and slumped on the sofa, bending her head forward, her long hair falling like a sheet before her until she tossed her head back and sighed. ¡®I love my brother but he has to ept I¡¯m not a child any more. I¡¯m an adult. I make my own decisions. He doesn¡¯t have to like them but he has to at least respect them and if he can¡¯t do that then he can keep away.¡¯ ¡®Our news was a shock to him. He¡¯lle round.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t care if he does.¡¯ She blinked rapidly and swallowed. ¡®So much for averting a scandal; how long do you think it¡¯ll be before the press learns he hit you?¡¯ N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡®There¡¯s no need for the press to know anything.¡¯ She arched a perfectly plucked dark brow. ¡®We were seen by at least a dozen people leaving the House of Mondelli, you with an ice pack stuck to your nose. Have you looked in the mirror?¡¯ She didn¡¯t give him the chance to reply. ¡®You¡¯ve already got two ck eyes forming. How are you going to exin that away?¡¯ ¡®I wear exceedingly dark sunsses. No one will see my eyes.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not even funny.¡¯ Seeing she was working herself into a state, he leaned forward and spoke forcefully. ¡®There will be no scandal. We will cut the press off at its head.¡¯ ¡®How?¡¯ ¡®By announcing our marriage. We will send out a press release today.¡¯ She pulled a face. ¡®If we announce it now, the press will go into a frenzy.¡¯ ¡®They will,¡¯ he agreed. During their many phone conversations over the past ten days they¡¯d discussed how to handle the press and had agreed to dy notifying them until a week before the wedding, at which point Alessandra would join him in Athens. All the guests they nned to invite could be relied on for their discretion. ¡®But it will be a controlled frenzy and give them something to write about that should, hopefully, supersede any rumour that maye about your brother hitting me. You will have to travel to Athens with me...¡¯ ¡®Absolutely not.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve already agreed to join me there.¡¯ ¡®But not for another week.¡¯ ¡®It will be safer for you. Here, you¡¯re too exposed. The paparazzi can doorstep you.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t care.¡¯ Eyes zing, she folded her arms across her chest. ¡®I can¡¯t go anywhere. I have work commitments. Lots of them. It¡¯s been hard enough trying to rearrange my schedule for the wedding and honeymoon but at least I¡¯ve been able to give the editors and fashion houses I frence for some notice. For me toe to Athens today means letting them all down at thest minute.¡¯ Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ¡®What¡¯s the alternative? For you to stay here in Mn to face the press on your own? You wanted my support and I am trying to give it to you.¡¯ ¡®Why do I need to leave? Why can¡¯t you stay here?¡¯ ¡®I need to be in Athens. I have important businessmitmentsing up this week.¡¯ ¡®Are you saying yourmitments are more important than mine?¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ Swearing, he gripped hold of his mug. ¡®Yes.¡¯ Looking at her, he could see she was fighting the urge to punch him in the face just as her brother had done. Such passion. On the surface, Alessandra Mondelli was the epitome of cool sophistication. Scratch beneath it and the passionate, sultry woman emerged like a vibrant butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. Knowing he was the only man to have experienced that passion made his chest fill. Her passion was his. All his. One day, soon, he would sate himself in her arms again. He knew it and she knew it too; he could see it in the way the pupils of her eyes dted when their gazes met, the way her breath hitched when they brushed against each other. She still wanted him. The thought of them sharing a bed again made his loins tighten and the dread of their forting nuptials taste sweeter. She would be his again. For now, though, all thoughts of making love would have to wait. He¡¯d given his word not to make a move on her until after their wedding and he intended to keep it. ¡®In the future we will arrange our schedules to amodate both our obligations, but in this instance I¡¯m afraid mymitments are more important than yours.¡¯ One of Greece¡¯s major banks¡ªone that had weathered the worst of the financial crisis¡ªhad been plunged into serious financial trouble and had called on Christian for help and advice. So many of his compatriots were struggling; it was like a constant pain in his chest. He¡¯d been there once: impoverished. Desperate. He gave his assistance dly. ¡®That¡¯s just...¡¯ ¡®There is another alternative,¡¯ he said, knowing perfectly well it was an alternative she would dismiss out of hand. ¡®You can stay at Vi Mondelli. The press won¡¯t be able to touch you there, not with all the security measures that have been put in ce.¡¯ ¡®What, with my brother? I would rather stay in a convent.¡¯ ¡®Those are your options: stay here alone to deal with the press you hate so much, stay with the brother you¡¯ve just disowned ore to Athens with me where the press can¡¯t touch you.¡¯ ¡®Then I stay.¡¯ Theos, give him patience. The woman was even more stubborn than her brother. ¡®And deal with the press alone? When you hate them so much?¡¯ ¡®At least I know theirments will be kinder than they were before. I¡¯d much rather they harass me by asking questions about our wedding than harass me by telling me who thetest person to call me a slut is.¡¯ This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡®They did that?¡¯ He¡¯d seen much of the coverage, knew she¡¯d had a rough time with the press, but had had no idea they had stooped so low as to tell a vulnerable teenager what despicable names people were calling her. ¡®That was then. I¡¯m perfectly safe here in my apartment¡ªthe press can¡¯t get past the concierge.¡¯ ¡®Who are these people who called you a slut?¡¯ His brain refused to move on from that piece of information. When he learned who had said such insulting words towards her, he would hunt each and every one of them down. He would make them pay. The sheer violence of his thoughts shocked him. All his life he¡¯d used his brains to better himself, only using his fists when it was a choice of fight or flight. The kids in his neighbourhood had roamed the streets of Athens in packs while he had spent his precious free time with his head buried in books, determined to educate himself out of that life. They¡¯d seen him as a freak. Often they hadin in wait for him. Between the ages of ten and sixteen he¡¯d been beaten up on average once a month. Always he¡¯d fought back, sometimes more sessfully than others. Then, aged sixteen, he¡¯d experienced a monster of a growth spurt, growing six inches in six months. He¡¯d also found himself an early-morning job at the fish market lugging heavy boxes of freshly caught mackerel and sardines. He¡¯d filled out physically to match his new height. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 He¡¯d no longer been the skinny, bookish kid and the bullies had known it. After one particr fight, when he¡¯d broken the nose of the ringleader and ckened the eyes of two others, they¡¯d left him alone. He hadn¡¯t wanted to hit anyone since then. Until now. How could anyone call Alessandra a slut? ¡®Too many to name.¡¯ She answered his question with a shrug. ¡®How could they say such things? You were a child.¡¯ ¡®I was seventeen. Old enough to know better.¡¯ ¡®Do not tell me you me yourself?¡¯ ¡®Only in the respect that I swallowed Javier¡¯s lies.¡¯ Her eyes pierced right through him. ¡®I should have known not to trust the word of a man.¡¯ ¡®Not all men are liars.¡¯ ¡®Aren¡¯t they?¡¯ She didn¡¯t borate. She continued staring at him with the same piercing expression. ¡®No!¡¯ he said forcefully. ¡®With the exception of my brother, all the men I¡¯ve ever known have been liars. Trusting Javier cost me everything. My grandfather turned into my jailer, the few friends he¡¯d permitted me to have turned their backs on me because their parents didn¡¯t want me corrupting them and Ro had the humiliation of reading untrue, lewdments about his baby sister. I¡¯m sorry, but I will never trust you, Christian. All I can do is try and have faith that your indiscretions will be discreet.¡¯ ¡®I will never humiliate you or disrespect you.¡¯ He rose from his seat, ignoring the throbbing pain across the front of his face, and crouched on his haunches before her. cing a hand on her neck, he rubbed his thumb over the soft skin. Theos, one touch of her softness, one inhtion of her scent and his body responded, his groin tightening as memories of burying himself inside her assailed him. ¡®You are going to be my wife.¡¯ He spoke the words slowly. ¡®If you do not believe anything else, believe that that means something to me. I will take my vows seriously.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sure Javier said the same thing to his wife.¡¯ Christian swore and inhaled deeply. Alessandra leant forward, matching the intensity of his stare, close enough for his oaky, masculine scent to swirl around her. His hand was still pressed against her neck, heating her skin. For a moment she lost her train of thought, suddenly pulled back to that night two months ago, his naked body covering hers... She blinked herself back to the present, grabbing onto his hand andcing her fingers into his. She squeezed. ¡®When Javier¡¯s wife saw those photos of her husband kissing a girl half his age, she must have thought her heart was breaking.¡¯ Those dreadful, incriminating pictures. Her brother and grandfather had taken a business trip together to New York for a long weekend. The Mondelli housekeeper had taken the day off. Alessandra and the man who was supposed to be giving her private tuition in maths over the long summer holiday had had the vi to themselves for the very first time. They could have done anything. It had been her suggestion that they go out for lunch at a nearby hotel, famed for its discretion. Javier didn¡¯t live locally. No one would know him. She¡¯d longed to do something as a normal couple, not have to keep her feelings hidden away, and this had been the perfect opportunity. She¡¯d believed him when he¡¯d said they had to keep their love a secret until she turned eighteen and finished her schooling. How grown up she¡¯d felt, walking hand in hand with her would-be lover. How na?ve she¡¯d been. They¡¯d dined in the fine hotel restaurant using her allowance to pay the bill, oblivious to the fact that half a dozen paparazzi had swarmed the lobby, awaiting the rumoured arrival of one of Hollywood¡¯s most eligible bachelors. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. While she¡¯d been blithely oblivious, they¡¯d recognised her in an instant. The photos they¡¯d taken, published the next day across the whole of Italy, had been incriminating. Her and Javier holding hands, stealing kisses that looked a damn sight worse than the chaste kisses they¡¯d actually been. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 That was thest time she¡¯d seen the coward. For a whole weekend, while her brother and grandfather had been in New York, she¡¯d had to cope with a siege of paparazzi on her own. Those reporters had been there to witness Javier¡¯s wife arrive at the vi and bang on the door until a guilt-stricken Alessandra had answered it, her fulsome apology ready on her tongue. She¡¯d never had the chance to say the words. As soon as she¡¯d opened the door, Javier¡¯s wife had spat in her face, pped her and called her a puttana¡ªa whore. The press had caught every frame for posterity. By the time her brother and grandfather had returned the damage had been done. ¡®Why didn¡¯t you ever put your side across?¡¯ Christian asked. If he felt any pain in his fingers he didn¡¯t show it, allowing her to continue squeezing tightly, as if he knew it to be an outward measure of the fury and pain recalling that awful time provoked. ¡®I wasn¡¯t allowed. Ro and Nonno closed ranks.¡¯ She attempted augh. ¡®They were furious with me.¡¯ ¡®Why? Your tutor took advantage of you. If they were furious with anyone, it should have been him.¡¯ ¡®They were furious with him for taking advantage of me, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯d been sneaking around with a man almost twice my age. They forbade me from speaking to the press, saying I¡¯d caused enough shame on the family name.¡¯ Even if she¡¯d chosen to defy them, by the time she¡¯d got over the shock that had rendered her virtually mute the press had moved on to its next victim. Alessandra Mondelli¡¯s affair with a married man had been old news. No one had cared for her side. Christian disentangled his fingers from her grip and muttered another curse as he got to his feet. The ce where he¡¯d rested his hand against her neck suddenly felt cold. She shivered and rose to her feet to stand before him. ¡®If I leave with you today, my career will be ruined. No editor or fashion director will ever trust me again. It¡¯s the only thing I¡¯ve got to hold onto, the only thing that gives my life any meaning.¡¯ How could she expect him to understand that? Her career was all her own. It had taken everything she had to get her name taken seriously and pull herself out from the cloud of scandal. ¡®And what about our child? Or does he or she note into it?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t twist it like that. When our baby is born everything is going to change¡ªI know that, and I¡¯m preparing myself for the change it will bring, but right now I¡¯m healthy and capable of working.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not happy about this. You can¡¯t take risks with your health.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t expect you to be happy about it, but ultimately the decision is mine, so please don¡¯t patronise me about the health aspect¡ªyou were there when the doctor said I should live a normal life.¡¯ He threw his hands in the air and shook his head, not bothering to hide his anger or frustration. She continued speaking before he could open his mouth to argue any further. ¡®I will hire a bodyguard for when I leave the apartment¡ªI promise I will protect our baby.¡¯ ¡®I will hire a bodyguard for you,¡¯ he insisted, looking only slightly mollified. ¡®And I want your word of honour that if at any time you feel in any kind of danger you will call me immediately.¡¯ ¡®I promise.¡¯ He appraised her with narrowed eyes for a moment longer before inclining his head. ¡®Then I will have to trust you to keep to your word.¡¯ She certainly deserved that. * * * Wee to Athens. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. No sooner had Alessandra stepped off Christian¡¯s private jet than two bodyguards appeared from nowhere. They took her luggage and escorted her to the waiting car with its bullet-proof, cked-out windows. A week ago she would have thought this overkill. She¡¯d thought her brother was a pain when it came to being over-protective. Ro had always been protective of her. After Javier, he¡¯d be even more controlling. Her grandfather had been even worse. He¡¯d withdrawn her allowance and curtailed her freedom, which had always been limited, to the point of non-existence. She¡¯d returned to her private all- girls school when the holidays had finished to find he¡¯d given strict instructions not to let Alessandra leave the grounds under any circumstances. This had been particrly humiliating, it being her final year, the school year when more adult freedoms were permitted. But not for her. All trust between her and her grandfather had broken down irrevocably. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 She¡¯d spent years breaking free and now, just as her life and freedom were hers and hers alone, she found she was pledging herself to a man with the same controlling instinct she had spent so long kicking back from. Christian had over-protectiveness down to an art. He hadn¡¯t merely employed a bodyguard for her, he¡¯d employed an elite squad of hardened ex-soldiers. Unfortunately they didn¡¯te with personalities, all having been highly trained never to crack a smile or share banter. In the safety of her apartment building she could forget all about them, but the second she stepped outside they would materialise. As much as she found their presence stifling, she was grateful. She¡¯d never imagined the paparazzi could be any worse than when she¡¯d been seventeen. She¡¯d been wrong. Eight years ago it had been mostly the Italian press with a handful of Brits thrown in. This time their number included Greeks¡ªlots of them¡ªAmericans, French... She swore she¡¯d even heard a Japanese voice throw questions at her. She¡¯d known her engagement to Christian would generate a frenzy but had not been prepared for such madness. The granddaughter of the great Giovanni Mondelli, a man of such stature he was regarded like royalty; the sister of Ro Mondelli, the man credited with dragging the House of Mondelli kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century, a man who¡¯d recently married one of the most famous supermodels in the world; Alessandra Mondelli, the former scandal-hit teenager who¡¯d be one of the world¡¯s leading fashion photographers: for such a woman to be marrying the self-made Greek billionaire, the whizz of the financial world with the movie-star looks... For the press it was a dream combination. For Alessandra it was a nightmare. She consoled herself that at least she wasn¡¯t being called a slut any more. She¡¯d kept her dark sunsses on and answered only one of the hundreds of questions that had been thrown her way over the past week. ¡®Are you looking forward to the wedding?¡¯ someone had asked. ¡®Of course,¡¯ she¡¯d replied with what she hoped was an enigmatic smile. She hadn¡¯t been the only target. Christian, his sunsses permanently attached to his face too, had also been mobbed. As had Ro, who ignored every single question. Rumours had started circting in the past few days about the punch, a new frenzy ensuing. Relieved to be away from the madness, she leaned back in the leather seat and gazed out at Athens, the city that would y a huge part of her life from this moment on. She¡¯d heard it referred to as ¡®the cradle of Western civilisation.¡¯ Even if she¡¯d been unaware of its history, she would have recognised it. It had seeped into the walls, some pristine, some falling apart at the seams. With ugly apartment blocks and majestic buildings, it was a city that managed to be cosmopolitan yet obviously ancient and historic. A city of contradictions. For the first time she felt something akin to excitement bubble in her veins. She had six days in this city before she exchanged her vows. From worrying that she would be bored stuck in a ce where she knew no one, she now saw a huge opportunity. If she could ever get anywhere. At this rate, she would be lucky to make it to the hotel before the sun set. She¡¯d thought the traffic in Mn was bad... Eventually, they came to a road with manned security gates that opened slowly and led to an enormous white building with pirs either side of the huge entrance. It was as though she was staring at a pce that had been home to the Greek gods themselves. A fleet of staff was by her side within seconds of the caring to a stop, her luggage whisked away while she was taken through to the marble foyer. ¡®Don¡¯t I need to sign in?¡¯ she asked when a woman, who identified herself as the general manager, offered to take her straight to her room. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡®No, despinis,¡¯ the woman replied. ¡®Everything is taken care of.¡¯ Christian¡¯s work, Alessandra told herself, her belly tightening at the thought of seeing him again. She¡¯d been so busy over the past week that she¡¯d hardly had the time to think of him on anything other than a practical level. Her dreams, though, had been...disturbing. Enough that merely to think of him made her bones feel as if they¡¯d been through a blender. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Pregnancy hormones. That was all it was, she told herself¡ªpregnancy hormones ying with her emotions. ¡®Where are all the other guests?¡¯ she asked, following the manager to the lift. ¡®Today, you are our only guest. The others will be arriving from tomorrow.¡¯ How strange. She¡¯d never known a hotel to have only one guest before. Her suite was one of two located on the top floor. She guessed the other had been reserved for Christian. Stepping into it, she couldn¡¯t help the little thrill that ran through her at the opulent marvel of marble and the stunning views. The back window had a direct view of the Parthenon. Over the years she¡¯d stayed in many luxurious hotels but thevishness of this suite had a magical quality to it. ¡®Will you require lunch in your room or would you prefer to eat in the restaurant?¡¯ the manager asked. ¡®I think I¡¯ll eat on my balcony.¡¯ She had a quick skim of the menu and selected a tomato sd with crusty bread. Nothing fancy, just something healthy to keep her going until Christian joined her that evening... The same tightening in her belly happened as she thought of him again, her heart rate speeding up to a thrum. CHAPTER SIX AFTER A LAZY afternoon spent by the swimming pool, unwinding after a full-on week of work and the morning¡¯s travels, Alessandra was stepping out of the shower when the phone in her room rang out. ¡®Ciao?¡¯ Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡®Good evening, agapi mou.¡¯ A tingle fluttered up her spine to hear his rich tones. ¡®Hello, Christian,¡¯ she said, keeping her voice formal. ¡®Does this call mean you¡¯re here?¡¯ ¡®It does. Can you be ready in a couple of hours?¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m taking you out for dinner.¡¯ Trying hard to dampen the excitement fluttering low in her stomach, she opened therge wardrobe where a maid had hung all her clothes. Amongst them was her wedding dress. Her intention had been to buy the first dress that fitted and didn¡¯t make her look like a hag. Her intentions had gone to hell. Her brain had tried to hand over the cash in the first boutique but her heart had overruled it. It wasn¡¯t until the fourth boutique that she¡¯d found The One, the dress that had made her heart want to burst with delight. She didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d been thinking when she had then parted with arge sum of cash for the lacy white lingerie she¡¯d selected to wear with it. No, that was a lie: she did know what she¡¯d been thinking. She¡¯d been thinking of Christian. For now she selected a khaki shirt-dress that fell to mid-thigh. She stared with longing at her five-inch- high red Manolo hniks but ended up disregarding them for ck strappy sandals with a more reasonable three-inch heel. She had a little life inside her to think of and to totter on sky-high heels was asking for trouble. She wondered if her own mother had faced such trivial conundrums in her pregnancies. So many questions she would never hear the answer to. She would give anything for one day¡ªone hour, even¡ªwith her mother. One hour to be held in her arms, to inhale her scent and hear her voice. She prayed her baby never grew up having the same longings: so many hopes and fears, a mountain of them. All that mattered was getting her baby safely into this world. essorising with beaded orange jewellery and dangly ruby earrings, she¡¯d just applied a second coat of matching ruby lipstick when she heard a rap on the main door of the suite. She pressed a hand to her chest, a sop to trying to control her heart that had galloped at the first knock. Opening the door, her stomach plunged to see Christian so tanned and gorgeous before her, dressed in a silver suit, tieless, the white shirt unbuttoned at the neck. She¡¯d kissed that neck, remembered vividly its taste... Their eyes met; there was nothing said for the breath of a moment before she stood aside to admit him. ¡®You¡¯re looking good,¡¯ he said. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡®Thank you,¡¯ she said, striving for breeziness. ¡®Are you ready?¡¯ ¡®Let me get my bag and we can go.¡¯ The expansive room seemed to have shrunk in the space of seconds and she was d to escape, if only for a moment. In the sanctuary of the bedroom, she sat on the corner of the bed and took some deep breaths. Keep it together, Alessandra. Keep it together? At Ro and Olivia¡¯s wedding she¡¯d been too worried about informing Christian of his impending fatherhood to read too much into the raging emotions sleeping with him had provoked. She¡¯d assumed that, once she¡¯d shared the news, her equilibrium would be restored. She hadn¡¯t thought for a minute it would be more unstable around him, an instability that seemed to increase with every moment spent with him. She would keep it together. She would. She was a pro at it. Getting to her feet, she grabbed the gold clutch bag off the dresser and strolled back into the living area. Christian was leaning against the dining table, doing something on his phone. As soon as he saw her, he pressed the button to turn the screen off and quickly put it in the inside pocket of his zer. ¡®Everything okay?¡¯ he asked. She mustn¡¯t question. It was none of her business. None of her business. Javier had always been secretive over his phone: hiding to answer calls; speaking in hushed tones so she couldn¡¯t overhear him; telling her it was other private students who deserved his discretion. Na?ve idiot that she was, she¡¯d believed him, had never imagined for a moment that the reason his phone never left his person was because he was married to a woman who¡¯d lived through one of his affairs before and checked on him constantly. If Christian wanted to be secretive, then so be it. She had no emotional im on him. He had no emotional im on her. She forced a smile. ¡®I couldn¡¯t remember where I¡¯d left my bag.¡¯ What was a white lie in the scheme of things? She couldn¡¯t tell him his appearance had left her feeling so off-kilter she¡¯d needed a moment to catch her breath and her thoughts. ¡®Where are we eating?¡¯ she asked, following him out of the door. ¡®At Titos, a French restaurant near the Panathinaikos Stadium.¡¯ ¡®French?¡¯ ¡®It is considered the best restaurant in Athens.¡¯ She raised her brows. ¡®Can¡¯t we go somewhere...Greek?¡¯ ¡®This is the most exclusive restaurant in Greece. The waiting list is eighteen months long.¡¯ She pulled a face. ¡®I like fine dining as much as the next person but, truly, you can¡¯t rx somewhere like that. Please, just for tonight, can¡¯t we go somewhere normal? You live here¡ªyou must know the ce that serves the best Greek food.¡¯ Something flickered in his eyes. ¡®You do know somewhere! Please, take me.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s nothing special,¡¯ he said, his voice guarded. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡®Good! Nothing special is exactly what I¡¯m in the mood for. Plus, if we eat somewhere nondescript, the less chance we have of being spotted by the paparazzi.¡¯ They would be circling the city looking for them. They were nothing if not tenacious. After what seemed an age, Christian gave an abrupt nod. ¡®I know a little taverna in Pangrati, a decent area of the city.¡¯ She beamed. ¡®Perfetto.¡¯ They both nodded at the reception staff as they left the hotel and got into the waiting car. ¡®Can we walk some of the way?¡¯ she asked once they were enclosed in the back. Christian stared at her, remembering how on their night in Mn she¡¯d insisted they walk to the restaurant, happily tottering in the ck stilettos that had disyed her slender yet shapely legs so well. The dress she wore now showed them off too, golden thigh close to his... He preferred to walk too. He¡¯d especially enjoyed walking with Alessandra, the refreshing conversation, her obvious femininity without demureness. He¡¯d enjoyed everything about that evening. He¡¯d enjoyed everything about that night. Except for the guilt that had almost crippled him, especially the next morning. