The sofa was soft and comfortable. Belle leaned back against the cushions and allowed her eyes to close for a few minutes, tiredness engulfing her as it so often did in the middle of the day.
Loukas studied her broodingly. His eyes lingered on the faint swell of her stomach and his insides clenched when he thought of the two precious lives she was carrying. He knew he was not thinking rationally; his actions were instinctive and born of an urgency to take Belle away to the one place he knew he could keep her and the babies safe. No doubt she would accuse him of unfair tactics when she discovered his plans, but she had fallen asleep, and with luck the Ocean Star would be well on its way before she awoke.
For a few seconds after she opened her eyes Belle felt disorientated, before she remembered that Loukas had brought her to have lunch on his friend’s boat. She must have fallen asleep, she realised, as she glanced around the luxurious cabin. And he had carried her here, removed her shoes and put her into bed, all without her stirring. She checked her watch and felt a jolt of shock. How could she have slept for four hours?
Through the porthole she could see calm water, but when she turned her head she was startled to see water through the opposite porthole too. Puzzled, she slid out of bed—and realised with another jolt that the boat was moving. Her dress was creased, and a glance in the mirror revealed that her hair resembled a bird’s nest. Her shoes were nowhere to be seen and she gave up looking for them, pulled open the cabin door and raced along to the lounge.
‘Ah, you’re awake.’ Loukas was sitting on one of the sofas, but he put his laptop aside and stood up when he saw her. Belle’s heart gave a little flip when he strolled towards her, and fragments of the dream she’d had while she had been asleep suddenly became vividly clear in her mind: erotic images of her and Loukas naked on a bed, his aroused body descending slowly onto hers. Colour flooded her cheeks. How could she be thinking of things like that at a time like this? she asked herself angrily. She had given in to her sexual craving for him once before and look where it had got her.
‘You slept right through lunch. Are you hungry?’
‘No.’ She ignored the faint rumble from her protesting stomach. ‘Loukas, what’s going on? Why isn’t the boat moored in the dock?’ Through the bigger windows of the lounge she could see nothing but a vast expanse of water, and panic started to build inside her. ‘Where are we?’
‘I can’t give you a precise location, but we’re heading down the French coast towards Spain—en route to Greece,’ he said casually. ‘We should arrive at Aura in two days’ time. A rather longer journey than by plane, I know, but more relaxing—and an opportunity for us to discuss the future.’
Belle’s temper flared at his equable reply. ‘It didn’t occur to you to ask me first?’ she said tightly. ‘We can discuss things in London. I don’t want to go to Aura.’
He smiled, but his grey eyes were as hard as flint, and his implacable tone sent a chill down Belle’s spine. ‘I’m afraid you have no choice.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t kidnap me,’ she said sharply. ‘For one thing my brother will be expecting me back.’ Guiltily she remembered how long she had slept. ‘He’s probably worried sick about me.’
‘Dan knows where you are.’ Loukas resumed his seat, looking perfectly at ease as he rested his arms along the back of the sofa and stretched his long legs out in front of him. ‘He phoned your mobile while you were asleep, and I had a chat with him and assured him of my intention to accept responsibility for my children. He was stunned to hear that you are expecting twins, and agreed that it will be better for you to live at the Villa Elena rather than on a cramped houseboat—particularly as your pregnancy progresses.’
‘I don’t believe you,’ Belle said wildly. ‘Dan wouldn’t have said that. He knows I need to be in London to run Wedding Belle.’ Admittedly her brother had been concerned that she could not continue to live on Saucy Sue, but he would never have agreed to Loukas taking her to Greece without discussing it with her first. ‘I don’t believe you’ve even spoken to him.’
In reply Loukas indicated the suitcase at the far end of the lounge. ‘He packed a few of your clothes and other necessities, such as your passport, and I had a courier collect your luggage from the houseboat.’
Belle sank weakly down onto the sofa. How many more shocks could she withstand? she wondered. Loukas seemed to think he could just take over her life. ‘Why would Dan have done that?’ she whispered. She had thought her brother was her ally.
