The Greek's Baby Bargain (2 page)

Emma was shaking violently by the end of his tirade. Dimitri rarely got angry. Why should he? The man was more powerful than anyone she’d ever known and had more money than just about anyone else in Europe. And he never raised his voice. He never had to. The people that worked for Christoph Shipping wouldn’t dare to contradict him. At home, his servants bent over backwards trying to anticipate his every need, eager to please the man. And at work, only the best and brightest were employed and each of them were more than eager, terrified even, of crossing the man. He could be devastatingly charming when he wanted to. But he could also cut into a person with words that would leave them metaphorically and financially bleeding for years, decades even. No one crossed Dimitri Christoph. He was too powerful.

But beyond his charm and the power that came with his incomprehensible wealth, Dimitri projected sense of danger, it was an overwhelming aura that surrounded him. People literally moved out of the way when he walked down the street, and it had little to do with his security detail that surrounded him wherever he went. There was just something about Dimitri, an air of absolute confidence and power that people in general recognized. She should know. She’d fallen victim to his devastating personality from the first moment she’d met him.

Blinking, Emma sat down in the chair despite the fact that he hadn’t offered her a seat. “You had me followed?” she asked, horrified by what he might have seen or what might have been reported back to him.

His anger was controlled but his frustration with her naiveté rose up to make him roll his eyes. “You are my wife! Of course you were followed. You were followed every moment from the time I proposed. You were just unaware of it.”

Emma had known that Dimitri’s wealth meant he and everyone in his family was at risk of kidnapping. But she hadn’t known that he’d put a security detail on her. It felt invasive, as if he were spying on her. She shivered and looked down at the carpeting so he couldn’t see the anger in her eyes. “Well, that’s all in the past. There’s no reason for you to continue to have me followed. Call off your dogs and leave me alone.”

Dimitri tssked. “Not very good powers of persuasion, Emma. If you want something from me, it isn’t a good idea to issue orders. Besides, I never accepted them very well, did I?”

Emma’s face flushed, knowing he was referring to their sex life. Too many nights, Dimitri would pull her into his arms and make love to her until she was begging for release, demanding it from him. But he would only take the feelings higher each time she demanded, waiting until she was writhing under him before he would give her what she needed.

“That was a long time ago,” she said. “It has nothing to do with this conversation.”

 

His face was hard and unrelenting as he said, “I’m not signing the papers, Emma. And I forbid you to go to another bank.”

At the look of finality in his eyes, Emma’s face almost broke down into tears. It was only with supreme effort that she held them at bay. She would let them fall when she was alone, not in front of this man who was staring at her as if she were a bug on his carpet, unworthy of even being crushed by his efforts.

She was defeated. This was her last recourse. He didn’t have to worry about her going to another bank. There weren’t any more that would even consider her loan. She’d been to the big ones and most of the medium sized ones. The smaller they got, the more strict they were on their lending requirements. It would be useless to try someone else. Dimitri had been her last resort and now even that was eliminated. She’d failed, and that failure hurt more than she realized it would. Brian would not be healed and it was all her fault.

She stood up and took a deep breath. She couldn’t face him but she tried at least for the social niceties. “Thank you very much for seeing me. I’m sorry for bothering you.” She turned to walked out, praying that she would make it to the door and to some sort of privacy before she broke down. The last thing she wanted was for this dynamic, powerful man to see her despair. After everything she’d gone through since leaving him, that would be the final humiliation.

She was almost to the door when his words stopped her. “But I have an alternative,” he said smoothly. “Sit back down,” he ordered.

Emma wanted to walk out, find a small, dark, private place to lick her wounds and heal. But she couldn’t. Was he offering her a concession? If it was possible, she had to swallow her pride and accept it. This was all for Brian, she reminded herself. He’d given her so much, she had to find a way to give him something back. She carefully made her way back to the seat she’d just vacated, then waited tensely for him to continue.

Emma watched as he walked around the desk, moving toward a bar set off into the corner. He poured her a cup of steaming hot tea. As he handed her the beverage he said, “I’ll give you the money.”