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 It felt even worse now. Not only had he got her pregnant but he¡¯d lost his friend. He could cope with that if he didn¡¯t feel so damn responsible for Alessandra and Ro¡¯s estrangement. Even if he couldn¡¯t fix his own rtionship with Ro, he was determined to fix theirs. ¡®The driver can take us a little further in and then we¡¯ll walk the rest.¡¯ ¡®ellente. I want to see as much of your home city as I can.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s plenty of time for that. In the meantime, how have you settled in? Do you have everything you need?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m finding it all a little strange,¡¯ she admitted. ¡®I assumed the hotel would be bursting with guests.¡¯ ¡®Usually it would be.¡¯ ¡®Did you have all the other guests kicked out?¡¯ She was only half-joking. ¡®Not exactly. Alternative amodation was found for them. Hotel Parthenon is for the exclusive use of our wedding party for the next week.¡¯ ¡®However did you manage that?¡¯ ¡®It wasn¡¯t difficult. I own the ce.¡¯ Her brows knitted together in confusion. ¡®Seriously?¡¯ ¡®I assumed you knew.¡¯ ¡®I thought your business revolved around finance.¡¯ ¡®On the whole it does, but in Greece it¡¯s different. Greece is my home. I love my country but its economy is a mess. Anything I can do to invest and bring money into it, I will.¡¯ Hotel Parthenon had been an obvious ce for him to start. He¡¯d discovered it six years before, a shabby, run-down two-star hotel situated on a prime site. He¡¯d paid over the odds for it then set about transforming it, employing local builders and architects to renovate it into the seven-star luxury hotelplete with heliport it was today. Its growing reputation meant it was fully booked all year round. ¡®I like that,¡¯ Alessandra said, nodding her approval. ¡®I always think people are too keen to disregard their roots.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s easy for someone like you to say.¡¯ ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ ¡®You were born with every advantage. Your roots are something for you to be proud of.¡¯ ¡®You think?¡¯ Her eyes shed. ¡®Please, tell me, what advantage did I have when my very existence is the reason for my mother¡¯s death?¡¯ Shocked, he momentarily lost his voice. ¡®You can¡¯t believe that?¡¯ Confusion flitted over her features as if she¡¯d shocked herself with her own words. ¡®It¡¯s the truth,¡¯ she whispered. ¡®Ochi!¡¯ No. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡®Si. My mother died so I could live. If I hadn¡¯t been conceived, she would still be here.¡¯ A coldness lodged in his stomach. ¡®But you wouldn¡¯t be here. We wouldn¡¯t be sitting here now. Our child wouldn¡¯t be growing in your belly.¡¯ Her eyes held his, a slight wobble in them, as if she were trying desperately not to let whatever driving emotion had caused her outburst to gain any further hold. He could kick himself. ¡®I apologise. When I said you were born with every advantage, I meant it in the respect that you were born a Mondelli.¡¯ Alessandra swallowed back bile. She didn¡¯t know where her outburst hade from. It was an outburst that had lived mutely on her tongue since she¡¯d been a young girl made to feel as if she should be grateful for the privileges of her life. As if the fact she¡¯d grown up with money could hide the circumstances of her birth and the knock-on effect that still echoed in Ro¡¯s and her lives. Their father¡¯s life too, weak and spineless though he was. He¡¯d effectively thrown his life away because he hadn¡¯t been able to cope without his beloved Letizia. Nor forgetting her grandfather, her nonno, who¡¯d spent thest twenty-five years of his life raising his grandchildren while his own son and heir drowned in bottles of alcohol. All those ruined lives. Ruined dreams. Ro ripped away from the mother he¡¯d worshipped. And for what? For her? Was one life really a fair exchange for so much misery? ¡®No, I¡¯m the one who should apologise. You¡¯re right. Being a Mondelli is a privilege. I¡¯ve been given every material advantage.¡¯ Chapter 29 Chapter 29 ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to imply that you were spoilt. I appreciate the Mondelli name has been a mixed blessing for you.¡¯ Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡®And the Markos name?¡¯ she said, d to be able to turn the conversation onto him. ¡®Has that been a mixed blessing for you?¡¯ He raised a shoulder. ¡®The Markos name is nothing special. It doesn¡¯t stand for anything.¡¯ ¡®Yes, it does. It stands for hard work, determination and guts.¡¯ ¡®Guts?¡¯ ¡®Ro told me you got into Columbia on a schrship. That alone tells me how hard you¡¯ve had to work to get where you are.¡¯ ¡®We all have our crosses to bear, whatever background we¡¯re born into,¡¯ he said quietly. He tapped on the dividing window. Amidst a hail of tooting horns, the car came to a stop. ¡®We will walk from here.¡¯ * * * The taverna was exactly what Alessandra had been hoping for. Set off the beaten track, its marble tables with checked paper table-cloths were crammed inside and out, every one of them taken. Inside, a man yed an ordion, the music only just audible above the raucous noise of the patrons, while pictures of celebrities lined the walls in haphazard fashion above empty bottles of wine with melted candles rammed into them. Just as she was thinking they would never get a table, a balding man of about sixty wearing a white apron stretched around possibly thergest pot belly she¡¯d ever seen ambled over to them, his arms outstretched. In a flurry of Greek, he pulled Christian into a tight embrace, pping kisses on his cheeks, all of which Christian returned before stepping back and putting an arm around Alessandra¡¯s waist. ¡®Mikj¡ªAlessandra,¡¯ he said, before adding, ¡®Mikj doesn¡¯t speak any English or Italian, agapi mou.¡¯ Her offered hand was ignored as she was wrenched from Christian¡¯s hold and yanked into Mikj¡¯s embrace, which finished with an affectionate ruffle of her hair, much as if she were a child. A small table materialised for them against the far wall. Mikj pulled the chair back for her, fussing over her until he was certain she was sittingfortably¡ªalthough howfortable anyone could be when crammed like a sardine was debatable. He plonked aminated menu in front of her then ruffled her hair again for good measure before disappearing into the throng. Christian took the seat opposite. The table was so small his long legs brushed against hers. She waited for him to move them but realised there was literally nowhere else for them to go unless he twisted to the side and tripped up all the waiting staff. She craned her neck around, trying to ignore the heat brushing up her legs. ¡®This ce is wonderful.¡¯ He raised his eyebrows. ¡®You like it?¡¯ She nodded. ¡®This is exactly how I imagined a Greek restaurant to be. You can feel the energy¡ªyou don¡¯t get that in high-ss restaurants.¡¯ His eyes crinkled. Seeing it made her realise how tense he¡¯d been up to that point. Although unfailingly polite, a barrier had been put up. Was it being here, in his home city, that had caused its construction? Or had she been so wrapped up in her own problems that she hadn¡¯t fully appreciated the effect their situation was having on him? Or abination of both? ¡®The best thing about this ce apart from the food?¡¯ he said. ¡®It¡¯s tourist-proof¡ªall the people in here are locals.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you own it?¡¯ ¡®No. This is all Mikj¡¯s.¡¯ ¡®Is it always this busy?¡¯ It was a Monday evening, hardly the busiest night of the dining week. ¡®Always.¡¯ Alessandra looked down at the menu. It was all in Greek. ¡®I can rmend the stiffado,¡¯ Christian said. ¡®Beef stewed in a wine and tomato sauce. The stuffed courgettes are good too.¡¯ ¡®Can I have both?¡¯ Heughed. ¡®You can have whatever you like. It¡¯s all good.¡¯ ¡®Have you eaten everything on the menu?¡¯ ¡®A dozen times each.¡¯ ¡®No wonder Mikj treated you like his long-lost son.¡¯ Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Before he could respond, a waiter appeared at their side, notebook at the ready. ¡®Shall I order us a selection of meze to start with?¡¯ Christian asked. ¡®You know all the best stuff,¡¯ she answered with a grin. Already the bustling, warm atmosphere of the ce was easing the tension within her, making her rx in a way she hadn¡¯t since she¡¯d taken the pregnancy test. ¡®Go ahead.¡¯ She had no idea what he ordered, the waiter making squiggles on his note pad before bustling off, immediately to be reced with Mikj, who carried a carafe of red wine and a jug of iced water. ¡®Do you want any wine?¡¯ Christian asked, knowing better than to tell her not to have any. ¡®I¡¯ll stick to water, thanks,¡¯ she said, her cheeks quirking as if she knew what he¡¯d been thinking. As soon as they were alone again, she asked, ¡®How do you know Mikj? I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s more than you being a good patron.¡¯ ¡®I have known him since I was small child.¡¯ ¡®Is he an old family friend?¡¯ ¡®Something like that.¡¯ Her doe eyes were fixed on him with unashamed curiosity. ¡®Something like what?¡¯ Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡®My mother and I used to live in a room in the attic,¡¯ he supplied, adopting the tone he used to denote the end of a subject. Alessandra ignored his tone and raised her eyes to gaze at the ceiling. ¡®You lived in the attic here?¡¯ ¡®Yes, here. My mother was a childhood friend of his. When we were kicked out of our old ce, Mikj and his wife gave us the attic room.¡¯ She looked back at him, her pretty brows drawing together. ¡®One room? For the both of you?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®That must have been hard.¡¯ ¡®You have no idea,¡¯ he said, more harshly than he¡¯d intended. In those days, Mikj had been barely scraping a living for himself and his own family. If not for his incredibly generous heart, Christian and his mother would have lived on the streets. The attic room was given to them for free in exchange for his mother working in the kitchen. She¡¯d been paid a share of the tips. It was all Mikj had been able to afford. When Christian had made his first significant trade, a deal that had earned him a hundred thousand dors, he¡¯d sent Mikj a cheque for half the sum. Looking back on those early years, it hadn¡¯t been the poverty that had been the hardest to bear. The biggest cross had been living with his mother and her poisonous tongue. Theos, but he didn¡¯t want to imagine Alessandra losing the spark that made her such a passionate, vivacious person and turning into one of the Furies, as his mother had. He wouldn¡¯t wish it on anyone but especially not her. ¡®Do you ever see your father?¡¯ ¡®No. He left when I was a baby.¡¯ She leaned her elbows on the table and rested her hands on her chin. ¡®That must have been hard too.¡¯ ¡®It was hard for my mother, not me. I don¡¯t remember him.¡¯ He no longer wanted to remember him, although he had as a child, had been desperate to know any detail his mother could spare. As all her details had been disparaging at best, nothing concrete, he¡¯d let his mind fly free to construct him. His father was a superhero who had gone to save a gxy far, far away¡ªunable to send his mother any money by dint of being in a gxy far, far away. When that gxy was saved, he would swoop back to Athens, and the little attic room his wife and son shared, and rescue them. That fantasy sustained him for a few years until around the age of seven, when he¡¯d overheard a conversation between Mikj and his eldest son. They¡¯d been talking about Elena, Christian¡¯s mother. ¡®She can¡¯t help the way she is,¡¯ Mikj had said. ¡®When Stratos left her for that woman, it poisoned her. He packed his stuff and left her with no money when the boy was only six months old.¡¯ Christian had tuned the rest of the conversation out. It had been enough to convince him all his mother¡¯s disparagingments about his father were true. From that moment on, he¡¯d no longer fantasised about his father. Stratos Markos was never going to swoop in to save them. That would be Christian¡¯s job. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 CHAPTER SEVEN ¡®HAVE YOU EVER tried to find your father?¡¯ Alessandra asked a short whileter, her eyes filled with curiosity. ¡®What for?¡¯ he dismissed. ¡®Why would I want to involve myself with a man who abandoned his wife and child?¡¯ ¡®I get that,¡¯ she said, pulling a face. He closed his eyes. ¡®Your father is an alcoholic and a gambler. He was incapable of looking after you. He didn¡¯t abandon you. He¡¯s always been a fixture in your life. There¡¯s a difference.¡¯ Sheughed contemptuously. ¡®I thought you knew my background. My father dumped me on his father before I was a year old. Ro took care of me from the moment I left hospital. My father wanted nothing to do with me¡ªhe still doesn¡¯t. He¡¯s never been there, not for any of the significant events in my life. My first Holy Communion , my Confirmation, the time I represented Mn in the under tens¡¯ gymnastics,¡¯ she said, ticking the events off on her fingers. ¡®He wasn¡¯t at any of them. The few times he¡¯s bothered to join us as a family, he won¡¯t speak to me. He¡¯s never looked at me. I was there, I was present and still he didn¡¯t want me. So don¡¯t try and make out I can¡¯t understand what it was like for you, growing up without a father, because my father abandoned me too, and, worst of all, he abandoned Ro.¡¯ N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. He and Alessandra were like two peas but from pods grown in very different gardens, Christian realised. They¡¯d both been abandoned by the people who should have been there for them. For good or ill, it had shaped them both. The distrust and avoidance of love and rtionships. They were more alike than he¡¯d ever suspected. Colour had heightened across Alessandra¡¯s high cheekbones, her eyes aze with furious passion, the honey-brown a darkened swirl. He¡¯d seen that swirl before, when she¡¯d been pressed against the wall of her apartment. Theos, she had felt unbelievably good in his arms, as if her contours had been shaped especially for him. He regarded her carefully, pushing away thoughts of her naked: the way she had wrapped those lithe legs around him and clung to him, as if trying to burrow under his skin. Those same legs were pressed against his at that very moment... The V of her dress had dipped, exposing the top of her golden cleavage, below whichy breasts that had be plumper since their time together. What did they look like now? Did they still taste so sweet...? This had to stop. Right now. Imagining them in bed together was what had got him into all this trouble in the first ce, sitting in that Mnese restaurant, fascinated by her plump lips, imagining them over his... He would not touch her again until they were legally man and wife. He¡¯d given her his word. He might have screwed things up but he was determined to do the right thing from here on in. On paper, his track record with women was less thanplimentary. Given that and her own history, he could understand why Alessandra would be untrusting. It was down to him to prove himself to her. Theoretically, it should be easy. Christian loved sex¡ªwhat red-blooded man didn¡¯t?¡ªbut he¡¯d never allowed his libido to run his life. With Alessandra... The longer she kept those gorgeous doe eyes fixed on him, the more his blood swirled with the need to consume her again. Everything about her spelled temptation, from the glossy chestnut hair that begged to have his fingers run through it to the toned golden arms his hands itched to trace. Every time she opened her mouth to speak, drink or eat, he would watch those beautiful lips and ache to press his own to them, to feel the heat of her breath merge with his. Soon. Soon she would be his again. ¡®At least you had Ro,¡¯ he said softly, thinking he would have given anything for a sibling when he¡¯d been a child. It hadn¡¯t been until he¡¯d met his fellow Columbia Four that he¡¯d realised what had been missing in his life: true friendship. ¡®Emotionally, I had Ro,¡¯ she conceded. ¡®But he¡¯s seven years older than me. By the time I was eleven he was at university, thousands of miles away. My grandfather loved me but he had no experience of raising girls and preferred to leave me in the hands of the household staff.¡¯ Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡®Our lives have been very different,¡¯ he said, choosing his words with care. ¡®It¡¯s pointlessparing them. You have lived yours and I have lived mine.¡¯ ¡®How has it been different?¡¯ she pressed, leaning forward. ¡®It just was.¡¯ ¡®But how?¡¯ A troubled look flitted over her face. ¡®Christian, we are marrying in five days. I don¡¯t want to marry a stranger.¡¯ He reached for his wine and took a swallow. ¡®You, agapi mou,e from a world of mour and money. You have noprehension what it was like for us. We were so poor that for a whole year I went without shoces¡ªtrivial in the scheme of things but imagine it for a minute. I arrived at university with only one change of clothes. I was the child people like you pretended not to see.¡¯ Alessandra was like one of those mythical creatures he had watched swish past this very taverna¡¯s front while he¡¯d swept the floor. Unobtainable. Better than him. Better than he could ever be no matter how much money was held in his bank ount. Angry colour stained her cheeks, and she opened her mouth, surely to argue with him, before she visibly controlled herself. The outrage that had sparked in her eyes softened. ¡®Maybe you¡¯re right that I can¡¯t understand what your childhood was like. But I would like to try.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want her to understand. Christian wanted her to remain untouched by the deprivation and misery that had sucked his mother down a ck pit, turning her into a bitter woman who, even if presented with a ss three-quarters full would still regard it as being a quarter empty. All the riches and sess in the world hadn¡¯t been enough to earn his mother¡¯s love. He had no memory of the happy, vibrant woman Mikj assured him she had once been. Love that had turned sour had soured her, marking her with such ckness that nothing he¡¯d done had been enough to turn it into a lighter shade of grey. He didn¡¯t want that for Alessandra. Never for her. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Alessandra needed protection from it before it infected her too. ¡®We¡¯ve had a good response from all the wedding invitations,¡¯ he said, deliberately and overtly changing the subject. One hundred and fifty invites had been couriered across the world. It seemed even heads of state could dropmitments when it suited them and, with all the hype already surrounding their ¡®whirlwind courtship,¡¯ as the press was dubbing it, their wedding was shaping up to rival Ro and Olivia¡¯s as Wedding of the Century. One of the British glossies had offered one million pounds for exclusive rights. They had, politely, ignored the offer. He liked that Alessandra hadn¡¯t been tempted to ept, one of the many ways she differed from all the other women he¡¯d been with. But wasn¡¯t that the reason he¡¯d been with those women? Because he could see the pound signs ringing in their eyes and so knew there was absolutely no danger they could ever develop anything like a healthy¡ªor unhealthy, depending on your point of view¡ªattachment to him? He hadn¡¯t needed to protect those women from himself. Her eyes sparked again before she sank back into her seat, gazing at him with a thoughtful expression. ¡®All but a handful have replied and all in the affirmative,¡¯ he added. After too long a beat, she asked, ¡®What about Ro? Has he replied?¡¯ It had been at Christian¡¯s insistence that her brother had been invited. Left to Alessandra, he would have been ignored, something he knew she didn¡¯t mean, her pride and anger doing the talking for her. It would break her heart to walk up the aisle of the chapel in the grounds of the hotel without her brother on her arm. ¡®No,¡¯ he admitted reluctantly. ¡®He hasn¡¯t replied yet.¡¯ And neither had Ro responded to the dozen emails and text messages he¡¯d sent to him, entreating him not to abandon his sister. Ro hadn¡¯t replied to a single one of them. He¡¯d ignored all the messages and calls from Stefan and Zayed too. The Columbia Four had been broken, just as he¡¯d known they would be. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 At least Stefan and Zayed wereing to the wedding. He would need his friends there. But not as much as Alessandra needed her brother. If he had to get on his bended knee and beg, he would get Ro to their wedding. ¡®I sent a bridesmaid dress to Olivia,¡¯ Alessandra blurted out, her cheeks staining with colour. ¡®Have you heard back from her?¡¯ he asked hopefully. If anyone could get through to Ro, it would be his wife. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. She shook her head. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect to. Her loyalty is with Ro, not me.¡¯ Conversation paused when a waiter arrived at their tableden with tes of steaming food. Once they had helped themselves to a little of each meze, Alessandra said, ¡®Are many of your family coming?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t have any family.¡¯ She looked confused. ¡®What about your mother?¡¯ ¡®I haven¡¯t invited her.¡¯ ¡®Why not?¡¯ ¡®We do not want my mother at our wedding.¡¯ ¡®Why not?¡¯ she repeated. ¡®Trust me.¡¯ He dipped some pitta bread into the hummus and popped it into his mouth, leaving her in no doubt that, as far as he was concerned, this thread of discussion was over. Her eyes glittered with incredulity, as if to say, trust you? Instead of arguing with him, she took a drink of water and allowed him to steer the conversation to innocuous small talk about music they liked and films they had both seen and enjoyed. Their tastes were surprisingly simr. Theos, she was so easy to talk to; she had a way of fixing her honey eyes on him and making him feel he was the only man to exist in the world. To know he was the only man to have tasted her delights and to imagine tasting them again made him feel as if he had heated syrup running through his veins. It wasn¡¯t just the contents of his trousers that stirred to be with her¡ª everything felt heightened. In that respect, the day of their wedding couldn¡¯te fast enough. * * * The hotel was in silence when they returned. For the first time Christian regretted having the entire complex to themselves. There was no one¡ªother than the handful of duty staff¡ªto distract his attention away from Alessandra. His fianc¨¦e. She¡¯d taken the hint and stopped digging for information on his past, although something in her eyes had warned him not to expect her silence tost for long. Instead, they had rxed into easy conversation, just as they had on their one real date together. As on that night in Mn, he¡¯d found his eyes drawn to her lips. They fascinated him. She fascinated him. What was it with this woman? he wondered as they climbed the private lift to the top floor. His awareness of her was off the charts. His body reacted to everything, from the way her mouth moved to her huskyugh, to the way she smoothed her hair back to keep it from her face. Alessandra¡¯s eyes had been as firmly fixed on him as his had been on her. She hadn¡¯t drunk any alcohol but he recognised the signs of inhibitions loosening. Just as they had that night in Mn. He would not act on it. Not tonight. Not until they were legally man and wife. Man and wife. Three words he would never have put together with himself and, he knew, Alessandra would never have put with herself. If he were being honest, he would have to admit that, if someone had put a gun against his head and said he had to choose one woman of all the women he¡¯d been with to marry and have a baby with, Alessandra would have topped the list. All the other women had been fun and flirty but without an ounce of substance. Exactly the way he¡¯d liked them. Nomitment, no emotions. No chance of them falling in love and that love turning into bitterness. Alessandra had a fun and flirty streak in her but she also had substance by the barrel. Her emotions were right there on the surface, no pretence, no subterfuge and, Theos, she was sexier than any mortal had a right to be. He¡¯d spent half the evening fantasising about those luscious lips. They reached the door to her suite. ¡®Thank you for a lovely evening,¡¯ she said, leaning against the wall by the door. Her eyes were wide; even under the soft lighting he could see the dtion of her pupils. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 ¡®It¡¯s been my pleasure.¡¯ And it had been. He didn¡¯t want the evening to end. What was there to stop him leaning in for a kiss? Nothing. Except he¡¯d given his word that nothing physical would happen between them again until they were legally married and he would keep that promise even if his testicles exploded with frustration. ¡®Are you working tomorrow?¡¯ She rubbed a hand up her arm, the movement pushing her breasts together. The image of dusky pink nipples immediately floated into his mind and with it came the thickening of his blood he was fast associating to feeling when with her. He had to assume it was a simple case of forbidden fruit tasting sweeter. Like the child in the sweet shop who had no money and salivated over every piece of delicious confectionery on offer. ¡®Yes. Some of our guests are arriving in the evening. I should be back to greet them with you.¡¯ ¡®I guess this will be the first public disy of our love and unity,¡¯ she said, an ironic smile whispering across her face. He palmed her cheek and rubbed his thumb over the soft skin. He could do that much without breaking his vow. ¡®Can you handle it?¡¯ ¡®Can you?¡¯ ¡®For the sake of our child, yes, I can.¡¯ Her eyes held his. She raised a hand and pressed it to his fingers still resting against her cheek. ¡®Then I can too.