Secret Heirs: Baby Scandal

She turned, her gaze meeting his, and another pang of guilt rushed over him. She looked so tired—but there was still a hint of the feisty woman who’d met him just a few hours ago. Their differences were far from settled. But this wasn’t something which could be settled overnight. This was much more, and the full implications of what Serena’s presence in Greece meant finally hit him.

What he did now would affect not only his life but his child’s—and Serena’s. Despite that, he didn’t regret the deal he’d put to her. It had presented itself so innocuously that at first he hadn’t seen it as important, but he knew that without it Serena would have walked away from him for ever, taking his child too.

It was far too close to the pain of his own childhood, and thoughts of his father’s blatant denial of his existence rushed forward like the tide with gale force winds behind it. He’d watched him withdraw until he could no longer look at his only son. There was no way he was going to deny his child existed, ignoring it like an inconvenience.

For the first time ever he knew he wanted to be different. Better. He wanted to be a father in every way—to be there each day and each night for his son. But to do that he needed Serena to stay with him...something his mother had been unable to do.

Those thoughts jarred inside him as he made a call to organise an evening meal to be brought in, trying not to think beyond that moment. He joined her on the balcony, where the warm evening air was finally cooling as he stood next to her.

It had been the same kind of warm weather the night he and Serena had walked along the beach for the last time. That night should have been for them to say goodbye, but one kiss had turned it into so much more.

His pulse began to pound like a drum and the hum of desire warmed his blood as he remembered the night that had changed his life for good.

He’d taken Serena in his arms, knowing it was time to say goodbye, to push her away, to deny himself the love which shone in her eyes each time they met. She deserved more than a cold-hearted man such as him: a man who could not and would not allow love into his life—and never into his heart.

She’d whispered his name as she’d kissed him, and he’d held her so tight, deepening the kiss, his hands caressing her body, committing to memory each and every curve. As passion had swept them away the champagne supper he’d organised as a farewell meal had lain abandoned beside them on the blanket. With the moon and the stars shining above them he’d made her his one last time, without thought of anything else.

‘Nikos, I love you,’ she’d whispered as his pulse rate had returned to normal.

Every drop of blood within him had frozen, crystallising in his veins, choking him. It wasn’t possible. He was unlovable. Hadn’t his mother said as much? Then, as the ice had splintered around them, he’d realised what had happened. He hadn’t used any form of contraception. He had broken the one rule he’d always followed and in doing so had exposed himself to the possibility of fathering a child.

Before he’d known how he’d been standing on the sand, looking down at her, with the blanket rumpled beneath her and the glasses of champagne spilt. Fury had boiled inside him at how easily he had been distracted. What if this moment of mad lust resulted in a child? He didn’t want to be a father. He couldn’t be a father.

As memories of that night rushed through him he knew that whatever he’d previously thought he could not turn his back on his child—ever. But that night he’d spoken starkly, each word more forceful than the last. ‘If there are consequences of what has just happened you will tell me.’

Anger had blinded him to anything else, and the evening he’d planned had dissolved around them. She’d got up, dusted the sand from her clothes and looked at him, her beautiful face paling. Before he’d been able to say anything else she’d fled, running from him as if he was the devil.

The damning words of love she’d said had replayed in his mind like a haunting melody, and with a cowardice he’d never before known he had remained where he was, watching her run from him.

Now she stood resolute and courageous on his balcony, with her gaze meeting his and the gold glow from the city casting shadows around her. For the first time he’d recalled what she’d said that night. That she loved him. Fear gripped him—not because of what she’d said, but because briefly he’d believed he could love her. If only his childhood experience of that powerful emotion had been different.

‘Excuse me. I will get the food,’ he said quickly, grateful of the distraction.

He didn’t want to think about what those words had meant, much less acknowledge them.

* * *

Exhaustion swept over Serena and she knew she couldn’t eat another bite of the delicious meal or engage in any more small talk. She had to sleep. She couldn’t put it off any longer and wished she’d insisted on a hotel. At least that would have given her some much needed time alone.