‘He wants what is best for you.’
‘Taking me to Greece against my will is hardly best for me,’ she snapped. ‘I insist that you to take me back to London.’
‘And where do you plan to live? The houseboat, with twins, is out of the question,’ he added grimly.
‘I intend to find a flat.’ Even that would not be ideal, Belle acknowledged, but London rents were too expensive for her be able to afford a house with a garden. She sighed wearily. ‘I don’t know what my exact plans are yet. I hadn’t got used to the idea of one baby, and to find out that there are two—’ She broke off and sat twisting her fingers together in her lap while her stomach churned with worry. Her life had imploded and she couldn’t imagine how she was going to juggle being the single mother of twins and working the long hours necessary to make Wedding Belle a success. ‘I don’t know how I’m going to manage,’ she admitted shakily.
She looked so fragile. Loukas felt a curious sensation in his chest, as if his heart was being squeezed in a vice. He wanted his children more than he had ever wanted anything in his life—wanted to be a father to them and love and protect them as his father had loved him. As he stared at Belle’s tense face he felt a fierce wave of protectiveness for her. It struck him that he wanted to make the worry fade from her eyes and see her smile the way she had done when they had been lovers for those few magical weeks on Aura.
‘How do you feel about being pregnant, Belle?’ he asked quietly.
‘Shocked, disbelieving, scared.’ The words spilled from her. ‘I still can’t believe it’s happening …’ She trailed off and pressed a hand to her brow, as if she could somehow hold back the jumbled thoughts in her head.
‘Are you saying you don’t want our babies?’
The question tore at her emotions. She stared at Loukas, and even in the midst of her turmoil she felt a tug on her heart when she studied his handsome face. Would the babies look like him? She pictured little boys with dark hair and flashing eyes, and in that moment the two little lives developing inside her became real. Pregnancy wasn’t just an abstract concept; she was going to be a mother, and the realisation evoked a tremulous feeling of awe inside her.
‘Of course I want them,’ she said huskily. ‘I hadn’t planned to have children at this stage of my life, but I will love my babies.’ She swallowed as an image of her mother suddenly came into her mind. She wished her mother had told her the truth about her father, Belle thought sadly, but she did not question that Gudrun had loved her. The bond between mother and daughter had been so special. Now she was going to be a mother, and she would give her babies the same unconditional love Gudrun had given her. ‘I know things won’t be easy, but I will do my best to be a good mother to them.’
Something strange was happening to Loukas. He felt a curious sensation in his chest, as if the tight bindings around his heart were slowly loosening. Belle was not like Sadie. He walked over to her and dropped down onto the sofa beside her, his body tense with resolve.
‘I’m glad we both share the same desire to be parents to our children.’ He knew what he had to do and accepted that he could no longer avoid commitment. He would do whatever was necessary to claim his children. ‘There is only once sensible choice open to us.’ He looked into her eyes and said fiercely, ‘I want you to marry me.’
CHAPTER NINE
BELLE stared at Loukas incredulously. Of all the shocks she had received, his proposal was the most startling. ‘You can’t be serious?’ she said
faintly.
Her heart was pounding, and the part of her brain still functioning warned her that such violent emotional tension could not be good for the babies.
‘There’s no need for us to take such an extreme step,’ she said sharply, trying to stem her panic. ‘We can both be parents to our children without marrying. I’m sure we can act reasonably regarding access arrangements.’ Even as she said the words she shuddered, picturing herself arguing with Loukas about whose turn it was to have the twins at Christmas, where they would go to school—which country they would live in. Life would be one battle after another, she thought bleakly.
He shook his head. ‘Access arrangements—is that the best we can do for our children, Belle? I intend to be a proper, full-time father, not have a bit-part in their lives—only seeing them at special events or taking them to the zoo on Sunday afternoons.’
