Like Betsy, acting so oddly, attacking him like that. What was the matter with her? Was it possible that it had only happened because she was pregnant? How had he forgotten that for even as long as five minutes? Pregnant ladies had to be very hormonal, he thought vaguely. Betsy had definitely not been herself; in fact she had behaved like someone possessed, displaying a change of character he was happy to lay at argumentative Belle’s door. After all, he knew that Belle didn’t like him and was likely to use his worst mistakes and flaws against him. Although, Nik reasoned with a frown, it was more probable that the only demon possessing Betsy was the result of unstable pregnancy hormones. He was more than a little relieved to have worked out that obvious explanation. That raving virago of a woman had borne no resemblance whatsoever to the soft and gentle Betsy he had once lived with. And would be living with again soon, Nik reminded himself with satisfaction.
Betsy would be surprised but pleased, ultimately very pleased, he told himself with charged conviction. Since the day Betsy had told him to get out of Lavender Hall, Nik had been pursued and propositioned by other women on a daily basis. He had met with seductive looks and bold advances everywhere he went and after three years of marriage such bold invites had proved disconcerting and a passion killer, but, even so, if other women who didn’t even know him could want him so much that they dropped all finesse and dignity, Betsy must want him back more, mustn’t she?
She had let him take her up against the wall that day. Just thinking about it, Nik got hard as steel. She couldn’t honestly hate him if she had had sex with him again, could she? Why the hell was he thinking about all this stupid relationship stuff? For a split second of seething frustration Nik wanted to bang his head on the wall to clear it of the chaotic madness of his thoughts and then he finally registered his brother’s presence several feet away.
‘Are you OK?’ Cristo was watching him worriedly.
Nik flexed his stiff shoulders and straightened to his full height. ‘Why wouldn’t I be?’
Cristo was not subtle but he knew that telling Nik he was acting weird would be more of a hindrance than a help. In any case Cristo was operating in full sympathy mode. Nik had married a mouse who had started roaring like a lion and naturally he couldn’t cope with that unnerving switch of personality on top of the prospect of a baby as well.
Nik was very much a man’s man, short on the imagination and empathy stakes, Cristo thought understandingly. Cristo had long since noticed that in complete contrast to his brother’s brilliant intellect and polished business negotiation skills, Nik was downright backward and all at sea when anything emotional got involved in a situation. But Nik was trying to understand; Cristo could see quite clearly that Nik was trying and struggling, and he just hoped that, sooner rather than later, Betsy would see it too.
CHAPTER SIX
IT WAS EARLY evening and Betsy was staring down the front steps at the huge removal van and the crew standing beside it and said for the second time, ‘Obviously you’ve got the address wrong. I’m not moving any place and nobody is moving in...’
Simultaneously with that statement came the loud thwack-thwack of rotor blades sounding overhead and drowning out her words. Everyone, including Betsy, looked up into the sky but only Betsy was in a position to identify the logo on the helicopter coming in to land on the helipad Nik had had built. Betsy blinked, blindsided by yet another baffling event. Was Nik flying in to visit her? To discuss the baby and future arrangements between them? But why wouldn’t he have done that through the medium of their respective legal advisors? Surely that would have been less challenging than yet another traumatic meeting?
Five days had passed since Betsy had confronted Nik in Cristo and Belle’s home and she was still cringing, inwardly raging and squirming at the memory of how she had finally given her almost ex-husband a few much-needed home truths. It was unfortunate that she had done that in front of an audience; indeed she felt she owed Nik an apology on that score for having lost control to that extent. On the other hand, Nik was not given to introspection and had probably shaken off her criticisms within minutes of her departure. He wasn’t a sensitive male and he didn’t love her, so why should he care about what she had said about the past when their marriage was over, barring the final legal ratification? And why the heck had he kissed her afterwards? What kind of sense had that move made?