The Stolen Bride

by Abby Green

  It had sparked a revival in media interest in their scandalous family history, and in the whereabouts of his and Nathaniel’s mother, something they could both have done without. While Sebastian got on with most of his siblings, even if he didn’t see much of them now, his relationship with Nathaniel was his closest one, albeit largely from a distance. The relationship with his oldest half-brother, however, had been non—existent for years.

  Once, Jacob had been Sebastian’s only anchor in a dark and unstable world. An adored and revered older brother. By the age of ten, Sebastian had witnessed more than any child of his age should have had to, and had dealt with seeing his mother being sent to a mental institution.

  He’d always been the loner out of all his siblings, a cerebral child who had struggled in isolation to comprehend the mercurial moods of their charismatic father. But at a crucial point in Sebastian’s life, Jacob had left the home with no warning and no explanation, and ever since then Sebastian had had no one who’d cared enough to coax him out of himself. From that moment on, he’d become even more withdrawn.

  And without the anchor of their oldest brother, all the Wolfe siblings had inevitably drifted apart. Sebastian had buried the pain of that abandonment deep inside him and had channelled all of his energy into a single-minded desire to succeed. Which he had done many times over.

  Jacob’s return now was precipitating a whole host of unwelcome emotions within Sebastian, and so far he’d managed to avoid meeting him. However, Sebastian had just agreed to let Nathaniel use his London hotel for his upcoming wedding, and he knew that Jacob was due to attend, so even though he had no wish to avoid the rest of his family, if Jacob was going to be there, then Sebastian was planning on being unavoidably busy for the day.

  Suddenly he knew the best solution to distract him from unwelcome thoughts of Aneesa and his family: he would take a new lover. He didn’t need to be reminded that he hadn’t slept with anyone since Mumbai and in his own head vehemently denied that it was because she’d ruined him for anyone else. That was a ridiculous thought. Bitterness gripped him—he was his father’s son. He carried William Wolfe’s warped genes and his father had never found peace with one woman. So why would Sebastian suddenly buck the trend? Or, worse, feel inclined to?

  He picked up his phone again and made a call to a very persistent socialite he’d met at a party some weeks before. He hadn’t been interested then, but suddenly he was very interested. Almost desperate, in fact.

  * * *

  Aneesa sat nervously in Sebastian’s London office, in awe of the plush understated luxury and the mile-high view which took in the London Eye in the near distance. Her belly was tied in knots and she felt a semi-hysterical giggle rising up to think of what else was in her belly: a baby. Sebastian’s baby.

  But then the reality of what faced her made her sober up again fast. The irony of getting pregnant on her non-wedding night, and to another man, hadn’t been lost on her.

  She’d known for some time now and, in that time, had developed an indelible bond with the tiny being inside her. There was no question, but she was having this baby, no matter what the fallout, and she’d known well that her career most likely wouldn’t survive this. The equanimity she’d felt when faced with that prospect told her that she’d definitely started to move on from the Bollywood world.

  And in the past two weeks her suspicions had been proved right and events had led her here, to Sebastian’s office in London. She’d tried the hotel in Mumbai first, but they’d told her that Sebastian had no immediate plans to come back to India. Aneesa had quashed the suspicion that that was because of her. Surely he couldn’t want to avoid her that badly? Even now that thought made her feel ill inside. And then … with everything that had happened at home, she’d had no real choice but to leave India, so she’d taken the opportunity to come to England and tell Sebastian face to face.

  A noise outside and the familiarly deep rumble of a voice made her heart stop. A clammy sweat broke out over her skin. The door opened and she sat frozen on the couch as she watched the tall and achingly familiar figure of Sebastian stride in.

  He didn’t see her at first as her seat was partially hidden behind the door but as it swung shut she gathered all her courage and stood.

  ‘Sebastian.’

  That distinctively husky voice, the beguiling hint of an accent, had Sebastian whirling round, half terrified his dreams were haunting him by day now. And when he saw her, he reeled.

