At the Tycoon's Service. Maya Banks

her waist. “Was our baby planned?”

      He drew in his breath. Here was an area he had to tread lightly. “I wouldn’t say planned, but your pregnancy certainly wasn’t unwelcome.”

      If possible, she looked more miserable. She hunched her shoulders forward and turned away, but not before he saw the reemergence of tears.

      He sighed and reached for her, pulling her into his arms. “Why are you so sad this morning, pedhaki mou? What can I do or say to make you feel better?”

      She glanced up at him, her eyes shining with moisture. “You can stop avoiding me. You can stop using concerns over my health and that of the baby as an excuse to treat me as an invalid. You can stop treating my past like it’s something I have no right to know.”

      He pressed his lips tightly together. “I will try to be less conscientious of your…health, though I reserve the right to be concerned.”

      She smiled then, and the relief that hit him almost caused him to stumble. He hadn’t realized just how much her happiness was important to him. Was he crazy to be so concerned when she’d had no regard for his happiness in the past?

      She leaned up to kiss him, and he caught her against him, holding her possessively as he devoured her lips.

      “Thank you,” she said as she pulled back. “I just want…” She stopped, and longing flooded her eyes before she look away.

      “What do you want, pedhaki mou?”

      Her gaze flickered back to his. “I want us to be happy,” she said huskily. “I want to be sure of my place in your life. I want to remember, but more than that, I want to feel like I have more than just a small piece of you and your time.”

      He regarded her thoughtfully. She’d never been so direct before her memory loss. She’d been shy and hesitant about voicing her wants and desires. But had she felt like this before? Had she resented his prolonged absences? The way he fit her into his life at his convenience? Was that why she’d lashed out? Had it been a bid to gain his attention?

      “I want you to be happy, too, Marley. I want this very much. And while I can’t convince you of your place in my life with mere words, hopefully I can prove it to you over time.”

      Her smile warmed him to his toes. It was like watching the sun break over the horizon. She reached for his hands and slid her palms into his grip.

      “Come walk with me,” she invited.

      Unable to deny her anything in that moment, he gathered her close and began walking down the beach.