Bond of Hatred(25)

Paling, she breathed, 'What an intriguing image that would be and it tells me so much about you. If you can't reduce a woman to grovelling admiration, you'd settle for fear... in fact, you'd settle for just about anything sooner than deal with a woman on any other level-----'#p#分页标题#e#

'A woman like you.. .yes,' Alex intoned with a low, vicious bite that slashed through her taught nerve-endings like a machete. 'This is not how I foresaw my wedding-day.'

Sarah stiffened, an idea that had never before oc­curred to her occurring to her now. 'How had you foreseen it?''That I would share it with a bride worthy of my name.'

'And you said you weren't a snob...'

'It is not your background which disturbs me but your lack of morality.'

'My lack of morality?'

'The woman whom I would have married has the very highest principles.'

And there it was, what she had never thought of, never dreamt of, never even considered for the smallest moment. 'Are you saying that you were engaged to someone?' she whispered tremulously, completely ap-palled by the idea.

'I was contemplating matrimony.'

'Did you love her?' Sarah was trembling, plunged into genuine distress.

'I have no intention of discussing my private life with you-----'

'Did she love you? Dear lord, why didn't you tell me?' Sarah demanded.

Alex stretched out long, powerful legs and tossed back a whisky in one driven gesture.

'You have no right to lay this on me when you never even mentioned that there might be someone in your life... I mean someone apart from-----'

"The women I have to pay to share my bed?' Alex slotted in dulcetly.

From pale Sarah turned crimson, unprepared to have that thrown up to her when she was in such turmoil. The very idea that she might have broken some poor woman's heart by depriving her of the man she loved, even if it was Alex Terzakis, now sat on Sarah's conscience like a giant boulder.

'Elise never shared my bed.'

Not much of a passionate romance, then, Sarah decided.'Nor was marriage ever broached as a subject between us, but we would eventually have made a suitable al­liance. In the Terzakis family, we marry for life. One does not enter such a serious commitment in a romantic haze of illusion.'

'God forbid,' Sarah mumbled, thinking how coldly calculating he was. Sex with his mistresses. Stability and suitability with his wife. Love just didn't come into the equation. And why should she be surprised? Callie had been judged and rejected on those same terms. Sarah had no doubt that Damon's bride Androula was rich, well-born and suitable in the extreme.

Yet Sarah was surprised by Alex's matrimonial equation. Strive as he might to conceal the fact, Alex emanated emotional and passionate intensity in percep­tible waves. His responses ran deep and strong and he was immensely protective of his family, whether she liked his methods or not. He had divided Damon from Callie because he'd believed that to be in his kid brother's best interests and had doubtless married him off fast to ensure that there were no further unsuitable alliances.

'Does Elise love you?'

Alex elevated a superior winged brow at the intimacy of the question.

Sarah flushed but refused to be silenced. 'I would hate to think that I had been the cause of hurting her.'

'I hurt her pride,' Alex divulged grimly. 'And since she and everyone else will believe that Nicky is my child and you are his mother..."

Sarah frowned. 'Must they?'

'Something else you didn't consider?' Alex derided. 'Since Damon and Androula are not to have the right to raise Nicky as their child, his true parentage must remain a secret within the family circle. I will not have Androula humiliated...'

Sarah didn't see how Androula could be humiliated by something that had occurred before her marriage toDamon.. .unless Androula had been on scene at the same time as Callie. That was possible, she supposed. Damon had betrayed his true character in his treatment of Callie. Androula could well have been the socially acceptable girl back home in Greece.

'Naturally, as soon as Nicky is of an age to under­stand, he will be told that he is adopted and, later still, I believe that he should have every right to know the whole truth of his parentage-----'

'Your whole truth or mine?'

Alex dealt her a slashing look of sudden intimidation. 'You are a malicious and very dangerous woman, but be warned...I will tolerate no interference on that count when the time comes. If you're still around, of course.'

The soft conclusion made her tense. 'Why wouldn't I be around?' she asked stiffly.

'You will require remarkable staying power and buckets of humility to stay the course,' Alex drawled, his dark, strong face set in unyielding lines, a rather dauntingly amused smile playing round the edges of his hard mouth. 'And frankly I do not think you are likely to make the grade.'