Innocent Wife, Baby of Shame

He turned to face her once they were inside the house. ‘This meeting you arranged with him for Friday,’ he said. ‘Are you telling me it was all above board? That you were only seeing him to search for answers?’

‘Yes. He’s moving to Canada in just over a month. He wasn’t keen on seeing me when I called him, but he must have changed his mind.’

His dark eyes probed hers. ‘I hope to God you are not lying to me, Keira,’ he warned. ‘If I find out you are, I will ruin you and your parents, and do not think I will not do it, for I will.’

She held his warning look for as long as she could. ‘I’m not lying, Patrizio.’ Only a little bit.

He let a few seconds pass before stating implacably, ‘I do not want you to see him alone. In fact, I absolutely forbid it.’

Keira stared at him in dismay. ‘But I have to see him alone! He would never agree to talk about that night with someone else present. He is really embarrassed about it, as I am too. It would be unthinkable to have someone listen in to such intimate details.’ Particularly the intimate details of her pregnancy, she tacked on in mental anguish.

‘If I do not accompany you then you do not go.’

‘You can’t dictate like that to me, Patrizio,’ she said. ‘I won’t stand for it.’

The set to his mouth reeked of intransigence. ‘You are my wife, Keira. I will not have you in another man’s apartment without a chaperon present.’

She swung away from him in fury. ‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this,’ she said. ‘And I’m not your wife, remember? I am your soon-to-be ex-wife.’

His hand snaked out and turned her back to face him. ‘You are my wife, Keira, and I intend for you to stay that way until such time as I am tired of you being so.’

Keira stared at him in outrage. ‘What did you say?’

His eyes glinted with determination. ‘I have decided our marriage will continue until I want it to finish.’

‘You think you can force me to stay with you indefinitely?’ she asked incredulously.

His sardonic smile answered for him.

‘You’re out of your mind,’ she said, trying to pull away without success. ‘This is total madness.’

‘Perhaps it is, but it is very enjoyable madness, is it not?’ he asked as he brought her closer. ‘We might not be in love with each other but we are certainly still in lust with each other.’

‘What is your mistress going to say when she hears you’re staying with me for an indefinite period?’ she asked with a pointed glare.

‘She will have to accept it,’ he returned smoothly.

‘You don’t give a toss for her or any other woman’s feelings, do you? You think what you want is all that matters.’

‘I want you, Keira, and yes—at this point in time that is all that matters to me.’

‘You expect me to simply fit in with your plans like some sort of puppet?’ she asked.

‘I expect you to do what you think is in the best interests of the boys,’ he said. ‘They have five weeks left of school but then they have the difficult task of choosing which career path to follow. This seems to be more of an issue for your brother than my nephew. However, I believe if we stay together for as long as possible it will help them make the right choices.’

She looked at him through narrowed eyes. ‘Why do I get the feeling you are milking this situation for all it’s worth?’

He met her look with unwavering calm. ‘I am merely doing what I can to make sure everyone gets what they want.’

She pursed her mouth. ‘Yes, well, I can see you’ve made certain you’re at the top of that list,’ she said. ‘You get exactly what you want—a chance to pay me back for being unfaithful.’

‘Can you blame me for that?’ he asked with an embittered glare. ‘You threw our future away.’

‘I wouldn’t have done it if I had felt more secure in our relationship,’ she argued.

‘That is a preposterous thing to say,’ he threw back angrily. ‘I was working hard to build a solid base for our future. You should have realised that instead of acting like a spoilt child. I worshipped you, Keira. You were my whole life.’

Tears shone in her eyes. ‘You were my life too…I loved you so much…’ She took a gulping breath and added softly and brokenly, ‘I still love you…’