¡¯ Alessandra was certain he was going to kiss her. She recognised the look in his eyes, the desire in them that darkened the blue. She¡¯d seen that look before, right before she¡¯d pressed her lips to his in her apartment... He stepped away before either of them had the chance to act on it, dragging his thumb down her cheek onest time. ¡®Sleep well, agapi mou,¡¯ he said, bowing his head, then turning on his heel and striding down the corridor to his own suite. She didn¡¯t know if the breath she expelled was one of relief or disappointment. * * * Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. After yet another unsettled night, Alessandra got out of bed early, not long after the sun had begun to rise. Showering quickly, she shrugged on a short, lime-green sundress and slid her feet into a pair of wedged espadrilles, then grabbed her camera and headed out of her suite. As she made her way up the corridor, she passed Christian¡¯s room. Was he still sleeping? He¡¯d been as good as his word yesterday, arriving back from his busy day twenty minutes before their first guests had arrived. They¡¯d spent the evening glued to each other¡¯s side,ughing and joking. At one point he had leaned in to whisper into her ear. ¡®I think we¡¯re convincing them,¡¯ he¡¯d said. At least, that was what she thought he¡¯d said, the feel of his hot breath against her skin turning her brain to mush in less than a second. Dio, what was he doing to her? Was it any wonder she couldn¡¯t sleep? She¡¯d spent years believing marriage and babies would never be in her future. Sexual rtionships had been consigned to the same void: not for her. No messy emotions to contend with, no lies for her ears to disbelieve, no truths for her eyes to avoid. Once the dust had settled with the fall-out over Javier¡¯s lies, she¡¯de to the conclusion that living a life of solitude was the best for her. Other than her brother, she¡¯d effectively been alone since birth. Her grandfather had controlled every aspect of her life, from the food she ate to the clothes she wore to the friends she was allowed¡ªbut always remotely, Alessandra another tick on his daily to-do list, his directives adhered to by the many members of the Vi Mondelli staff. She¡¯d longed for someone to want to be with her for her, not because they were paid to be or because she¡¯d passed some kind of wealth and social standing test, but for her. She¡¯d truly believed Javier had seen beyond the surface but it had been a lie that had shattered her. All the protections she¡¯d ced around herself since those awful, lonely days were crumbling at the edges. In three days she would be pledging her life, her future, to Christian Markos. How could she keep her emotions in a box if she had to share the bed with him asionally? Chapter 35 Chapter 35 One night: that was all it had taken. She¡¯d watched him sleep, her chest clenched so tightly she¡¯d fought for air. She needed air now. She wandered to the end of the corridor and climbed the stairs that led up to the roof terrace. Their wedding was three days away but already a huge transformation was taking ce for the party they would be having there once the nuptials were done. White tables and chairs wereid out to the specifications of their wedding nner. She stared at what was to be the top table, a sharp pang lancing her as she thought of sitting there without either her grandfather or her brother by her side. A part of her wanted to call Ro, was desperate to hear his voice. But she would not. Christian still bore the remnants of the punch Ro had given him, the ck eye now a pale yellow, but still evident if you looked closely enough. Unless he was prepared to apologise and ept her marriage, he could stay away. Forcing her thoughts away from her brother, she headed to the back of the terrace, the part that overlooked the huge gardens. Far in the distance sat the whitewashed chapel they were to marry in. It gleamed under the morning sun, as if it were winking at her. She readied her camera and fired off a couple of shots. She much preferred taking photos of people but one day she wanted to be able to show her child everything about their parents¡¯ big day. She¡¯d been nine when she¡¯d stumbled across her own parents¡¯ wedding photos. Until that time she¡¯d never believed her father had ever smiled, not once in his whole life. But, of course, it had been the pictures of her mother that had meant the most to her. Whenever she was asked the question of who her biggest influences were as a photographer, she always said Annie Leibovitz and Mario Testino, but in truth it was her parents¡¯ wedding photographer. He had brought them to life in a manner that had touched her deeply and made her see them as people in love. She wondered if Christian had photos of his parents¡¯ wedding day and if he ever looked at them. Christian. It disturbed her how badly she wanted to know everything about him, to understand everything that made him tick, everything that had shaped him. The pieces wereing together but it was like a semi-filled photo album with pictures missing. Resolve filled her. She looked at her watch. If she hurried, she should be able to catch him before he left the hotel for his first appointment of the day. CHAPTER EIGHT MINUTES LATER SHE knocked on his door, her camera still slung round her neck. She sensed movement behind the door before it opened, sensed him peering through the spyhole. And there he stood, skin damp, hair wet...and with nothing but a towel wrapped around his hips. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡®Sorry; I¡¯ve caught you at a bad time,¡¯ she said, having to fight to get her vocal cords to work properly and not stammer. ¡®Not at all. Come in.¡¯ He stood aside to admit her into his suite. She stepped past him, moistening suddenly dry lips. Dio, was he naked beneath that towel? Her arid mouth suddenly filled with moisture. ¡®Is there a reason you¡¯vee to my suite so early, agapi mou?¡¯ he asked, a smile ying on his lips, as if he knew exactly what was going on beneath her skin. ¡®No.¡¯ She blinked sharply. ¡®Yes. Do you want to get dressed before we talk?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m good.¡¯ ¡®Please?¡¯ ¡®Does the sight of me undressed disturb you?¡¯ ¡®It makes it hard for me to think straight,¡¯ she admitted, wishing she could think of a decent lie. ¡®That is good.¡¯ ¡®It is?¡¯ ¡®The thought of you naked makes it hard for me to think straight too. So, we are even.¡¯ ¡®You think of me naked?¡¯ Did she have to sound like a breathless imbecile? The smile dropped. He closed the distance between them and inhaled deeply. His voice dropped to a husky whisper. ¡®All the time. I¡¯ve just thought of you while I showered, imagining you sharing it with me.¡¯ Chapter 36 Chapter 36 She swallowed. Was he suggesting what she thought he was...? His lips brushed against her earlobe. ¡®Until we are legally married I will have to satisfy myself with memories of our night together in Mn.¡¯ Her skin fizzed beneath the warmth of his breath while heat such as she had never experienced surged through her, settling in the V of her thighs. He stepped closer still and ced a hand on her thigh, close enough that she could feel his erection jut through the cotton of his towel and press against her belly. She tilted her head back and gazed into his eyes. It was there, that desire: stark, open, unashamed. What would he do if she were to loop her arms around his neck and kiss him? If she were to sp his towel and yank it off him...? He must have read her mind for his lips brushed against her ear again. ¡®Anticipation makes fulfilment taste so much sweeter.¡¯ She pulled away. ¡®Do you know that from experience?¡¯ A strange look came into his eyes, a half-smile tugging on his lips. ¡®Only in a professional sense. I look forward to finding out if it¡¯s as sweet when ites to us making love again.¡¯ ¡®I thought you said it would depend on whether I wanted anything to happen,¡¯ she said, her voice hoarse. ¡®And it will.¡¯ Now his eyes glittered, no mistaking the feeling behind them. ¡®But we both know the anticipation is driving you crazy too.¡¯ N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. While Alessandra stood there, unable to deny what he¡¯d said, too full of the heavy, pulsating thickness swirling through the very fabric of her to think clearly, Christian strode into the bedroom of his suite. ¡®So, what did you want to see me for?¡¯ he asked, disappearing from view. Forcing her brain to unfog itself, she followed him to the door but stopped at her side of the threshold. She took a moment topose herself, but that veryposure almost fell to ruins when he emerged back in view, now wearing a pair of ck boxer shorts that only enhanced his strong physique. He opened his dressing-room door and disappeared again, re-emerging momentster with a pair of grey trousers on. Looking at her, he slipped his arms into a pale blue shirt. ¡®Alessandra?¡¯ ¡®Sorry.¡¯ She put her hand to her mouth and cleared her throat. ¡®I just wanted to discuss the guest list.¡¯ ¡®Everyone has epted.¡¯ ¡®Apart from Ro?¡¯ He nodded, his mouth tightening. She watched as he deftly did the buttons of his shirt up. ¡®I think you should reconsider inviting your mother,¡¯ she said. He didn¡¯t react, other than a slight narrowing of his eyes. ¡®It doesn¡¯t feel right, us marrying without you having any family there.¡¯ ¡®You haven¡¯t invited your father,¡¯ he said pointedly. ¡®That¡¯s because my father is an alcoholic who likes to pretend I don¡¯t exist. She¡¯s your mum¡ªwouldn¡¯t she want to see her only child get married?¡¯ ¡®Just drop it. She¡¯s noting and that¡¯s final.¡¯ He tucked his shirt in and pulled the zip of his trousers up. ¡®No. I won¡¯t drop it. If you won¡¯t invite her then can you at least tell me why?¡¯ His mouth set in a forbidding line, he reached for the silver tie on his bed and walked over to the mirror on the wall, his back to her. He met her eye in the reflection. ¡®No. I can¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®Why not? Christian, we¡¯re getting married in three days. You know everything about me and my past¡ª what is so bad that you don¡¯t want me to meet your mother? Are you ashamed of her or something?¡¯ ¡®Or something about sums it up,¡¯ he said grimly. ¡®But, no, I¡¯m not ashamed of her.¡¯ ¡®Really? Because it looks like you¡¯re ashamed of her from where I¡¯m standing.¡¯ His nostrils ring, his jaw clenched tight, he knotted his tie. ¡®Can you not take my word for it?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but no.¡¯ This was too important a topic to back down from. He must have seen something in her reflection that made him read the stubbornness of her thoughts. He shook his head angrily. ¡®If it means that much to you, I will show you.¡¯ Chapter 37 Chapter 37 ¡®Show me what?¡¯ He straightened his shirt, then turned back to face her. ¡®I¡¯ll take you to meet her. You can see for yourself why I don¡¯t want my mother anywhere near our wedding.¡¯ * * * The car came to a stop outside an immacte two-storey house in a quiet Athenian suburb. No sooner had the engine been turned off than Christian got out, not bothering to wait for the driver to open the door for him. The entire drive had been conducted in silence, Christian sitting ramrod-straight, only the whiteness of his knuckles betraying whaty beneath his skin. It was a demeanour Alessandra had never seen from him before. It unnerved her. That he¡¯d cancelled his first appointment of the day had unnerved her even more; that, and the grim way he¡¯d said, ¡®Let¡¯s get it over with.¡¯ It was with a deep sense of dread that she followed him out of the car and up the small driveway. A tall, thin woman with short white hair appeared at the door, lines all over her weathered face, her thin lips mped together in an obvious disy of disapproval. Wordlessly, she turned on her heel and walked back inside, leaving the door open for them to follow. The house itself was pristine, a strong smell of bleach pervading the air. There was nothing homely about it. What could have been a beautiful home was nothing but a carcass, sanitised functionality at its best. If Elena Markos could speak English, she made a good show of hiding it. She made no show of hiding her disdain for Alessandra, refusing her hand when Christian introduced them, and looking through her when Alessandra said, ¡®H¨¢rika ya tin gnorim¨ªa,¡¯¡ª ¡®pleased to meet you¡¯¡ªa phrase she¡¯d practised with the girl who¡¯d brought breakfast to her suite that morning after Christian had grudgingly agreed to bring her here. They gathered together in the immacte kitchen, where the stench of bleach was even stronger. No refreshments were offered. Alessandra might as well have been invisible. All of Elena¡¯s attention was on her son. She was speaking harshly to him in quick-fire Greek, whatever she said enough to make the pulse in his jawline throb. When he replied, his answers were short but measured. At one point he seemed to be the one doing the talking rather than the listening, his words making Elena dart her blue eyes to the stranger in the midst, a sneer forming on her face. In all her twenty-five years, Alessandra had never sat in such a poisonous atmosphere as this, or felt as unwee. There was something almost unhinged in Elena Markos¡¯s demeanour. Her eyes were the same blue as Christian¡¯s but were like a frozen winter morning without an ounce of her son¡¯s warmth. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Simply imagining being raised by this woman made her skin feel as icy as Elena¡¯s eyes. But Christian couldn¡¯t leave it to imaginings. He¡¯d lived it, every cold, emotionless second. Was it any wonder Christian eschewed any form of emotional entanglement when this was what he¡¯d grown up with? Her mind flitted back to their many conversations at Mikj¡¯s taverna. She¡¯d said the name Markos stood for guts and determination but had not appreciated then exactly how great his determination must have been, not just to drag himself and his mother out of poverty but to keep his humanity. Mikj. She recalled the obvious affection between the two men. Surely it was from this man Christian had learned to form real human bonds? It soothed her to know he hadn¡¯t beenpletely alone in his childhood. So much for the couple of hours Alessandra had anticipated spending there. After twenty minutes, Christian took her hand and said, ¡®We¡¯re leaving.¡¯ ¡®Already?¡¯ ¡®Now.¡¯ Elena red at them, her eyes likesers. When they reached the door to leave she gave what Alessandra assumed was supposed to be a laugh. ¡®Fool girl,¡¯ she said, her ent thick. ¡®Marry fools. He kill you heart.¡¯ rmed and not a little scared, Alessandra nodded weakly, squeezing Christian¡¯s hand so tightly her blood screamed for cirction. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Nothing was said until they were back in the car and moving, both pressed against their respective doors. ¡®What did you think of my mother?¡¯ Christian asked, amusement and bitterness both vying for control in his voice. Alessandra was unable to do anything but raise her shoulders and blow air out of her mouth. That had to be the most surreal experience of her life, like stepping into some parallel universe where poison ivy grew instead of roses. ¡®Do you understand now why I don¡¯t want her at our wedding?¡¯ ¡®I think so.¡¯ She shook her head some more. She could still taste the acrid atmosphere, overwhelming even the cloying bleach. ¡®What did she say to you?¡¯ ¡®The usual. That I¡¯m a useless son for leaving it so long between visits; that her house isn¡¯t good enough for her; that the house is too big for her, that it¡¯s too small, that her car is getting old. The usual.¡¯ ¡®You bought the house for her?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s the third house I¡¯ve bought for her¡ªthe other two didn¡¯t match her needs. I buy her a new car every year. I give her arge allowance. It¡¯s never enough. I could give her my entire fortune and it wouldn¡¯t be enough. If she came to the wedding, she¡¯d spend the dayining. Nothing would be good enough for her, and when she isn¡¯tining she¡¯ll be telling all our guests about my no-good bastard of a father who broke her heart and deserves castration without anaesthetic.¡¯ His father¡¯s desertion and betrayal had shattered her. Whatever love had once resided in his mother¡¯s bones had been destroyed, leaving nothing but the toxic shell of the woman she must have once been. Christian understood it, could see how she had be like that. Stratos Markos hadn¡¯t just walked away from her, he had walked away from the child they had created together¡ªthat was how little she had meant to him. He had wanted no part of her, so worthless that their baby meant nothing to him either. ¡®Has she always been like this?¡¯ she asked, her husky voice stark. ¡®All my life. She thinks all men are like my father¡ªthat¡¯s what she was saying to you when we left, that you¡¯re a fool to be marrying me and that I¡¯m going to break your heart.¡¯ Alessandra¡¯s shock was palpable. ¡®She said that about her own son?¡¯ ¡®She also said it would be kinder for me to rip your heart out now¡ªyou forget, agapi mou, that I am my father¡¯s son, something she never lets me forget. In my mother¡¯s world, all men are liars and cheats, especially those with the name of Markos.¡¯ Her doe eyes widened, full of sympathy. ¡®You¡¯re not to me for your father¡¯s actions.¡¯ ¡®I know that.¡¯ But right then he didn¡¯t want to hear any titudes. A coldness had settled in his chest, bearing down on him. It was always the same after he visited his mother. Regardless of the heat outside, inside all he felt was compressing ice. ¡®And it¡¯s not fair for her tobel all men as bastards because of the misdeeds of one.¡¯ ¡®But do you not believe that yourself?¡¯ he said roughly. ¡®That all men are scum?¡¯ She swallowed, her eyes dimming as if in confusion. ¡®I don¡¯t hate men, I just don¡¯t trust them.¡¯ What would it take to get her to trust him? If she¡¯d taken him at his word he would never have had to bring her here. He wished he could demand it of her, as if trust were like a tap that could be turned on and off at a whim. After a long pause, he said, ¡®We¡¯re lucky we both know how destructive love can be. We won¡¯t fall into the trap our parents fell into. Our child will never have to deal with parents whose love has turned to bitterness and recrimination.¡¯ Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Their child wouldn¡¯t have to deal with his or her parents loving each other at all. All the love would be reserved for their child and only their child. He exhaled slowly, waiting for the chill in his chest to lessen but it continued to cling to him like a thick, cold fog. He hadn¡¯t expected anything different from his mother; he was more or less immune to it. It had been witnessing Alessandra¡¯s visible shock at it all that had really set the cold in, had brought the old feelings and memories hurtling back. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 The empathy shining from her eyes had been too much. He¡¯d never introduced his mother to any of his friends or lovers before. His mother had her own special compartment in his life. He¡¯d long ago epted that she wouldn¡¯t change, that no matter how he seeded in life it would never be enough for her. Even the news of being a grandmother had failed to elicit a smile. She would never love him. Far from repelling Alessandra, his mother¡¯s behaviour had elicited her sympathy, her empathy: towards him. He didn¡¯t want her pity. She was getting too close; he could feel it. Any closer and she¡¯d be able to see the gutter rat who lived in the ckness of his heart. * * * Christian¡¯s driver dropped Alessandra back at the hotel before taking Christian to his offices. A dozen more guests had arrived while they¡¯d been at his mother¡¯s house. It amazed her that so many super-wealthy and famous people were able to drop theirmitments for what was essentially a free holiday, but surprisingly their presence worked in her favour, distracting her thoughts from their visit to Christian¡¯s mother. Every time she closed her eyes she saw theser re of Elena Markos¡¯s eyes and she wondered how Christian had endured living with such coldness. That he had dragged himself out, turned it around and made something of himself only added to what had been a slowly growing admiration towards him. That admiration had now elerated. Although she was suffering arge dose of guilt for forcing the issue, she was d they¡¯d gone. Her understanding of the man she was going to marry was growing by the day. She spent the rest of the day mingling with their guests, some of whom she actually knew,zing by the pool, ying cards, drinking non-alcoholic cocktails. It was fun, but she wished Christian could be there to enjoy it too. He worked so hard, just like her brother. Maybe he would kick back and rx when they went on their short honeymoon. She hoped so. He deserved it. She headed back to her suitete afternoon and had a long soak in the sunken bath, already looking forward to the evening meal which Christian had said he¡¯d be back for. As she slipped into a red tunic dress, she realised that there hadn¡¯t been a single minute when she hadn¡¯t thought of him. The thought was like a jolt, enough to make her hands tremble, making it hard for her to apply her make-up. She¡¯d just regained her equilibrium when there was a knock on her door. And there he stood, wearing the same suit she¡¯d seen him change into that morning in his suite but with the tie removed and the top three buttons of his shirt undone, exposing the top of his bronzed chest. Finding him there sent a huge surge through her, making her heart pump and her pulses race. Dio, the man was divine. In all ways. ¡®I thought I should let you know I¡¯m going to New York,¡¯ he said as he stepped into her suite. ¡®Okay. When¡¯s that?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be leaving for the airport in a few minutes.¡¯ His words had the effect of making her heart sink to her knees. ¡®Are you kidding with me? You¡¯re leaving now?¡¯ Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Dio l¡¯aiuti, was he getting cold feet? ¡®It¡¯s only for a couple of nights¡ªI¡¯ll be back Friday evening.¡¯ She forced her voice to remain calm. ¡®We¡¯re getting married on Saturday.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be back in plenty of time.¡¯ A little distance was all Christian needed. Distance away from Alessandra, time to clear the coldness on his chest that still hadn¡¯t shifted. Time to track her brother down and force him to listen. ¡®I thought we were supposed to be putting on a united front?¡¯ ¡®We have been. Our guests will understand.¡¯ ¡®But these are our guests. I¡¯vepletely rearranged my schedule to be here this week so we can entertain them together and convince them that we¡¯re the real deal.¡¯ The brightness of her wee had cooled considerably. ¡®This is my life, Alessandra. I warn you now, there will be plenty of asions when I have to fly off at a moment¡¯s notice.¡¯ Chapter 40 Chapter 40 She eyed him, lines appearing in her brow. ¡®And what if I have to fly off at a moment¡¯s notice? Will you show me the sametitude?¡¯ The challenge was there, from the jut of her chin to the tone of her voice. ¡®I have a career of my own too, remember?¡¯ ¡®Our marriage is going to take time to shake down,¡¯ he conceded, wishing he could be in his jet right now. He didn¡¯t want to deal with her anger or acknowledge the suspicion emanating from her eyes. That was not what they were about. They were two individuals able to lead their lives to their own needs, not justify their whims and absences to each other. He shouldn¡¯t feel any guilt. ¡®We will find a path that suits us both.¡¯ She nodded slowly but when she spoke her voice was fractionally warmer. ¡®So long as you don¡¯t expect all thepromise and sacrifice toe from my end.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t expect that.¡¯ ¡®Good.¡¯ After a moment of silence, she jerked her head in another nod. ¡®Have a safe trip.¡¯ He mimicked her movement. ¡®I¡¯ll see you at the chapel.¡¯ CHAPTER NINE ALESSANDRA STARED AT her reflection. She¡¯d been primped and preened by an army of beauticians and now she was ready. Ready? She would never be ready. Not for this. But it had to be done. She had to marry Christian and she would do it alone. Sebastian and Zayed, who had arrived together the night before, had both offered to give her away. She¡¯d been touched by the offers but had declined. They were there for Christian, not her. There were only two people she would have wanted to walk her down the aisle and one of those was dead. The other hadn¡¯t even had the courtesy to respond to his invitation. She straightened her spine. It wasn¡¯t as if this would be a real marriage. This wedding was going ahead for one reason and one reason only: their baby. That was what she needed to focus on. It was all she should focus on¡ªnot Christian or the way he¡¯d flown off to New York at a moment¡¯s notice. Or her suspicions that there was more to his impromptu trip than business. Or those horrible hours waiting for him to return while the cynical part of her brain had thrown taunts that he wouldn¡¯t being back, that he¡¯d abandoned her. Just like her father had. Do. Not. Trust. She had to trust him with regard to their child. She had to. Christian was not her father. And he hadn¡¯t abandoned her. Right at that very moment he stood in the chapel waiting for her. Exactly as he¡¯d said he would be. The relief she¡¯d felttest night when he¡¯d called to say he was back in Athens had been so powerful it scared her to remember the physicality of her reaction. It was simply relief that he hadn¡¯t humiliated her by standing her up, she insisted to herself. Nothing more than that. Nothing. She checked her watch. It was time. In approximately one hour she would be married. Christian would be her husband. She watched her reflected cheeks flush, her blood heating at the remembrances of their one night together, the night that had led to this very moment. Vivid memories of it yed in her dreams every night, teasing her, haunting her. People always said you couldn¡¯t miss what you¡¯d never had and in the sexual aspect of her life that had held true. Now that she had tried it... But it wasn¡¯t sex on its own that she wanted, that her body responded to. It was sex with Christian. Whether it was the alcohol loosening her inhibitions or something else undefined, he¡¯d awoken her. He did things to her. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Before she¡¯d put her wedding dress on, she¡¯d stepped into hercy white knickers, imagining him sliding them off; had put hercy white bra on, imagining him unsping it; had rolled the silk white stockings up her legs, imagining his strong fingers trailing over her skin as he slid them off. Dio, how many times had she picked up her phone to call him before mming it back down? Too many to count. He¡¯d called her a couple of times, though, conversations that had left her feeling all knotted yet incredibly warm inside. There was something about his voice that set tiny little bolts darting through her skin... Chapter 41 Chapter 41 She hadn¡¯t been able to shake the feeling that he was hiding something from her, though. Per favore, not another woman. Do. Not. Trust. How she could she trust him? She didn¡¯t know how. She did know that she wanted to. She wanted to believe he would treat her with respect, that maybe one day... A rap on her door jolted her out of the trance she¡¯d worked herself into. It was probably a member of staff,e to escort her to the chapel. The sweet girl who brought her breakfast every morning had been shocked when Alessandra had told her she would be walking to the chapel alone. Always alone. How she wished she¡¯d swallowed her pride and called her brother and begged him toe. Deep inside, a part of her had believed he woulde, that he wouldn¡¯t leave her to do this alone. That he¡¯d forgive her. This was his flesh and blood growing in her belly, the very reason she and Christian were prepared to take this ultimate step. Alone or not, she should have left already. Her stomach clenched. She gazed at the French doors. She didn¡¯t have to do this. She could step out onto her balcony, unfold the emergency stairs and escape. Everyone was at the chapel. The staff was busy organising all the celebrations. It could be ages before anyone realised she wasn¡¯t being traditionallyte. She pictured Christian¡¯s face when he realised she¡¯d stood him up. She couldn¡¯t do that to him. Alessandra knew all about humiliation and would never intentionally inflict it on someone else, least of all him. And what would their innocent baby say when, at some point in the future, he or she learned what their mother had done to their father? Another rap on the door reminded her that someone stood on the other side waiting for her. Hurrying over, she opened it, pulling a smile onto her face that dropped as soon as she saw who it was. Dressed in a morning suit, stood her brother. For a moment she didn¡¯t say anything. Then she burst into tears. * * * Christian stood with Zayed and Stefan at his side, his two best men¡ªor, as they were called here in their shared role, his koumbaros¡ªeyes fixed on the chapel door. Where was she? It was traditional for the bride to bete but half an hour? If Stefan hadn¡¯t taken his phone from him after Christian had texted her to say he was at the chapel, he would have called and demanded to know where she was. A face in the congregation caused him momentarily to lose track of his thoughts. There in the third row sat Mikj, an enormous beam on his face. Beside him sat his wife, Tanya, and three of their seven children. Alessandra must have invited them. His stomach curled. She¡¯d done that for him. Christian nodded a greeting to them but was unable to return the smiles. Where was she? The priest continued to smile reassurance but Christian could see the doubt now guing his jovial demeanour. At least the chapel belonged to the hotel and thus was owned by him. They would wait. Another ten minutes passed. Just as his guts were really starting to churn, the door swung open and there she appeared, the sunshine illuminating her in a golden glow that made the white of her dress sparkle. It was like gazing at an angel, a moment so beautiful that the relief that should have overwhelmed him faded into nothing, leaving only wonder. The sound of Pachelbel¡¯s Canon in D began, yed by the string quartet hired for the asion. