For Pleasure...Or Marriage?

‘Why?’

Anger exploded through him at her obduracy. ‘Because if the child is mine there is only one thing to be done!’ He glared at her, fulminating. ‘We’ll get married.’

CHAPTER TEN

FOR A MOMENT there was silence. Complete and absolute. She could do and say nothing. Then, into the silence, Vanessa spoke.

‘Married?’ Her voice echoed blankly.

‘Of course married! What else did you think would happen?’

‘But you said you would never marry.’

He gave a heavy, exasperated sigh. ‘Well, obviously I have no choice now, do I? If I’ve got you pregnant I’ll marry you. End of story.’

Vanessa closed her eyes, then opened them again. Then, without a word, she walked into the kitchen and switched the kettle on to boil. Markos followed her, talking to her back.

‘I’ll need to have DNA tests done. I understand these days they can do them before birth. And as soon as paternity is confirmed we’ll get married. How many weeks pregnant are you, and when is the baby due?’

Vanessa did not answer, busying herself with spooning instant coffee into two mugs and fetching milk from the fridge. The mundane physical activity helped to keep her calm. And it was very important that she stay calm. Very important.

‘It’s only instant, I’m afraid,’ she said, as she poured hot water onto the granules, stirring the contents and topping hers with milk and his with cold water from the tap. Then she took her mug and sat down on the sofa by the little Victorian fireplace, its grate filled with a dried flower arrangement.

Markos had followed her out of the kitchen, ignoring the coffee she’d made him. She set hers down on the stone hearth and looked up at him.

‘You can relax, Markos. I’m not going to marry you.’ Her voice was very steady, her gaze level.

His eyes shot to hers.

‘What the hell do you mean?’

‘It’s very simple. I am not going to marry you. You’ve made your views on marriage exceptionally clear—’

A hand slashed through the air. ‘Christos, that was before I knew about the baby!’

‘How does that change anything? You spelled it out to me that last morning that I’d better not get pregnant—’

‘But I was too late, wasn’t I?’ He turned on her. ‘You were already pregnant, and either you didn’t know or you deliberately lied to me when I asked you! Which was it?’

‘I lied,’ she answered calmly, not in the least troubled by the admission. ‘I’d just discovered it myself and I was trying to come to terms with it. I was worried about how you would take the news. I found out pretty quickly,’ she added bleakly.

‘I thought I was just warning you off. I didn’t realise it was already too late. How could you lie to me, Vanessa?’ he demanded.

She raised her eyebrows. ‘Very easily. You didn’t exactly look overjoyed at the prospect of my being pregnant.’

‘Well, why the hell should I have?’ he retorted, glowering down at her.

‘No, why should you?’ she agreed placidly, as if what she was saying was so obvious that it didn’t even need to be said. ‘And you’re not overjoyed now, are you? The last thing in the world you want is to marry me and be a father to my baby. So I’m not going to let you.’

‘Don’t be absurd!’ he said shortly. ‘I’m prepared to marry you, and that’s that.’

She reached for her coffee and took a sip, replacing it carefully on the hearth.

‘No, Markos, that isn’t that. Do you really think I would marry you? Whatever for?’

‘Financial security?’ he jibed. His eyes narrowed suddenly. ‘If the baby is mine, how do you come to be living here, in this house? Who’s paying your bills?’ The accusation and suspicion were back in his voice.

Vanessa’s lips pressed together. There was a bite in her voice as she answered. ‘For your information, I bought this house with the proceeds of the sale of my grandparents’ house, which I inherited from them. They also had some investments. Not much by your standards, but quite enough for me to live on in comfort, together with the rental I’ll get from the holiday flat upstairs, and maybe some modelling work now and then. I don’t need any “financial security” from you or any other rich man—and therefore I have absolutely no need to marry you.’