by Maya Blake
‘There are way more gowns than I remember ordering,’ she said, indicating the garments strewn around her.
He leaned in the doorway, hands thrust into his pockets, another first as he basked in the previously boring exercise of watching a woman try on clothes. ‘I may have let myself be talked into expanding the collection on the premise that future engagements will necessitate their use.’
‘Future engagements?’ she echoed.
‘Costas is right. Perhaps it’s time to make our union a little bit more...public.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘It means I intend to let the world know you’re my wife when we leave here.’
Her eyes were wide and her lips parted when he walked away; she was a little perturbed to notice he was smiling.
After that he found himself watching her, increasingly aware of and intensely absorbed by her movements around the villa. Like when he found her sunbathing by the pool, the lime-green bikini clinging to her glorious, sun-kissed skin making his entire body clench in fierce need. Her exploration on the beach, usually before sunset, when the sun cast dazzling golden light in her hair. Their meals with Costas were equally absorbing. She’d shed her shyness and indulged Costas’s wicked banter with a sharp wit he found entertaining.
But the nights were the most taxing of all. To give himself a break from that battering of his libido, he waited a clear hour before joining her in their suite. Not that it helped. She might have got over her reticence on their first night but Alexis tossed and turned in her sleep for several minutes after he’d slid in beside her, making him painfully aware of her graceful limbs, of the rich thickness of her hair almost reaching out to him across the pillows, of her bewitching scent that insisted on wrapping itself around his senses and especially around his manhood, keeping him hard and on the edge of his control as she gleefully slept on.
His only consoling thought was that maybe she wasn’t having a particularly easy time of it either. He called her on it four nights later, as she was about to excuse herself to let him spend a few minutes alone with his grandfather. But tonight, Costas had pleaded tiredness and retired before coffee was served, leaving them alone.
Christos caught her arm before she could make her escape. ‘Wait.’
Slowly, she sat, her eyes flicking warily to his. ‘What is it?’
‘Are you ready to give me your answer?’ he asked, unable to drag his gaze from lips she’d painted a luscious, kissable gloss.
‘What makes you think it’s changed?’ she parried, although the faintest flush tinged her skin.
‘I’ve seen how you grip that pillow between us. How you tuck it between your legs when you sleep, as if to alleviate a certain ache. You grow breathless around me, and I’ve noticed the way your eyes follow me when you think I’m not looking.’
Her mouth opened in shock. ‘You’re unbelievable!’
‘I’m simply observant. Do you protest because it’s the truth? Or because I’ve noticed?’
‘Shut up!’
He laughed.
She gave an unladylike growl before tossing her napkin at him. He batted it away before leaning in close.
‘You need an outlet? Feel free to use me instead, matia mou,’ he offered, then had the pleasure of seeing her eyes turn that liquid chocolate he craved.
‘Thanks for the offer but no, thanks. The only thing I want to do now is go to bed.’ Her face flamed on the heels of her words. When he laughed again, her lips pursed. ‘I meant alone...’ Then at his raised eyebrow, she growled again. ‘You know what I mean,’ she whispered angrily.
It pleased him that, even het up, she was being discreet enough not to give the game away. Then he sobered up as sharp realisation hit him. He didn’t want this to be a game. He wanted...
‘What is it?’ Her question held sudden tension.
He released her, snatching his thoughts away from the sudden need for the unthinkable. For things he’d never craved or wanted. Things that would eventually only spawn hatred and recrimination. He had the emotional scars to prove it after all. ‘You can go.’
‘That wasn’t what I asked,’ she replied stubbornly, standing her ground. ‘What’s going on in that brain of yours?’
Christos rose from the table, closed the gap between them with a single step. ‘Do you really want to find out, koukla mou?’
She frowned. ‘That one is new. What does it mean?’
He smiled, the kind that bared his deep hunger. Felt a modicum of satisfaction when she swallowed and grew slightly breathless.
Before he could taunt her some more, she stepped back. ‘You know what, forget it. Goodnight.’
He didn’t respond, on account of staring into the space she’d just vacated with the type of stupefaction that came from receiving a thunderbolt. Male pride at hearing her addressed as Mrs Drakakis was one thing. Her hand slipping into his in sympathy after that harrowing revelation on the cliff and salving the rawness in his soul was another.
But...he couldn’t want any kind of permanence with her...could he?
He gritted his teeth, summoning every single scrap of memory he’d buried deep down, together with its attendant emotion. Anger. Desperation. Loneliness...that seared hardest.
‘Your mother doesn’t love you. She just hates losing to me.’
‘And you, Papa? Do you love me?’
The pitying look his father had levelled at him had shrivelled every ounce of hope in his foolish boyhood heart. But it had also taught him a valuable lesson. That depending on others for his happiness was a fruitless exercise unworthy of his efforts. Accepting that simple conclusion had truly been the moment he’d known his true purpose and worth.
It was what had got him through a faceless judge deciding he needed to live with the father who didn’t love him instead of a mother who, when she wasn’t embroiled in bitterness, regarded him with distant affection.