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Alessandra walked towards him, an ethereal smile on her face, her steps slow. His eyes fixed solely on her, it took a good few beats before he registered the arm she held on to. Ro hade. He hadn¡¯t abandoned his sister. Christian¡¯s trip to New York had paid off. Behind them walked Olivia, stunning in emerald green. As the bridal party stepped closer to him, a lump formed in his throat that grewrger with every one of Alessandra¡¯s steps until she was there before him. Unlike most brides, who pinned their hair up into an borate creation, she¡¯d left hers loose, tumbling around her shoulders in dark chestnut waves. She looked amazing. Her dress a work of art: thince- embellished straps with tiny diamonds curved down and across her cleavage like a heart, the sheer material wrapping around her waist to showcase the re of her hips, then floating to the floor and resting in a white circle. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 He looked for a sign of apprehension but none was there. Her beautiful honey-brown eyes, artfully made-up, were clear. Remarkably clear. He reached out a hand, and as she took it he caught Ro¡¯s eye. The look he gave said: she¡¯s all yours now. Hurt her and you will spend the rest of your life paying for it. He¡¯d never understood the full weight of what ¡®giving the bride away¡¯ meant until that moment. From here on in, the role of her protector passed to him, an antiquated sentiment, but one he felt keenly. Alessandra would never be his possession but for good or for ill they would be bound together. The service was anticipated tost around an hour. For the congregation, it no doubt dragged. For Christian, time elerated, the moment to exchanging their vows speeding up until it was time for them to make their promises to each other¡ªnot a requirement of the church but something they had agreed upon between themselves for the benefit of their guests. He said his first, then Alessandra recited hers, her husky voice true and strong, her Greek practised and wless. The look in her eyes, fixed on his, was full of meaning. It was a sight that made his chest feel as if a weight had been ced inside him, squeezing down. There was no time to consider it as now was the time for what was, to many Greeks, the most important part of the ceremony: the crowning. The priest blessed the two floral-wreath crowns, then Zayed took the lead, passing the crowns back and forth over them three times before carefully cing them on their heads. Finally they were done. It was time to kiss the bride. He searched again for her apprehension. It was still missing, a smile ying in the corner of her delicious lips. Lips he hadn¡¯t felt upon his since the night they had conceived the child that grew in her belly. Lips he¡¯d spent the past couple of months dreaming of. Swallowing away the lump in his throat, he ced a hand to her still-slender hip and leaned down. Her small hand reached up to rest on hispel. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers, just the breath of a kiss, but enough for the softest mouth he¡¯d ever known to reawaken more memories of their night together and make his pulses race. When the kiss ended, the congregation, no doubt led by Mikj, burst into apuse. Alessandra grinned, her whole face smiling, her happiness transparent. She ced a hand on his shoulder and straightened to whisper into his ear, ¡®Thank you.¡¯ Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He knew without her having to exin that she was talking about Ro. ¡®Thank you,¡¯ he whispered back. She¡¯d brought Mikj to their wedding. Christian hadn¡¯t thought he wanted him there, thought he hadn¡¯t wanted any associations with his past. He hadn¡¯t appreciated how much it would mean. He¡¯d thought having Stefan and Zayed there would be enough but, no matter how close they all were, Mikj had been there his entire life. He was family. Knowing he and Tanya were there to witness it all warmed him right down to his toes. A sharp pang of regret rent him that his mother wasn¡¯t there to witness this day too. But, unlike Mikj, his mother would have taken no joy from it. The opposite, in fact. One look at Mikj¡¯s beaming, proud face showed how much being there meant to him. Alessandra had done that for him. Before he could consider what that actually meant, she kissed him, a kiss containing more than a hint of promise. That promise was reflected in her sparkling eyes. The coldness that had remained within him since their visit to his mother suddenly lifted, pushed out by the desire this beautiful woman¡ªhis bride¡ªelicited in him. For a moment he was tempted to say, to hell with the reception, and whisk her straight off to his suite. A knowing look yed on her beautiful features, a look that said just a few more hours and I will be yours. And she would be¡ªhis. Every inch of her. * * * A short timeter they left the chapel, officially husband and wife. Most of the non-Greek guests had brought confetti to throw over them, but Mikj and Tanya had come prepared, handing out paper cups full of rice to throw, as was the proper tradition in Greece. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Amidst howls ofughter, thousands of hard grains were chucked over them from every possible angle. Zayed and Stefan got hold of him and tipped a cupful down the back of his morning suit, rubbing them into his back for extra effect. The official photos were taken in the grounds before the chapel, and then the entire wedding party headed back to the hotel for the proper celebrations to begin. * * * The terraced roof of the hotel had been transformed. An abundance of balloons and beautiful flowers covered the entire perimeter, the Parthenon clear in the distance, but close enough that from certain aspects it felt as if you could reach out and touch it. The day had turned into something magical. All Alessandra could think was how much work and effort Christian had put into making this a special day for them. Sure, he¡¯d outsourced it all, but he¡¯d been the one to do the outsourcing. All she¡¯d done was buy her dress. And lingerie... Crying in her brother¡¯s arms had had the effect of clearing her head. Ro had urged her to abandon the whole thing. He and Olivia would take care of her. Alessandra didn¡¯t need taking care of¡ªher baby did. Christian was her baby¡¯s father. They belonged in each other¡¯s lives. She¡¯d washed her face and reapplied her make-up and then, when she¡¯d looked back in the mirror, the truth had been reflected back at her in startling rity. She wasmitting her life to Christian and their baby. It was time to embrace it for all their sakes. Done with taking pictures of her husband and their guests¡ªit truly was a photographer¡¯s dream here¡ª she put her camera back into its case and sat back down at the top table. Staring at him now¡ªholding court with Zayed, Stefan and Stefan¡¯s date, Clio, on the edge of the dance floor¡ªher heart clenched, packing into a tight little ball. Christian must have felt her gaze upon him for he met her eyes, raising his ss of champagne to her. She raised her lemonade back, her skin dancing as if his gaze had physically touched her. He said something to his friends which made them allugh. It pained her that Ro refused to join them, keeping his distance in the far corner of the room with Olivia and an earnest A-list Hollywood superstar. Her brother had spelled out in no uncertain terms that he was there to do his duty and nothing else. Her suspicions about Christian¡¯s trip to New York had been correct¡ªhe had gone there with an ulterior motive. But her fears had been wildly off the mark. He hadn¡¯t gone to meet up with a secret woman. He¡¯d gone in an attempt to make her brother see sense and attend their wedding. He¡¯d turned up at their New York home and told her brother in no uncertain terms that Alessandra needed him. When he¡¯d left, Olivia had taken up the cause, essentially bullying Ro into attending. Knowing Christian had done that for her...¨¨ stato incredibile. She only wished Ro would see what an amazing thing it was too. To her knowledge, he hadn¡¯t exchanged a word with Christian all day. Whatever his reasons, and however great his reluctance, she was d he¡¯de. More than d. She hoped with all her heart that one day he woulde to ept them and ept that their marriage was the right thing for all of them. He might infuriate her but he was her brother and she loved him. Christian weaved his way through the dancing guests and took his seat at the top table beside her. ¡®How are you feeling?¡¯ he asked, leaning back into his chair. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Perfetto.¡¯ She smiled. ¡®This has all been amazing, grazie mille.¡¯ He slung an arm around the back of her chair. ¡®It is my pleasure.¡¯ The sound of rotor des in full motion caught their attention. ¡®Paparazzi,¡¯ he spat, getting back to his feet and kicking his chair back. Immediately he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled a number, speaking into it with a low voice packed full of menace. ¡®I had arranged that no helicopter fly within a mile of the hotel today,¡¯ he exined tightly when he finished his call, his face taut. ¡®I will not have our wedding day turned into a circus.¡¯ Chapter 44 Chapter 44 She shrugged. ¡®They¡¯re tenacious. It was to be expected.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re like locusts.¡¯ Heid his palms on the table, his face stark with anger. Not wanting all the good feeling ruined, she raised a hand to his face and palmed his cheek. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ The blue in his eyes darkened, his frame stilling. ¡®For what?¡¯ ¡®For trying to keep them away from me.¡¯ His nostrils red a touch. He didn¡¯t answer, simply stared at her as if trying to peer into her mind. She gazed back, drinking him in, the heat inside her¡ªso constant when with him¡ªbubbling beneath her... And then he dipped his head and covered her mouth with his, holding it there, not moving, just breathing into her, warm champagne-scented air filling her senses until he gently slid his mouth across her cheek and brushed his lips against her ear. ¡®Soon, agapi mou, I will do more than just kiss you.¡¯ Her insides melted. Her heart racing at a gallop, she was about to grab his hand and beg him to whisk her away to somewhere private when Zayed joined them, announcing his presence by pping Christian hard on the back. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡®Come on, newlyweds, it is time for the Kmatianos,¡¯ he said, referring to the traditional wedding dance adored by all Greeks. Over his shoulder, Mikj and Tanya grinned and waved, already tapping their feet in anticipation. She was so d she¡¯d gone behind his back and invited them. It hadn¡¯t sat well with her, knowing he would have no one from his childhood there. Knowing Christian was happy she had done so lightened her further. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, thinking they had gone behind each other¡¯s back to bring someone important to their big day. Soon she was on her feet with Christian in the centre of the dance floor, each holding an end of a scarf that had been thrust at them. With traditional Greek music ying, Zayed and Stefan chivvied everyone up to form a circle around them, the guests linking hands and, following Mikj and the other Greek guests¡¯ example, swirling around them like a circling snake, shouts of, ¡®Opa!¡¯ ringing out. Alessandra had the time of her life. When the Kmatianos was over, everyone, including the bride and groom, stayed on the dance floor. They danced together, slow songs, fast songs, their hands entwined, their eyes only for each other. She wanted the wedding and all the good feelings it evoked in her tost forever, to hold on to this moment for as long as she could. Contrarily, she wanted it to end now, wanted the sensuous promise ringing from Christian¡¯s eyes to be reality. Soon... Soon it would be time to retire to his suite and begin their newly married life in a manner that sent heat surging through her just to think about it. * * * Christian opened the door of the suite and, keeping hold of Alessandra¡¯s hand, closed it behind them. ¡®Someone¡¯s been busy,¡¯ he observed, burrowing his face into the nape of her neck. At longst, he was free to touch her and taste her and do all the things he¡¯d wanted to do for so long the ache in his groin had be a permanent part of him. His suite¡ªtheir suite, now all of Alessandra¡¯s possessions had been moved in while their celebrations had been going on¡ªhad been decorated. Flowers were artfully arranged in vases, rose petals had been scattered over the bed and a bottle of champagne sat in an ice bucket next to two champagne flutes. ¡®Clich¨¦d but very romantic,¡¯ she said, twisting round to face him. All the dancing had left her cheeks flushed and her eyes alive with pleasure. He wanted those eyes glowing with pleasure for a different reason. Gripping her hip, he pulled her to him and snaked his arm around her waist. He gazed down into those striking eyes and those moreish lips. His to taste. She was his to taste. As he bent his head to im her mouth, she darted gracefully out of his sp,ughing softly. ¡®Not yet.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re making me wait?¡¯ he said, his wordsing out with an animalistic growl. ¡®I¡¯m going to freshen up. Remember, anticipation makes fulfilment taste all the sweeter.¡¯ She sashayed to one of the bathrooms, shed him a smile full of promise and locked the door behind her. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 * * * Alessandra applied a touch more lipstick then tightened the sash of her silk white robe. Who needed alcohol? Desire pulsed through her, making her pulses race uncontrobly. She hadn¡¯t expected that a ring on her finger and a signed piece of paper could make her feel so different but it did. Christian was the only man she¡¯d ever truly wanted. She remembered the first time she¡¯d met him, when she¡¯d been twelve and Ro had brought the Brat Pack to Lake Como for a break. How young and na?ve she¡¯d been, still believing in love and romance. She¡¯d taken one look at Adonis and her heart had skipped into her mouth. He¡¯d hardly noticed her existence. Looking back with the benefit of hindsight on her ill-fated tryst with Javier, she could see it was the ttery she¡¯d responded to, not him. She¡¯d swallowed all his lies because she¡¯d been ttered a man, not an immature boy, was showing an interest in her. With Christian, it was the man himself she responded to. She dabbed some perfume behind her ear and onto her wrists and left the privacy of the bathroom. It was time to see her husband as his wife. CHAPTER TEN WHEN ALESSANDRA EMERGED from the bathroom and closed the door softly behind her, the only sound Christian could hear was his own heartbeat. Drumming. Thundering in his ears. He¡¯d stripped naked, shedding his clothes in front of the mirror, staring closely at his reflection. He didn¡¯t know what it could be but he felt different. He looked the same. The desire he felt for his beautiful bride still burned deep inside him. But something had changed. Now he sat in the huge bed, leant back against the headboard, the bed sheets draped across hisp, a dim light glowing. And she was here with him, her dress removed, only a white robe covering her beautiful figure. Slowly she stepped to him until she reached his side. ¡®Take your robe off.¡¯ He could hear the thickness in the timbre of his voice. Her hands trembled, but a knowing smile pulled at her lips. She tugged at the sash of her robe and parted it, letting it drop to the floor. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Christian couldn¡¯t have torn his gaze away if he¡¯d wanted to. He didn¡¯t want to. He wanted to capture this moment so he could rey it forever. Theos but she was more beautiful than he remembered, the white of hercy lingerie contrasting against the golden hue of her skin. Her breasts were swollen, the bra pushing them up to disy her cleavage, only just hiding the dusky nipples he remembered so well. Sitting upright, he extended a hand to grip onto her curved hip, sliding a finger under the strap of her suspender belt. He ran his other hand up the soft swell of her belly, only slightly thickened since he¡¯dst seen her unclothed. She dropped a hand onto his shoulder, a cloud of her sultry scent releasing and filling his senses. He¡¯d never known a scent like it, so perfectly matching its owner, a sweet yet musky fragrance, with depth. He traced his hand back down her belly and sped hold of her other hip, tugging her to him. Inhaling her scent deeply into his lungs, he pressed a kiss into the curve of her neck, felt her quiver. The ache in his groin, that constant state of affairs whenever he was with her, magnified by a thousand, his entire bodying alive to her sweet touch and even sweeter taste. Using gentle maniption, he pulled her onto the bed facing him, so she straddled his still-coveredp. Her eyes darkened and swirled, arousal and desire burning strongly. The first time they¡¯d made love he¡¯d plunged into her without a thought. His shock at discovering she was a virgin had been masked by concern that he¡¯d hurt her. Her breath had hitched, a tiny mew escaping her throat. He¡¯d held her tightly, stroking her hair, her body, raining kisses over her face until he¡¯d felt her rx, seen her pupils dte... She¡¯d been so responsive to everything he¡¯d done to her, so eager to give in return. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 She¡¯d been a revtion. And now he got to experience and taste her all over again. But this time there would be no pain. Only pleasure. Wrapping an arm around her and cradling the back of her head with his other hand, he pulled her flush against him and nted his mouth over the soft, plump lips he¡¯d spent the past two months dreaming about. She sighed into him and rested her hands on his shoulders, her nails digging into him as her lips parted to allow his tongue to sweep into her warmth. He stroked her back, up and down, exploring the silky skin anew, then down her sides to the top of her stockings. She broke the kiss, nuzzling her mouth against his jaw and down into his neck, her hair tickling him. ¡®You taste divine,¡¯ she murmured, the first words she¡¯d uttered since she¡¯d left the bathroom. Herpliment made his chest heave. He speared her hair and tugged it back gently so he could look into her eyes. ¡®You are divine.¡¯ A small, almost shy, smile spread across her face, and she leaned forward to kiss him, deeply, passionately, her hands crawling up to his scalp and holding on to it. He found the sp of her bra and undid it. She released her hold on him, enabling him to pull the straps down her arms and discard the bra on the floor beside him. When they¡¯d made love the first time, he¡¯d been enraptured with her breasts, their size, their taste, the way his hands could cup them perfectly, everything about them. Pregnancy had swollen them. He didn¡¯t know if it was a trick of the light but her dusky nipples seemed darker than he remembered, contrasting against the paleness of her breasts. He was the only person in the world who knew Alessandra¡¯s breasts were the palest part of her body. It was because his child was growing inside her that these small, subtle changes were taking ce. Using his hands to lift her a touch, he dipped his head and captured one of those beautiful, dusky nipples in his mouth. Alessandra moaned and ran her fingers through his hair, arching her back to thrust her chest forward and into him. He ttened a palm against the small of her back to steady her, his free hand roaming until he found the sp of her suspenders. Before he released it he stroked the exposed flesh above the stockings. Her skin felt better than any material ever could. When he yed with the sp he was shocked to find himself all thumbs, the deftness he¡¯d acquired over the years gone. It was as if he¡¯d never tried to undo a suspender belt before. Spearing her hair again, he kissed her, filling his senses with her sultry, sweet taste, driving all thoughts from his mind. Frustrated at the suspender belt, he tugged at a stocking and felt the material rip in his fingers. He grabbed the material of the other and did the same, then sped her bottom and leaned forward, using his strength toy her t on her back. The movement caused the bed sheet to fall from hisp, freeing his erection which brushed against her thigh, sending deep pulsations firing through his blood, his loins, everywhere. He sat back to gaze at her, noting everything, from her short, shallow breaths to the jutting of her erect nipples. Unable to resist, he kissed her again, hard. Alessandra¡¯s arms looped around his neck, her legs lifting to hook around him, sping him to her. ¡®Not yet,¡¯ he murmured, kneeling upright. She pouted and raised herself onto her elbows. Her breaths came in shallow pants. ¡®Soon,¡¯ he promised, leaning forward to kiss her neck and push her t again. A sound like a purr came from her as he kissed his way down her chest and belly and slipped a hand round her back to undo the sp at the back of her suspender belt. Discarding it, he ttened a hand over her thigh and caught the top of the ripped stocking. Slowly, he pulled it down, past her knee, over her calf and down to the delicate ankle. ¡®I¡¯ve dreamed of you doing that,¡¯ she said, her husky voice almost breathless. She¡¯d dreamt of him...? In response, he leaned down to press a kiss to her now bare foot, then followed the trail he¡¯d just made with his hands with his tongue, darting licks and kisses all the way up to her inner thigh and up to the very heart of her. Pressing his mouth onto her knickers, he inhaled deeply, the scent of her heat almost making him dizzy with desire.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Checking himself, he gritted his teeth before gripping hold of her remaining stocking and slowly sliding it off. Now she was naked save for hercy knickers. He took a moment to stare at her, taking every inch of her in. She was perfect. She was his. The look on her face was something to be savoured, a knowing yet shy quirk of the lips. She levered herself up until she knelt before him, face to face. ¡®My turn,¡¯ she whispered, her eyes sparkling. For such a slight woman she had a hidden strength, able, with a push of her hand, to shove him onto his back. Sheughed softly, taking hold of his wrists and pulling them up and over his head. This had to count as the single most erotic moment of his life: Alessa straddling him, pinning him down, her swollen breasts brushing against his face. Every time he made to capture one in his mouth, she would move just out of reach. Her teasing was deliberate, as was the way she straddled him, positioning herself on his erection. Every time she moved out of the reach of his mouth her crotch rubbed the length of his erection, the material of her knickers preventing any pration. She leaned down to kiss him on the mouth, still holding his wrists. With a simple flick he could be free from her sp. Instead, he kissed her back, sumbing to the delights she wanted to bestow on him. Her soft mouth pressed along his jaw then she released her hold on his wrists and slowly made her descent. No part of his chest was left unkissed or unstroked, his skin alive under the trail she made. When she reached his groin shepletely ignored his erection, her mouth working around it, her hands cupping his balls while her tongue darted out to taste them. Her movements were clumsy, a sign of her inexperience, but this only added to the eroticism of the moment. This was all for him. Her tongue flickered onto the base of his shaft. A powerful bolt shot through him, a groan escaping his lips. He gripped the bed sheets in his fists and clenched his teeth even tighter, finding a spot on the ceiling to focus on. For a moment he¡¯d been certain he was going toe. ¡®Is something wrong?¡¯ she asked, stopping what she was doing to look at him, her eyes clouding with doubt. Speech wouldn¡¯t form. He shook his head and sat up, leaning forward to sp her cheeks and pull her into another kiss. In a tangle of arms and legs they copsed together, Alessandra beneath him, devouring each other with their mouths. He tugged at her knickers, pushing them down her hips, using his thighs and legs to pull them down. When they reached her ankles she kicked them off then wrapped her legs around him, raising her bottom so her heat rubbed against his erection. And then he was inside her, burrowed in her tight heat, the relief giddying. The first time they¡¯d made love he¡¯d been blown away with how deeply he¡¯d felt everything, every touch, every movement magnified. This was something elsepletely. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Slowing their kisses, he began to move, keeping his groin ground to hers. Her soft moans fired him, her kisses fuelled him, her roaming hands and fingers burning through his skin. He opened his eyes to find her gazing at him in a dazed wonder. Reaching for her hand, he brought it up to rest by the side of her head and sped it tightly, kissing her with renewed passion as his thrusts deepened. It was as if he¡¯d fused into one with her. He felt rather than heard here. Her grip around his erection thickened and tightened, her lips freezing on his, her only sound a tiny, almost breathless mew. He was hardly aware of his own release. His senses were too full of Alessandra, watching everyst moment of her climax. Finally spent, he burrowed his face into her neck, careful not to put too much weight on her belly, and savoured the most delicious warmth he¡¯d ever known spread through him. The heavy weight of sleep soon came to im him, and he shifted his weight off her. She followed his movements and settled into the crook of his arm with a contented sigh. * * * He awoke a few hourster. The suite was in darkness, a sliver of moonlight shining through. