Despite the anguish dredging through me, a tiny voice urged reason. Urged me to see this from his point of view. How many headlines had I caught from my mother’s gossip magazines that shouted about a celebrity vehemently denying alleged paternity? How many women had attempted to scam rich men by dangling a baby in their faces?
I was wasting my time.
Neo wouldn’t believe even if I shouted until I was blue in the face.
I rose. ‘Your hang-ups are your problem, not mine. I have a plane to catch, so I guess it’s goodbye, Mr Xenakis.’
He moved with impressive speed. Before I could take my next breath, Neo had arrived before me.
‘That’s it? You came to deliver the news and now you’re just going to head to the airport and return home?’
I dredged up a smile. ‘Let me guess. This is where you expect me to make some sort of demand? Maybe ask for financial support or a McMansion to live in while I carry your child? Well, sorry to disappoint you. I want nothing from you.’
The faint colour tingeing his sculpted cheekbones told me I’d hit the nail on the head.
‘Did you not hear me when I said I want this baby?’ he asked.
‘No, what I heard was you hedging your bets on the off-chance that I’m telling the truth. When you decide whether you want to believe me, I’m sure Wendell will be able to find me—’
‘No,’ he interrupted. ‘That is most definitely not how this is going to work.’
‘What’s that supposed to—’
We both froze when déjà vu arrived in the hideously embarrassing form of my stomach giving the loudest growl known to humanity.
He muttered what sounded like an incredulous Greek oath under his breath. ‘Tell me you haven’t been neglecting to eat?’ he bit out.
Heat consumed my face. ‘I’m in the throes of a spectacular experience called morning sickness. Anything I eat before a certain time rarely stays down.’
He frowned. ‘Surely there’s a remedy for that?’
I shrugged. ‘If there is, they haven’t found it yet.’
His frown intensified. ‘So the answer is what...? To starve yourself?’
‘I don’t do it deliberately, you know. My flight here was at an ungodly hour this morning.’
An exasperated puff of air left his lips as he glanced at his watch. ‘It’s now past noon. Does this mean you haven’t eaten all day?’
‘I tried to eat something on the plane.’
His lips twisted in distaste. ‘Budget airline food?’
‘We can’t all afford to travel on private jets, Mr Xenakis.’
‘Neo,’ he drawled. ‘Call me Neo.’
‘I’m not sure I want to call you anything, to be honest.’
‘If the child you carry is truly mine there’s one title you won’t be able to deny me,’ he stated with stone-rough gravity, just as a discreet knock sounded on the door.
He responded in Greek, and a moment later an impeccably dressed middle-aged woman entered, holding a package which she handed to Neo. Without glancing my way, she discreetly retreated.
He studied me for a moment, then reached into the bag. Although I suspected what the contents were, I was still shocked when he took out the oblong package.
‘You sent out for a pregnancy test?’
‘With the full intention of accepting any offence it might cause you, yes,’ he stated simply, his fingers tight around the box. ‘Will you take the test?’ he asked, his tone containing a peculiar note I couldn’t fathom.