Perhaps it was because of that judge’s actions that he’d decided to become a lawyer. But Christos didn’t go into court with hope and love in his heart. Those emotions were too flawed to be reliable. Came with too many strings to be worth the air it took to speak them.
An hour passed, or perhaps it was only a handful of minutes—he couldn’t quite tell. As he strode down the hallway, Christos smiled grimly to himself.
No. There would be no permanence with Alexis.
A temporary agreement, with a side order of sex. And if everything went as planned, Drakonisos would be within his grasp. That was all he wanted.
All he would ever want.
So what if his stomach hollowed out with a quiet bleakness at his future outlook? It was only because he was yet to plan it all out.
* * *
‘Where are we going?’ Alexis asked as she stepped out into sunshine the next afternoon. She’d been summoned an hour ago by Christos with the instruction to pack an overnight bag. When she saw his casual state and the buggy parked at the bottom of the front steps, excitement leapt high.
‘The party is in four days. I want to show you the rest of the island before the guests descend on us.’
‘Why do I need an overnight bag if we’re staying on the island?’ The only other habitat she’d seen was the staff quarters. Unless... ‘We’re not going camping, are we?’ She wasn’t sure how she’d fare since she’d never done it.
He tossed her a wry glance. ‘So many questions. It’s almost as if you don’t trust me.’
I don’t trust anyone any more. It was a phrase she’d have unapologetically tossed at him a few weeks ago, but Alexis realised that it was no longer true.
Christos had proved himself with his generosity to Hope House, the only home she’d ever known. He trusted her professional judgement. Despite sharing a bed, he hadn’t crossed any lines. As enigmatic as he sometimes was, she knew she could trust him not to betray her the way
Adrian had.
The knowledge unravelled inside her, birthing a weighty, worrisome sensation. Aware of the sharp eyes watching her, she forced a casual shrug. ‘Fine. I’ll play along.’
His gaze combed her face, paused on her mouth long enough to make it tingle wildly. Then, with a new kind of tension vibrating off him, he stepped away.
Alexis ignored the sharp dart of disappointment and watched as her bag was placed on the small flatbed buggy next to his.
Her every nerve went on high alert as they drove off once more, this time in a westerly direction.
She told herself it was residual nerves from the past several days, but she knew it was something else. It was the ever-increasing drumbeat in her chest that urged her to stop fighting. That said this was as inevitable as her arrogant husband had stated it was.
She’d spent far too many days and nights trying to rationalise her emotions. Each subsequent mental argument veering in favour of giving in.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She’d known from the first day she’d walked into Christos Drakakis’s office that there was no other man like him.
The brooding looks, the smouldering energy, the hunger he didn’t bother to hide any more, all said he wanted her. That he wanted, even if only temporarily, to make their marriage a real one.
Adrian swayed you with words and passion too.
But that thought did Christos an injustice. He’d stated his expectations upfront. No emotions. Nothing long-term. Just a physical exploration of their chemistry. A chapter to be closed when they tired of the story.
But was it worth her career?
The fervent no she’d expected arrived with a question mark. The kind that questioned the choices she’d believed were cemented in her heart. She’d seen a different facet to Christos. His care for his grandfather. For his godson even from afar. The lengths he was prepared to travel to protect the one place that meant something to him...
That already made him miles better than Adrian.
Take the leap...
She shivered, the enormity of the decision gathering strength inside her becoming a physical need as they trundled along over verdant fields and then onto a wide rocky pathway that sloped gently downwards.
‘Are you cold?’ Christos asked, the keen observance telling her his attention was on her despite his easy, offhand attitude.
She shook her head and tucked her hands into her lap. ‘Not really.’
‘We’re almost there.’
The sun was due to set in about an hour, and its brilliant rays turned the water into a jewelled, breathtaking expanse as far as the eye could see. Alexis was so enthralled by the spectacular view, she didn’t notice their destination until the buggy bounced onto rougher sand and gravel, then onto the powdery golden sand of a wide, hidden beach.
She stared around her, her eyes widening when she saw the yawning forty-foot opening set into the sheer rock face. ‘Is...is that a cave?’
The flatbed buggy she’d watched depart a few minutes before them was parked at the cavernous entrance, the staff unloading. Christos parked and stepped out. ‘Yes.’
The simple response made her glance at him. ‘And? What’s inside?’ she asked, unable to hide her excitement.
He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes doing that intense thing that sparked fireworks inside her. ‘You’ll see once we’re alone in a few minutes.’
Excitement surged higher, not helped by the light breeze that made her aware of every goosebump on her body. And the fact that she would be alone with Christos. All night long since she’d packed an overnight bag.
The bag that was currently being carried inside...
The staff emerged a few minutes later, and Christos led her in, his attention fixed on her as Alexis stepped inside the most entrancing place she’d ever seen.
Dozens of lanterns, large and small, were dotted around the living area where divans and plump futons were spread around in inviting comfort. A coffee table graced the centre, and large, thick rugs kept her bare feet cool.
Beyond the charming living area, several foldable privacy screens hand-printed with Greek hillside vistas shielded a softly lit space.