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Alessandra was draped over him, breathing deeply, her hair tickling his neck and chin. He smoothed it down, marvelling at its silkiness. He tried to doze but sleep refused to return. How could he sleep with so much racing through his mind? When there were so many emotions racing through his chest, it was a struggle to catch his breath. The first time he¡¯d slept with her, in her apartment in Mn... He¡¯d struggled for thoughts and breath then too. This was much worse. He¡¯d felt her getting too close in Mikj¡¯s restaurant, that feeling she could see through the veneer of his skin and through to the heart of him. That feeling had beenpounded after the visit to his mother¡¯s house. He¡¯d retreated to New York partly to talk sense into Ro but mostly for space to compose himself in preparation for his new life. Marriage wouldn¡¯t change anything, he¡¯d convinced himself. He wouldpartmentalise Alessandra¡¯s presence in his life just as he did with his mother. They would live together but they wouldn¡¯t be together. Making love to her again... Something hade alive inside him. He¡¯d felt it uncoiling when they¡¯d exchanged their vows but with everything going on that day had put it to one side. Now it, whatever it was, had uncoiled and bitten him, hard enough that it felt like a physical pain. Before he could hope to decipher it, she roused in his arms, pulling herself up enough to kiss him, deeply, passionately, awakening in an instant. He responded as if he¡¯d been lying there waiting for her to wake, groaning when she slid onto his already hard length. Doing nothing but hold on to her waist to support her, he let her take the lead. The moonlight bathed her, letting him watch as she took her pleasure, watch the lips that parted, the eyes that zed. Her soft moans deepened until she ground herself onto him. He felt her release as deeply as he felt his own, revelled in the pulsations that seemed to draw his own orgasm into unquantifiable realms. Afterwards, when he thought she was falling back into slumber, she pressed a kiss to his chest. ¡®I could get used to this,¡¯ she said, her voice sleepy but tinged with a smile. And tinged with something that sounded like hope. His eyes opened with a jerk. He remembered the look in her eyes when they¡¯d exchanged their vows. Now he knew what it had been: hope. Alessandra had hopes for their future as a married couple. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She was changing towards him¡ªshe had changed towards him. And with that change came the realisation that he could forget sharing a bed with her when they both wanted it. Unless he kept a proper distance from her, he would soon have the power to hurt her. Carefully he disentangled himself from her arms and got out of bed. ¡®Where are you going?¡¯ she mumbled. ¡®To get a drink. Go to sleep. I¡¯ll be back in a minute.¡¯ But he knew his words were a lie even as he spoke them. He needed to protect her. He needed to protect her from himself. * * * Alessandra slipped into her robe and headed to the bathroom where she could hear the shower running. Her skin flushed to think of joining Christian in there,thering his gorgeous body... She stretched for the third time, shaking the lingering sleepiness off, and turned the door handle. It was locked. She tried the handle again and still the door didn¡¯t budge. She didn¡¯t know why¡ªwhat experience did she have of men in a sensual sense?¡ªbut it surprised her that he might want his privacy whilst he showered. After the things they¡¯d done to each other... The flush on her skin deepened, prating through her flesh and down low, erotic memories of what they had done together, making her glow from the inside out. It had been even better than she remembered. The alcohol during their first time might have been enough to loosen her inhibitions but it must have dulled her senses a fraction too. Or maybe it was because this time there was something real between them that surpassed mere lust. All Alessandra knew was that she wanted nothing more than to spend the day in bed with him. The only thing to spoil her memories was awakening to find his side of the bed empty. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Instead of waiting for him, she dived into the adjoining bathroom and deliberately kept the door ajar, an open invitation for him to join her. After a good few minutes of soaping herself under the powerful walk-in shower and washing her hair, boredom kicked in. She dried herself quickly, rubbed the towel over her hair and moisturised her face. She made to leave the bathroom, pausing at thest moment to put her robe back on, not yet confident enough to walk around stark naked in broad daylight. The door of the bathroom he¡¯d been using was open. Masculine scents mingled with the steam of the shower, filling the empty bedroom. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Maybe he was ordering breakfast for them. She wandered through to the main living area of the suite and found him at the dining table¡ªfully dressed and working on hisptop. He looked up and shed a quick smile. ¡®Good morning.¡¯ She nodded slowly, caught off-guard to find him working. For surely he must be working? He hadn¡¯t even donned casual clothes but wore a white shirt and blue pinstriped trousers. ¡®Are you nning on wearing that to Marrakech?¡¯ she asked. They were due to fly thereter that afternoon for a four-day honeymoon. An ufortable look spread over his face, quickly gone, but there long enough for her chest to sink down to her feet. ¡®I¡¯m afraid we will have to take our honeymoon another time,¡¯ he said calmly, looking back at hisptop. ¡®An emergency hase up.¡¯ ¡®Another one?¡¯ He threw her a smile that was clearly intended to bestow patience when all it did was make her want to throw something at him. ¡®You know my job is all about finance. When financial problems hitpanies, prompt action is needed.¡¯ ¡®I appreciate that. What I don¡¯t get is why it has to be you¡ªwhy can¡¯t someone else step in and act as saviour?¡¯ ¡®There is no one else.¡¯ Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. ¡®What about our honeymoon and the way it¡¯s supposed to convince the world we¡¯re in love?¡¯ Why did her heart clench to say that? ¡®I joined the board of an Athens shippingpanyst month in an advisory capacity. One of my staff has been going through the ounts and has discovered arge hole in thepany¡¯s finances. Unless we plug that hole in the next two days, fifty thousand people will not receive their pay cheques. That¡¯s fifty thousand people who will struggle to pay their bills, their mortgages, feed their children. We will go to Marrakech at ater date.¡¯ How could she argue with that? She couldn¡¯t, not unless she wanted to sound like the most selfish person in the world. She eyed him coolly, trying to decide if the whiff of duplicity she detected was real or the workings of a tired, disappointed mind. Four days in Marrakech with nothing to do butze under the sun and make love had sounded like heaven. She didn¡¯t dispute the crisis he¡¯d described was real. What she did dispute was his assertion that he was the only person in the world able to resolve it. Throwing a tight smile, determined not to show her disappointment, she said, ¡®Seeing as you¡¯re going to be busy, I¡¯ll return to Mn. There¡¯s a lot of stuff there I need to be getting on with.¡¯ ¡®No, you will stay here in Athens with me.¡¯ ¡®Are you giving me an order?¡¯ He sighed. ¡®If you return to Mn on your own, the day after our wedding, suspicions will be aroused. People will understand the postponement of a honeymoon because of a financial crisis. This is Greece; the whole country¡¯s in crisis. They will not understand a new wife who is not at her husband¡¯s side during it. We need to live together full-time as man and wife for a few months to keep the doubters at bay. We already agreed this.¡¯ Alessandra¡¯s teeth were clenched so tightly against the metaphorical kicking they¡¯d just received that she had to fight to prise them apart. Suspicions would be aroused? That was one way to bring her back down to earth. While she fought the despondency crashing through her like a wave, she fought even harder to keep herposure. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 This was a timely reminder that theirs was not a real marriage. The romance of their wedding day¡ª what Christian had done to get her brother there, the wondrousness of their love-making¡ªall must havebined to set off some new hormones within her that made her look at Christian in a fuzzy light. Dio, she must have been cast under a spell. She blinked rapidly to clear the fuzzy light, wishing she could clear the churning in her belly with the same ease. ¡®Okay, I¡¯ll stay in Athens with you, but remember I¡¯ve a shoot scheduled for next Thursday so we need to be back in Mn for that.¡¯ He bowed his head. ¡®I¡¯m sure that won¡¯t be a problem.¡¯ ¡®Good.¡¯ She didn¡¯t add that should a ¡®problem¡¯ ur she would fly to Mn and do her work regardless. ¡®I¡¯m going to order some breakfast. Do you want anything?¡¯ ¡®Just a pot of coffee, thank you.¡¯ Christian watched her pick up the suite phone and ce their order then turned his attention back to the screen in front of him. His eyes wouldn¡¯t focus. After the incredible night they¡¯d shared he¡¯d been expecting much greater resistance from Alessandra about the postponed honeymoon, had braced himself for the worst. If he hadn¡¯t seen the re of despondency in her eyes he would believe her understanding and calmness at the situation was genuine. As much as it hurt him to hurt her, he knew it was for the best. He had to put their marriage on the footing they had originally agreed. There were women who could separate love and sex. He no longer believed Alessandra to be one of them. The hope he¡¯d seen in her eyes as they¡¯d exchanged their vows and then the hope he¡¯d heard in her voice after they¡¯d made love... What did he, the gutter rat from Athens, know about love? All he knew about it was that it broke hearts and destroyed people. It had destroyed his mother and Alessandra¡¯s father. He wouldn¡¯t know how to love or show love if he tried. All he knew was how to make money. A woman like Alessandra deserved so much more. Physical distance wasn¡¯t enough. He needed to put emotional distance between them too. Now. Before he hurt her. If he allowed their sexual rtionship to develop, her feelings would likely develop too while his... He¡¯d never had a proper rtionship before. Never. He had no idea how long it would take for boredom to set in, when the thrill of making love to the one woman would abate and he¡¯d be looking for a new challenge. If her feelings grew stronger whilst his decreased, the pain it would cause her would be immense. He had to nip it in the bud now. For both their sakes. CHAPTER ELEVEN CHRISTIAN¡¯S HOME WAS a pebblestone vi in a private enve of Athens, set away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Surrounded by acres of greennd, the vi itself was found by means of a private driveway; indeed, the one word that sprang to Alessandra¡¯s mind as she got out of the car was private. They could be anywhere. They could be nowhere. The vi was beautiful, there was no denying that¡ª picture perfect¡ªbut the silence was deafening. Vi Mondelli had been much the same, the majority of her childhood spent in its splendid istion. She¡¯d adored the infrequent trips to Mn Ro would take her on when he was home from university ¡ªloved the noise, the smells and the bustle of the big city, that feeling of being a small cog in a big wheel where all the tinyponent parts jostled together nicely to make the big picture. They¡¯d left the hotel after breakfast, waved off by their remaining guests. She¡¯d forced a bright smile, forced jollity. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. On the drive to his home he¡¯d exined in more detail what he was working on. She¡¯d tried hard to be sympathetic and understanding about the importance that the situation be speedily resolved. That did nothing to prevent the underlying resentment. She was used to workaholics. She¡¯d been raised by the various nannies her workaholic grandfather had employed for her. Her brother was of an identical mould. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 But she was one hundred per cent certain that, if such a situation had urred hours before Ro¡¯s honeymoon, he would have put Olivia first. At the very least he would have discussed the matter with her and taken her input before making a decision. The big difference was that Ro loved Olivia. She was his world. All Alessandra was to Christian was the vessel carrying his child, married to secure his heir and avert a scandal. Love did not and never would feature in it, no matter what foolish feelings had been stoked on her wedding day. Against her better judgement she¡¯d allowed hope to rear its head. Sex was a dangerous game to y. It evoked feelings that had no business being conjured. In future she would make love with her body and detach her mind. Somehow. She was certain it could be done. Lots of other women were able to do it so why should she be any different? The vows she¡¯d made had been given honestly but for the sake of the little life growing in her belly, not for herself. It would be wise for her to remember that and stop letting her hormones off the leash. Christian followed her out of the car and walked her to therge front door, the driver tasked with bringing her luggage in. A woman who Alessandra judged to be in her mid-forties opened the door to greet them. Christian introduced her as Evanthia, his head of housekeeping. Evanthia took Alessandra¡¯s extended hand, uttered a friendly greeting in Greek then stood back so they could enter. The interior was every bit what the average person would expect a bachelor billionaire¡¯s home to look like:vish. Ostentatious. Cold. All vaulted ceilings, white walls and lots of marble. The reception area where they stood led through to an enormous open-n living space. While she stood at the threshold, craning her neck to take it all in, Christian and Evanthia had a quick conversation. ¡®I need to go,¡¯ he said to Alessandra a few momentster. ¡®Evanthia will show you around and show you where your room is.¡¯ ¡®Where my room is?¡¯ she interrupted, snapped out of her musings about his interior decoration. He nodded. ¡®If you¡¯re not happy with it then let Evanthia know and she can move you to a different one.¡¯ ¡®Oh.¡¯ He looked at her with calm eyes. ¡®Is there a problem?¡¯ She forced her own eyes to be bright and wide. ¡®Not at all.¡¯ ¡®Then make yourselffortable¡ªthis is your home now. It is doubtful I will be back before the evening but you have my number if you need me for anything.¡¯ With that he left, leaving Alessandra feeling as if a rug had been pulled out from under her. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. They were to have separate rooms. That meant they would be sleeping in separate beds. Her reality check that morning when he¡¯d cancelled their short honeymoon hadn¡¯t been a reality check enough. The talking-to about having sex with her body and not her heart now sounded presumptuous and silly, even if she¡¯d only been talking to herself. Silly, silly Alessandra. When would she learn? She ced a hand to her stomach, refusing to let the swell of hopelessness pull her down. Evanthia said something in Greek, beckoning for Alessandra to follow her. Time to pull herself together. All her love would be reserved for her baby. With many gestures, Evanthia gave her the tour: the huge living area with its ¡®hidden¡¯ library, a bar nestled in a cut-out section of wall and a dining area with a table that could fit two dozenfortably. She was also shown the enormous kitchen, the indoor swimming pool and the gymnasium that would put any private member¡¯s club to shame. Through a back door she was shown two outdoor swimming pools and awn tennis court, then it was time to head upstairs. They climbed one of three sets of winding stairs and walked along anding that overlooked the living area, a four-foot-high length of impossibly clear Perspex barrier there to stop anyone plunging headfirst to the first floor. Her room was at the far end of thending. Her luggage had been ced inside. ¡®Clothes,¡¯ Evanthia said, pointing at an internal door. Alessandra opened the door to find a dressing room. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 ¡®I do?¡¯ Evanthia asked, picking one of the suitcases up. ¡®I can do it,¡¯ Alessandra answered with a smile. ¡®Thank you for the offer.¡¯ Evanthia started talking, gesturing wildly. Not having the faintest idea what the housekeeper was saying or what her gestures meant, Alessandra smiled and nodded politely. Eventually Evanthia bustled off after making gestures Alessandra thought might have indicated food. As soon as she was alone in her room she set about unpacking, hanging her clothes in the empty dressing room. A dressing room that would only ever contain feminine clothes. Silly little Alessandra, she thought, folding into drawers the new underwear she¡¯d brought expecting her husband to remove them. She could wear bloomers and he would neither know nor care. At some point in the preceding weeks she¡¯d allowed herself to believe their marriage could be like a small nursery garden that, with some care and attention, might¡ªjust might¡ªbloom into something substantial. Something real. She¡¯d even allowed herself to believe that Christian could be someone in whom she could trust, not only with her baby but with her. Christian had taken all those little seedlings and ripped them up, a reminder that he¡¯d never wanted the garden in the first ce. He¡¯d put her subtly but firmly in her ce. So why had he made love to her on their wedding night? Out of duty? To consummate it and make it legal? No. He must have made love to her because she was there and he could. She could have been any woman in that bed. It was her ownck of sexual experience that had failed to recognise it for what it was. Did he expect them to sleep together again or was that it? Her cheeks burned just imagining asking that question. The humiliation of his answer would be too much. But it hurt so much to know that an experience she¡¯d found so special and fulfilling had been all one- sided. Christian had been going through the motions, his tenderness part of those motions. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. He probably had sex with all his lovers in the same way. Why did she think she was so special that Casanova Markos would want to share a bed with her more than once? She¡¯d shared two nights with him; she should feel special. She¡¯d had a one hundred per cent higher sess rate than his other women. She rubbed her itchy eyes and chided herself. Christian wasn¡¯t doing anything they hadn¡¯t previously agreed. She had to ept things as they were, not as she now wished they could be. Their marriage would be like the greennd surrounding the vi. t and one-dimensional and not a single different colour in sight. * * * Alessandra hovered the photo over the ce on screen until she was happy with the position then clicked to release it. She stared for an age, trying to think of a witty caption to go with it. Inspiration struck. She typed it in, clicking the save button at the exact moment Christian stepped into the hidden library. She¡¯d heard movements, had assumed it was members of the household staff. She hadn¡¯t for a minute thought it was her husband actually returning home at what would be regarded by a normal person as a decent time. How she wished her pulses didn¡¯t race at the mere sight of him. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ he asked, leaning against the oak desk she¡¯d appropriated for her purpose. ¡®A wedding montage.¡¯ She made sure to keep her tone neutral. ¡®I¡¯m making what is basically an electronic magazine with pictures of all the people who were there to share our happy day.¡¯ How she stopped her tongue curdling over ¡®happy day¡¯ she didn¡¯t know. ¡®When it¡¯s done I¡¯ll email it to all of them as a keepsake.¡¯ She would also print and frame a copy and hang it beside her bed where it could be a daily reminder that her life with Christian was a sham, a marriage for appearances. It felt good to have something to upy her. Since their wedding three weeks ago, they¡¯d travelled to Mn together for a few days so she could do her prearranged shoot and meet her obstetrician, flown on to Hong Kong where they¡¯d stayed in his penthouse apartment¡ªin separate rooms¡ªfor a week then travelled to London for a day¡¯s shoot. They¡¯d been back in Athens ever since. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Having no work to upy her here, she¡¯d spent a day sightseeing, undetected by any paparazzi. Far from being able to enthuse about all the ancient relics at the Acropolis, she¡¯d felt lonely surrounded by couples and groups of people all chattering happily together. Christian¡¯s home was so remote and her grasp of the Greeknguage so weak that the chances of making any friendships were almost impossible. At least his apartment in Hong Kong was central, allowing her plenty of freedom to explore and upy herself. Being in Athens reminded her too strongly of being back at Vi Mondelli, when her grandfather had always been too busy working to take any notice of her. Ro had been of the same mould. She¡¯d learned as a child that moping about didn¡¯t change anything. Keeping busy was the solution to curbing istion. As a child she would bury her head in books, draw pictures and practise her gymnastics. She¡¯d needed something, a project here in Athens, to keep the istion at bay and it had been while going through the photos she¡¯d taken on their wedding day, trying hard to look at them objectively and not through maudlin eyes, that inspiration had struck. ¡®May I look?¡¯ ¡®It isn¡¯t finished yet¡ªI¡¯m about two-thirds done, but help yourself.¡¯ She pushed her chair back to give him ess to herptop. She didn¡¯t push back far enough, catching that gorgeous oaky scent that made her mouth water. She closed her eyes in a futile attempt to curb the longing sweeping through her at his proximity. In three weeks he hadn¡¯t once attempted to seduce her, not even with his eyes, as he had done so many times before they¡¯d made their vows. One night had been enough for him to bore of her sexually. Okay; two nights. But they¡¯d been months apart. If only she could get her body to believe it was bored of him too. Time would curb it, she told herself. Eventually hisck of interest would creep through her like a pollutant and she would be able to stop tossing and turning throughout the night, wishing he would come to her. After three weeks of no physical attention she epted that wasn¡¯t going to happen. It had done nothing to cure her longing. ¡®This is incredible,¡¯ Christian said, clicking his way through the pages she¡¯d created. ¡®The glossy magazines would pay you a fortune to get hold of your memory stick.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sure they would,¡¯ she agreed drily. Silently she congratted herself on another coherent conversation with him. It would have been easy to slip into self-pity after his rejection. She would not do that. She would not infect her baby with negativity. In fairness, he hadn¡¯t lied to her. On the contrary, their marriage was shaping up to be exactly how they¡¯d devised when they¡¯d first agreed to it. She only wished she¡¯d known how heartsick it would make her. Pushing her chair farther back, she got to her feet. ¡®Are we still going out tonight?¡¯ She refused to make assumptions. He might have only popped home for a fleeting visit between appointments. Christian worked ridiculous hours. Even in Mn, where they¡¯d stayed so she could work, he¡¯d holed himself up in the spare room of her apartment, which he¡¯d turned into a bedroom-cum-office, working until the early hours and joining her for an evening meal before disappearing again. ¡®Yes. We don¡¯t need to leave until eight. There¡¯s plenty of time.¡¯ They were going to a party at the British Embassy, their first official function as man and wife. She looked at her watch. ¡®I suppose two hours is adequate time to get ready for a night out.¡¯ ¡®You suppose?¡¯ he echoed with a droll tone. * * * Christian put his cufflinks on then slipped into his tuxedo jacket and straightened his ck bowtie. He would do. He headed downstairs and poured himself a small shot of bourbon. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. It had been a hard few weeks and now he was looking forward to an evening out. Yes, it would be a networking evening, but with Alessandra by his side it would be bearable. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 It was strange to think of himself merely enjoying a woman¡¯spany forpany¡¯s sake but with Alessandra he did. Until their impromptu date, all his dealings with women had been for two reasons: business, at which he refused to blur the lines between personal and professional; and pleasure, the women he dated with the sole intention of bedding them. He¡¯d enjoyed the time spent with them but it had been a means to an end, the end being in bed naked. Alessandra was the first woman he¡¯d gone on a date with whom he¡¯d had no intention of bedding. He¡¯d found her wildly attractive but she¡¯d been so off-limits he¡¯d curbed that side of his thought process with her. After a few sses of champagne had loosened them both up, he¡¯d found himself wildly fascinated by her, the mind beneath the beautiful face, not just the body beneath the dress she¡¯d worn. For the first time, he looked back on his behaviour before he¡¯d met Alessandra with a sense of shame. How many women had he bedded in his thirty-two years? He couldn¡¯t even hazard a guess. He¡¯d hopped from bed to bed without a second thought. For the first time, he considered he¡¯d been running, not hopping. Running as fast as he could. Alessandra was the only woman whose bed he¡¯d run from without immediately hopping into another. From their first night together until she¡¯d approached him at Ro and Olivia¡¯s wedding, there had been no one else. There still hadn¡¯t been. He hadn¡¯t promised fidelity to her. So long as he was discreet, he could bed whomever he chose. The problem, as he was learning, was that just because he could act like a kid in a sweetshop, his taste at that moment was for only one particr sweet. That sweet went by the name of Alessandra. He didn¡¯t believe he¡¯d ever worked as hard as he had these past three weeks. He¡¯d always been a hard, diligent worker but since his university days he¡¯d always ensured there was time for fun. The only fun he wanted now came in a slender package with a mane of glossy chestnut hair. There were times, especiallyte at night, when he heard movement from her room, when he would fight to remind himself why he couldn¡¯t allow their rtionship to be anything but tonic. In his eyes, she was a princess. He was a gutter rat. He wasn¡¯t good enough for her. He would only bring her misery. Better to keep things tonic for both their sakes and for the sake of their unborn baby. It was harder than he¡¯d ever imagined. He straightened as Alessandra descended the stairs, the jewellery she wore around her wrist nging against the railing she lightly gripped. She never failed to take his breath away. Tonight she wore a floor-length turquoise silk gown with only one long sleeve, gold and diamond beading around the neck line that shed under her bare arm. The materialyered like descending waves down to her feet, disying her slender curves but hiding the slight burgeoning of her waistline. Tonight her neck was bare, the onlyplementary jewellery a chunky Egyptian bracelet and a pair of gold teardrop earrings. Her hair had been swept up into an elegant knot, her eyes dramatically darkened, her lips conversely painted a nude colour. The Egyptian bracelet only entuated the idea of an Egyptian queen having sprung to life. An ache formed in his chest, a much different ache to the one coursing through his loins. That bare, golden arm and shoulder were her only real bits of bodily flesh on disy but the effect on him was as dramatic as if she¡¯d walked down the stairs naked. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. His mind filled with visions of peeling the dress from her... He swallowed the imagery away and stepped forward to her, being greeted with a cloud of her sultry perfume in return. ¡®You¡¯re beautiful,¡¯ he said. She smiled. ¡®Grazie. You look good yourself.