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“Of me?” She folded her arms. “Or is this you being diligent in pursuit of our goal?”

“This is me wanting to make love to my wife,” he growled as he stalked toward her.

Her heart hiccupped and she pressed harder into the door.

“I’ve been wondering where the hell you were all day.” He braced his arm over her head and leaned so his lips hovered close to her own. Electricity crackled and snapped between them.

“Really?” she whispered, touching the scuff of stubble on his jaw, enamored by the idea that he had missed her when she was right here in his house. “Shouldn’t we go to the bedroom, then?”

He reached to click the lock. “Here will do.”

* * *

Alia understood the basics of conception so she knew that the chances of getting pregnant in the days leading up to her period were low.

Even so, she was unreasonably blue when her period arrived in the middle of the gala Saturday night.

It wasn’t only that it meant the baby was now another month off. She could live with that part. And she really enjoyed the trying part. Sometimes she thought the trying might kill her, it was so good. She loved how close she felt to Spiro when they were physically locked together.

Really close, she acknowledged with a pang in her throat. When they made love, she felt loved. They were still very new, but she suspected she was falling in love with him and she wasn’t sure he felt even close to the same.

At least she had had the forethought to pack something in her clutch and had enough warning in the form of a backache that she didn’t ruin her gown. The dress was a stunning gold corset-style bodice over a straight gold skirt. Spiro had surprised her with a choker of radiant yellow sapphires to wear with it and she checked yet again that it was still in place as she made her way back to him.

“Oh, yes. Thank you,” she said as she accepted a glass of champagne off a tray that was traveling by.

Spiro lifted his brows as she sipped.

“It didn’t work.” She conjured up a philosophical smile, trying not to search his gaze for fear of what she wouldn’t find there. “Not that I expected it to. The timing was off, but…” She blinked away the dampness gathering against her lashes.

“Do you want to go home?”

“Oh, please. If I took to my bed every time I got my period, I’d never get anything done. Is that Alexandra and Rafael?” The gorgeous couple turned heads as they arrived. “Can we say hello to them? I’d like to apologize for the way I acted the last time we met.”

Alia endeavored to act cheerful for the rest of the evening, but in the car on the way home, Spiro took her hand.

“Are you disappointed?” she asked anxiously.

“That we won’t make love tonight? Yes.”

She admonished him with a “Tsk,” but appreciated that he was keeping things light, especially because the next few days were difficult.

Yaya went into hospital for tests. She came home very out of sorts with the specialist having recommended more concentrated care that monitored her heart and blood sugar.

Alia’s fears for Herena grew, but she tamped them down and was gently urging her to keep her compression stockings in place when the phone rang.

The nurse picked it up and said, “Kyrie Mylonas asks if you’ve seen his text. He needs you to come to the dining room right away.”

“I didn’t know he was home.” He usually arrived closer to six. “I’m sorry to leave when…” She gave an exasperated wave at Herena.

“No trouble. Herena?” The nurse bent to catch the elderly woman’s eye. “Shall we sit outside? It’s a nice day. We can water the tomatoes.”

The nurse was trying to distract her from undressing. Alia could only hope it would work as she hurried to the front of the villa, but the dining room was empty.

Spiro stood at the archway where it met the foyer, still in his office attire, jacket gone. He still wore the pin-striped vest that matched his trousers, though. His blue-and-silver paisley tie was loosened and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up his forearms.

Her heart lifted at the sight of him. She was pulled like a paper clip to a magnet.

“I thought you must have ordered a flambe that had to be eaten before it turned to charcoal,” she said, lifting her mouth as she came close. “Why are you home so early?”