by Sarah Morgan
Or maybe he’d recognised her.
That horrifying possibility had had her sliding down in her seat, but then she told herself that she was being paranoid.
Who was going to look twice at her?
She’d pushed the pram and carried her bag and the car seat to the next street so that no one would see her emerging from Leandro’s house and make the connection.
The driver pulled up outside the train station. He helped her with the pram and the car seat and Millie gave him a generous tip, trying not to think what that money would have bought her.
‘There’s another half an hour until our train leaves, so we’ll find a coffee shop and see if they’ll warm your bottle.’
Even this early in the morning, the station was busy, and Millie weaved her way through suited men and women, all of whom appeared to be in a hurry.
She found a quiet corner in a coffee shop, bought herself a cappuccino and lifted Costas out of his pram to give him his bottle.
She was so engrossed in the business of feeding him that she didn’t notice anyone else in the coffee shop until a light almost blinded her.
With a murmur of shock, Millie glanced up and what felt like a million cameras flashed.
Horrified, Millie snatched Costas’s blanket and threw it around him, concealing him from the cameras. ‘Go away!’ She recoiled from the intrusive lenses, all pointed in her direction. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘The whole world wants to know about the Demetrios baby.’
‘Well, the whole world should just mind its own business,’ Millie snapped, her eyes searching for an escape route. There was none. The row of journalists between her and the door was now three deep and she could see other people in the station glancing across in curiosity, wondering what was happening.
How could she not have noticed?
Because she hadn’t been looking for it. She wasn’t used to living her life looking over her shoulder.
‘Are you happy to look after the kid? Can’t be easy for you.’ The rough male voice came from right next to her and Millie turned her head and saw a man in shabby clothes sitting at the table next to her, a tape recorder in his hand.
Had he been there when she’d arrived? No, he’d arrived soon afterwards—which meant he must have followed her.
Hands shaking, Millie started to put Costas back in the pram but the photographers pressed closer, determined to get a shot of his face.
As one particularly persistent journalist stretched out a hand to move the blanket, Millie shifted Costas safely to one side. Her protective instincts going into overdrive, she gave her coffee a small nudge.
The hot liquid spilled over his arm and he cursed fluently, hopping backwards and glaring at her.
‘Don’t you dare use bad language in front of my child,’ Millie snarled, but she was shaking so badly she could hardly speak. And she had no idea what to do. The crowd was building by the minute and she was trapped.
Seeing the determination in their eyes, she did the only thing she could do.
Still holding Costas protectively, she dragged her phone out of her pocket and called Leandro.
She’d expected him to be furiously angry with her for leaving, but instead their interchange was brief and to the point as he demanded to know her exact location and then ordered her to stay where she was and not move.
Looking at the pack of journalists pressing in on her, Millie gave a strangled laugh. Move? How?
Leandro arrived shortly after, the fact that he was unshaven simply adding to the aura of menace that shimmered around his muscular frame as he strode into the small coffee shop.
Radiating power and authority, Leandro said something to the journalists that she didn’t catch, but it clearly had an effect because they fell back and a few of them melted away into the station. Millie thought she even heard one of them mutter an apology, but she couldn’t be sure.
Wishing she had a morsel of Leandro’s presence, she stood up shakily and lowered Costas into the pram, still shielding him from the cameras with her body.
‘Is this all you brought?’ Leandro picked up her bag, his handsome face taut and unsmiling as he gathered her things.
‘Bag, pram, car seat,’ Millie muttered, wondering whether she should have just taken her chances with the journalists. ‘I’m not coming home with you.’
‘We’re not discussing this here.’ He scooped up the car seat in his other hand and stood aside to let her pass. ‘Let’s move, before we attract any more attention.’
‘Is it possible to attract any more attention than this?’
Her remark drew a faint smile from him. ‘Believe it or not, yes.’
‘I didn’t think they had much of a story,’ she murmured, and Leandro looked at her with naked exasperation.
‘You just gave them a story, Millie. Don’t you know anything about the media?’
‘No. Just as I don’t know anything else about your life. Now do you see why our marriagewon’t work?’ Angry with herself for doing something so stupid, humiliated and close to despair, she stalked towards the entrance. Only then did she see the four bulky men from Leandro’s security team positioned there.
Wondering why he’d tackled the journalists himself instead of using the heavyweights he’d brought with him, Millie walked through them with as much dignity as she could muster. Which wasn’t much.
For a woman who didn’t want any attention, she wasn’t doing very well, she thought miserably, her face flaming with embarrassment as, protected by a circle of male testosterone, she moved through the now crowded station.
People stopped walking and stared and she could almost hear them wondering why a woman who looked like her required an entourage to keep her safe.
As she walked through the front of the station she would have paused but Leandro’s palm was in her back, urging her towards the sleek dark car parked in the no parking zone.
As she slipped inside, the doors locked and the driver pulled away, the security team following in a different vehicle.
Millie braced herself for confrontation, but Leandro said nothing. Instead he drew his phone out of his pocket and made a single call, speaking in rapid Greek.
