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A pregnant Odessa was sexy on a level that continued to baffle and flay him—which was why he’d grasped those nights she’d graced his bed with desperate hands. Until he’d ruined even that with his careless words.
Ares wasn’t ashamed to admit he was both thrilled with and dreading her making good on her promise not to remain in Africa.
Ne, he knew he had a battle on his hands—he could see her determination to take him on brewing in her eyes. His mistrust had hurt her, and his past pain still had a stranglehold on him that was in danger of shattering his marriage.
But he’d face that battle soon enough.
At almost eight months pregnant she positively glowed. Her stylist had aced her appearance with that shade of peach. And the way the silver set off her beautiful eyes and the bodice hugged her breasts...
She spun from the floor-length mirror to face him, and Ares realised he’d groaned under his breath.
He straightened from leaning against the archway that led to her dressing room, silently watching her putting the finishing touches to her attire.
Shimmery silver earrings dangled from her ears, drawing his hungry gaze to the long, graceful line of her neck. With a savage punch of arousal he remembered that erogenous zone. His shaft hardened and his mouth watered.
Angling his body so his tuxedo hid the evidence, he forced his gaze from her breasts to her face. ‘We need to get going. Are you ready?’
His voice was husky and rough, and he watched heat flow up her gorgeous face. Biting back another groan, he locked his knees to stop him from charging across the room and tasting that erogenous zone once more. He feared it would be just the start.
‘Yes...’ She lowered long, beautiful lashes and swept up her silver clutch. Then she darted another look at him. ‘Do I...?’ She laughed and shook her head. ‘Never mind. I won’t have time to do anything about it even if I don’t look okay.’
A hard bark of laughter left his throat. ‘You’re joking, right? You’ll be the most beautiful woman there tonight.’
Her stunning eyes grew wide. ‘Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.’
The smile that teased her lips snatched the rest of his breath away. For a moment he was thrown back to the girl who’d broken her father’s rules and ventured into the forbidden part of the estate. The girl who’d hung around the garage, not afraid to get herself dirty while she washed the cars with him and his father. The girl he’d placed on a pedestal...which he was beginning to suspect was her rightful place after all.
‘Ares?’
He realised he was staring and caught himself, smoothly holding out his arm in silent command. She glided towards him, a goddess. And, hell, even the silver points of her heels playing peekaboo with her hem was sexy to him.
Could anyone blame him?
They hadn’t made love since she’d uttered those two words that had shaken him to the soul. That had made him turn tail and flee, despite yearning to reach for her.
Have faith.
He deserved every second of this suffering.
‘Are you sure you’re all right?’
He clenched his teeth, then failed immediately to resist. He pulled her scent into himself once more, tortured himself with the glorious softness of her skin.
‘I will survive,’ he clipped, then tossed up a prayer that this would prove true.
For some reason that response sent a dart of hurt across her face. A common occurrence, he admitted, his own mood plummeting. Because this too was his fault, wasn’t it?
Hell, he seemed to have lost his way along this journey.
Stances he’d taken had left him tossing and turning at night until he was certain he was being driven out of his mind. And for the first time in his life he was avoiding his own father, because the old man didn’t fail to let him know by word or look how he was failing. Hell, Sergios had uncharacteristically called him a fool earlier on today!
Silence reigned until they were approaching the lift. Then she looked around, searching for the very man in his thoughts. ‘Is Sergios not coming with us?’
‘He claimed he didn’t want to intrude, so he went ahead an hour ago.’
She sent him a searching glance. ‘You don’t believe him?’
Despite his inner turmoil, his mouth twitched. ‘He’s visited the tower twice and the restaurant three times this week alone.’
