"Maybe I decided you were better in bed than my other experiments."
He couldn't help it. A growl escaped. "You would not do that," he said as evenly as he could, his grip on the steering wheel white-knuckled.
"That's not what you said this morning."
"I believed the evidence of my eyes." Maybe he had been premature in believing she would understand and forgive that aspect of their argument more easily than the other.
She turned to look out her side window, creating a mental distance that was intolerable. "It doesn't matter."
"I do not agree," he ground out. "I owe you an apology."
"For what?"
"For not trusting you. For accusing you of infidelity."
"We aren't married, I can't be unfaithful to you. Even if I had sex with ten other men—and you can't be sure that I didn't—it wouldn't mean I was unfaithful."
"You did not have sex with someone else. Stop implying you might have."
"Why?"
"You are goading my temper."
"So?"
"So, I do not want to have another argument with you."
"Maybe I do."
"Later…when you are not so fragile, pick a fight. For now, please…I am pleading with you, Ash. Stop provoking me."
She gasped as if in shock.
Did she think he did not care enough about her to put his pride aside to protect her? He was not so weak.
After a couple of tension-filled minutes of silence, she sighed. "It really doesn't matter, but I didn't have sex with anyone else," she grudgingly admitted.
"I know."
"That doesn't make any difference. I'm not going to marry you, Nikos. You may have decided you can trust me, but I know I can't trust you now. That's not going to change."
He did not agree. "Because of the business merger?"
"Yes."
"We will overcome that."
"No, we won't."
They arrived at the hospital and he accepted now was not the time for this conversation. He had lost ground with Ash, but she had come home willing to marry him. He would bring her to that place again. "We will discuss this later."
"There's no point."
Instead of arguing, he parked the car and went around to help her out of her seat. Her face was pale, her eyes were still red and once again filled with moisture.
He leaned down and kissed her temple. "She will be all right,pethi mou. She is a tough woman."
"I know." But, once again, she had to blink away tears.
He clasped her elbow and took it as a good sign that she did not pull away. It also disturbed him. Rachel was not the only tough Hemsworth. For Ash to be willing to lean on Nikos feeling toward him the way that she did, she had to be feeling incredibly vulnerable.
He slid his arm around her waist and kept her close as they entered the private hospital.
Ash walked into the hospital room, a cauldron of emotions swirling through her. She was still angry with her mother, but she felt guilt, too. There was pain there as well, both at her and Nikos' betrayals. And fear. Horrible, mind-numbing fear. She didn't want her mother to die. She was all she had, even if they weren't as close as she would like.
She was awake, her light blue eyes fixed on her as she approached the bed. She didn't smile. She didn't speak.
She stopped about three feet from the bed, not knowing what to do. Wishing she, or Nikos, would say something. Her throat was too clogged.
Then Rachel Hemsworth did something she hadn't since she was very little and then so infrequently, her memories of it often felt like dreams. She put her arms out. "Come here, sweetheart. Please."
And she ran to her.
She pulled her into his embrace and held her tight against her chest and she started to cry. "I'm s-sorry, Mom. I d-didn't mean f-for this to h-happen."
"I know, baby, I know." She rubbed her back, her hold warm and strong. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm here because of my own mistakes, not yours."