When Christakos Meets His Match

by Abby Green

‘My car and driver are outside if you want to use them.’

  Sidonie said a quiet, ‘Okay.’ And then she opened the door and left. Alexio had the awful sensation that even while he was so intent on retaining control he was losing it anyway.

  * * *

  Alexio spent the morning and early afternoon on the phone to his offices in London and Athens. But he couldn’t get his poisonous words to Sidonie out of his head: Millions of other women around the world haven’t had the sense to fall pregnant by a billionaire. Or how stricken she had looked after he’d said them. She’d looked that stricken on Santorini.

  A cold fist seemed to be squeezing his heart.

  His solicitor Demetrius rang and asked him, ‘When are you going to stop playing nursemaid and come back to work?’

  A volcanic rage erupted deep inside Alexio as he recalled how this man, his friend, had unwittingly fed Alexio’s deeply cynical suspicions four months ago, and he slammed the phone down before he could say or do something he might regret. Like fire him. Alexio had no one to blame but himself.

  He looked at the phone belligerently. The fact was that he had no desire for work. He had desire only for one thing and he was very much afraid that he had just let that one thing slip out of his grasp.

  He picked up the phone again and dialled. After a few seconds a recording of Sidonie’s voice sounded in his ear: ‘I’m sorry I can’t take your call. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you.

  Short, economical. Up-front. Alexio felt sick, and the back of his neck prickled. He didn’t leave a message. He made another call and asked Tante Josephine if Sidonie had left her yet.

  Tante Josephine answered him and the panic rose high enough in his throat to strangle him.

  He forced himself to sound calm. ‘When did she leave?’

  She told him and Alexio did rapid calculations in his head. Somehow he managed to get out something vaguely coherent and then he put down the phone and stood up. And then he sat down again abruptly. Alexio didn’t know what to do, and he was filled with a sense that for the first time in his largely charmed life he couldn’t predict the outcome with his usual arrogance.

  An image of his brother Rafaele came into his mind’s eye, and he recalled how turbulent his emotions had been at seeing his brother embrace love and a family. Alexio realised now that he’d been poisonously jealous of his brother. Jealous of what he’d reached out for when everything in his life should have told him it wasn’t possible.

  Something was swelling inside Alexio’s chest now—something bigger than the past. And with it came the fear that had held him back that morning. But for the first time Alexio didn’t fight it. And then he felt another very fledgling feeling take hold: hope. Did he dare to think that he too could reach out and take hold of something he’d once believed in? Even if there might be nothing on the other side?

  With a grim sense of resolve, and knowing that he just didn’t have a choice any more, Alexio made the first of a series of calls and then instructed his driver to have the car ready.

  CHAPTER TEN

  SIDONIE SAT IN her seat, legs tucked up beneath her, and looked out of the small oval window of the plane. A faint heat haze shimmered off the tarmac outside. She felt bad about leaving her aunt behind, even if she had assured Sidonie she was fine. She was going to Dublin to enquire about getting back onto the college programme for her final year.

  But then she felt the flutters in her belly and panic gripped her. How could she be thinking of going back to college when she was due to have her baby before Christmas? Tears pricked her eyes. She cursed her impetuousness. She hadn’t really thought this through at all. She’d just wanted to get far away from Paris and Alexio’s ongoing mistrust before he reduced her to rubble.

  She couldn’t believe she’d left herself wide open to his cynicism again.

  She heard the sound of the air hostess saying, ‘Your seat, sir.’

  Sidonie’s heart stopped for a moment and she looked around. An incredible sense of disappointment lanced her when she saw a small, very rotund man, sweating profusely, taking off his jacket before he sat down. She looked away, cursing herself again. What had she been hoping for? For history to repeat itself and Alexio to turn up when she wasn’t even on one of his planes?

  Sidonie choked back the tears and told herself that she was the biggest idiot on earth for letting her defences down so spectacularly. She bundled up her sweatshirt and put it under her head against the window, hoping to block everything out—including the take-off and landing and disturbing images of a cynical expression that softened only in passion.

