The tycoon bride

Chapter Ten

          Her eyes flicked open. Had she been asleep again? She wasn't sure. All she did know was that she felt warm and comfortable at least. As she turned her head against the back of the chair, Her sleepy eyes met with fathomless dark ones. 

          "I am sorry to disturb you, " he said "But lafka needs to know how Melanie likes her formula milk prepared? "

           Melanie's formula milk? She repeated sluggishly to herself. Oh, good grief! How could she—how could she have forgotten about the poor baby—again? 

            Without thinking What she was doing, she jolted to her feet. "aggh!" She cried out, as pain went screaming round her system. 

              She had jarred her bruised ribs and she could hardly bear it! 

               Then he was right there beside her. His long fingered hands slide around her narrow waist to offer support while her slender body shook with violent spasms as she stood there, half bent over, trying desperately to rude the storm. 

               "You little fool! "he muttered angrily. 

                 "sh–shut up, "she gasped, needing his reproof like a hole in the right then. 

                 Grimly, he was silenced. And for the next few minutes the only sound in the room was her fight with her own body. When it was eventually over, she wilted like a dying flower against his chest —then stayed there, feeling so utterly used up that it was a long while before she began to notice little things about him. Like the padded firmness of his breastplate acting as a cushion for her cheek. And the  lean tightness of his waist where her good hand had decided to come to rest. He felt big and warm and very tough, and there was a faint spicy smell floating all around her. It was pleasantly intoxicating. 

               "There is nothing of you, "he grunted. 

                And broke the spell. 

                "I'm all right now, "she said, pulling carefully away from him. 

                He let her go, his hands dropping slowly to his sides while he continued to stand there at the ready in case she did anything else just as stupid. 

                "Melanie's formula, she prompted flatly. "I didn't bring any out with me ".No formula, no bottle, no nappies, nothing. "I have to go home ".

                  "We have everything you will need right here, "he assured her. 

                   Now what was that supposed to mean? She wondered wearily, sensing another battle in the offing. "Don't tell me you've been out and brought the whole lot along with the car seat! "she sighed out heavily. 

                   He didn't even deign to answer that. "I will take you to the kitchen so you can show lefka what she has to do. "

                 It was like dealing with an armoured tank driver, she thought grimly. What he didn't want to bother with, he rolled right over! 

               "Lead the way, "she said heavily, letting him have that small victory —for Melanie sake, she told herself as she followed him out of the study and down the hallway towards the rear of the house. 

               The kitchen was a house wife dream, all loving waxed Wood and red quarry tiled flooring. There was a huge Aga sitting in what Melony presumed had once been the fireplace, the kind of smells coming from the  pots busy simmering away on its top enticing enough to make her stomach cry out appeal. 

                A young dark haired woman of around her own age was standing near to the Aga, close to a baby's travel cost. As Melony made eagerly for the cat, the young woman melted silently away. 

               Melanie was lying there, wide awake for once, and looking curiosly around her. She had been changed, she noticed, and was wearing what looked like a brand new sleep suit in the softest she of pink that showed off her olive skin and jet black hair. 

               There was nothing about her that resembled her dead mama, Melony observed sadly and felt the tears begin to threaten as they always did when she let herself think of  her mother. 

                "Please....... "she murmured a little thickly to the man who was standing silently by. "I need to hold her can you get her for me? "

                 Common sense told her not to attempt  to bend down there and scoop Melanie up for herself. 

                 "Of course, "he said, and with an economy of movement he bent to lift the baby, straightened and turned toward Melony only to pause indecisively. 

                  Looking around her, Melony decided it was probably best to ease herself into one of the kitchen chair, at least then she could use the tabletop as an aid to take some of the baby's weight. 

                   A moment after she has settled herself, Melanie arrived in the crook of her arm, and, resting it on the table, Melony released a long, soft, breathy sigh, then lowered her face to the baby's sweet smelling cheek. 

                   If anyone, having witnessed this moment, could still wondering if she really loved this baby, then they would have had to be blind. 

                   Andreas wasn't blind. But he was moved a way that would have shocked Melony if she'd happened to glance at him. 

                   Angry was the word. Harshly, coldly—frightening angry. 

                  "Ah, you come at last. "lefka suddenly appeared from another room just off the kitchen, the sound of  her heavily accented voice bringing Melony's head up. Looking at Melony with Melanie, the house keeper smiled warmly. "you love this baby, she said, not asking the question but simply stating a fact."Good, "she nodded. "For this baby is an angel. She has stolen my heart. "

                 Melony has the feeling that she meant it, too, Her dark eye definitely had a love struck look about them. 

                  "But she will not be happy with me if I do not feed her the bottle soon. So you will show me, please —what to do. My daughter Althea will hold the child. "

                   By the time Melony had escaped from the kitchen, as reassured as ever anyone could be that Melanie was in good and safe and loving hands, she had come to a decision. 

                   Going in search of her just, she found him sitting behind his desk, his finger flying across the laptop keyboard while he talked on the telephone at the same time. 

                     By niw,it had gone dark outside, and the dark red velvet curtains hanging behind him had been closed, the room softly lot by several intelligently placed table lamps that didn't try to fight against the inviting glow of the fire. 

                     As he glanced up and saw Melony standing there, she saw the whole effect had softened and enriched his Mediterranean skin tone, helping to smooth out the harsher angles to his lean boned face so he looked younger some how much less intimidating then he h add started to  appear to her. 

                     "I'll stay here, " she announced.