‘I’ll show you to your room,’ Nikos said, and he stood up, uncannily reading her thoughts.

He dominated the room, looking so handsome her heart hammered, but she couldn’t let that sway her. She had to remember what he was capable of.

She should feel relieved that she was to have her own room—that he wasn’t assuming they were going to continue where they’d left off. But she didn’t. It was like a rejection of her as a woman.

‘Thank you,’ she said, reassured by the patience in his tone. It still hurt, but she kept up a facade of defiance, not wanting him to know how disappointed she was and how much she wished things could be different.

Isolation crammed in on her. If only she’d been able to talk to her sister—confide in someone sensible and rational. Sally, eight years older, had always been her place to go for advice, which made the secret she now kept even harder to endure. Especially as it was the very thing Sally desired most in the world. Marrying Nikos was the only way to give that hope back to Sally.

‘I will be leaving early in the morning. I have an important meeting tomorrow. Relax, enjoy the apartment and I will be back at lunchtime.’

His blue eyes were full of concern, and for a moment she thought she saw genuine warmth in them. He stood holding the door open as she walked past him and she caught a hint of his aftershave. Citrus aromas mingled with crisp pine, reminding her of what it was like to be close to him.

‘Sleep well.’

He was leaving her alone—tonight and tomorrow. All sorts of scenarios, from boarding the first UK-bound plane to luxuriating here in his apartment, filled her mind. ‘Aren’t you worried I will leave?’

‘You may do whatever you wish, Serena, but I’m sure you want your sister’s happiness as much as I want to be a part of my child’s life.’

‘You’re hateful,’ she whispered harshly, the reminder of his terms knocking out any misplaced hope she might have been nurturing.

‘Just remember this: no matter where you go, I will find you.’

A hard edge of warning crept into his voice and she swallowed back her retort. Her heart thumped at the implication of his words.

‘Goodnight, Nikos.’ She stood behind the door of her room, using it as a shield against the darkness of his glittering eyes.

‘Goodnight, Serena.’ He turned and walked away, his footsteps on the marble floor as insistent as his voice.

She closed the door and took her phone from her handbag. Two missed calls from Sally. Her heart plummeted with dread. Could she say anything to her without blurting out the sorry tale of her and Nikos? She pressed the button to dial and waited as the call was connected, relieved when Sally answered almost immediately.

‘Serena, where are you? Not in Greece, by any chance, with your handsome fisherman?’

The teasing tones of Sally’s words made her smile, despite the weight of what she wanted to confide in her sister.

‘As a matter of fact, yes.’

‘That’s such good news. I’ve been worried about you.’

Guilt washed over Serena. The last thing Sally needed was more worry than she already had, but she’d always been mothered by her elder sister. She had stepped in when their parents had been too busy avoiding each other instead of being around for their daughters.

‘I’m fine—but what about you?’

‘It’s not good news, I’m afraid.’

The wobble in her sister’s voice nearly broke Serena’s heart. She sat down on the bed, her dizziness making the room slowly turn.

‘I’m sorry, Sally.’ She closed her eyes, feeling the cage Nikos had used to trap her shrinking. There wasn’t any escape now. She had to accept his barbaric terms.

‘It was the last time. I’m never going to be a mother now.’

She could hear Sally’s pain searing at her from across the miles and wished she was there to hug away her hurt. Instead she placed her hand over her still flat stomach and a tear slid down her cheek. Guilt mixed with grief was threatening to overpower her. She couldn’t confide in her now. Not tonight, anyway.

‘We’ll find another way. I promise.’

Serena’s body had turned cold. There was only one other way.

‘Now, you get back to your Greek,’ her sister said, and she could hear her effort to remain bright. ‘And, Serena...?’

Serena’s breath caught in her throat as she registered the pause in the conversation. ‘Yes?’

