by Lucy Monroe
She waited in silence for him to acknowledge the truth.
He put the phone down, his expression easily read. Her super smart, super competitive husband did not like being wrong.
“Well,” she prompted.
“Not every week.” He sighed. “But as good as. And I now realize I spent multiple nights here in the penthouse far more often than I should have.”
She said nothing. She’d known that. She hadn’t needed to read the pilot’s log. Why? Because she had missed Alexandros when he was gone. Obviously, he had not been as afflicted, not even realizing how much time he spent away from her and Helena.
“Nevertheless, a fifty-minute helicopter ride is not the same as a fifteen-minute drive,” he claimed in the growing silence between them.
“But an unnecessary commute, in any case.”
“We cannot do the type of entertaining expected of a man of my stature in the penthouse.”
“We still have the villa. We can continue to entertain there when necessary and host the local events at the same facilities we’ve used in the past.”
“But that was when our home was in the country. We are talking about my family living full-time in Athens.”
“So, buying a house here in Athens is about your consequence?” she asked quietly, not surprised, but a little disappointed by that fact.
He stared at her. “That is not what I said.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Are you picking a fight?”
“Disagreeing with you is not me picking a fight, Alexandros. Neither is me asking you a legitimate question.”
He surged up from the couch, anger making the lines of his gorgeous face harsh. “So once again I am the big bad billionaire?”
CHAPTER NINE
INAPPROPRIATELY, POLLY WANTED to laugh.
But he had the look of a sulky boy, and she just knew he wouldn’t appreciate her saying so.
“You may be big,” she teased, indicating a certain part of his anatomy with a significant look. “And there is no question you are a billionaire, but I never said you were bad.”
“You did. You said I am a bad husband.”
She opened her mouth to deny, but realized she had said that, or as good as. “You’ve improved loads,” she offered.
“And let us not forget I perform well in the bedroom,” he said angrily.
She blinked at him, not sure what to say. Alexandros was happy to go head-to-head with power players, but he’d never liked arguing with her. If she gave him an out, he always took it.
Always.
For some reason, this time, he was forcing the issue, refusing to brush uncomfortable feelings back under the carpet.
“Please remember that I want to live here so your children and I can have more time with you. This is not me saying you are a bad husband.” That was absolute truth. “It is me saying I want our marriage to work. If you’re serious about fixing the brokenness, then so am I.”
The anger drained away, but the expression it left behind was more sad than relieved. “I must cling to that truth, I suppose.”
She put her hand out, asking silently for help standing. Not that she couldn’t get up on her own, but it was harder now and she wanted the physical connection.
He immediately took her hand and leaned forward to slide a hand around her waist before smoothly pulling her to her feet.
“Thank you.” She made no move to put distance between them. “Is it really so important for you to have a showcase here in Athens?”
He leaned his forehead against hers, not speaking for several seconds.
She didn’t push.
“No. It is not, but the idea that you don’t trust me to change…that hurts.”
“I am sorry,” she whispered, unable to deny the lack of trust.
“Me too.”
She didn’t ask what he was sorry for. Was he sorry she didn’t trust him? Was he sorry he had destroyed that trust? Did it matter?
They made love that night with a tender desperation, both needing the connection of their bodies to affirm their merged lives.
The next day Polly chatted with Corrina about her desire to continue living in the penthouse apartment. “You and Petros seem more than happy living here,” she pointed out.
“And I wouldn’t mind staying indefinitely.” Corrina paused and then shrugged. “If some changes were made to make this area more family friendly.”
Polly looked around the perfectly manicured container garden on the roof, the furniture that was designed to impress business associates and even the pool that didn’t have a rail on the stairs going into the shallow end for children to hold on to.
“You know your husband actually owns the Kristalakis Building, not the corporation? I asked and Petros told me.” Corrina smiled at Helena’s antics in the pool. “Your daughter is so sweet.”
Polly smiled. “I like to think so.”
Their younger nursemaid, Hero, was swimming with the three-year-old, looking like she was having as much fun in the water as the toddler.
“Anyway, the company could easily buy condos or use hotels for corporate guests, and the family could reclaim the floor below our places,” Corrina suggested. “The apartments could be remodeled to accommodate the security team as well as a playroom for the children and suites for family guests.”
Polly frowned at the work that would take, but was unable to dismiss the idea entirely. “That would be a pretty big undertaking.”
Corrina shrugged with the insouciance of someone born to wealth. “It’s not as if you’d have to put up with the mess. They wouldn’t be touching our apartments. You know?”
“But…”
“And we could wait to do the remodel until after your family visits for the baby. Until then, the security team and family can use the apartments as they are.”
“I like the idea of indoor play area for the children.”
