Aristide’s apartment was much swankier than she had taken the time to appreciate the night she had accompanied him home and that recollection made her face flush red. A manservant greeted her at the door and showed her into a big, open space with a fabulous view of the London skyline and the River Thames.
As she accepted a glass of water and stood admiring the view, Aristide joined her. He wasn’t wearing his usual formal business suit. Instead, his lean, muscular physique was sheathed in tight jeans and an open-neck black shirt, a combination that made him look younger and more approachable.
And incredibly sexy, she acknowledged inwardly, taking in the full effect of his lean bronzed features as he smiled at her and her whole body was engulfed in what felt like a hot flush. Perspiration beaded her short upper lip. She glanced hurriedly away from his ripped, powerful physique, sipping her cooling water while promising herself that she would stay in full, unimpeded control of both her body and her swirling emotions. That was the way forward for her and Aristide, she reasoned. They would make sure that they respected each other’s boundary lines and, in that way, keep the peace.
‘Take a seat,’ he urged.
Having spent most of the day on her feet, Tabby sank gratefully down into the nearest armchair. ‘Let’s try not to fight this time,’ she murmured wryly.
‘Something tells me that we were born to fight,’ Aristide countered. ‘We’re both determined and we both like our own way better than anyone else’s.’
‘Maturity has made me more flexible,’ Tabby declared.
What maturity? Aristide almost dared to joke as she sat there, slight and small as a child in the seat. ‘You seem tired.’
‘The delights of early pregnancy,’ she quipped ruefully.
‘You don’thaveto work—’
‘Yes, I do. This is my life, not yours,’ Tabby reminded him gently. ‘I’m perfectly content for you to take an interestafterthe children are born, but anything more at this stage falls under the heading of interference…and I don’t appreciate that approach.’
‘I have a suggestion to make,’ Aristide informed her.
Tabby tensed, reckoning that a suggestion from Aristide would ultimately prove as serious and immovable as a royal command. She lifted her chin, striving to seem as though she were a receptive audience when she didn’t feel as if she could be.
Aristide stalked over to the window, bred-in-the-bone fluid grace edging his every lithe movement. He swung round, brilliant dark golden eyes pinning her in place. ‘We need to get to know each other better. We can’t be at each other’s throats while we are trying to raise children together,’ he told her grimly.
‘Well, I certainly hope it won’t be as bad as that.’ Tabby swallowed with difficulty at that challenging opener of a dialogue. ‘I think you’re talking about a scenario that happens in an ideal world but unfortunately we don’t live in that version,’ she completed uncomfortably, unable to comprehend getting to know Aristide better in their current non-relationship.
‘But if we arebothwilling to make the effort to become accustomed to each other, itisachievable.’
While we’re trying to raise children together.That single phrase sounded like the bell of doom clanging in Tabby’s delicate ears. She wasn’t ready to establishanykind of togetherness with Aristide. She expected to have to consult him about matters relating to their children and that would be that. His expectations, however, clearly were higher than her own.
‘For that reason I suggest that you accompany me to Greece for a couple of weeks, meet my family, learn the lie of the land in my home,’ Aristide drawled casually. ‘Our childrenwillbe spending time in Greece.’
Tabby’s head flipped round, her blue eyes very wide in sheer shock and surprise. ‘My word, I wasn’t expecting that invitation! It’s a lovely ideabut—’
‘I don’t want to hear why you can’t do it… I want to hear that you can and will make that effort.’
Tabby winced, her teeth gritting. ‘Right now it isn’t possible. With the best will in the world, I’m taking care of my sister’s business—’
‘And I could put a manager in there tomorrow…orshecould,’ Aristide sliced in without hesitation. ‘Take that responsibility away and there is no longer anything tying you to the UK for the immediate future.’
‘I couldn’t let you do that—’
‘Why not? You’re exhausted. You need a break. Your health and well-being should come first right now,’ Aristide told her unarguably.
‘I believe that it could be very awkward meeting your family for the first time when I’m pregnant and I’m not even your girlfriend,’ Tabby pointed out in a strained and stiff undertone, keen not to offend him.
‘Then we should present ourselves as an engaged couple. That’s the conventional answer to our predicament. Surely that would make you feel more comfortable and less ill-at-ease?’
Tabby was stunned by the concept. ‘Fakean engagement, you mean?’
‘Why not? A fair proportion of engagements don’t make it as far as the wedding,’ Aristide countered with glancing cynicism. ‘I don’t see any harm in a pretence of that nature while we’re in Greece. We can let the arrangement die away naturally a few months down the road…but in the short term, it would strengthen your position in my life. Family and friends respect ties of that nature.’
In a sudden movement, Tabby stood up tall and studied him with accusing blue eyes. In her own mind’s eye, she saw herself transformed from the foolish young woman who had had a one-night fling with Aristide and, unfortunately from his point of view, managed to conceive, to a young woman in control of her life. It was a seductive image even though she knew it wasn’t and wouldn’t be genuine or real. She compressed her lips, deciding that his intelligence had a positively Machiavellian turn. ‘You turn me inside out,’ she muttered accusingly. ‘You actually have me considering this crazy idea!’
‘It’s not crazy. You’re simply stuck in your little groove and refusing to consider more promising options.’
