The Greek's Hidden Vows

by Maya Blake

  A shade of warmth stole back into the old man’s eyes and she allowed herself the merest inch to relax as he turned to his grandson.

  ‘If you’re here to check on me, I suggest you instruct the staff not to unpack your luggage. I’ve had my fill of shameless meddlers for quite a while,’ he griped in English.

  Christos took his time to sip his drink before resting muscled forearms on his armrests. ‘I am here to check on you,’ he replied without apology. ‘And we intend to stay until I’m satisfied.’

  His grandfather’s eyes narrowed. ‘Is that the only reason?’

  ‘Play your games all you want with me, old man. Just remember I’m not a weak opponent.’

  Costas’s weathered cheeks cracked the smallest smile and, within it, Alexis saw satisfaction. Anticipation.

  He might project the outward appearance of a grumpy old man but, as was evidenced by his presence at the airstrip, Costas was glad his grandson was here.

  They enjoyed their refreshments for a few minutes, before Christos resolutely set his napkin down. ‘I would like the unvarnished report on what’s going on with you.’

  His grandfather’s smile was pure wickedness. ‘Your strong-arm tactics on my physicians didn’t work?’

  ‘We both know you made it deliberately difficult, just so I would come here and find out for myself. So enough with the suspense.’

  The older man shrugged, not in the least bit unnerved by the accusation. ‘It’s the usual. Old age after a life well lived.’

  ‘Details, Pappous.’

  Costas’s gaze flickered to Alexis before returning to his grandson. ‘Now that you’re here, perhaps I will give my doctors permission to speak to you. They can fill you in on all the gory details.’

  Impatience vibrated from Christos, but, perhaps knowing he wouldn’t gain any more headway on the subject, he nodded. ‘Very well. I’ll speak to them when we’re done here.’

  ‘And once that’s out of the way, you might let yourself relax a little, enjoy this party your cousin has been threatening to throw in my honour.’

  Christos stiffened. ‘What party?’

  ‘A birthday party, I hear. A rather large one.’

  Alexis’s gaze flicked to Christos to see his eyes frosting over. ‘You gave Georgios permission to throw you a party without consulting me first?’

  Costas shrugged. ‘Your cousin insisted, even though this isn’t a milestone celebration. And my grandnephew has been more...available lately. Much more than my own grandson and his new bride, who I thought would be on their way to becoming a...larger family by now,’ he said, his eyes dropping blatantly to her stomach.

  Alexis gasped. ‘We... I...’

  ‘You’re embarrassing my wife, Costas,’ Christos said, a hard edge to the softly spoken words.

  That Drakakis steel entered Costas’s eyes as his gaze returned to Christos. ‘Perhaps a little bit of embarrassment is necessary. I’m not going to live forever, you know. And since you claim to be married but are still maintaining separate residences, I find myself wondering whether you’re pulling the wool over an old man’s eyes.’

  Her jaw gaped. ‘How—’

  The words dried in her throat as Christos’s firm grip found hers beneath the table. ‘The intimate details of my marriage are none of your business, old man. Tell your spies to retreat if they value their skins. And if you’re playing my cousin off against me—’

  ‘What if I am? What will you do about it?’ his grandfather asked brazenly, dropping any attempt at diplomacy.

  Christos’s jaw tightened. ‘You would do that?’ he asked, an enigmatic tone wrapped around the words.

  The old man remained inflexible for another second before he relaxed in his seat. ‘You said you’re up to the game? Prove it.’

  The words still echoed in Alexis’s head as they finished their refreshments and Costas’s nurse firmly steered the old man away for a rest.

  As Alexis and Christos retreated to the suite in the left wing of the villa, she all but felt the tension vibrating off him.

  The moment the door shut behind them he muttered a curse under his breath.

  ‘He knows we don’t live together,’ she said. ‘And he’s been keeping tabs on us.’ Alexis wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about being under such scrutiny.

