Restless Billionaire (12 page)

 
          
Drily
he asked, ‘When was the last time you did laundry or washed dishes or even
shopped?’

 
          
Aneesa
flushed brick-red. ‘Once I might have been like that, but not any more. I’m a
fast learner and I don’t mind a bit of hard work.’

 
          
Something
within Sebastian twisted at her innate pride and how far she’d fallen from her
Bollywood princess pedestal. She wasn’t at all like the vacuous spoilt woman he’d
assumed her to be on her wedding day. He couldn’t believe though that she wasn’t
resenting her abrupt fall from grace, even if she didn’t show it.

 
          
She
went on with a rush. ‘Look—I meant everything I’ve just said. You just happen
to be the father of this baby. I really don’t expect anything from you at all.’

 
          
Sebastian
tried to ignore the effect her huge shimmering eyes were having on his
equilibrium. How could he feel dizzy sitting down?

 
          
He
focused with effort. ‘Quite apart from the fact that you’ve already got Daniel
wrapped around your finger, he would have a fit to see you treading on his
turf. You’re welcome to stay for as long as you need.’

 
          
He
quirked a smile and ran a hand through his hair, ‘Hell … we’re having a baby.’
His smile faded. ‘It’s just going to take me a while to absorb that. I’m not
used to sharing my space….’

 
          
‘I’ll
stay out of your way.’

 
          
Sebastian
shook his head and took the handkerchief out of her hand to wipe at a stray
tear on her cheek. ‘No … it’s not your problem. It’s my problem to deal with.
This is your home now as much as mine. And we need to look into booking you in
with a doctor and setting up appointments.’

 
          
‘I
can do all that, you’re busy.’

 
          
Sebastian
shook his head. ‘I’ll have my PA do some research.’

 
          
His
hand was cupping her jaw now, and Aneesa had stopped breathing. Her body was
reacting, tightening, melting,
remembering
. For a second she thought she saw an answering
heat in Sebastian’s eyes but then he got up and moved away, becoming brisk.
Cold again.

 
          
‘I’ve
got a meeting in Paris this afternoon. I’ll be back late tonight, but as it’s
the weekend tomorrow I’ll be off so we can discuss doctors and hospitals.’ He
frowned now. ‘How long are you intending to stay?’

 
          
Aneesa’s
heart thumped to think that he might actually care, which was ridiculous.
‘Perhaps a couple of months?
Until the scandal dies down at
home—my family will be worried if I stay away for too long.’

 
          
Sebastian
shrugged, a dart of emotion slicing through him at her easy mention of family. ‘Like
I said, you’re welcome for as long as you want.’

 
          
And
then he was gone. Aneesa felt slightly stunned. She wasn’t used to having
emotional outbursts like that but she figured it had to be her pregnant
hormones and the way Sebastian’s less than ecstatic reaction to her arrival
made her feel so vulnerable. And if that insouciant shrug just now was anything
to go by, evidently he wasn’t prepared to have much of a say in the baby’s
development, or birth.

 
          
Aneesa
put her hand on her belly and said out loud, ‘Looks like it’s just going to be
us, baby….’

 
          
When
she got up and started to put away her things again, she resolutely pushed down
the ache in her chest that told her of a very secret and treacherous desire
that Sebastian’s reaction to seeing her again might have been different. But
reality was harsh and that was something she’d been getting a master class in
recently.

 
          
BY
SATURDAY evening Aneesa was worn out. She’d spent the day with Sebastian and
his assistant exhaustively going through the hospitals and prenatal doctor
recommendations, before finally making some choices. And while for her it was
hammering the reality of her pregnancy home more and more, if anything it
seemed to make Sebastian retreat further and further.

 
          
Late
this afternoon he’d absented
himself
from discussions
and gone to his study. When Aneesa had been letting his pleasant middle-aged
assistant out of the apartment, the PA turned to Aneesa and confided, ‘I’m very
happy for you both … I’ve always hoped that Sebastian would—’

 
          
The
older woman had stopped abruptly and blushed and then said awkwardly, ‘I’m sure
you don’t need to hear my ramblings.
Goodbye, dear.’

 
          
And
she was gone, leaving Aneesa wondering what on earth she’d been about to say.
She whirled around with a guilty flush on her face as if she’d been caught out
when Sebastian said from behind her, ‘I thought we’d stay in to eat tonight.
Frankly, I’m bushed.’

 
          
Aneesa
looked at him carefully. He did look tired and her heart clenched. She nodded. ‘That’s
fine with me. I’m tired too.’

 
          
He
nodded. ‘Good. Daniel will have dinner ready in about an hour if you want to
take a rest beforehand.’

 
          
So solicitous, so polite.
The perfect
host.
And the father of her baby even if he didn’t want to deal with it.
Aneesa let out a breath when she watched Sebastian walk back into his study,
and she retreated to her room where she lay on her bed looking up at the
ceiling.

 
          
She
wondered churlishly if Sebastian was letting a woman down tonight. If he’d had
to cancel a date with the woman he’d seen the other night? Acrid emotion scared
her with its intensity and she turned over and struggled to take a nap,
eventually giving up with a deep sigh and having a shower instead.