  * * *

  ‘I’m sorry, sir, I’m afraid we’ve made a mistake with your seat. I’ll have to move you.’

  Sidonie woke up and blinked, surprised to see that they were in the air and she’d missed the take-off. Then she recalled why she was so tired and scowled at the memory. The air hostess was helping the man beside her out of his seat and apologising profusely while he complained vociferously.

  Sidonie didn’t mind. His elbow had been digging into her, and if no one else sat down she could—

  ‘Is this seat taken?’

  Sidonie stopped dead in the act of laying out her sweatshirt on the seat beside her as a pillow. She went hot and then cold. She looked up.

  Alexio. In a dark suit and shirt. Looking dishevelled and a little wild.

  In a daze, half wondering if she might be hallucinating, she said, ‘Well, I was hoping that it would stay empty.’

  Alexio grimaced. ‘I’m sorry, it would appear that all the seats are taken. This is the only one left.’

  Sidonie lifted up her sweatshirt and held it to her like protection. She tried to ignore the jump in her pulse at the way Alexio slipped off his jacket and sat down, infusing the small space with his scent and magnetism. The sense of déjà vu was heady.

  Her eyes narrowed on him. She was wide awake now. ‘How did you know where I was?’ And then she answered herself. ‘Tante Josephine.’

  Alexio’s mouth quirked but the smile didn’t reach his eyes and for the first time Sidonie saw something in their depths she’d never seen before: nervousness. It made her pulse leap even more.

  ‘Yes.’

  Sidonie shook her head and tried to stave off the emotional pain of seeing him again—especially here. ‘What do you want, Alexio?’

  He shrugged minutely and looked tortured, and then he said, ‘You...and our daughter.’

  Sidonie fought back the tears and bit her lip before saying, ‘I know you do. You feel a duty, a sense of responsibility...but it’s not enough. I won’t be that woman who takes from you just because you’re the father of my child. And you don’t trust me...’

  Alexio’s eyes burned fiercely now. He angled his body towards Sidonie, cocooning her from the rest of the plane. He took her hand and she could feel his trembling slightly. It stopped her from pulling back.

  ‘I do trust you, Sid...Sidonie...’

  Sidonie’s heart clenched at the way he’d corrected himself.

  His grip on her hand tightened. ‘I do. I should never have said what I said earlier. It was stupid and I’m an ass. I didn’t mean it for a second. It was a reflex. I was still clinging on to the last tiny piece of my cynical soul because I was too scared to let my past go... I was nine when my mother told me not to believe in love, that it was a fairytale. I watched her and my father annihilate each other all my life... I thought that was normal. I always chose women who were emotionally aloof...who demanded nothing. Because I had nothing to give. And then I met you, and for the first time I wanted more.’

  His mouth twisted with self-recrimination.

  ‘And yet at the first opportunity I chose to mistrust you, and then I turned my back on you...telling myself that I’d been a fool to expect anything more.’

&nb
sp; Feeling shaky and light-headed, Sidonie said, ‘That phone call was very bad luck...’

  Alexio’s mouth was still tight. ‘But I gave you no chance to defend yourself—and why would you want to after I’d had you investigated like a common criminal?’

  Sidonie wanted to touch his jaw but she held back. This moment felt very fragile. ‘I can’t escape the fact that my mother was a criminal. That’s pretty damning, even if you hadn’t overheard me talking to Tante Josephine. That’s partly why I agreed with you when you asked if I’d set out to seduce you once I knew who you were... I felt it was hopeless...’

  ‘The last four months have felt pretty hopeless.’ Alexio’s voice was bleak.

  Sidonie said quietly, ‘You were the first person I’d trusted in a really long time—if ever—and you hurt me...’

  Contrition made Alexio’s face look old all of a sudden. He went grey. ‘I know. And I don’t expect you to forgive me... But I wanted to tell you something.’

  Sidonie looked at him and her belly hollowed out. ‘What?’

  His hand tightened on hers. His voice was so rough and his accent so strong that she almost couldn’t make out what he was saying.