  Aneesa gripped her hands tight together. Sebastian looked as if she’d just driven a stake through his belly. For an awful heart-stopping moment she thought he didn’t even recognise her. But before she could say anything he issued a curt, ‘How did you get in this time? Did you materialise through another service elevator?’

  Hurt lanced her and Aneesa fought not to quail at the clear evidence of his hostile reaction to seeing her. ‘No.’ She flushed. ‘The security guard downstairs recognised me and when I explained I was looking for you he took me up here to wait. There was no one outside so he brought me straight in.’

  She didn’t want to go into the way the Indian guard had balked at the notion of someone like her waiting for Sebastian anywhere other than his office. Aneesa had surmised grimly that the news of her infamy hadn’t reached as far as England yet. Blistering energy crackled off Sebastian for a long moment and Aneesa had to consciously not let her eyes drop and take in that gorgeous body, but even peripherally she could see the way his exquisite suit hugged his powerful frame. Heat washed through her and her belly tightened.

  Abruptly Sebastian relaxed visibly and ran a hand through his hair which Aneesa noticed had grown longer since she had last seen him. She could see now that he looked slightly weary, with faint lines around his mouth and eyes that she hadn’t noticed before. And it looked as though he’d lost weight.

  ‘I’m sorry, there was no need for me to be so rude. It’s just … a bit of a shock to see you here. That’s all.’ Even now Sebastian had to wonder if he was going mad—was he imagining this? Had he inherited his mother’s mental instability?

  Immediately Aneesa felt obliged to rush and explain. ‘I know we agreed that it would be one night only, that we’d never see each other again …’

  She drove down the hurt again at his reaction and steeled herself. Her life was about taking responsibility now and she had to keep going. ‘But I’ve come to tell you something.’

  He looked at her, head back. Aneesa’s heart was racing. He wasn’t making this easy for her at all. She took a deep breath and then said in a rush before she could lose her nerve, ‘I’ve come to let you know that I’m pregnant … with your baby.’

  Sebastian blinked. Aneesa didn’t disappear. She was still there, in front of him, flesh and blood. In tight jeans and a T-shirt, a soft figure-hugging leather jacket. Her hair down and her face pale and devoid of make-up. Almond-shaped eyes huge. And utterly, utterly beautiful. For a second he’d thought she was about to say that she’d come because she hadn’t been able to forget about him, and even amidst the shock he felt a bubbling up of something which felt suspiciously like joy.

  And then what she had said impacted on him, like a delayed reaction.

  His eyes narrowed, he cracked out, ‘Pregnant? You’re pregnant, and it’s mine?’

  Aneesa looked hesitant. Unsure. And Sebastian had to drive down the immediate need to reassure her. This was too huge. Well-ingrained cynicism surged. He asked again when Aneesa didn’t respond immediately. ‘Is it mine?’

  ‘Well, of course it’s yours … you’re the only …’ She faltered. ‘I’ve not been with anyone else.’

  On a reflex Sebastian’s eyes dropped to Aneesa’s waistline where there was only the slightest hint of a belly. Which could be nothing, or could be something. His baby. He felt dizzy. He sought refuge in rising anger which he knew had something to do with the fact that she hadn’t just made this trip because she couldn’t forget him and wanted to see him again.

  The an
ger rose up, directed at her now for being here, and invading his peace, when he had so recently been castigating her for that. A small voice mocked him: Peace? Since when have you had peace in your life? Like a coward, Sebastian ignored the memory of the long minutes he’d slept in Aneesa’s company that night….

  ‘I used condoms.’ His voice was icy cold.

  Aneesa flushed; imperceptibly her chin hitched up. ‘I know. But it must have … Something must have happened. This is your baby—why would I come all the way here if it wasn’t? Believe me, this was as much of a shock to me as it is to you.’

  Sebastian crossed his arms. Aneesa shivered slightly.

  ‘Did you decide to pass off your child as mine once you found out about the Wolfe family fortune? Or did you know who I was all along? It seems awfully coincidental now that you just happened to find your way to my suite that night. Perhaps like today, an eager fan let you in so you could stage your dramatics?’