¡¯ Alessandra had always found men wearing dinner jackets attractive¡ªthere was something so sophisticated and suave about the look¡ªbut Christian made other men¡¯s attempts look like little boys ying dress-up. There was something about the way he filled it that made her pulses skip and her skin tingle. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 If they had a proper marriage she would at least have the anticipation of ripping it off him when they got home... Stop it, she scolded herself. Thoughts like that did nothing for her private mission of gaining immunity against him. And nor did the darkening of his eyes, that look as if he wanted nothing more than to rip her clothes off too. A rush of warm heat pooled in the apex of her thighs, so deep and sudden her legs weakened. It was a look she hadn¡¯t seen in three weeks. Any immunity she might have managed to attain was ripped away in one fell swoop. CHAPTER TWELVE CHRISTIAN¡¯S DRIVER PULLED up outside the embassy. No sooner had the engine been turned off than the door was opened for them and they were ushered out of the car amidst a hail of shbulbs from the waiting paparazzi, who¡¯d been tipped off that they were attending. As they crossed the threshold of the historic building, Alessandra almost jumped out of her skin to feel Christian ce his hand on the small of her back. It was the first time he¡¯d touched her since their wedding night. It¡¯s for the paparazzi¡¯s benefit, she told herself. When he sped her hand into his muchrger one, threading his fingers through hers, the nerves on her skin tingled with warmth, her fingers yearning to squeeze their possession. Keeping a firm grip of her hand, he steered her around the room, introducing her to various bankers, investors and their partners and spouses. She found it hard keeping track of names. Every time Christian¡¯s body brushed against hers, her heart would skip and her mind would lose its train of thought. When a waiter passed carrying a tray of canap¨¦s, she pounced, d of a decent excuse to drop her husband¡¯s hand. It wasn¡¯t just money and finance people wanted to talk to them about, though; many were keen to discuss the wedding, eager for the intimate details the press had only been able to guess at. They¡¯d released a couple of photos to the media in the hope that having something publishable would help them lose interest. ¡®They should give everyone name tags,¡¯ she said after a few hours of small talk and endless canap¨¦s. Christian had noticed her springing lightly on her aching legs and, insisting she rest for a few minutes, had borne her off to some empty seats in an alcove. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. A smile tugged at his lips. ¡®It would make life easier.¡¯ ¡®How many of these people do you actually know?¡¯ ¡®Far too many of them.¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t sound very enthusiastic.¡¯ ¡®Finance doesn¡¯t always attract the most charismatic of people.¡¯ ¡®It attracted you.¡¯ ¡®You think I¡¯m charismatic?¡¯ ¡®You know you are,¡¯ she said with deliberate dismissal. ¡®Is that apliment?¡¯ he asked, raising a brow in bemusement while his beautiful eyes glittered. ¡®Take it however you want.¡¯ She smiled at a passing woman they¡¯d spoken to earlier, the wife of a diplomat. She couldn¡¯t help but notice the woman¡¯s gaze linger a touch too long on Christian. Did she think he was charismatic? Christian had more charisma than anyone she¡¯d known. People were drawn to him. Women especially were drawn to him and it wasn¡¯t the sole result of his good looks. She doubted the size of his bank ount had much affect either¡ªthe maism he carried came from him. ¡®Then I will take it as apliment.¡¯ ¡®Why finance?¡¯ she asked, her interest piqued. ¡®Of all the jobs and careers out there, why go that route?¡¯ The bemusement dropped, the warmth in his eyes cooling. For a moment she thought he was going to ignore her innocent question. Instead, he held her gaze. ¡®When I was a small child, every night before she slept my mother would get the few drachmas she had to her name, ce them in front of her and count them.¡¯ He spoke slowly and concisely, as if he were thinking carefully about his answer. ¡®I think she hoped that if she counted them enough times they would magically double. The only time I was ever able to make her happy was if I found a stray coin and brought it home to her.¡¯ Chapter 56 Chapter 56 He shook his head, distaste pouring off him. ¡®She worked so hard but we were so poor she couldn¡¯t afford to pay for my school books. We had food in our belly from Mikj¡ªwhatever was left over from the day before¡ªbut there was no money for anything¡ªnot birthdays, not Christmas, not anything.¡¯ Alessandra swallowed, the familiar ache forming in her belly that always came when she thought of his childhood. She hated imagining what he¡¯d lived through. His gaze bore into her. ¡®I was obsessed with people like you.¡¯ ¡®Me?¡¯ she queried faintly. ¡®I would see men and women like you, people who were clean and wore beautiful clothes, and wonder why we were so different, why the clothes my mother and I wore were falling into rags. Then I realised what the difference was: money. They had it and we didn¡¯t. So that became my obsession. Money. I was determined to learn everything about it: how to earn it, how to make it grow and how to keep it so that my mother and I too could be clean and wear beautiful clothes.¡¯ ¡®You certainly realised your dreams,¡¯ she said quietly. ¡®Did you have to study hard for it or did ite naturally to you?¡¯ She thought back to her own single-sex education and how she had resented the strictness, rebelling by refusing to pay attention or do homework until it had be likely she would fail all her exams. If she¡¯d applied herself a bit more, her grandfather would never have felt the need to employ a private tutor to help her catch up. Javier would never have entered her life. Who knew how different her life would have been if she¡¯d never met him? Would she have stayed a virgin until the age of twenty-five? She hadn¡¯t been ready for sex with Javier but with hindsight it was because she¡¯d known, even without being aware of his wife and children, that a sexual affair between them was wrong. The bnce of power had been too one-sided, in his favour. But Javier was her reality. She didn¡¯t know if she would have stayed a virgin until the age of twenty-five if she hadn¡¯t met him because that would have been a different Alessandra, not the Alessandra she was today. ¡®I studied every hour I could,¡¯ Christian said, adopting the same quiet tone as she. ¡®I must have been ten when I realised education was the only way either I or my mother could escape.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m so sorry,¡¯ she said softly after a long silence had formed between them. ¡®For what?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ She raised her shoulders, wishing she could articte the shame churning within her. She recalled the little rant she¡¯d had in Mikj¡¯s taverna when she¡¯d put Christian in his ce about him not having a monopoly on childhood pain and abandonment. At least she¡¯d always had clean clothes and fresh food. Materially she¡¯d had everything she could have wished for; the things she¡¯d been denied were to stop her being spoiled and not due to ack of finances. After the mess that had been her rtionship with Javier, her grandfather had used money¡ªher allowance¡ªas another means to control her. No allowance meant no money; no money meant she stayed prisoner in the vi without the means to bring any more shame to the good Mondelli name. A prisoner? Content held by N?velDrama.Org. What a self-absorbed brat she had been. Christian¡¯s whole life came into sharp focus. No more potted snapshots of her Adonis, the hard working but poor schrship student, the small child sharing a mattress in a cramped attic room with his harridan of a mother... Now the snapshots formed a whole picture. Formed the man before her; everything it must have taken for him to drag himself out of the slum. Two decades of suffering before he¡¯d had the opportunity to shower daily. What must he think of her, the spoiled little rich kid? She knew she¡¯d never been spoiled but in comparison to Christian she might as well have been Imelda Marcos. So her grandfather had been a workaholic and happy to pass the actual raising of his granddaughter to the female staff of his household? At least she¡¯d never doubted his love. So he¡¯d cut off her allowance? Oh, boo hoo. Her grandfather had been teaching her a lesson. Without it she would never have feltpelled to get herself a job, would never have answered the advertisement to be a photographer¡¯s assistant and taken the first steps on the career she loved. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 She¡¯d been self-sufficient ever since. She might not have had a mother or a father but she¡¯d had her grandfather, strict as he was, and her brother, as protective as he was. Things might be tense at the moment but Ro would always be there for her. Christian hadn¡¯t had any of that. Mikj had been there as best he could but with a business to run and seven kids of his own to raise it hadn¡¯t been enough. Christian had basically been alone until he¡¯d established the strong friendship group with her brother, Stefan and Zayed. A friendship that had been destroyed because of her. ¡®Your mother...¡¯ ¡®What about her?¡¯ he asked tersely. ¡®However crazy she makes you feel, you must love her very much.¡¯ He breathed deeply. ¡®I respect what she did for me as a child. She could have abandoned me but she didn¡¯t. I do my duty towards her and will never abandon her. But love? She poisoned any notion I ever had of love.¡¯ As Alessandra digested this, a silver fox of a man came over to join them in the alcove, a German she recalled Christian telling her was head of one of Europe¡¯s major private banks. ¡®Have I introduced you to my daughter?¡¯ he asked, indicating a woman of around the same age as Alessandra who was hovering behind him. ¡®I don¡¯t believe so,¡¯ Christian answered. Silver Fox pulled his daughter to him. ¡®Kerstin, this is Christian Markos and his wife, Alessandra.¡¯ Kerstin¡¯s eyes gleamed as she leaned in to kiss Christian¡¯s cheeks, lingering to whisper something in his ear. A tall, blonde, impossibly morous and beautiful woman, she reminded Alessandra of old Hollywood. Her kisses to Alessandra were quick and perfunctory, the first thing that caused the word bitch to float in Alessandra¡¯s mind. ¡®Kerstin graduated a few years ago from your Alma Mater,¡¯ Silver Fox said when the introductions were complete. ¡®You studied at Columbia?¡¯ Christian asked with interest. ¡®I did,¡¯ she said with a knowing smile. So she had brains as well as beauty? ¡®I seem to recall your father saying something about it, but that was quite a few years ago,¡¯ he mused. ¡®Are you nning on following in his footsteps?¡¯ ¡®Ja¡ªwhen Papa retires the n is for me to take over his role.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s something I wanted to talk to you about,¡¯ Silver Fox said, addressing Christian. ¡®Kerstin and I feel she needs to expand her horizons. We would like you to taking her under your wing for a year or two so she can learn directly from you different aspects of our business.¡¯ This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Over my dead body. ¡®That¡¯s an interesting idea,¡¯ Christian said, turning his attention directly to Kerstin. ¡®What are you hoping to learn from me?¡¯ ¡®Everything!¡¯ Thus said, Kerstin proceeded to discuss in great detail what she hoped to achieve under his tutge, most of which went straight over Alessandra¡¯s head. This wasn¡¯t through ack of understanding on her part, more to do with the raging burn in her brain that glowed so brightly, nothing else could prate. If she had ws she would scratch Kerstin¡¯s eyes out without a second thought. With a snap, she knew who Kerstin reminded her of and why she¡¯d taken such an instant dislike to her. She reminded her of all the women she¡¯d ever seen photographed on Christian¡¯s arm. His interest in her¡ªthe way he leaned in closely to hear what she had to say, the obvious interest in his expression¡ªwas all so clear a highly polished window couldn¡¯t have been more transparent. Feeling everything inside her clench, she forced her ears to tune in to the conversation. Now it really did fly over her head. When it came to financial matters, the most Alessandra ever needed to know was the amount in her personal and business bank ounts and what ie and outgoings she had. When she heard the word securities banded about in all earnestness, the only thing her brain conjured up were her bodyguards. She wasn¡¯t stupid; she knew that. But finance was its own separatenguage, one she didn¡¯t know how to trante. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Kerstin did. Kerstin spoke fluent finance. Alessandra ced a hand on her belly as if by covering it she could protect the tiny life within from the thoughts raging through its mother¡¯s head. By marrying her, Christian had deprived himself of a marriage that would be far better suited to him. Kerstin would be perfect. She had the physical attributes he so desired¡ªAlessandra doubted any man would get bored of making love to her¡ªbut, more importantly from her husband¡¯s point of view, there would be no juggling of time, nopromise. Kerstin would flit into his life as if she¡¯d been born there and then, when her father retired, she and Christian would take over the running of his bank together. Dio, now her brain was running away from her. She couldn¡¯t make it stop. They¡¯d been in the woman¡¯spany for twenty minutes and already Alessandra had mapped her entire future out for her. Christian had never wanted to marry. He¡¯d given up his freedom for their baby. He was trying to amodate the mother of his baby into his life as well as he could. He might never have wanted to marry but he did want children. If he¡¯d met Kerstin tonight as a single man, would he too have grasped what an ideal wife she would have made for him? They¡¯d have been perfect together, could have made beautiful babies over a set of spreadsheets then whispered sweet nothings about the world of finance into each other¡¯s ears until the early hours of every morning. ¡®Are you okay?¡¯ Christian asked quietly, breaking into her runaway thoughts. She swallowed and jerked a nod. ¡®I think I have indigestion,¡¯ she said, uttering the first thing that came into her mind. His blue eyes studied her, a question mark in them. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®I must have eaten too many spanakopita,¡¯ she expanded, referring to the mini filo-pastry pies stuffed with spinach and feta she¡¯d taken a liking to. At herst count she¡¯d eaten eight of them. Her appetite had deserted her now. Her stomach felt so tight she doubted anything would go down. ¡®Would you like to go home?¡¯ Did he have to look so concerned when she was ying an imaginary game of marrying him off to someone else? A more suitable someone else. ¡®No, I¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ She forced a smile. ¡®Carry on with your conversation¡ªI need to visit the bathroom.¡¯ A few minutester, after a sharp talking to herself in the privacy of a cubicle, she was washing her hands when Kerstin walked in. The hot, burning feeling in Alessandra¡¯s brain immediately started up again. ¡®Is something the matter?¡¯ Kerstin asked. Dio, now Christian¡¯s future imaginary wife was looking at her with concern. ¡®Not at all.¡¯ She forced another brittle smile. A knowing expression came into Kerstin¡¯s eyes. ¡®My sister have a baby soon. You are the same, ja?¡¯ ¡®How can you tell?¡¯ Not only was she beautiful and intelligent but also psychic. ¡®My sister has had many babies,¡¯ Kerstin said with augh. ¡®Please don¡¯t tell anyone,¡¯ Alessandra beseeched. ¡®We¡¯re not ready for the world to know.¡¯ ¡®All those men chasing you with their cameras...is not nice.¡¯ Beautiful, intelligent, psychic and empathetic? Had a more perfect woman ever been born? Kerstin looked openly at Alessandra¡¯s belly. ¡®I think you hide it for not much longer. Soon you will show.¡¯ She stated thetter with such certainty that for a moment Alessandra was tempted to ask exactly how muchter, right down to the hour. Instead she fought back the sudden spring of hot tears welling in her eyes. Kerstin saw them too and ced aforting arm around her shoulder. ¡®Your hormone will feel better soon.¡¯ Alessandra gave a shakyugh, epting the tissue Kerstin magically produced. At least she had one advantage over the beautiful German woman. Her own English was much better. * * * ¡®You¡¯re very quiet,¡¯ Christian said. They¡¯d been in the car for ten minutes since leaving the embassy and Alessandra had spent the entire time gazing out of the window. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 She¡¯d be increasingly quiet since their wedding. It was only tonight, when she¡¯d been her old, sociable self, that he¡¯d realised quite how withdrawn she¡¯d be. Was he the cause? Had his mother¡¯s prediction already starteding true? He wanted to reach out to her and find out what troubled her but didn¡¯t know how. She raised a shoulder¡ªthe bare shoulder he¡¯d spent the evening trying not to stare at. It had been an effort of epic proportions that had failed. That one naked limb had acted like a beacon to his eyes. The rest of her had acted as a beacon to his senses. Holding her hand, feeling her warm, slender body brushing against him... All the good work he¡¯d done in recent weeks building a distance from her had crumbled. Theos, he ached for her. Ached to possess her all over again with a burn so deep it was like fighting through treacle fog to remember why he had to keep his distance. ¡®Are you going to take Kerstin on?¡¯ she surprised him by asking. ¡®I haven¡¯t decided.¡¯ On paper Kerstin was an ideal candidate for his ever-growing empire, having the perfect qualifications and aptitude. Her father was a long-standing, respected member of the finance community. Yes, on paper she was ideal. But he hadn¡¯t imagined the tension emanating from Alessandra when he¡¯d been talking to her. He didn¡¯t want to do anything that would make his wife ufortable. ¡®I think you should.¡¯ N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡®What? Take her on?¡¯ Alessandra turned her head to look at him. Her features were still, sombre, even. ¡®She¡¯s perfect.¡¯ It was too dark to read her eyes. ¡®If I were to take her on in the capacity she and her father have requested, she will do a lot of travelling with us,¡¯ he stated carefully. ¡®She will do a lot of travelling with you,¡¯ Alessandra rified. ¡®In another month or so, we can stop zigzagging the world together. Our schedules will thank us for it,¡¯ she added drily. ¡®Let us consider that in another month,¡¯ he said, his mouth filling with an acrid taste at the thought of travelling without Alessandra by his side. The acridness turned sweet as he thought of how travelling made her sleep. How many hours had he spent these past few weeks on his jet, taking advantage of her oblivion to study her sleeping form, reminding himself over and over why he could only look at her? Theos, he wanted to touch her so badly. She raised her shoulders in a sign of nonchnce, a smile ying on her lips. It was too dark to tell if her eyes smiled too. ¡®I do think you should consider taking Kerstin on. Every billionaire should have a decent prot¨¦g¨¦e.¡¯ ¡®I thought our child would be a good candidate as my prot¨¦g¨¦.¡¯ ¡®It will be a long time before our child is old enough for that. Consider Kerstin as practice.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡¯ he mused. Taking Kerstin under his wing would certainly strengthen the ties between himself and her father, Gregor, a very powerful man in the European banking world. To take Kerstin under his wing would put Gregor in his debt. Debts of a personal nature were their own form of currency. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate. As Alessandra had pointed out, Kerstin was perfect. She was highly intelligent, multilingual and already had an excellent grasp of his business. His job would involve fine-tuning that grasp. Moonlight seeped in the windows, the light bouncing off Alessandra¡¯s bare arm, giving it a silver glow. That naked arm. How could any man concentrate on anything for longer than a few seconds with that in his eyeline? All it made him think of was the rest of her naked too. Do not think of her naked. It was hard enough sitting in an enclosed cabin in the back of a car with her without bringing memories of her beautiful naked form to his mind¡¯s eye. Self-enforced celibacy clearly did not agree with him. How could any man cope with celibacy whilst living with such temptation? He gave a silent prayer of thanks as his driver turned the car into the long driveway. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 They were home. In silence they entered the vi. The live-in staff had long since retired to their own quarters for the night. Tiny nightlights glowed from the reception through to the living area and up the stairs, bathing Alessandra in a dim light that magnified her sultry beauty. The ache in his groin, far from diminishing as he¡¯d valiantly willed it to do in the car, increased, his arousal spreading from his loins... That damn bare arm... She paused at the bottom of the staircase to look at him. ¡®Thank you for a nice evening¨C¡¯ ¡®You have enjoyed yourself?¡¯ he cut in, dying the time she would climb the stairs and head to her room. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t go that far,¡¯ she answered with a wry smile. ¡®It was hardly a night of music and dancing but it was a lot less stuffy than I expected.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s good. I don¡¯t want you feeling ufortable when we go to these functions.¡¯ She nodded, looking away. ¡®Well, good night.¡¯ He inclined his head in return, fighting to keep his feet from crossing the marble floor to her. ¡®Good night.¡¯ Holding on to the rail, she climbed the stairs and crossed thending to her bedroom. Only when she reached her door did she turn her head to look back round and gaze down at him. Then she disappeared inside her room, closing the door firmly behind her. CHAPTER THIRTEEN ALESSANDRA¡¯S PHONE VIBRATED in her pocket. Grimacing, she fired off a couple more shots then carefully let go of her camera, which she kept around her neck. ¡®You can change into the next set now,¡¯ she said to the model standing in front of the white board, wearing nothing but a pair of skimpy knickers and bra. She¡¯d spent the past three days working on a shoot for a well-known lingerie brand. With a waist that seemed to be thickening by the day, spending days with semi-d underwear models was not doing a great deal for her ego. Her pregnancy would soon be obvious to everyone. She pulled her phone out, her heart skipping to see Christian¡¯s name sh up. She read his message: Justnded. How long are you going to be? Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She fired off a quick reply. A couple of hours. Meet you at my apartment. When they weren¡¯t physically together, mostmunication between them was done via messaging. She¡¯d steered it that way. The first time he¡¯d called after the embassy do a month ago, her hands had gone mmy just to see his name sh up in the screen. She¡¯d stared at it until it had gone to voicemail, wiped her hands and written a quick message back, apologising that she¡¯d missed his call. He¡¯d messaged straight back. The next few times she¡¯d done the same¡ªavoided the call and then messaged him. Since then, he¡¯d taken to messaging her without bothering to call. It made it easier for her. Having his rich tones y directly into her ear made more than her hands mmy. Shoving her phone back in her pocket, she forced her concentration back to the skinny model, who¡¯d changed into anothercy number with the help of an assistant, uncaring of who in the studio saw her fully naked. ¡®Left arm in an arc above your head please,¡¯ she said, lifting her camera back up to her face. When the final frame was taken she packed her camera away, had a quick chat with her assistant, who was happy to pack everything else up, and left the building. Soon she was nodding at the concierge and climbing the stairs to her apartment, grabbing the extra seconds gained by not using the lift topose her thoughts and get her emotions in check. Only three days apart, the longest since they¡¯d been married. She¡¯d hoped the distance would be good for her. Christian sat at the dining table, cradling a coffee and eating a bowl of pasta. ¡®I saved you some,¡¯ he said by way of greeting. ¡®I thought you might be getting hungry.¡¯ Alessandra had taken her health seriously from the moment she¡¯d realised she was pregnant but since she¡¯d entered the second trimester, she¡¯d be fanatical about her diet. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Food and calorie intake she could control and she did so rigidly, making sure everything she ingested was as nutritionally perfect for her baby as it could be. It was the only thing she could control. Everything else seemed to be slipping through her fingers. ¡®How was Hong Kong?¡¯ she asked, walking over to her little office space in the corner which was a little too close to the dining table than she liked. Being in Mn made it harder for her to tune Christian out. The apartment she¡¯d always thought of as wonderfully spacious seemed to shrink whenever he was there with her. God knew she was trying to keep her distance from him, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. Thankfully her work load had increased. The days she wasn¡¯t on shoots were spent developing the results, spent in meetings with directors whether in person or via conference calls; being busy. Conversely, Christian¡¯s workload had seemed to abate. He now made it home at a decent time most evenings. Now it was Alessandra holing herself away, burying herself in work. Avoiding him as much as she could. It was the only way she could keep herself sane. She¡¯d never imagined marriage would be so hard emotionally, a feeling exacerbated at Stefan¡¯s wedding to the beautiful Clio a couple of weeks ago. It had been a wonderful asion but watching them exchange their vows had brought everything back about her own wedding day and the hope she¡¯d been foolish enough to allow through. She¡¯d never imagined she would feel so emotional towards him. ¡®No problems,¡¯ he said. ¡®The contract was signed.¡¯ ¡®How did Kerstin get on?¡¯ Good. Her voice was normal as she spoke the German¡¯s name. ¡®Very well. She¡¯s staying in Hong Kong for a few days.¡¯ Kerstin had started working for him a couple of weeks before. Right at the exact time as Alessandra¡¯s nutrition control had taken on a life of its own. Typically of Christian, as soon as he¡¯d decided on a course of action he implemented it immediately. He¡¯d decided they should marry¡ªa monthter it was done. He¡¯d decided to employ Kerstin¡ªa fortnightter she was his new prot¨¦g¨¦e. ¡®That¡¯s good.¡¯ Taking a seat at her desk, she fired up herptop. ¡®Are you working?¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t have to leave for half an hour.¡¯ ¡®I wanted to talk.¡¯ ¡®About?¡¯ ¡®We need to start looking for a proper house here in Mn. One we can raise a child in.¡¯ She shrugged. ¡®Go ahead.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve spoken to a property agent.¡¯ ¡®Naturally.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve shortlisted a couple of homes we can look at after we¡¯ve seen the obstetrician.¡¯ She could feel his eyes upon her as she ced her memory stick into the side of theptop. Her hands trembled. ¡®We need to get moving on this,¡¯ he continued. ¡®I¡¯ve asked the agent to provide a valuation for this ce too.