  ‘I’ve fallen in love with you.’

  His words dropped between them. Sidonie struggled to believe she hadn’t dreamt them up.

  He smiled, and it was almost sad. ‘I think I fell for you on that plane...’ His smile faded. ‘If you give me a chance I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you...’

  Sidonie shrank back, pulling her hand free. She shook her head, everything within her trying to dampen down the incredibly sweet swelling of joy. The fall would be too great if—

  ‘You can’t mean it...you’re just saying that.’

  Alexio looked fierce and affronted. ‘I’ve never, ever said that to another woman and I never intend to.’

  Sidonie felt a mix of tears and laughter vying for supremacy. But still she couldn’t afford to believe. Visions of her stepfather’s sad face came back to haunt her. Sad because he’d loved his wife his whole life when she hadn’t loved him. Even though he’d sacrificed so much to be there for her. Alexio was saying this...but he couldn’t love her as much as she loved him.

  ‘You don’t...don’t mean it,’ she got out, too scared to hope for even a second.

  Alexio reached for her and put his hands on the bottom of her top, pulling it up to reveal her belly. Sidonie squeaked with shock, but before she could stop him Alexio was putting his big hands on her, spanning the small compact swell, and he was bending down, his mouth close to her bump, saying with a none too steady voice, ‘Belle...I’m doing my best, here, to convince your mother that I love her and trust her and want to spend the rest of my life with her...and you...but it’s not going so well. I don’t think she believes me.’

  Sidonie felt a very definite kick then—the first proper kick apart from the flutters. In shock, her eyes wide, she watched as Alexio came back up, his hands still on her belly.

  There was a look of wonder on his face. ‘I felt that...’

  And then the look cleared, to be replaced with one of determination.

  ‘Belle is clearly on my side. It’s two against one.’

  Sidonie couldn’t prevent the tears from clogging her throat and flooding her eyes. She was overwhelmed by Alexio’s hands on her belly, the baby kicking for the first time...him saying he loved her.

  But she ignored all that for a moment and choked out, ‘I thought you said we couldn’t call her Belle...’

  Alexio smiled, and this time it looked slightly less nervous. ‘It’s growing on me—and Tante Josephine will never forgive me if we call her something else. But next time it’s my choice.’

  ‘Next time?’ Sidonie choked out through even more tears.

  Alexio was just a blur now, and his hands left her belly to come up and cup her face, thumbs wiping at her tears.

  ‘Next time...if you’ll have me,’ he said gently, ‘And the next time and the next time...’

  And then his mouth was on hers and Sidonie was shaking too much to do anything but submit and allow herself the first sliver of belief that this was real and that Alexio meant what he was saying.

  When he pulled back Sidonie’s mouth tingled. His hands were still on her jaw, cupping her face. She looked into his eyes, searching, and all she could see there was pure...emotion. For the first time. No shadows. No cynicism.

  She took a deep shaky breath. ‘Alexio...’

  ‘Yes...?’

  ‘I love you too...even though you really hurt me. I fell for you when we first met and I never stopped. I’m still falling. Every time I look at you. I told myself I hated you...but I couldn’t.’

  Alexio’s hands tightened around her and his gaze grew suspiciously bright. ‘You love me?’

  Sidonie wanted to take a snapshot of this moment. Alexio Christakos, multi-billionaire and playboy. Arrogance and confidence personified. Eyes shining with tears, doubting her word.

  She reached up to touch his face, feeling the spiky prickle of his stubble. He was a different man from the one who had so coolly laid out his plan that morning. He’d been hiding all this emotion. Suppressing it.

  ‘Of course I love you. I love you so much that I’m terrified I love you more than you love me.’

  Alexio just looked at her for a long moment and shook his head, smiling a little ruefully. ‘Not possible, I’m afraid. You’re getting the full force of years and years of repressed loving and then some more...’

  He reached into his pocket for something, and pulled out a small black box. Sidonie looked down at it and back up.