Moments later the car sped through the gates of his drive, through the private courtyard and straight into the garage. From there they were able to walk into the house without being seen while Leandro’s driver used the car lift to take the car down to the basement garage.
Millie stood in the stunning double-height entrance atrium, lit by the skylight far above. She felt small and insignificant and wondered how Costas could possibly still be asleep after so much drama.
Leandro put her bag down in the hallway, left his staff to deal with the pram and gave instructions for the nanny to take charge of the baby. Then he propelled Millie into the beautiful conservatory that wrapped itself around the back of his enormous house.
The room was full of exotic plants, but Millie was too despondent to derive any comfort from the beauty of her surroundings.
‘You left again.’ His tone was raw and she flinched, wondering why he even cared.
‘I didn’t leave the baby,’ she muttered. ‘I left you. You want me to overlook the fact that you’re going to have affairs, but I won’t do that, Leandro. I won’t grow old and grey watching while you play around with other women. Maybe that’s what other Greek wives do, but I couldn’t live like that.’
‘Play around with other women? When did I say I wanted to play around with other women?’ He looked stunned by the suggestion and she lifted her chin defensively.
‘You said I was supposed to stand by your side, no matter what,’ she reminded him. ‘I assume “no matter what” means “no matter who I go to bed with”. I can’t turn a blind eye. It’s asking too much.’
‘“No matter what” means you and I standing together, facing whatever life throws at us.’ His tone rang with incredulity. ‘I said nothing about affairs. I have no intention of having affairs. I wa
nt you in my bed. No one else.’
Her assumptions having exploded into the atmosphere, Millie stood uncertainly, knowing that he’d change his mind once she was undressed. ‘What if you discover the chemistry isn’t there any more?’
Leandro moved so quickly she didn’t see it coming. One moment he was facing her, legs apart in a confrontational stance; the next he was right in front of her, his hand on the back of her neck and his mouth on hers. And he knew exactly how to kiss to ensure maximum response. With the erotic exploration of his mouth and tongue, Leandro turned a kiss into something indescribably good and as Millie felt her grip on reality sliding away, her last coherent thought was that if she died now, she’d die happy.
Only after several minutes during which she lost track of time and place did he finally lift his head. ‘I don’t foresee a problem.’ He stepped back with all the easy confidence of a man who has proved his point and Millie ran shaking hands over her jeans, not sure whether to slap him or slide her arms round his neck and beg him to kiss her again.
‘You shouldn’t have done that.’
‘People have been saying that to me all my life. If I’d listened to them, I’d still be playing in the dust on a remote Greek island.’ Maddeningly relaxed, he glanced at his watch. ‘Make up your mind, Millie. I’m only going to ask this once. Are you staying or going?’
Knowing that he’d dump her soon enough when he found out what had happened to her, Millie nodded. ‘Staying.’ At least then she could spend time with Costas.
‘Good. I’ll instruct my people to put out a statement saying that we are adopting the baby. Hopefully that will kill the story.’ ‘If I come back to you, I’ll be surrounded by media.’
‘As my wife you’ll have more protection than if you go it alone. This morning has proved that.’
‘But Costas and I can’t leave the house without a bodyguard and a driver! What sort of life is that?’
‘A privileged one,’ Leandro drawled, ignoring the buzz of his phone. ‘But while they’re hovering like hyenas, we’ll stay elsewhere.’
‘We’re leaving London?’
‘This media circus presents a risk to the baby. I don’t want to have to go through the courts to keep his picture out of the papers.’
Millie bit her lip. ‘Where are we going?’ It was touching that he was so protective, but at the same time it was upsetting because she could only see one reason why he would care so much for the baby’s welfare.
‘We’re flying to Spiraxos later this morning. I just have some important calls to make.’
‘We’re going to Greece?’ Her heart dropped. He’d taken her to his island on their honeymoon and they’d had three weeks of sun, sea and sex. Three indulgent weeks during which she’d been so happy. At that point in their relationship none of their problems had surfaced. She’d been ecstatically happy and so wildly in love that she’d woken up every morning with a smile on her face. The thought of returning there now made her feel sick. It would be like a cruel taunt, reminding her of that magical time before her life had fallen apart. ‘Why Greece?’
‘Because the island will give us privacy. And because our relationship was perfect when we were in Greece.’ His gaze was bold and direct. ‘We had an incredible time there. And if we’re going to put the pieces of our marriage together, I’d rather the details of our reconciliation weren’t documented in the pages of sleazy celebrity magazines. We will be able to relax, away from the eyes of the world.’
Relax? How could she possibly relax, trapped with him on Spiraxos, where she’d once spent the happiest time of her life? How could she relax, knowing what was coming? ‘I—I’m not ready to fly to Greece. I need some time.’
‘My staff will make any necessary preparations. All you have to do is walk onto my plane. And if you’re worried about clothes, I can tell you now that you’re not going to need any. Last night you slept alone, but tonight, agape mou…’ Leandro flashed her a dangerous smile ‘…well, let’s just say you won’t be dressing for dinner.’
Tonight?
It was tonight.
No more excuses.
Millie’s stomach churned horribly.
He was going to fly her all that way, only to discover that he didn’t want to be with her any more.
