With visible reluctance he strode back towards the waiting helicopter without bothering to change.
That must be one of the benefits of being the boss, Alesia mused, watching in a fog of total infatuation as he boarded the helicopter again. You could dress any way you liked. Not that Sebastien needed clothes to give him stature. He oozed confidence from every taut muscle of his amazing body. He could have been dressed in a bin bag and it still would have been obvious who was in charge.
Recalling just how long it had taken her to apply her makeup on the previous occasion, Alesia hurried up to their bedroom and walked into the dressing room, noticing with considerable disappointment that the rack of clothes had disappeared. The only outfit remaining was the skimpy skirt and top she’d worn for the nightclub.
She studied it thoughtfully. She’d loved that outfit and she was pretty sure that Sebastien had loved it too. Why not wear it again? First they’d have dinner, then perhaps he’d take her to another nightclub and they could dance and dance and after that—
Delighted with her own idea, Alesia virtually skipped down the stairs to discuss suitable dinner menus with Jannis, Sebastien’s head chef, and then returned to their bedroom suite to begin the transformation she had planned.
She bathed in richly scented water, daydreamed about Sebastien and smiled at the thought of the evening ahead. This time she managed her make-up in half the time and was reasonably pleased with the result. Feeling transformed and extremely feminine, she slipped her feet into the same pair of shoes that she’d worn for dancing, vowing that this evening she’d remove them and dance in bare feet.
Once she was ready she settled down to wait for Sebastien.
And she waited.
Twice she picked up the phone he’d had delivered to her and stood with her finger poised over the right button only to return the phone to the table with a sigh of frustration. She wasn’t going to phone him to ask him when he was coming home. He’d said that he’d be as quick as he could. She didn’t want him to think she was clingy.
More time passed and Alesia chewed her lip and paced backwards and forwards in their bedroom. He was an important man, she reasoned, and he’d been away for an entire week. It was only natural that he needed some time in the office. Loads of people probably needed to talk to him.
By the time the sun went down her fingers were once again itching to pick up the phone. Why didn’t he at least call? Had she misunderstood his desire to be home early?
Then she heard footsteps outside and the bedroom door crashed open. Sebastien stood there, dark stubble grazing his hard jaw, his dark eyes glittering dangerously in the dim light.
He looked remote, distant and thoroughly intimidating and nothing like the man she’d spent the last week with.
Alesia looked at him warily. ‘Y-you don’t look as though you had a great day,’ she said nervously and in response he strode into the room and slammed the door shut behind him.
Alesia winced. ‘If you’re hungry, then—’
‘I’m not hungry.’ His voice was lethally smooth and he paced towards her, his shimmering dark gaze never leaving her face. ‘Aren’t you going to ask me if I had an interesting day at the office, agape mou?’
She shivered slightly at his tone and instinctively took a step backwards. ‘You’re very late so I expect you were busy—’
‘Extremely busy.’ His tone was almost conversational. ‘Busy discovering plenty of interesting facts about my new wife. Facts which she hadn’t thought to reveal herself even though we’ve just spent a week getting to know each other.’
Alesia felt the colour drain out of her face.
How much did he know?
‘Sebastien—’
She couldn’t believe how different he was from the man who’d been so concerned about leaving her only half a day earlier. Gone was the warmth and consideration that she’d enjoyed so much. In its place was cold disdain.
But was that really so surprising?
How could she have thought that this fairy-tale existence could continue when it was built on such shaky foundations? A good relationship needed trust and honesty and she’d given him lies and falsehoods. Nothing built on that could be sustained. It was inevitable that it would come crashing down in spectacular style.
‘Perhaps you’d better tell me what you’re talking about,’ she said stiffly and he gave a cynical laugh.
‘Why? So you can work out what I already know so that you don’t reveal more than you have to? Don’t worry, agape mou, I already know just how good you are at keeping secrets. I learned today a number of interesting facts about your life. Like the fact that up until two weeks before our wedding you have had no contact with your grandfather since you were seven years old.’ His expression grim, he fixed her with his chilly dark gaze. ‘So who paid the fees for that expensive school you attended?’