Emma almost dropped the cup. If it hadn’t been for Dimitri still balancing the hot liquid, she would have spilled it all down her legs. “Excuse me?”

 

Dimitri leaned against his desk, crossing his legs at the ankles and looking sexier than any man had a right to. “You heard me properly.”

 

Emma looked at his face hopefully. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I want something from you, of course.” At her startled expression, he laughed harshly. “Yes, Emma, the world is a cruel and hard place and you don’t get something for nothing. No one ever does,” he said harshly.

Emma swallowed and she heard the tea cup start to rattle as her hands began shaking again. “You want a divorce,” she said, barely able to get the words out of her mouth. She hated the idea but knew it was for the best.

“On the contrary. This would require our marriage to remain intact. At least for a little while longer.”

 

Emma relaxed slightly, but her confusion was written all over her face. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

 

“I want children.”

Emma froze with the tea cup halfway to her mouth. She slowly lowered the cup back down and placed it on the table in front of her. “Excuse me?” she asked, unable to look at him as the pain seared through her heart. His words were like a knife slicing into her skin and leaving her open and in pain.

“You heard me correctly. I want children and I’ve waited long enough to have them. You want money, an extremely large amount,” he pointed out, glancing back at the documents still on his desk, “so we have something to exchange.”

“I can’t,” she whispered, her throat constricting on the words. She hated saying them, hated how the words made her feel. It was almost as if saying them out loud made her predicament real and less of a woman. She couldn’t even look up at him, afraid of what he might see in her.

There was a long moment of silence before Dimitri said, “Then you will never get this money,” he replied harshly.

 

Emma’s mouth dropped open and she could feel her heart constrict. “Why?”

 

Dimitri was already walking away. “Why should I? You give me nothing, you get nothing. That’s the way the world works.”

She watched his broad shoulders and knew that he wasn’t going to give in. There was nothing to lose. A part of her rebelled at her next words, but there was no other option. “Fine.”

Dimitri looked back at her. “You’re accepting?” His eyes showed no emotion but he was still as he watched her face.

Emma ignored the guilt she felt and continued on. Surely she’d be forgiven in this circumstance? It was all for Brian. She owed him. “Yes. But I have to have the money immediately.”

Dimitri walked slowly back to the chair to stand directly in front of her. “I want you acting as my wife the entire time. You’ll live with me and travel with me. It won’t be like last time when you get to stay at the house. If you’re going to provide me with a child, then you’re going to have to present the image of the happy wife so there is no question about the legitimacy of the child. And I won’t have my parents or family know about the arrangement.”

“Fine,” she said, stifling the urge to cry. “But there has to be a time limit. After all, we lived together as husband and wife for two years and I wasn’t using anything to prevent a pregnancy during that time.” There, she’d said it. She’d gotten her warning out and if he didn’t pay attention to it, then it wasn’t her fault. “When can I have the money?”

His cynicism was written all over his face. “Aren’t you the mercenary negotiator all of a sudden? I don’t remember you being this monetarily focused when we were together the first time.”

She was able to suppress the cringe that time, but she persevered. “I apologize if I come across that way, but the money is urgently needed.” She inhaled sharply and continued, “Back on the subject of a time limit, how about one month?”

“One month to conceive?” He laughed harshly and stepped closer to her. “I don’t think that’s very fair. You just pointed out that we were apparently trying for two years with no success,” he leaned in slightly and winked as he said, “although I wasn’t as dedicated to the task as I will be going forward.”

Emma’s lips compressed in frustration and fear as the memories of their sex life returned. If she were being completely honest with herself, they’d never really left. At least once a week, she woke up breathing heavily, in the throes of a dream where Dimitri was making love to her again. At least it was only once a week now. Before it had been every night and she’d wake up crying, desperate to feel his arms around her. “We’ll go to a fertility clinic and they’ll do what they can to speed things along.”

