The Mistress: The Mistress\Wanted: Mistress and Mother (9 page)

“You’re not paying a bit of attention,
pedhaki mou.
” Chrysander’s amused voice filtered through her haze of
contentment.

She blushed and turned to look at him. “I’m sorry. I’m enjoying
it, truly.”

“Are you ready to return to the island?” he asked. “I’m not
overtiring you, am I?” The amusement had turned to concern, and if she didn’t
dissuade him of the notion that she was not well, she’d find herself bundled
back on the helicopter and her perfect day would be at its end.

“Tell me about your family. You’ve said nothing about them. I
realize the information may be redundant, but since I can’t remember any of it,
perhaps you could humor me.”

“What would you like to know?” he asked.

“Anything. Everything. Are your parents still living? You don’t
talk about them.”

A flash of pain showed in his eyes, and she immediately
regretted the question.

“They died some years back in a yachting accident,” he
said.

She slipped her hand into his and squeezed comfortingly. “I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up such a painful subject.”

“It’s been a long time,” he said with a shrug. But she could
tell speaking of them bothered him.

She opened her mouth to change the topic when he suddenly
frowned and lowered his other hand to his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone
and studied it for a moment before opening it and putting it to his ear.

“Roslyn,” he said shortly, after a quick glance at Marley.

Marley stiffened and pulled her hand away from Chrysander’s.
Trust his assistant to know just when to call. She must have radar.

She could see the tension rise in Chrysander, and when he
looked in her direction, it was as though he stared right through her.

“Everything is fine here,” Chrysander said. “Find out from
Piers how things are going for the Rio de Janeiro hotel and report back.” There
was a long pause. “No, I don’t know when we’ll return to New York.” He glanced
again at Marley, and she got the distinct impression Roslyn was talking about
her. “No, of course not,” he said in a soothing voice. “I appreciate your
diligence, Roslyn. You’ll be the first to know when I plan to leave the
island.”

Marley looked away in disgust, no longer able to listen to his
part of the conversation. A few moments later, he snapped the phone shut and put
it into his pocket. As expected, when she turned back to him, his entire
demeanor had changed for the worse. He looked at her almost suspiciously, though
she couldn’t imagine why. But she wasn’t imagining it. There was a distinct
change in his mood.

“I’m sorry for the interruption,” he said almost formally.
“What were we talking about?”

“Tell me about your hotels,” she said impulsively, wanting to
steer him away from his concerns.

His expression froze and wariness stole over his face. “What
would you like to know?”

She found a place to sit that overlooked the tall pillars and
tugged him down beside her.

“I don’t know. Anything. Where do you have hotels? Imperial
Park in New York is one of yours, isn’t it?”

He nodded.

“Where else do you have hotels? Are you very international? I
heard you say something about Rio de Janeiro. Do you have a hotel there?”

He’d gone completely stiff, and she puzzled over why. Did he
not like to discuss his business? In truth, she craved whatever details about
him she could get. He hadn’t been very forthcoming about his work life, a fact
she found odd.

“We have hotels in most major international cities. Our largest
are in New York, Tokyo, London and Madrid. We have several others, slightly
smaller, across Europe. We’re currently working on plans for one in Rio de
Janeiro.”

“But not in Paris? I think I’d like for you to have one in
Paris so we could visit.” She grinned teasingly at him.

Her smile faded when his eyes went cold and hard. A shiver
worked its way up her spine, and a knot formed in her stomach. He looked angry.
No, he looked
furious.

“No, we do not have one in Paris.”

His clipped tone had her backing away. She slid several inches
down the bench. “I’m sorry….” She didn’t even know what she was apologizing
for. His mood had gone black in an instant, and she had no idea why. She seemed
to have a penchant for dredging up the wrong subjects. First his parents and now
his business. Was there any safe topic for them to discuss?

She stood and clenched her fingers into tight balls. “Perhaps
you’re right. Maybe we should go back now.” She turned swiftly, her intention to
walk back toward the car, but she moved too fast and the world spun dizzyingly
around her.

She thought briefly of her missed breakfast before her knees
buckled and she blacked out.

* * *

When Marley regained consciousness, the first thing she
heard was a furious voice rapidly firing in Greek. As her eyes opened and her
gaze flickered around her surroundings, she realized she was on an exam table in
what appeared to be a clinic.

Chrysander’s back was to her, and he was interrogating the
doctor standing in front of him.

“Chrysander,” she murmured weakly.

He spun around immediately and hurried over to where she lay.
“Are you all right?” His hands swept over her body even as his eyes bored
intensely into hers. “Are you in pain?”

