“I’m fine,” she said with a delicate shrug. “I wouldn’t mind a bite to eat, though.”
He grimaced. “You’ve read my mind. I’m famished, which is my fault for not having taken us to dinner first. Give me a moment and I’ll round us up some hors d’oeuvres.”
“That would be wonderful.”
When he left, Chloe resisted the urge to fold her arms across her chest self-consciously.
This entire night seemed a bit like a pony parade. Her mouth hurt from smiling and her feet were beginning to protest the black strappy stilettos.
“Hello again.”
Chloe glanced up in surprise as Danielle came to stand beside her.
“Hello.” Chloe’s shy smile came naturally this time. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Well, as much as one can at these events.” Danielle took another sip of her champagne and grimaced. “Of course, the occasional night away from the children is always welcome. We have three, you know.”
“Three? How wonderful. And yes, I’m sure you’re well deserving of a night off.” Chloe laughed, her hand slipping to her own belly.
Would she be craving those same nights of freedom in a few years? What would her relationship with Andrés be like then? Would they survive that long…? Her throat tightened at the last thought.
“I meant what I said earlier, you know,” Danielle said and cast Chloe a sideways glance. “I have never seen Andrés look at a woman the way he looks at you.”
Chloe’s throat tightened and she bit her lip. Whatever Danielle thought she saw when Andrés looked at her wasn’t the truth.
“I see that you do not believe me,” Danielle murmured.
“Our relationship is complicated,” Chloe finally confessed.
The other woman gave an amused laugh and shook her head. “Oui, they all are. I’m certain that whatever problems you and Andrés have will work themselves out as time passes.”
Chloe gave a wan smile and took another sip of her sparkling water. It was a lovely thought, but she certainly wouldn’t hold her breath waiting.
Andrés approached them again, holding a plate full of small hors d’oeuvres. “Still hungry, cariño?” he murmured, leaning down to brush a kiss across her cheek, then handed her the plate.
The return of his use of cariño did not go unnoticed by Chloe; she flushed, even knowing he did it only because Danielle was beside them.
“Yes. Thank you, darling.” Her endearment for him was entirely too easy to add. Her cheeks burned hotter when his lips curled in amusement.
Andrés gave her a quick wink. Turning to Danielle, he said, “Now if you ladies will excuse me, I’ve found your husband, and I have a bit of a score to settle with him.”
“Still smarting over that last poker game, are we?” Danielle teased, and then waved him away. “Go. We are perfectly capable of entertaining ourselves.”
Andrés gave an amused laugh and then turned to walk away. “Of that I have no doubt.”
Chloe watched as Andrés joined a distinguished-looking man with dark features and became quickly engrossed in conversation.
“How do you know Andrés?” she asked Danielle, lifting a small fruit tart to her mouth.
“My husband, Phillip, and Andrés were flatmates in college, back before I even had met Phillip. Neither of them had more than a few pennies to their name back then, but that quickly changed once they finished school. They’re thick as thieves, those two.”
Chloe took in the information with a nod, grateful to have a bit of insight about Andrés’ life beyond his difficult childhood.
“How is Andrés with children?” she asked hesitantly.
“Andrés is brilliant with children. Ours adore him,” Danielle said enthusiastically.
“Really?”
“You sound surprised.”
“No, I just…” Perhaps Danielle and her husband weren’t aware of Andrés’s childhood? But the idea that he hadn’t told his best friend and yet had chosen to confide in her seemed a bit implausible.
“You are thinking of having children of your own soon, perhaps?” Danielle asked with an arched brow. Then her attention slipped to the sparkling water Chloe sipped. Her smile widened. “Sooner than later?”
Chloe’s cheeks burned hotter and she lowered her gaze.
“Ah, how wonderful for you both.” Danielle leaned in and gave her arm a light squeeze. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thank you,” she replied softly.
Not that it mattered much. Though right now she could disguise her growing belly with the right clothes, it was only a matter of time until that wasn’t an option.