Dimitri laughed and this time it was full of humor. “Ah, no, my dear. We’ll be doing things the old fashioned way. I liked it just fine before.” He glanced down at her breasts where the tips were already visible and ready for his touch. “And I can see that you are anticipating that aspect as well.”

Her arms instantly came up to cover her breasts, embarrassed that she’d reacted so instantaneously to just the thought of making love with Dmitri again. “No! I’m not. I don’t want to have sex with you.” She couldn’t. Walking away from him the first time had been awful. Doing it twice might kill her, she thought to herself. She still loved this man with all her heart and soul, even though he had every right to be angry with her. And when this was all over and done with, he’d be even more angry. He’d realize that she had lied to him, knowingly and still took his money. If there was any alternative, she would grab it but at the moment, he was her only hope.

“But you want the money.”

“I need the money, yes,” she clarified, emphasizing the need versus the want part of the statement. “But I have a job and a life back in London. If I can’t get pregnant,” she said, taking a deep breath, “then there has to be an end to my service to you.”

She saw the muscle twitch in his jaw and knew that he was furious. “One year.”

 

“Two months,” she countered immediately.

 

“Nine.”

 

“Six.”

 

“Done,” he said and walked away. “You’ll have to have a pregnancy test first. I’m not going to allow you to pass off another man’s child as my own.”

Emma turned her face away as if he’d slapped her but regrouped quickly. “I’ll agree to that. But as soon as I’ve proven that I’m not pregnant, you’ll transfer the money?”

“Deal.” Chapter 2

Shocked, Emma could hardly believe she’d just made such a bargain. Had she completely lost her mind? There was no backing out though. She had to go through with it.

“Good. I’ll have my gynecologist send you confirmation. I should be able to get an appointment within the week.” She started to walk toward his office door, desperate now for a breath of fresh air. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get back to London, but she’d hitch hike if she had to. She was going to get the money! Her heart was singing with joy that she could finally provide Brian with the operation. It was risky, but it was also hope that he might be able to walk again. That was all that mattered now. Her life had ended the moment she’d seen the slip of paper in the gynecologist’s office four years ago. It had ended all her happiness. It was Brian’s turn to live. She hurried her feet, needing to put some space between this man and her body that wanted only him.

“Not going to work, Emma,” he said, the words stopping her in her tracks. He waited until she turned around to face him before saying, “I’m not allowing you to go back to that man’s arms.” Walking around his desk, he picked up his phone. “Zora, please call Danio Abitzi and tell him I’m bringing my wife to see him. We should be there in fifteen minutes.”

Emma’s breath caught in her throat. “You want me to see a doctor now?” she asked, terrified of what the doctor might find.

Dimitri raised one eyebrow. “Yes. Immediately. Is that a problem?” She could see the anger building in his body, could sense him bracing for bad news and she wished she could reach out and hold him, tell him the truth. But that wouldn’t work. She wouldn’t get the money, there was no solution to her problem and he needed a wife that could give him children, and it wouldn’t be her. Emma knew that was pretty much impossible.

Emma bit her lower lip and shook her head. She could feel her heart racing and the blood pounding in her head. Surely the doctor wouldn’t be able to tell from a pregnancy test, would he? She preceded Dimitri out of his office, her purse clenched in her hands so tightly her knuckles were white. The short drive in the limousine was painful as she sat next to Dimitri, feeling his heat next to her on the luxurious leather seats, knowing what a passionate man he was, how they’d spent several other rides in the back of the limousine before she’d left. It was painful, but she pushed the memories aside, knowing she’d need to concentrate to get through the next half hour.

The doctor who greeted them was nice and friendly and he immediately brought them back to an examining room, then listened intently as Dimitri explained what he wanted.
“Of course. If all you want is a blood test, that is no problem,” he said.

“No. I want absolute assurance that there is no child currently,” Dimitri said.

The doctor smiled benignly. “The blood tests now are so accurate, they can detect a pregnancy only days after conception. It is the most accurate way to determine a possible pregnancy.”