‘Stop using Mum and Dad’s marriage as an example. Create something better for yourself. If you find love, grab it and hang on to it. Be brave, Serena. Be brave.’

Serena nodded, not able to form any kind of reply, knowing her sister’s advice was well meant. But what if the man you loved didn’t want to love you?

More tears prickled in her eyes and she knew she had to end the call. ‘I will. See you soon.’

With Sally’s goodbye ringing in her head, she cut the connection and lay on the bed, desperately needing to sleep. But her sister’s advice played over and over again in her head. Were her parents and their unhappy marriage the reason why she’d never had a long-term relationship? Had that been why she’d pushed everyone away?

With shock, she realised the truth of her sister’s words and knew it was time to stop hiding from life—and love. The father of her child might not love her, but she loved him. Was that enough—for her and her child?

Other people’s happiness now rested on it. It would have to be.

CHAPTER FIVE

NIKOS’S MOOD WAS dark as he called a halt to his meeting. It had been intense, and there had been moments when his usual ruthless and determined manner had been nudged sideways by thoughts of the redhead he’d left sleeping peacefully in his apartment.

Yesterday his life had been normal. Uninvolved and normal. Now, with Serena’s return, it had been turned completely inside out.

Impatience to end the meeting and return home had made him even more aggressive in his approach to the final stages of the takeover than he would usually be. Abruptly he’d put his deal on the table, insisting further negotiations were off the agenda. He wanted the company badly, but right now he had far more pressing things to worry about.

The most important deal he had to strike was keeping his child in his life—and to do that he had to ensure Serena became his wife. The cruise company could wait.

As he arrived at his apartment several photographers rushed forward and he cursed what he’d told that one opportune photographer last night, when he’d been asked who Serena was. Not for the first time when he was around her, he hadn’t thought of the consequences of his actions. He had known his playboy reputation and current business dealings would make him tabloid fodder.

‘Where is your fiancée?’

They hassled him, their Greek words fast and furious, their cameras clicking.

‘Did you get the deal as well as the girl?’ Another asked as he reached the front doors of his apartment block, with the traffic rushing by almost drowning out the bombardment of questions.

‘I do not have answers to your questions yet, gentlemen, but soon.’

He used the charm he was renowned for, keeping a cool exterior. Inside, emotions he was unfamiliar with mixed with irritation.

He pushed open the door, making sure it was firmly shut behind him as he walked into the cool quietness of the lobby. Several flashes bounced off the white walls as he waited for the lift, his back to the doors and reporters, so as not to give them the photo they wanted.

Since Serena’s text had come through nothing had gone to plan. The business deal he had previously been sure of clinching now hung in the balance, due to his earlier hardened dealings, and he had no idea if Serena would still be there. He’d left her alone purposely, to think through the offer he’d put to her and also give her ample opportunity to leave and get a flight home. Had that been what the reporters meant when they’d asked where she was? Had they witnessed her leave? Seen her get a taxi to the airport?

The thought of being denied his child sent a storm-surge of anger charging through him. Even if she chose to run she was never going to be able to keep him from his child.

The lift swiftly moved upwards. A small part of him wished it would stop, and along with it the whole world, so that he didn’t have to witness and acknowledge that the only woman who’d made him want more had walked away from him. Just as his mother had.

Outside the door of his apartment he paused. Why did this feel so raw? Why was it like standing on the beach as a six-year-old boy waiting, hoping, for his mother to return? For a long time he hadn’t believed his mother had meant it when she’d told him she didn’t love him and that he’d be better off without her, but her continued absence had backed up her cold claim.

Enough. The word snapped in his head like an arrow from a bow. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. He couldn’t influence that any more, but he could control the present.

With renewed determination he unlocked the door and walked in.

The balcony doors were open and sounds from the street drifted up and into the apartment. He strode towards the balcony, feeling as if his heart was in his throat. He wasn’t quick enough to smother a sigh of relief at the sight of Serena, sitting in the shade, typing away on her laptop.

So she was preparing her story, was she? What headline would she use?

