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p; He shrugged. ‘The reasons for that will become clear tomorrow, I expect.’ His gaze sharpened. ‘You have until my return to consider my proposal.’
His words flung me back to the present. ‘There was no proposal, as I recall. Only edicts thrown down and expected to be followed.’
‘I merely set out the course of action I believe is best. If you have a better proposal I’m willing to hear you out.’
He said that while cloaked in an arrogant self-assurance that nothing I could come up with would beat his. Blatant certainty blazed in the gaze that held mine for a nerve-shredding minute.
Other sensations started to encroach. Ones that had heated me up from the inside when he’d touched my lips just now and made every stretch of skin his gaze lingered on burn with fierce awareness. It was as if he’d reached out and touched me again. Stroked me. Tasted me.
Intensely aware of my breath shortening, of the place between my legs growing damp and needy, I cleared my throat and stood. ‘If we’re done here...?’
He retraced his steps towards me, moving with lithe, attention-absorbing grace, his darkened eyes scouring my face one more time. From his pocket, he produced a graphite-grey business card, embossed with the iconic dark gold picture of the phoenix etched into every Xenakis plane’s tail fin. The card simply read N. Xenakis and listed a mobile number.
‘My personal cell. Use it whenever you wish.’
His fingers brushed mine as I took it. At my shallow inhalation, his eyes darkened.
It struck me then that there was one subject we hadn’t discussed.
Neo was a virile, magnificent specimen of a man. One who wouldn’t be short of female companionship, should he wish it. Did he intend this proposed marriage to come with the certain leeway rumoured to happen within marriages of conveniences like this?
Even while my mind screamed that it would be the rational course to take, my chest tightened, everything inside me rebelling at the idea.
So what would your solution be?
I ignored the snide little voice attempting to prod me into admitting the secret yearning that had no place in this transaction. What happened two months ago had been an aberration. One that had produced consequences we needed to prioritise now. There could be no repeat of it.
So why were my feet leaden as I followed him to the door? Why did my gaze avidly catalogue his every feature as he stepped out, turned and murmured, ‘I’ll be in touch’?
And why, when I tossed and turned and sleep wouldn’t come, when I should have been thinking about what was best for my child, my mother, my career, did I keep returning to that ever-growing knot of anxiety over whether Neo would take a lover outside of our marriage...or if there already was one?
‘Is there something I should know, Sadie?’
I’d expected the question. Frankly, I was surprised my mother had waited till morning to ask. Now she stared at me over her teacup, worry reflected in her eyes.
I took a deep breath. ‘I’m pregnant, Mum. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, but—’
‘You wanted to tell the father first?’ she inserted gently, with no judgement and no surprise over the news. ‘I’m assuming Neo Xenakis is the father?’
‘Yes. I told him yesterday.’
Another sip of tea, then with a short nod she accepted my news. ‘And that’s why he wants to marry you?’ she asked, visibly holding her breath.
‘Yes.’
A smile bloomed across her face. ‘Oh, Sadie, that’s so romantic.’ Her eyes sparkled, much as they had last night, when she’d opened the door to Neo.
‘Please, Mum, don’t get carried away. This isn’t like one of your magazine love stories.’
‘Oh, pfft. A man like that wouldn’t offer marriage unless he was hell-bent on permanence. But is it what you want?’
Weariness dragged at me. ‘I don’t know.’
Her sparkle dimmed. Nevertheless, she reached across the small kitchen table and laid her hand over mine. ‘Whatever you decide, I’ll support you, sweetheart.’
My eyes prickled, my heart turning over with the knowledge that I loved my mother too much to remain blind to the dangerous road she was treading with her gambling.
