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Sidonie was trembling. But she was afraid it was more to do with his proximity than her anger.
Alexio’s eyes narrowed on her. ‘I dare because you are carrying my child and we are now family. Tante Josephine is as much my responsibility as you are—and the baby.’
Sidonie’s arms grew so tight she could feel her nails digging into her skin. She spoke from a deep well of hurt and rejection at this attempt to muscle into their lives. ‘We are not your responsibility. I never came to you. I want nothing from you. As soon as I’m feeling better I will go and find work again and pay you back what we owe.’
Alexio’s mouth went into a bitter line. ‘I think you’ve more than proved your point, Sid. You’d prefer to put our child’s health in jeopardy in order to save your pride.’
A lurch of hurt emotion rose up, strangling Sidonie for a moment. Then his words our child and Sid impacted.
When she’d gathered herself she said with quiet ferocity, ‘Do not call me that. My name is Sidonie. And the last thing I want to do is put my child in danger. I will keep working because, in case you’ve forgotten, you called me a hustler and I would prefer to work than to be accused of being that again.’
To her horror, Sidonie’s voice had cracked on the last words and she turned now, facing blindly away from Alexio, breathing harshly, emotion getting the better of her.
She heard him move behind her and said rawly, ‘Don’t come near me.’
He stopped. Tears stung at Sidonie’s eyes; her throat ached. She hated him. And she repeated this to herself as she struggled to regain her equilibrium.
His voice came from behind her, tight. ‘Sidonie, we need to talk about this... I recognise that I was too hasty that day. I didn’t give you a chance to explain.’
Sidonie let out a half-choked laugh at that understatement and said bitterly, ‘No, you’d obviously made up your mind and couldn’t wait to see the back of me.’
She heard him sigh. The shadows outside were lengthening into dusk. His voice was gruffer now. ‘The chef has left some food for us. Let’s eat and then we can talk...okay?’
Like a coward, she felt herself wanting to make up some excuse, say that she was too tired, but in truth she felt fine. She turned round, arms still crossed, and faced him. His eyes were intense and her skin prickled. She couldn’t keep putting off the conversation.
‘Okay, fine.’
Within minutes Alexio was serving them both a light chicken casserole in the dining room off the kitchen area. They ate in silence, but tension was mounting inside Sidonie as she tried to avoid looking at Alexio’s large hands and remembering how they’d felt on her skin.
Sitting here eating like this was bringing back memories of that first night in London. The sheer fizzing exhilaration of anticipation. And as if her body was some dumb appendage—an assortment of limbs that wasn’t attached to her brain—that same fizzing anticipation was rushing through her right now. Gathering force.
She was uncomfortably aware of every erogenous zone. Her breasts felt tender, sensitive. Swollen. She couldn’t stop imagining Alexio’s mouth lowering towards one thrusting, naked peak...
With a spurt of agitation, Sidonie let her knife drop with a clatter to the plate. Alexio looked up, that gaze narrowed on her flushed face.
Sidonie stood up, feeling feverish. ‘I’ve had enough. Food.’ God. She couldn’t even articulate a sentence.
Alexio looked as cool as a cucumber while Sidonie felt a bead of sweat trickle between her breasts.
He wiped his mouth with his napkin and said, ‘Coffee?’
Sidonie seized on the chance to escape that incisive gaze and nodded her head. ‘Some herbal tea, maybe...the housekeeper brought some today.’
Alexio got up and left the room. Cursing herself for this very unwelcome resurgence of desire, Sidonie went back into the drawing room to stand at the window. Praying for control. Praying that the butterflies in her belly would cease.
She put her hand on her belly and was half frowning at how strong the sensation was when she suddenly realised something. She gasped out loud.
A voice came from behind her, concerned. ‘What is it?’
Sidonie whirled around, alight with her discovery for a moment, forgetting everything else. ‘For a few days I’ve been feeling butterflies, but I thought it was—’
She stopped dead, because she’d been about to blurt out just your effect on me.
She blushed and said, ‘It’s the baby. I can feel the baby moving...’
Alexio was holding out a cup towards her and she grabbed it before she could see the effect of her words on his face.
She had a sudden image of one of his hands splayed across her belly and said quickly, ‘It’s not strong enough yet for anyone else to feel...’
