Sale or Return Bride

‘That’s right, I didn’t.’ He stared at her with naked exasperation. ‘Why did you hide that fact from me? And the fact that you were on the boat too?’

She lifted a hand to her throbbing forehead, desperate to make him understand. ‘Because if I’d told you the truth you would have known that we were anything but a happy family. And if you’d known that my grandfather despised me, then you would have known that his desire for a union     between us was driven by a desire for revenge, not grandchildren to bounce on his knee. I was too scared to tell you the truth.’ She swallowed hard, breathlessly aware of every inch of his hard body pressed against hers. She’d missed him so much. ‘And then you wouldn’t have married me. And I needed you to marry me. It was the only way I could see to get the money for my mother’s operation. It’s a really new procedure and the NHS wouldn’t fund it. I was desperate.’

She’d been totally out of her depth.

‘I should have picked up the signals at that first meeting,’ Sebastien growled, his brows locked in an ominous frown as he listened to her. ‘You were so clearly afraid of him but my father was longing to have the company returned to him and I was distracted by certain other matters. Otherwise I would have realized that something wasn’t right.’

Wondering what other matters had distracted him, Alesia gave a tired smile. ‘Well, you know it all now,’ she said, her head swimming as his familiar male scent wrapped itself around her brain and teased her senses. When he stood this close she couldn’t concentrate. ‘I did marry you for the money but I wanted the money for my mother. There was no other way. My grandfather has refused to acknowledge her existence since the day she married my father.’

‘Your grandfather has a great deal to answer for,’ Sebastien said grimly, inhaling deeply as he struggled for control. Aware that several nurses were glancing in their direction, he released her. ‘This is not the place to have the discussion we need to have. Let’s get out of here.’

He closed long, strong fingers around her wrist and virtually dragged her towards the nearest lift. With disbelief he scanned the ancient lift and instead opted for the stairs. ‘If that thing breaks down we’ll be in it for ever,’ he growled. ‘And what is this hospital? It looks as though it is about to fall down.’

‘It is a very old building,’ Alesia agreed breathlessly, wishing she had legs as long as his, ‘but the surgeon here has an amazing reputation and he wanted to try something that had never been tried before. That’s how I spent your money.’

‘Your money,’ he corrected her, a strange expression in his eyes as he shouldered open the door and held it for her to pass through. ‘It was your money. And finally I understand why you didn’t go shopping. You didn’t have any left to buy anything for yourself.’

She blushed. ‘I didn’t need anything. And the hospital is very expensive—’

He looked around with an ironic gleam in his eyes. ‘I can’t understand why,’ he drawled, leading her across the foyer and straight into his car, which was parked directly outside. ‘It looks as though it should have been demolished years ago.’

‘How did you know where to find me?’

‘You were followed,’ he told her grimly, leaning across to fasten her seat belt. ‘My security team were under strict instructions not to let you out of their sight.’

She gazed at him in astonishment. ‘Why?’

‘Because you are a Fiorukis now,’ he reminded her in a dry tone, the exasperated gleam in his dark gaze revealing just how naïve he found her question, ‘and there are plenty of people willing to cash in on that.’

Her eyes widened. ‘You think someone might kidnap me?’

‘The possibility is always there but you needn’t worry too much,’ he drawled with a faint smile. ‘They would release you soon enough when they discover how much you eat.’

She bit her lip as she studied his tense expression. ‘Are you very angry with me?’

‘You have driven me to the extreme of emotion since the day we met, so this is nothing new,’ he murmured huskily. ‘And, for future reference, the next time you wish to fly, use my plane. Like it or not, you are my wife and I won’t have my wife taking a commercial flight.’

A warm feeling spread through her. She should have felt angry that he was giving orders again but after a lifetime of making her own decisions it felt wonderful for someone else to take charge. Part of her loved the fact that he was so possessive. And she basked in his determination to take care of her, even though she knew that it was only driven by his sense of responsibility towards her.