into his life. If he was willing to accept—
‘If it’s mine, that is. And at this point I’m hard-pressed to be convinced it is.’
The soft place hardened, strangled tight by his words. ‘You really believe I’d lie about something like this?’
The yearning receded slowly, forced back by the power of his scepticism. And something else. Something dark and grave that took complete control of him, hardening his face into a rigid, implacable mask.
‘I’m a wealthy, influential man. Anyone with a competent internet connection can see for themselves what any association with the Xenakis family represents. Believe it or not, you won’t be the first woman to attempt to saddle me with a paternity claim. Even when the likelihood is remote.’
He believed it. He truly believed he was infertile.
Despite the anguish dredging through me, a tiny voice urged reason. Urged me to see this from his point of view. How many headlines had I caught from my mother’s gossip magazines that shouted about a celebrity vehemently denying alleged paternity? How many women had attempted to scam rich men by dangling a baby in their faces?
I was wasting my time.
Neo wouldn’t believe even if I shouted until I was blue in the face.
I rose. ‘Your hang-ups are your problem, not mine. I have a plane to catch, so I guess it’s goodbye, Mr Xenakis.’
He moved with impressive speed. Before I could take my next breath, Neo had arrived before me.
‘That’s it? You came to deliver the news and now you’re just going to head to the airport and return home?’
I dredged up a smile. ‘Let me guess. This is where you expect me to make some sort of demand? Maybe ask for financial support or a McMansion to live in while I carry your child? Well, sorry to disappoint you. I want nothing from you.’
The faint colour tingeing his sculpted cheekbones told me I’d hit the nail on the head.
‘Did you not hear me when I said I want this baby?’ he asked.
‘No, what I heard was you hedging your bets on the off-chance that I’m telling the truth. When you decide whether you want to believe me, I’m sure Wendell will be able to find me—’
‘No,’ he interrupted. ‘That is most definitely not how this is going to work.’
‘What’s that supposed to—’
We both froze when déjà vu arrived in the hideously embarrassing form of my stomach giving the loudest growl known to humanity.
He muttered what sounded like an incredulous Greek oath under his breath. ‘Tell me you haven’t been neglecting to eat?’ he bit out.
Heat consumed my face. ‘I’m in the throes of a spectacular experience called morning sickness. Anything I eat before a certain time rarely stays down.’
He frowned. ‘Surely there’s a remedy for that?’
I shrugged. ‘If there is, they haven’t found it yet.’
His frown intensified. ‘So the answer is what…? To starve yourself?’
‘I don’t do it deliberately, you know. My flight here was at an ungodly hour this morning.’
An exasperated puff of air left his lips as he glanced at his watch. ‘It’s now past noon. Does this mean you haven’t eaten all day?’
‘I tried to eat something on the plane.’
His lips twisted in distaste. ‘Budget airline food?’
‘We can’t all afford to travel on private jets, Mr Xenakis.’
‘Neo,’ he drawled. ‘Call me Neo.’
‘I’m not sure I want to call you anything, to be honest.’
‘If the child you carry is truly mine there’s one title you won’t be able to deny me,’ he stated with stone-rough gravity, just as a discreet knock sounded on the door.
He responded in Greek, and a moment later an impeccably dressed middle-aged woman entered, holding a package which she handed to Neo. Without glancing my way, she discreetly retreated.
He studied me for a moment, then reached into the bag. Although I suspected what the contents were, I was still shocked when he took out the oblong package.
‘You sent out for a pregnancy test?’
‘With the full intention of accepting any offence it might cause you, yes,’ he stated simply, his fingers tight around the box. ‘Will you take the test?’ he asked, his tone containing a peculiar note I couldn’t fathom.
There was something going on here. Something beneath the surface that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Again, questions surrounding the reasons why he believed he couldn’t father children crowded my brain.
Resolutely, I pushed them away and accepted the status quo. For now. ‘Only to prove I’m not a liar.’
I held my hand out for it but he hesitated, his jaw working for several seconds before he said, ‘You should know that this is merely a preliminary test to confirm your pregnancy. A test for paternity will be necessary when the time is right.’
My hand dropped, something hot and sharp lancing my chest. ‘You really are something else—you know that?’
‘Ne, I’ve been told.’ His stance didn’t change.
‘If you think I’m going to harm my baby just so your suspicions can be satisfied, you can think again.’
Emotion, heavy and profound and almost sacred, gleamed in his eyes. ‘So you’ve made up your mind? You intend to keep it?’ he rasped, his voice shaken.
‘You think I flew three and a half hours on a cramped middle seat, next to a passenger with a rabid aversion to good personal hygiene, to tell you I’m pregnant, only to go back and get rid of it?’
Neo’s gaze dropped to the hand I’d unconsciously jerked up to cradle my still-flat stomach.
‘You think I don’t have other things to do? I have a life to be getting on with. A mother who needs me to take care of—’ I shut my mouth, but it was too late.
The moment his eyes narrowed I knew he was about to pounce on my unguarded revelation. ‘Your mother needs taking care of? What’s wrong with her?’ he demanded sharply.
‘It’s none of your business.’
‘I beg to differ. If this baby is mine—’
I swatted the rest of his words away. ‘Enough with the ifs. Here—hand it over. I’ll take your precious test.’
Grim-faced, he held out the
