The Greek's Pregnant Bride
Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Pregnancy hormones. That was all it was, she told herself—pregnancy hormones playing with heremotions.

‘Where are all the other guests?’ she asked, following the manager to the lift.

‘Today, you are our only guest. The others will be arriving from tomorrow.’

How strange. She’d never known a hotel to have only one guest before.

Her suite was one of two located on the top floor. She guessed the other had been reserved forChristian.

Stepping into it, she couldn’t help the little thrill that ran through her at the opulent marvel of marble andthe stunning views. The back window had a direct view of the Parthenon.

Over the years she’d stayed in many luxurious hotels but the lavishness of this suite had a magicalquality to it.

‘Will you require lunch in your room or would you prefer to eat in the restaurant?’ the manager asked.

‘I think I’ll eat on my balcony.’ She had a quick skim of the menu and selected a tomato salad withcrusty bread. Nothing fancy, just something healthy to keep her going until Christian joined her thatevening...

The same tightening in her belly happened as she thought of him again, her heart rate speeding up to athrum.

CHAPTER SIX

AFTER A LAZY afternoon spent by the swimming pool, unwinding after a full-on week of work and themorning’s travels, Alessandra was stepping out of the shower when the phone in her room rang out.

‘Ciao?’

‘Good evening, agapi mou.’

A tingle fluttered up her spine to hear his rich tones.

‘Hello, Christian,’ she said, keeping her voice formal. ‘Does this call mean you’re here?’

‘It does. Can you be ready in a couple of hours?’

‘Why?’

‘I’m taking you out for dinner.’

Trying hard to dampen the excitement fluttering low in her stomach, she opened the large wardrobewhere a maid had hung all her clothes. Amongst them was her wedding dress.

Her intention had been to buy the first dress that fitted and didn’t make her look like a hag. Herintentions had gone to hell. Her brain had tried to hand over the cash in the first boutique but her hearthad overruled it. It wasn’t until the fourth boutique that she’d found The One, the dress that had madeher heart want to burst with delight.

She didn’t know what she’d been thinking when she had then parted with a large sum of cash for thelacy white lingerie she’d selected to wear with it.

No, that was a lie: she did know what she’d been thinking. She’d been thinking of Christian.

For now she selected a khaki shirt-dress that fell to mid-thigh. She stared with longing at her five-inch-high red Manolo Blahniks but ended up disregarding them for black strappy sandals with a morereasonable three-inch heel. She had a little life inside her to think of and to totter on sky-high heels wasasking for trouble.

She wondered if her own mother had faced such trivial conundrums in her pregnancies. So manyquestions she would never hear the answer to.

She would give anything for one day—one hour, even—with her mother. One hour to be held in herarms, to inhale her scent and hear her voice.

She prayed her baby never grew up having the same longings: so many hopes and fears, a mountainof them. All that mattered was getting her baby safely into this world.

Accessorising with beaded orange jewellery and dangly ruby earrings, she’d just applied a second coatof matching ruby lipstick when she heard a rap on the main door of the suite.

She pressed a hand to her chest, a sop to trying to control her heart that had galloped at the firstknock.

Opening the door, her stomach plunged to see Christian so tanned and gorgeous before her, dressedin a silver suit, tieless, the white shirt unbuttoned at the neck. She’d kissed that neck, rememberedvividly its taste...

Their eyes met; there was nothing said for the breath of a moment before she stood aside to admit him.

‘You’re looking good,’ he said.