Page 57 of Baby Out of the Blue

For her part, Jane was intensely aware of him watching her. His gaze fairly burned her skin and she permitted herself to run a reassuring hand over her stomach before going on.

She’d had her first scan a few days ago and seeing the baby’s image on the monitor had brought a tight lump to her throat. Her mother had been with her and she’d been a great support, but Jane had wished Demetri could have been there. It was his baby, just as much as it was hers, and didn’t he deserve to know he was going to be a father? But at that time, she’d believed he and Ariadne were planning their own future and how could she ruin his life for a second time?

‘Well?’

Demetri was getting impatient and Jane leaned forward and took a nervous gulp of the cooling cup of tea. Then, composing herself, she said, ‘I expect you’re wondering what I could possibly have to say that would interest you?’

Demetri’s mouth turned down. ‘You think?’ he queried sardonically. ‘I thought you might be going to commiserate with me for not being able to sustain a lasting relationship, but I suppose that would be—how do you say?—pushing it, no?’

Jane sighed. ‘Don’t be sarcastic!’

Demetri’s expression darkened. ‘Then tell me how I’m supposed to be,’ he snapped. ‘Or is this just another game of provocation?’

‘It’s not a game.’ Jane played with the belt of her jacket. ‘I—still haven’t told you why Ianthe came to see me.’

Demetri stiffened. ‘I thought she wanted to tell you that Ariadne and I were no longer sleeping together.’

Jane’s lips tightened. ‘Must you be so crude?’

‘Theos, you sound just like my mother.’ He scowled. ‘But she did give you reason to doubt what Ariadne had told you?’

Jane shook her head. ‘Yes—’

‘That’s something, I suppose.’

‘But in all fairness, you told me you’d slept with Ariadne,’ said Jane defensively.

Demetri groaned. ‘I’m not a monk, Jane.’

‘I know that.’

‘Oh, right. You know this because I made Ianthe my mistress just months after we got married?’

He would have got up from the sofa then but, with more courage than she’d given herself credit for, she reached out and gripped his wrist. His arm was lightly covered with dark hair but she could feel the heat emanating from him, the racing pulse beneath the skin.

‘Don’t go,’ she said, her voice husky. ‘Ianthe’s told me what happened. About her baby, I mean. That—that Yanis was the father, not you.’

For a moment he just stared at her and she had no idea what he was thinking. There was such a wealth of bitterness in his gaze that she felt herself shrink from the accusations she felt sure he was going to make.

‘Ianthe told you?’ he said hoarsely. ‘Theos, why would she do that?’

Jane moistened her dry lips. ‘I’m not entirely sure,’ she admitted huskily. ‘Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that you and Ariadne had split up.’

‘What did my relationship with Ariadne have to do with Ianthe?’

He was bewildered and showed it and Jane desperately wanted to comfort him. But she had the feeling he wouldn’t welcome her sympathy right now. ‘I think,’ she said, choosing her words with care, ‘that she’d realised you weren’t going to be happy with—with anyone else—’

‘But you, you mean?’ he demanded savagely, and this time she had no chance of stopping him when he wrenched his wrist out of her grasp and got to his feet. ‘My God!’ He strode across to the long windows that overlooked the square below. ‘And I’m supposed to be grateful for this?’ He turned to look at her, contempt in his eyes. ‘Damn you, Jane, I don’t want your pity!’

‘I don’t pity you, Demetri.’ Herself, maybe. She got to her feet and started towards him, but his gaze speared her like a knife and she halted uncertainly. ‘Please, you’ve got to listen to me. I know I’ve been a fool—’

‘You got that right.’

‘—but what was I supposed to do?’

Demetri’s lips twisted. ‘You could have believed me.’

‘Yes, yes, I could.’ Jane shook her head. ‘That sounds so simple, doesn’t it? I should have believed you, when the only other person involved insisted you were to blame.’

‘Ianthe lied.’

‘I know that now.’ Jane held up her head. ‘But you have to admit, no one—not even your father—told me who the baby’s father really was.’

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