Restless Billionaire (15 page)

 
          
It
had always worked for him in the past; at times of stress or crisis, he’d
retreat inwards and be at his most productive outwardly. Or he’d go off and do
a triathlon and lose himself in the most gruelling physical thing he could
think of. As a child it had manifested itself in taking out the horses his
father had owned and riding until both he and the animal were shaking and
sweating with fatigue, but exhilarated by the adrenalin rush. His mind would be
numb from all pain, and the sense of isolation that had dogged him since his
mother’s exit from his life, and the fact that she’d shown an almost fatal
preference for his younger brother Nathaniel, would leave him momentarily.

 
          
But
now … the retreating inwards wasn’t working the way it usually did. For a
start, everything felt suspiciously close to the surface, as if there was a
delicate shell around him that might crack at any moment. And even more
worryingly, he didn’t crave the opium of physical release the way he always
had. Work held little interest for him. And the most disconcerting thing of all—he’d
begun sleeping for long stretches, and waking at dawn, instead of arriving home
at dawn, exhausted from a six-mile jog.

 
          
He
consciously resisted the inevitable intimacy provoked by sex by retreating from
Aneesa, maintaining a distance. And then guilt struck him hard. She’d gone to a
doctor’s appointment today—the first. He’d known about it, of course, and when
she’d tentatively asked if he’d like to come, he’d issued a curt, ‘No,’ citing
work. The thought of seeing that jumble of growing cells become a baby on a
grainy black-and-white screen had made his innards seize with fear.

 
          
He
grimaced now. The very work he’d cited hadn’t held his attention because Aneesa
was out there somewhere, and learning about her baby,
their
baby, without him. Galvanised into sudden action, Sebastian
called the apartment and frowned when Daniel told him she wasn’t home. He
consulted his watch, a tendril of concern going through him. ‘But the
appointment should have been over an hour ago, plenty of time for her to get
home.’

 
          
Daniel
replied, ‘She called to ask me how to get to Brick Lane—she said she’d read
about it in a book—so I gave her directions….’

 
          
Sebastian
didn’t hear any more of what Daniel said. He remembered his security guard’s
awed reaction to seeing and meeting Aneesa that first day. She was one of
Bollywood’s biggest stars and she was headed to one of the busiest hubs of
Anglo-Indian life in London.

 
          
Real
fear curdled his insides as he slammed down the phone and bellowed to his PA to
get his car brought around. With his heart hammering Sebastian cursed the fact
that he hadn’t even thought to get Aneesa an English mobile phone, and prayed
that today of all days she was wearing a baseball hat and sunglasses.

 
          
Aneesa
had got off the tube and was wandering along the main street of Bethnal Green,
looking for Brick Lane, happily browsing through the stalls, soaking up the
atmosphere and loving the colourful vibrancy of the area. She’d spotted a DVD
shop that had a poster of one of her movies on the door. Even just hearing her
native language being spoken made her smile. She congratulated herself on
coming here when suddenly a passing woman caught her arm and exclaimed
incredulously,
‘Aneesa Adani?’

 
          
Aneesa
was startled for a moment. She’d almost come to forget that people might
recognise her. She switched on a smile and the woman was now shouting
ecstatically to some friends to come over. Within seconds a small crowd had
formed and Aneesa was being photographed with the group of women.

 
          
More
and more people started to congregate as they noticed the fuss and saw who it
was. They couldn’t believe that a real-life Bollywood star was in their midst.
Aneesa was starting to get jostled as people tried to pass and the newcomers
wanted photos and her autograph. It was only when she was nearly knocked over
that she felt the first real spiking of fear and looked up to see nothing but a
vast sea of faces around her.

 
          
The
crush of the crowd registered then and belatedly she started to try and turn
back, smiling apologetically. She’d never had to deal with anything like this
before, as in Mumbai they’d always been surrounded by security teams. But now
she was thousands of miles from Mumbai and surrounded by a growing crowd of
complete strangers.

 
          
And
then the mood started to change. An old woman pushed her way forward and spat
at Aneesa’s feet and issued an insult that made Aneesa blush. Evidently the
news of Aneesa’s pregnancy had spread to England from the tabloids in Mumbai.

 
          
And
then another woman appeared and started to reach for Aneesa’s head as if trying
to pull her hair. Aneesa felt real panic set in, and fear that she and the baby
might be harmed. She put a protective hand on her belly. She could see nothing
but the crowd and knew that if she didn’t escape soon she’d be sucked under
completely. Even as she thought that, the crush got even more intense and
people starting to fight one another, defending her and lambasting her in equal
measure.

 
          
With
a useless scream strangling her throat she tried to look around to seek escape
and could only blink stupidly when she saw a car screech to a halt at the side
of the road, and the tall grim-faced figure of Sebastian emerge from the back.
He waded through the crowd with singular intent. When he got to her, he
effortlessly plucked her up into his arms where she clung onto his neck and
curled up as tight as she could into his chest. And it was only at that moment,
as she could feel his strong body beneath hers, that she believed he was real
and relief flooded her.

 
          
By
the time they got to his car and were safely ensconced and driving away, she
was still curled on his lap and trembling violently. Sebastian issued soothing
words and stroked her back as if she
were
a child and
finally she’d calmed enough to look up and stutter out, ‘How … how did you
know?’

 
          
He
tilted his head back so he could look at her and brushed some of her hair
behind one ear. ‘Daniel told me.’ His jaw clenched and it was only then that
Aneesa registered the extreme tension in his body. ‘And thank God you’d told
him where you were going. I saw the crowd just before we got to Brick Lane.’

