The Mistress: The Mistress\Wanted: Mistress and Mother (3 page)

“Yes, lucky,” Marley murmured, and she wondered why she
suddenly felt the urge to weep.

When the door shut behind the nurse, Chrysander pulled the
chair closer to her bed again. Then he settled the tray in front of her.

“You should eat.”

She eyed him nervously. “I don’t feel much like eating.”

“Do you find my presence unsettling?” he queried as his gaze
slid over her rumpled form.

“I—” She opened her mouth to say no, but found she couldn’t
entirely deny it. How to tell this man she found him intimidating? This was
supposed to be someone she loved. Had made love with. Just the thought sent a
blush up her neck and over her cheeks.

“What are you thinking?” His fingers found her hand and stroked
absently.

She turned her face away, hoping to find relief from his
scrutiny. “N-nothing.”

“You are frightened. That’s understandable.”

She turned back to look at him. “It doesn’t make you angry that
I’m frightened of you? Quite frankly, I’m terrified. I don’t remember you or
anything else in my life. I’m pregnant with your child and cannot for the life
of me remember how I got this way!” Her fists gripped the sheet and held it
protectively against her.

His lips pressed to a firm line.
Was
he angry? Was he putting on a front so as not to upset her
further?

“It is as you said. You don’t remember me, therefore I am a
stranger to you. It will be up to me to earn your...trust.” He said the last
word as if he found it distasteful, and yet his expression remained
controlled.

“Chrysander...” She said his name experimentally, letting it
roll off her tongue. It didn’t feel foreign, but neither did it spark any
remembrance. Frustration took firm hold when her mind remained frightfully
blank.

“Yes,
pedhaki mou?
”

She blinked as she realized he was waiting for her to
continue.

“What happened to me?” she asked. “How did I get here? How did
I lose my memory?”

Once again he took her hand in his, and she found the gesture
comforting. He leaned forward and touched his other hand to her cheek. “You
shouldn’t rush things. The doctor is quite adamant in this. Right now the most
important thing for you and our child is to take things slowly. Everything will
come back in its own time.”

She sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to budge.

“Get some rest.” He stood and leaned over to brush his lips
across her forehead. “Soon we will leave this place.”

Marley wished the words gave her more reassurance than they
did. Instead of comfort, confusion and uncertainty rose sharply in her chest
until she feared smothering with the anxiety.

Sweat broke out on her forehead, and the food she’d picked at
just moments ago rolled in her stomach. Chrysander looked sharply at her, and
without saying a word, he rang for the nurse.

Moments later, the nurse bustled in. At the sight of her,
sympathy crowded her features. She placed a cool hand on Marley’s forehead even
as she administered an injection with the other.

“You mustn’t panic,” the nurse soothed. “You’re safe now.”

But her words failed to ease the tightness in Marley’s chest.
How could they when soon she was going to be thrust into an unknown world with a
man who was a complete stranger to her?

Chrysander stood by her bed, staring down at her, his hand
covering hers. The medication dulled her senses, and she could feel herself
floating away, the fear evaporating like mist. His words were the last thing she
heard.

“Sleep,
pedhaki mou.
I will watch
over you.”

Oddly, she did find comfort in the quiet vow.

* * *

Chrysander stood in the darkened room and watched as
Marley slept. The strain of the frown he was wearing inserted a dull ache in his
temples.

Her chest rose and fell with her slight breaths, and even in
sleep, tension furrowed her brow. He moved closer and touched his fingers to her
forehead, smoothing them across the pale skin.

She was as lovely as ever, even in her weakened state. Raven
curls lay haphazardly against the pillow. He took one between his fingers and
moved it from her forehead. It was longer now, no longer the shorter cap of
curls that had flown about her head as she laughed or smiled.

Her skin had lost its previous glow, but he knew restoring her
health would bring it back. Her eyes had been dull, frightened, but he
remembered well the brilliant blue sparkle, how enchanting she looked when she
was happy.

He cursed and moved away from the bed. It had all been a ruse.
She hadn’t ever been happy. Truly happy. It seemed he’d been incapable of making
her so. All the time they were together, she’d plotted against him, stolen from
him and his brothers.

