Page 40 of Christmas Baby with Her Ultra-Rich Boss

‘I propose making you my official plus-one. When I attend functions that require a partner, I will fly you out to me. Obviously, this will have to be paused when the doctors deem you no longer safe to fly and until you are fully recovered from the birth. Once you are recovered, I will hire a nanny to travel with you. Also, I will provide you with a personal allowance, much more than the maintenance we’ve already spoken of.’

She merely raised an eyebrow and gave a sharp nod, silently encouraging him to continue.

Aware his time was limited, Konstantinos hit his stride. ‘Being the mother of my child automatically makes you important to me.’ This was something he needed to make clear. Lena was important to him and he wanted her to know it. ‘We will be co-parents who share a bed for as long as the desire between us lasts. Once it comes to its natural end, we will simply be co-parents and, I am sure, great friends. We can decide then whether you will continue acting as my plus-one.’

Looking at him with thoughtful eyes, Lena poured herself a glass of orange juice and sipped from it before cradling it in her hands. ‘Okay, let me make sure I’m clear on this.’

He looked at his watch. Fifteen minutes until he had to leave. ‘Sure.’

‘You will make pockets of time in your busy schedule to spend in the UK with me and the baby.’

‘I would also like some of those pockets of time to be spent in Kos. It is my home. I want our child to know my parents and my heritage.’

‘That’s reasonable.’

Konstantinos relaxed.

‘While you and I are lovers,’ she continued summarising, ‘those pockets of time will be spent together under the same roof, and when it comes to its natural end, you will collect our child and spend that quality time alone, possibly with me joining you for the odd day out or meal so our child can see his or her parents getting on fabulously well?’

He inclined his head.

‘Have you thought about buying me a home in Kos? It might make things easier if we decide to part company as lovers while we’re spending quality time there.’

Hadn’t he known from the beginning how smart this woman was? ‘That does make sense.’

‘Doesn’t it?’ she agreed brightly. ‘And, to clarify, while we are lovers, you will fly me out to wherever you are in the world when you need a plus-one, like a quasi-official escort,andgive me an allowance as payment?’

About to agree that she’d described it all perfectly, her final two words took a moment to penetrate. ‘I did not call it payment.’

‘No.’ She shook her head and gave him a look of such sweetness that a pulse began to throb in his head, a warning that something was off. ‘My mistake. You’re right. You didn’t call it that.’

She had another sip of her juice, her velvet brown eyes continuing to appraise him thoughtfully.

Her silence unnerved him. Her whole demeanour did. The pulse in his head throbbed even harder. ‘Your thoughts on my proposal?’

‘Oh, it makes perfect sense,’ she said musingly. ‘If you’re a complete psychopath.’

It was witnessing Konstantinos’s jaw drop that tipped Lena over the edge.

She’d listened to him deliver what was clearly a prepared speech with something close to disbelief. She’d never expected a marriage proposal or anything even close to one, but this was something else. This was cold. Clinical. And deliberately so. If she wasn’t carrying his child, he would be ending it right now, would already have ordered her bags be packed. And why? Because she’d asked for the impossible. For him to think beyond tomorrow. To think ofherbeyond tomorrow.

Throughout, her pride had whispered to her, telling her not to react, to keep calm, to thank him for his reasoned thoughts and then politely tell him that this wasn’t something she could agree to, and end it herself.

Her pride could go to hell. And so could Konstantinos.

The hand she’d clenched so tightly around the glass, the hand she’d fought so hard to stop betraying her inner turmoil by trembling, took control of her and flung the remaining juice at him.

In a flash, he’d shoved his chair back and shot to his feet. ‘What the hell, Lena?’ he snarled. The juice had landed on his chest, soaked into his white shirt, splatters of it dripping off his neck and chin.

‘What the hell,Lena?’ she mimicked with a cry, slamming the glass on the table and giving it a good shove before shooting to her own feet. ‘What do you think I am? Some kind of escort that you can fly out to you at your convenience?’

Swearing loudly, he swiped his chin with the back of his hand. ‘Do not twist what I said. If my proposal is not to your liking, you only have to say no.’

She nearly snatched the glass back so she could throw it at him. ‘No! I say no. Never. I will not prostitute myself for you.’

His furious face contorted. ‘Prostitute yourself? How on earth did you come up with that?’

‘Did you not hear yourself? You would have agreed to buy me anything I asked for, wouldn’t you? And all in exchange for me keeping your bed warm as and whenyoudecide, and with absolutely everything on your terms. Well, forget it. I won’t do it. If you can’t respect me then you certainly don’t get to sleep with me.’

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