The Greek's Hidden Vows

by Maya Blake

  He was primitive enough to enjoy that knowledge. Hell, to even revel in the possibility that she’d never known anything like what they’d just experienced together. What they could experience while they were on Drakonisos. Perhaps even further into the future?

  No.

  This...peculiar and faintly overwhelming sensation was because he hadn’t had a woman in over a year, nothing more. Besides, that kind of dependency was what he shied away from. It only brought chaos. Trouble. Heartache. Attachments that turned people into vicious versions of themselves.

  He was past that kind of behaviour. He’d orchestrated this altered version of their agreement with his eyes wide open. He wasn’t about to let emotion—however incredible and potent—cloud his judgement.

  But...

  While he was here, while this was happening, holding back would only be depriving himself. He pushed inside her once more and let loose the groan locked in his throat. She truly was sublime, his wife.

  His wife...

  ‘Christos.’ Her voice was sex-soaked, wrapped in temptation, feeding his hunger.

  He let go of all other thoughts. And indulged his feelings to the fullest.

  And when she cried out in ecstasy once more, he was right there behind her, blinded by a unique kind of pleasure that branded his very soul. That he knew would be unforgettable once he rose from this bed and put it all behind him.

  Still he gathered her close. Kissed her temple with a gentleness unlike him. And when she sighed and melted into his arms, he found himself exhaling, a curious peace settling over him.

  That peace was still in place when he woke at dawn, used the rudimentary facilities he’d had built into the cave a decade ago then gently roused the drowsing woman he’d made love to for the second time only an hour ago.

  ‘Wake up, Alexis. There’s one more experience to enjoy,’ he said, trailing his lips over her smooth cheek.

  She smiled without opening her eyes. ‘I thought we did that last night?’

  He found himself chuckling—and when was the last time he’d done that? ‘This one is time sensitive.’

  Drowsy chocolate-brown eyes flecked with gold opened to meet his. The soft pleasure in them caught him sharply, threatening to pierce the hard shell he deliberately kept in place. The urge to stay where he was, remain in this moment, grew stronger.

  Then, vitally, he managed to remind himself of the reasons that shell couldn’t be allowed to crack. After that it was easier to rise, to reach for the swim shorts he’d tossed there a few minutes ago.

  ‘We’re going swimming?’ she asked, propping herself up on one elbow before gliding her fingers through her tousled hair.

  Despite their very recent encounter, Christos found himself growing hard all over again.

  ‘Eventually. What comes before that you’ll have to get up now or you’ll miss.’ He forced himself to leave the sleeping area before he succumbed to temptation. Before all those risky little thoughts creeping in found fertile ground and sprouted roots.

  He was standing on the shore, willing those same thoughts of permanence and possibilities away when he heard her behind him. The compulsion to see her, drench himself in her presence and beauty, propelled him to face her. She’d copied his style and was dressed in a sea-green-and-white striped bikini with a matching sarong, and flip-flops on her feet. Her long hair was gathered over one shoulder, and as she lifted a hand to toss the heavy strands back his gut tightened all over again, that drugging sensation threatening to steal over him again as hunger clawed through him. To counter it, he waved a hand at the small hill a short walk away.

  ‘That’s where we need to be in the next five minutes.’

  She followed his gaze, then nodded. ‘Okay.’

  He knew it was foolish but still he held out his hand. Watched her eyes darken and her cheeks flush with pleasure as she placed hers in his.

  Their walk was companionably silent, Christos again privately commending her for not filling it with chatter. But not talking meant he was even more painfully aware of how her delicate hand fitted into his, how sexily she moved and, most control-shredding of all, the distinct stamp of his scent on her body.

  Primitive urges rose again. And as they crested the low hill, all he could think about was how soon he could claim her again. How indelibly he could stamp his possession on her.

  He knew he hadn’t done a good job of hiding his reaction when, reaching the spot he’d chosen and turning to her, he saw her eyes widen. Unable to resist, he dragged her close, slid his hands into her hair and devoured her lips for one long minute.

  Only the reminder of why he’d brought her here made him stop.

  Reluctantly drawing back, he dropped to the dew-dampened grass and tugged her down in front of him. She settled down between his spread thighs and as he drew her back against his chest, he secretly revelled in her jagged breathing.

  Appeased that he wasn’t in this madness alone, he pointed to the eastern horizon. ‘Watch,’ he murmured in her ear, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.

  The sunrise was an exquisitely drawn-out symphony of light and colour, a slow, seductive dance of beauty and awe.

  He felt her breath catch as golden light blossomed over the horizon like a hesitant flower, bathing the lush greenness of the island in vivid colour as dawn gave way to day.

  ‘Oh, Christos. It’s beautiful.’

  ‘Ne,’ he agreed, his voice gruff.

  Her hands settled on his thighs as they watched the spectacular sunrise. And as the sun’s heat washed over him, so did that moving sensation in his chest. The one that seemed determined to sink its profound claws into him. The one he felt almost inclined to...give in to. Again.

  But hadn’t he sat on this very hill as a child, engulfed in anguish because he’d dared give in to his emotions? Wasn’t it in this very spot that he’d sworn never to allow himself to feel the vulnerability of love ever again?

  The reminder was abrasive. Enough to make him tense.

  ‘Christos?’ Alexis started to twist around, to seek his gaze. ‘What’s wrong?’

