The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress (The Anetakis Tycoons #1)(39)

He should still be furious with her, and he should be working to maintain distance between them, but she’d chipped away his resistance during their time on the island. As much as it shamed him, it no longer mattered to him that she’d lied, that she’d stolen from him and his brothers. He wanted things to remain as they were, and if she remembered, then they would be forced to face the events of the past.

And he’d likely lose her.

It bothered him more than it should. She was pregnant with his child, he told himself, and that should be reason enough not to want things to sour between them.

His time here with Marley had brought him back to the times they’d spent together before the night he’d discovered her betrayal. He hadn’t really appreciated her before. He’d taken her and her presence in his life for granted, but now he knew how much he’d liked having her there when he returned from business.

She was fun and carefree. Gentle and loving. All the things he’d wish for in the mother of his child.

But she’d betrayed him. It always came back to that even as he wanted to forget it.

“Chrysander?”

He looked up on hearing his softly spoken name to see Marley standing in the doorway, her hand resting on the frame as she peered in. He shook himself from his grim thoughts and hoped his expression wasn’t as brooding as he felt. Things had been strained and tense between them since Roslyn had come to the island. A fact he regretted but was unable to fully remedy when he still carried his own doubts and uncertainties where Marley was concerned.

“What is it, pedhaki mou?”

“Are you all right?” She let her hand fall and started forward, her steps hesitant.

He guessed he did look brooding.

“Come here,” he said, holding out his hand to her as she neared. He pulled her down onto his lap, suddenly wanting her close. “I have to return to New York.”

A shadow crossed over her face. “When?”

“In the morning. My brother called, and a dignitary we are courting for a hotel project is going to be at a reception at our New York hotel. Piers and Theron thought to handle it, but the man wished to meet with all three of us. It’s something I cannot miss, I’m afraid.”

She looked disappointed, and even as the uneasiness over her going back to New York lingered in his mind, he found himself saying, “You could go with me.”

Her eyes lightened. “I wouldn’t be in the way?”

He frowned. “You are never in the way, agape mou. This would be good, I think. We could announce our wedding plans. My brothers will want to meet you,” he said, warming to the subject. “We could even be married in New York with my family around us and then return here.”

In his mind, the sooner they married, the better.

“I’ll arrange for Dr. Karounis to return to Athens. I don’t think we need him any longer.”

Her smile broadened. “And Patrice? Not that I don’t love her, but she and Dr. Karounis seem to have gotten along extremely well. Maybe she’d like to take a trip to Athens.”

“I’ll extend the offer,” he said with a smile.

“Then yes, I’d love to go.” She threw her arms around him and kissed him exuberantly on the lips. Before he could deepen the kiss, she scrambled off his lap. “I have to go pack!”

He chuckled and caught her hand. “You have plenty of time.”

But still she hurried away, and he stared after her, long after she’d disappeared through the doorway. He should feel relieved that soon they’d be married, and she’d be bound to him, but he couldn’t dispel the uneasy feeling that gripped him.

Chrysander’s jet touched down in New York in the late afternoon, and a limousine was waiting for them when they stepped off the plane. A tall, formidable-looking man stood by the car, and as they drew closer, Marley could see a strong resemblance between him and Chrysander.“Theron,” Chrysander called out. “I did not expect you to meet us. This is a surprise.”

Theron gave a half smile. “Can I not greet my brother?”

Chrysander put an arm around Marley’s waist and drew her forward. “Theron, this is Marley. Marley, this is my younger brother Theron.”

She smiled. “I’m very glad to meet you.”

His gaze flickered impassively over her, and he didn’t return her smile. Slowly hers faded as she read the unwelcoming look on his face. Instinctively, she shrank into Chrysander.

Then Theron’s gaze dropped to the hand on which she wore the engagement ring, and he outright frowned. He stared back up at Chrysander, his jaw tight.

“You will be courteous,” Chrysander said in a very low tone. Even so, she could hear the bite in his voice.

“I’m pleased to meet you,” Theron said stiffly, though his body language said just the opposite. He turned on his heel and walked toward another car parked a short distance away.

Marley looked up at Chrysander in bewilderment. “What was that all about?”

“It is nothing, pedhaki mou. I am sorry he was rude. It won’t happen again.”

“But why was he rude?” His behavior baffled Marley. And then another thought occurred to her. “Have we met before? Of course we would have. He’s your brother. Did I do something to offend him in the past? Has he always disliked me?”