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He gazed at her, his expression strangely uncertain. ‘I know that.’
‘I want to marry you.’ The words felt right, completely perfect. ‘I know it’s the sensible decision.’ And strength surged inside her. ‘When my mum and dad died, I lost everything. Our home, my community, my school, my friends. I went to live somewhere new and different and I was miserable,’ she said, frankly, so captivated by her past that she didn’t see the way his expression changed with the force of his concentration.
‘I don’t want our daughter to ever know that kind of uncertainty. You’re her dad, and by doing this together, she’ll have two people who can love her and look after her. And as she grows older, we’ll surround her with other people who’ll love her and know her, so that if anything ever happened to us and she were left alone, she would eventually be okay. Don’t you see that, Leonidas? I need her to be okay, just like you do, but, for me, one of the worst things we can do is isolate her. Keep her locked up from this world, so we’re the only people she ever really knows. She deserves to live a full and normal life.’
‘How come you were sent to live with your aunt and uncle?’
Hannah frowned. ‘There wasn’t anyone else.’
‘And you didn’t know them well?’
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘I’d only met them a few times. They weren’t close to my parents.’
He frowned, lifting his hands to her face and cupping her cheeks. He stared down at her, his eyes ravaging her face. ‘You were deeply unhappy there?’
Hannah didn’t want to think of her life in those terms; she hated feeling like a victim. And yet, what could she say? She’d been miserable. Only now that she was on the other side of the world and free from her aunt’s catty remarks did she realise what an oppress
ive weight they’d been on her shoulders.
‘I wasn’t happy.’ She softened the sentiment a little. ‘I’m not sure my aunt ever really liked me, let alone loved me.’
He scanned her face but said nothing.
‘I spent more than a decade living with people who cared for me out of a sense of obligation. People who resented my presence, who undoubtedly wished I wasn’t in their life. I won’t do it again.’ Her eyes showed determination. ‘We didn’t plan this, we didn’t intend for it to happen, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make this marriage work.’
Still, he was silent.
‘Less than six months ago, I was engaged to another man. I had my whole life planned out, and it looked nothing like this. I’m not an idiot, Leonidas. If I ever believed in fairy tales, I’ve learned my lesson many times over. This isn’t a perfect situation, but there’s enough here to work with. Our marriage can be more than a business arrangement, a deal for shared custody. We can make something of this—we just have to be brave enough to try.’
His jaw was square as he turned to the water, looking at it, his face giving little away. ‘I want you to be safe and, yes, I want you to be happy, Hannah. I want our daughter to have the best life she can. But beyond that, stop expecting things of me. You say you no longer believe in fairy tales? Then do not turn me into any kind of Prince Charming in your mind. We are a one-night stand we can’t escape, that’s all.’
CHAPTER NINE
HANNAH STARED AT the black velvet box with a sense of disbelief. The jeweller was watching her, a smile on his face, and Hannah imagined how this must look from the outside. A tailor had arrived on the island earlier that day, armed with suitcases of couture, beautiful dresses, jeans, shirts, bathers, lingerie—everything the wife of Leonidas Stathakis might be expected to wear.
The dressmaker had stayed for hours, taking Hannah’s measurements, and photographs of her for ‘colour matching’—whatever that was—and to discuss wedding dress options, before disappearing again. All the while some servant or other had taken the suitcases and carefully unpacked them into the room Hannah was using.
‘Her room,’ though she had no idea when she’d ever think of it like that.
There had also been a doctor, who’d come to check her over and implement a new vitamin regimen, and promised fortnightly check-ups. Then there’d been a more detailed conference with Mrs Chrisohoidis regarding Hannah’s favourite foods, flowers and any other thoughts she might have as regards the running of the house.
Hannah had changed into one of the simple white shift dresses—for comfort on a hot day—and pulled her red hair into a bun on top of her head. As she looked at the dozen engagement rings the jeweller presented, all set against signature turquoise velvet, she knew it must appear to be some kind of Cinderella fairy tale. Leonidas looked on, not exactly playing the part of Prince Charming, though what he lacked in warmth he more than made up for in physical appeal.
He was casually dressed, in shorts and a white shirt, but that did nothing to diminish his charisma and the sense of raw power that emanated from his pores. It burst into the room, making it almost impossible for Hannah to keep her mind focussed on this task.
‘Just something simple,’ she said with a shake of her head, thinking that each and every ring was way too sparkly and way, way too big. ‘Maybe this one?’ She chose the smallest in the box.
‘Ah!’ The jeweller nodded. ‘It is very beautiful.’ He lifted it out, holding it towards Hannah. ‘Try it on.’
This was all wrong! She didn’t want to choose her own engagement ring, and no matter how many pretty, sparkly, enormous diamonds twinkled at her, it didn’t feel right. She closed her eyes for a moment and imagined Leonidas going down on one knee, proposing as though this were a real wedding, and a bolt of panic surged inside her. But this wasn’t a fairy tale and he wasn’t Prince Charming, just as he’d said.
We are a one-night stand we can’t escape.
Her heart began to churn. With a sense of unease, as though she were about to commit massive tax fraud, she slid the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. She stared down at it and, ridiculously, tears filled her eyes. Now! Here! After becoming so adept at blocking them, she felt their salty promise and quickly sought to disguise them in what should have been a happy moment.
‘It’s beautiful.’
Leonidas came to stand beside her, his presence a force, a magnetic energy, pulling her eyes upwards.
