From One Night to Wife

by Rachael Thomas

  Serena wasn’t sure if it was the movement of the lift or the words he’d just spoken that made her stomach lurch and her head spin. She clutched at the handrail inside the lift and closed her eyes against a wave of nausea.

  * * *

  Nikos moved quickly as Serena’s face paled. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the handrail and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close against him. He could feel her sliding down, so scooped her up into his arms just as the lift doors opened.

  Furious that she’d allowed herself to become so exhausted by travelling all the way to Greece alone, risking his child, he marched towards his door. With each step he took he could feel her body against his, and an unknown emotion of protectiveness swept over him, but he pushed aside the unfamiliar sensation, not wanting to know why or how.

  Swiftly, and with ease, he unlocked the front door and angled himself so he could negotiate the doorway without letting her go. Full of concern, he looked down at her just as her eyelashes fluttered open. Relief filled him as green eyes, full of questions and shock, met his.

  ‘You are supposed to do this after we are married...’ Her voice was weak, more like a throaty whisper, and her pale face looked anxious.

  ‘I always do things my way, Serena.’

  The words came out harder than he’d intended, and he felt her sharp intake of breath as he held her.

  She wriggled in his arms as he made his way into the open-plan apartment. The view of the city lights twinkling beneath the floodlit Acropolis didn’t move him this evening. Concern for Serena and his baby took precedence, as did his guilt at flying her back here tonight.

  He could have made the flight alone, attended his meeting, then gone back for her—but instinct had warned him against that. Everything she’d said had made him sure she wouldn’t meekly be waiting for him to return. He knew she was only here because of the deal he’d offered and nothing more.

  Satisfied that the child she carried was his, he was not going to let her go easily. He was prepared to do anything to create a family for his child. The kind of family he’d craved as a boy and thought he’d never have. It didn’t matter what excuses or what reasons she gave him, he was going to give his child what he’d never had.

  ‘You can put me down now.’

  She pushed her hands against his chest and he heard the strength in her voice returning. As did the spark in her eyes, making them resemble the bright green leaves of spring.

  ‘It was the lift that made me dizzy. It’s been a long day.’

  ‘I will order in something to eat, then you can rest.’

  He let her slide from him, feeling every delectable curve of her against his body, arousing all the passion he’d been suppressing since he’d got the message from her this morning. He couldn’t allow lust to complicate things—certainly not his inability to control it. Lust-filled desire had already caused enough problems.

  She nodded and walked towards the balcony doors. Glad of her acceptance of the situation, he slid open the large glass doors, letting the buzz from the city streets flow in.

  ‘Enjoy the view.’

  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 deali
ngs, 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.’