Free Greek's Marriage Bargain by Lilly LaRue Page B

they entered the house, and Nikos directed her up the stairs toward the master suite. Leah was certain he wouldn’t hurt her, but she still worried about the coming confrontation. Would he be so disgusted by her behavior as to send her back to New York without him and Arianna? That should have been a relief, but the thought filled her with anxiety.
    She held herself stiffly when they entered the room. The door slamming made her jump, despite her best efforts to maintain a calm façade. “Why are you behaving this way?”
    “Strip.”
    Leah’s eyes widened. “What?”
    Nikos raked her with a contemptuous look. “You look like a street urchin. Wash off the dirt and make yourself presentable.”
    Leah shook her head. “No. I’m tired of taking orders from you, Nikos.” She held up her hands. “I like dirt under my fingernails. I feel normal when I’m digging in the soil. You have no idea how much I’ve missed it.”
    “You defy me?” He seemed to have trouble grasping that she would do such a thing. “You are my wife. Make yourself look like it before we talk.”
    With a toss of her head, Leah turned away from him. “We’ll discuss this when you’ve calmed down.” She turned toward her room, but gasped when Nikos put a hand on her arm. “Let go.”
    Ignoring her protest and attempts to free herself, Nikos lifted Leah and carried her into the bathroom. “Put me down.”
    “As you wish.” He set her down in the shower before turning on the faucet.
    Leah shrieked when cold water cascaded over her before it turned warm. “You’re crazy.”
    A vein in his temple throbbed visibly. “Wash yourself.” His voice dropped an octave as his gaze settled on her breasts under the soaked t-shirt. “Unless you want help?”
    “Get out.” Leah slammed the shower door, watching him through the opaque glass until he left the bathroom. Livid, Leah stepped out of the shower, shedding her wet clothes and shoes with some difficulty. Finding it pointless not to finish the shower, she returned to the stall, soaping with quick efficiency. Her heart raced, and her stomach ached with the effort to keep from screaming. How dare he treat her that way?
    She was clean within minutes, but as time passed, Leah found herself dawdling. With the return of a cooler head, she no longer wanted to rush into a confrontation. Why was she so eager to face him again? The first round certainly hadn’t gone in her favor. Leah was still fuming at his treatment, but perhaps it was wise to give him time to calm down too. He had displayed a depth of anger she had never seen before. Surely, he had realized that by now and was trying to regain control?
    Clinging to that hope, Leah forced herself from the shower. She forced herself to dry off quickly, instead of drawing out the process. It was only after she’d dried off that Leah realized she had nothing to wear. A quick glance at the door revealed no robes on the hooks, indicating Irina had collected them for washing.
    The plush bath sheet wasn’t adequate armor in which to face Nikos, but the alternative was even less appealing. No way was she going into the bedroom wearing nothing. The towel was long enough to wrap around her twice, and she tucked the end as securely as she could. After running a comb through her damp hair, she couldn’t find any remaining reason not to leave the bathroom. Taking a deep breath for fortification, Leah walked from the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
    Nikos had taken advantage of her absence to remove his wet shirt. She swallowed thickly at the sight of his bare chest, feeling a stir of something other than umbrage.
    He seemed to have regained control. “I owe you an apology, Leah. I had no right to treat you that way.”
    She inclined her head to acknowledge his apology. “Thank you.” Leah tipped her head. “Why did you react so strongly? You know my major was botany. It shouldn’t have shocked you so much to find me in the