His words tugged on her emotions, but they also exacerbated her feeling of panic. ‘A loveless marriage is a toxic environment in which to bring up children,’ she argued. ‘Believe me, I know. I witnessed my mother’s unhappiness with my stepfather all my childhood.’
Loukas frowned. It was the first time Belle had ever mentioned her upbringing, and he was startled by the bitterness in her voice.
‘I don’t want to marry you,’ she told him fiercely.
‘You would rather we fought over our children, constantly vying for their affection by spoiling them with material things and making them feel that their loyalties are torn between us?’ he demanded. ‘What if in the future we marry other partners?’ His voice hardened. ‘I admit I cannot bear the idea of my children growing up with a stepfather who could not possibly love them as much as much as I will, and who might even resent them.’
Just as John had resented her, Belle thought, the colour draining from her face. ‘That will never happen. I don’t plan on ever getting married. I value my independence.’
‘Then keep it,’ Loukas said harshly, ‘but be aware that it comes at a price. Because I will have my children—either through marriage or through the courts.’
Belle gasped. ‘Are you saying you would seek custody of the twins?’ With his money and power there was a good chance he would win any court battle.
‘I hope it won’t come to that. I hope that you will see sense and realise that we need to put aside what we want and give our children what they need most—two parents who are committed to bringing them up in a stable family unit.’
The worst of it was that everything Loukas was saying echoed her own belief that children had the right to be brought up by both their parents, Belle thought wearily. But marry him? She felt as though prison bars were closing around her. After her stifling childhood she had vowed never to give up her freedom. But if she wanted to keep her twins what choice did she have but to marry Loukas?
‘I need some air,’ she muttered, lurching to her feet and swaying slightly on unsteady legs.
‘I don’t want you to go up on deck. You haven’t eaten for hours and you look like you’re about to pass out,’ Loukas said harshly, catching hold of her arm to prevent her from climbing the steps to the upper deck.
He was too much. She needed some time away from him to think. ‘For pity’s sake leave me alone!’ she cried. ‘You’ve always got to be in control, haven’t you? Everything always has to be your way.’
‘Gamoto!’ His black brows lowered. ‘I’m simply trying to take care of you.’
‘I don’t need taking care of.’ She fought free of his hold.
‘You’re so damned stubborn.’ Loukas lifted a hand to rake it through his hair. He saw Belle flinch and he stilled, his hand frozen in mid-air. ‘Belle? Thee mou! You thought I was going to hit you?’
He stared at her, shocked by the look of fear in her eyes. ‘I have never struck a woman in my life,’ he said roughly. She was so tiny, barely more than five feet tall, and she weighed next to nothing. He felt sick at the idea of someone hurting her. ‘Has someone hit you in the past?’ He’d like to meet whoever it was, he thought savagely. ‘Who…?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’ She didn’t want to talk about it. Some memories of her childhood were best left buried.
Loukas slowly lowered his hand, his jaw tightening when he recalled how she had tensed, as if she had expected to feel a blow from him. She looked achingly vulnerable, her eyes enormous and suspiciously over-bright in her white face. He wanted to take her in his arms and reassure her that he would never hurt her, but she looked as brittle as glass and he knew she would reject any overture from him.
‘Look—come and have some food.’ He was careful to make it sound like a request rather than an order. ‘You must be starving. The babies need you to eat,’ he reminded her quietly.
His concern was for the babies, of course, not for her. But he was right. She was hungry, Belle acknowledged. He had walked to the dining table at the far end of the lounge, and after a few moments she followed him and slid into the seat he was holding out for her. Almost immediately a steward appeared to serve a first course of gazpacho.
The chilled tomato soup with its accompaniment of crispy croutons was delicious. Belle’s stomach gave an inaudible rumble of appreciation and for a few minutes she concentrated on eating. Two little lives were dependent on her, and they had to be her first priority.
‘Dan was telling me about his job as a fashion photographer,’ Loukas murmured after the steward had replaced their soup bowls with a main course of baked chicken with a herb and lemon marinade. ‘He’s an interesting guy. I get the impression that the two of you are close?’
