Bedded by the Italian Playboy (18 page)

“Are
you saying…?”

Lyra
shook her head even as she paled. “No, Rachel was never abused like that. But
we all had a hard time steering clear of those who would have
liked
to abuse us. We looked out for
each other. Took care of each other. But things that happen when you’re younger
affect you, and in Rachel’s case she had no interest at all in guys. Just none
and she didn’t even realize it. Didn’t realize why. Well, until you, it seems.”

“She
called me her mark,” he said, even as the thought of Rachel hiding away from
those who wanted to hurt her clenched like a band around his heart.

Lyra
nodded. “Yes. We all had one.”

“To
steal from,” he muttered, the memories chasing through him again, the
disappointment. “Your background or no, that is unacceptable. You want money,
you make it.”

A
laugh, tinkling and harsh. “Well we were. We were making it from you. Of course
it hasn’t quite worked out how we hoped. Rachel’s a mess and Penny’s married
hers.”

“Excuse
me?”

She
shrugged. “Her mark. Penny married him. You might know him, in fact. Sebastian
Demetrious.”

Dominic
gaped. He couldn’t help it. Of course he knew Demetrious. Despite what many
might think, there
weren’t
that many
billionaires in the
UK
.
“He married the woman who stole from him? Why would he do that?” Dominic
demanded. “It makes no sense!”

“Because
he loves her. Because he realized her intentions.”

“And
they were?”

 
“We were stealing to help those like who are
like we were. Those who need somewhere safe to go. Young girls trying to avoid
abuse. It’s not like we wanted to buy fucking diamonds and dresses. We’re
trying to make a difference here and you guys have too much money for your own
fucking good! We wanted just a tiny bit of it.”

“You….”
He shook his head, desperately trying to deny what Lyra was telling him. Even
as her words of a centre, something called The Point, a place of safety, washed
over him, he tried to deny it. But then he remembered Rachel saying something
vaguely similar, only he had been so angry he hadn’t taken it in, not at all.
But if it was true? Well, that changed everything. It meant Rachel was
always
who he had thought. Always
perfect and innocent and lovely and even more so now because she was going
outside of her character to help others. To make a difference to those like her
and he clenched his fists, shame washing over him at the way he’d spoken to
her. Regret filling him and then at last, the thing he’d been trying to deny
for all these months hit, and Dominic staggered backwards, falling into his
chair.

“We
should have known,” Lyra was saying now. “She insisted she could do it, but in
all honesty, she was always going to be too delicate for someone like you.
Always.”

“She
was supposed to make me burn,” he said, piecing everything together in a way he
never had before.

“And
she did.”

“But
she was not supposed to sleep with me? To accept my proposal.”

“No.”

“But
she did. Why?”

 
“Why do you think?” Lyra shook her head and
the frostiness that had disappeared for a moment returned. “But look, this is
not what I’m here for. I don’t need to defend her to you. I don’t give a shit
what you think about any of us.”

“If
Rachel had but told me….”

“Whatever,”
Lyra replied. “She didn’t and it doesn’t even matter anymore. I’m here to make
you take responsibility for your actions.”

He
laughed. He couldn’t help it. “Responsibility? I deflowered your sister, so now
what? I must marry her? I already proposed if you recall.”

Lyra
shook her head. “I’d never let you marry her. You won’t get to touch her ever
again.”

The
image of Rachel’s soft limbs floated through his mind and he scowled. Who the
hell was this woman to tell him what he could and couldn’t do with his woman?
The scowl deepened. His woman? Rachel was no such thing. She was a liar, a
thief, only it seemed she was not...and now nothing made sense!

He
shuddered, clenched his fists and shook himself inwardly. “Then I do not
understand! You are not here to defend her. Not here to demand I marry her. Why
are you here? Why?”

Lyra
smiled a nasty smile and flicked her hair back again. “One word, Shitheel.
Condom.”

He
shook his head automatically even as the memory of their first time together
ran through his mind. The feel of her tight, desperately tight, pussy stretching
to take him. The wet heat, unhindered by anything, certainly not any rubber.
He’d known it was stupid the moment he’d done it and yet he’d done it anyway.
The wait, the lust, everything had overwhelmed him and a condom simply had not
figured into his thoughts…and yet neither had this.
Dios, no.

“Exactly,”
Rachel’s sister said and there was no mistaking the gloating in her voice.
“She’s pregnant and you, Rimeria, are going to take responsibility for it.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Get
your fat ass up and come and take a look at this.”

Rachel
groaned. She was sitting on the couch at the end of her bed in her room, her
aching feet resting on the footstool, a bag of fudge in one hand and a large
glass of milk in the other. The flat screen was on playing “Extreme Couponing”,
something she adored, and she had no desire to go anywhere. Had in fact planned
on staying exactly where she was for the foreseeable future.

“Not
now, Pen, I’m exhausted. And less of the fat. I’ve barely put a pound on, and
that’s pretty amazing considering the amount of food I get fed these days.”

Penny
grabbed the fudge, popped one in her mouth, and shook her head. “Barely a pound
is right. It’s gotta be about ten.”

Rachel
stuck her tongue out at her sister and snuggled a bit further down into her
seat. “Bugger off. I’m exhausted.”

“You’re
pregnant, not dying! Get up!”

 
“Leave me be. I was down at The Point all day
supervising the electricians. I want to chill.”

Penny
scowled too, their expressions almost mirror images, and placed her hands on
her enviously trim hips. “You shouldn’t be doing that. Lyra is taking care of
the contractors. She’s got them wrapped around her finger. I swear she’ll find
a way to get the bill down to practically nothing!”

