trading index of the Financial Times.
‘It’s an unavoidable practicality.’
‘Of course.’ She tried very hard to sound as if she didn’t care.
‘So, are you going to sign on the bottom line or not?’
‘Do I have a choice?’
‘No.’ He leaned back against the table and crossed his arms. ‘But read it carefully, and if you want something changed we’ll discuss it.’
‘There’s not much time for that, is there?’ She glanced at her watch.
‘It’s a straightforward contract, Katie. With your knowledge of contracts, it will take you ten minutes to read.’
‘And one minute for you to tell me it’s non-negotiable. I’ve seen you in action in the boardroom, don’t forget.’
He smiled at that. ‘We know each other so well.’
When she didn’t say anything to that he reached out and caught hold of her arms to draw her closer. ‘I’m sure you’ll find its terms acceptable.’ His fingers stroked lightly down over her arm. ‘I’m providing you with a more than generous allowance for as long as you remain married to me.’
The gentleness of his caress seemed almost insulting whilst he was talking about finance. Yet to her consternation his touch still made her come alive with a need she didn’t want, with a desire she was desperate to curb.
‘So it’s a kind of payment for services rendered, you mean?’ She slanted her chin up defiantly, but inside her emotions were fragmenting with the knowledge of what those services were.
‘Now who’s being cynical?’ He raised one eyebrow.
‘But it’s true, isn’t it?’
‘If that’s how you want to look at it.’ His voice was cool. ‘I just think it’s for the best that we get everything sorted out, and then we can get on with our wedding—and with our life together.’
For a moment his gaze lingered on her lips. The look sent a yearning need spiralling through her.
She pulled away from him, furious with herself. ‘Well, I suppose I better read it, then.’
Alexi watched calmly as she flicked through the pages, and his eyes drifted down over her body. Her figure was curvaceously enticing in the tight little suit. He couldn’t wait to get her out of it …
‘Unfortunately we are going to have to leave for the airport almost immediately after the wedding service,’ he murmured. ‘It’s a long flight to Athens, so we will have to have our wedding breakfast on board. But on the plus side we will arrive in Athens at a reasonable time of day.’
‘I don’t know why we are bothering going to Greece anyway,’ she said crisply, trying to sound as businesslike as him. ‘Pretending that we need a romantic honeymoon just seems absurd! We both know that this marriage is just a convenient arrangement, nothing more.’
‘That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves.’ He smiled. ‘It’s only a short break, but I think it’s appropriate somehow that our first few days and nights of love-making as man and wife should be in Greece.’
The words were dangerously tantalising. And she suddenly wondered how she was going to maintain this cool, pragmatic pretence when he finally did take her into his arms to claim her as his wife. The very thought made her burn inside with trepidation. If she wanted to be left with any scrap of pride or dignity, she was going to have to try. So she flicked him a glance from shimmering blue eyes and strove for some dismissive kind of reply. ‘You mean, where better to consummate things than in the hub of your business empire?’
He just smiled at that. ‘Indeed!’
Katie picked up the pen he had left next to the documents and for a few moments she hesitated.
Could she really do this? The question niggled persistently. Could she really pretend that her feelings weren’t involved? That her emotions weren’t in turmoil?
But not being with him was going to be worse, she reminded herself bleakly. And she had a child to consider.
With a shaking hand she signed her name quickly on both pages. ‘There.’ She turned to face him. ‘Now you’ve got what you want.’
‘Not quite, Katie. But nearly,’ he told her, his eyes warm with a promise that made her blood turn to fire.
The roar of the jet increased as the pilot brought the aircraft down from thirty-thousand feet to circle the skies above Athens, ready for landing.
Alexi folded his papers away and looked across towards Katie. She was in the seat opposite, and she had been fast asleep for several hours.
Hardly surprising, he thought. Their time in New York had been eventful to say the least. He found himself remembering the shimmering vulnerability in her blue eyes as he had placed the wedding band on her finger in the chapel.
The wedding service itself had taken about twenty minutes, yet that one moment kept replaying over and over through his mind with an insistent force that was very disconcerting.
He didn’t know why he should keep thinking about it because he had no doubts about this marriage whatsoever. He wanted this child with a fierce certainty, and he believed a child needed both parents. He also fervently wanted Katie in his bed. Marriage was the perfect solution.
He allowed his eyes to move leisurely over her flushed countenance, taking in the soft curve of her lips and the dark, thick eyelashes. She looked so young and beautiful.
Suddenly her eyelashes flickered open and their eyes connected.
‘Afternoon, sleepy head.’ He smiled at her.
For a second she smiled back, a warm, sleepy smile that reminded him of the way she’d looked at him the very first time they had ever made love.
He remembered he’d gone over to her apartment on the pretext of discussing work. But they had both known that the work was secondary to the desire that had been swirling between them in the office all day. One kiss had led to another, and suddenly he had been carrying her through to the bedroom. He’d stayed until the early hours of the morning and even then he hadn’t wanted to leave. He hadn’t been able to get enough of her.
He remembered her telling him how extraordinary she felt when she woke up and found him across the pillow from her. ‘It’s a bit like a dream,’ she’d murmured.
‘An X-certificate dream,’ he’d laughed, and that had made her blush and get annoyed. And then he’d kissed her some more …
‘What time is it?’ she asked now, and he pulled his thoughts away from the provocative memories.
‘Almost two-thirty, Greek time, we’re waiting for clearance from air traffic control to land.’
‘I can’t believe I’ve slept so long!’ She brought the chair back upright.
‘It was a long flight, and you were obviously
