Lucette had never been to Ariston ’s city home before. Now she walked around the elegant rooms that took up the top floor of a nineteenth-century townhouse. The living room and dining room had been knocked together to create a large open space scattered with black and white leather sofas and tables of chrome and glass.A huge canvas of wavy green lines and white splotches was the only colour in the whole room. She stood in front of it, wondering if this was the kind of modern art Ariston liked. It had probably cost a fortune, and it looked as if it had been painted by a five-year-old."A masterpiece made by my nephew Timon," he said, as he came to stand beside her.‘I didn’t know you had a nephew.’There was, she realised, so much she didn’t know about him. She knew what he liked in bed, and what kind of food he liked to order in, and that he preferred classical music to jazz. She knew he shaved with an old-fashioned straight razor and that the only cologne he wore was a splash of c

She couldn’t sleep. Lucette had tossed and turned in the guest bedroom for several hours before she’d finally given up trying. It wasn’t the bed—it was one of the most comfortable she’d ever slept in. And it wasn’t that she wasn’t tired, because she still felt exhausted. Even so her mind seethed with half-formed questions and thoughts, and they spun around in her brain until she decided to make herself some herbal tea in an attempt to help her sleep.She reached for her dressing gown and the box of ginger tea she’d brought with her; it was one of the few things she could stomach. Tiptoeing out of her bedroom, not wanting to disturb Ariston , she made her way to the kitchen.The rest of the day had passed uneventfully enough: she’d had a nap and a bath while Ariston had worked in his study. And at around dinnertime he’d knocked on her door and told her he was planning to order food in, asked her what she’d like.It had reminded Lucette painfully of the weekends they’d spent together

When his father had died, Ariston had hoped that his older brother Antonios would include him more in the family business, that they would have a partnership. But Antonios had cut him off even more than his father had, making him nothing more than a frontman, the eye candy to bring in new business without actually having any serious responsibility.All that had changed six months ago, when Antonios had finally told Ariston the truth. Evangelos had been borrowing against the company, making shoddy and sometimes illegal investments and running everything into debt. He’d hidden it from everyone except Antonios, confessing all when he’d been on his deathbed. Antonios had spent the next ten years hiding it from Ariston .He’d finally told the truth when prompted by his wife Lindsay and by Ariston ’s own furious demands. And, while Ariston had been glad to finally learn the truth, the knowledge didn’t erase ten years of hurt, of anger, of being intentionally misled. His father and his br

‘Three and one brother.’‘Your brother, I know about. He was CEO before you?’‘Yes.’ He’d told her that much at least, although he hadn’t even hinted at the strained and sinful relationship. Two of my sisters live on the estate. They will want to meet you.’‘They weren’t there before I came?’"No, they were visiting Maya, my third sister. She lives with her family near Patras. "‘Timon’s mother?’‘Yes.’Lucette exhaled a shaky breath. "And what about your parents?"They’re both dead.’‘I’m sorry.’ She glanced at him, her eyes dark. "When?"'It was ten years ago for my father, and six months ago for my mother.'Her eyes widened. "When were we together?"‘Yes.’He hadn’t told her. There was so much he hadn’t told her. And for the first time, Ariston acknowledged that Lucette had had a point, claiming their relationship hadn’t been going anywhere. He’d kept him inside its careful parameters as much as she had. It was only when he’d become CEO that he’d decided he should marry and have

"Ariston hasn’t told us anything about you," Iris said after a few moments of strained silence, when all Lucette did was toy with her food and stare at her plate. "Where are you from?"She looked up and met Iris’s speculative gaze with what she hoped was a friendly smile. ‘I lived in Paris.’‘I love Paris!’Zoe jumped in quickly, and Lucette wondered if the sisters would actually be welcoming towards her after all.‘It must have been very hard to leave.’Lucette glanced at Ariston , whose face was as bland as ever. "A bit," she allowed, "but I have other things to think about now."She rested one hand on her small bump, which unintentionally but effectively silenced all conversation. Both Iris and Zoe excused themselves a few minutes later, leaving Ariston and Lucette alone with about an acre of polished mahogany between them."I’m sorry things seem a bit awkward," Ariston said after a moment. ‘They’ll come to accept you in time.’Maybe, "Lucette allowed. I don’t suppose it re