Free The Kyriakos Virgin Bride by Tessa Radley

hadn’t been a virgin?”
    There was silence. “No.” His reply was subdued. “I heard about this heiress who lived at the end of the world who was beautiful and innocent and I hoped—”
    â€œThat’s why you came down to New Zealand instead of sending a minion? Not to see my father to broker some business deal?” Pandora could hear her voice rising again and she forced herself to speak calmly. “To look me over?”
    Another hesitation. “I came to meet you, to get to know you.”
    â€œOh, God!”
    â€œBut I would never have taken it to the next level, asked you to marry me, if I hadn’t been sure—”
    â€œI can’t believe this!” Pandora threw her hands into the air. “It’s the twenty-first century. Most people marry because they want to get married. For love, to have children—for a whole host of reasons. And I manage to find the one guy on earth who’s not after love. He’s searching for a virgin bride because that’s what his forebears did. You know what? It’s downright archaic!”
    â€œStop.” Zac held up a hand and straightened beside her.
    Stop? She hadn’t even begun. She opened her mouth to protest his high-handedness. “I—”
    â€œStop right there,” he cut across her. “Let’s talk about why you think I don’t love you.”
    â€œOh, come on, Zac.” She pushed up off the sofa and took a couple of steps away. “There’s no need to pretend anymore.”
    â€œIsn’t there?” he asked enigmatically, watching her through half-closed eyes, his legs stretched out in front of him.
    â€œNo.” She threw him an assessing look from under her eyelashes. Straight talk? It was now or never. He’d have no choice but to let her go. She drew a deep breath. “Anyway, it would appear that you’ve been under a misconception.”
    His gaze sharpened to a bright, brilliant green. “A misconception?”
    â€œI was not a virgin on our wedding night.” Raising her chin a notch, she met his gaze and held her breath.
    He went white. The shock reflected in his eyes made Pandora’s stomach clench. Any hope she’d had that he’d dismiss her lack of virginity with a wave of his hand disappeared.
    No, Zac would never have married her if he’d known she wasn’t a virgin. That much was clear from the accusing glitter in his eyes.
    He uncoiled and rose in a smooth, swift movement. The anger in his gaze devastated her. Suddenly Pandora felt tired and old and thoroughly disillusioned. “So now you see why there’s no point talking…or keeping me on this island.”
    Zac’s jaw moved, but no words emerged from between his lips. And his face reverted to hard and blank. In his silence she had her answer.
    â€œI’m right, then.” Her shoulders hunched and she drew a protective shield around the hurt inside her heart. “You don’t love me—you never did. You simply pretended that you did. You lied to me, Zac.”
    â€œThis is where I get to tell you that you’re not the only one who feels cheated.” His mouth twisted. “You haven’t been wholly truthful, either.”
    â€œWhere did I lie to you?” Pandora demanded.
    â€œYou had me believe you’d led a sheltered life—”
    â€œI have! I spent half my life in St. Catherine’s—”
    He rode over her. “And now you reveal you are not a virgin.”
    â€œOh, for goodness’ sake.” Pandora rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “How many virgins have you known, Zac?”
    His gaze slid away from her, toward the darkening sky outside the vast sheets of glass. “That is not a question I’m prepared to answer.” A dark flush lay along his cheekbones.
    â€œI’ll tell you how many—none.”
    His head came around. “How did—” He paused, then