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Chapter Thirty Two
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MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Thirty three
Chapter 33Maya.Their days slowly began to settle into a routine much as their nights did. Once he was assured of her health, Alex made love to Maya every night, possessing her with passion that left her breathless. But in the mornings, he was always gone before she woke up.She had made it a habit to seek him out,bothered by the fact that he left their bed so early. More often than not, she would find him in the library, either on the phone, on his computer or poring over contracts and faxes. He would look up whenshe entered, and for a brief moment, she would see fire flare in his eyes before his expression became more controlled, and after murmuring a polite good morning, he would return to his work. And she was summarily dismissed.So she spent most mornings alone or in the company of Patrice and Dr. Karounis who seemed quite content to spend their time together. At lunch, Alex would make his appearance as if he hadn’t just spent hourssequestered in work. To his credit, he devot
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter 34MayaThat night, Maya was dressing for bed when Alex came up behind her and curled his arms around her waist. His hands rested over the swell of herstomach as he nuzzled a line from the top of her shoulder to the sensitive region just below her ear. Goose bumps danced and scattered along her skin, and she trembled against his chest.“I much prefer you naked, mi amor,” he said as he slid one hand up to pluck at the string of the gown she’d just slipped on.His words speared through her mind, sparking a distant remembrance. For a moment, she had an image of him standing before her, staring at her with glowing eyes, saying those exact words. She struggled to remember more, but it slipped away as fast as it had slipped in.She closed her eyes in frustration even as she gave way to the pleasure of his touch.He slid the strap over her shoulder, following it with his lips until it tumbled down her arm. Then he turned his attention to the other side, giving it the same down her a
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Thirty Five
Chapter 35AlexAlex rose at dawn the next morning. He hadn’t slept since Maya hadnawakened with her nightmare. After he’d soothed her, and she had fallen into a more peaceful rest, he had lain awake, staring at the ceiling as he realized theimpossibility of their situation.Careful not to wake Maya, he showered and dressed. After checking to make sure she hadn’t been disturbed, he went quietly down the stairs. He bypassed his office, though it was his custom to begin the day with business matters.This morning something drove him to the beach where Maya so often visited. The air was chilly blowing off the water, but he took no notice as hestood watching the waves break and slide into shore.Maya’s past, their past, threatened her in sleep. Her memories waged war at her most unguarded moments, and what would he do when it all came back?The terrible conflict that ate at him was wearing him down. He should be angry, and at times he was. But it was also easy to forget. Here on the isl
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Thirty six
Chapter 36Maya. Maya knelt in the cool soil of the garden and plucked the few weeds from around the flowers and greenery. With Alex ’s morning ritual of working, she had found other ways to occupy her time, much to the dismay of the gardener who flew out twice a week to tend the grounds.Ever since her outburst on the beach, Alex had ceased to push Patrice and Dr. Karounis at her for every little health concern. Instead, they stayed firmly in the background on an as needed basis, and Alex had relented on her traveling the stairs alone.Despite the fact that he continued to work in the mornings, he came out to have breakfast with her before returning to his office. Then the fun began for Maya. Each day she found a new method of driving him insane. He would comelooking for her when work was finished, and invariably she tried the restraint he had promised to exercise when it came to demanding that she rest.When Alex had found her in the garden on her hands and knees, she thought he w
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Thirty seven
Chapter 37Maya.Not wanting to be entirely predictable, Maya forewent the garden the next dayband opted instead for the heated pool. She had been eyeing it with longing since they had arrived, and thanks to boutiques only too willing to deliver to the island, she had a simply decadent swimsuit she was dying to try out.As she pulled the skimpy suit on, she realized that in essence she was trying to seduce Alex . Not that she hadn’t already, but she was attempting to make him fall in love with her.She frowned back at herself in the mirror. Wasn’t this backward? He was thebone with the memory. Shouldn’t he be trying to make her fall in love with him?She knew she loved him but hadn’t said the words. Something had held her back, and now she pondered what it was that made her unwilling to take thatnjump.There was a hesitation about him that niggled at her, as though he wanted to keep a certain amount of distance between them. She didn’t want that. She wanted him to love her as she love
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Thirty eight
Chapter 38“Mmmm, you are warm.”“Are you cold?” he asked huskily. “I wonder what I can do to warm you.”She pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around him. She threaded her fingers into his wet hair and kissed him. A sound of contentment purred from herbthroat as he returned her kiss with equal ardor.His erection strained against her belly, hot, like steel. Warmth shot throughbher body, leaving her flushed and aching. She wanted him. Wanted him so badly.“Take me upstairs,” she whispered as his lips scorched down her neck and tobthe swell of her breasts.The sound of a door closing startled them both. Alex let out an oath as he rolled away from Maya and yanked up a towel to cover her. Mayastiffened when she saw Zuri over Alex ’s shoulder.Her surprise turned to anger. The woman had barged in, intruded on their privacy without so much as a call to let them know she was coming out to the island. They hadn’t even heard the helicopter land, but then they had been occupied with other m
