CHAPTER FIVE
HISVOICEWASa snarl and his big hand was brutally hard.
And, to her absolute horror, Alice felt, muddled in with her indignation, a tremor of excitement at finally getting a reaction from Mr Superior.
No, no, no.
She was not going to let him get to her.
Or play those man-woman games she was sure to lose.
She was a novice and Adoni Petrakis was too adept.
Alice drew herself up as tall as she could, doing her best to ignore her body’s mixed signals—jaw clenched in anger, knees shaky with something close to fear and, worst of all, that snaking coil of sexual response drawing her belly tight.
Though she hated his aggressive attitude, Alice’s body responded as if expecting more of that sensual bliss he’d bestowed. As if he’d imprinted himself on her psyche and she associated him with amazing sex and the euphoric sense of well-being that had stunned her when he’d held her close.
The thought appalled.
Deliberately she looked at his big hand on her arm, then up into that beautiful dark face with its infuriatingly condescending expression.
‘There’s no need to get physical,MrPetrakis. I’m happy to stay and discuss this now you’ve found your voice at last.’
Was he grinding his teeth? A muscle jumped in his jaw and her chin hiked higher.Shehad nothing to apologise for. He’d been in a bad mood since the moment she’d arrived.
With a slight shake of his head he released her. ‘Sit down, Alice. We need to sort this out.’ He turned his back and strode to the desk, murmuring something into the phone, presumably to his secretary.
Alice sank back into an armchair, surprised at how shaky she felt. She hadn’t expected this to be easy but nor had she expected outright animosity.
‘You say you’re pregnant?’ Adoni lowered himself into a chair opposite, his long legs stretched out as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Yet his face looked as hard as if it was cast in bronze.
‘Iampregnant. I saw a doctor yesterday.’
‘And you’d have me believe the baby is mine?’
Alice bit back the instinctive retort that rose to her tongue, ignoring the flicker of hurt that he’d think she’d lie about something so fundamental.
He didn’t know her, after all. Just as it was becoming clearer by the moment that she didn’t know him either. She’d thought him...nice, caring and tender, funny and—
‘Having second thoughts about your story, are you?’ He leaned forward, his scrutiny so keen Alice swore she felt it scrape over her features like a blade.
‘It’s nostory. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t true.’
His eyes narrowed to gleaming slits. ‘How convenient that none of your other lovers, before or after me, was so...potent. Incredibly potent, since I took the precaution of using a condom.’
It took enormous willpower not to respond to the snarky innuendo in his tone. Alice refused to lower herself to his level. ‘Condoms aren’t foolproof, as any medical practitioner will confirm. And as for other lovers...’ She paused, feeling heat rise in her cheeks.
‘You were saying?’ Adoni steepled his hands under his chin as if weighing every word.
Damn.Alice hadn’t wanted to admit this, but it seemed she had no choice. ‘There haven’t been other lovers. Either before or after.’ Sheer willpower kept her staring into his narrowed eyes, despite the embarrassment curdling her insides.
Adoni’s expression didn’t alter, other than a slight puckering of his forehead.
The silence thickened and Alice felt a horrible sensation creeping up her spine to tighten the back of her neck, as if gnarled fingers fastened round her nape.
‘You expect me to believe you were avirgin?’
Alice tore her gaze away, down to her knuckles, clenched in her lap. ‘I know it’s probably unusual these days, but yes. I was.’