She tried to smile, but she felt shaky. The doctor moved in
front of Chrysander and held a cup toward her.

“Drink this, Miss Jameson. Your blood sugar is too low, but I
think some juice will set you to rights.”

Chrysander took the juice then curled an arm underneath her
neck to help her sit up. He held the cup to her lips as she cautiously sipped at
the sweet liquid.

“When was the last time you ate, Miss Jameson?”

The doctor pinned her with an inquiring stare, and she felt her
cheeks warm with embarrassment. She ducked her head. “I didn’t eat breakfast,”
she admitted.

Chrysander bit out a curse. “Nor did you eat much dinner last
night.
Theos,
but I should not have brought you here
today. I knew you hadn’t eaten properly, and yet I didn’t think to remedy the
situation.”

She gave him a wan smile. “It isn’t your fault, Chrysander. It
was foolish of me. I didn’t give it much thought in my excitement over our trip
to the ruins.”

“It is my job to take care of you and our child,” he said
stubbornly.

The doctor cleared his throat and smiled at them. “Yes, well,
no harm was done. A proper meal, and she’ll feel like a new woman. I’d suggest
being off your feet for the rest of the day. No sense in chancing things.”

“I’ll personally see to it,” Chrysander said stiffly.

Marley sighed. He was taking her fainting spell personally. He
fairly bristled with guilt, and she knew there’d be no swaying him from his
course. She might as well resign herself to the rest of the day in bed.

“Can I take her home now?” Chrysander asked the doctor.

The doctor nodded. “Just make sure she eats promptly and that
she rests.”

“You can be certain I will,” Chrysander said grimly.

Marley made to slide off the exam table, but Chrysander put out
a hand to prevent her movement. Then he simply plucked her up into his arms and
strode out the door.

When they got outside, a dark car pulled immediately in front
of them, and a man jumped out to open the door for Chrysander. He ducked in,
still holding Marley close to him.

“So much for you driving,” she muttered as they were whisked
away toward the airport.

“I cannot drive and hold you at the same time,” Chrysander said
patiently.

“I wasn’t aware of the need to be held.”

“I
will
take care of you.”

It was said with ironclad resoluteness, his voice solemn, and
she knew he took his vow very seriously. Realizing she wouldn’t win any
arguments with him today, she relaxed against his chest and curled her arms
around his body.

He stroked her head and murmured softly in Greek. She was
nearly asleep when the car came to a halt. Soon after the door opened, and a
shaft of sunlight speared her eyes as she looked up.

Chrysander threw his arm up to shield her then gently turned
her head back into his chest. He got out of the car still holding her and walked
rapidly toward the helicopter.

“Go back to sleep if you can,
pedhaki
mou,
” he murmured as he climbed in.

But when the whir of the blades started, the fog of sleep
disappeared. She contented herself instead with snuggling into the curve of his
neck as they lifted off toward the island.

He’d obviously called ahead and issued a montage of orders,
because when he walked into the house with her, Patrice had a meal waiting, and
Dr. Karounis stood by to monitor Marley’s condition. After an initial fuss,
Patrice and the doctor, once they’d assured Chrysander that Marley was well,
excused themselves, leaving the two alone.

Marley dug into the bowl of soup first and sighed as it coated
her empty stomach.

“You will not skip any more meals,” Chrysander said
reproachfully as he watched her from across the table.

“I didn’t intend to skip any,” she said. “I just got
sidetracked.”

“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

She raised an eyebrow then grinned mischievously. “So it’s back
to being no fun then?”

He glowered at her.

That glower reminded her of what had transpired right before
she’d fainted. She sobered and looked pensively at him.

“What is the matter?” Chrysander asked.

She fiddled with her spoon then set it down. “Before, when we
were at the ruins. Why did you become so angry?”

His expression remained neutral, but she could tell he had no
liking for the question. “It was nothing. I was just thinking about work,” he
said dismissively.

She stared doubtfully at him but didn’t pursue the matter. When
she had finished eating, Chrysander once again swept her into his arms and
carried her up the stairs to the bedroom.

He settled her onto the mattress and methodically removed her
clothing. By the time he’d pulled away her pants, she lay in only her bra and
filmy panties. She heard the catch in his breath just as he turned away.

“Chrysander,” she whispered.

He turned back, the muscles rippling through his body as if he
were under a great strain.

“Stay with me. Could we take a nap together? I find I’m very
tired after all.”

If he didn’t look so tortured, she’d laugh. She worked to keep
her expression neutral as he grappled with her request. Finally he began working
the buttons to his shirt. In silence he undressed to his boxers then crawled
onto the bed with her.

