Page 22 of Billion-Dollar Baby Shock

The magnitude of how much Tara had infiltrated his life so comprehensively since that first night was sinking in.

He was glad that he’d said something to make her walk away this evening.

He’d almost forgotten that he needed to focus on whatever means necessary to make sure his son was kept from all harm or hurt.

Was that love?

Dion was ashamed to admit he didn’t know what love felt like, but he did know that he would do anything to protect him and make him happy.

* * *

The following late afternoon Tara looked at herself in the mirror. Maria said from behind her, ‘You look very beautiful.’

Tara smiled weakly, feeling the woman was being over-generous. ‘Thank you, and thanks for helping me to get ready.’

‘No problem.’ Maria went over and scooped up Niko, who had been amusing himself on his front on the playmat in Tara’s dressing room while she got ready for this…strategic date night with Dion.

She’d not seen much of him all day. He’d been in his office making calls.

She’d tried not to take it personally, especially after what had happened the previous day.

Maybe he regretted the spontaneous swimming and making love on the beach.

He’d certainly seemed tense afterwards. And then, he’d reminded her last night of how nothing had really changed between them.

He expected her to flit off as soon as she got bored. Which only made her more determined to prove that she was here to stay. So she’d used the time today to spend it with Niko, letting Maria go down to the harbour town for a few hours, because Maria would be working tonight.

Tara was wearing the midnight-blue dress from the boutique window.

It was deceptively simple—strapless and falling in a straight elegant line to the floor—but that was just an outer layer of chiffon and the dress itself was moulded to every curve of Tara’s body and so when she moved the chiffon, which was overlaid with thousands of tiny light-catching crystal beads, moved and clung to the dress, revealing the shape underneath.

Maria had blown out her hair into smooth waves and caught it back on one side with a diamanté clip that had also come from the boutique.

And then, she’d encouraged Tara to wear a simple diamond necklace and matching bracelet. Diamond drop earrings. She’d painted Tara’s nails red and they kept catching her eye now, making her feel like some kind of a fraud or someone playing dress-up.

There was a knock on the door and Tara tensed. She said, ‘Come in?’

Dion pushed the door open and Niko immediately gabbled a greeting, one arm stuck out. But Dion was looking at Tara, his dark golden gaze moving up and down. He said, ‘The helicopter is en route.’

Tara tried not to feel insecure about the fact that he’d said nothing about how she looked. He, meanwhile, looked breathtakingly gorgeous in a classic black tuxedo.

‘I’ll wait for you on the terrace.’

Tara nodded. He was gone. Maria sighed from behind her. ‘It’s so romantic.’

Tara looked at her and the young woman had a dreamy look on her face. A little sharply, she said, ‘What is?’

‘The way he looks at you.’

Tara’s skin prickled. She was still feeling a little raw after the previous evening and Dion’s stubborn cynicism.

She hadn’t seen anything in his look right now.

For all she knew, he’d decided that this was over between them.

The madness on the beach might have told him he didn’t want to indulge their desire any more.

‘How…how was it exactly?’ She felt so exposed for asking but…

‘Like he wants to grab you and take you away. Like he’s never seen a woman before.’

Tara let out a slightly nervous laugh. ‘I’m sure you’re imagining things.’

Maria winked at her. ‘I know what I saw and I hope I find a man who looks at me like that some day.’

Niko gurgled, as if in agreement, and Tara wanted to give him a kiss but her mouth was slicked in flesh-coloured lipstick.

Maria backed away saying, ‘I have to finish packing to get Niko and I ready for Athens.’

Tara frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

‘The boss wants us to go back ahead of you this evening. He said something about going to Paris?’

The faint thwack-thwack sound of a helicopter came from outside and with a little wave Maria disappeared with Niko and left Tara standing with her mouth hanging open.

Suddenly totally unconcerned with anything else, Tara went out to the terrace where Dion was waiting, hands in his pockets, back broad…and distracting even now. Annoyed with herself for being so easily dazzled, she came around and stood in front of him.

‘Why are you sending Maria and Niko back to Athens?’

He was wearing dark shades, which made him look remote. She saw him grit his jaw before he said, ‘Because I can. He’s my son. I decide where he goes.’