  His lips pursed. ‘Yes. And I’m fairly certain I know who’s behind it.’

  ‘Your cousin?’

  He shrugged, clawing his fingers through his hair as he began to pace. ‘We’ve been married for a year. If he’d known all along that we lived separately, he would’ve said something before now. I can only conclude that he’s been fed the information recently.’

  She wrapped her arms around her middle, the silken web closing over her making her shiver. ‘So what are we going to do about it?’

  He slowed to a stop, his laser gaze fixing on her. Whatever he read in her face made his lips thin. ‘You don’t need to worry that your precious Hope House will suffer because of this, Alexis.’

  Hurt made her gasp. ‘That was the last thing I was thinking of. If you must know, I was thinking of you!’

  He tensed. ‘Me?’

  ‘I saw your face when we arrived. This place means something to you. More than a simple birthright you don’t want your cousin to claim.’

  For a moment, he looked poleaxed. Then his features shuttered. ‘The why doesn’t matter. It’s the how we need to concern ourselves with.’

  The hurt she felt at his shutdown was as bad as the Hope House dig. But she was determined not to show it. She was too busy grappling with the unnerving emotions she’d been unable to control all week.

  ‘I think we can be assured the none of your business argument isn’t going to fly with him,’ Christos said, resuming his tight pacing. ‘The only way to kill his suspicions is to successfully convince him that this marriage is real.’

  His words steeped her deeper in the present, her pulse rattling faster as her gaze darted around the room.

  Their suite was the last word in comfort and luxury. Each suite had twin dressing rooms, a sumptuous living room and private terrace.

  In the past, Christos had yielded the bed to her and slept on the sofa. But, in light of the altered dynamic between them, her attention was held most of all by the four-poster bed dominating the room. Heat unfurled through her at the thought of Christos in that bed. With her.

  Their bodies sliding, straining and locking together. The pleasure he’d harnessed and then detonated in her.

  A small sound escaped her throat before she could stop it.

  Then she watched as Christos presumably mistook the sound for distress, his eyes hardening. ‘I’m not going to unleash my animalistic desires on you right this minute, if that’s what you’re concerned about, Alexis.’

  Rather than disclose the reason for her fluster, she brazened it out. ‘You said you hadn’t had a woman in a year. Maybe you see this as an opportunity to scratch an itch?’

  His lips curled with distaste as he stopped in front of her. ‘What an unsavoury turn of phrase. I prefer the more authentic and earthy description of lust, sex and mutual satisfaction.’

  She grew hot again, an alarmingly frequent occurrence every time he was within touching distance. His scent reached out and wrapped around her as he stood staring down at her.

  ‘We’re both adults, Alexis, with needs. If we decided on a mutually satisfactory path to pleasure, I know I can trust in your discretion.’

  The very idea sent another minor earthquake through her system. ‘Aren’t you even a little bit worried that I might turn overly emotional if we indulge in whatever it is you’re insinuating?’

  His gaze grew contemplative. ‘Besides your wish to secure the future of Hope House, why did you agree to my proposition?’

  It was her turn to tense. ‘Why does it m
atter?’

  ‘You’re young, attractive, with a bright future ahead of you. And yet you agreed to tie yourself down for three years. Why?’

  She forced a laugh, desperate for something to break the sharp awareness zinging in the air. ‘Isn’t it a little too late to be asking me these questions?’

  He caught a stray lock of her hair, twisting it around his finger, while his gaze remained fixed on her face. ‘Why the evasion? Answer the question, Alexis.’

  ‘Because I’m not interested in relationships. Not any more,’ she confessed with an upsurge of bitterness that seared her throat. ‘And the agreement we made stated specifically that there would be nothing...intimate.’

  Something flickered in his eyes. A blend of satisfaction, challenge and...anticipation. ‘Maybe not before, but we both know things have changed now, after what happened two months ago. You feel it with every breath. So do I.’

  ‘That means nothing,’ she argued, despite the sizzle in her belly and the tightening of her core. ‘Our agreement stays as it is.’