  All Sebastian was aware of was the need to drive Aneesa and her terrifying news back. Her mouth was open on a gasp as she took in his words, the colour leaching from her face, and he had a flash of memory at just how distraught she’d been, that look they’d shared at her wedding when she’d reminded him of a panicked and trapped animal being led to its doom.

  He also had a memory of the moment when they’d made love and he’d all but blacked out … Possibly in that moment, the protection had failed.

  And even as he thought that, a grim cold certainty lodged in his belly. Aneesa was pale and stunned-looking. He knew she was an actress, but no one could fake this.

  But it was too late. She was picking up her bag and heading for the door, back rigid.

  She had her hand on the doorknob and she turned around, her face white. ‘That is a despicable thing to say.’ Her English got more stilted. ‘I was in ignorance of who you were until five weeks after you’d left—believe it or not, I had other things on my mind. And I only found out because I saw you in a paper. If this is the way you react to finding out you’re going to be a father, then I wish I’d remained in ignorant bliss.’

  She finished caustically. ‘And you can take your Wolfe fortune and jump off the London Eye for all I care!’

  With that she opened the door and swept out with all the hauteur of a queen. Sebastian could hear his PA’s startled exclamation as this exotic beauty emerged from his office. He was stunned for a second too, and then what finally galvanised him were her words: you’re going to be a father. And just like that, the reality of what she was saying sank in and he couldn’t hide behind the anger any more.

  Aneesa stood at the lift and pressed the button again impatiently; she was not going to cry, she was not going to cry. Even though her throat ached and the backs of her eyes burned. She could have laughed at her brave assertion just now that she’d had other things on her mind, when he’d been on her mind morning, noon and night.

  He didn’t believe that the baby was his, and she truly hadn’t expected that. But her naivety mocked her. He must have women coming out of the rafters claiming to have his children. And he believed that she’d deliberately seduced him? That hurt the most. He’d tainted their magical night with cynicism. He was hard and unforgiving and not at all like the man she remembered.

  The lift bell pinged just as she felt her arm taken in a strong grip. A familiar and evocative scent tickled her nostrils. The doors opened and she tried to pull free to step in, but couldn’t.

  ‘Don’t go.’ His deep voice sent a quiver through her body. ‘Please. Forgive me for what I just said.’

  She looked up at him and her legs went wobbly when she registered his closeness, and saw those eyes up close again. His hand warm on her arm through her jacket.

  ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said … what I just said. It was unforgivable.’

  The ache in Aneesa’s throat diminished. ‘Yes, it was. I just wanted to let you know—I felt you deserved that much.’

  He tugged her arm gently. ‘Come back inside. You look like you could do with a cup of tea.’

  Reluctantly Aneesa let herself be guided back through to his office, barely hearing him ask his middle-aged PA for some tea and informing her that he shouldn’t be disturbed for the rest of the afternoon.

  When the tea was brought in, Aneesa sat on the couch, with Sebastian in a chair opposite her, for all the world now as if they were acquaintances catching up in civilised surroundings and not as if a bomb had just been dropped into the room, into their lives. Stalling, she took a sip of hot tea, relishing its calming heat.

  ‘When did you arrive?’

  She looked at Sebastian and hated the little lurch her heart gave. She knew it would be so, so dangerous to harbour feelings for him. He might have apologised but he certainly wasn’t showing an inkling of the man she’d met that night who had been so tender and considerate.

  She put the cup down. ‘This afternoon. I came straight from the airport.’ She looked him in the eye and steeled herself. ‘The honeymoon period I had with the media after the wedding disaster is over.’

  His eyes narrowed, brows snapped together. ‘What are you talking about?’

  Aneesa’s hands twisted in her lap. ‘Jamal and his boyfriend broke up and as a form of revenge his now ex-boyfriend outed him in the papers.’ She took a breath. ‘And on pretty much the same day, a nurse from the clinic I’d gone to for confirmation of the pregnancy leaked the news to the press for a sum of money.’