Now Tara gritted her jaw. ‘And I’m his mother, Dion, I have a say too. I thought the point was that we’re here together.’

‘We’re not here as a family, Tara.’

Tara’s insides swooped and she went cold. Had she somehow forgotten for a moment what was really happening here? Where the power lay?

‘So what is this, then?’

Dion cocked his head to one side as if he was regarding her from behind his shades. She wanted to rip them off and see his eyes. He said, ‘It’s…a temporary arrangement while we adjust to you being a part of Niko’s life.’

‘An arrangement with benefits?’ she asked a little tartly.

‘That’s one way of looking at it.’

Tara caught up her dress in one hand and tipped up her chin. ‘Well, if you’re going to make me choose who I prioritise in this arrangement , that’s easy. I choose Niko. I’ll go back to Athens with him and Maria.’

She set off towards the villa but Dion caught her hand and stopped her. She turned back, a little shocked at how upset she was. She avoided his eye. The helicopter was closer now. He tugged her towards him and tipped up her chin. She strove to look as impassive as possible.

He took off his shades but his expression was still enigmatic. He said, ‘I’m sorry. I was blunt last night but only because I need to be absolutely clear about the fact that I don’t expect anything from you.’

She hadn’t been expecting an apology, but the hurt from last night lingered. ‘You do expect something of me—the worst possible outcome.’ And yet, knowing about his past, she couldn’t exactly blame him.

He said, ‘I’m not used to being in this situation. Being answerable to anyone.’

‘Because you’ve avoided relationships.’

He didn’t even have to acknowledge the truth of that.

‘I wasn’t ever expecting to meet Niko’s mother.

And I certainly wasn’t expecting to have to accommodate her into our lives.

I can’t say I’m comfortable with that, but I do agree that I think it can only benefit him to at least know who his mother is. ’

‘He’ll more than know who I am, Dion. He’ll have me in his life from now on.’

A muscle twitched in Dion’s jaw and Tara waited for him to refute what she’d said but instead he responded, ‘You’re also in my life, in my bed, in a way I don’t think either of us expected.’

Tara prickled at that. ‘I certainly didn’t. I came to Athens looking for the father of my child, nothing more than that.’

Then she said, ‘You’re not accusing me of seducing you any more?’

Dion shook his head. Tara wasn’t sure if she should take that as a compliment or not. Maybe she was so woefully inexperienced he’d had to concede that she couldn’t have possibly come here to seduce him.

The helicopter was close enough now to make conversation inaudible. Dion still had Tara’s hand in his. Their gazes were locked and it became something of a battle of wills. Tara refused to be the one to look away.

But as they waited for the helicopter’s engine to cut off, Dion tangled his fingers with hers, turning it into a much more intimate embrace. Tara’s insides got hot. He knew exactly what he was doing. He was the master. She was the novice.

When they could be heard again, Dion said, ‘Come with me to the event tonight. You’ll be established as Niko’s mother. That’s what you want, isn’t it?’

Tara nodded. She couldn’t deny that.

‘And then,’ he said, ‘I’m going to fly directly to Paris after the event, for my meetings tomorrow. Come with me. The more time we spend together, the sooner this will burn out. And we still need to get to know each other. Especially if we’re going to be in each other’s lives.’

Tara felt torn and was a little ashamed of how much she wanted to cleave to Dion and let him whisk her off to Paris to burn this out and get to know each other .

‘What about Niko?’

‘He’s survived six months without you, I don’t think a couple of days will do any harm.’

‘But Maria—’

He cut her off. ‘Will be very well compensated for her time and Thea will be there to help her. We are mere hours away if we need to come back.’

And then, ‘You’re not on your own with this, Tara. It’s not like when you took responsibility for your siblings.’

Tara cursed him silently. It was as if he knew right where she was most vulnerable.

Then he undid her completely. ‘By the way, I should have told you how beautiful you look, and you really do. Stunning. Please, come with me.’

Tara melted inside. She couldn’t even pretend to feign reluctance. She was his and she feared it was becoming fatal and yet she knew she couldn’t do anything to save herself. The pull to be with him was too strong.

She pulled her hand free of his and saw how a flash of uncertainty came into his eyes. That small hint that he wasn’t totally sure of her mollified her slightly. She said, ‘Very well, but let me say goodbye to Niko.’