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‘The ones you continue to look after?’
She gave a slight nod. ‘They worshipped him but he knew they wouldn’t accept his sexual orientation. And...he knew how much I cared for them. I’d told him about my childhood and the foster system and he...he told me I could still have a family, provided...’
‘You kept his secret?’ he finished harshly.
‘Yes. I begged him to come out. I even fooled myself into thinking I was getting through to him last Christmas.’
Ari’s gaze sharpened. ‘How?’
‘He told me he was thinking about telling his parents. That he just needed time to sort out a few things first. Now, I realise he was probably planning something else.’
‘Something like what?’
She gave a jagged laugh. ‘Oh, I don’t know, maybe he was planning to emigrate to Timbuktu? Or New Zealand? He took a bribe to crash Sakis’s tanker so, whatever it was, it must have been worth the risk to him.’
He walked slowly towards her until he stood in front of her. His eyes were still shadowed but the agony had lessened. ‘He took advantage of your kind heart and your unfortunate past to prey on you. The bastard didn’t deserve you. You know that, don’t you?’
‘I know but it doesn’t mean the need I have has abated. It’s still there, Ari. The need to be loved. But I know you can’t give me that. Am I right?’
Hazel eyes darkened and he looked away.
She tried to ignore the sharp stab of pain in her heart and forced herself to continue. ‘I told you I’d make a decision once we talked.’
He tensed. ‘And have you?’
She ignored all the self-preservation signs and blurted, ‘Yes, I’ll marry you.’
His head snapped back. ‘You will?’
She nodded. ‘I can choose to live in a fantasy where I get everything I want delivered to me on a silver platter. Or I can live in the real world where I get the baby and the family I’ve always yearned for. Two out of three will have to be enough.’
He caught her chin and raised her head so he could look into her eyes. ‘You will marry me. You’re sure?’ His eyes blazed with an intensity that drilled to her soul.
Nervously, she swallowed. ‘I’m sure.’
He gave a single nod. ‘I’ll put the arrangements in place.’ He headed towards the door.
‘Ari?’
He looked over his shoulder.
‘About...what I said earlier...’
He shook his head. ‘Forget it. We have more important things to deal with now.’ He strode out of the room without another word.
Shaky legs carried her to the window as the tears she’d fought so hard against slid down her cheeks.
Against the stunning backdrop, the sun blazed down, uncaring that she’d given Ari the answer he’d been clamouring for, and yet she felt as if she was still slipping down a slope, destined for failure and heartache.
Her hand drifted over her stomach. For better or worse, she’d made the decision for her and her baby. She had to learn to live with it.
* * *
Three Pantelides jets flew out of Bermuda three days later, all headed for Greece and Ari’s private island off the coast of Santorini.
Ari had announced that morning over breakfast that they were to be married in two days at his island home.
The news had been greeted with joy from Brianna but with more restraint from the two brothers. That neither of them looked surprised told her they’d been fully aware of the reason for Ari’s mad dash to the sky-diving site yesterday.
Perla took the first opportunity to escape to the cabin bedroom. Ari was busy on the phone, presumably putting the arrangements he’d told her about in place.
The irony of it didn’t escape her.
She was an events organiser who didn’t even have a say in her own wedding. At this moment she didn’t even know who would be attending; whether it would be a large ceremony or a hole in the wall with a priest and his brothers as witnesses.
She fell into a deep, disturbed sleep and woke to find Ari next to her. He was wide awake, staring down at her with a look on his face that stopped her breath.
Before she could speak, he cupped her face in his hands and slanted his mouth over hers. It was rough. It was deep. And her soul sang with the feverish joy of it. She was completely unprepared when he wrenched his lips away seconds later.
‘Arion?’
In silence, he climbed out of bed and began to undress.
Perla watched him, mesmerised by the dark beauty of him and the stark need in his eyes that so echoed the one in her heart.
