Page 42 of Breaking the Annulment

“Both,” she said quietly.

Before he could respond, she shifted to straddle him, her hands resting on his chest, her legs to either side of his waist. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this right now,” she said, leaning down to kiss him.

He caught her wrists, stopping her. “Aurelia,” he said firmly. “We’re not avoiding this. Answer me.”

Her shoulders sagged, and she leaned back slightly. He released her wrists so she could lean back against his propped up legs, the perfect backrest. “I don’t know, Michalis. I’m happy when I’m with you, but I don’t know how I feel about…everything else. You’re very…you want to control everything.”

“And you don’t like that.” He watched her squirm, a slow grin replacing his frown. “Or maybe you don’twantto like it, but you do?”

She tugged against his hold in frustration. “I don’t know. I’ve been on my own for a long time. It’s hard to let someone else make decisions for me.”

“But how do you feel when I do it? Have I ever made you feel unsafe?”

Uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, she forced herself to answer anyway. “No, but that doesn’t mean I agree with––”

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Breakfast,” Michalis said, his tone lighter now. He nodded toward the door. “Come in.”

Aurelia started to climb off him, but his hands moved to her hips to stop her. “Stay,” he said, his voice firm.

Her cheeks flushed. “Michalis?—”

“You’ll stay,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The maid entered, carrying a tray laden with food. She hesitated for only a fraction of a second before crossing the room to set it down on the small table by the window. Her expression remained carefully neutral, though Aurelia’s cheeks burned with embarrassment.

“Thank you,” Michalis said curtly, dismissing the maid with a nod. The door clicked shut behind her.

“That was humiliating,” Aurelia muttered, glaring down at him. “See? This is exactly what I’m talking about.”

Michalis smirked. “She didn’t seem to mind.”

“I did!” she said, swatting his chest.

He chuckled, his hands steady on her hips. “You worry too much.”

She rolled her eyes but settled back against him with a sigh. “We should eat before it gets cold.”

“It can wait a few minutes,” he said, his voice softening. “If it’s cold, they can bring fresh food.”

She made a face but didn’t argue. “I’m not that hungry anyway,” she said quietly. “I think I might be coming down with something.”

Michalis stilled, his gaze sharpening as he studied her. She looked healthy—beautiful, even—but her comment sparked something in the back of his mind. “Do you think you could be pregnant?”

“What? No.”

He didn’t respond immediately, instead adjusting the pillows behind him so that his back was propped up better, bringing her closer. He spread his palm gently across her abdomen. “We could start trying.”

“That’s the last thing we need to do. In fact, I think I should go see the doctor. We can’t keep taking risks like this.”

“And I was thinking,” he said after a moment, ignoring her statement. “If you’re interested in planning a big party, I could use your help.”

She glanced up at him, surprised. “A party?”

“We host one every couple of months. It’s good for business.”

Aurelia sat up straighter, her curiosity piqued. “What kind of party?”

---