“Yeah,
well, she disappeared. Said she had a really important appointment and that I’d
have to deal.”

“I’d
have come if you’d told me.”

Rachel
sipped some milk and shrugged. “Like you said, I’m only pregnant. But right now
I do not want to move. Just leave me be till morning.”

“I
will. After you’ve seen this.”

“Ugh.”
Allowing Penny to drag her up, she followed her sister into the corridor and
past her bathroom. At the end was another room, a spare, and it was this door
that she opened.

“What?”

“Ta
da!” Penny shrieked. “Surprise!”

“Oh
my gosh.” Rachel looked around, unable to believe what she was seeing. At some
point, probably when she’d been down at The Point, a whole bunch of stuff had
been delivered and set in place, and now the room wasn’t just a room, it was a
nursery. “I don’t know what to say.”

“That
you like it?” Penny asked, fairly brimming with glee. “Bastian has had it all
fitted out. Not the bits and bobs because he knew you’d want to do that
yourself, but look.”

She
pointed to the decals on the walls, the white furniture dotted around the room,
the huge bed up against one side just in case of nighttime feedings. Everything
had been considered. The room was beautiful. Perfect. A nursery. “Seb did
this?” she asked and Penny nodded.

“He’s
a bit thrown about the whole baby in the house thing and asked when we were
planning to get stuff sorted. I said I had no idea so he called some woman from
Harrods and voila, all sorted. There are boxes and boxes over there that need
unpacking. Clothes and toiletries and toys and stuff.”

Rachel
shook her head. “He shouldn’t have bought so much.”

“He
said it was necessary,” Penny said, speaking around a piece of fudge. “He’s
Greek. He has relatives with babies and it
is
all needed, Rach. The baby can’t sleep in a box.”

“Yes,
but I’m only four months gone….”

“He
didn’t want you worrying. Said it was best to get it out the way. And like I
said, I think he’s a bit thrown about the whole thing.”

“But—”

“But
what?”

Rachel
shrugged, not wanting to voice her feelings and yet knowing she would because
Penny was her sister and they did not keep secrets. Well, not for long anyway.
She’d told Penny and Lyra about the baby just two weeks ago. Both had been
shocked, but that had soon given way to excitement and pleasure, though neither
were very understanding about her stance on Rimeria. Penny’s view was that he
should be left completely in the dark about the child forever. Lyra’s that he
deserved to know. Hers? Well, she had made no firm decision yet. Her
overwhelming desire was to go running straight to him. To beg forgiveness. To
get another chance. But she knew that it was her feelings pushing her to that.
She’d be using the baby to get what she wanted and that was unacceptable. So
she was waiting, thinking, trying to look at things carefully.

“Rach?”
Penny prompted and Rachel shrugged, pushing Dominic out of her mind. He
wouldn’t stay gone for long of course. He
never
did. She thought about him constantly. First thing in the morning. Last
thing at night and what seemed like all the hours in between.

“It
just feels like I’m a burden here sometimes,” she whispered. “I have my huge
room and it always has everything I want in it. All my fave foods are in the
fridge, and I know Sebastian didn’t have a subscription to
New Mom
until two weeks ago, and then all the cookery channels on
the TV and now this.” She waved a hand around. “It just feels like I take a lot
and what am I giving back?”

“Don’t
even think like that,” Penny chided. “You’re part of our family and so is the
little one. You don’t
need
to give
anything back to family. That’s the whole point.”

“Yes,
but you’re like newlyweds and all. You should be spending your time together
not with me hanging out in the next room.”

“You’re
on a completely different floor.”

“Well,
yes but….”

“But
nothing. Don’t even bother, Rach. You’re here and that’s that.” The finality in
Penny’s voice was pretty, well, final and Rachel sighed. She
did
feel at home.
Did
feel lucky. But in a way that you’d feel in a really nice hotel
or an aunt’s spare room. And always in her mind was the thought that this
wasn’t
her home. She didn’t really
belong here and just across the city was Dominic, the man she wished she
belonged with.

“And
when the baby comes?” she asked, fear edging her voice.

“It
is going to be so freaking cool,” Penny reassured. “Don’t you worry. I’m going
to help as much as I can and Bastian has said whatever you need, just say and
we’ll take care of it.”

“He’s
too good to me, too good to you. I can’t believe you robbed him blind and in
return he marries you.”

“What
can I say? It’s a gift.” A pause and then Penny clamped her hand to her mouth,
“Oh shit, Rach. I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t
be silly.”

“No,
I’m completely insensitive. You’re all hormonal and shit and I’m just an
idiot.”

“You’re
my sister, and along with Lyra, my best friend. You could never be an idiot,
ever.”

“I
could and I am, but look—”

The
doorbell rang, once and then twice, the sound echoing through the large house,
and Penny sighed. “Lemme go see who that is. I swear I should have taken
Bastian up on his offer of a maid. Or at least installed a bell I can’t
actually freaking hear!”

“You’d
never have a maid.”

“I
know. At least I wouldn’t let them do any actual work if I did. You remember
how many times we did that job. It’s horrid.”

“Exactly.”

“Right.
Give me a mo....”

Penny
sprinted out the room, her long legs disappearing around the corner, and Rachel
sighed, eyeing the room all over again. She wandered over to the wardrobe, to
the boxes stacked there, at least a half dozen, and then across to what she
thought might be a changing station. It was just off from the sash window and
Rachel took just a moment to enjoy the view into the exclusive square Sebastian
lived in. Houses for rich people and now she was living in one. She almost
laughed but laughter had been in short supply of late, and so instead, she ran
a hand over the crib, pleased by the feel of the smooth wood on her palm. “So
pretty.”