 
          
Aneesa
shook her head. ‘I didn’t even make it there. I had no idea—I didn’t think for
a second something like that might happen.’ She started to tremble again as she
recalled the way the crowd had just materialised within minutes and crushed
around her. And then that woman’s face twisted with anger.

 
          
She
shuddered. ‘They were nice at first but then an old woman started saying the
most vile
things about me and my baby.’ Tears threatened and
Sebastian kissed her, placing his hand on her belly, touching her there for the
first time with intent.

 
          
‘They’re
a traditional community. Look at how you had to leave Mumbai. Anyone that
threatens their traditions threatens them, and ex-pats will cling onto that
world even more fiercely.’

 
          
Aneesa
nodded her head, biting her lip, struggling to regain control, but his hand on
her belly was making her feel even
more raw
. She felt
like she was always weeping all over Sebastian. ‘I know … but it was just a
shock to see it up so close like that….’

 
          
And
then Sebastian’s hand tightened on her belly and he said gruffly, ‘And it’s my
baby too.
Our baby.’

 
          
Aneesa
looked at him and also noticed for the first time how pale he was. He shook his
head now. ‘When I saw you in the middle of that mob …’ He couldn’t finish. ‘I’m
sorry for not coming to the doctor with you today. I shouldn’t have let you go
on your own. I won’t let that happen again.’

 
          
More
stupid tears threatened. ‘It was fine, really … I don’t mind. I know that it
can’t be easy for you to come to terms with this.’

 
          
He
was grim. ‘Nevertheless, I’m coming next time.’

 
          
Aneesa
finally relaxed her death grip from around Sebastian’s neck and he shifted
slightly under her so that she fell into the cradle of his lap more. She
blushed at the intimacy. She went to move off his lap but he pulled her back
with a growl. ‘Stay where you are. You’re not going anywhere alone again
without a team of bodyguards.’ She felt him take a deep breath before saying, ‘I
know I’ve been avoiding lots of issues, especially around the baby, and I’m
going to be there more from now on.’

 
          
Unable
to halt the rising tide of tenderness because she could see something achingly
vulnerable in his blue eyes, which she
knew
he would hate her to see, she just caressed his jaw and said softly, ‘Thank
you.’

 
          
And
she pressed a kiss to his mouth, weakly succumbing when his tongue sought hers
and stoked the fires of their relentless desire.

 
          
For
the rest of the day Sebastian treated Aneesa like she was made of bone china,
to the point where she had to curb her exasperation when he insisted on
carrying her from the dining table to the bedroom after dinner. It had been bad
enough dealing with Daniel’s guilt-ridden hand-wringing all evening too. The
man had been beside himself to know that he’d unwittingly let Aneesa walk into
certain danger, and nothing she could say would make him feel better.

 
          
But
now all of her impatience melted when

 
          
Sebastian
put her gently on her bed and asked her, ‘Did you get a scan picture of the
baby today at the doctors?’

 
          
Aneesa
nodded and got up to fetch her bag, her heart thumping unevenly. There had been
more than a hint of nerves in Sebastian’s voice. She pulled out the scrap of
paper with its distinctive black-and-white image and handed it to him, smiling
wryly. ‘It doesn’t really look like much now.’ She sat cross-legged on the bed
beside him and pointed out the curved spine and the head. Then she put a hand
on her belly and said wonderingly, ‘I can’t really believe that’s inside me,
especially when I can’t feel anything moving yet….’

 
          
Sebastian
was just looking at the paper, his face intent. Emboldened by this perceptible
softening and the way he’d been so gentle and tender all evening she asked
hesitantly now, ‘I saw something in the papers about your brother Nathaniel’s
wedding in a few days at your hotel … Are you going?’

 
          
Immediately
Sebastian tensed beside her and Aneesa was afraid he’d get up and walk out. His
jaw went taut but he didn’t move and finally said in a tight voice, ‘No, I’m
not going to the wedding. And I’m not interested in discussing it.’

 
          
Feeling
scared but knowing it was important, she asked, ‘What if I want to discuss it?’

 
          
Sebastian
avoided her eye. ‘Please, Aneesa, don’t push me on this.’

 
          
Before
she could ask any more questions or her far-too-perceptive eyes could see the
effect that looking at the picture of his baby was having on him, Sebastian
handed her back the printout, got up abruptly from the bed and muttered
something about running a bath for her.

 
          
He
escaped to the bathroom, feeling like an utter coward. But the truth was that
his entire world felt like it had just tilted sideways. Her questions had cut
far too close to the bone, especially now that he knew his brother Jacob was
seemingly intent on getting everyone together. And the knowledge hit again;
that grainy image he’d just held in his hand was his son or daughter … And for
the first time it wasn’t the dreaded fear that threatened to overwhelm him but
something that felt suspiciously like joy.

 
          
To
his relief, after she’d had her bath, Aneesa seemed content to drop the
questions. Sebastian didn’t attempt to make love to her, even though his body
screamed for it. And even though he felt a disturbingly primal need to brand
her in some way—the aftermath of the terror he’d felt earlier was still in his
system—but he controlled his urge. She was lying on her side, tucked into his
body, his arms wrapped around her. He felt raw, like a layer of skin had been
ripped away. Her breaths were deep and even and he told himself he’d get up and
leave in a minute, but he couldn’t stop his eyes from closing and the elusive
tentacles of sleep bind around him.