‘Working?’ He threw the word at her gruffly, accusation bound tightly up within it.

She physically jumped, her head turning towards him so fast her silky red hair splayed out like a fan around her before falling neatly to her shoulders in a way that snared his attention, reminding him of the times he’d seen it spread across a pillow.

She smiled at him, her green eyes sparkling and alert after a night’s sleep. ‘I wasn’t expecting you back for hours yet—a busy man like you. What with your shipping company to run and the glamorous social life you lead.’

The sarcasm in her voice was not lost on him and he moved closer, lured by something he didn’t yet understand—something he didn’t want to understand.

She returned her attention to her laptop, saving her work before closing it down, and then stood up. His eyes were drawn to her figure and the way her pale green dress hugged her breasts and skimmed her waist. He would never have known she carried his child if she hadn’t told him.

‘It sounds like you’ve been doing some research.’ He should feel irritated that she’d been here in his home, researching him on the internet, but instead he was shocked to find the thought amused him. ‘You could just ask me about my life. After all, you can’t believe everything the papers say.’

‘You weren’t honest with me when we first met, so why should I believe anything else you tell me?’

The light tone of her voice was in complete contrast to the stern look on her face and he fought the urge to pull her to him, feel her body against his and kiss her. He shouldn’t desire her, but he did.

‘You probably know all there is to know now.’

He glanced out at the Acropolis, busy with people visiting in the sunshine. The thought that they should go there wandered idly through his mind.

‘Hmm,’ she said, and walked towards him, testing his restraint too much. ‘It’s a shame I prefer the fisherman I first met to the businessman I now see. But he wasn’t real—was he, Nikos?’

He moved closer, clenching his hands against the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her. Inside, the need to show her he was the same man grew stronger by the second. His guard slipped like a sail unfurled just before the wind filled it. He wanted to tell her he was the same man inside, that he desired her as much as he had when they’d first met, but that would be showing his hand—something he couldn’t ever do.

Then, as if the sail had been filled with the ocean wind, his guard was back, rising higher than ever.

‘Right now I’m not just a businessman. I’m also a fiancé who needs to take his intended bride shopping for a ring.’ He growled the words as his control was tested far more than he’d ever thought possible. What was it about her that made him like this?

‘Out of necessity!’ She tossed the words lightly at him as she walked back into the apartment.

Of course she was right. She was carrying his child, his heir, and he had every intention of doing the right thing. No matter the cost, emotionally or financially, his child would be born within marriage.

Marriage.

The word bounced around inside his head like a shout echoing in a cave, taunting him. Marriage was something he’d never aspired to. There had been no need. He’d never wanted to be a father. But one spontaneous and out of control night had changed all that.

‘We cannot be married without first being engaged.’ His voice was rough and hard as he pushed back emotions from the past that he couldn’t deal with now. He’d always looked forward—looking back only caused pain.

‘Perhaps you’d better look at the headlines today.’ She smiled sweetly and made her way to the kitchen.

He watched her as she poured iced water into two glasses and handed him one.

‘The reporters last night have taken you at your word, judging by their photos.’

His comment last night might have been made without the thought he usually gave dealing with the press, but it had certainly sparked a furore of media interest. He just wished he’d seen it first.

‘Is that a problem?’

‘Of course it is. You’ve made certain I have no option but to accept your absurd deal. But I hate you for it Nikos—with all my heart.’

* * *

Serena saw the colour drain from Nikos’s face. Last night she hadn’t realised there had been calculated planning behind making such an admission to the press, but now she did. It had been made to remove that tiny window of escape, to force her to accept his deal.

She hadn’t arrived looking for marriage—just the opportunity to do the right thing and tell him face-to-face. After her talk with Sally last night she knew deep down she wanted to be with Nikos, to raise his child. But he must never know that—not when he could use her so cruelly after all they’d shared.

