Read Online The Innocent's Surrender by Sara Craven - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sara Craven
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first experience of real desire should have been sparked by someone as worthless as he was.
Neil, she thought with sadness and regret, had never made her body ache with yearning in a way that kept her from sleep. And, if she?d slept with him, would it have been through passion or might it have been more from curiosity?a need to make discoveries about her untried sexuality, without necessarily making a lifetime commitment, but with a man she regarded as safe?
Something, she acknowledged bitterly, that could never be said about Alex Mandrakis. While loathsome and despicable didn?t even come close, either.
Not that Stavros and Andonis had emerged with any honour from the situation, either. She supposed that they?d slipped that second letter in amongst all the other papers requiring her signature.
Oh, God, she thought, fighting the sudden tears she could taste in her throat. Why didn?t I obey my instinct and refuse to have anything to do with their stupid deception? Then I?d have been spared this at least.
She had to accept that Neil now belonged very definitely to her past, and that what she had to concentrate on was the present?and the immediate future. And escaping permanently from the control of the enemy sleeping next to her had to be her number one priority.
And she needed to go quickly before he could fulfil his other threat?to make her pregnant.
Unless it had happened already, she thought with swift alarm, her hand going swiftly and protectively to her abdomen. But she wouldn?t believe that she could be that unlucky.
So, somehow, she had to persuade him that there was nothing to be gained by bringing another unwanted child into a world which held too many of them already. Or by continuing to deny her freedom.
Because there?s no reason for him to be doing this, she thought. Not any more. The feud has to be over, now that he?s taken?everything. The fact that I?ve spent tonight with him is quite enough to bring dishonour to the family. There?s no need for anything else.
And he can?t have found his encounter with a statue particularly rewarding, not when his world is full of willing girls, so why would he want to keep me around any longer anyway?
He must see that, she told herself passionately. I have to make him see it.
Because I belong back in London. I?m needed there. I have my share of the rent on the flat to pay, quite apart from the business. And it?s not just Molly to be considered?there?s the rest of the Helping Out staff.
He?s a businessman. Surely he?ll understand that at least.
Although his advance planning had been pretty thorough, even to sending out some secretary to buy her a dressing gown, she thought uneasily, feeling the brush of the satin against her skin. That in itself was a fair amount of trouble for a strictly short-term arrangement, let alone a one-night stand.
But she was particularly disturbed by his admission that he?d paid that secret night-time visit to the Villa Demeter. The thought of him standing there, watching her, made her whole body clench in embarrassment.
Although that sudden silence of the cicadas should probably have warned her that there was something wrong.
She wondered if Stelios, the security guard who?d sold them out, was still on the Papadimos payroll, because, if so, she?d make sure he was fired by the end of the day, even if it meant admitting that she been caught skinny-dipping.
Thia Theodosia would be shocked, of course, but that hardly mattered. She could only imagine her foster mother?s horror when?if?she learned what had happened here, in this room, tonight to the girl she?d always protected with such care.
And if Alex Mandrakis really intended to flaunt her publicly as his mistress as he?d threatened, there was no way Thia Theodosia could be guarded from the unpalatable truth.
She remembered, with a pang, that he?d said he would make her stay with him until she no longer wished to leave.
But that had just been words, surely, she thought. A meaningless
Neil, she thought with sadness and regret, had never made her body ache with yearning in a way that kept her from sleep. And, if she?d slept with him, would it have been through passion or might it have been more from curiosity?a need to make discoveries about her untried sexuality, without necessarily making a lifetime commitment, but with a man she regarded as safe?
Something, she acknowledged bitterly, that could never be said about Alex Mandrakis. While loathsome and despicable didn?t even come close, either.
Not that Stavros and Andonis had emerged with any honour from the situation, either. She supposed that they?d slipped that second letter in amongst all the other papers requiring her signature.
Oh, God, she thought, fighting the sudden tears she could taste in her throat. Why didn?t I obey my instinct and refuse to have anything to do with their stupid deception? Then I?d have been spared this at least.
She had to accept that Neil now belonged very definitely to her past, and that what she had to concentrate on was the present?and the immediate future. And escaping permanently from the control of the enemy sleeping next to her had to be her number one priority.
And she needed to go quickly before he could fulfil his other threat?to make her pregnant.
Unless it had happened already, she thought with swift alarm, her hand going swiftly and protectively to her abdomen. But she wouldn?t believe that she could be that unlucky.
So, somehow, she had to persuade him that there was nothing to be gained by bringing another unwanted child into a world which held too many of them already. Or by continuing to deny her freedom.
Because there?s no reason for him to be doing this, she thought. Not any more. The feud has to be over, now that he?s taken?everything. The fact that I?ve spent tonight with him is quite enough to bring dishonour to the family. There?s no need for anything else.
And he can?t have found his encounter with a statue particularly rewarding, not when his world is full of willing girls, so why would he want to keep me around any longer anyway?
He must see that, she told herself passionately. I have to make him see it.
Because I belong back in London. I?m needed there. I have my share of the rent on the flat to pay, quite apart from the business. And it?s not just Molly to be considered?there?s the rest of the Helping Out staff.
He?s a businessman. Surely he?ll understand that at least.
Although his advance planning had been pretty thorough, even to sending out some secretary to buy her a dressing gown, she thought uneasily, feeling the brush of the satin against her skin. That in itself was a fair amount of trouble for a strictly short-term arrangement, let alone a one-night stand.
But she was particularly disturbed by his admission that he?d paid that secret night-time visit to the Villa Demeter. The thought of him standing there, watching her, made her whole body clench in embarrassment.
Although that sudden silence of the cicadas should probably have warned her that there was something wrong.
She wondered if Stelios, the security guard who?d sold them out, was still on the Papadimos payroll, because, if so, she?d make sure he was fired by the end of the day, even if it meant admitting that she been caught skinny-dipping.
Thia Theodosia would be shocked, of course, but that hardly mattered. She could only imagine her foster mother?s horror when?if?she learned what had happened here, in this room, tonight to the girl she?d always protected with such care.
And if Alex Mandrakis really intended to flaunt her publicly as his mistress as he?d threatened, there was no way Thia Theodosia could be guarded from the unpalatable truth.
She remembered, with a pang, that he?d said he would make her stay with him until she no longer wished to leave.
But that had just been words, surely, she thought. A meaningless
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