¡¯ She snapped her head round to stare at him. ¡®I don¡¯t want to sell it.¡¯ His eyes narrowed. ¡®We agreed...¡¯ ¡®No, you agreed. I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m ready.¡¯ Christian counted to ten in his head, fighting to keep his features neutral. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. He pushed his bowl across the table and got to his feet. ¡®We should leave now.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve plenty of time.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s always good to be ahead of the traffic.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to argue with her, especially not prior to their appointment with the obstetrician, but if he stayed another minute in this damned apartment he would go crazy. He¡¯d given her carte nche to redecorate all his homes to her own taste so she woulde to think of them as her homes too, and what did he get in return? Nothing. This was Alessandra¡¯s apartment, not his. She had no intention of ever making it theirs. It probably wouldn¡¯t bother him so much if not for the fact that the distance between them now came from her, a state of affairs that had grown since the embassy function. Even at Stefan¡¯s wedding she¡¯d been distant, when normally she thrived at social events. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 If he¡¯d thought she was happy with the status quo it wouldn¡¯t disturb him so much but, whenever he looked in her eyes, all he saw was unhappiness. When she was with him, she withdrew into herself. He was doing everything in his power to bring her spark back but she resisted at every turn. There were times when he thought he saw glimmers of it, generally if a magazine was released with her photography in it or if they passed a billboard she¡¯d created¡ªher face would light up like an enchanted child¡¯s. It pained him to see her so withdrawn. It unnerved him. It reminded him too much of how things had been with his mother, when nothing he did made any difference to her mood. Today, he was determined to get to the bottom of it¡ªhe would learn whatever it was troubling her and fix it, whether she wanted to talk about it or not. She must have seen the no-nonsense light in his eyes for she pursed her lips together, pped the lid of herptop down and grabbed her handbag. ¡®Let¡¯s go, then.¡¯ * * * All was good with the obstetrician. Alessandra was healthy. Her blood pressure was normal. Their baby¡¯s heartbeat was strong. Yes. All was good. Christian always left those appointments feeling lighter. The good feelings dissipated quicker than normal this time. They¡¯d visited a number of homes in excellent parts of Mn, allrge enough to raise a football team, if they so wished, with rooms to spare. Alessandra¡¯s interest had been minimal. Grudging. It only added to his intuition that something was seriously wrong with her. ¡®Let¡¯s get something to eat,¡¯ he said after the third viewing. Maybe she was tired. She didn¡¯t argue. ¡®Where do you want to go?¡¯ He was about to suggest somewhere quiet where they could talk but had a shback of their date and the trendy restaurant she had led them to. The lively atmosphere there had certainly yed its part, along with the alcohol, in loosening them up. Maybe it would have the same effect on her again. ¡®Let¡¯s go to Nandini¡¯s.¡¯ He shook the agent by the hand, promised to be in touch soon and waited for Alessandra to get into the back of the waiting car. Instead she met his eye. ¡®Can we walk? It¡¯s not far.¡¯ He gazed down at her feet. Only small heels on the ck boots she wore. Almost practical. Ever the fashionista, though, she wore a ck-and-white drop-waisted mini-dress. The gap between the hem of the dress and the top of her boots was tantalising him to the point of distraction. If anyone looked closely or from a profile view, they would see the hint of a burgeoning bump beneath it. They walked in silence down the bustling streets, past tourists and locals alike, gazing through windows at the morous wares of the now closed shops, and into a narrow street packed with caf¨¦s and bars. People sat on tables outside, smoking, eating, drinking and enjoying the weather. When they¡¯d dined in Nandini¡¯s thatst time, it had been a Friday evening and the ce had been full of people ready to let their hair down after a hard week of work. Tonight, a Wednesday, it was much quieter. Even the music was on a lower setting, no longer loud enough to burst your eardrums. A waiter took her jacket then showed them to their booth. She slid onto the long leather seat with obvious relief. ¡®Are your feet hurting?¡¯ he asked. ¡®A little.¡¯ She opened the menu. ¡®I¡¯ve been on them all day.¡¯ ¡®Then why did you want to walk?¡¯ It made no sense to him. That was why he had a driver at his disposal at all times. Alessandra shrugged. ¡®I like walking.¡¯ She didn¡¯t add that she couldn¡¯t face sitting in the back of the car with him any more. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She¡¯d felt his irritation at her attitude to the beautiful homes they¡¯d been shown round. And they were beautiful, ptial in size and structure, the kind of homes any little girl dreaming of being a princess would love to live in. But those little girls also dreamt of living in their ptial homes with their princes, not with the man who¡¯d married them so he could have legal rights to their child. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 It wasn¡¯t that she worried he would bawl her out for her ungrateful attitude¡ªGod alone knew, she wished she¡¯d been blessed with acting genes so she could fake pleasure for him¡ªbecause he didn¡¯t bawl her out over anything. She knew when she displeased him, though. He might not verbalise it, keeping his anger contained within him, but it was there in his eyes and the tone of his voice when he wasn¡¯t quick enough to curb it. She wished he would bawl her out. At least it would show he felt something for her, that she was worth expending some hot air arguing with. The main reason she hadn¡¯t wanted to sit in the back of the car with him was because spending time alone with him had the effect of turbo-charging her emotions. It would be easier to contain if it were just sexual feelings but it ran so much deeper than that. Whenever they listened to their baby¡¯s heartbeat, she longed to reach out to him and sp his hand, to unite for those few magical seconds. Sitting alone in the back of the car with him, his hard, warm body so close... She wanted to reach out and grab more than his hand. She wanted to climb onto hisp and nuzzle into that strong neck that smelled so good, taste the smooth skin... Far from the distance she¡¯d imposed lessening these longings, it had only increased them. She needed proper physical distance, and not just emotional distance, because keeping only an emotional distance wasn¡¯t working. The three days apart they¡¯d just had were nothing. Three months might do the trick. At least tomorrow she had an overnight trip to London without him. They ordered their meals and drinks, both opting to go straight into the main course. While they waited, they chewed on breadsticks and made idle small talk. She remembered that first date, here in this restaurant. They¡¯d had to sit close to each other to make themselves heard. They¡¯d talked about anything and everything, their conversation easy. Tonight it felt as if she were dragging barbed wire from her throat. As was normal, Christian¡¯s phone vibrated at regr intervals. ¡®You should answer it,¡¯ she said upon the fourth vibration. He shrugged. ¡®Whoever it is can wait.¡¯ ¡®It might be important.¡¯ N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. His eyes fixed on hers. ¡®This is important.¡¯ ¡®Si, food is very important,¡¯ she answered, as if making light of it could evaporate the growing tension. A bowl of butternut squash and spinach ravioli with strips of crispy pancetta and kes of parmesan was ced before her. She didn¡¯t know which dish she liked the look of more, hers or Christian¡¯s cotoletta a Mnese which looked equally divine. ¡®Would you like to try some?¡¯ He held up his fork, a good helping of breaded cutlet on it. ¡®No, no, you eat it.¡¯ Quickly she forked a delicate raviolo into her mouth, dropping her eyes away from his thoughtful expression. ¡®Are you still travelling to Tokyo next week?¡¯ he asked, referring to a fashion shoot she¡¯d been booked for for one of Japan¡¯s up-anding fashion houses. She was looking forward to the trip. Five whole days away from him. ¡®I was thinking I¡¯d meet up with you there,¡¯ he added. ¡®I¡¯ve some clients in Tokyo I need to touch base with.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t rearrange your schedule on my behalf.¡¯ Never mind the distance she wanted to take advantage of, he¡¯d made enough sacrifices for her. If all his sacrifices had been purely for the baby¡¯s sake, she could have lived with it. But they weren¡¯t. He¡¯d made sacrifices for her too. The more she thought of them all, the more nauseous it made her feel. ¡®I want to,¡¯ he said, his voice dropping. ¡®I think the press are convinced about our marriage now,¡¯ she said, keeping her attention firmly on the bowl of food before her. ¡®I haven¡¯t been stalked for days.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m surprised they haven¡¯t picked up on the pregnancy yet.¡¯ ¡®So am I.¡¯ It was only a matter of time. ¡®I will still travel with you. I don¡¯t like the thought of you being away for a week without me.¡¯ Chapter 64 Chapter 64 ¡®It¡¯s only five days, not a week,¡¯ she corrected. ¡®I¡¯ve been travelling with my job since I was eighteen. I¡¯m perfectly capable of looking after myself.¡¯ ¡®You weren¡¯t my wife then. Is there something wrong with me wanting to spend time with you?¡¯ Yes, she wanted to scream. There was everything wrong with it. Every minute they spent together made her heart hurt even more that their marriage could never be real, that the love she felt for him could never be reciprocated... Love? Where had that thought sprung from? Amore? Frantically she fought with herself to deny it, to refute the obvious. Dear God, had she really fallen in love with her husband? N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. No. She couldn¡¯t be that foolish. She wouldn¡¯t be. In a sh, she remembered the first time she¡¯d seen him, sitting with the rest of the Brat Pack in her brother¡¯s den, drinking beer and watching football. Little Alessandra had taken one look at the blond Adonis and immediately pictured him on a white horseing to rescue her from the tower where the evil witch held her. A young girl¡¯s crush, that was all it had been. She¡¯d had plenty of them: pop stars, film stars¡ªher bedroom walls had been littered with posters of her favourites. Christian had seemed as remote to her young self as they had been. Whenever she¡¯d studied the tabloids with stories and pictures of him, and whoever was thetest woman hanging off his arm, she¡¯d felt a funny tugging deep in the pit of her belly. She¡¯d never understood the feeling or what it meant. But now she did understand it. Her heart had belonged to Christian from that first look. She¡¯d never imagined any of the pop stars or film stars rescuing her on a white steed. Only Christian. He hadn¡¯t rescued her. He hadn¡¯t saved her. All he¡¯d done was unlock her heart. She¡¯d always wondered how his women could swallow his lies, had assumed he must have lied to them to get so many of them into his bed. He didn¡¯t lie. He didn¡¯t need to. Women wanted him regardless. She wanted him regardless. She always had. ¡®Alessandra?¡¯ She darted her eyes to him. ¡®Is something the matter? You¡¯ve gone very pale.¡¯ She shook her head with vigour, part in denial and part to clear the burn scratching the back of her retinas. ¡®Will Kerstine to Tokyo with us?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡¯ ¡®Have you slept with her yet?¡¯ The question escaped before she could contain it. ¡®Ochi! What kind of question is that?¡¯ ¡®An obvious one.¡¯ ¡®No, I have not slept with Kerstin, and I am insulted you would think I have.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t be insulted. It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡¯ A dangerous silence followed. When she looked at him, Christian¡¯s eyes had darkened and fixed on her, a pulse throbbing at the junction where his earlobe met his jaw. Not taking his eyes from her face, he put his knife and fork together on his half-eaten meal and dabbed at his mouth with his napkin, which he then screwed into a ball and released onto his te. ¡®Get your things together,¡¯ he said, rising to his feet and throwing some euros onto the table. ¡®We¡¯re leaving. I¡¯ll wait outside for you.¡¯ She watched him retreat, her heart hammering so hard she could feel the beats in her mouth. Even her legs were shaking, her whole body one mass vibration of cold fear and misery. Their waiter appeared with her jacket. ¡®Is something wrong with your meal?¡¯ he asked anxiously. ¡®No, it¡¯s delicious. My husband¡¯s remembered an appointment, that¡¯s all.¡¯ As promised, Christian stood outside on the pavement with his arms folded. His car pulled up in front of them. Christian didn¡¯t wait for the driver to get out, opening the back door himself and indicating for Alessandra to get in. She waited until the car was in motion before attempting to apologise. ¡®I¡¯m sorry if I...¡¯ Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¡®I am not prepared to have this discussion in the back of a car,¡¯ he said grimly. ¡®But...¡¯ ¡®Ochi!¡¯ he said with such finality she mped her lips together lest she say anything CHAPTER FOURTEEN ONCE INSIDE THE APARTMENT, Alessandra hurried to hang up her jacket and remove her boots. ¡®I¡¯m going to make myself a camomile tea. Do you want anything?¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ Christian¡¯s answer was curt. She could feel his anger rippling beneath the surface, just as it had on the drive back from the restaurant when he¡¯d sat beside her with arms folded so tightly she could see the muscles bunched beneath his shirt. Now his hands were rammed firmly into his pockets. She headed straight for the kitchen area and with shaking hands filled the kettle. Camomile tea, while not the most ptable of hot drinks, was famed for its calming abilities. Maybe it would help soothe the tumult of emotions shredding her. Dio l¡¯aiuti, she loved him. ¡®I¡¯m struggling to understand some things,¡¯ Christian said in a tone calm and reasonable. She could hear the undercurrent of wrath beneath it, though. ¡®I took Kerstin on at your behest.¡¯ Keeping her back to him, she took a teabag from the container. ¡®You wanted her anyway.¡¯ How could he not? Kerstin was perfect. She was everything that she, Alessandra, was not. For a start, Kerstin would never be so careless about contraception. If Christian was to have a family with the German woman it would be because they both chose it and not out of a sense of duty. ¡®Not in the way you¡¯re implying.¡¯ ¡®You should.¡¯ ¡®What should I want? To sleep with her?¡¯ Did he really expect her to believe his incredulity? This from the man who hadn¡¯t touched her, his wife, since the night they¡¯d exchanged their vows. He hadn¡¯tid a single finger on her. ¡®Why not? She¡¯s a beautiful, intelligent woman.¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ he agreed. ¡®That doesn¡¯t mean I want to have sex with her.¡¯ ¡®Of course you do. She¡¯s exactly your type, all long legs and blonde hair.¡¯ Deliberately, she tossed her hair back and shed a smile. Hold it together, Alessandra, please; just a few more minutes, keep it together, then this conversation will be over and you can breathe again. Her fingers dug into the palm of her hands so tightly she could feel her nails pierce the skin. ¡®Honestly, Christian, I think you¡¯re mad for not wanting to sleep with her. She¡¯s perfect for you.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m married to you. I chose you.¡¯ His words cut through her, slicing through her heart and deep into her marrow. Lies. Lies. Lies. ¡®You chose me?¡¯ she asked slowly, her ears ringing, her heart thundering so hard it reverberated through her skin. ¡®You know I did. I made my vows to you.¡¯ Alessandra twisted round so quickly Christian could have sworn she¡¯d performed a pirouette. The smile she¡¯d been wearing since their return to the apartment had been nothing but a mask that now ripped away to reveal the savagery beneath the surface. ¡®You chose me?¡¯ ¡®Alessandra...¡¯ ¡®You chose me?¡¯ Her husky voice rose with every syble. Before he knew what was happening, she¡¯d grabbed her cup and thrown it at the far wall. White china exploded upon impact,rge chunks flying onto the wooden floor, smaller shardsnding like darts around therger pieces. ¡®What the...?¡¯ ¡®You didn¡¯t choose me. You didn¡¯t choose to be my husband; you chose to be a father.¡¯ Her face was dark with colour, her eyes wild, feral. He strove forposure. ¡®Parakalo. Please, agapi mou, I need you to calm down.¡¯ Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Do not call me that. Whatever it means, you don¡¯t mean it.¡¯ ¡®It means¡ª¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t care what it means!¡¯ Her voice had risen to a scream. ¡®You want me to calm down? Don¡¯t you like me throwing cups? Well, how about tes? Is that what Greek housewives do when their husbands don¡¯t want them? Do they throw tes?¡¯ Chapter 66 Chapter 66 The bowl of pasta Christian had been eating out of earlier, which had been left in the sink, went flying the same way as the cup. Without pausing for breath, she swung open the door of the cupboard that contained all the crockery. ¡®Alessandra, that¡¯s enough,¡¯ hemanded. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me what¡¯s enough.¡¯ He lunged for her before she could throw the te she¡¯d taken hold of, grabbing her wrist with one hand and relieving her of the te with the other. ¡®I said that¡¯s enough.¡¯ Heart pounding, blood surging with adrenaline, he kicked the cupboard door shut, flung the te on the work surface then pressed her against it, using his strength and height to trap her. She pushed against him furiously, bucking. ¡®Bastardo! Let me go.¡¯ ¡®I will let you go when you¡¯ve calmed down.¡¯ ¡®I am calm!¡¯ she shouted. ¡®Listen to me,¡¯ he said, trapping her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. ¡®I do not want to sleep with Kerstin. The only woman I want to sleep with is you.¡¯ Her eyes raged with so many emotions he didn¡¯t know where to begin counting them. ¡®Bugiardo. Liar.¡¯ ¡®When have I ever lied to you? Name one instance.¡¯ ¡®I...¡¯ Her voice trailed off, became smaller. ¡®You don¡¯t want me. You¡¯ve rejected me since we married.¡¯ ¡®Not want you? Can you not feel how turned on I am?¡¯ Heughed cynically. As if she could fail to feel his erection pressed against her abdomen. That was what happened when you were starved for the woman you wanted more than you¡¯d thought humanly possible. One touch and the body turned tova, no matter how inappropriate the situation or how vainly you tried to control it. ¡®I thought I was doing the right thing.¡¯ N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Her plump lips parted, closed then parted again. ¡®Why?¡¯ The solitary word came out as a breathless rush, but air did escape, warm, sweet air that filled his nostrils and prated down, burrowing through his skin, his veins, down into his arteries and pumping through him in a great rush of need. Why? All he saw were those lips, luscious invitations to sin. Why? He no longer knew. All he knew for certain in that moment was that if he didn¡¯t feel those plump lips on his again he would never know the answer to anything. He crushed his mouth to hers. There was no resistance. A tiny, guttural noise came from her throat and she melted into him, weaving her arms around his neck, her nails scraping the nape of his neck, her mouth moving beneath his as she kissed him back, kissing him with a violence that made the heat deep within him enme and his heart beat like a thousand drums had been let loose within him. Still devouring her with his mouth, he raised her onto the work surface, her legs parting to wrap around his waist. Her hands were everywhere, yanking at his shirt to loosen it from his trousers and burrowing up, her small fingers sweeping up his chest, marking him with her heat. Theos, but she felt amazing. He found the zip of her dress, was about to tug it down, when Alessandra suddenly wrenched her mouth away from his, pressed a hand to his chest and pushed. ¡®No,¡¯ she said, her tone biting. ¡®Do not try and distract me by trying to have sex with me. I am not a toy to be yed with and then discarded.¡¯ She slid down onto the floor and red at him. Her chest heaved. ¡®You were going to tell me why you¡¯ve rejected me since our wedding night.¡¯ Christian raked a hand through his hair, trying valiantly to stem the pumping of his blood. Her taste was there on his tongue, under his nose. Theos, he wanted to be inside her. Taking deep breaths, he turned away to rummage through a cupboard. Weeks ago she¡¯d brought a bottle of bourbon to keep in her apartment for him, a gesture that had touched him. A gesture he was now thankful for as a method of numbing his heightened body a fraction. He¡¯d been on the brink of losing his control with her. Again. He poured himself a measure and downed it before facing her. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 She leant back against the work surface, arms folded across her chest. This was what he¡¯d wanted just ten minutes ago. For them to talk. For her to tell him what was troubling her. Was it really theck of sex within their marriage that had caused it? Or something deeper? What he hadn¡¯t expected or wanted was for her to demand the conversation start with him. ¡®We married for one reason and one reason only,¡¯ he reminded her. ¡®Our baby,¡¯ she supplied tly. ¡®Yes. For our baby. It¡¯s the only reason we married. We did not marry for ourselves. I became concerned that your feelings for me had developed beyond mere convenience.¡¯ Her eyebrows shot upwards. ¡®You were concerned about my feelings?¡¯ ¡®Alessandra...you are an incredibly sexy woman. I would have shared your bed every night since our wedding but I didn¡¯t want you mistaking good sex for real emotions.¡¯ ¡®Why would you have thought that? Because I¡¯m a woman and incapable of separating my emotions?¡¯ This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡®No.¡¯ It was the light and hope in her eyes when she¡¯d looked at him at their wedding. It was the destion he¡¯d caught glimpses of these past few weeks. Alessandra rolled her eyes but there was a definite tremor in her voice. ¡®And you wonder why I don¡¯t want to sell my apartment? Where else am I supposed to go when our marriage falls apart?¡¯ ¡®That is not going to happen. There is no reason for us to fall apart provided we stick to our original agreement.¡¯ ¡®And what if our original agreement doesn¡¯t suit me any more?¡¯ A cold chill swept up his spine. ¡®This is my home,¡¯ she continued. ¡®You talk about wanting to leave a legacy for our child? Well, this ce is my legacy. It¡¯s the only thing that¡¯s all mine, that I can leave. I¡¯m not prepared to give it up for a man who can¡¯tmit to a real marriage.¡¯ ¡®We have a real marriage. Real to us. We both meant our vows.¡¯ ¡®No, we do not. Our marriage is no more real than a winged unicorn.¡¯ ¡®Where is all thising from?¡¯ he demanded. The thumping in his ribs no longer had any connection to desire or lust. Fear knotted in his guts but he knew not what the fear was of. ¡®You knew the score from the start¡ªit¡¯s what we agreed on. It¡¯s what we both wanted.¡¯ ¡®But now I want something else. I want something more.¡¯ Alessandra had seen the way Ro and Olivia were together. If her brother could find love and be happy... She had found love too. The problem was she had found it with her husband. ¡®More? What kind of more?¡¯ He spoke as if it were a dirty word. ¡®I want everything. I want a husband to sleep with every night, not just for sex but to curl up to. I want to wake up every morning and know that the man I love loves me in return and doesn¡¯t regard me as a means to an end. I want it all.¡¯ Christian looked as if he¡¯d been sucker-punched. ¡®Have you met someone else¡ªis that what all this is about?¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ She stared at him, willing him to understand. She couldn¡¯t hide any more. This was the point of no return. Time for her toy her cards on the table and see where it took them, for good or ill. ¡®There is only you.¡¯ She watched as his powerful body froze, the only movementing from his blue eyes which darkened and pulsed, the look in them as if he were seeing her for the very first time. ¡®Please, say something,¡¯ she beseeched. ¡®For the love of God¡ªAlessandra, that is not what our marriage is about.¡¯ Her heart lurching so violently she feared she would be sick, she brushed past him, reached for the bottle of bourbon, poured a measure then thrust the ss into his hand. After he¡¯d downed it and mmed the ss on the work surface, she stood before him and gazed right into his eyes. ¡®Can you ever love me?¡¯ His face went so white it would have beenical had the situation not been so serious. ¡®Neither of us believe in love. It¡¯s what makes us sopatible.¡¯ Chapter 68 Chapter 68 How she wished she could have a proper drink too. Just as well she couldn¡¯t¡ªthe aroma of bourbon ying under her nose made her belly recoil. Or was that terror of where this conversation was going? Retreat wasn¡¯t an option. Not any more. Their time hade. ¡®This is all your fault,¡¯ she said starkly, holding his eyes, refusing to let their hold drop. ¡®When we married, all I felt towards you was a severe degree of lust. If we¡¯d kept it at sex, I probably would have been fine¡ªlust is intransigent. It would have fizzled out eventually.¡¯ But as she spoke the words, she realised them to be a lie. She¡¯d already been in love with him. ¡®Instead, you withdrew physically,¡¯ she continued. ¡®But you¡¯ve been...good to me. You look out for me but don¡¯t try and inhibit or stifle me. You¡¯re supportive and enthusiastic. You made me trust you.¡¯ Something flickered in his eyes at her utterance of the word trust. She hardly believed it herself but it was the truth. Somewhere along the line she had begun to trust him. She¡¯d fought it and fought it but it had crept up on her all the same. Just as her love for him had. ¡®If I¡¯m such a good guy then what is the problem here?¡¯ ¡®This pregnancy has changed me. You¡¯ve changed me. I deserve love and all that it can give. And so do you.¡¯ ¡®Do you hear what you¡¯re saying?¡¯ he asked roughly, his eyes wild as he took a step back. ¡®All this crap about love when we both know all it does is destroy people.¡¯ ¡®No, it does not! Love only destroys if the person allows it. My father allowed it and so did your mother. We don¡¯t have to be like them.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re right¡ªwe don¡¯t. And we won¡¯t. People who take the risk are weak and foolish and I am neither of those things. I thought you were better than that too.¡¯ ¡®Then I must be weak and stupid.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t be the man you think you want,¡¯ he warned. ¡®I have no capacity to love and, even if I did, I¡¯ve grown up seeing how dangerous it can be and the knock-on effects it has on everyone else. ¡®Where are you going?¡¯ he demanded when she suddenly turned away and headed for her bedroom. ¡®To pack.¡¯ ¡®For where?¡¯ ¡®London.¡¯ ¡®Your flight doesn¡¯t leave until the morning.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll see if I can get a sooner one.¡¯ She flung her wardrobe doors open, pulled out her small carry-on case and ced it on the bed. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. He didn¡¯t love her. He would never love her. He wouldn¡¯t even try. ¡®Can you call me a cab, please?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not going anywhere. Not until we¡¯ve talked this through.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re talking it through right now.¡¯ She selected some clothes and ced them neatly in the case, then dug her phone from her pocket and pressed the app that would send a taxi straight to the apartment building. ¡®We can stay married until the baby is born, so you can have the legal rights you want, and then we can divorce. I¡¯m sure we can find an amicable solution to custody¡ª¡¯ She started to zip her case but Christian wrenched it from her, whipping it away and hurtling it to the floor with a m. She didn¡¯t think she had ever seen him so angry. Not that anger was the correct word for the wildness surrounding him. She could hardly me him. She was destroying the future they had nned. But that had been a future before she¡¯d fallen in love with him. He gripped her shoulders. ¡®We made a promise to each other and our child to be a family. You¡¯re breaking that promise. I will not agree to any divorce.¡¯ ¡®Why are you being so unreasonable?¡¯ she demanded, her own temper rising back up. ¡®You¡¯re still going to get what you want. You¡¯re still going to be a father.¡¯ His hands slid off her shoulders and balled into fists. ¡®Why are you doing this?¡¯ Because I love you. And I know you will never fall in love with me. And to continue living with you knowing I will never have your love will eventually destroy me just as it destroyed your mother and my father. But not to their extent. Never to their extent. Our child will never suffer for it, I swear. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 But the words went unsaid. If she thought for a second there was a chance that in the future his feelings could develop as hers had, she would say them. What kind of idiot fell in love with a man incapable of returning it? Had she been fool enough to hope his feelings would change as hers had? No, she hadn¡¯t been stupid enough to think that. But still she¡¯d fallen for him. ¡®What do you think the press are going to say when they learn our marriage barelysted two months?¡¯ he asked, his voice cold and terse. ¡®Let them think and write what they like. I have finally grown an immunity to them.¡¯ Three months ago, the thought of them crucifying her for the whole of Italy¡¯s delectation had made her want to vomit. Now...let them write what they liked. The fear she had felt of the press since she¡¯d been seventeen had gone. She didn¡¯t know when it had happened, only that it had. She was an adult. She controlled her life, not the press. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®And what about when our child grows up and reads about it?¡¯ he snarled. ¡®Then we will tell our child the truth. There¡¯s been enough lies.¡¯ Every feature on his face was taut but his eyes were hard. ¡®If you¡¯re so determined to go, then go. Take the time to think. When you get back we can discuss this like rational adults and find a way to thrash out a marriage that suits us both.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no way thrashing anything out will change my mind. We¡¯re over.¡¯ He got back to his feet and strolled past her and into the spare room. His room. He¡¯d never wanted to share hers. He shut the door behind him with a m. Blinking back tears which served no useful purpose other than to blind her, Alessandra scraped her hair into a tight ponytail, carried her suitcase into the living area and quickly gathered her work stuff together. Dio, Dio, Dio, get me out of here before hees back out. Please, before my strength deserts me and I throw myself at his feet and beg for his love. She left the building and walked straight into a media scrum. Dozens of paparazzi swarmed her, closing in, leaving her trapped between them and the door she had already closed. ¡®Alessandra, when is the baby due?¡¯ ¡®Alessandra, how do you feel about bing a mother?¡¯ ¡®Alessandra, was the baby nned?¡¯ She never got the chance even to think of a response or a way to escape. The door behind her flew open with such force she lost her footing. Were it not for the strong arms there to catch her, she would surely have fallen. As it was, Christian gathered her to him, protecting her with his strength, and marched her and her luggage deftly through the mob and into the back of the waiting cab. Herst glimpse of him was when he tapped the top of the car to indicate the driver should leave, turned on his heel and marched back through the swarm, parting it as if he were Moses and they were the Red Sea. * * * Christian poured himself another bourbon. He should check himself into a hotel and out of Alessandra¡¯s apartment. She¡¯d spelt out in no uncertain terms that this was her home. Not theirs. His homes weren¡¯t enough for her. He wasn¡¯t enough. Did it really matter if they divorced? He¡¯d still have his legal rights with regard to their baby. He would still be a father. Alessandra would never deny him ess; that he knew with as deep a certainty as he knew anything. She would do the right thing by all of them. So why did it feel as if his world had toppled upside down? And why did he feel so full and nauseous? He finished his drink and poured another. The bottle was now empty. Yes. Time to leave. The freedom and space he¡¯d always cherished so much but had dly sacrificed for his unborn baby was his again to do with as he pleased. Under normal circumstances he would hunt down Ro, Stefan or Zayed and talk them into a night out. But these weren¡¯t normal circumstances. Not for any of them. Ro would sooner spit on him than see him. Stefan had recently shocked them all by marrying Clio¡ªhe hadn¡¯t seen thating¡ªwhile Zayed was spending increasing time in Gazbiyaa, preparing to take over the throne. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 All their lives were changing. He went to grab his briefcase, which he¡¯d left by Alessandra¡¯s corner office. Instead of picking it up and leaving, he found himself sitting at her desk, flipping through the portfolios of her work. As much as he admired all her work, it was their wedding album he spent the most time looking through. These were the unofficial ones taken by Alessandra, a timeline from the start of their wedding week, when their first guests had arrived, right up to the moment they¡¯d got on the dance floor for the Kmatianos. His lips quirked to see a picture of a particrly beautiful but notoriously moody actress smiling for the camera with something ck in her teeth. His heart jolted when he turned the page over to find a montage of photos of the same face. All different angles, all different moods: some smiling, others distant, a couple frowning... One in particr held his attention. The face was staring directly into the camera, a wide, rxed grin on the face, a soft yet suggestive look in the eyes, as if the person wanted nothing more than to take the photographer to a private room and make love to them. Not have sex. Make love. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. The subject of the photographs was him. * * * Christian pulled up outside Vi Mondelli. Turning off the engine, he stared at it in the same way he had stared at it as a poor eighteen-year-old boy on the cusp of bing a man. He¡¯d seenvish splendour before, had walked past the mansions in the most affluent parts of Athens vowing that, one day, he too would live in a home like these. Vi Mondelli was the first of that particr type he¡¯d actually been invited into. Not only invited to cross the threshold but to stay there for a week¡ªand many more weekster on throughout his life, but of course at the time he wasn¡¯t to know that. The Mondellis had weed him, Stefan and Zayed into their home and treated him as if he were their equal, as if he were more than a dirt-poor gutter rat raised by a single woman with callused hands. Now, fourteen yearster, with homes every bit as opulent as the vi and wealth beyond his dreams, he still felt that same tug in his heart. But this tug was for Alessandra. When he¡¯d first visited he¡¯d been full of envy for the people who lived there, brought up with such easy wealth. Or so it had seemed to his eyes. Alessandra had lived in this house almost her whole life, brought here when her father had lost his own house and abdicated responsibility for his children onto his own father. Alessandra had been a baby. She¡¯d grown up feeling responsible for her mother¡¯s death, shunned by her father and raised by an often austere man who¡¯d thought his child-rearing days long finished with. Her only source of love had been her older brother whom, despite all her grumbles at his interfering, she worshipped. For much of Alessandra¡¯s life in this home, that same brother had been absent, away in the US studying, graduating to be a workaholic. More often than not, her onlypany in this vast house were the staff, people sharing a roof with her because they were paid to. All the envy he¡¯d felt fourteen years ago had gone, reced with the sad knowledge that even the richest of people could lead the poorest of lives. Look at him. He, Christian Markos, was now regarded as one of the richest men in the world. He had all the wealth and all the trappings such wealth brought, but in his heart he was still poor. It was only now, at the age of thirty-two, that he¡¯d discovered the path to true richness. He hadn¡¯t even ced a foot on the bottom step when Ro answered the door. Christian looked up at him. ¡®I¡¯m here to see Alessandra.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t seen her in a fortnight. They¡¯d exchanged a couple of text messages. She¡¯d agreed to meet him in Mn for her next obstetrician appointment, but until then she wanted some space. He¡¯d needed space too, to get his head together. To get his heart together. Ro looked him up and down. ¡®And what if she doesn¡¯t want to see you?¡¯ ¡®Has she said that?¡¯ A puff of relief escaped from him. His hunch had been right. For all Alessandra¡¯s promations that she¡¯d rather live in a convent than stay with her brother, this was the first ce Christian had looked when she¡¯d failed to return to her apartment after her Tokyo trip. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 He¡¯d been there waiting for her. A long pause. ¡®No. She doesn¡¯t need to.¡¯ Ro made no effort to move. ¡®Either let me in or I let myself in.¡¯ Now Ro¡¯s face did show some animation, a snarl flitting over it. ¡®You enter my home when I say you do.¡¯ Christian had had enough. He was there to see his wife, not debase himself by getting into a fight with his brother-inw. Raising himself to his full height, he climbed the steps and stood eye to eye with him. ¡®I know Alessandra is your sister but she is my wife and the baby she is carrying in her womb is mine¡ª mine¡ªand I will fight with every breath in my body to protect them. I am going to see her whether you like it or not, so, are you going to let me the easy way or the hard way?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t believe it hade to this, two old friends squaring up to each other. If he wasn¡¯t so heartsick about his wife there would be some room in his heart to mourn the death of a friendship he¡¯d valued so highly and had hoped, until this precise moment, could one day be mended. To his surprise, Ro¡¯s stance rxed a fraction. He looked him over, nodding slowly, his eyes thawing. ¡®She¡¯s in the summer room.¡¯ Christian waited for the catch. When no catch seemed forting, he headed off in the direction he remembered. ¡®Memento vivere,¡¯ Ro called out. The words made him pause in his tracks. He turned his head and supplied, ¡®Remember to live.¡¯ Finally a smile attached itself to Ro¡¯s face. ¡®The best life to live is with the woman you love, si?¡¯ He agreed with a nod. ¡®Living without the woman you love is no life.¡¯ Roughed. ¡®My sister is going to run rings around you.¡¯ ¡®She already is.¡¯ As quickly as Christian¡¯s cheeks raised up into a quick grin, he felt a fragmented piece of him reattach itself. Now to find his wife and see if all the other broken pieces could be fixed too. He found her curled up on the daybed, a cross between a chaise longue and a sofa, reading a glossy magazine. Beneath the simple ck dress she wore, he could see the definite rounding of her belly, safely protecting their baby in its confines. He would give his life to keep Alessandra and their baby safe from harm. She nced up, her eyes widening to see him there. ¡®Christian.¡¯ Her voice sounded hoarse. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®I¡¯vee to bring you home.¡¯ She raised a brow. ¡®Home?¡¯ ¡®Home. With me. Where you belong.¡¯ Sighing, she put the magazine down and swung her legs round, dipping her head. ¡®I told you I wanted some space.¡¯ Her words were muffled behind the sheath of her hair that had fallen in front of her face. ¡®You¡¯ve had enough space from me tost you forever.¡¯ ¡®Nothing¡¯s changed...¡¯ ¡®Everything¡¯s changed.¡¯ Crouching down on his haunches before her, he gently swiped her hair away and ced a finger under her chin. Her gaze met his for a brief moment, honeyed eyes wide with pain. ¡®Answer me one question. Do you love me?¡¯ ¡®Are you trying to humiliate me? Is that why you¡¯vee here?¡¯ ¡®I found the pictures you took of me.¡¯ Her mouth curled in bitterness. ¡®Then you already know the answer.¡¯ ¡®I want to hear it from your lips.¡¯ ¡®Why? Let me have some dignity, please.¡¯ ¡®Because I¡¯ve never heard the words before.¡¯ A glimmer of shock passed over her. She sat up straight and looked at him¡ªreally looked at him. ¡®Never?¡¯ ¡®Never.¡¯ Not from his mother. Not from any of the scores of women he¡¯d had throughout the years, which wasn¡¯t surprising, considering he would leave before the beds had cooled. ¡®Please, agapi mou, if the words are true then say them.¡¯ She¡¯d lost so much colour he feared she would faint. But that was not Alessandra¡¯s style. This was not a woman who wilted under pressure. Her lips mped together, her eyes brimming with tears, he watched her fight to stop from falling. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 ¡®Shall I make it easy for you?¡¯ he said quietly. ¡®How about if I were to tell you that I love you? Would that make it easier for you to say the words?¡¯ N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Her chest hitched as she gave a sharp nod, still not speaking. ¡®I love you.¡¯ One solitary tear did break free, trickling down her cheek. He wiped it with his thumb. ¡®I¡¯ve spent many hours these past couple of weeks looking at those photos you took of me. You see something in me no one else can. The thing I never wanted you or anyone to see.¡¯ ¡®What thing?¡¯ she whispered. ¡®The man inside. The gutter rat who grew up feeling dirty and unworthy and unlovable.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not...¡¯ He ced a finger to her lips, though the sound of her outrage warmed the coldness inside him. ¡®I¡¯ve been fighting to stop you getting too close since before our wedding night because I knew you were so near to seeing what¡¯s inside me. I thought it would repel you as it does my mother. I knew when you spoke of love in our apartment what you were trying to tell me, but I refused to listen. I didn¡¯t think I deserved your love. I was scared that to fall in love with you would be to destroy you¡ªand you, Alessandra Mondelli, whom I so wish would be Alessandra Markos, are the most precious person in the world to me. Without you, I am nothing. I ept that I¡¯m not good enough for you...¡¯ ¡®Will you stop saying that?¡¯ She dug her nails into his skin. ¡®You are not a gutter rat. You are...everything. Everything you¡¯ve achieved with your life, everything you¡¯ve done... If anyone¡¯s undeserving, it¡¯s me.¡¯ ¡®To me, you are a princess. You deserve all the richness this world can bring, agapi mou, and I will do everything in my power to give it to you¡ªif you¡¯ll let me. I love you and I don¡¯t want to live another day without you.¡¯ Alessandra felt a whoosh of air leave her body. He loved her? He loved her? He loved her! He ced her hands to his chest. She could feel his heartbeat thrumming wildly beneath his shirt. ¡®I thought I couldpartmentalise our marriage in the same way Ipartmentalise my rtionship with my mother. She lives in a corner of my life, safely hidden away from everyone so she cannot hurt me or anyone else. I told myself I would marry you to be a father and not a husband but I was wrong¡ªI wanted you as much as the baby and was desperate to make you mine. I tried to compartmentalise you, not because I was scared of hurting you, but because deep down I knew you had the power to hurt me.¡¯ ¡®I have the power to hurt you?¡¯ she whispered, gazing at the man she loved so much. ¡®More than you could ever know. Throughout my childhood I wanted nothing more than to make my mother proud and for her to love me. The power she had over me, the power to hurt me... I swore no one else would ever have that power. But then you came into my life and nestled straight into my heart and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I used to fear that falling in love with someone would curse them, make them turn into her. But you could never be like her. She took her heartbreak and bitterness out on me. You would never do that to our child. There hasn¡¯t been anyone else since that first night we had and I know there never will be. Only you.¡¯ He brushed a thumb over her lips. ¡®I was desperate for you to sell your apartment, not because I thought it made sense in any way but because I felt excluded from it.¡¯ He allowed himself a crooked smile. ¡®I was jealous of an apartment.¡¯ She leaned forward and rubbed the tip of her nose to his, unable to believe this was really happening. From feeling as if she would never feel the sun on her face again she could feel its beams spread through her. He loved her! ¡®I was also afraid that if you had a bolt hole to escape to you would be more tempted to use it,¡¯ he continued. ¡®I should have guessed you would use this ce as your bolt hole.¡¯ ¡®I couldn¡¯t face being in the apartment without you,¡¯ she confessed. ¡®So I turned up at Ro¡¯s door iming asylum.¡¯ Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Heughed. ¡®He must have been delighted to know we¡¯d fallen apart.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ she said thoughtfully. ¡®When he realised I was actually in love with you, the chip he¡¯d been carrying went. He became my brother again.¡¯ His lips were so close to hers. She craned her neck forward, suddenly desperate to feel them upon her, to be cradled in his embrace but he gripped her neck at the side, gently but with enough firmness to stop her moving. ¡®So, you do love me?¡¯ For the first time she saw his vulnerability. ¡®Yes. I love you. With everything I have.¡¯ She¡¯d hardly finished speaking before his mouth crushed hers, his essence filling her with such sweetness the tears really did fall. ¡®Oh, my love,¡¯ he said, wiping her tears away. ¡®I never want to see you cry.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re happy tears,¡¯ she said with a sniff. ¡®You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s always felt unworthy¡ªI¡¯ve spent my whole life feeling like a poisoned chalice, put on Earth to destroy anyone who gets close to me.¡¯ She stroked his cheek. ¡®I wanted you to employ Kerstin because I thought she was the perfect woman for you.¡¯ Incredulity spread over his face. ¡®You were trying to engineer me being with her?¡¯ ¡®I thought she could make you happy. You wouldn¡¯t have topromise your time or sacrifice...¡¯ Her words were cut off by a hard, possessive kiss. ¡®You¡¯re perfect for me,¡¯ he said when he pulled away, cradling her cheeks to gaze into her eyes. ¡®Just you. We¡¯ve both made sacrifices. I would make them again a thousand times over.¡¯ He bowed his head and brushed his lips against hers. ¡®I love you. You¡¯re my world.¡¯ ¡®And you¡¯re my everything,¡¯ she answered softly. For the first time Alessandra felt a tinge of sympathy for her father, who had gone so off the rails when he¡¯d lost the love of his life. After a fortnight without Christian, she had a little insight into what he must have gone through. She would never be able to forgive him, not for the way his actions had so hurt Ro¡ªand they had hurt her brother more than her because Ro remembered a time when their father was a loving man who had adored his small family¡ªbut a whole chunk of the bitterness she felt towards him fell away. ¡®I love you, Christian.¡¯ ¡®Always.¡¯ ¡®Always.¡¯ And they did. EPILOGUE ¡®IT¡¯S A GIRL!¡¯ Alessandra didn¡¯t know who was the most excited at the giving of the news¡ªthe obstetrician or her husband, who announced it in unison while the midwife held the baby¡ªher daughter¡ªup for a few brief seconds before the cord was cut and they whisked her away to clean her up Christian was back at the top of the table, bed or whatever it was she wasid upon, raining kisses all over her face, muttering prayers and thanks in Greek, English, Japanese, Cantonese and any other ¡®You are wonderful,¡¯ he said into her ear in a reverential fashion. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®You¡¯re pretty wonderful yourself.¡¯ Sheughed, stroking his hair. It felt good tough. It felt even better when they ced her daughter on her, allowing a little skin-on-skin time before whisking her back off for swaddling. ¡®Look in my bag,¡¯ she whispered. ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®Just look. There¡¯s an envelope in the side pocket.¡¯ Doing as he was bid, Christian tore the envelope open and studied the document inside. After long moments he faced her, his eyes brimming with so much emotion it was like looking into an overflowing bucket. ¡®Thank you, Kiria Markos.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re wee Kyrios Markos.¡¯ It was a document making official Alessandra¡¯s name change from Mondelli to Markos. This was her gift to him, her statement to them both as much as to the world that they were a unit. Their love was for keeps. Cut one and both would bleed. Their baby made them a family. She wanted their little family all to have the same name. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 ¡®There is one little problem.¡¯ ¡®Oh?¡¯ He reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelope. Inside was a document making official Christian¡¯s name from Markos to Mondelli. Thus, when their swaddled baby was handed to them properly to begin their journey as a family, the first thing their daughter heard was the sound of her parents¡¯ughter. As beginnings went, it couldn¡¯t be bettered. * * * ¡®Three, two, one, drink!¡¯ In unison, Christian and Ro raised their sses to their mouths and downed their shots. ¡®To Letizia Markos,¡¯ said Ro, picking up his next shot. ¡®To my beautiful baby,¡¯ Christian agreed. ¡®And to my beautiful wife.¡¯ ¡®Three, two, one, drink!¡¯ Christian had already celebrated the birth of his baby with Ro, Zayed and Stefan four months before. Tonight it was Alessandra¡¯s turn. She was having her own version of wetting the baby¡¯s head in the bar next door with her sister-inw and some other friends. He suspected theirs would be a much more civilised affair than his had been. But not by much. Thinking about it, he realised Alessandra hadn¡¯t drunk any alcohol for well over a year, what with the pregnancy and then the four months of breast-feeding she¡¯d done. Her tolerance would be minimal. Theos, and she¡¯d insisted on wearing her five-inch heels. He was all set to bolt out of the bar and hover over her like her own personal guard when Ro called the barman over for another round. ¡®Now we need to drink to baby Mondelli,¡¯ Ro said with a knowing look. ¡®Baby Mondelli?¡¯ It took a moment for the penny to drop. ¡®Olivia, she is...?¡¯ Ro couldn¡¯t hide the beam on his face. ¡®Yes. I¡¯m going to be a father.¡¯ ¡®That is wonderful news!¡¯ Embracing in a manly fashion, the two men then downed their final shots, got to their feet, walked out of the bar and into the next one, both eager to be with the women they loved above all else. * * * * * Look out for the next instalment of SOCIETY WEDDINGS: THE SICILIAN¡¯S SURPRISE WIFE by Tara Pammi. Coming next month! Read on for a SOCIETY WEDDINGS Exclusive! DELETED SCENE N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ALMOST ELEVEN AND THE streets were packed, the evening balmy. As they passed loud party- goers, all Alessandra could think was that her night was almost over. Every step took her closer to her apartment. Soon she would be left to nothing but her thoughts. Such awareness. All she could feel in her skin was him. He walked beside her, so near yet so far. For the first time that evening, talk between them became stilted, a real tension having sprung up, an air of anticipation hanging, ready to be grabbed hold of. Was it her imagination or had Christian¡¯s pace slowed too? However slowly they walked, they arrived at her apartment much too quickly. ¡®Are youing up for coffee?¡¯ she asked, pressing the code to enter the building. He shook his head. ¡®I¡¯ll walk you to your door and then head to my hotel.¡¯ Compared to the noise of the Mnese streets, the building that housed her apartment was quiet. So quiet, she could hear her own heartbeat. The security guard ordered the lift and in painful silence they rode up to the third floor, Christian beside her, his strong jaw clenched. ¡®Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay for coffee?¡¯ she asked softly, looking at him as she unlocked her door. ¡®Or more champagne? I¡¯ve a bottle in the fridge.¡¯ A pulse along his jawline throbbed, his Adam¡¯s apple rising and falling. ¡®I need to go.¡¯ ¡®Well...thank you for a lovely evening. It¡¯s been fun.¡¯ He nodded, looking over her shoulder into her apartment. She¡¯d left a light on in the main living area, a warm glow permeating through the vast space. She leaned forward onto her toes, cing her hands onto his shoulder, moisture filling her mouth as she anticipated the customary kiss goodbye. ¡®Good night, Christian.¡¯ Chapter 75 Chapter 75 His chest rose, and his lips mped together, a deep breath expelling from his nose. He ced a hand loosely on her hip. ¡®Good night, Alessandra.¡¯ She ced her lips to his cheek, breathing in his scent, the champagne and bourbon that yed on his tongue, her skin delighting to feel his mouth brush against her own cheek, their faces moving in sync to kiss the opposite cheeks. What would those still firmly mped lips feel like against her own? she wondered, moving her mouth to press lightly against them and discover for herself. He didn¡¯t move, his breathsing even deeper, his body as rigid as a board. The fingers holding her hip tightened, a subtle movement that enticed her to press herself closer so all that separated them were the clothes they wore. She felt the slightest of softening in his unyielding form, enough to embolden her further to slip her fingers beneath the cor of his shirt and gently graze his smooth, warm skin, her lips still chastely ced against his. A guttural noise came from his throat, a groan that reverberated through her skin and seeped down low, right into her pelvis. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. She scraped the nape of his neck with her nails, breathing him in more deeply, his masculine scent filling her senses in the most delicious way. And then the statue came to life, his hand rising to sp the back of her head in a firm, hard grip, his lips parting. Then he was kissing her, kissing her with a violence that made the pulsations deep in her core enme and her heart beat like a thousand drums had been let loose within her. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!