The Innocent Behind The Scandal - Abby Green Page 0,60

family. An ache that was still there now.

He’d misjudged Zoe badly. And any sense of betrayal that she hadn’t told him about her family was fading fast. He could understand why.

A mixture of complicated emotions roiled in his gut. He didn’t usually judge people out of hand. He was actually far less likely to jump to conclusions than either of his brothers. But with Zoe... She’d pushed his buttons from the moment he’d first seen her. And at the first sign of an opportunity to believe the worst about her he’d jumped at it.

The worst thing was, he knew exactly why he’d reacted like that. Because he hadn’t been prepared to admit that he still wanted her. That he wasn’t ready to let her go. And more. Much more.

Zoe stood on the stony beach and looked out at the Irish Sea. It was a blustery day with leaden skies. Typical Irish weather. She turned around and looked up to the cliff behind her, where a distinctive yellow house stood out. That had been her home. The family home where she’d felt loved and safe and as if nothing could touch her.

A deep sigh moved through her as the wind whipped her hair around her face.

She’d spent the last few days in a storage facility, going through her family’s possessions, and she felt wrung out but also a little lighter. As if a weight was finally lifting off her shoulders.

She faced the sea again and tried to ignore the dull pain that dogged her every step. Maks. Every time she thought about him she forced her mind away again. But, like a well-worn groove, her mind kept going over all the reasons why she was so reluctant to contact him and reveal the truth about her pregnancy: he’d never promised her anything but a finite affair; he believed that she’d betrayed his trust, which just confirmed how little he’d really thought of her; he didn’t want a relationship or a child or a family.

And, even more damningly, she now knew why he’d appeared on her doorstep in London.

He hadn’t really wanted to verify her guilt or innocence. He’d been there to see if she was pregnant. Because the last thing he wanted was more adverse publicity.

She cursed herself again for letting him close enough to hurt her. Devastate her. Fatally.

No, she told herself now. Not fatal. She was still here. Whole. Pregnant.

She would have to tell him sooner or later and deal with the fact that he would be in her life in some capacity for ever...but not today.

Zoe turned around to walk away from the sea, back up towards the hotel where she was staying while she went through her family’s things.

She’d only taken a few steps into the lobby when she heard her name being called.

‘Zoe.’

She stopped. The voice was deep. Hypnotic. She didn’t want to turn around. It couldn’t be. And yet no one knew her here.

She turned around. Maks was standing a few feet away in dark clothes. He’d never looked more beautiful or sexy.

Zoe felt weak. ‘What are you doing here? How did you know where I was?’

Maks took a step towards her. She stepped back—a self-protective reflex. She saw his jaw clench and felt ridiculously like apologising.

‘I went to your flat in London. Your neighbour told me you’d moved out and that you were taking a trip to Dublin. It wasn’t hard to track you down.’

Not for a billionaire with means at his disposal, Zoe thought to herself. She could feel herself responding to his proximity. She wanted to drink him in. She wanted to reach up and pull his head down and feel that hard mouth on hers. Every part of her body tingled with awareness and she vaguely wondered if it had anything to do with being pregnant.

Pregnant.

She wasn’t ready. Not today.

Coward.

Feeling desperate, she asked, ‘Why are you here, Maks? I thought we’d said all we had to say.’

‘Can we go somewhere more private?’

Zoe looked around. People were practically tripping over themselves when they saw Maks Marchetti in this very mediocre hotel lobby. Zoe felt like rolling her eyes. He literally was too beautiful to be out in public without causing an incident.

‘You have a room here?’

Zoe’s mind seized at the thought of him in her small suite. But there was nowhere else private and, as much as she didn’t want to tell him about the pregnancy, she knew she had to.

Reluctantly she walked over to the elevator, without waiting to see if