Chapter Fifty Six
"But that's because you are the reason why my plans never work. You were always there... Always at the right time to ruin it. You did it the first time and I let it go because you apologized. Turns out you never meant it"
His firm hold on her was the only thing preventing her ignominious descent on to the smooth floor and perhaps he realized that because she felt his grip tighten.
The way the sunlight came through the window made Kelly’s hair look like it was on fire. Her hair was red normally, but in the sun, like this? It looked like somebody wove each strand from molten rock. Kelly lifted her hand and tucked some of the locks behind her ears to get them out of her way as she glared at him. Dimitri had to stop himself from thinking about tucking those locks of hair behind her ears for her. He was sure she would slap his hand away if he tried anything like that. She hated him right now, he knew that just by looking at her face. If only she would let him explain, he thought.
"You are overwrought and your pride has been damaged, but...."
"Pride? You think this is about pride? I have just discovered that I am married to a lump of slime, and you talk about pride?" she flung the words at him, mortified as she felt her voice crack with emotion. The fact that even after spending so much time together. After everything, he was still who he was. A selfish bastard.... And he had told her in the beginning.... Warned her even, but she had just been too blinded by her attraction to him to listen or see for herself. Blinded by her love for him.
Thank goodness she had never told him the truth about her feelings. Her shell was her protection.
"There is nothing wrong, Kelly" he assured her quickly in a smooth tone. "I know you are angry because of what I did, but you still have the company. It all worked out fine. There's no need to get so upset about it"
"You think all that matters to me is the company. So why?" she annunciated when she finally recovered sufficiently for speech. "Why do you think I'm so upset? Why do you think I agreed to marry you if all that mattered to me was the company?"
"Because of the baby... and because you find me too irresistible to say no to?" there was a glimmer of humor in his dark eyes but she was too angry and upset to respond with anything other than a fierce glance.
"It's obvious that you care about nothing else and you have never taken the trouble to get to know me. Our relationship was exactly what it has always been. A one night stand.... One that has lasted way too long and gone too far"
His expression was instantly guarded. He was a man on the spot and he knew it.
"I don't think that is what our relationship is. And stop trying to make it sound like this is all on me. You agreed to marry me so clearly you believed that this marriage would be advantageous to you also. You had your selfish interests too" he said stiffly and she winced. "Don't put it all on me".
Advantageous. They were so different. How could she have possibly thought that this relationship would ever work.
"What is clear to me is that we make a terrible mistake by getting married. You don't know me and clearly I don't know you either. The inner workings of my mind are a total mystery to you. And actually they are a mystery to me too because why I choose to make a fool of myself by continuing with you after I found out what you did with Edward the first time, I don't really understand " she muttered and he looked at her with ill concealed desperation.
"Then tell me how you feel" he said.
"Sick" she replied.
Sick that she had been so stupid and trusting. That she had let herself fall in love with him. She was glad she never told him because the words would mean nothing to him. This marriage was about mutual benefits for him. A business deal. The baby was just an excuse to get what he wanted.
"We are good together. The honey moon, these weeks we have spent together —" his voice became husky as he gave in and stroked her hair away from her face with a gentle hand, "—it has been incredible, Kelly." his hand moved to cup her slightly round stomach. "We are having a baby, and I care about that.... Can't we just forget about all this stuff in the past and just focus on the future?"
His complete lack of sensitivity triggered the burst of emotion that she had been struggling to hold back and he stared at her with disbelief and no small degree of frustration as the tears spilled down her cheeks.
"You are making no sense what so ever" He jabbed his fingers into his hair. "You are upset because you believe that all I care about is the company and yet when I tell you that this is not the case you start crying. Why?"
"Because I have never been more miserable in my life" she said flatly, scrubbing her palm across her face and sniffing hard.
Two spots of colour appeared on his perfect bone structure. "Stop crying. Stop upsetting yourself like this. It isn't good for the baby. I think you are misunderstanding me...."
"I don't think so" Kelly replied, needing to escape before she lost the last of her dignity, she wriggled out of his arms and walked over to the door. Only when the handle was safely under her fingers did she risk turning to look at him.
His handsome face might have been carved from stone, his powerful body tense and unmoving as he watched her. He looked like a man who had his back up against an electric fence. It was clear that he was trying to anticipate her next move and if the situation hadn't been so tragic she would have laughed. He looked so unsure of himself. He didn't know what her next move was going to be.
