Return of the Moralis Wife

by Jacqueline Baird

  ‘Do you really own this hotel or did you just say that to shut me up?’ she asked with a grin, stroking her hand across his broad chest.

  Rion groaned and caught her hand in his. ‘Yes, I’d never lie to you. I own quite a few properties in the centres of major cities—they are a good investment.’

  She hid a smile. The tycoon was talking. Then she remembered. ‘You told me that before. I should thank you for keeping quiet,’ she said seriously. ‘Bratchet did go back to Cambodia, and he was arrested, but he couldn’t bribe his way out of it this time and his trial is in a few months’ time in America.’

  ‘That’s great.’ Rion’s eyes hardened for an instant. He already knew. By contacting the right, if not the most law-abiding, people he had made sure of it. Where bribery was concerned there was always a higher bidder. It was not something he ever did, but with Bratchet he had made an exception. But with Selina, the woman he loved, sprawled naked over his chest he wasn’t about to tell her and spoil the moment. ‘I dropped out of the deal when you dropped out of my life.’

  And, wrapping a hand around the back of her head, he kissed her and showed her all over again how much he loved her.

  A long time later she opened her eyes to see Rion staring down at her, a wary expression on his handsome face. ‘What?’ she asked languorously.

  ‘You have not said yes, you will marry me.’

  Selina burst out laughing. ‘I don’t think you ever asked. You simply told me.’

  ‘So will you marry me—again?’

  ‘Yes.’

  He kissed her brow, a decidedly smug smile on his face, and smoothed back the tangled mass of hair from her face.

  ‘But I am thinking I don’t want to get married—’

  ‘What?’ Rion exclaimed.

  ‘Let me finish.’ She grinned. ‘I was going to say in Greece—because I had no luck last time. I would like it to be just the two of us at a registry office in England.’

  ‘Fine.’ Rion heaved a deep breath, his moment of panic over. ‘I will arrange it as soon as we get back—and this time will be different, I promise. No more working sixteen-hour days.’

  Suddenly Selina wasn’t so sure she was doing the right thing. It had all happened so fast. And Rion had swept her off her feet once before.

  ‘I’ll believe that when I see it—and what about the other women?’ she blurted, memories of the past coming back to haunt her.

  Rion’s mouth tightened. He was not accustomed to explaining his behaviour to anyone, but he realised if he had talked or listened to Selina in the beginning he would never have lost her, and if he wanted to win Selina’s trust again he had to be one-hundred-percent honest with her.

  ‘From the moment I set eyes on you I never looked at another woman until long after the divorce.’

  ‘I find that hard to believe. The night we met, you didn’t have a conference call—you had a date with a woman called Chloe. Iris showed me the picture. Though I’m surprised Chloe only gave you four out of ten for performance,’ she couldn’t help teasing.

  ‘Iris showed you too damn much,’ he snorted. ‘I did have a date with Chloe and I intended taking her to bed. Is that what you want to hear? But after I met you I took her to a club, took her home and left her at the door. She was angry because I didn’t take her to bed—a woman scorned … As for the others—I didn’t even know them. And the reason I worked so much when we were married was because your grandfather was a crafty old villain. The deal was my father’s, but after it went through my father took off on his cruise and asked me to sort it out. Stakis Shipping was in a much worse state than had been presented to him and it took me three months to save the damn thing from going bust.’

  ‘Oh no! Though, knowing my grandfather, I can believe that,’ she said. And with a questioning look she added, ‘But you did know about the deal, because you married me.’

  ‘Why are we talking about this now? Yes, my father asked me, and I gave him an emphatic no. But to humour him I went to the dinner, and you know the rest.’

  ‘Yes, you thought you’d got me pregnant.’

  ‘I took one look at you and wanted you, and after we made love I thought you might be pregnant. It only took one look six years later for me to want you just as badly—more so. In fact I think I loved you all along. But finding a man in your bed so enraged me I blocked you from my mind. It was the only way I could deal with the fury I felt. And I have carried on working sixteen-hour days ever since, so that should tell you something.’ He tightened his arm around Selina. He wasn’t going to lose her now.

  ‘What about Lydia? Iris said you were still in love with her?’

  Rion chuckled. ‘You’re jealous—that is what this is all about—and trust me you have no need to be. You remember the woman Lydia was with when I introduced you? That is her lover—has been for years.’ He told Selina the whole story.

  ‘But she is married,’ Selina said, round-eyed with amazement.

  ‘You are still so naive in some ways.’ He chuckled. ‘Lydia would have married any man. There had been the odd rumour about her sexual preferences, and her parents are the strict high-society types. She could never come out as a lesbian. That is why she married Bastias. He is old enough and flattered enough to have got her and Lydia can get away with anything. She is a nice woman. I have known her since I was about twelve and we’ve stayed friends. The reason I was arguing with the paparazzi guy was that he was asking Lydia awkward questions about her girlfriend, who was actually standing behind us at the time.’

  Selina laughed, feeling mightily relieved. ‘My, what a colourful life you lead, Rion.’

  ‘Well, you have heard about mine, but I won’t ask you about yours. It is enough to know you are mine now,’ Rion declared huskily.

  ‘You know all there is to tell. I have only had one lover—you.’

  Rion stared at her. ‘But you were taking the Pill.’