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Thirty Nine
Chapter 39Alex.Alex hung up the phone with a grimace and leaned back in his leather chair. He put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.He had to return to New York. Piers had called him with the news just moments ago, and Alex greeted the fact with a discomfort that was aliento him. Worse, he’d had to inform Piers and Theron that another of their designs had been stolen. They were understandably furious. With Maya. How would they react when they learned he had every intention of marrying her as soon aspossible?He was torn between wanting Maya to go with him and wanting to keep her sheltered here on the island. Away from any chance she might remember. Away from the judgment and animosity of his brothers.The beginnings of a headache plagued him as he considered the selfishness of that particular thought. He knew, though, that when she remembered, and the doctors had assured him she would, things would irrevocably change between them.He should still be furious w
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Fourty
Chapter 40AlexAlex’s jet touched down in New York in the late afternoon, and a limousine was waiting for them when they stepped off the plane. A tall formidable looking man stood by the car, and as they drew closer, Maya could see a strong resemblance between him and Alex.“Theron,” Alex called out. “I did not expect you to meet us. This is a surprise.”Theron gave a half smile. “Can I not greet my brother?”Alex put an arm around Maya’s waist and drew her forward. “Theron, this is Maya. Maya, this is my younger brother Theron.”She smiled. “I’m very glad to meet you.”His gaze flickered impassively over her, and he didn’t return her smile. Slowly hers faded as she read the unwelcoming look on his face. Instinctively, she shrank into Alex.Then Theron’s gaze dropped to the hand on which she wore the engagement ring, and he outright frowned. He stared back up at Alex, his jaw tight.“You will be courteous,” Alex said in a very low tone. Even so, she could hear the bite in his voice.
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“No.” Alex shook his head, his face contorting with agonized concentration as he recalled every detail of the last time he had seen his daughter. “At least, I don’t think so.”“You don’t think so?” the policeman pushed, and Emma could have slapped him for his insensitivity. But Alex was calmer, explaining Alex’s problem in ameasured voice, but his voice was loaded with pain.“My daughter has problems—behavioural problems.” Katrina opened her mouth to argue, but Alex stood firm, shaking his head at Katrina, clearly indicating that now wasn’t the time for futile denial. “She doesn’t react in theusual way—you never really know what she’s thinking. Look, you have to tell your colleagues that they could be just a metre away from her, could be callingher name, and she won’t answer them, she won’t call out...” His voice broke for about asecond and Emma watched as he attempted to recover, his eyes closing for an agonising second as he forced himself to continue. “You have to tell them that
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter sixty two
She gave tiny gasps in her throat as her fingers knotted together in his hair, as still he teased her more, histeeth grazing the silk, his tongue moistening her more, and even if it was everything she wanted, it still wasn’t enough. Realisation hit her that, despitewhat had taken place in the garden, she’d never seen him naked. Need propelling her, she pulled back a touch, saw the question in his eyes as slowly he stood up. Her fingers, nervous at first, but bolder as desire took over, wrestled with thebuttons of his shirt, pushing the sleeves down over his muscular arms. Closing her eyes in giddy want, her pale breasts pressed against his chest. She felt thenaked silk of his dark skin against her, skin on skin, as she opened his belt and unzipped his shorts. She held her breath in wonder as Alex now shed thegarments that stood between them, and if he’d been beautiful before, he was stunning now.Never had she seen a more delicious man, his body toned and muscular, his dark, oliv
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter sixty one
“It would have,” Emma said softly, watching his wince of regret at her refusal to accept it, actually grateful when Katrina and Hugh ducked inside theemerald canopy and broke the painful moment, because whatever Alex was trying to say it was too little, too late—even a garden full of flowers wasn’tgoing to fix this.“Join us for a drink,” Hugh offered. “Alex’s just about to put Alex to bed...”“I’ve got too much to do here.” Emma smiled as she shook her head. “But thank you for the offer.”“I think we might have to stay over.” Katrina pretended to grimace. “Hugh’s had a couple too many champagnes to drive.”“I’ve had one,” Hugh said, but Katrina had clearly already made up her mind.Emma was tempted to tell her that she needn’t bother, that Alex didn’t need to be guarded on her final night here, but instead she offered her goodnights andheaded to the mountain of tools that needed to be sorted.“You really ought to think about finishing up,” Alex called. “There’s a storm brewing and
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter sixty
