Page 44 of Bound By Her Baby Revelation (Hot Winter Escapes)

CHAPTER NINE

LEOCOULDTELLthat the effect of what he had said had made Kaya stop and think. But wasn’t that fair enough? He wasn’t being unreasonable. He was simply saying it as it was. She wanted to sally forth in search of true love, and that was fine, but there was no way he was going to let her grow into the notion that his money would go towards supporting another man. Indeed, the thought of it made him clench his fists in impotent fury.

She was his woman.

Leo wasn’t sure when this idea had taken root, but he didn’t question it, because she was pregnant withhischild. How could it be otherwise?

Competition was staring Leo in the face and it enraged him. A mythical guy yet to appear on the scene... The more he thought about this faceless person, the more determined he was to eliminate the threat.

He’d planted seeds that had to be planted. He had let her know, in no uncertain terms, that what was good for the goose was also good for the gander. If she wanted to pursue love and find the perfect partner, then he would likewise engage in a pursuit of his own. Not love, but suitability. The net result would be the same—a partner.

If she refused to buy into the only sensible solution to the situation, then she would have to think long and hard about what happened next.

In the meantime, while she was captive on this beautiful island, and without forcing her hand at all, he intended to use every trick in the book to persuade her to see things from his point of view and to accept that there were far more important things in life than the airy-fairy nonsense oflove.

He had started with the matter-of-fact realities of life for them both as their ways diverged, leaving only the child they had created as the common link.

Would she be able to contemplate another woman having fun with their son or daughter any more easily than he could contemplate another man sharing what would not be theirs to share?

She would have time to think about that one.

Meanwhile...

‘There’s a lot more to see of the town,’ he said, waiting until she had belted up before starting.

They had detoured to collect their picnic from one of the upmarket restaurants. It was beautifully arranged in a wicker hamper, with a cooler box full of various drinks. He dumped it in the boot along with the towels he had brought and the oversized rug to put down on the sand.

When they made it to the cove she would be left speechless and impressed. It was all part of the lifestyle that could be hers, should she so choose. A little quiet temptation could do no harm.

He slid a sideways glance at her. No one could say that he wasn’t enjoying the moment, whatever the gravity of the circumstances.

She had changed out of the dress and trainers into some loose shorts and flip-flops, and a delicious expanse of silky-smooth, golden-brown legs was on display. The top was small and loose yet managed to be incredibly sexy.

It was all too easy to recall the feel of that slender body under him: the high, small breasts with their succulent brown nipples; the flat, smooth belly; the jut of her hips and the grind of her body... It was all too easy to remember the taste of her when he had explored every inch of her, taking his time.

And all too easy to think about them being together again, bodies merging, finding pleasure in what had come so naturally.

He could show her that they could be good together. There was nothing wrong in doing that. He could show her that he could be a good father, a thoughtful partner...and an ardent lover.

He could show her that there was no such thing as theperfectlife but there was such a thing as a perfectlyacceptablelife.

‘What I’ve seen is lovely,’ Kaya returned politely.

The car windows were open, at her insistence, and she had tied her hair back. There was a large straw hat for her to wear to protect her from the midday sun when they got to wherever they were going, even though, as she had reminded him, she wasn’t a pale blonde who went red at the first hint of heat.

But he had insisted. She had never known anyone be so solicitous with a pregnant partner. It felt good to be looked after. It made her think that she had become too accustomed to being the one who did the looking after and not the other way round, even when her mother no longer needed care-taking. Old habits died hard.

She shivered when she thought that all that instinct to protect would go to another woman in due course. But time and again she returned to the misery of a life without love, a life in which responsibility became the driving force with the heartache of knowing that, one day, that responsibility would dim and everything would end up crashing and burning.

Was she being too fussy?

She glanced surreptitiously at his strong, tanned thighs and the strong forearms on the steering wheel, and then had a quick drink of his profile and the way the wind blew back his slightly long, dark hair.

They reached the marina and a boat was waiting for them, small and white with a bright-red canvas roof. The motor was an outboard old-fashioned one and an old guy in shorts and a vest was doing a balancing act as the little boat bobbed on the water.

Around them, the promenade was busy with people coming and going. Cafés, with bright-blue-and-red umbrellas sheltering busy outdoor tables, gave people having lunch and drinks a perfect view of the ocean.

Kaya didn’t have to look round to know that somebody was bringing all the gear from the car to the boat, jumping to the command of some invisible signal Leo seemed to give. She was starting to understand that, the minute cash was waved, all things became possible.

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