The Greek's Billion-Dollar Baby. Clare Connelly

even before her eyes, Leonidas’s surprise was giving way to comprehension. His jaw tightened and he nodded slowly, releasing the water bottle into her grip and stepping away from her, turning to stare at the ocean.

      ‘How do you feel?’

      She was surprised by the question—she hadn’t expected it, this rapid assimilation of information, acceptance and then a hint of civility.

      ‘I’m mostly okay.’ She nodded, opening the bottle and taking a sip gratefully. ‘I’m quite tired but otherwise fine.’

      He didn’t react. ‘Do you know what gender it is?’

      Hannah nodded again, but he wasn’t looking. ‘Yes.’ She reached into her handbag, her fingers fumbling a little as she lifted out an ultrasound picture. ‘Here.’

      At that word, he turned slowly, his expression grim, his gaze lowering to the flimsy black and white photograph. He made no effort to take it.

      ‘It’s a girl,’ she said quietly.

      He still didn’t reach for the picture, but his eyes swept shut as though he were steeling himself against this, as though it wasn’t what he wanted. Hurt scored her being. But before she could fire that accusation at him, he was shooting another question at her.

      ‘When did you find out?’

      She swallowed in an attempt to bring moisture back to her dry throat. ‘A while ago,’ she admitted.

      ‘When?’

      A hint of guilt flared in her gut but she reminded herself she’d done nothing wrong.

      ‘I’ve known for a few weeks.’

      He stared at her, long and hard, for several moments. ‘You didn’t think I deserved to know when you did?’

      She shook her head once, from one side to the other. ‘You didn’t think I deserved more than to wake up to a crummy note?’

      He froze, completely still, and the sound of the glamorous party outside the room thumped and crashed. Hannah didn’t move. She glared at him, waiting for his answer.

      It came swiftly, his brow furrowing. ‘So this was payback? Retaliation of some kind?’

      She shook her head. ‘What? No. It was nothing like that.’ She sucked in a breath, not wanting to be dragged off topic. ‘I just wanted a chance to get used to this before I had to deal with you.’

      ‘And you are now used to it?’ he demanded, heat in the question.

      She let out a small laugh, but it was a sound completely without humour. ‘I’m not sure I’ll ever adjust.’

      ‘I don’t want anything from you, Leonidas,’ she said firmly, not registering the way something like admiration sparked in his eyes. ‘I had no idea who you were that night, nor that you’re worth a squillion dollars. I have no interest in asking you for any kind of support payment or whatever.’ She shuddered in rejection of the very idea.

      ‘I mean it. This isn’t my way of asking you to support me in any way. I don’t want that.’

      He spoke then, his voice low and husky. ‘So what do you want?’

      She bit down on her lip then immediately stopped when he took a step closer, his eyes on the gesture, his body seemingly pulled towards hers.

      ‘I want…to know you’ll be a part of her life,’ she said quietly, her own childhood a black hole in her mind, swallowing her up. She would do whatever she could to make sure her own daughter never had to live with the grief she’d felt.

      He was quiet, watching her, and nervousness fired in Hannah’s gut. ‘Don’t misunderstand me,’ she said thickly. ‘I would happily never see you again. But our daughter deserves to know both her parents.’ She lifted a hand, toying with the necklace she wore, running her finger over the chain distractedly. Hannah needed the security of knowing their child would have two people who loved her, two people in case something happened to one of them.

      ‘I appreciate this news is probably an even bigger inconvenience to you than it was to me,’ she said simply. ‘I understand you didn’t want this. You were very clear about that.’ She cleared her throat, sidestepping him and moving towards the windows that framed a sensational view of the waters off the coast of Capri. ‘But we are having a child together, and I don’t want her to grow up thinking she’s not wanted.’ Hannah’s voice cracked and she closed her eyes, sucking in breath, needing strength.

      ‘You want me to be a part of our daughter’s life?’

      ‘Yes.’ The word rushed out of her. She spun around, surprised to find Leonidas had come to stand right behind her, his eyes on hers, his expression impossible to comprehend.

      ‘And what kind of part?’