 
          
She
just couldn’t relax knowing Sebastian was close by.

 
          
After
her shower she got dressed in loose harem pants and a sleeveless vest, and left
her hair down. When she went into the dining room where Daniel was just serving
the starter, Sebastian stood and Aneesa felt inordinately shy. He’d obviously
showered too, and his hair was wet. He was dressed in fresh jeans and a
T-shirt.
And looked handsome enough to make her step falter.

 
          
She
cursed herself as she sat down; she was no better than a groupie with a crush.

 
          
Sebastian
was grateful for Daniel’s solid presence when Aneesa had appeared in the dining
room. Or else he wasn’t sure if he would have been able to restrain himself
from smashing the heavy oak table aside and picking her up like some kind of
caveman to bring back to his bedroom, to ravish her.

 
          
She
was temptation incarnate. All at once deliciously curvy yet slender, silky
olive skin and a tantalising glimpse of shadowy cleavage under her flimsy top.
Her loose trousers merely hinted at the length of supple leg underneath and it
didn’t take much for him to remember how they’d felt wrapped around his back,
squeezing tighter and tighter … like the muscles of her—

 
          
‘Wine?’

 
          
Sebastian
looked wildly at Daniel for a moment, acutely aware of Aneesa sitting down
beside him, her scent on the air. He finally got out a strangled, ‘Yes, red,
please.’
And managed to sit down again too.

 
          
Aneesa
smiled widely at Daniel, hoping that her inner turmoil wasn’t evident on her
face. ‘No wine for me, thanks. I’ll just have water.’

 
          
And
then they were alone. Aneesa looked anywhere but at Sebastian, and the tension
mounted, until suddenly, to her utter horror and chagrin, she heard herself say
with an edge to her voice, ‘I hope I’m not keeping you from any commitments
tonight?’

 
          
Sebastian
was to her left at the head of the table, one leg touched off hers, making her
blush and move her own away from the contact.

 
          
‘No.’
He drawled, ‘No …
commitments
. I’m
all yours.’

 
          
She
looked at him abruptly—was he flirting with her? But even as her heart started
to thump perilously, she saw that he looked far from flirtatious, more coolly
stern. She let out a breath and struggled for equilibrium. ‘That’s good. I’d
hate for you to feel like you had to entertain me.’

 
          
Sebastian
had to curb his impulse to tell her exactly what he did want and at that moment
Daniel returned with drinks. The thought that she might possibly be concerned
about him seeing other people sent a rush of something far too disturbing to
analyse through him. And when she was so close like this, it was hard to try
and recall why he shouldn’t
be wanting
her.

 
          
Aneesa
was relieved to have something else to focus on and concentrated on her starter
and main course as if it was the most interesting thing she’d ever encountered.
Right at that moment she couldn’t see herself sticking it out living in
Sebastian’s apartment for longer than another day, never mind a couple of
months.

 
          
‘So,
how did you end up in Bollywood movies?’

 
          
His
question took her aback and she looked at him to see that he was relaxed in his
chair, watching her. Suddenly her appetite fled and she put down her knife and
fork.

 
          
She
took a sip of water, mouth instantly dry. She’d answered this question a
million times, what was wrong with her? She just hated that she’d been so duped
by such a shallow world for so long….

 
          
‘I
was in a shopping mall with school friends when I was seventeen. We were in our
final year and a scout from a model agency spotted me.’ She shrugged, feeling
embarrassed. ‘The next thing I knew, I was being entered for Miss India and I
won … and after that the movie offers came flooding in.’

 
          
Sebastian’s
eyes were narrowed on her. ‘You sound like you regret it.’

 
          
She
shrugged again, avoiding his eye, fingers pleating the heavy linen napkin. ‘I
was young and spoilt. I got seduced very easily into a world that’s very false.’
Her mouth twisted. ‘Unfortunately for a long time I believed everything people
were saying to me, believed in a myth …’

 
          
‘Believed that your fiancé loved you.’

 
          
Aneesa
sucked in a breath and looked up into Sebastian’s glittering blue gaze. He
sounded so … sympathetic. She nodded.
‘Yes, that too.
But it was my own fault. If I hadn’t become so blinded and self-absorbed I
would have spotted him a mile away.’

 
          
Sebastian
grimaced. ‘If only it were that easy. Hindsight is a great thing.’

 
          
Aneesa
half smiled and saw Sebastian’s gaze drop to her mouth, making it tingle. She
blushed again.

 
          
His
gaze lifted. ‘So … do you regret it? Do you miss it?’

 
          
Aneesa
half shrugged and shook her head at the same time. ‘I regret my own immaturity,
but no, I don’t miss it, and that’s been a surprise. I’ve realised that it wasn’t
really me after all.’

 
          
She quirked a smile.
‘Before I got so entranced by my own
reflection I actually wanted to study medicine and had
all
the
grade A’s to back it up.’ Her smile faded. ‘And yet my parents stood
by me and let me change course. And I repaid them by humiliating them in public
in front of everyone they know.’

 
          
To
her surprise Sebastian leaned forward and took the hand that was compulsively
pleating the napkin. His hand was warm on hers, making tingles shoot up her
arm, to her breasts where she could feel her nipples stiffen into points.