“The roof garden isn’t exactly practical on the hottest days of summer for anything other than swimming, but we’re going to have to install some shading up here. I’ve wanted some for a while. And that area over there would be a great spot for a play structure.” Corrina indicated the center of the roof. “We don’t need to get rid of the helicopter pad, just shift to the spot they land and put up a wall with a locking gate for safety’s sake.”
It would be the safest and easiest to oversee spot, but it would definitely change the roof to family focused rather than business impressive.
“You’ve been thinking about this.”
“I want children someday and I don’t want to move into the family house, Polly.”
“But Petros would buy you your own home.”
Corrina didn’t look too sure about that. “Maybe. Maybe not. He’s really struggling with the family schism that’s happening right now.”
“Is he?” Polly felt badly, knowing that schism was between her and her mother-and sister-in-law.
“Yes.” Corrina reached out and patted Polly’s arm. “Don’t get that look. I mean it. This is not your fault. It is Athena’s and Stacia’s fault. They’re both way too used to getting their way with Alexandros and Petros. Trust me, I wasn’t putting up with Athena manipulating my marriage, much less that little madame, Stacia.”
Not like they’d manipulated Polly’s. Polly got that. Still. “You’re everything Athena wanted in a daughter-in-law.”
“Don’t you believe it. Women like that are never happy with their daughters-in-law. They want to be the center of their sons’ lives.”
“No, I’m sure Athena wants both her sons to be happy. She just doesn’t believe Alexandros can be happy with me.” As hurtful as her mother-in-law’s behavior had been for Polly, she had never felt the other woman was purely selfish.
Not like Stacia.
“More the fool her. No on
e else could have given Alexandros what he needed in a wife. Only a blind person would think differently.”
Uncomfortable with that declaration, Polly fell back on humor. “We’re very compatible in bed.” She waggled her brows suggestively and both women cracked up.
“What is so funny?” Petros asked, sliding onto the seat beside his wife.
“Papa! Uncle Petros! Look how fast I swim!” Helena demanded from the pool.
“Is something wrong?” Polly asked Alexandros as he settled into a matching chair kitty-corner to Polly’s.
It was midmorning, nowhere near lunchtime.
“No. Why should there be?” Alexandros’s expression chided her.
Because it was work hours and he was there, with them, not in his office doing stuff to take over the business world? She didn’t say that, realizing from his expectant and not altogether pleasant expression, he was just waiting for her to say something of the sort.
Not sure why he was suddenly spoiling for an argument, Polly just gave him a sugar-sweet smile. “No reason.”
Her husband’s dark gaze narrowed. “A meeting got canceled and I decided to spend my suddenly free hour with my family.”
“Well, I’m glad you did,” she said sincerely.
And that was one more reason staying here in the penthouse was a good idea. Apparently if they were close at hand, Alexandros would opt to give his family these unexpected moments rather than work.
Even if that only happened occasionally, it was worth it.
Alexandros clapped along with his brother in appreciation of Helena’s swimming efforts.
“Well done, poppet,” Polly said to her daughter with a big smile.
“Now that smile is genuine. What do I have to do, I wonder, to earn that kind of warm approval?” Alexandros said, his voice low and sensual. “Or do I already know?”
Polly looked over at him, realizing what he was implying at the same time as she caught that even if his brother had not heard what she’d said to cause her and Corrina’s laughter, her husband had.
And while his tease had been all sexual innuendo, there had been an angry edge to it Polly did not understand.
But she got it later when they were readying for bed, and it appalled her. “You want to do what?” she demanded, making no effort to modulate her tone to something resembling calm.
“You are convinced the only place I value you is in the bedroom. I think we should take a break from sex while we work on other aspects of our marriage.”
“Whose idea was this? Have you been talking to your mother?” she demanded.
“I have in fact, but it wasn’t her idea.”
“I bet. She convinced you it was your idea, didn’t she?” Athena had tried suggesting the no-sex thing once already, ostensibly for the sake of Polly’s health during her pregnancy.
“My mother feels badly for all she has done to undermine our marriage and the ways she hurt you, even when it was entirely unintentional.”
Unintentional? “Did you just imply your mother did not mean to undermine our marriage? That there was something accidental about her assurances that our marriage was a temporary aberration in your life and the prenuptial agreement was proof?” she asked in a dangerously controlled voice.
Alexandros didn’t appear worried. “She misunderstood the prenuptial agreement as much as you did.”
“Oh, did she? And why is that?”
He tugged at the collar on the shirt he had yet to remove in preparation for his shower before bed. “The agreement my father had her sign was materially different.”
“It was?” Polly asked in a flat tone, never having considered that possibility.
“It was a different time.”
“Was it?” Or had his father simply trusted his wife more than Alexandros had trusted Polly?