Though he’d considered her his mistress, he’d never placed her
in the same category as his others. What he’d shared with her hadn’t been
mercenary, or so he’d thought. In the end, it had boiled down to money and
betrayal. Something he was well used to with women.

Yet he still wanted her. She still burned in his veins, an
addiction he wasn’t equipped to fight. He shook his head grimly. She was
pregnant with his child, and that must take precedence above all else. They
would be forced together by the child, their futures irrevocably intertwined.
But he didn’t have to like it, and he didn’t have to surrender anything more
than his protection and his body.

If she would once again be placed under his protection, then
he’d do all he could to ensure she had the best care, her and their baby, but
he’d never trust her. She would warm his bed, and he wouldn’t lie and say that
prospect wasn’t appealing. But she would get nothing more from him.

Chapter 3

T
wo days later, Marley sat nervously in a
wheelchair, her fingers clutched tightly around the blanket the nurse had draped
over her lap. Chrysander stood to the side, listening intently as the nurse gave
him the aftercare instructions. Marley fingered the maternity top that one of
the nurses had kindly provided for her and smoothed the wrinkles over the bump
of her abdomen. They’d all been exceedingly kind to her, and she feared leaving
their kindness to venture into the unknown.

When the nurse was finished, Chrysander grasped the handles of
the wheelchair and began pushing Marley down the hallway toward the entrance.
She blinked as the bright sunshine speared her vision. A sleek limousine was
parked a few feet away, and Chrysander walked briskly toward it. The driver
stepped around to open the door just as Chrysander effortlessly plucked her from
the wheelchair and ushered her inside the heated interior. In a matter of
seconds, they were gliding away from the hospital.

Marley stared out the window as they navigated the busy New
York streets. The city itself was familiar. She could remember certain shops and
landmarks. She possessed a knowledge of the city, but what was missing was the
idea that this was home, that she belonged here. Hadn’t Chrysander said they’d
lived here? She felt like an artist staring at an empty canvas without the
skills to paint the portrait.

When they pulled to a stop in front of a stylish, modern
building, Chrysander bolted from the limousine while the doorman opened the door
on her side. Chrysander reached inside and carefully drew her from the vehicle.
She stepped to the sidewalk on shaky feet, and he tucked her to his side, a
strong arm around her waist as they walked through the entrance.

A wave of déjà vu swept over her as the elevator opened and he
helped her inside. For the briefest of moments, her memory stirred, and she
struggled to part the veils of darkness.

“What is it?” Chrysander demanded.

“I’ve done this before,” she murmured.

“You remember?”

She shook her head. “No. It just feels...familiar. I know I’ve
been here.”

His fingers curled tighter around her arm. “This is where we
lived...for many months. It’s only natural that it should register
something.”

The elevator opened, and she cocked her head as he started
forward. His phrasing had been odd. Had they not lived here just a short time
ago? Before whatever accident had befallen her?

He stopped and held out his hand to her. “Come, Marley. We’re
home.”

She slid her fingers into his as he pulled her forward into the
lavish foyer. To her surprise, a woman met them as they started for the large
living room. Marley faltered as the tall blond young woman put a hand on
Chrysander’s arm and smiled.

“Welcome home, Mr. Anetakis. I’ve laid out all contracts
requiring your signature on your desk as well as ordered your phone messages by
priority. I also took the liberty of having dinner delivered.” She swept an
assessing look over Marley, one that had Marley feeling obscure and
insignificant. “I didn’t imagine you’d be up for going out after a trying few
days.”

Marley frowned as she realized the woman was implying that
Chrysander had been through the ordeal and not Marley.

“Thank you, Roslyn,” Chrysander said. “You shouldn’t have gone
to the trouble.” He turned to Marley and pulled her closer to him. “Marley, this
is Roslyn Chambers, my personal assistant.”

Marley gave a faltering smile.

“Delighted to see you again, Miss Jameson,” Roslyn said
sweetly. “It’s been ages since I last saw you. Months, I believe.”

“Roslyn,” Chrysander said in a warning voice. Her smile never
slipped as she looked innocently at Chrysander.

