But Damon shook his head. ‘Because you don’t love him. You don’t even want him.’ He cocked his head, a vestige of that charming smile tweaking his lips. ‘At least you want me.’
She closed her eyes. She hated him. And she hated how much she wanted him.
There was nothing but silence from Damon. She realised he’d left the room but a moment later he returned, a small rectangular box in his hand.
‘You always have pregnancy tests on board?’ Humiliation washed over her at her ineptitude.
‘No. But as I suspected you were pregnant, I thought it might be useful.’ So easily he’d done what she was unable to.
She snatched the box from his outstretched hand. ‘I’ll be back in a minute.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
DAMON GAZED DOWN at the distressed woman who’d wordlessly waved a small plastic stick at him as she returned to his sofa. The positive proof hit him—she truly had no clue. Her one escape plan had simply been to hide and now she was lost. Her lies yesterday had been those of an inexperienced, overly sheltered girl trying to brazen her way out of a dire situation.
He grimaced—was he actually feeling sorry for her now? Fool.
She could be confident when she wanted and had strength when she needed it. She was spoilt, that was her problem. Utterly used to getting her own way and never having to wait. He gritted his teeth as he remembered the way she’d flung back her bed coverings and taunted him. So brazen. So innocent. So damned gorgeous he was still struggling to catch his breath.
But she was going to have to wait for that now. And so was he.
Never had he understood how his father could have completely betrayed his mother. Why he’d risked everything he’d worked so hard to achieve. But now Damon understood all too well what could cloud a man’s reason and make him forget his responsibilities and priorities.
Shameless lust. The age-old tale of desire.
He was not making the mistakes of his father. He was not abandoning his child to illegitimacy. But nor would he remain in a loveless marriage for years on end.
‘You need to marry me, to protect the baby.’ He tried to stay calm, but her repeated refusals were galling.
He’d never allow his child to be used for political manoeuvring. His baby would be raised in a safe environment with him. Their divorce would be better than being trapped in a home where the parents tolerated each other only for ‘the look of it’.
Eleni paled.
‘You know that, away from the palace, my child can have a normal life.’ He tried to speak reasonably. ‘Not hounded by press or burdened by duty.’
He saw her mouth tremble. He’d known this was how he’d get to her. She’d told him earlier—she didn’t want to be only a princess.
‘I can give this child everything,’ she argued.
‘Really? Can you give her complete freedom? With me, she can be free to do whatever she wants. Study whatever, live wherever. No pressure to perform.’
‘And your life isn’t in the public eye?’ she queried sharply. ‘Don’t you billionaires get picked for “most eligible” lists in magazines?’
‘When you’re not a prince and therefore not public property, privacy can be paid for.’
‘But this child will be a prince—or princess,’ she pointed out, her voice roughening. ‘And you can’t deny this child his or her birthright.’
‘The child can decide whether to take on a royal role when it’s old enough.’
Eleni laughed at him. ‘You think it’s something you can just choose?’
‘Why not?’ Damon challenged her.
She shook her head. ‘Giorgos would never allow it.’
‘I don’t give a damn what Giorgos wants.’
‘But I do. Since our father died, he’s been brother, father and mother to me and all the while he has that huge job. The hours he works—you have no idea...’ She trailed off, pain shadowing her eyes.
Damon remembered when the King had died just over a decade ago. His father had returned to Palisades for the funeral and taken an extra week to visit his long-term lover—Kassie’s mother. Grimly Damon shoved that bitter memory aside. But he couldn’t recall much about the Queen at all. He frowned at Eleni. ‘Where’s your mother?’
Eleni looked shocked. Then she drew in a deep breath. ‘She died twenty minutes after giving birth to me.’ Despite that steadying breath, her voice shook. ‘So I know what it’s like not to have a mother. And I know what it’s like to have your parent too busy to be around to listen... I want to be there for my child. And I will be. In all the ways she or he needs. Always.’
Damon stared at her fixedly, ignoring her passion and focusing on the salient information. Her mother had died in childbirth.
He pulled out his phone. ‘You need to see a doctor.’
Eleni gaped at him, then visibly collected herself. ‘I’m not sure if you know how this works, Damon, but the baby isn’t due for months.’
So what? She needed the best care possible from this moment on.
‘Just because my mother died in childbirth, doesn’t mean that I might have trouble,’ she added stiffly.
‘You need a basic check-up at the very least.’
‘Because you don’t trust me to take care of myself?’
Blood pounding in his ears, he ignored her petulance. Quickly he scrolled through his contacts to find his physician and tapped out a text asking him to find the best obstetrician he knew. Sure, women gave birth round the world almost every minute, but not always in full health and Eleni’s news had caught him by surprise.
‘I don’t need cotton-wool treatment.’ Her tone sharpened.
‘I don’t intend to give it to you,’ he muttered, feeling better for having started the search. ‘But I’m not going to ignore your condition either.’
‘It’s just pregnancy, not an illness,’ she rasped. ‘And I am sensible enough to ensure I get the best treatment when I get back to shore. Trust me, I don’t want to die. But you can’t make me see someone I don’t want to see, nor stop me from doing the things I like.’
Looking at her was always a mistake—especially when she was passionate and vitality flowed from her glowing skin. Had people stopped her doing the things she’d liked in the past? He couldn’t resist a tease. ‘And what do you like?’
She glared at him, picking up the heavy innuendo he’d intended. ‘Not that.’
He laughed even as a wave of protectiveness surged. ‘Did you know some women have a heightened libido when pregnant?’
‘I’
m not one of those women.’
Her prim reply was undermined by the quickening of her breath. It spurred him to tease her more. ‘No, you have the appetite of a nymphomaniac all the time.’
‘I do not.’
‘Yeah, you do.’ He laughed again at her outraged expression. But that sensual blush had spread over her skin and sparks lit up her green-blue eyes.
There was no denying the chemistry between them. But he’d not realised just how inexperienced she was in all areas of life—not just the bedroom. Not to have access to cash? To have any normal kind of freedom?
Yes, she was spoilt, but she was unspoilt in other ways. She’d been too sheltered for her own good. And finally he could understand why. She was the precious baby who’d lost her mother far too soon. Raised by her bereft, too-busy father, and then a brother too young and too burdened to know how to care for a young girl and let her grow. All they’d wanted to do was protect her.
It was a sentiment Damon was starting to understand too well.
And now guilt crept in. He regretted the horrible scenario he’d painted—threatening to take her child from her. What kind of cold-hearted jerk was he?
But he’d been angered by her constant refusals and he’d lashed out, instinctively striking where it would hurt most. He drew in a calming breath. He’d win her acceptance with care, not cruelty.
‘So it was the three of you, until your father died?’ he asked, wanting to understand her background more.
‘My father was a very busy man,’ Eleni answered softly. ‘He was the King—he had a lot to occupy his time. So for a long while it was Giorgos and me. He’s a bit older, but he was always fun.’ Her expression warmed briefly. ‘When Father died, Giorgos took over.’
‘Giorgos was young for that.’
‘He is very highly regarded,’ she said loyally.
‘You’re close.’
Her gaze slid from his. ‘He has a big job to do. Back then he knew some of the courtiers didn’t think he was old enough to handle the responsibility—’
‘So he worked twice as hard to prove them wrong.’ Damon smiled at her surprised look. ‘It’s understandable.’
She gazed out of the window. ‘He’s not stopped working since.’