The plump older woman set the tray of fruit, eggs, toast and pot of mint tea on the stone table. “Have a lovely breakfast.”
Eve had a sudden flashback to the lunch she’d shared with Talos here on the terrace, the first day they’d arrived on the island. Where had it all gone so wrong? What did she need to remember?
“Where is Mr. Xenakis?” she demanded.
“I believe he is in the home office, ma’am. Shall I take him a message?”
Another message he could ignore? Eve shook her head. Staring out at the sea, she took a deep breath. Her last memory hadn’t been a pleasant one. She was almost afraid to know what else she had to remember. What else could possibly be worse?
Talos wouldn’t tell her. But his silence this last month spoke volumes. She’d done something else. Something he could not, would not forgive.
She had to remember! She had to make herself remember! Or she feared she’d lose him—and their chance of being a family—before her baby was even born.
She turned to the housekeeper. “Is there a spare computer in the house? With an Internet connection?”
“In the office, Mrs. Xenakis.”
Eve licked her lips. “But I would not wish to disturb my husband. Is there another one elsewhere?”
The housekeeper gave a friendly nod. “There’s one in my quarters, ma’am. You would be welcome to use it.”
“Thank you,” she said in relief. Picking up her breakfast plate, she rose to her feet. “Do you mind if I use it now?”
Sitting in the housekeeper’s cozy suite ten minutes later, crunching an apple as she looked at the screen, Eve had barely started her search before she heard an angry voice behind her.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Shocked, she swiveled her chair around to face Talos.
“Hi,” she said, trying to act cool even as her heart beat faster in her chest. He looked more handsome than ever in his snug black T-shirt and dark jeans. She gave him a trembling smile. “I’m glad to see you.”
“Mrs. Papadakis said you were here,” he replied coldly. “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing?”
Her smile faded. “Since my memory still hasn’t returned, I thought I would try and give it a kick start by looking up my name online, to see if I can learn—”
“I don’t appreciate you sneaking down here.”
Sneaking? “I didn’t want to bother you in your office,” she explained quietly. “The housekeeper was kind enough to allow me to use her computer.” When he continued to glower at her, she tossed her head. “How can you accuse me of sneaking in my own house?”
She started to turn back toward the computer screen, but he grabbed her shoulder. His dark eyes looked grim, almost frightening as he said, “Don’t.”
“Why?” she demanded.
He ground his teeth. “You should be resting, not trying to research a past that doesn’t matter. You should be redecorating the nursery, focusing on our future together and staying healthy for the baby.”
“Really?” she said evenly. “If you’d shown the slightest interest in me or the baby for the last month, you’d know I finished the nursery a week ago. But you haven’t. You’ve just been avoiding me, like you did after we were first married.” She jabbed her thumb toward the computer. “And since you won’t talk to me, this is my only option to figure out why!”
“It doesn’t matter!” he said harshly. “Just leave it alone!”
“I can’t!” she cried. “Not when you won’t talk to me, when you don’t touch me, when you won’t even look at me!”
“I’ve given you everything any woman could ever want!” He looked down at her fiercely. “Isn’t that enough for you? Can’t that be enough?”
She shook her head as angry tears rose to her eyes. “I’m in a beautiful villa, I’m expecting a child—but I’m doing it all without you! You’ve left me here!” she cried. “Why? Why can’t you just tell me the reason?”
He started to say something, then stopped. She could see his tension pulse at his neck as he abruptly pulled away from her.
“You are getting yourself upset over nothing. I’m busy with work, nothing more.”