family, she would have to marry Nikos, but the prospect of being trapped in a loveless union
with a man whose scathing opinion of marriage was well known, and who was furious with her
for making a fool of him, filled her with despair.
‘I need some time to think,’ she muttered, every muscle in her body tensing when Nikos moved
with the speed and grace of a big cat to stand in front of her.
‘Far from being the poorly educated waitress you led me to believe at the ball, I have learned
from Sebastian that you are a brilliant academic, and I have no doubt that you understand the
gravity of the situation,’ he said harshly. ‘You have to make a decision now . Sebastian and your mother know that I am at this moment asking you to marry me, and we are expected to go
immediately to the queen’s private quarters and tell them your answer.
‘As I see it, neither of us has any option,’ he continued when she made no reply, and, although
her mind screamed in silent rejection of his words, Kitty acknowledged with a leaden heart that
he was right.
Warily she lifted her eyes to him, and even in the midst of her turmoil heat flared inside her
when she studied his hard-boned, handsome face. It seemed a lifetime ago that they had made
love in the cave, and when she focused on the cruel line of his mouth it seemed impossible that
he had once kissed her with fierce passion. His aura of power was tangible, and she suddenly felt
weak and drained. Everything was stacked in his favour, and she did not have the strength to
fight him.
‘When?’ She forced the word past her numb lips, barely able to believe that she was
contemplating agreeing to his offer. ‘I suppose the wedding will have to be in the next few
months?’ Before she grew big with his child and everyone guessed the real reason for their
marriage.
‘Sooner than that,’ Nikos corrected her. ‘Sebastian has pencilled the eleventh of July into his
diary, and cancelled all other state events.’
Kitty did a hurried mental calculation. ‘That’s three weeks from now!’ Panic engulfed her and
she shook her head wildly. ‘I can’t go through with it, Nikos.’
‘Yes, you can,’ he told her grimly, the cold determination in his eyes freezing her blood,
‘because to be frank, Kitty, you have no choice.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
THEfollowing three weeks passed in a blur, and Kitty felt increasingly detached from her life
and the preparations for the wedding that were going on around her. She could almost believe
she was caught up in a dream, and fully expected to wake up and find that she had never met a
man called Nikos Angelaki, let alone become pregnant with his baby. But when she opened her
eyes on the morning of her wedding and saw her bridal gown hanging against the wardrobe she
was forced to make a reality check. This was real; in a few hours from now she would be his
wife, and for the sake of the child developing inside her she could not escape the fate that
awaited her.
‘I told you all brides look beautiful on their wedding day,’ Liss said later as she smoothed a
crease from the full skirt of Kitty’s white silk wedding dress. ‘You look breathtaking. The dress
shows off your figure perfectly. Don’t you dare go back to wearing those ghastly, shapeless
sweatshirts you’re so fond of! Not that Nikos will allow you to,’ Liss added breezily. ‘He leads a
hectic social life and I bet he’ll insist on buying you loads of gorgeous, sexy clothes for all the
parties you’ll be going to in Greece.’
Kitty felt a heavy weight settle around her heart as she contemplated her future life away from
Aristo. ‘You know I don’t like parties,’ she said dismally. ‘In a few months from now I’ll be
huge, and I definitely won’t look sexy—just fat. I’ve already gained weight, especially on my
bust. Do you think I’m showing too much cleavage?’ she asked worriedly, studying the dress’s
exquisite bodice, beaded with tiny pearls and crystals, and the firm swell of her breasts that
appeared in imminent danger of spilling over the sweetheart neckline.
‘Nikos’s eyes will be on stalks,’ Liss assured her cheerfully. ‘I’m glad you decided to wear your
hair down. It’s a much softer style than when you pull it back off your face.’
‘I suppose so, but it’s not very practical.’ Kitty’s silky, dark chestnut hair was naturally wavy
and it rippled down her back almost to her waist. At Liss’s persuasion she had left it loose, and
instead of a tiara and veil she had chosen a circlet of white roses for her headdress. Her sister had insisted on doing her make-up, but had kept it light, emphasising her brown eyes with a taupe