No, she couldn’t see him as petty. Dangerous. A little frightening. But not petty. Was she afraid of him? She shivered lightly. No, it wasn’t him she was afraid of. It was the idea that she could have been so intimate with a man such as him and not remember it. She couldn’t imagine ever forgetting such an experience.
“What happened to me, Chrysander?” A note of pleading crept into her voice. Her hands shook, and she clenched them together to disguise her unease.
He sighed. “You had…an accident, pedhaki mou. The doctor assures me your memory loss is only temporary and that it’s imperative for you not to overtax yourself.”
“Was I in a car accident?” Even as she asked, she glanced down, searching for signs of injury, bruising. But she had no muscle soreness, no stiffness. Just an overwhelming fatigue and a wariness she couldn’t explain.
His eyes flickered away for the briefest of moments. “Yes.”
“Oh. Was it very serious?” She raised a hand to her head, feeling for a wound.
He gently took her hand and lowered it to her lap, but he didn’t relinquish his hold. “No. Not serious.”
“Then why…how did I lose my memory? Did I suffer a concussion? My head doesn’t hurt that way.”
“I’m very glad your head doesn’t pain you, but a head injury isn’t what causes memory loss.”
She cocked her head to the side and stared at him in puzzlement. “Then how?”
“The physician explained that this is your way of coping with the trauma of your accident. It’s a protective instinct. One meant to shield you from harmful memories.”
Her forehead wrinkled as her eyebrows came together. She pressed, trying to struggle through the thick cloak of black in her mind. Surely there had to be something, some spark of a memory.
“Yet I wasn’t harmed,” she said in disbelief.
“A fact I’m very grateful for,” Chrysander said. “Still, it must have been very frightening.”
A sudden thought came to her, and her hand flew from his in alarm. “Was anyone else hurt?”
Again his gaze flickered away from her for just a second. He reached up and recaptured her hand then brought it to his lips. A soft gasp escaped her when he pressed a kiss to her palm. “No.”
She sagged in relief. “I wish I could remember. I keep thinking if I just try a little harder, it will come, but when I try to focus on the past, my head starts to pound.”
Chrysander frowned. “This is precisely why I do not like to discuss the accident with you. The doctor warned against causing you any upset or stress. You must put the incident from your mind and focus on regaining your strength.” He placed his other hand over her abdomen and cupped the bulge there protectively. “Such upset cannot be good for our baby. You’ve already gone through too much for my liking.”
She tugged her hand free and placed both of hers lightly over his hand that was still cupping her belly. Beneath his fingers, the baby rolled. He snatched his hand back, a stunned expression lighting his face.
Her brows furrowed as she gazed curiously at him. His hand shook slightly as he returned it to her stomach. His fingers splayed out, and once again her belly rippled underneath his palm.
“That’s amazing,” he whispered.
He looked so completely befuddled that she had to smile. But on the heels of that smile came confusion. He acted as though he’d never experienced their baby kicking.
She licked her lips and cursed the fact that she couldn’t remember. “Surely you’ve felt it before, Chrysander.”
He continued his gentle exploration of her stomach. It was a long moment before he spoke. “I was often away on business,” he said with a note of discomfort. “I had only just returned when I learned of your accident. It had been…a while since we’d been together.”
She let her breath out, relief sliding over her and lightening her worry. If they had been separated for a time, it would explain a lot.
“I don’t suppose it was the homecoming you expected,” she said ruefully. “You left a woman who knew you, who was pregnant with your child and planned to marry you. When you came back, you faced a woman who treats you like a stranger.”
She glanced down at her finger automatically as she spoke. No ring adorned it. She frowned at it before she quickly looked back up, trying to make the uneasiness disappear once more.
“I was only happy that you and our baby were unharmed,” he said simply. He eased away from her, shifting his body until more space separated them. His gaze still drifted back to her belly as though he was fascinated with the tiny life making itself known there.
A buzz sounded, and Chrysander stood and strode to the call box on the wall. Marley strained to hear who he was speaking to, but she only heard his command to come up.
He returned to her and sat down, collecting her hands in his. “That was the nurse I hired to look after you. I have a meeting that I can’t miss in an hour’s time.”
Her eyes widened. “But Chrysander, I don’t need a nurse. I’m perfectly capable of remaining here while you attend to your business.”
His grip on her hands tightened. “Humor me, pedhaki mou. It makes me feel better knowing I’m leaving you in capable hands. I don’t like to think of you having need of anything in my absenc
e.”
