The Greek's Virgin Bride

'Debts?' Nikos pounced on the word. His face was still

carved from stone.

'Yes,' said Kim, turning to him, 'I'm afraid, Mr Vassilis, I owe rather a lot of money. You see, when she was younger, Andrea had a very bad road accident. The therapy needed to enable her to walk again was only available privately, so I had to borrow money to pay for it. We're still paying it back— Andrea helps all she can. She has two jobs, and every penny she can spare goes towards it!' Nikos looked numb, then he recovered. 'You never asked Yiorgos Coustakis to help you?' The ques­tion grated from him.

A harsh laugh escaped Andrea. 'Oh, Mum asked, all right! She went down on her knees to ask him to help her! She sent him all the doctors' reports on me—every last one of them! She begged him to help for the sake of his son—she promised she would repay the money as soon as she could.' 'And?' Nikos's voice was chill.

'He refused. He said she was trying to get money out of him by false pretences! His lawyers wrote telling Mum that if she tried to contact him again for any reason they'd take legal ac­tion against her for harassment.' She took a steadying breath, and went on. "That's why I won't give the money back to him! Whatever Mum says! I've cleared her debts and I'm going to buy her a flat in Spain. There'll be enough change from the five hundred thousand pounds to invest safely for her and give her an income to live on, and a pension, and all that stuff, and—'

Nikos's face had stilled again. 'Five hundred thousand pounds?' His voice was hollow. 'Are you telling me that's what Yiorgos Coustakis paid out to you?'

She lifted her chin defiantly. ‘I know it's a huge amount, but it's what I needed to get Mum sorted and settled.'

'Five hundred thousand,' he echoed. 'Half a million pounds.' His eyes blazed again suddenly. 'Do you have any idea how much your grandfather is worth?' He took a step forward and is hands closed around her forearms. He was close, much too lose to her. 'Half a million is a pittance to him! A pittance!’

She jerked away.

'I don't care what he's worth! I don't care anything about im! He treated Mum like dirt and I loathe him for it! I don't want more of his filthy money—I just wanted enough to get Mum out of here to somewhere safe and warm, with enough to live on without worrying the whole time! She's got asthma, and the damp in the flat makes her really ill...'

Her voice trailed off. He was not listening. He was staring around him, taking in every shabby detail.

That's right, thought Andrea viciously, pain stabbing at her as he looked round so disdainfully at the place she lived in. Take a good look! This is where I come from! This is my home! Now you will despise me for it!

Now, into the silence, Kim spoke.

'Mr. Vassilis, I can see this has been an unwelcome shock to you, and I am sorry for that. But...' She hesitated, then went on. 'I would be grateful if you would please explain what the purpose of your being here is—'

His eyes nicked to her. 'My purpose? My purpose, Ms...Fraser—' he said her maiden name as if it pained him '—has just changed.'

Andrea's throat tightened. I'll just bet it's changed! You came here to take me home with you and now you probably can't wait to get out of here as fast as you can...

His attention suddenly swivelled to her. Her breath caught. His eyes were like slate, his face closed and shuttered.

And yet it was the face of the man she loved. Loved so much, so unbearably much!

I never thought I'd see him again! Thought I'd live the rest of my life without him! But he's here, now—

A vice crushed her heart.

Yes, and he's just about to walk out—for ever now he knows the truth about you.

A shaft of self-accusation hit her.

I should have been honest—right from the start. I deceived him—no wonder he is angry!

She took a deep, shuddering breath.

'Look, Nikos—I'm sorry. Truly. I didn't realise that my coming home would jeopardise your merger!'

A grim expression crossed his face. 'There is no merger. Nor will there be.'

No—how could there be? thought Andrea bl

eakly. Nikos Vassilis had thought he was marrying the Coustakis heiress— not the unacknowledged bastard of a woman Yiorgos Coustakis thought a gold-digging slut! Nikos had thought he was getting a wife who came from his world—not a girl who'd been born and bred in a decaying council flat.

'I should have told you,' she said heavily.

His eyes rested on her like unbearable weights. 'Yes, you should have told me, Andrea. You should have told me.'