“You searched for me.” She reached up and cupped her hand against his cheek. “In the dark?”
“I’m not afraid of the dark,” he said in a withering tone as he kept his gaze forward. “I have already explained it.”
“You’re afraid of what the dark will trigger inside you,” she said and dropped her hand before she rested her head against his shoulder. “What I will do to you.”
“You don’t have that power over me anymore,” he said as he held her close. “You killed it the moment you slept with me when you were carrying another man’s child.”
Jodie gave a long sigh. “Good.”
* * *
“This is an excessive use of caution, Stergios.” Jodie lay back in her hospital bed and looked around the deluxe private suite. “All of the doctors agreed that I was dehydrated from traveling and that’s why I got light-headed. Staying overnight for observation is unnecessary.”
“You will be discharged when the doctors say it’s safe.”
No, when you decide it’s safe, Jodie silently corrected. Everyone from the patient transporter to the Chief of Medicine had bowed down to Stergios’s wishes. She suspected he was a major donor for the hospital. When he had demanded the best room for her, she had not expected this kind of medical care.
Her suite reminded her of a five-star hotel, only this stay would include a private nurse and an in-house chef. When she had been wheeled into the room with Stergios at her side, she had been surprised by the luxurious touches. The room decor was a mix of dark natural wood and a soft green color palette. The bathroom was spacious and the sitting area had sofas, chairs and a kitchenette.
She didn’t need this, so why was it important that she was given the VIP treatment? Jodie watched Stergios from beneath her lashes. He was no longer acting like a chieftain on the warpath yet he was on guard for any threat or problems. The color had been restored in his high cheekbones but he still maintained a stony expression.
Stergios wanted her out of his life, so why was he acting like this? He didn’t know that she was pregnant with his baby. And why did he insist that he stay with her?
“You should go home,” she said gently. There was no way she would sleep if he were here. “I appreciate what you’ve done but you don’t need to watch over me.”
He gave her a curt glance. “I’ve already honored your request and didn’t sit in during the physical exam. I am not making any more compromises.”
Compromise? The man didn’t understand the meaning of the word. It had been a battle getting him to leave her so she could be examined. “I’m allowed some privacy!”
“Privacy?” he repeated incredulously. “I am intimately acquainted with your body. You have nothing to hide from me.” He braced his hands against the side of her bed and leaned forward. “Although you are acting suspicious.”
Jodie gave him a startled look.
“What’s going on?” he asked. He raked his eyes over her. “What did the doctors say? Why are you not taking care of yourself?”
Jodie bristled under his tone. “Don’t talk to me like that. I am not neglecting my responsibilities. I am doing everything in my power to have a healthy pregnancy.” She was using all of her time, energy and resources to give this child a promising start.
“Calm down, pethi mou.” He stroked his knuckle against her jaw. “I am not accusing you of anything.”
“Your job is done,” she said firmly as she jerked her head away, “and you can go home and sleep.”
“I will decide when I’m done looking after you.”
She saw the determined glint in his dark eyes. “That tone might intimidate your employees, but it just makes me angrier,” she informed him in a cool tone. “You are pushing your luck. I will call security and have you removed from this room if necessary.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Why are you so uncomfortable having me here?”
“I’m not used to it,” she admitted as she nervously plucked the fine linen. She had always wanted someone to care and to worry about her. She needed someone to wonder where she was and if she was okay. But now that she had it, even temporarily, she was afraid that she was going to do something to ruin it.
“You’re overwrought and tired. It’s time you get some sleep,” Stergios ordered as he glanced at his watch. “I’m going to speak to the nurse before I leave.”
“Again?” She wearily closed her eyes. “Don’t scare her off.”
“If she’s easily scared, it’s best if I know now and have a different nurse assigned to you,” he said as he left the room.