laughed at that. ‘Katie, honey, who are you kidding? The heat between us is like a furnace.’
As his eyes drifted down over her, the truth of that remark was all too obvious; she felt herself tremble inside as she recalled just how deeply he could satisfy her.
How did you fight your feelings for someone who could look at you and turn you into a quivering mass of longing? she wondered hazily.
Well, she was damned if she was going to be a pushover, she told herself firmly. She had her pride, and marriage to a man who didn’t love her would take some swallowing. She wasn’t sure she could go through with it … even for the sake of her child.
But what were the alternatives? Facing Alexi in a courtroom for a custody battle? The very thought made her nerves twist anxiously. Not only could he buy and sell her for breakfast, he knew the law inside out—he would annihilate her!
‘Alexi, did you mean it when you said you would fight me for custody?’ She flicked him an uncertain look.
‘I never say anything I don’t mean,’ he answered her steadily. ‘But I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to hurt you.’
‘Then don’t!’ Her voice broke slightly.
‘Then don’t make me!’ he countered her plea, his eyes unyielding. ‘This is about more than just you, Katie,’ he reminded her. ‘This is about a child—the heir to the Demetri fortune, no less!’
‘That’s all that matters to you, isn’t it? That you have “control” of your precious son and heir.’
‘Is that such a bad thing?’ He shrugged. ‘Anyway, the word “control” sounds harsh. What I want is to be a good father.’
‘And just have control of me?’
He smiled at that. ‘Katie, I want control of you in a completely different way.’
His eyes slipped down over her curves and the air seemed to sizzle between them.
She knew exactly what he meant by that, and she remembered all too well how good it had felt to have him plundering her mouth, controlling her body …
‘We are good together, Katie,’ he told her softly. ‘And do you really want our child to grow up meeting the different partners who just pass through our lives and yet ultimately affect his?’
Instinctively she put a protective hand down over her stomach as the words echoed through her consciousness. That was the very last thing she wanted. That was the situation that haunted her worst nightmares. For a moment she remembered some of her mother’s men friends who had visited for a few weeks and then left. She remembered one in particular who had taken a dislike to her.
‘Katie?’ Alexi frowned as he saw how she paled suddenly.
‘You’re right. I don’t want that situation.’ She whispered the words unevenly.
‘So let me take care of you both, hmm?’ He reached out and tipped her chin up so that she was forced to meet his gaze.
The gentleness of that request simmered through her. She noticed how the suit he wore accentuated his powerful physique, how the white shirt brought out his Mediterranean skin tones, how dark his hair looked against the evening sky. He was so familiar to her. She knew him. She knew he meant it when he said he would care for her and for their child …
‘I can give you everything you could ever wish for, Katie,’ he said softly.
Except love, and she wanted that from him so desperately. The knowledge filtered through her uncomfortably.
Why? Why did that matter so much to her? Surely the most important thing was that their child would have a happy and secure upbringing?
Because she loved him. For a moment the truth was illuminated inside her as if a spotlight had been switched on inside her soul. That was why she had been so frightened of getting too close to him. That was why she was still running scared!
Every man she had ever known in her life had hurt her. And Alexi was capable of doing the most damage of all. Not physically—but emotionally. And the scars he could inflict would go much deeper than anything else.
Unrequited love was a difficult emotion to solve—Katie had tried to end the pain by severing the connections, but that hadn’t worked. And now she was in even deeper. How could she sever the connections with the father of her child?
Even if she said no to his marriage proposal he would always be in the background of her life.
‘I need your answer now, Katie—what is it to be?’
She pulled away from the touch of his hand.
He sounded so supremely confident. She hated that about him … yet loved that about him.
If she said no, would she regret it for the rest of her life? She had a sudden vision of the future—of watching Alexi’s life from afar, seeing him at their child’s school open-days, birthdays …
Her emotions twisted. Wasn’t being with him better than not? And ultimately her child’s welfare had to come first.
‘OK!’ The word was just a cautious whisper, but Alexi felt a fierce thrust of euphoria that was better than any multi-million-pound deal he’d accomplished after months of wrangling. She would be his.
‘You’ve got a deal,’ she continued before she could allow doubt to dissuade her. ‘But only on my terms,’ she added quickly. She couldn’t allow him to take her over; she needed to remain strong. ‘We’ll have a long engagement, and—’
‘No, we will not!’ He cut across her firmly. He wasn’t going to allow her to wriggle away from him again. ‘It’s my terms or nothing—my way or nothing.’
‘Alexi!’ Her heart was thundering against her chest now; she didn’t like the steel in his voice, in his eyes.
‘I’ve arranged for Captain Roberto to marry us here on board the Octavia before we leave for Greece tomorrow.’
‘Hold on a moment—’
‘No, Katie! You will play the dutiful wife, you will do everything that I ask of you, and in return I will treat you with respect and generosity: those are the terms.’
The terms hurt, they stung through her system like strong alcohol over a deep cut. ‘I’m not a possession, Alexi!’
‘Yet.’ He reached and took hold of her wrists and gently moved her closer towards him. ‘But I want to possess you, Katie … over and over and over again.’
She looked up and saw the fierce light of passion in his eyes, yet instead of pulling away she wanted to move closer.
OK, he didn’t love her, but he did want her … he did crave her. And right now as he leaned closer and captured her lips with a fierce, possessive hunger she knew that would have to be enough—because she was incapable of saying no to him.
And maybe she loved him enough for the two of