“Oh, I absolutely detest that woman,” Danielle said suddenly, her tone darkening.
Chloe lifted her head. “Who?”
But her attention already locked on Estella Martinez, and her stomach sank to the ground. No. Why was that hateful woman here?
“The one speaking with Andrés. She manages his Valencia resort,” Danielle continued with a scowl. “I do not trust her.”
Chloe was not quite prepared to share how she and Andrés had met, and that she’d worked for Señora Martinez over the summer. But it was a relief to find someone else who didn’t trust her either.
Danielle made a noise of annoyance. “She reminds me of a poisonous snake, just ready to sink her venomous teeth into someone.”
Chloe began to laugh but then stilled as Andrés leaned down to kiss the woman’s cheek.
Her heart squeezed painfully and she struggled to breathe. Had he no concern whatsoever for his wife’s emotions? He knew she already questioned his past with the woman.
A soft hand fell on her shoulder. “Cheri, it is his culture. Do not read too much into his behavior.”
From across the room Estella met Chloe’s gaze, and her lips curved into a smug smile. Chloe’s blood fired with anger and she snapped her teeth together. Any other employee and Chloe might not have minded so much, but Estella had made it clear that she had her eyes on Andrés.
“Mrs. Montero, would you care to dance?”
Chloe glanced up, unused to her new married name and surprised at the handsome man who had approached her. Andrés had introduced him to her earlier, and if she recalled correctly, Nikkos Kostopoulos was one of the competitors in the hotel business.
“She would love to,” Danielle replied and took Chloe’s plate, urging her forward.
Biting back a groan, Chloe accepted his hand and allowed herself to be escorted onto the dance floor. Nikkos slid his arm around her waist and took the lead in dancing. He was not overtly close, but still, being in anyone’s arms besides Andrés’ sent a rush of discomfort through her.
“I must say,” he murmured in what sounded like a Greek accent. “Europe will be quite shocked to learn Andrés Montero is no longer an eligible bachelor.”
Chloe forced a brief smile. “Will they? Well, I suppose they’ll simply have to use your family for fodder, Mr. Kostopoulos. The women of Europe will never be bored with the Kostopoulos brothers to swoon over.”
Nikkos threw his head back and laughed. “Indeed. I believe Andrés has done well in choosing you as a wife”
Her lips curled in amusement as the song slowed to an end. “Thank you.”
“Ah, there he is. Andrés is now coming for you, Chloe,” Nikkos said softly with a wink. “Though it took him a bit longer than I’d expected.”
Had Nikkos danced with her simply to make Andrés return to her side?
“Mind if I have the next dance with my wife?”
Chloe stiffened at Andrés’s deceptively polite request from behind her, his tone laced with just enough steel to warn of his displeasure.
“Of course,” Nikkos replied with obvious amusement. “Your wife is quite charming.”
She lifted her chin defiantly when Andrés turned her and slid his hand about her waist, pulling her close to his hard form.
Oh God, it was amazing how much she missed him. Missed any kind of intimate
contact.
Her body responded immediately to his closeness, her breasts swelling and heat rocketing through her blood.
“Dancing with the enemy, Chloe?” Andrés asked softly, though inside he tried to abate the fiery burn of jealousy.
“Is he your enemy?”
“Well, I would hesitate to call us friends.”
What had Nikkos been thinking, inviting his wife to dance? No, perhaps they were not quite enemies, but nor were they friends. They held a mutual respect for each other and competitiveness in the industry that had made both of them the successes that they were today.
“What did you two talk about?” Andrés asked.
“Does it matter?”
“I don’t suppose it does.” He narrowed his eyes, observing his wife’s petite curves that swayed to the slow song the orchestra played. He tightened his hand around hers; every muscle in his body taut with the need to touch her again. To possess her. It had been too long.
Andrés came to a halt, ignoring the fact that the music was still playing. “We’re leaving.”
“So soon?”
