She couldn’t blame his mood, she told herself. Not when she’d been so weepy a moment before!
“Come,” he said in a low voice. “It’s late. Time for bed.”
For…bed?
Her knees shook beneath her as he led her back to the hotel. She barely noticed the beautiful sights of Venice, the lights on the gondolas or the islands across the water. All she could see in her mind’s eye was t
he penthouse suite waiting for them.
The bed waiting for them.
Biting her lip, she glanced at him sideways through her lashes. He was so breathtakingly handsome and strong. But beyond just his incredible sexiness, he was a good man. He’d been nothing but loving and patient. He hadn’t been angry or hurt about the fact she couldn’t remember him. No, his only focus had been on making her comfortable. On helping her.
No, that wasn’t true. He wanted something else.
He wanted to marry her.
The father of her child, a handsome, powerful Greek tycoon, wanted to marry her. So why couldn’t she accept? Why couldn’t she at least let him kiss her? Why wouldn’t her body let her?
You’re right to be afraid.
She heard more low whistles and muttered appreciation in Italian as they passed a new group of young men. Clenching his hands, Talos started to turn toward them. His whole body seemed abruptly tight and angry, almost enraged. He meant to fight them all, she realized. He was suddenly bruising for a fight.
Frightened, she stopped him with a gentle touch on his wrist. “Can I have my coat back?” she implored. “I’m so cold.”
He instantly turned back to face her. “Of course, khriso mou.” Looking down at her, he tenderly wrapped the coat around her. For a moment, she was lost in his dark gaze. He took her hand in his own. “I’ll get you back to the hotel.”
Eve exhaled, relieved she’d distracted him before he could start a fight with those young Italians. From the look on Talos’s face, she’d been afraid. For them. He’d been taut with fury that seemed far beyond what their fairly innocent provocation had deserved.
But she wouldn’t allow it to happen again. As they walked past the doorman and into the lobby, Eve vowed she would change her wardrobe completely.
Once inside their penthouse suite, Talos immediately released her hand. When she came out of the bathroom ten minutes later, after brushing her teeth, he didn’t even glance up from the sleek desk near the window where he was working on his laptop. Through the window behind him, she could see the twinkling lights of ferries crossing from the Adriatic Sea.
“Thank you for loaning me your pajama top,” she said awkwardly. She gave a laugh that sounded nervous and goofy, even to her own ears. “I must have lost mine. There was nothing in my suitcase.”
“You always slept in the nude.”
She swallowed, staring at his profile, very aware of the bed behind her. “Well, um…”
“You take the bed.” Standing up, he closed his laptop and finally looked at her. His dark gaze, which had been so hot when he’d nearly kissed her near St. Mark’s Square, had suddenly cooled. “I’ll work in the office so I don’t disturb you. I’ll sleep on the couch when I’m tired.”
After the amount of time she’d spent trying to steady her nerves and steel herself to share a hotel room, she’d never expected this—for him to treat her as if she were a distant guest. She glanced from his tall body and wide shoulders to the small, slender couch. “You won’t be able to fit on that!”
“I’ll manage.” He turned away. “You and the baby need rest.” Rising from the desk, he left the room. He paused at the door. “Good night.”
He turned off her light. Since she had no other choice, she climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to her neck. Bereft of his warmth. Miserable. Alone.
She sighed as she turned her head back and forth on the thick, luxurious pillow, trying to get comfortable, trying to make herself sleep with anxious thoughts racing circles in her mind.
Why hadn’t she let him kiss her?
She’d yearned to know what it would feel like to have his mouth on hers. She sighed now just thinking about it. And yet she’d jumped away from him without thought. As if she’d placed her hand on a burning stove.
She heard the echo of his dark, haunted voice. You are right to be afraid.
Afraid? Eve flipped onto her other side with an impatient huff of breath. Afraid of what? Talos was a good man. Her lover. The father of her child. He’d been so loving, so romantic, so patient with her!
And he wanted to marry her.