Then he cursed. She looked inquiringly at him as he stared down
at her.

“Would you like something to sleep in? You cannot stay in your
bra. It doesn’t look comfortable.”

She blushed but nodded. “A nightshirt will do.”

He got up and returned with one of his shirts. He helped her
sit up and unclasped her bra. His hands shook slightly as he pulled the shirt
over her head and let it fall to her swollen belly.

With gentle hands, he urged her back down and knelt above her.
“Better?”

“Much,” she said huskily.

He settled down beside her and tucked her into his arms. She
twisted about, trying to find just the right spot. When she scooted her behind
into his groin, she froze, feeling his arousal there against her skin. She
started to move away, when Chrysander growled in her ear.

“Be still.”

He clamped his arms around her, rendering her immobile. Her
cheeks flaming, she tried to relax. The moment he’d touched her, her fatigue had
fled. Now she faced trying to sleep with him wrapped around every inch of her
body.

His warmth bled into her. He stroked her hair and murmured in
her ear. Greek words she couldn’t understand, though the comfort they intended
was well recognized. She sighed in contentment as his hand glided down her arm,
to her hip, coming to rest on her thigh.

She felt a wave of such utter rightness, and she was stunned to
realize the nameless emotion she’d been grappling with was love. Her eyes
fluttered open even as she heard Chrysander’s even breathing signal his
slumber.

She loved him. It shouldn’t surprise her, but now that she’d
acknowledged it, she realized that she hadn’t immediately recognized it after
her memory loss. Shouldn’t she have known on some level that she loved this
man?

He was complicated, there was no disputing that. Complex, hard
and reserved. Well, if she’d broken down his barriers once, then surely she
could do so again.

She settled down to sleep, purpose beating a steady rhythm in
her mind.

Chapter 8

W
arm lips kissed a line from her shoulder
down her arm. Marley stirred and opened her eyes to see Chrysander’s dark head
move sensuously down her body.

“That’s a very nice way to wake up,” she murmured.

His head came up, and she met the liquid gold of his eyes. “How
are you feeling,
pedhaki mou?
”

She rolled onto her back and lifted her hand to thread it
through his short hair. “Much better. I’m full and had a nap. What more could a
pregnant woman want?”

“Our child did not sleep much,” Chrysander said as he slid his
hand over her rippling abdomen.

She smiled. “No, he’s been very active lately. The obstetrician
said they do the most moving in the second trimester.”

He stared intently at her rounded belly, fascination lighting
his eyes. “They don’t move in the last trimester?”

“Yes, just not as much. There isn’t as much room. In the last
month, they do very little as their environment gets even more cramped.”

“I would think it would be easier for you to rest then.”

She yawned then covered her mouth with her hand as her jaw
nearly cracked with the effort.

“You’re still tired,” he said reproachfully.

“I’m pregnant. I expect I’ll be tired for the next eighteen
years. I feel much better though. Truly, Chrysander. Let’s get up.”

He straddled her body, putting one knee on either side of her
hips. He looked down at her, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light. “You’re
so eager to rise. Why is this?”

She blushed and smacked his chest with her fist. He leaned down
and tugged her lips into a kiss. He nipped at the fullness of her bottom lip
until it was swollen and aching.

“I have half a mind to keep you in bed until tomorrow morning,”
he murmured.

Putty. She was complete putty in his hands. If he so much as
breathed on her, she went to mush. She twined her arms around his neck and
returned his kiss hungrily. She could feel his erection straining against her,
knew he wanted her as badly as she wanted him.

With obvious reluctance he pulled away and climbed off the bed.
She looked at him in confusion. Why was he withdrawing?

He reached down and touched her hair, smoothing the tendrils
away from her cheek. “You’ve been through an ordeal today,
agape mou.
I don’t want to tire you any more.”

He seemed as surprised as she was when the endearment slipped
out of his mouth. Her eyes widened, and he tensed. Then he turned around and
strode to the closet.

She watched him dress and then disappear from the bedroom. He’d
called her my love, and while it had given her an indescribable thrill, it was
obvious that it wasn’t something he meant to say.

But he had said it. She held tight to that truth as she got out
of bed to dress. Not knowing how he felt about her and why he took such pains to
hold himself distant had puzzled her from the beginning. Was it because of her
memory loss? Did he fear that her feelings for him couldn’t possibly be
considered valid while he was still a stranger to her?

She’d focused so much on her own problems that arose from the
gaping hole in her past, but it was obvious that he, too, had difficulties with
the situation.