A smile curved her lips at his insistence. “How long will you be gone?” She hated the hopeful, almost mournful quality to her voice. She sounded pathetic.
He stood as the sound of the elevator opening filtered into the living room. “Stay here. I’ll return with the nurse.”
Marley relaxed against the back of the couch and waited for Chrysander to return. His attentiveness was endearing, even if unnecessary.
A moment later, he walked back in with a smiling woman dressed in slacks and a sweater. She beamed at Marley as she stopped a few feet away from the sofa.
“You must be Marley. I’m so pleased to meet you. I’m Mrs. Cahill, but please do call me Patrice.”
Marley couldn’t help but return the older woman’s smile.
“Mr. Anetakis has discussed his wishes with me, and I’ll do my utmost to make sure you’re taken care of.”
Marley pinned Chrysander with a stare. “Oh, he did, did he? May I ask what his instructions were?”
Chrysander made a show of checking his watch. “Her instructions are to make sure you rest. Now, I’m sorry, but I must go out for a while. I’ll return in time for us to have lunch together.”
“I’d like that,” she softly returned.
He leaned down and stiffly brushed a kiss across her forehead before turning to walk away. Her gaze followed him across the room, and she realized how clingy she must look.
With effort, she dragged her stare from his retreating back and looked up at Patrice. “I’m really quite fit,” she explained. “Chrysander makes it sound like I’m a complete invalid.”
Patrice smiled and winked. “He’s a man. They’re famous for that sort of thing. Still, there’s no harm in a little rest, now is there? I’ll see you to bed, and then I’ll see about making us a nice cup of tea for when you wake.”
Before Marley even realized what was happening, the other woman was effectively shuttling her toward the bedroom. She blinked when Patrice tucked her solidly into bed and arranged the covers around her.
“You’re quite good at this,” Marley said faintly.
Patrice chuckled. “Getting my patients to do what they don’t want to is part of my job. Now get some rest so that man of yours is happy with me and with you when he returns.”
Marley heard the light sounds of Patrice’s shoes as she walked from the bedroom. When the sound faded away, Marley glanced to the fireplace on the wall opposing the foot of her bed. Chrysander had started the flame the evening before, more for coziness than actual warmth, because the apartment suffered no chill. Even the floors were heated, which she loved, because she hated to wear shoes indoors.
The thought hit her even as a burst of excitement swept over her. What else could she remember about herself? She concentrated hard, but the effort caused her head to ache again.
The baby moved, and she slid her hand down to rest over her swollen abdomen. The movement eased the discomfort in her head, and she smiled. Despite the temporary loss of her past, she had a future to look forward to. Marriage and a child. She just wished she could remember how she’d gotten to this point.
With a sigh, she resigned herself to living in the moment. Hopefully her memories would return and fill in the gaps.
She dozed, and when she awoke, she looked at the clock by her bed and saw that an hour had elapsed. She felt refreshed and drew away the covers, wanting to get up and move around. The constant rest was starting to make her restless.
Though she was dressed in soft pajamas, she nevertheless reached for the silk dressing robe lying at the foot of her bed. Tying it around her body, she walked out of the bedroom and into the living room, where she found Patrice.
She smiled at the other woman and assured her she was feeling well when Patrice prompted her. Patrice nodded approvingly, and as if sensing Marley’s need to be alone, excused herself.
Marley took the opportunity to explore the spacious penthouse. She walked from room to room, acquainting herself with her home. Only it didn’t feel like home. She could see Chrysander in the style and makeup of the decorations and furnishings, but she couldn’t see anything that made her feel as though she’d made any mark on the apartment. For some reason, that discomfited her. She felt like a guest intruding where she didn’t belong.
When she entered the master suite, her frown grew. Chrysander had placed her in what apparently was one of the guest rooms. She hadn’t given any thought when he’d put her to bed and seen to her comfort in the extra bedroom. She’d been too overwhelmed, too focused on trying to process everything.
She retreated, unable to shake the thought that she was somehow trespassing. Next to the master suite was a large office. It was obviously Chrysander’s work space. The furnishings were dark and masculine. Bookcases adorned the back wall, and a large mahogany desk sat a few feet in front of them. Her feet brushed across a plush rug as she walked farther into the middle of the room.
A laptop rested on the desk, and she sat down in the leather executive chair