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‘You’ll be interested because this concerns your future,’ I said, my voice betraying nothing. ‘I’ve known about your pregnancy for the past few days, and I—’
‘How did you know?’ Jenny interrupted without compunction, a stain of colour appearing on her pale cheeks. Unlike everyone else who knew what was good for them, she’d never been afraid of me. ‘Who told you?’
I let her interruption pass. ‘I have someone watching you. They informed me of your pregnancy two days ago.’
Her eye went wide, her mouth dropping open. ‘You have someone watching me?’
Of course I had. I might have kept my distance from her, but I still kept her protected.
‘I’ve had someone watching you ever since you left Spain. However, I—’
‘What? I can’t believe this!’ Her hands gripped the arms of her chair and she shoved herself out of it, virtually quivering with rage. ‘You don’t speak to me for four years, and yet—’
‘Let me finish,’ I ordered icily, my patience thinning no matter how I tried to keep hold of it.
Valentin’s little display of amateur dramatics was going to take some time to contain, and containing it was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to take care in announcing my decision to Jenny, so it wouldn’t come as quite such a shock to her, but I had no time. I had to deal with the mess Valentin had left behind which meant the sooner I told Jenny, the better.
‘As I said, I was informed of your pregnancy two days ago. I’m not sure why you didn’t come to me straight away, but there’s nothing to be done about that now.’
‘I didn’t because—’
‘My circumstances have changed,’ I interrupted. ‘I have decided I will no longer be marrying Olivia Wintergreen.’ I met my stepsister’s wide, dark eyes. ‘I will be marrying you instead.’
CHAPTER THREE
Jenny
CONSTANTINESTOODBYthe cold marble fireplace, towering above me, his perfect features set in implacable lines, his eyes nothing but black ice.
He couldn’t be serious. He couldn’t... Could he?
My heart was beating hard behind my ribs, aching at the sight of him despite the shock and fury and hurt. It had been three months since I’d seen him up close and I wanted so much to close the distance between us. Lay a hand on the snowy white cotton of his shirt, feel the warmth of his broad, muscled chest and the faint vibration of his heart.
He might look as hard and icy as a glacier on the outside, but I knew how hot he was beneath it. Like a volcano, there was lava inside him, burning up through cracks in the ice.
Not that you could ever tell, but I knew. I’d always known.
I wish I hadn’t. I wish I’d never marched up to him the day I met him and asked him straight out if he would be my friend. He’d looked like he’d needed one and I was an only child. I’d been desperate for a brother.
I’d smiled at him because that was what I did to people who were intimidating, or angry, or people who were sad. A smile could make them soften, forget their anger and cheer up, and Constantine had definitely looked like he’d needed one of those things.
He’d almost smiled in return. I hadn’t known then just how rare that was.
He wasn’t smiling now, though, and he was certainly nothing like a brother, and I still couldn’t get over the shock.
‘Wh-what?’ I couldn’t help stumbling over the word. ‘What do you mean, marrying me?’
He gave me the same expressionless look he always did. ‘You know what marriage means, Jenny. I shouldn’t have to explain it to you.’
I hated it when he spoke like that, his tone cold and superior. But usually he only used it with other people, never with me.
‘Don’t be an ass, Con,’ I said angrily. ‘I’m not a child. I know what it means. I just want to know why Olivia suddenly isn’t acceptable to you any more. Does she know? Have you told her?’
‘Olivia is none of your concern. But as it happens, circumstances with her have changed too.’ He glanced down at my stomach. I’d already started to show. ‘And she isn’t pregnant.’
For a second I thought I saw something hot gleam in his eyes, but it was gone so fast I wondered if I’d imagined it.
‘What do you mean, they’ve changed?’ I asked, because he wasn’t making any sense. ‘Why is—?’