  Alexio looked nervous again. ‘Sid... Sidonie...’

  ‘No...’ she said urgently, and then, more shyly, ‘I like it when you call me that... I just... I was angry...’

  She could see the pain in his eyes at that and she touched his jaw. Alexio dragged his gaze away and opened the box. Sidonie looked down and gasped when she saw a stunning heart-shaped diamond ring glittering up at her. Alexio took the ring out of the box. He took her left hand in his and looked at her so deeply that he took her breath away and made fresh tears well.

  Looking endearingly unlike himself, palpably nervous, he asked, ‘Will you marry me, Sidonie Fitzgerald?’

  The tears overflowed and fell. Sidonie couldn’t speak. She was too overcome.

  Suddenly Alexio disappeared again, down towards her bump, and she heard him say, ‘Belle, I’ve just asked—’

  Alexio yelped when Sidonie grabbed his hair and pulled him back up.

  ‘Yes!’ She looked at him. ‘Yes...’ she said again, framing his face with her hands. ‘I’ll marry you, Alexio.’

  Alexio kissed the palm of her hand and then took it in his again, to slide the ring onto her finger. ‘I had a jeweller meet me at the plane and I picked that one out because it reminded me of your pure heart...but I can change it...’

  Sidonie shook her head, looking at the ring glinting at her. ‘No..’ She felt more tears coming after what he’d just said. ‘I love it...and it’s really glittery.’

  Alexio pulled her in close. ‘I’ll give you glittery things for the rest of our lives...’

  Sidonie stiffened and pulled back, making Alexio frown.

  ‘No... I don’t want anything from you, Alexio... I mean it. I know you say you trust me, but I don’t want you to ever doubt that I want nothing from you except you. I won’t marry you until I can sign something that says I’m not after you for your money.’

  Alexio sighed. ‘Sid, don’t be ridiculous.’

  Sidonie pulled away and dragged her top down over her bump. She shook her head again and crossed her arms. ‘No marriage unless you agree.’

  Sidonie saw Alexio’s eyes slide down to her bump and she put a hand over it.
r />   ‘And no more cutesy manipulation of our daughter before she’s even born.’

  Alexio rolled his eyes heavenward and then threw up his hands. ‘Okay—fine.’

  His eyes glinted with determination then and he reached for her, pulling her into him so tightly that she didn’t know where she ended and he began. Sidonie slid her arms around his waist and snuggled against him. They rested like that for a long moment, the calm after the storm.

  ‘Sid?’

  ‘Hmm?’

  ‘Are you going to sleep?’

  Sidonie nodded her head against Alexio’s chest and said sleepily, happily, ‘It’s those hormones again. I have a feeling you’re going to be keeping me up late, so I should really nap now. And also pregnant women shouldn’t be subjected to too much excitement—it takes it out of us.’

  She felt Alexio tense slightly and heard his affronted, ‘What happened last night was more than hormones and you know it. Luckily we have the rest of our lives for me to prove it to you...’

  The rest of our lives...

  Sidonie smiled and moved closer to Alexio, deeper into his embrace, and he moved slightly so that he could put a possessive hand over her belly, setting off a chain reaction of desire.

  ‘Okay,’ she admitted sheepishly, lifting her head to look at him. ‘Maybe it wasn’t just pregnancy hormones...’

  Alexio cupped her jaw with his hand and looked down at her. ‘Excuse my French in front of Belle,’ he said with a wicked smile, ‘but damn right it wasn’t.’

  Two days later, Dublin

  ‘Now I just want to make absolutely sure I haven’t missed any loopholes or sneaky amendments. This was all drawn up very quickly because my fiancé has arranged our marriage for two weeks’ time in Paris.’

  Sidonie ignored the snort of insult from the man pacing the solicitor’s office. She smiled sweetly at Mr Keane, who looked as if he was having trouble holding back nervous hysterics. No doubt he hadn’t expected to see one of the world’s foremost self-made billionaires in his office, never mind in this position.

  Sidonie went on. ‘Is it absolutely clear that if we divorce—’