“No.” His single word hurt her even more, if that were possible, his refusal to soften it cheapening her more than she’d thought possible.“So what was that all about?” Emma asked, gesturing to where they had lain, where he’d found her, held her, made love to her, forcing the confrontation,steeling herself to hear the confirmation of her worst fears. “What just happened there, Alex?”“Sex.” Black eyes stung her, a warning note in his voice telling her she’d crossed the line. His lips set in a rigid line as she shook her head, refused histake on the history they’d so recently created.“It was more than that and you know it,” Emma rasped, shocked by his callousness, reeling from the ferociousness of his sparse summing-up, yet refusing to buy it, because she knew there was more to him, had witnessed the real Alex only moments before, and all she knew was that she wanted himback. “Alex, please, don’t do this...” Emma attempted, her hand reaching out for his arm, but he recoiled as if s
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Fifty nine
Only now did his lips release hers. Any sooner and she would have begged him to stop, would have halted things.But now she was putty in his skilled hands, pliable, warm, willing to move, to let him do with her what he wanted, and, oh, how he did—kissing the pulseleaping in her throat as she wriggled out of her top. The second her breasts were free, his tongue paid them the attention they deserved, tender attention, kissingthe swollen, needy tips in turn, his finger retracing his steps, working downwards now. Her stomach tightened in renewed tension as he slid down the zip of her shorts, but for the first time since contact he spoke, the liquid deep tones of his voice not breaking the spell but somehow deepening it.“Don’t hold onto those thoughts, bella, just let them come and go.” Repeating the words she had said to him, but with entirely different meaning this time. Andshe tried, really tried to just relax as his hand cupped her bottom and lifted her enough to slip off the shorts
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Fifty eight
What?” One eye peeped open.“Abdominal breathing,” she explained, but from the two vertical lines appearing over the bridge of his nose Emma knew she was talking to the hopelessly unconverted.“You don’t move your chest,” Emma explained. “Remember when Alex wasa baby and you watched her sleep?”The frown faded a touch, a small smile lifting one edge of his mouth.“Babies know how to relax,” Emma said. “They instinctively know how tobreathe properly.” “Like this?” Alex asked, dragging in air, and Emma watched as he struggled with the concept. His stomach was moving but so too was his chest.“Almost. Look, I’ll help you. Just push against my hand.” Sitting up slightly, she instinctively moved to correct him. She’d shown this to numerous friends,knew how to show him simply, but her movements were hesitant, her hand tentative as it reached out towards him, hovered over the flat plane of his stomach, knowing, knowing where this could lead, wanting to pull back, to endthis dangerous game,
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Fifty seven
***Six years laterI’m sorry to have disturbed you.”“It’s fine.” Emma attempted, struggling to sit up, slightly disorientated andextremely embarrassed that Alex had found her in the middle of the day, hot and filthy in nothing more than the skimpiest of shorts and a crop top, lying on a blanket with her eyes closed. Absolutely the last person she was expecting to see at this hour, he was dressed in his inevitable dark suit, but there was a slightlymore relaxed stance to him. He held a brown paper bag in one hand and he didn’t look in his usual rush—his usually perfectly knotted tie was loosened, the top button of his shirt undone. But his dark eyes were shielded with sunglasses making his closed expression even more unreadable if that were possible.“You’ve done a lot.”“It’s getting there.” Emma nodded. “And if I keep going at full speed, I could still be done by early next week.”He didn’t say a word, he didn’t have to. Just a tiny questioning lift of his eyebrow from behind his
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Fifty six
Ironically enough, Maya discovered she was in labor halfway down the stairs.Alone. She gripped the banister and doubled over as a contraction rippled acrossher abdomen. Wasn’t labor supposed to start out slow?She wanted to laugh at the fact that fate was obviously cursing her for trying to sneak down the stairs without Alexknowing. While he’d relented abouther taking the stairs in the earlier stages of her pregnancy, now that she was so close to her due date he’d once again insisted she not walk the stairs alone. He’d go insane now that she was nine months pregnant and, if the pain ripping out her insides was any clue, about to deliver.She stood on the step, holding on to the railing and taking deep breaths. She’d have called out if she weren’t so busy sucking air through her nose. Besides,Alexwas busy with endless calls as he and Theron worked out Theron’s relocation to the New York offices. Theron was taking over operations there soAlexcould remain in Europe. They had been ti
MY CONTRACT MARRIAGE Chapter Fifty five
Alex wasted no time in finalizing plans for their wedding and preparing for them to travel to the island. He single-handedly rearranged his business schedule, made sure everything Maya could possibly need was purchased, though they’d already shopped for her wedding gown. She stood in awe of all hecould accomplish in such a short time.The authorities questioned her now that she’d regained her memory, and she spent several exhausting hours providing them with the few details she couldremember. The kidnappers hadn’t harmed her and had actually shown her consideration when her pregnancy became obvious. They had watched her,knowing she was close to Alex , and had struck when the opportunity arose. They’d asked for a small ransom, certain they would get it with no fuss.When no ransom had been forthcoming, they abandoned the kidnapping andarranged for Maya to be found.It was the realization that Alex had ignored the ransom that had pushedMaya beyond her limits. It was that moment in
