‘Please, forgive me my trespasses,’ Ari’s father said gruffly. ‘You’re a fine mother, Christina. And that will always be respected by our family. The boy is a credit to you. How can I put it? I want very much to enjoy more of him.’
A warm hand slid over one of her clenched fists and gently squeezed. ‘It’s all right, Christina,’ Ari murmured, ‘You’re amongst friends, not enemies.’
She stared down at his hand, biting her lips as she tried to fight back the tears. He’d offered his hand in marriage, which was the easiest way out of the custody issue, but how could she take it when she felt so vulnerable to what he could do to her—twisting up her life all over again?
She swallowed hard to ease the choking sensation in her throat and without looking at either man, said, ‘I want to go back to the resort now, Ari. It’s been a long day.’
‘Of course.’ Another gentle squeeze of her hand. ‘It’s been good of you to let us spend this time together.’
‘Yes. A wonderful evening,’ his father chimed in. ‘Thank you, Christina.’
She nodded, not wanting to be drawn into another stressful conversation. She felt painfully pressured as it was. Her gaze lifted to check Theo who was now nodding off on her mother’s lap.
Ari rose from his chair. ‘Helen, Mama … Christina is tired and it looks like Theo is ready for bed, as well. It’s time to call it a night. I’ll carry him out to the car, Helen.’
Ari’s parents accompanied them out to the car, walking beside her mother who thanked them profusely for their hospitality. All three expressed pleasure in meeting up again at the wedding. Both Maximus and Sophie dropped goodnight kisses on Theo’s forehead before Ari passed him over to Tina in the back seat. She thanked them for the birthday party and the car door was finally closed on it, relieving some of the tension in her chest.
Theo slept all the way back to the resort and the conversation between Ari and her mother in the front seats was conducted in low murmurs. Tina sat in silence, hugging her child, feeling intensely possessive of him and already grieving over how much she would have to part from him.
Having arrived at El Greco, Ari once again lifted Theo into his arms and insisted on carrying him to their accommodation. Tina did not protest, knowing that to her mother this was the natural thing for a man to do. The problem came when she unlocked her door and instead of passing Theo to her, Ari carried him straight into her room.
‘Which bed?’ he asked.
She dashed past him to turn back the covers on Theo’s bed and Ari gently laid him down and tucked him in, dropping a kiss on his forehead before straightening up and smiling down at his sleeping son, making Tina’s heart contract at the memory of Theo’s wish for a Papa. He had one. And very soon he had to know it.
Ari turned to her and she instantly felt a flood of electricity tingling through her entire body. He was too close to her, dangerously close, exuding the sexual magnetism that she should be immune to but wasn’t. Being in a bedroom with Ari Zavros, virtually alone with him, was a bad place to be. She quickly backed off, hurrying to the door, waving for him to leave.
He followed but paused beside her, causing inner havoc again. He raised a hand to touch her cheek and she flinched away from the contact. ‘Just go, Ari,’ she said harshly. ‘You’ve had your day.’
He frowned at her unfriendliness. ‘I only wanted to thank you, Christina.’
She forced her voice to a reasonable tone. ‘Okay, but you can do that without touching me.’
‘Is my touch so repellent to you?’
Panic tore through her at how vulnerable she might be to it. She stared hard at him, desperate not to show him any weakness. ‘Don’t push it, Ari. I’ve had enough, today.’
He nodded. ‘I’ll call you in the morning.’
‘No! Tomorrow is my family day,’ she said firmly. ‘Cassandra will be joining us and so will all our relatives from the mainland. We’ll meet again at the wedding.’
For one nerve-wracking moment she thought he would challenge her decision. It surprised her when he smiled and said, ‘Then I’ll look forward to the wedding. Goodnight, Christina.’
‘Goodnight,’ she repeated automatically, watching him in a daze of confusion as he walked away from her.
He hadn’t done anything wrong all day. For the most part, he’d been perfectly charming. And she still wanted him, despite the grief he’d given her. There had never been any other man who made her feel what he did. But he probably made every woman feel the same way. It meant nothing. It would be foolish to let it cloud her judgement.
When Theo was told that Ari was his Papa, he would want them to be all together, living happily ever after.
But that was a fairy-tale and this story didn’t have the right ingredients. The prince did not love the princess, so how could there be a happy ever after?
Tina fiercely told herself she must not lose sight of that, no matter what!
CHAPTER EIGHT
ARI stood beside George in the church, impatient for the marriage service to be over, his mind working through what had to be accomplished with Christina. Theo was not a problem. His son had grinned broadly at him as he had carried the cushion with the wedding rings up the aisle. He would want his Papa. But Christina had only smiled at George, keeping her gaze averted from him.
She looked absolutely stunning in a dark red satin gown. Desire had kicked in so hard and fast Ari had struggled to control the instinctive physical response to instantly wanting her in his bed again. ‘She is magnificent, is she not?’ George had murmured, meaning his bride, and she was, but Cassandra stirred nothing in him.
There were many beautiful women in the world. Ari had connected to quite a few of them, but none had twisted his heart as it was being twisted right now. He had to have Christina again. Perhaps she touched something deep in him because she was the mother of his child. Or perhaps it was because he had taken her innocence and she made him feel very strongly about righting the wrong he had done her. The reasons didn’t matter. Somehow he had to persuade her to be his wife.
His parents certainly approved of the marriage and not only because of Theo.
‘She’s lovely, Ari, and I could be good friends with Helen,’ his mother had remarked.
His father had been more decisive in his opinion. ‘Beautiful, intelligent, and with a fighting spirit I admire. She’s a good match for you, Ari. Don’t let her get away from you. The two of you should have many interesting children together.’