The Maid's Best Kept Secret (The Marchetti Dynasty 1)

She wanted to go down to him and slide her arms around his waist, offer him comfort. But she knew he wouldn’t welcome it. That image belonged to a different scenario. One in which Nikos actually cared for her. Like she cared for him.

Loved him.

Her breath stopped as that cataclysmic realisation sank in. She loved him. Desperately. Futilely. And he couldn’t have made it clearer that her affection wasn’t welcome.

Monte Carlo was as tiny and picturesque as Maggie had always imagined. In her teens she’d been fascinated with Grace Kelly, and had read everything about her, so to be here now was overwhelming.

They’d taken a helicopter from Cannes, landing on a helipad near the Marchetti Group hotel where they had an exclusive suite. The hotel was part of the opulent casino where they were due to attend an event that night.

This last event of the tour was a charity auction in aid of all the charities that the Marchetti Group supported. Afterwards there was to be a high-stakes poker game with all the proceeds going to charity.

Once again a team had come up from the hotel salon and they’d transformed Maggie into a far sleeker version of herself. Her hair lay in waves over one bare shoulder. Her cocktail dress was black and asymmetrical, one-shouldered, down to the knee with a slit up one side.

Nikos walked into the living area of the suite, doing up his cufflinks. He looked up and that dark gaze swept her up and down. If there was a flare of interest in his eyes she didn’t see it. She felt cold.

‘How’s Daniel?’ he asked.

‘Fine—fed and changed. Marianne has taken him out for a stroll around the gardens. I’ve expressed some milk, so we shouldn’t have a recurrence of—’

Nikos shook his head. ‘Don’t worry about that.’

She took a step towards him. ‘Look, Nikos, is everything...okay between us?’

He put his hands in his pockets. ‘Why wouldn’t it be?’

Maggie bit her lip. ‘It just feels like since London... Maybe you didn’t want to tell me...’ She trailed off.

‘Everything is fine.’

Except it wasn’t. There was a cold chasm between them. Even as her blood still hummed just at being near him. She hated the insidious feeling that he didn’t want her any more.

He said, ‘Ready?’

She nodded and walked towards him. As they left the suite she said, ‘I presume once we’re back in Paris things will calm down?’

The lift attendant greeted them and pressed the button for the ground floor.

Nikos looked at her. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, there won’t be so much travelling...we can get settled.’

The lift doors opened and they got out.

Nikos said warningly. ‘I do travel a lot. I can’t say I don’t. You won’t always have to come with me, but your presence will be required.’

Maggie envisaged all those events with a stony Nikos by her side. ‘I know that. But as Daniel grows into a toddler, and then older, he’ll need a more regular routine.’

‘That’s what nannies are for.’

His easy response sent a spurt of anger up her spine. She faced him. ‘After everything you told me the other day, you’d entrust our son’s care to a nanny? Do you envisage sending him to boarding school too?’

Now his eyes flashed—but it gave Maggie no satisfaction.

Nikos took her hand. She tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let her. ‘We will not have this conversation here.’

Maggie dug her heels in. ‘When, then?’

Nikos gritted his jaw. ‘Later. After the event.’