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“You have been away from my side for three weeks. We deserved some time alone.” Had she not missed him at all?
She’d certainly showed no signs of wanting to get to New York as soon as possible.
“I think we would have survived waiting until tonight to share a bed.”
“Perhaps you would have—clearly I was not so content to wait.”
“I didn’t say I was content.” She yawned, cuddling in closer.
He ate it up. He’d always enjoyed his wife’s affectionate side … or rather ex-wife. Not that she would be that for much longer.
“You have not been sleeping,” he censured.
“I’ve had a lot to do.”
“At night?” He did not think so.
“My mind doesn’t always shut down when my body wants to.”
He did not ask what thoughts had kept her awake. He did not think the answer would make him happy. She’d shown enough reluctance to leave her little coastal town. He’d been forced to come and get her, and therefore had no intention of bringing her worries in this regard to the forefront again.
“Sleep now,” he commanded.
She needed it and he needed some space to think.
She nodded, adjusting her position so she was lying across the seat, her head in his lap.
His plan had gone according to his calculations right down the line, until it came to Chloe leaving her home of nearly two years. Then things had gotten more than dicey. She’d thrown a full-fledged spanner in the works.
Three weeks of cajoling his recalcitrant ex-wife into making the move to New York before they were both retirees had convinced Ariston that he needed to change their schedule on certain things.
Mentally going over the list of things they had to do before leaving New York, he brushed his fingers through her hair.
“Mmmm … nice. Don’t stop,” she slurred as her body relaxed into sleep.
He didn’t, finding the action as relaxing as she did.
She was with him now, without arguing.
So, he should be content.
Why wasn’t he?
“What do you mean, we’re getting married?” Chloe nearly screeched as she waved the contract she’d just finished reading at Ariston.
They were in his office again, his lawyer and the Dioletis attorney in the outer office with Jean. Ariston had insisted Chloe read through the contract in privacy before the lawyers witnessed its signing.
No darn wonder. Far from the contract he’d initially told her she would be signing, this one was a clear prenup, with rather generous financial terms, but an entirely unambiguous clause that gave Ariston majority custody of any future children should Chloe leave him or have an affair.
Presumably any other behavior on her part would not be enough to spur him into filing for divorce. She didn’t know what to think.
Ariston, who sat beside her on the sofa they’d made love on her last time in his office, took the papers and set them on the low table in front of them. “I decided there was no reason to hold off on the marriage aspect of our bargain.”
“But you said you didn’t want to get married again until I had successfully given birth to your child.” She wasn’t sure she wanted to marry him at all.
“I may not have considered all angles when I made that stipulation.”
“You’re kidding!”
“I do not joke about matters this serious.”
“Right. Contracts are right up there with God in your book.”
“My grandfather would not appreciate your blaspheming.”
“Takis isn’t here.”
“No, he is in Greece, eagerly waiting to welcome you back into his family.”
Ariston went to brush his hand through her hair and ran into her French twist. His frown looked absolutely thwarted. “I do not like your hair like this.”
“I do.” Before he could pursue further argument over something so insignificant, she said, “So, this is about your grandfather. I knew he wouldn’t be happy with the thought that his great-grandchild was to be born out of wedlock.”
“I never mentioned that particular aspect of our proposed arrangement to him.”
“And you finally realized it would be a bad idea to ever do so, didn’t you?” she couldn’t help taunting.
The man was just too sure he was always right.
“Perhaps.”
“There’s no perhaps about it.”
Ariston was awful at admitting when he was wrong. Probably because the Greek tycoon golden boy so rarely was. There was a reason for his arrogance and it wasn’t just money and genetics.
“I had many reasons for rethinking my position on the timing for our marriage.”
“Did you now?” She wasn’t buying it, not for one single solitary minute.
