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RELUCTANT WIFE 30
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YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES) RELUCTANT WIFE 31
What I can’t understand is that Petros won’t even discuss this with me. He knows that I know about this farce, and he won’t even acknowledge the fact,’ commented Carrie as they took breakfast on the terrace.Carrie looked cautiously at Alexis. Over the past ten weeks they had hardly spoken of what they had secretly entered into in London. Their child had grown inside of her, their relationship a steady progressive wonder. But always she was waiting for the bubble of happiness to burst.‘Maybe he’s waiting imtil he’s had the operation. We know that he lied about that. He’s waiting for a heart transplant, not some kind of bypass. If it’s any consolation he lied to me too,’ he returned unsmilingly. He picked up the coffee pot, poured two cups then asked, ‘And what, might I ask, are you doing today?’‘Jonathan has asked me to help with the new donkey. It needs to swim in the sea to strengthen its muscles. Jonathan, Andreas and myself are going to take him out in the boat and swim him back
YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES) RELUCTANT WIFE 32
‘Yes. I’ve made progress. I’ve foimd out that your friend Marsha is definitely involved. She has been all along: she got into drugs when she was modelling. Not in a big way then, but she knew all the contacts. She knew a few of the high society pimps, they’re all in it too. We’re arresting most of them as soon as we have this side of the operation in the bag. I’m gonna need all your help here, Alexis.’He nodded. ‘It’s yours. I just need to make sure that Carrie is safe.’They got in the Mercedes. ‘Don’t worry, Alexis. I’ve got my best man looking after her this very minute. You know Tate. I put you onto him. He’s my man.’Alexis stared. ‘You mean that son of a bitch who bedded my sister whilst he was working for me? The same one is looking after Carrie?’ He shook his head. ‘Oh no. That is simply not on. I want Carrie at the bakery with me.’‘It could be dangerous, Alexis. This is a very dangerous matter,’ James soothed, ‘And what do you mean Tate bedded your sister? He was on duty.’
YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES) RELUCTANT WIFE 33
Now was not the right time. He needed time to really talk to her, really sit down at length and make her imderstand. Their future needed sorting out. He didn’t want to keep her within a marriage that was bound to fail. He loved her too much for that. He smiled as he opened the back door; now he knew whatlove was. He knew he’d been in love with idea of loving Carrie for years, but reality was far different from his daydreams, and in truth, he’d been scared when she’d accepted that stupid deal of Petros’s. So why had he gone along with it?Love didn’t mean getting together because of a child, it meant sharing life with someone you wanted to be with, someone who cared, someone who felt the same about the fundamental things. Tonight she’d been so near and yet so far. He’d wanted to hug her to him, but he wasn’t sure she felt the same. Could he salvage the love she had for him? He wasn’t sure, and he hated this vulnerable feeling.If she loved him would she forgive him?He heard a cough f
YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES) RELUCTANT WIFE 34
‘Tell him,’ Alexis said to Carrie. ‘You tell him.’Carrie looked across at Petros with tears in her eyes. Although he’d used her like a pawn, she loved him. He’d obviously thought she needed his help in finding a husband.Squeezing his hand she said with a smile, ‘Alexis and I were married over ten weeks ago, in London. It was what we wanted.’‘I don’t just walk away from that kind of commitment Petros.’ Alexis’s words had a ring of truth about them. Carrie turned to look at him, questionsrushing about in her head, but they would have to wait.‘Ha! You two have had the last laugh. Ha, that’ll teach your mother!’ he scoffed, all at once looking sleepy. He waved Alexis away with his hand. ‘Go and see Helena, and don’t be too hard, she’s suffering too.’ He held onto Carrie’s hand. ‘Forgive me.’‘Of course I forgive. I love you, don’t I? I just wish you could have told me about all this. Trying to run other people’s lives, Petros, is a foolish thing. Interfering with destiny is wrong.’H
YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES) RELUCTANT WIFE 35
The big built American smiled stiffly at his partner’s sense of humour. He hated the name Garry. ‘I’ll help, she’s a nice kid, certainly beat me at my own game.’Their search of Athens was extensive. Alexis had recruited several Greek police officers, and one holidaym^ police officer from Britain, who was a friend of Garry’s.They all met outside the bakery to be briefed as to the last time Carrie been seen. They tracked her down to the tavema just up the harbour where the waiter told them about her taxi.‘She was not very well, I think,’ said the waiter to James.‘Alexis. Over here. She got in a taxi, he believes it was to the harbour front where they hire the boats. He said she looked shocking, and very tired.’Alexis was at the end of his tether, tormenting himself with guilt. ‘If anything has happened to her ...’‘Come on, she’s a sensible girl. I know she’ll be all right,’ commented James without a frown. Inside hewasn’t feeling quite that confident. He wondered why she had gone
YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES) RELUCTANT WIFE 36
Alexis sat her down on the striped chaise longue and took hold of both her shaking hands. He shrugged his broad, strong shoulders. And she noticed now just how tired and drained he did look, and her heart went unselfishly out to him.‘Where do I start?’ he asked, his hands tightly clinging to hers. He was shaking too, as nervous as she was.Swallowing convulsively, Carrie suggested quietly, ‘From the clinic, with Helena.’Alexis smiled. ‘Helena has been very, very naughty. I’m afraid she felt the lash of my temper the other morning. You only heard half the conversation, before you ran out.’Half the conversation, she thought tiredly. She looked into his eyes; as in most of their exchanges there was nothing to read in them. He was well and truly locked in his shell. Confirming what she’d heard Helena say was easy. ‘I know she manipulated us. She bought me for you.’‘You could say that, yes. But she had her reasons.My mother has lied about it all these years.’ Alexis halted her outburs
YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES) RELUCTANT WIFE 37
‘Champagne, anyone?’ Graham said as he popped the cork, ‘By the way, congratulations, love. I’m pleased all’s going well with the baby.’‘Thank you.’ She knew he was a man of few words so his good wishes meant a great deal to her. He lifted the bottle of champagne at her. Carrie shook her head, ‘I’ll have fruit juice.’‘Peter has been so looking forward to this. He’s going to love living next door to you. We’re just so grateful.’ He looked at Alexis. ‘You really don’t know what you’ve done for us. We love Peter, we’d do anything for him.’‘Oh, don’t you worry, you’ll work hard at the sanctuary.’ Alexis drank from his champagne flute. ‘I couldn’t believe it when Carrie told me you were with the police, working within the dog-handling section. Your experience is bound to come in handy.’‘I’m pleased you think so, Alexis.’The young crewman came in to serve dinner, but Carrie looked away, not sure she could eat anything at the moment, even though everything looked so deliciously appetizi
YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES) INTIMATE STRANGERS 1
SYNOPSISAshton reached out and touched her cheek almost paternally, but the touch seemed to burn like fire and her heart was racing. What could be wrong with her? First she’d been breathless from Brett’s kiss and now a mere touch on her cheek by Ashton and her mind was racing out of control. She must take care or any simple gesture of friendship would begin to take on too great a significance. Kerrien kept telling herself that she was only in Australia to take care of Ashton Philips’ children and not to fall in love with him. Brett was surely a much safer bet? Particularly when Ashton’s sister Kate and his girlfriend Martine made it clear that there was no room for Kerrien in Ashton’s ordered life... CHAPTER 1This was really the start of her new life. Kerrien held her breath as the undercarriage of the big plane creaked down. Brisbane’s airport rushed up towards her. It had been a long, long flight and she felt almost light-headed from lack of sleep. She had never travelled so far
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