Marley glanced warily between them, her confusion mounting. The
ease with which the woman moved around the apartment that Chrysander called home
to both of them was clear, and yet Roslyn hadn’t seen Marley in months? The
proprietary way his assistant looked at him was the only thing currently clear
to Marley.

“I’ll leave you two,” Roslyn said with a gracious smile. “I’m
sure you have a lot of catching up to do.” She turned to Chrysander and put a
delicate hand on his arm once more. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll come
straight over.”

“Thank you,” Chrysander murmured.

The tall blonde clicked across the polished Italian marble in
her elegant heels and entered the elevator. She smiled at Chrysander as the
doors closed.

Marley licked her suddenly dry lips and looked away. Chrysander
was stiff at her side as though he expected Marley to react in some way. She
wasn’t stupid enough to do so now. Not when he was so on guard. Later, she would
ask him the million questions whirling around her tired mind.

“Come, you should be in bed,” Chrysander said as he curled an
arm around her.

“I’ve had quite enough of bed,” she said firmly.

“Then you should at least get comfortable on the sofa. I’ll
bring you a tray so you can eat.”

Eat. Rest. Eat some more. Those dictates seemed to compose
Chrysander’s sole aim when it came to her. She sighed and allowed him to lead
her into the living area. He settled her on the soft leather couch and retrieved
a blanket to cover her with.

There was a stiffness about him that puzzled her, but then she
supposed if the roles were reversed and he’d forgotten her, she wouldn’t be very
sure of herself, either. He left the room, and several minutes later returned
with a tray that he set before her on the coffee table. Steam rose from the bowl
of soup, but she wasn’t tempted by the offering. She was too unsettled.

He sat in a chair diagonally to her, but after a few moments,
he rose and paced the room like a restless predator. His fingers tugged at his
tie as he loosened it and then unbuttoned the cuffs of his silk shirt.

“Your assistant...Roslyn...said she left work for you?”

He turned to face her, his eyebrows wrinkling as he frowned.
“Work can wait.”

She sighed. “Do you plan to watch me nap then? I’ll be fine,
Chrysander. You can’t hover over me every moment of the day. If there are things
that require your attention, then by all means see to them.”

Indecision flickered across his handsome face. “I do have
things to do before we leave New York.”

A surge of panic hit her unaware. She swallowed and worked to
keep her expression bland. “We’ll be leaving soon then?”

He nodded. “I thought to give you a few days to rest and more
fully recover before we go. I’ve arranged for my jet to fly us to Greece, and
then we’ll take a helicopter out to the island. My staff is preparing for our
arrival as we speak.”

She stared uneasily at him. “Just how wealthy are you?”

He looked surprised by the question. “My family owns a chain of
hotels.”

The Anetakis name floated in her memory, what little of it
there was. Images of the opulent hotel in the heart of the city came to mind.
Celebrities, royalty, some of the world’s wealthiest people stayed at Imperial
Park. But he couldn’t be
that
Anetakis, could
he?

She paled and clenched her fingers to control the shaking. They
were only the richest hotel family in the world. “How...how on earth did you and
I...” She couldn’t even bring herself to complete the thought. Then she frowned.
Had she come from such a family?

Fatigue swamped her, and she dug her fingers into her temples
as she fought the tiredness. Chrysander was beside her in an instant. He picked
her up as though she weighed nothing and carried her into the bedroom. He
carefully laid her on the bed, his eyes bright with concern. “Rest now,
pedhaki mou.
”

She nodded and curled into the comfortable bed, her eyes
already closing with exhaustion. Thinking hurt. Trying to remember sapped every
ounce of her strength.

* * *

Chrysander slumped in his chair and ran a hand through
his hair. He fingered the list of phone messages as his gaze lighted on the one
from his brother Theron. There was a message from his other brother, Piers, as
well.

He shifted uncomfortably and knew he wouldn’t be able to put
them off for long. They would have gotten his messages by now and be curious.
How he was going to explain this mess to them and also explain why he was taking
the woman who had tried to damage their business home to Greece was beyond
him.

With a grimace, he picked up the phone and dialed Theron’s
number.

