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It took real effort for Ella to continue to play hostess and chat and smile as though nothing was wrong. Every so often she bent down to touch her hand gently on Callie’s head and remind herself of what she had gained, and why she had forged her devil’s bargain. Her thoughts were tumultuous. Aristandros had only told the truth to his grandfather: she was happy with him. Did that mean that at heart she was a slut? Sharing Ari’s bed and being with him was more of a pleasure than a punishment. It shook her to admit that to herself. He had held her to ransom over an innocent child’s head, and yet whenever he wanted her she was still his for the asking. What did that say about her? Shame and confusion engulfed her in a hot, creeping tide of remorse.
Lily had texted her only that day: are you his Dr Dazzler by accident or design?
Ella still didn’t know how to answer that question. While the original design had been Ari’s, it now sometimes seemed to her as though she had simply surrendered, and had used Callie as her excuse for doing so. When Aristandros touched her, she went up in flames. What had started out purporting to be a sacrifice had become a delight. If she was a victim, of revenge she was a willing victim and that reality made her cringe.
Lean, breathtakingly handsome face cool as ice-water, his carriage as always superb, Aristandros strode towards her. Nothing in his expression revealed any sign of annoyance over his recent dispute with his grandfather. Her heart lurched behind her breastbone, her mouth running dry as he rested a hand at the base of her spine and whispered, ‘Why aren’t you with your family?’
CHAPTER EIGHT
ELLA shot him a darkling glance of disbelief. ‘Why on earth did you invite my family when you knew there was a rift between us all?’ she flung at him, half under her breath, furious that he had set her up for such a confrontation even after she had told him that her family was at odds with her and had been for years.
‘I thought the invitation would help…I even thought you might be pleased to see them!’ Aristandros responded, his strong face taut
‘It was a serious mistake. You shouldn’t have interfered. My family don’t want to be around me when I’m with you,’ Ella revealed in a bitter surge of confidence. ‘In fact, Theo says they can’t have anything to do with Callie while I’m here.’
Aristandros rested his stunned gaze on her, and swore below his breath. ‘That’s outrageous, khriso mou. He cannot insult you below my roof. Anyone who does so is an unwelcome guest.’
‘There’s not much you can do about it. He’s a very stubborn man. Just ignore it, as I am, and hopefully in time he’ll get over his pique. You shouldn’t have asked them here.’ Ella’s teeth worried anxiously at her full lower lip as she absorbed the stormy flare of gold immediately lightening Ari’s spectacular eyes. Assurances that he should not have done something went down like a brick with a guy who had based his entire life on doing what he wanted to do on every occasion. Callie vented a cross little sob and tugged at Ella’s dress, while resting heavily up against her legs as tiredness took her over.
‘Sardelos has upset you,’ Aristandros growled. ‘I will not tolerate that.’
‘Stay out of this, it’s not your business,’ Ella hissed in a frantic undertone as she bent to comfort Callie, and lifted the child up into her arms. ‘If you interfere any more it’ll just cause endless trouble and resentment. I’m going to put Callie down for a nap. Promise me that you’ll mind your own business.’
Aristandros dealt her a sardonic look of disbelief. ‘You are my business. If they insult you, they insult me, for it is my wish that you be here and I will not tolerate any show of disrespect.’
Anchoring the little girl on her hip, and keeping her there with one straining arm—for Callie was no lightweight—Ella rested what she hoped was a soothing hand on his chest. ‘Nobody is being disrespectful of you,’ she hastened to assert in an effort to pour oil on troubled waters. ‘Please don’t get involved…please. Don’t play with fire.’
With that final, urgent plea for forebearance, Ella headed off with Callie. Kasma offered to carry the little girl upstairs, but Ella demurred; in the mood she was in, the feel of Callie’s clinging arms was comforting. The very last thing she needed was for Aristandros to wade in to an already delicate situation. She was all too painfully aware that her mother invariably suffered when Theo lost his temper
When she glanced down from the landing, she saw the male guests were gathering in the hall, and then moving on into Ari’s office-suite, where a conference room would house the investors’ meeting he had mentioned. The sight of what had to be an excellent diversion for unreliable masculine tempers and egos filled her with a giant sense of relief. When business was at stake, Aristandros would surely not waste his energy thinking about anything else.