It was perfectly clear he didn’t want commitment, and if their last night together hadn’t resulted in pregnancy she would never have seen him again. Somewhere deep inside she’d known that all along, but now he was forcing her into a marriage neither wanted. A marriage just the same as her parents had had, until their divorce a few years ago. One for the sake of their child—and she’d been the one who’d paid the price.

She inhaled deeply. Her child might not have been planned, but she’d never let her child think he or she was a mistake, never make it feel guilty for forcing its parents to be together. The idea of marriage to Nikos had been a far-fetched dream, but now it was a harsh reality that would enable her sister’s dreams to come true. A high price, but one she would willingly pay if it meant Sally becoming a mother.

‘I have a charity party to attend this evening. I need to talk with some business acquaintances. You will come too.’

He’d recovered his composure quickly. The ruthless businessman was well and truly back in control and today he looked even more so than he’d ever done. The fisherman she’d met wasn’t evident at all. The tailored suit that hugged his body with agonising perfection and the crisp white of his shirt shouted professionalism, but the expensive watch on his wrist and gold signet ring screamed success.

Before seeing him this morning she’d already decided she had no choice but to stay, to give marriage to him a chance not just for her child but for Sally. It was Sally’s advice that had taken the sting out of Nikos’s deal, warning her she mustn’t base her life on her parents’ marriage. She had to find her own happiness and she owed it to her child at least to try.

Despite that, she couldn’t keep a cutting remark from leaving her lips. ‘In what capacity? Your fiancée—as you told those reporters last night?

His blue eyes darkened. Glittering sparks shot from them and he set his lips in that all too familiar line that she was fast becoming accustomed to. It was something she’d never seen the fisherman she’d fallen in love with do.

‘Of course. We are to be married—that is why you are still here, is it not?’

‘I’m still here because it helps my sister.’ She threw her retort back at him, infuriated by his arrogance.

‘I will buy you a ring so big there will not be any questions as to my intentions towards you.’

His acerbic tone cut deep, but she didn’t let it show. Instead she took a sip of water. The ice clinking in the glass as her hands shook almost gave away how much his words had hurt.

‘After those newspaper headlines that will save a lot of awkward questions.’

Buying an engagement ring with a man in such a harsh mood wasn’t at all what she’d hoped for. Even though theirs wasn’t going to be a marriage made out of love, she’d hoped the desire and passion they’d once shared would count for something.

‘I had no idea the story would get out. It won’t help my current negotiations if I’m seen to be going back on my word to the woman I’ve proposed to. Are you ready to go right now?’

‘I’m ready,’ she said—though she wondered if she was ever going to be ready to enter into a loveless marriage. It was her parents all over again. Their unhappiness had been her fault, and now she was going to lay that guilt on her own child—but with Sally’s happiness at stake she had little choice...for now at least.

Half an hour later, having been driven through the rush of Athens traffic, she was in an exclusive and very expensive jewellers with an attentive Nikos at her side. His acting skills were incredible, and he lovingly laid his arm around her shoulders as she tried the biggest diamond ring she’d ever seen on her finger.

The assistant gushed, but her Greek words were totally lost on Serena. It was an amazing ring—a big show of wealth—but it wasn’t at all what she wanted.

‘No,’ she said decisively, and the assistant’s smile slipped. ‘This is too big...too expensive.’

‘Expense doesn’t come into it.’

His sexy voice was deep, almost a whisper, sending shivers of awareness down her spine. She reminded herself that it was all for show. She mustn’t for one moment think he cared. He didn’t.

‘Very well—it’s too big.’ She looked at him, unable to keep the confrontation from her eyes. ‘This is much more to my taste.’

She picked up a small but beautiful emerald ring, and was about to try it on when Nikos took it from her, held her hand and slid it on to her finger.

She looked at him and her breath caught in her throat. The intensity in his eyes warmed her from the inside out. Her heartbeat raced and her stomach fluttered. His gaze, darkening to resemble the sea at night, held hers, and she might have been back on the beach, just before they’d made love. His eyes had swirled with the same ardent passion then too.