It was going to be the shortest reconciliation on record.
Millie checked Costas again, grateful for any excuse to delay joining Leandro on the sun-baked terrace that overlooked the sparkling blue Aegean sea.
The journey to Greece had been smooth. Costas had slept most of the way and Leandro had spent his time reading and deleting endless emails, which meant she’d had far too much time to brood on the evening ahead of her.
Now that it had arrived, she couldn’t bring herself to walk down to the terrace.
She was dreading the inevitable rejection.
‘Are you planning to eat dinner with the baby? You have a hidden passion for baby milk perhaps?’ Leandro’s smooth, masculine tones came from behind her and she jumped because she hadn’t expected him to come looking for her.
‘I was just making sure he’s all right.’
‘Of course he’s all right. He slept for the entire journey and now he’s asleep again, which means, agape mou, that you have no excuse for not joining me.’
‘Why?’ Millie heard the ring of desperation in her own voice. ‘Why would you want my company?’
‘Because that’s what married couples do. They eat dinner together.’
‘Perhaps I’d better stay with the baby, just for tonight,’ she hedged, ‘in case he’s unsettled after the journey.’
‘He’s asleep.’
‘He might wake up and realise he’s in a new environment.’
‘In which case he’ll yell. One of Costas’s qualities is that he isn’t shy about letting you know he’s unhappy,’ Leandro said dryly, staring down at the baby with a faint smile on his handsome face. ‘All the bedrooms open onto the terrace, you know that. If he cries, we’ll hear him.’
‘I don’t like leaving him.’
‘We have a team of eight staff here, including the nanny that you appointed yourself.’
‘He doesn’t know them yet!’
‘Neither is he likely to, if you don’t allow them near him. Enough, Millie. The baby is going to be asleep!’ His tone held a note of exasperation. ‘Why is it that you’re afraid to spend an evening with me? I’ve made a particular effort to be approachable and thoughtful. Am I such an ogre?’
She shook her head. ‘No.’
Leandro gave an impatient sigh and slid his fingers under her chin. ‘I am trying to understand what is going on here,’ he breathed, ‘and you’re not giving me any clues. I thought you loved Spiraxos. I thought you’d be pleased to be here.’
‘It’s very quiet.’ She meant that she found the intimacy difficult, but he misinterpreted her words.
‘I’ll arrange a few shopping trips it that’s what’s bothering you.’
Preoccupied by what was to come, Millie barely heard him. ‘Why would that help? I’m not interested in shopping.’
‘Millie.’ His tone was dry. ‘You used to spend hours deciding what to wear, so don’t tell me you’re not interested in clothes. I’ve never known a woman spend so long staring into her wardrobe.’
Because she’d had no idea what to wear. She’d been desperately insecure and those insecurities had grown and grown, fed by his gradual withdrawal. The harder she’d tried, the more he’d backed off until it had become obvious to her that he’d deeply regretted the romantic impulse that had driven him to marry her. And how much more insecure was she now? If she’d found it hard being his wife a year ago, now it seemed a thousand times harder.
This was the perfect opportunity to tell him everything that had happened to her after she’d walked out that day, but Millie just couldn’t get the words past her lips.
‘Given that you’re so dedicated to the baby’s welfare,’ Leandro drawled, ‘I will watch him while you
take a shower and change for dinner. Remembering how long it used to take you, I’ll prepare myself for a long wait.’
Millie cast a last reluctant look into the cot, willing Costas to wake up and yell. Willing him to give her an excuse to miss dinner. But for once he lay quietly, sleeping with a contented smile on his tiny mouth, oblivious to her silent signals and growing distress.
Which meant that she’d run out of excuses.
Leandro glanced at his watch and sprawled in the nearest chair with a sigh of resignation. Previous experience told him that he was going to be in for a serious wait. The length of time Millie took to get ready had been one of the things that had driven him crazy about her.
Not at first, of course. When they’d first met he’d been startled and charmed by how unself-conscious and natural she was. She couldn’t bear to be away from him, even for a moment. Any time spent in the bathroom had been together. Making love. Touching.
She’d been addicted to him, and so affectionate that it had astonished him. Accustomed to women who guarded their behaviour and protected themselves, he’d never met anyone as free and honest with their emotions as Millie. She’d been as straightforward and honest as the fruit that grew on her parents’ farm.
Or so he’d thought.
It had all changed on the day they’d arrived in London after their honeymoon.
Suddenly she’d morphed into one of those women he’d spent his adult life mixing with. She’d become obsessed with her appearance. It was as if she’d become a different person. Leandro had given up surprising her at home for a few stolen hours of daytime passion because she’d never been there. She’d spent her days in beauty salons and her nights out partying with him. And she’d spent hours scouring the celebrity gossip, looking for pictures of herself.
Leandro, up to his ears in work as usual, had been unable to work out what had happened to the girl he’d married. Had it all been an act designed to trap him and then she’d shown her true self? Or had it been marriage to a billionaire that had changed her? After all, up until her marriage with him she hadn’t had the funds to allow her to indulge her apparent obsession with clothes and beauty products.