Alexis stepped around the farthest screen and stopped in her tracks, a gasp of awe leaving her lips at the sight before her.
The bed was an immense four-poster. A floaty work of art, decked from headboard to bottom in gold silk sheets, dozens of fluffy pillows and billowing muslin raining down from sturdy pegs in the cave ceiling.
In perfect complement to the gold, fat candles in lacquered lanterns were dotted all over, casting soft shadows on the ceiling and bathing the space in a seductive glow.
It was the stuff of romantic dreams. And, heaven help her, she was utterly seduced.
‘This...this is more than a few minutes’ work,’ she breathed in stunned awe.
He drew closer, setting her senses alight with his intoxicating scent. In London, he’d worn an earthier aftershave with a sandalwood base. Since their arrival, he’d switched to bergamot and leather. Her favourite. ‘They’ve been preparing the place since morning.’
‘I...why?’
He quirked an eyebrow at her. ‘Do I really need to spell it out?’
Despite the heat that flicked to life in her belly, a pang of pain reminded her of the past. ‘I’m afraid you’ll have to. I don’t want to make assumptions.’
‘I felt you needed a little more...convincing.’
Her breath shook as she exhaled. ‘Convincing or seducing?’
His expressive shrug was rich in arrogance. It said whichever road she took she would end up exactly where he wanted her. Trouble was, Alexis wanted to be there. ‘Take your pick. The outcome will be the same.’
‘You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?’
‘Even now, you tremble. Your lips yearn for me and your pulse is feverish with need.’
‘I’m... I’m...’
‘Afraid? No, you’re not. Unwilling? You’re not that either. What you are, Alexis, is desperate to embrace the need pounding inside you. All that’s holding you back is the notion that giving in makes you weak. It doesn’t. Being brave enough to grasp what you want is a strength, not a weakness.’
Heaven help her, but she lapped his words up like a starving exile offered a banquet. And when his thumb glided over her bottom lip in that indolent way he seemed to enjoy, she took that bravery one step further and flicked her tongue against his flesh.
His sharp inhale was a triumphant orchestral crescendo to her ears. He let her taste him for several thrilling seconds, before he removed his touch.
‘Tell me what you want, Alexis,’ he instructed thickly.
The presence of the emperor-sized bed behind her loomed large in her mind. But she managed to force back the words clamouring for release.
‘Kiss me,’ she said instead. ‘Please.’
His chest expanded in a supremely masculine show that made her insides quiver. He cupped her nape in a firm hold and dragged her close. Before she could catch her breath, he captured her lips, his tongue delving deep in conquest, looking for a surrender she was willing to grant. The sound of her moans filled the magical space as she dared to taste him as boldly as he was devouring her. Arms tight around his neck, she felt light as a feather when he lifted her up. A few long strides and she was wedged against one cool wall.
She was being kissed by Christos in a cave on a paradise island. A surreal appetizer to a heady feast, enticing her to wrap her legs around his waist.
‘Thee mou,’ he muttered against her lips, then pinned her tighter, their position leaving her in no doubt as to the power and potency of his arousal. ‘You feel how much I want you?’ he growled.
‘Yes,’ she gasped, tightening her hold and making him groan.
Words evaporated a
s they indulged in another torrid kiss. As her core grew slicker and her breathing all but evaporated, she was at the point of begging when Christos lifted his head.
‘I’d love nothing more than to toss you onto that bed and bury myself deep inside you,’ he rasped, pausing to nip at her bottom lip before soothing it with his tongue, ‘but we won’t be alone for much longer.’
Disappointment seared her even as her imagination raged. ‘Wh-what?’
‘There’s one last thing to be set up, and dinner to be served. But after that...’ Words weren’t necessary to convey his intention. His deeply smouldering gaze and the passion vibrating from his hard body told her everything.
With a clear reluctance that salved her disappointment, he stepped back and lowered her to the floor.
In silence he took her hand and led her out of the sleeping area.
As they passed the screen, she looked back at the bed. And knew without a shadow of doubt that whatever armour she’d built around her emotions was perhaps irreparably fractured.
CHAPTER NINE
SHE FOLLOWED HIM back out of the cave then once again stopped in her tracks, her jaw sagging open at yet another spectacular sight.
‘Oh, my God.’ Her reverent whisper was completely in line with the awe of what his staff had created for them while they’d been locked in an embrace.
She turned to Christos, to find a smug and altogether far too superior smile curving lips slightly reddened from her enthusiastic kisses. ‘How did you know?’
‘There was a firm-wide poll of dream activities floating around I may have taken note of.’
She frowned. ‘That was two years ago. You remembered?’
‘I remembered,’ he said simply.
Something far too overwhelming shifted inside her, something close to what she’d imagined being special, being treasured felt like. Her throat tightened as she stared at the twenty-foot-high portable cinema screen and the dozens of lanterns placed strategically around it, and the wide, snow-white futon-like cushions inviting lazy relaxation. Two silver buckets with vintage champagne were set on either side of the futon with turquoise cashmere throws draped over the seats for when the weather cooled.