  ‘Yes, a low-dose one for cramps.’

  Rion reached for her head and threaded his fingers through her hair, held her face firmly in his hands. ‘I think I am dreaming.’ The pupils of his eyes darkened, dilating with passion. ‘You are everything in the world to me, Selina, and I will treasure you to my dying day and beyond.’ And with a groan he covered her mouth with his, kissing her with a depth of passion and pure love.

  Selina held her baby son in her arms unable to take her eyes off him. He was so gorgeous, with black hair just like his father.

  ‘Smile for the camera, Selina,’ Rion ordered, and she did tear her gaze away from her child—for her husband.

  ‘How many is that?’ She laughed.

  Rion grinned. ‘A lot.’ He moved to the bedside and kissed her. ‘Have I told you today I love you?’ He kissed her again. ‘And I thank you with all my heart for our beautiful son.’ His dark eyes suspiciously moist, he gazed at the baby in her arms. ‘I never imagined in my wildest dreams such happiness existed, and it is all down to you, my love.’

  ‘My turn, Daddy. I want to see my brother,’ a little voice piped up.

  Rion chuckled and picked up a little girl with red-gold hair and amber eyes—the image of her mother. ‘And so you shall, my heart.’ He kissed the child and sat down on the side of the bed, holding two-year-old Phoebe. ‘There—now you can kiss his cheek and say hello to Theodore.’

  Phoebe pursed her lips and gave the baby a big kiss. ‘Hello, Theodore.’ She sat on her daddy’s knee, silently watching the baby for a while, then with a big sigh said, ‘He doesn’t talk, and he is too tiny to play with me.’ She looked at Selina and said, ‘Can we go home now, Mummy?’ Their live-wire daughter was already bored.

  Rion looked at Selina and they both burst out laughing.

  ‘You and Daddy can, as it is nearly your bedtime, but your brother and I have to stay the night. We will be home in the morning,’ Selina replied to her beloved daughter, and after a few hugs and kisses—one passionate one for Selina from Rion—she watched them depart.

  Alone w
ith her son, she let a smile of pure happiness curve her full lips. Her free hand went as it so often did to the pendant around her neck. Rion had given it to her on their second wedding night and told her he had bought it for her nineteenth birthday. Their initials were entwined in diamonds on a platinum chain. He’d also told her he had planned a honeymoon to the Seychelles for the following week, when Iris would have been back at school. But as they’d never made it he was taking no chances and they were going to the Caribbean this time. She loved him more than ever, and was beginning to believe he might have loved her from the start.

  Surprisingly Beth was convinced of it. Had been ever since Selina had arrived in Cambodia from her stay on Rion’s yacht. A large donation had arrived on the same day as Selina, and Beth had winkled the truth out of her. Beth had become a champion of Rion and now they were all great friends. So much so that Trevor and Beth were Phoebe’s godparents.

  Contrary to what he had once said, Rion was a very jealous and possessive man. He had bought her another Mercedes a week after they’d got back together. She had tried to object, and laughed when he’d told her he didn’t like the idea that a friend had bought her a car any more than he’d liked a drunk being in her bed. He’d said if it was him even blind drunk he would still be aware she was in his bed …

  She had told him she had bought the car herself, and the ‘friend’ with her had been the elderly gentleman who lived next door. Though he would never admit it, Rion had looked relieved.

  The past four years had seen all her dreams come true, she thought happily. Their main home was a beautiful house in the hills high above Athens that Rion had had an architect design and build to his specifications. He had given his stepmother, Helen, the old home. They also had a house in London, and a holiday home in the Caribbean, and of course the villa on Letos, greatly renovated now, which Anna still looked after.

  Rion rarely worked long hours, and had cut his trips abroad to the minimum. If it was possible Selina and Phoebe went with him. Rion adored Phoebe and was a very hands-on father, playing with her, bathing her. But then again he was a very hands-on husband, she thought. Rarely a day passed when he didn’t make love to her, and she knew with absolute certainty that he loved her.

  A nurse walked in and took her son to put him in the crib by her bed, telling her to get some sleep.

  With a smile on her face Selina curled up on her side and watched her sleeping baby until her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

  A slight noise woke her up, and immediately she glanced at the baby. But it wasn’t the baby, it was Rion. He sat down on the bed.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she whispered. ‘What time is it?’

  ‘After ten. Don’t worry. Phoebe is asleep and Aunt Peggy is watching over her.’ Leaning forward, he put a hand either side of Selina on the bed. ‘It is her father that needs you,’ he said huskily. He brushed her lips lightly, then kissed her deeply. ‘I couldn’t go to bed without saying goodnight.’ He nuzzled her throat and the baby whimpered.

  The nurse walked in, smiled, but told Rion to leave. With another kiss for Selina, for once Rion did as he was told and left.

  ‘You are a lucky woman. That man worships the ground you walk on,’ said the nurse.

  ‘I know.’ Selina smiled and, totally secure in his love, she did know.

  All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

  All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II BV/S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  ® and TM are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

  First published in Great Britain 2012

  by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited.

  Harlequin (UK) Limited, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road,

  Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

  © Jacqueline Baird 2012

  ISBN: 978-1-408-97389-9

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Excerpt

  About the Author

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Copyright