If only she could remember. If only she could reassure him that
she loved him whether or not she could remember loving him in the past.

All she could do was show him. And hope that her memory was
restored before too much longer.

* * *

Chrysander sat in his office, staring out the window
that overlooked the beach. Marley stood close to the water, her feet bare and
the maternity dress she wore rippling in the breeze. He kept careful watch over
her and had instructed his security team to do the same. He wouldn’t take any
chances after her fainting spell of the day before.

Just moments earlier, he’d hung up after speaking to the lead
investigator on Marley’s case. There had been no arrests made yet. No leads. The
men who had abducted her were still out there. Still a danger to her and their
child. It was unacceptable.

The detective had promised to stay in touch and to inform him
the moment there was a break in the case, but Chrysander still wasn’t satisfied.
He wanted results. He wanted to make the men who’d dared to touch Marley
pay.

He focused his attention back on Marley, who was still staring
out to sea. Every once in a while she raised her hand to shove the curls from
her face, only for them to blow back. She lifted her chin and laughed, and
Chrysander could feel the impact from where he sat.

She was beautiful and carefree. Unguarded in the moment. He
searched his memory for the times when they had been together. Happy. He hadn’t
appreciated it at the time, but their relationship—he now admitted to himself
that they’d had a relationship—had been open and undemanding.

So what had driven her to betray his trust? He’d almost have
preferred she’d betrayed him with another man; but no, she’d gone after his
family, his brothers. And that he couldn’t forgive...could he?

Indecision wracked his brain. A large part of him was still
conflicted and angry. But another, smaller part was ready to move on. To forget
what she had done and embrace a new beginning. Maybe she’d never remember, and
if he was honest, it would make things easier if she never did.

He continued to watch her, and his gaze moved beyond her to
where one of his security detail stood on guard at a distance. She continued to
defy him, and he pretended annoyance, but all he did was make sure his men
shadowed her at every turn. Her determination to go against his wishes amused
him because he didn’t sense any real irritation on her part. She liked goading
him.

And he knew he was being overprotective, but the fact that her
kidnappers were still out there, that they still posed a threat to her and their
child, sent dark fear through his veins. She was his. He’d failed her once. No
matter that she had betrayed him. He’d sent her and his child unprotected into
the hands of her kidnappers because he’d allowed emotion to cloud his
judgment.

He turned in annoyance when his phone rang. Tearing his gaze
from Marley, he put the phone to his ear.

“Mr. Anetakis.” Roslyn’s voice broke clear over the line.

“Roslyn, have you spoken to Piers about the status of the Rio
de Janeiro deal?”

“Yes, sir, and he said to tell you that if you’d answer your
phone he’d let you know how things were going himself.”

Chrysander chuckled. “I will deal with my younger brother.”

“If at all possible, you need to attend a conference call
tomorrow evening, seven our time. I’ll send out an e-mail with the details.
Theron and Piers will both be on hand, but Mr. Diego specifically wished to
speak personally with you.”

“I’ll make it,” he said.

“And how are things with you?” Roslyn asked hesitantly.

Chrysander frowned and glanced back to the beach, where Marley
stood watching the waves roll in.

“Has she regained her memory yet?” she continued.

“No,” he said shortly.

There was a moment of silence, and he could hear Roslyn’s soft
breathing as though she battled over whether to say what was on her mind.

“If that’s all,” he said in an effort to end the call.

“Have you considered that she’s faking her memory loss?” Roslyn
said in a rush.

“What?”

“Think about it,” she said impatiently. “What better way to
circumvent your anger than to pretend to have forgotten it all? You can’t even
be sure the child is yours. She was in captivity for months. Who’s to say what
went on during that time?”

Ice trickled down Chrysander’s spine. “That’s enough,” he said
tersely.

“But—”

“I said enough.”

“As you wish. I’ll phone you if anything changes.”

Chrysander hung up and yanked his gaze back to the beach, but
Marley was gone. Could Roslyn be right? Could Marley be faking her amnesia? The
thought had crossed his mind when they’d still been in New York and Marley was
fresh from the hospital. His instincts said no, but then he’d already been so
wrong about her in every way. If someone had told him six months ago that she
was capable of betraying him as she had, he would have cut them down to
size.

Anger and confusion took turns battering his head. He rubbed a
weary hand across his face and closed his eyes. It didn’t really matter what he
thought at this point. She was pregnant with his child and that took precedence
above all else. He could overlook a lot for his son.

A sound at the door made him look up. Marley stood just inside
his office, a sparkling smile on her face. Her eyes glowed with...happiness.