Belle knew he was deliberately steering the conversation away from the contentious issue of her pregnancy and she was grateful for the reprieve. ‘We are,’ she said firmly. Now that her mother was gone, Dan was her only relative. ‘His real passion is to photograph wildlife. Every summer we pack up his camper van and head off for some remote moor or woodland where we have to sit patiently for hours so that he can get a shot of a rare bird or toad.’ Her faint smile faded. ‘I guess I won’t be going with him again.’ Taking two babies on a wildlife trip would be too difficult, she thought, feeling a pang of regret for the loss of her old life, where she had been free to do as she pleased. From now on the twins would always come first.
She had forgotten how charismatic and charming Loukas could be, she thought some while later, as they lingered over a dessert of pavlova with fresh raspberries and cream. He had kept the conversation light, discussing the new political thriller by an author they both enjoyed, and telling her that Larissa and Georgios were back from their honeymoon and settling into their new house in Athens. He exerted a special kind of magic over her, and although she knew it was dangerous to fall under his spell she did not seem able to stop herself.
‘How about going up on deck now?’ he invited, with a smile that stole her breath. He had threatened to fight for custody of her babies, she reminded herself. She would be a fool to trust him just because his smile made her heart leap.
She followed him up the steps and took a deep breath of fresh sea air. The evening sunshine was warm and the soft breeze teased her hair back from her face as she leaned against the rails at the stern of the boat. Loukas came to stand close beside her, and her senses flared as the familiar scent of his aftershave stole around her. She did not want to look at him, but her eyes were drawn to his face and lingered on the sensual curve of his mouth. Steel-grey eyes met hers and held her gaze.
‘It would not be a loveless marriage,’ he said quietly. For a second Belle’s heart seemed to stop beating, but it resumed dully when he added, ‘We will love our children. Isn’t that a good enough reason for us to make a commitment to each other and to them?’
‘A commitment, Loukas?’ she queried huskily. ‘I’ve seen the media reports of your playboy lifestyle and your numerous mistresses.’
He shrugged. ‘My business success has made me fair game for the paparazzi, but most of those stories are untrue or exaggerated. I admit I ha
ve not lived like a monk, but I will honour my marriage vows—including forsaking all others.’
He moved before she’d realised his intention, sliding one arm around her waist to pull her up against the hard wall of his chest while his other hand tangled in her hair.
‘In truth it will not be a sacrifice,’ he said deeply, his eyes blazing with a feral hunger that sent a tremor through Belle. ‘I wanted you from the minute I saw you, Belle, and I know you felt the chemistry between us.’ His simmering gaze challenged her to deny it. ‘Our physical compatibility is not in doubt.’
Her brain told her to push him away, to be strong and fight for her independence. He was too powerful, too much in control, and she was terrified of losing her freedom. But her body betrayed her, the voice of caution inside her head drowned out by the pounding beat of desire in her veins. Trapped by the compelling heat in his eyes, she watched his head lower towards her and caught her breath at the first soft brush of his lips over hers.
It seemed a lifetime since they had been lovers on Aura. She had missed him so much. Helplessly she parted her lips and heard his low groan of satisfaction as he accepted her invitation and deepened the kiss. She should not respond. He had kidnapped her and threatened to seek custody of her babies. She should hate his guts, she reminded herself angrily. But his actions had been because he was determined to be a father to his children. How could she deny her twins what she had yearned for all her childhood—a loving father?
The sensuality of his kiss was beguiling. She touched his face with trembling hands, and ran her fingers through his silky black hair. Passion was a shaky foundation on which to base a marriage, but it had taken them by storm from the very beginning and as a result she had conceived his babies. Loukas was right—they owed it to the two new lives growing inside her to make a commitment to each other, so that they could both be parents to their children.
As if he had read her thoughts he broke the kiss and lifted his head a fraction to stare intently into her eyes. ‘Marry me, Belle? Let me protect you and our babies?’
After the Greek Affair Page 12
