“I’m out of the mob, but I’m not out of business. The family needs my business. No one can run it like I can. It pumps money into Marseille and opens trade with the rest of Europe. No one is going to be stupid enough to take me out, not even if Alexis gives the order.”
“What business?”
“The diamonds. It’s legit. Damian decided to continue selling directly to me.”
Ah. Hence the reason for our hasty marriage. It’s just another business deal. “It’s always about the damn diamonds.”
“I told you,” he says in a hard voice, “I don’t care about the diamonds. I didn’t care about your brother’s decision. I would’ve made you mine regardless.”
“I’m not yours,” I force from tight lips.
His smile is wicked. “We’ll see.” He glances at the glass with the remains of the juice on the nightstand. “Have you eaten?”
“I’ll fix something later.”
He frowns. “Where’s Francine? Why didn’t she make you something to eat?”
I tense again. “I asked her to leave.”
The line between his eyebrows deepens. “Why?”
I give him a cold stare. “Do you really need to ask me that?”
Comprehension washes over his face. “What did she say to you?”
“Does it matter?” I ask with ice in my tone.
“Of course it fucking matters.”
I don’t answer. It’s the best way of replying when a conversation isn’t worth my time.
“Nothing happened, Zoe. She came to the hotel, but I sent her away.”
“Wearing your jacket.”
“She said she was cold.”
I can’t help the sarcasm that sounds in my voice. “That must explain why her underwear was in your pocket.”
The bastard looks pleased. “My little flower is jealous.”
“I have no reason to be jealous, and I’m not your little flower.”
“Admit it, Zoe. You’re green.”
“Go to hell, Maxime.”
“Yes, she offered to fuck me.” He adds in a gentler tone, “I declined.”
I find that hard to believe. “I thought you’d jump at the opportunity.”
“Did I jump on it when I first took you?”
I think back to the night when Francine had her arms around Maxime’s neck and the fight that resulted, how he punished my mouth and how I slapped him. It was the night I decided I didn’t want to revert to violence like my father. “You weren’t bothered about fucking me while being married to Izabella.”
“That was different. Izabella was business, nothing more. You’ve made your view on cheating clear. I’ll honor your feelings.”
“That’s it? You won’t sleep with other women because you’ll honor my feelings?”
“What do you want from me, Zoe? What more do you want me to say?”
That I’ll be enough. I suppose, given our situation, that’s a bit much to ask. I suppose this is as good as it gets for us.
The intercom buzzes in the kitchen. He studies me for another moment before pushing to his feet to answer it.
When he returns to the room, he says, “The doctor is on his way up. I’ll make you something to eat while he examines you.”
I don’t bother to argue. What’s the point? Maxime does what Maxime wants. Nothing has changed.
The doctor who takes my temperature and blood pressure is the same one Maxime took me to for a birth control shot. Dr. Olivier has been administering my quarterly shots since then. Which reminds me, I’m almost due for another.
“You have a bad bout of flu,” Dr. Olivier says. “I’m afraid there’s not much I can do except recommending a couple of days in bed and painkillers for the fever and ache.”
“That’s what I told Maxime,” I say, embarrassed about wasting the doctor’s time. “Since you’re here, can we schedule an appointment for the next birth control shot?”
“You won’t need it,” Maxime says from the door, carrying a tray with scrambled eggs and tea.
I give him a startled look. “I don’t want to fall pregnant.”
“There’s no fear of that if you refuse to sleep with me.” He balances the tray on my lap.
Dr. Olivier clears his throat. “Call me when you’ve discussed it.”
Gathering his instruments, he packs everything into his doctor’s case. “Keep her indoors,” he says to Maxime. “We don’t want to risk pneumonia if the infection spreads to her lungs.”
Maxime sees him to the door. When he returns, he looks at the tray on my lap. “Shall I feed you?”
“No thanks.” I pick up the tea. In all honesty, I am hungry. “You didn’t have to do this, but thank you.” Just because I’m angry doesn’t mean I have to forget my manners. I have to cling to some shreds of decency unless I want to turn into a savage like my husband.
The warm smile clashes with the cold burn in his eyes. “You’re always welcome.”
Chapter 15
Maxime
The doctor is barely gone when Zoe’s fever spikes again. Forty degrees. I make her drink another painkiller and take her temperature. The fact that she doesn’t argue or slap my hand away tells me how sick she is.
Good going, Belshaw.
Aren’t we off to a great start?
Cursing myself, I go to the bathroom to run a bath. Her wedding dress lies in a dirty heap on the floor. The bath is stained with the dye. I clean the bath and let the water run cool. While I’m waiting for the bath to fill up, I gather the dress and carefully fold it into a bag that I store in the dressing room to drop off at the dry cleaners later. Zoe put months and a lot of love into the dress. I don’t want it spoiled.
When the bath is ready, I go back to the room for my flower. She’s curled into a ball, huddling beneath the blankets.
I pull the covers away. “Come on, cherie. A bath will do you good.”
She turns on her other side, facing away from me. “Go back to your champagne and your hotel. I don’t need anything from you.”
Fucking Fran. Letting Zoe believe the worst was a low blow. I’ll deal with her later. “Let me help you, Zoe.”
“I don’t need anyone’s help. I’ll be fine.”
No, she won’t be fine. Not for a