He found himself relaxing, the turmoil of a few minutes ago
dissipating.

“You grew tired of your walk on the beach?”

Her lips twisted ruefully as she walked forward. “I should have
known you knew exactly where I was.”

He gestured toward the window. “I had a prime view. You looked
to have enjoyed yourself. Are you feeling well today? You haven’t overdone
it?”

She stopped at his desk, and he nearly gestured her around to
settle on his lap, but he refrained, needing to maintain a distance while he
felt so volatile, so uncertain. He didn’t want to think of her as a deceiver,
nothing more than a practiced actress bent on escaping retribution.

“I’m fine, Chrysander. You worry far too much. I don’t need to
be coddled. You would think I was the first woman to ever be pregnant.”

“You are the first woman to bear my child,” he pointed out.

She laughed. “And so I am. I’ll make allowances for your
overbearing ways because this is your first child. When we have our next, I
expect you to act sanely.”

Every muscle in his body stiffened, and he fought the darkness
that spread across his face. Another child. It suggested permanence. A lasting
relationship. Yes, he planned to ask—no, insist—she marry him, but he hadn’t
given thought to what it would mean. A permanent place in his life for her. More
children.

Were his brothers right? Should he have installed her in an
apartment, hired suitable staff to look after her until the baby was born and
then removed her from his life?

“Chrysander? Is something wrong?”

He glanced up to see her staring at him with worried eyes.
There, again, as it had so many times before when she looked at him, was a flash
of uncertainty. Of fear almost. He cursed under his breath. He had not intended
to frighten her, nor did he want to upset her.

He reached for her. “No,
pedhaki
mou.
Nothing is wrong.”

She hesitated the briefest of seconds before she finally walked
around and into his arms. She settled on his knee, and he watched as she worked
her lower lip between her teeth.

“Don’t you want more children?” she asked.

He cocked his head to the side, trying to adopt a casual air.
“I don’t suppose I’d considered it yet. Our first son is still to be born.”

She nodded. “I know. I suppose I just assumed since you have
brothers that you’d want more than one child. Have we discussed it before? Did I
want more than one? I look ahead now and feel like I’d love several more. Maybe
four total. But I don’t know if I’ve always wanted that many.”

Unable to resist her worried brow, he pressed a kiss to her
forehead. “Let’s not worry about it now. We have plenty of time. First you have
to marry me,” he said teasingly. “Let’s wait until our son is born to think
about adding more to our family.”

A beautiful, captivating smile lit up her face and knocked the
breath from him all in one moment.

“That sounds so lovely when you say it,” she breathed.

“What’s that?”

“Family. I don’t have family, or so I was told. To know that
you and I will have a family of our own means so much. Sometimes I feel so
lonely, like I’ve been lonely forever.”

She shivered lightly against his chest as the haunting words
left her lips.

“You aren’t alone,” he said softly. “You have me, and we have
our son.”

It was a vow. One that he felt only passing discomfort over
making. Part of him wondered at the ease with which he committed himself to a
woman who’d done so much damage, but the other part could no sooner turn away
than he could cut off his arm.

“You should go rest,” he said firmly, more because of his need
to distance himself from her before he totally succumbed to the pull between
them than a real concern over her health. The doctor had assured him she was fit
and well, that her fainting spell had been nothing more than a product of missed
meals. “I’ll summon Mrs. Cahill to help you up the stairs.”

Her lips turned down into a frown. She struggled up from his
lap even as he put a hand to her arm. “I’m perfectly rested, Chrysander. The
walk on the beach was very refreshing.”

“Still, a short repose wouldn’t be unreasonable,” he said. “I
have some work to finish. I’ll come for you when I’m done, and we can have
dinner together.”

Disappointment dulled her eyes before she looked away. She
nodded but said nothing as she left the room.

Marley closed Chrysander’s door quietly and glanced up as
Patrice approached. She tried to look welcoming, because after all she did like
Patrice. She was just doing her job.

“Are you ready to go up?” Patrice asked with a smile.

Marley sighed. “Honestly? I’d like to smother Chrysander with
the pillow he insists I rest on.”

Patrice tried to stifle her laughter, but a chuckle escaped.
“Could I interest you in a cup of tea on the terrace instead?”

Marley immediately brightened. “That sounds wonderful.”

She fell into step beside Patrice as the two headed toward the
glass doors. A cool breeze, scented by the ocean, blew over Marley’s face when
she stepped outside.

“I hope you don’t mind if Dr. Karounis joins us.” Marley
noticed the way Patrice’s cheeks turned pink as she spoke. “He and I take tea
here every afternoon.”