  Her mouth twisted. ‘The reality that I must have slept with someone other than Jamal close to the wedding was too much for the public to take. It would appear that they can take the news of Jamal being gay better than they can take the news of me becoming a single mother.’

  Something in Sebastian’s gut clenched. ‘Is that what you want?’

  No! Aneesa wanted to scream, but she just shrugged nonchalantly, avoiding Sebastian’s eye.

  ‘This wasn’t meant to happen. But I want this baby and if I have to do it on my own, then so be it.’

  ‘You won’t be on your own. I’ll be in the baby’s life too,’ Sebastian said gruffly, everything in him rejecting the notion of Aneesa and his child being alone. However, he didn’t want to look too deeply into how that would work, when the very idea of anything like marriage or a long-term relationship was anathema to him. He’d been poisoned against that halcyon image since he had been a child. Nothing he’d experienced had demonstrated any kind of normal functioning relationship.

  Aneesa dipped her head slightly. ‘Thank you for that, but I really don’t expect anything from you.’

  ‘Where are you planning on staying while you’re here?’

  Aneesa flushed. She didn’t want to reveal just how broke she was now. Or how she hadn’t really stopped to think beyond escaping the media storm at home and feeling compelled to come and tell Sebastian face to face. She hated to think that Sebastian would feel obliged to take her in. She prevaricated. ‘I … I hadn’t really organised anything but I’m sure I can find somewhere this afternoon.’ Worry knotted her belly; she knew she wouldn’t last long in a hotel.

  ‘I’d offer you a room in my Grand Wolfe Hotel but it’s booked out for a private function this week and weekend….’

  Aneesa tried to wave his suggestion away; just the thought of the cost of a room at one of his hotels made her feel nauseous. Her life had changed so much in such a short space of time, before she wouldn’t have even questioned the cost of such accommodation, and would have simply taken it for granted.

  She hitched up her chin again in a way that Sebastian was beginning to recognise. ‘I’ll find somewhere to stay … figure something out, get a job somewhere … I’m really just taking it one day at a time at the moment.’

  Suddenly restless, Sebastian stood and raked a hand through his hair, pacing back and forth. The news of his impending fatherhood was making him feel numb. He couldn’t process it and said distractedly, ‘It’s not just your responsibility now, it’s mine too. There were two
of us there that night, and I didn’t make sure you were adequately protected.’

  He didn’t see the colour flare in Aneesa’s pale cheeks; he only remembered the heart-stopping urgency of desire that had led him into the most frantic coupling of his life. Willing down the images with an effort, he turned back to face Aneesa. ‘You can stay with me. I can’t have you wandering around looking for accommodation when I have a perfectly spacious apartment. I’ll call my driver round and take you there now.’

  Aneesa stood, relief mixed with trepidation warring inside her. ‘Are you sure? I don’t want to upset your routine. I know you must be busy. I can go to a coffee shop, wait until you finish work …’

  Sebastian quirked a small harsh smile and decided not to tell her how he’d quite regularly work till midnight before going home only to toss and turn, or else head out and pound the pavements for hours, coming back exhausted at dawn. And then he remembered something and the smile faded. ‘No, really, it’s fine. I have to head home soon anyway as I’m going out this evening.’

  Sebastian started to usher Aneesa out of the office and she bit back the urge to ask him if it was a date. He could even have a girlfriend—how would she know? Or perhaps he was meeting his London mistress? Stomach roiling, they picked up her bags from the overexcited security guard downstairs, who had somehow in the interim managed to get some DVDs of Aneesa’s movies. She autographed them, and posed for a photograph with the man wearing a fixed smile, and then was being ushered into the back of Sebastian’s luxury car with tinted windows.

  Sitting in the back, listening to Sebastian take a call on his phone, he was a million miles from the man she’d met that night in Mumbai, and when she looked back on it now, it all seemed like a flimsy mirage, because this man was acting as if he wouldn’t kiss her again if his life depended on it.