He didn’t reply, just guided her quickly past Danielle, who appeared quite pleased, and toward the entrance to the hotel.
The paparazzi went mad with excitement. Cameras clicked and questions were shouted while they awaited their limo. A moment later, the vehicle slid to a stop in front of them and he ushered her inside.
“You’re a married woman now, Chloe. Perhaps you should stop with the flirtations,” he said once the limo was underway. “Of course, I am aware of your reputation while you were at Diablo’s Paraíso for being overtly friendly with the guests.”
“I did not flirt with Nikkos,” she snapped, her eyes sparking with fury. “And my being overtly friendly was due to that obnoxious rule set by the manager of your resort. If you don’t like your employees flirting with the guests, then take it up with Estella Martinez.”
Andrés narrowed his gaze. “What are you implying?”
“Implying?” She stared at him a moment, then laughed bitterly. “You mean you don’t know? Ask the manager of your resort about that little flirting rule. But be careful how deep you dig. You may not like some of the things you uncover about what’s going on at Diablo’s Paraíso.”
He stared at her a moment, trying to decipher what she’d have to gain by lying. Andrés knew she was jealous that he’d danced with Estella earlier, but this seemed a bit extreme.
Reaching into his tux pocket, he pulled free his cell phone and dialed Pablo. He snapped out a quick request for his assistant to do some investigating into what, if anything improper, was going on at his resort, and then disconnected the call. “I won’t take kindly to false accusations, Chloe—”
“They’re true,” she protested, frustration in her gaze.
He hardened his expression, not wanting to believe something so incredible could have been going on in his hotel without his knowledge. An investigation would soon reveal the accuracy of her statement.
Ten minutes later, they stepped into the penthouse suite, and Chloe made to rush past him.
“Not tonight,” he muttered, capturing her wrist and spinning her around. “I want you.”
Her chin lifted, even as her lower lip trembled. “You haven’t touched me in days. Why now?”
Because not touching her for days had been hell, and he cursed himself for waiting this long to do so. He would have her tonight. Would erase the image of her dancing with his competitor. The image of her in the arms of another man on the beach in Valencia. Dios, he would remind them both who she belonged to.
“Why not now?” He backed her up against the closed door and traced his finger over the emerald nestled just above the tempting swell of her breast.
“You can’t just have me whenever you decide is convenient,” Even though she protested, he could see her hardened nipples through her dress.
“You are my wife,” he mocked, sliding his hand around her back to unfasten her dress. “I can have you whenever I please.”
One slight tug on the slippery fabric had her dress slipping into a green pool of chiffon at her feet.
The air hissed from between his teeth. She wore no bra, just a tiny white pair of panties. The blood in his groin pulsed and desire stabbed through his veins.
He needed her. Now. And he would have her again. Would bury himself deep within the lush body of his wife. He itched for her arms to be around him. To hear her voice crying out his name as he took her.
“Deny me, cariño,” he challenged, leaning down to brush his lips across her in a soft caress. “See if you can.”
Chloe closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath, wanting to deny him and his arrogance. But she wanted his touch even more so. It had been too long. Everything within her screamed for the return of intimacy between them.
“You know that I can’t,” she whispered, hating that she gave into him despite his horrible behavior.
She wound her arms around his neck and gasped as Andrés’ mouth crushed down to commandeer hers, demanding her complete submission as he deftly removed her panties. She heard the zipper of his pants go down, and a moment later he lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist. He entered her in one smooth thrust.
Her heart lodged in her throat and pleasure exploded through her body. Her need for him expanded, sinking claws into her soul and refusing to let her deny him or this moment.
Andrés took her against the door, using her with a roughness and urgency that had her body burning and her heart pounding with emotion and passion. The deep, powerful connection that intertwined their lives and souls remained. It brought tears to her eyes, made her heart swell with the intensity of it all.
They both found their pleasure at once, their strangled cries absorbed in a lingering kiss that claimed. Her heart swelled with the emotion.
