The Greek Tycoon's Tarnished Bride (Men of the Zodiac) by Rachel Lyndhurst

flamed red. “He ’ s not usually this fretful.”
    “I ’ m sorry. I ’ m doing my best.” A flash of emerald hit her full on as their eyes met, and then there was the hint of a smile flickering around the corners of his mouth. “Once we are at the safe house we can all relax.”
    “You really don ’ t like to leave anything to chance, do you? Or is it a cheaper option than staying in a London hotel somewhere?” His silence irked her, and a sixth sense kicked in. “I ’ m beginning to think you planned this all along, that you were never going to let me go back home with Nick. That ’ s why there was a car seat installed, and you persuaded me to hand over my house keys…”
    He looked away and lowered his passenger window a chink in spite of the wind and rain. “I ’ m not going to hurt you. I ’ m here to keep you both safe, remember.”
    “But you weren ’ t going to take no for an answer, were you?”
    “No, I was not. I couldn ’ t.”
    “So you ’ ve kidnapped us!” She reached for the back seat door handle and tried it. “Blacked out windows and the child lock on my side. And I have no idea where you are taking us—”
    “You ’ re overreacting. Calm down. I haven ’ t taken away your phone or anything, have I?” His face was impassive, and he stared straight ahead, nodding to the driver who was eyeing them closely in his rearview mirror. “You can head back to your East End hovel right this minute if you really want to, but I can ’ t let you take Nick with you. Your choice.”
    Her heart was racing and adrenaline was buzzing so furiously through her body that she felt dizzy. “Some choice, you creep.”
    He rasped the tips of his fingers over the dark stubble that colored his olive-skinned jawline. “Nice.”
    “Where are you taking us? I demand to know so I can text Kimmie and let her know.”
    “ Kimmie doesn ’ t need to know. The fewer people who know where we are going, the more secure the safe house will be, which is kind of the idea, right?”
    “So how many people do know besides me?”
    “Our driver, Maximillian up there, and me. The housekeeping staff has been told to expect us, but they have no idea who we are. It ’ s better that way, minimal risk. But if it makes you feel better, we are headed twenty miles out of central London, near Hertford. A very fine grade two listed Georgian property set within twenty-eight acres of land.” He smiled but didn ’ t look at her. “Nobody will be any the wiser about our presence. It ’ s a very discreet property. Very secure. I ’ m told it ’ s nice. ”
    “Told by who? Got some dodgy Russian friends, have you? Or Sicilians? Or maybe you have contacts within The Establishment over here.”
    His chest rose and fell with amusement. “You have a vivid imagination. You ’ re also too inquisitive for your own good, I fear. Please, just sit back and enjoy the ride. You are safe. Think of this as a well-deserved five star holiday.” His chin lifted as the car picked up speed on the open road. “I ’ m sure you could do with one after the last year or so you ’ ve had.”
    Nick began to cry before she could come back with a sufficiently caustic reply. “He ’ s hungry , and he will only get louder and louder until I feed him. Do you mind?”
    Tito looked at her in horror. “Feed him? In here? You need to keep your seat belts on while we ’ re moving. I ’ ll get Max to pull over at the next service station so you can have some privacy.”
    “Privacy?” Then she realized why he looked so flustered, and she grinned wickedly at his discomfort. If Nick weren ’ t screeching like an air raid siren, she would play along with this little scenario, but as it was… “He was weaned off my breasts some time ago. Kimmie packed some Marmite sandwich fingers with his stuff, the clever girl. And a cup of milk. Cow ’ s milk. Sorry to disappoint.”
    High color flushed the top of his sharp cheekbones and a muscle ticked in his