The Diakos Baby Scandal. Natalie Rivers

profound than that. She looked older in some way, and the expression on her face was wary and troubled.

      He frowned, momentarily disconcerted as he looked down into her eyes. He could have sworn that her eyes had been a soft clear blue, but now they appeared to be pale grey, as if they were reflecting the pastel colour of the rain-streaked sky.

      ‘Why would you say that?’ Kerry gasped. ‘I’m not coming back to Greece with you.’

      ‘Actually, you are,’ Theo said.

      ‘Why?’ she demanded incredulously. ‘Why do you want me to? And what makes you think I’d ever go anywhere with you ever again?’

      ‘Because you owe me that,’ he replied.

      ‘I don’t owe you anything!’ Kerry exclaimed, anger suddenly flaring inside her. ‘I gave up my career to be with you, and I never took any of the money you tried to give me. I used up all my savings while I was living with you, which made it really hard for me when I came back to London.’

      She paused, racking her brain for any other possible reason he might think that she owed him. The very idea that he could want anything of her was ridiculous—he was one of the richest men in Athens.

      ‘I left all the expensive jewellery you gave me behind,’ she added, remembering how much that had hurt.

      It wasn’t because of the cost of the items—for Kerry their value had been entirely sentimental. She’d thought they were genuine tokens of Theo’s affection for her. When he’d thrown her out so coldly, she’d realised that all the things she’d taken as meaningful in their relationship had obviously meant nothing at all to him.

      ‘I’m not talking about trivial monetary matters,’ Theo said flatly.

      ‘Then what—?’ Kerry’s voice dried up in her throat. Did that mean he had found out about Lucas?

      She bit her lip, desperately hoping that he hadn’t discovered her secret. Surely he would have brought up something so important immediately? But perhaps he meant to string it out to torment her.

      ‘You interfered with matters that did not concern you,’ Theo said. ‘The consequences could have been tragic.’

      Kerry drew in a shaky breath, remembering the awful evening of the accident.

      ‘No one was injured,’ she said in a small voice.

      She deeply regretted that her involvement had caused Hallie to drive off with Nicco when she’d been drinking. But that did not change the fact that Theo and Corban had been planning to take Nicco away from his mother.

      ‘It’s a miracle no one was killed,’ Theo said. ‘But that’s not exactly the reason I’m here.’

      Kerry stared up at him anxiously. What could be worse than causing a potential tragedy—something bad enough to bring Theo all the way from Athens to seek restitution from her?

      ‘Your meddling stirred up a vicious media circus,’ Theo said, as if that was on the same level as a tragedy. ‘The paparazzi had a field-day. They hounded my family relentlessly—Hallie and Corban in particular. It made things very difficult.’

      Relief that Theo had not come about Lucas poured through Kerry—making her bold. Was he really comparing the inconvenience of unwanted media interest with the possibility of someone dying in a car crash? How had she ever lived with this man—shared his home for six months—without realising what he was really like?

      ‘You mean with the media watching everything you did it made it difficult for you to take your sister-in-law’s child away from her?’ she asked.

      As soon as the words were out of her mouth she knew she should not have antagonised him. A change came over him that made goosebumps prickle across her skin. It was hard to pinpoint what was actually different about his expression or his body language, but something alerted her to danger.

      ‘It would be better—for you—if you never mention what you overheard that night again.’

      Theo’s voice grated across her nerves, making her heart start to race once more. But then all of a sudden her hackles rose at the threat in his tone. How dared he tell her what to do? She wasn’t in a relationship with him any more.

      ‘Why not? Are you ashamed of yourself for contemplating something so horrible?’ she demanded recklessly. ‘Or are you simply lying low—intending to carry on with your plan once the heat is off?’

      Theo glared down at her, his blood suddenly surging hot and angry through his veins. He’d had no idea that Kerry had it in her to behave like this. The woman who’d been his lover for nearly a year would never have been so hot-headed, never have challenged him so rashly.

      ‘Be very careful,’ he grated, stepping forward so that he towered over her, forcing her to crane her neck back to maintain eye contact.

      ‘Why?’ she demanded, planting her hands on her hips and refusing to back away. ‘What are you going to do to me?’

      Theo could almost feel the energy crackling between them. Despite the cool air of the wet summer day, there was real heat in the space around their bodies. It was the heat of anger—and it was far more than just that.

      It was the heat of passion—emotional and sexual.

      Suddenly he knew exactly what he wanted to do to her, and it took every ounce of his self-control not to give in to his desires. The need to seize her in his arms and drag her hard against his body was almost overwhelming. He wanted to cover her angry mouth with his—to silence her in the most satisfying way he knew how.

      He continued to stare down at her, letting the silence lengthen. His heart was pumping powerfully in his chest, and his body was thrumming with desire for her. Then he saw her eyes widen slightly, saw her lips part a little as her breathing deepened. And he knew she felt it too.

      Pure physical attraction.

      A few minutes earlier it had seemed as if he didn’t know her any more—but now he knew precisely how her body was reacting to him. After all, they had been lovers for nearly a year. He recognised the heat suddenly dancing in her cheeks, and the way her pupils had grown large in her pale-coloured eyes.

      She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

      Suddenly he gripped her arms and pulled her towards him, up onto her tiptoes so that her lips were just below his. All he had to do was bend his head a fraction more and his mouth would come down over hers. He would take back what had once been his—reclaim her body in hot, hard retribution for what she had done.

      But this wasn’t what he had come to London for. He could not—would not—let his libido get in the way of fulfilling his mother’s dying wish. He needed Kerry to convince Drakon to sell him the island.

      ‘I didn’t come here for this,’ he said gruffly, letting go of her arms and stepping away from her.

      ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Kerry said, shaken by how husky her voice sounded.

      How had she let herself fall under his sensual spell so easily? Why would she even respond to him at all, after the horrible way he had treated her?

      ‘You know as well as I do,’ he said. ‘Let’s not play any more games. I’ll tell you what I came for.’

      ‘Why don’t you?’ she said, pleased with how sassy she managed to sound, considering the way her body was still buzzing with unwanted desire for him. Even though her face was streaked with rain, she could feel her cheeks burning. ‘It’s taking you long enough to get round to it.’

      The rain was coming down more heavily now, and she lifted her hand to brush her long wet fringe back from her face. She stared straight up into his eyes, determined not to let him see any weakness. She’d be ready next time, if he started looking at her like that again—as if he wanted to tear off her clothes and make love to her right there and then.

      After