She loved him. Andrés was the only man who could own her heart and her body this way. And suddenly she didn’t want to hide it anymore. To hell with the consequences if he didn’t want to hear it.
With Andrés still buried against her womb and her nails digging into the jacket of his tuxedo, she stopped biting her tongue to hold back the truth.
“I love you, Andrés.”
He went absolutely still, seemed to not even draw a breath. The seconds ticked by, and still the stunned expression remained on his face.
“You don’t need to pretend anymore, cariño. We left the cameras back at the event.”
Tears stung her eyes and her heart twisted with misery. She’d already taken the risk of confessing, and it was too late to go back now. She didn’t want to anyway. She swallowed hard, lifting her head. “That’s just it. I’m done pretending, Andrés. I’m done pretending I don’t care about you.”
His gaze searched hers, seeming to look for a hint that she was anything but serious. Perhaps the glaze of tears convinced him she was. Then he slowly pulled away from her and set her back to the ground with a firm shake of his head.
“You don’t love me, Chloe,” he said roughly, avoiding looking at her now. “You may think you do, but I promise you that you don’t.”
“Don’t you dare tell me what I feel,” she said vehemently. “Perhaps they’re not the words you want to hear, but they’re the truth.”
Andrés spun back to her, the look in his eyes a mixture of wild fear and despondency. “No, Chloe. You know that—”
“What, that you can’t love me back?” she bit out on a sob, helpless to stop the tears that spilled down her cheeks. “Why? Why can’t you take that risk? And why can’t you let me love you?”
His nostrils flared and he gripped her arms, giving her a shake. “Because nobody’s ever loved me. Not my family and not you.”
“You’re wrong,” she whispered, her heart aching at his obvious pain and anger. She covered his hands with her own and met his hard stare. “I love you, Andrés. Do you understand? I love you.”
His jaw hardened. “No. You love believing in fa
iry tales. And you need to realize they are not real. They don’t come true.”
“Sometimes they do,” she pleaded, tears filling her eyes. “If you let them.”
Something flickered in his eyes, something that may have been hope. But then it was gone and his gaze was once again shuttered. “You need to grow up and stop being so damn naïve.”
Chloe blanched; felt the color leaching from her face and hope fading from her heart. “Maybe I’m naïve, but you’re a hypocrite,” she said brokenly. “You make love to a woman you will not love. And I say will not, because you can love, Andrés. You just refuse to let yourself.”
“Basta.”
“If you can’t love me,” she pressed on, “can’t love anyone, how can you possibly love our baby?”
Andrés’ face grew ashen as he shook his head. “Chloe, stop—”
“No, you stop!” She jerked away from him and scrubbed a hand across her cheek to wipe away the tears. “I hoped things might be better being your wife, even if you blackmailed me into this marriage. You’re my husband, the one man who’s supposed to love me unconditionally. I can’t…I can’t live like this, Andrés. Please, if you have any mercy, if you can’t love me or even accept my love, let me go,” she whispered, touching the slight swell of her stomach. “Let the baby and I both go.”
“I can’t. Damn you, I can’t,” he ground out and curled his hands around her shoulders. He lowered his head, capturing her mouth in another thorough kiss, forcing the response she was helpless to withhold.
When he lifted his head, Chloe was again breathy and weak in the knees but undeterred from her convictions. It wasn’t enough anymore. It would probably never be enough.
“Yes, we want each other,” she admitted sadly. “You’ve proven that again and again. But in the long scheme of things, I just don’t think that can sustain us.”
He stared down at her, his gaze full of unease and frustration. “I’m sorry, Chloe, but it will have to be.” With a shake of his head, he set her aside and strode from the room.
She’d taken a chance and it had backfired horribly. He didn’t love her. Would never love her. Chloe slid down the wall with a sob and wrapped her arms around her knees, letting go the rush of tears.
The Billionaire's Baby Bargain (A is for Alpha) Page 15