HIS GREATEST BETRAYAL

Chapter 59

"I wanted to tell you on your birthday. It was going to be the best gift ever. Now you spoiled it."

He gave out a deep rich laughter.

"My birthday is in a month , Jane. It was impossible to hide it for that long."

He turned me the other side and hugged me from behind. I closed my eyes at the delicious sensations swirling through me at his close contact. I felt his large hand caressing my naked stomach and l felt heat pooling inside me.

His hand swept aside my hair from my neck and l felt his wet lips skimming lightly on my shoulder blades. I bit back a moan as different sensations shot through me.

"You are already round with our baby," he whispered in my ear , his hands still moving gently on my stomach.

He turned me around and stared at me with a dark and intense look. My heart started racing in anticipation.

It was going to be a long night!

~****~

SILVIA'S POV

Claudius and l sat in a coffee house after coming from a checkup at the hospital. He had demanded to be notified of every check up l went to so that he could tag along. I had no choice but to agree with his conditions.

There was a charged silence surrounding us. Claudius was staring at his coffee mug with a faraway look. He had not taken a sip of that coffee ever since the waitress placed it in front of him. I bet it was now cold.

His silence unnerved me. I wondered what he was thinking in that head of his.

"I am sorry for not telling you about the baby," l started in a genuine voice.

I indeed felt apologetic for what l had almost done. I had almost deprived my baby a chance of knowing her father.

"We will get married," he responded quietly still staring at his coffee.

I stiffened at his words.

"As soon as l can arrange it , we will get married," he added in a firm voice.

I clenched my teeth in anger and wounded pride. He wasn't even looking at me as he said such life altering words. He didn't even have the decency to ask for my opinion. He delivered his words like an ultimatum.

"You don't need to chain yourself to me in an unwanted marriage for the sake of the baby," l snapped at him.

He slowly raised his burning grey eyes to me. His heated glare pierced through me like an arrow. I flinched in discomfort.

"Don't be stupid , Silvia!," he clipped out.

"This is not about us. Put your romantic dreams away. We have a baby to consider. No child of mine will be born a bastard. He will have my name , my support and my protection," he gritted out.

"We don't love each other , Claudius. We will be miserable in that marriage. Our baby will suffer as a result," l argued.

Claudius reached for my hand across the table. He stared at me under his thick eyelashes as he dropped a light kiss on my hand. A gasp almost escaped me as l felt my skin tingle under his warm breath. Despite convincing myself over a month ago that l was finally over Claudius , I couldn't suppress a shudder which ran through me or the ache of sensation that made me crave for more.

Claudius dropped my hand and smirked at me knowingly as if he knew the effect he had on me.

"Ever since that night, there has always been a magnetic pull , an intense attraction between us. We are crazy about each other and you know it. The feeling is there , simmering between us. Surely you can't deny that!"

I released a mocking laughter at his words.

"That's not love , Claudius. It's called lust. We can't build a marriage on that. Once you satisfy your desire , you will get tired of me and wish you never bound yourself to me."

"We are good together, Silvia and you know it. I am fond of you. We will make it work for the sake of the baby," he tried to convince me.

I shook my head in denial as l blinked back tears. Those were not the words l wanted to hear. I wanted him to profess his undying love for me.

"Fond is not enough for me," l told him.

I got up from my seat and laid my share of the bill.

"I won't stop you from being part of our baby's life but please , don't ask me to marry you."

I walked out of the coffee shop with a sinking heart.