page7 (1/1)

‘Are you saying that itrelationship withabout sacrifices

A slow, steady smile curved his handsolikia mou’

CHAPTER TWO

ELLA was thoroughly chilled by the smile on Aristandros’s lean, darkly handsome face and his casual terotten what she was dealing with: a very rich and powerful o she had once dented Quite accidentally dented, though, she affixed ruefully to that recollection Their dialogue, however, had taken a sudden step into unknown territory and she genuinely didn’t knohat he was getting at

‘I’,’ Ella said carefully, her hyacinth-blue eyes level and enquiring

‘You’re far fro stupid,’ Aristandros countered in his measured accented drawl ‘If you want to see Callie, you can only do so on my terms’

Ella slid out of her comfortable seat and walked with quick harried steps over to the rails farthest away, eager for the breeze co in off the sea to cool her anxious face ‘I know that—if I didn’t accept that, I wouldn’t be here’

‘My terh,’ Aristandros spelt out bluntly ‘You want Callie I want you, and Callie needs a feether we can coement that suits all three of us’

I want you That was almost the only phrase she initially picked out of that speech She was shocked He still found her attractive—seven years on? Even in her sensible brown trouser-suit, when she was stressed out of her mind? In that first instant of astonishment, she almost turned round to tell him that he was the answer to an overworked doctor’s prayers That side of her life had not just taken a back seat while she’d studied and worked her steady path through all the medical hoops she had had to traverse to qualify, it had vanished

She re wanted by Aristandros did not, by any stretch of the iroup As a woo on a TV quiz show and answer virtually any question about Aristandros’s highly volatile and energetic love-life She knew that while his sexual skill and sta to the tabloid press, his staying power outside the bedroom was of exceptionally short duration Since they had last eous supermodels, starlets and socialites had briefly shared his fast-lane, chaot bored very easily

Indeed, Aristandros had gone on to fulfil every worst expectation that Ella had had of him seven years earlier His relationships appeared to be short-lived, shallow, self-serving, and not infrequently featured infidelity He had closely followed in the footsteps of his notorious father as a woiven her cause to regret refusing to marry him He could no er could adjust to being a domestic pet He would have broken her heart and destroyed her, just as her faithless stepfather had destroyed her mother with his extra-e, Jane Sardelos had neither backbone nor self-esteem left

‘You’re suggesting that, if I have sex with you, you’ll let me see Callie?’ Ella queried in a polite tone of incredulity

‘I’likia mou,’ Aristandros fielded ‘Nor so easily satisfied I’ I’ve never offered a woman before I want you to move in with me—’

‘To live with you?’ Ella echoed in astonishh her taut length

‘Live and travel with me as my mistress How else could you look after your niece? Of course, there would be conditions,’ Aristandros continued smoothly ‘You couldn’t hope to work and stillcare of Callie would be a full-time occupation’

‘You haven’t changed one little bit,’ Ella framed shakily, even as her heart ju the freedom to take care of her niece ‘You still expect to take priority over everything else’

Aristandros angled back his arrogant dark head, stubborn eyes hurling an unashae ‘Why not? I have known hted to make me and my interests theira lesser commitment from you?’