Another possibility sent a hollow feeling through Polly. Maybe subconsciously, Alexandros had considered their marriage temporary. But then Polly had gotten pregnant and their marriage became a permanent fixture in his life, one he could never admit to himself, much less anyone else that he had ever seen in a different light.
“You know, Alexandros, I’m done fighting your mother’s machinations. You want to sleep separately while we work on our marriage? Be my guest.” She pointed to the closed door, her message clear.
“I did not say we should sleep separately.”
“You said we shouldn’t have sex.” And if he thought that was possible while sharing a bed, he’d lost his mind.
“Well, yes.” Though he wasn’t sounding so confident about that little detail.
Right at that moment, Polly did not care.
She went into the closet and came out with a suit, shirt and tie for him to wear the next day. “Take these to the guest room. I’ll get your underthings and you can grab your stuff from the bathroom.”
“What? I’m not moving out of our bedroom.”
“Yes. Yes, you are.”
He took the clothes from her but shook his head. “No, that is not what I meant.”
“Neither of us can sleep in the same bed without touching each other. I choose not to be teased by what I cannot have. Ergo you will be sleeping in the guest room.”
“But that is not what I want.”
“Tough.”
He stared at her like she was the unreasonable one. She didn’t care. She was just done.
“Get out, Alexandros. I need my rest.” She placed her hand protectively over her stomach, not even a little ashamed to pull the pregnancy card.
She’d had two difficult pregnancies and very little in the way of accommodation for them.
She’d spent so long not giving in to her own limitations for his sake and the sake of peace between them, but she was done with that too.
For once, Polly was going to insist on what she wanted, what would be easiest for her.
His male pride and ego could go hang.
He’d promised her he wouldn’t let his mother, or sister, come between them, but here he was doing just that. All the anger that Polly had tamped down for five years of marriage was sizzling through her bloodstream like lava, the volcano of her fury so close to eruption, it was all she could do not to scream.
“You said we get along in bed,” he said, like that should explain everything.
“And you said you want to give that up to focus on other areas of our marriage. I guess we’ll see just how good you are at doing that, won’t we?” she asked with a snide tone she wasn’t proud of, but neither was she shouting at him.
So, there was that.
He drew himself up like her words had firmed his resolve. “Yes, we will.”
“Well, then…” She indicated the door with her hand.
He frowned. “We can still share a bed.”
“No, we cannot. You want no sex. I want to sleep alone. Deal with it.”
“Polly you should not take this as a rejection.”
“Don’t worry, that’s not how I see it.”
“I want to say that’s good, but your tone implies it’s not.”
“Alexandros, I’m done talking. Please leave.”
He opened his mouth but then shut it as if her words had finally registered and he had decided to respect her desires.
With a final look at her that she could not read and didn’t really care to, Alexandros turned and left. He was back moments later to retrieve the pile of remaining things he’d need for the morning that she’d gathered.
She waited until he was finished in the bathroom before going inside to take her evening shower, ignoring his quiet good-night as he left the room.
If a few angry and pain-filled tears mixed with the water, there was no one else there to see.
Alexandros flopped to his side, missing his wife’s form in the bed next to him more than he would ha
ve expected, even though this sleeping arrangement was not what he’d been angling for. After all, sleeping on his own in the penthouse wasn’t something new for him. But he could not get comfortable.
He wasn’t so stupid he even tried to tell himself it was the bed. He missed Polly and couldn’t help feeling he might have made a huge tactical error.
The conviction that Polly believed the only thing they had between them was sex had grown day by day. She’d said it more than once.
Bed was the one place in their marriage that they got it right.
He was too much of an overachiever to accept that kind of limitation. He wanted her to trust him. To believe he loved her.
He didn’t want her to think his words of love were just a mix of affection and lust like she’d said they were.
He loved her madly, deeply and forever.
No way could he accept that view.
And he was at a loss as to why she could not see the truth.
Yes, he’d made some mistakes. Loads of them if he were honest, but he’d shown her his love too. Okay, yes, they struggled with communication. Yes, she’d misunderstood some things, but enough to believe he didn’t know what he meant when he told her he loved her?
It made no sense.
Alexandros had given more to Polly than he had to any woman that had come before her.
He had made her his wife. He had changed things in his life to make her happy.
Only somehow, he had failed.
And failure did not sit well with him.
He would prove to his wife that he loved her and didn’t just lust after her. Though that emotion was strong enough.
He hadn’t argued with his banishment to the guest room for two reasons.
One, his wife was angry with him, but it was the look of wounded vulnerability he could not argue with.
And two, she had been right. If he slept with her in his arms, he would have touched her. And if he touched her, his good intentions would not have stood against his physical need for her.
Maybe he needed to prove to both of them that lust was not the basis of their marriage.