  He curled her hair behind her ear and smiled when she shivered. ‘You can hide behind the letter of the agreement if it gives you comfort. But this thing between us isn’t going away, glykia mou. No matter how much you deny it. As for worrying about your being overly emotional, why would I? You’ve remained consistently unflappable in the face of every circumstance. Are you warning me that might change if I take you to bed?’ The brush of his fingers over her cheek and the electric pleasure they created only emphasised his words.

  ‘First of all, you’re not taking me to bed. Second, I was being facetious since the reason you fired so many of my predecessors was because they deigned to look at you with stars in their eyes.’

  ‘They did. And that’s the difference between you and them. You just said you don’t do relationships. That assures me things won’t change, so we won’t have a problem.’

  ‘What about your own lines?’ she challenged.

  For a moment he stilled, his lashes sweeping down to hide his expression. When they lifted, the heat in his eyes seared her to the bone. ‘I find you more alluring than I anticipated. What better way to work through the...situation than to immerse oneself in it? Work it out of our systems, so to speak?’ he asked indolently.

  She wanted to condemn him for being a calculating bastard. But could she conscientiously do so when he was only speaking his mind? Wasn’t the one thing she’d despised Adrian for more than anything the lying sweet talk he’d spouted simply to manipulate her?

  The mere thought of Christos sweet talking anyone brought a strained smile.

  ‘Something amusing you, glykia mou?’ The endearment held an edge to it.

  ‘I had the frightening notion of you attempting to sweet talk me into your sensual web.’

  ‘I prefer plain-speaking.’

  She swallowed, his very potent vitality threatening to consume her. ‘I can see that.’

  ‘Then perhaps the time for talking is over?’

  He breached the last few inches between them and took her mouth with his. The fever that had brewed just below the surface for two months now flared strong and consuming once more. They devoured each other until their breaths grew frantic, until she felt as if her whole body were a flame of desire. She’d imagined a lot during those forbidden hours in her bed when she’d allowed Christos to fill her thoughts. This surpassed her every fantasy. Each stroke of his tongue felt like a brush with pure bliss, as if she were touching heaven itself.

  ‘Christos.’

  ‘Yes. Say my name, matia mou.’

  Dear God, what was she doing? ‘Christos...stop. I have another question.’

  His breath shuddered out and he held himself still for a long moment before he stepped back. ‘What is it?’

  She scrambled to get her thoughts together. ‘What was Costas talking about? What games are you two playing?’

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHRISTOS STEELED HIMSELF against that firm demand. He’d hoped for a little breathing room before his grandfather went for the jugular, but no. Just like him, Costas didn’t believe in beating about the bush.

  He looked around him, then out of the window past the gardens to the sea, willing the serenity he usually felt when he was on this particular piece of rock to reappear. He was wealthy enough to travel to any corner of the world he desired, had acquired property in those places that pleased his senses the most. Yet he’d never experienced the sort of...grounded calm he did when he was here. Fate and souls and love and destiny weren’t phenomena he set much store by, but the closest he’d come to being emotional about anything was this place. The place his grandfather was dangling from his fingertips like a snowflake over a volcano. Daring him to act. Daring him to—

  ‘Christos?’

  He wiped a hand across his jaw. He was on edge. And not just because of his grandfather. This woman whose voice flowed over him like warm silk was equally culpable. She didn’t know that the sensual web she’d accused him of wielding went both ways. That the harder he tried, the more elusive his renowned iron will became.

  That moments before they’d disembarked his plane had intensified his craving for her. He’d blamed their discovery on Costas but, truth be told, he’d lost all sense of time and place the moment he’d touched her.

  Just like that night on his sofa.

  Perhaps choosing to cut all ties with the women who normally populated his electronic diary this last year had been a mistake.

  And perhaps Costas would’ve discovered your sham marriage much earlier too, if you’d been seen with other women. And without help from Georgios.

