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As with the yacht, everything was white or beige, and incredibly comfortable. Enormous seats, like armchairs, chandeliers made of crystal, and, deeper into the plane, a boardroom, a cinema and four bedrooms.
‘Have a seat.’ Leonidas indicated a bank of chairs, and as she did she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was more like a job interview than anything else.
For the hundredth time since leaving his yacht, since lifting up into the sky and hovering over the picture-perfect Capri marina, Hannah questioned the wisdom of what she was doing.
But every time doubt reared its head and begged her to reconsider, she heard his words anew. ‘My wife was murdered. As was my two-year-old son.’ And a frisson of terror sprinted down her spine and she knew she would do anything to avoid that same fate befalling their daughter.
Every primal, maternal instinct she possessed roared to life. She wouldn’t allow their child to be harmed.
And nor would he.
She’d felt that promise from him and trusted him, had known he would lay down his own life if necessary to protect hers, to protect their child’s.
And suddenly, the world seemed frightening and huge, and Hannah knew that if she walked away from Leonidas now, she would be alone, with unknown dangers lurking, with threats to their child she couldn’t possibly appreciate, let alone avoid.
‘The usual month-long notification period for weddings will be waived,’ he explained, sitting opposite her, his long legs encroaching on her space so that if she wasn’t very careful, they would be touching and the little fires still buzzing beneath her skin would arc into full-blown wildfires once more.
It took her a moment to collect her mind from the fears that were circulating and bring herself back to the present. ‘Why?’
‘What do you mean?’
Her sea-green eyes showed confusion. ‘Well, isn’t that the law? Why would that be changed for us?’
He lifted a brow and comprehension dawned.
‘Because you asked for it to be, and you’re Leonidas Stathakis.’
He shrugged. ‘Yes.’
‘And you get whatever you want?’
His eyes were like coal once more. ‘No.’
Her heart twisted because of course he didn’t. He’d just told her he’d lost his family—clearly his life wasn’t that of a charmed man.
‘Why rush, though, Leonidas?’
All of his attention was on her and she trembled for a different reason now, as the heat of his gaze touched something deep in her soul, stirring the remnants of their passion and desire anew. She swallowed, her throat dry, her cheeks blushing pink.
‘Because there is no point in delay. Because I want you to be protected from this day, this moment. I will take no risks with our daughter’s life,’ he said firmly. ‘Nor with
yours. You should not have been brought into this.’
She opened her mouth to confront him, but he continued. ‘Having sex with you was a moment of weakness, a stupid, selfish decision that I regretted instantly. Believe me, Hannah, if I could take that back, if I could have never met you...’ He shook his head, looking away, as the plane began to move on the runway.
‘I am sorry to have drawn you into my world. I am sorry that we must marry, sorry that we are having a child together. It is my fault, all of it. I cannot change that night, what happened between us, but I can do my damned best to ensure no further harm befalls you.’
‘Harm?’ she repeated, the word just a croak. ‘You think of this pregnancy as harm?’
‘I think it is a mistake,’ he muttered. ‘But one we must live with.’
Her temper spiked, disbelief at his callous words making her chest hurt. ‘How can you talk about our baby like that?’ she found herself whispering, even though that ‘baby’ was still very much inside her.
‘You said as much yourself,’ he pointed out logically. ‘You didn’t want this.’
‘I didn’t plan on it happening,’ she corrected caustically. ‘I’m twenty-three years old; I thought children would be way off in the future.’
He dipped his head in silent concession.