He spoke rapidly in Greek when his brother answered. “How did
the groundbreaking go?”

“Chrysander, finally,” Theron said dryly. “I wondered if I was
going to have to fly over to beat answers from you.”

Chrysander sighed and grunted in response.

“Do hold while I get Piers on the phone. It’ll save you another
call. I know he’s as interested in your explanation as I am.”

“Since when do I answer to my
younger
brothers?” Chrysander growled.

Theron chuckled and a moment later Piers’s voice bled through
the line. He didn’t bandy words.

“Chrysander, what the hell is going on? I got your message, and
judging by the fact you never showed up in London, I can only assume that you’re
otherwise occupied in New York.”

Chrysander pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers
and closed his eyes. “It would appear that the two of you are going to be
uncles.”

Silence greeted his statement.

“You’re sure it’s yours?” Theron finally asked.

Chrysander grimaced. “She’s five months pregnant, and five
months ago, I was the only man in her bed. This I know.”

“Like you knew she was stealing from us?” Piers retorted.

“Shut up, Piers,” Theron said mildly. “The important question
is, what are you going to do? She obviously can’t be trusted. What does she have
to say for herself?”

Chrysander’s head pounded a bit harder. “There is a
complication,” he muttered. “She doesn’t remember anything.”

Both brothers made a sound of disbelief. “Quite convenient,
wouldn’t you say?” Piers interjected.

“She’s leading you around by the balls,” Theron said in
disgust.

“I found it hard to believe myself,” Chrysander admitted. “But
I’ve seen her. She’s here...in our—my apartment. Her memory loss is real.” There
was no way she could fake the abject vulnerability, the confusion and pain that
clouded her once-vibrant blue eyes. The knowledge of her pain bothered him when
it shouldn’t. She deserved to suffer as she’d made him suffer.

Piers made a rude noise.

“What do you plan to do?” Theron asked.

Chrysander braced himself for their objections. “We’re flying
out to the island as soon as I feel she’s well enough. It’s a more suitable
place for her recovery, and it’s out of the public eye.”

“Can’t you install her somewhere until the baby comes and then
get rid of her?” Piers demanded. “We lost two multimillion dollar deals because
of her, and now our designs are going up under our competitor’s name.”

What he didn’t say but Chrysander heard as loudly as if his
brother had spoken the words was that they had lost those deals because
Chrysander had been blinded by a woman he was sleeping with. It was as much his
fault as it was Marley’s. He’d let his brothers down in the worst way. Risked
what they’d spent years working to achieve.

“I cannot leave her right now,” Chrysander said carefully. “She
has no family. No one who could care for her. She carries my child, and to that
end, I will do whatever it takes to ensure the baby’s health and safety. The
doctor feels her memory loss is only temporary, merely a coping mechanism for
the trauma she has endured.”

“What do the authorities have to say about her abduction?”
Piers asked. “Do you know why yet, and who was responsible?”

“I spoke briefly with them at the hospital, and I have a
meeting with the detective in charge of the investigation tomorrow,” Chrysander
said grimly. “I hope to find out more then. I’ll also tell them of my plans to
take her out of the country. I have to think of her safety, and that of the
baby.”

“I can see you’re already decided in this,” Theron said
quietly.

“Yes.”

Piers made a sound as though he’d protest but was cut off when
Theron spoke once more. “Do what you have to do, Chrysander. Piers and I can
handle things. And for what it’s worth, congratulations on becoming a
father.”

“Thanks,” Chrysander murmured as he pressed the button to end
the call.

He set the phone aside. Instead of making him feel any better
about the situation, his discussion with his brothers had only reinforced how
impossible things were. He didn’t doubt that Marley didn’t remember him or the
fact that she’d stolen from him. Her confusion couldn’t possibly be that
feigned.

Which left him with the only choice he had, one he’d made the
instant he’d known she was pregnant with his child. He would keep her close to
him, take care of her, ensure she had the best care possible. He’d hire someone
to stay with her when he couldn’t be there and to provide the more intimate
details of her care. It would enable him to keep her at arm’s length while still
keeping a close watch on her progress. And he would set aside, for now, the
anger over her betrayal.