  His lips twisted at the grim truth, his gaze dropping to the set of engagement and wedding rings on her finger before he passed his thumb over the wide platinum band encircling his own.

  Then, he inhaled deeply. ‘My grandfather knows that, of everything he owns, Drakonisos is the only thing I desire.’

  She frowned. ‘This island?’

  He nodded. ‘And it seems he’s determined to make me jump through the biggest of hoops to get it.’

  ‘By pitting you against your cousin?’ Her frown deepened. ‘I admit I don’t know him very well, but I wouldn’t have thought Costas would do something like that purely for his amusement.’

  He felt a peculiar pang in his chest at her astuteness. ‘Nor would I. Which means either my cousin is succeeding in pouring poison into his ear or...’

  ‘Or what?’

  ‘Or the situation has a few more facets than I initially realised.’

  Her frown evaporated to be filled by apprehension. ‘You think this is part of him facing his own mortality.’

  A different ache tightened his chest, and he nodded again. ‘Yes.’

  ‘What are you going to do about it?’

  ‘I won’t know until I talk to his doctor. If it’s the former, I can handle it...’

  ‘And if it’s the latter?’ she asked, her eyes wide on his.

  He didn’t answer immediately, purely because he had no answer to give. His grandfather had been a constant in his life, a formidable force to whom he’d unburdened his innermost fears as a child. In his teenage years and early adulthood, they’d been mostly at loggerheads once Christos had made it clear he was choosing his own path and not following the one his grandfather had wanted for him. But even then Costas had remained in his life. He hadn’t cut him off as his parents had. Or used him as a pawn in whatever game took his fancy.

  Until now.

  They were Drakakis men after all, and Christos knew he didn’t have to look far to see where his own father had inherited his cut-throat characteristics from.

  And yet, for whatever reason, his grandfather had supported him. Hell, he’d done more than that. He’d claimed Christos as his own when his father had merely seen him as a chess piece to be used when he pleased, t
hen set aside to gather dust.

  The thought that Costas wouldn’t be around for much longer, for whatever reason...

  He shook his head free of that thought. ‘If it’s the latter, we’ll discuss it.’

  His grandfather’s comment at the table echoed in his head, the confirmation that Costas might not believe their marriage to be real raising the hairs on his nape.

  Drakanisos was his. He couldn’t lose it. Couldn’t lose the old man who lived on it either.

  The thought burrowed deep inside him, wrapping tight around his chest until his breathing grew constricted. Until all of a sudden that one emotion he’d thought alien to him, love of the familial kind, and the possible absence of it, took on a wraithlike shape in his mind.

  He whirled to face her, wishing for something...anything to distract from that harrowing possibility. Then couldn’t seem to look away. Thee mou, had her skin always been this flawless, her brown eyes flecked with such beguiling strands of gold? He knew about the temptation of her lips, the suppleness of her hips, the delicious sensation of her warm breath over his face. The sound of her moans—

  ‘I’m going to call the doctor. Dinner won’t be served until late, so you have a few hours to yourself.’

  He exited the suite before she saw the physical manifestation of his thoughts or the turbulence of his emotions, experiencing a twinge of shame for sneering at her for suspecting the churning thoughts gripping him now.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t encounter any staff member before he made it to the sanctuary of his study. Still, it took a minute to summon the control to calm his thoughts and pluck his phone from his pocket.

  Twenty minutes later, he had his answers. And that grip on his chest had grown into a vice. Costas had a heart condition. A long-term one he’d been ignoring and downplaying for the better part of a year. Unless he had an operation within the next three months, his prognosis would worsen irreparably.

  Christos wasn’t aware he’d wandered back into the suite until he arrived in front of the liquor cabinet in his private living room. His hand shook as he poured himself a stiff whisky, tipped his head back and downed it. Thrusting the glass back on the shelf, he braced his hands on the surface, attempted to calm his rioting thoughts even as the words the doctor had uttered dropped like anvils onto his shoulders.