  He shook his head. ‘I’m reminded why I used to come here.’

  Warm fingers found his. ‘Tell me.’

  ‘I wanted to feel...something other than anger at my parents. Something other than...’ He paused, feeling raw and exposed.

  ‘Pain? Despair? Hopelessness?’

  He glanced down at her, saw that kinship in her eyes once again. She understood. Of course she did, considering her situation. ‘Yes,’ he admitted after a stretch of silence, his fingers rubbing at the tight spot in his chest. ‘It felt like this was the only place I could escape it.’

  ‘I’m glad you could, if only for a while.’

  Silence reigned again and he felt the tightness loosening, his breathing becoming freer.

  ‘This was special. Thanks for sharing it with me.’

  Somehow his lips found her temple, delivered a lingering kiss on her smooth skin. ‘To answer your questions, I’ve never shared the cave with anyone. Nor this view of a Drakonisos sunrise. So yes, Alexis, you’re special.’

  He watched her inhale shakily, striving for composure. But his own admission had tilted the ground beneath him. So he rose, the beauty of the sunrise gone for him. ‘Come.’ He held out his hand without looking down into her face. ‘One last thing before we return to the villa.’

  He sensed her confusion but ignored it. The moment she stood, he led them to the edge of the hill. Reading his intention, she clamped her fingers around his.

  ‘Wait. You’re not suggesting what I think you are, are you?’ she asked, peering over the edge into the swirling water below.

  The smile he flashed her felt hard around the edges. ‘It’s barely twenty feet.’

  ‘You go ahead, then. I’m most definitely not jumping,’ she stated firmly.

/>   ‘Stepping off the edge is always daunting. But the experience is all the more exhilarating for it,’ he muttered against her lips. Then wondered whether the words were meant for him more than for her.

  The slight widening of her eyes said she’d recognised the acuity of it too. His world tilting just that little bit more, he slid his arm around her. ‘Say yes, Alexis.’

  Her arms slowly trailed up his shoulders, her eyes wide and apprehensive. But then her chin lifted, and her gaze grew bold. ‘Yes.’

  He caught her to him, that devilish hunger demanding another taste of her. He was gratified when she fell into him, her lips clinging to his until they parted once more.

  Her fingers meshed with his, her eyes growing shiny with anticipation. Without giving her a chance to rethink, he grasped her more firmly. And jumped.

  For a moment in time, every trace of anguish and disquiet from his past melted away. A fierce, incandescent joy engulfed him as the clear waters of the Aegean swallowed them both.

  At first, a million bubbles obstructed his view of her. Then it cleared. He spun to his left and saw Alexis, equal joy on her face as she smiled. Keeping them submerged for a little while longer, he pulled her close, wrapped both arms around her, then stole another kiss from her smiling lips. Her legs tangled around his waist, wrapped tight, and she kissed him back with equal fervour.

  The need for oxygen forced them to resurface. But Christos wasn’t prepared to let her go. Arms still tight around her, he kicked towards shallower water and the large rock jutting out from the sea a short distance away.

  Waves splashed around their knees as he pushed her against the smooth surface of the rock, need pummelling him.

  ‘How was that?’ he asked, as he slowly pulled on the strings of her bikini top. Her gaze dropped to his hands, and, despite the explicit way they’d devoured each other last night and this morning, a hot blush suffused her face.

  ‘Exhilarating,’ she said. Her husky voice curled around his senses and he barely suppressed a groan as he divested her of her bottoms, then yanked off his swim shorts.

  The sun was already a little higher in the sky, bathing the rock and Alexis in golden light. He stepped back for a moment to savour her in this place that meant so much to him, before, sanity disappearing, he planted his hands on either side of her head.

  Her moan when their bodies melded together was music to his ears. And a minute later, when her slick, warm body welcomed his groaned thrust, it spelled a certain doom he knew would alter his world irreparably.

  * * *

  Alexis took him inside her, and it felt as if she’d found home. A home she wanted to stay in forever. She’d suspected her heart was in danger long before last night, that it wasn’t just the island weaving its magic on her. But it was last night that had sealed her doom.

  The warm security she’d felt in his arms. Perhaps it was the fateful but brief conversation they’d had somewhere in the lost hours that had reinforced that belief.

  ‘You never told me the last time you used this cave,’ she’d said, her hand trailing over his chiselled chest.

  ‘I come here every time I’m on the island, but as a child, it was my sanctuary. A place I could let my imagination run wild. Now I’ll see it differently.’

  ‘Why?’

  A pause, long and deep and breath-stalling. Then, ‘Because you are here.’

  Four little words that had lodged a lump in her throat. That had terrified her with the need to hold them close inside the heart she suspected didn’t wholly belong to her any longer. Her hand had fisted over his steadily beating heart and she’d fought back foolish tears as she’d drifted off to sleep.

  And when he’d woken her a short time later and transported her to heaven once more, a very resigned part of her had accepted that the heart she’d guarded so tenaciously was no longer safe.

  CHAPTER TEN

  ALEXIS DRESSED FOR Costas’s party with equal parts anticipation and dread. Luckily for her, the dread had been given little room to grow over the past few days, but especially in the frenzied hours leading up to the festivities.

  Nevertheless, she’d caught herself in quiet moments wondering if, despite all the precautions she’d taken, she’d set herself up for a life-shattering heartache. One set to surpass the last disastrous episode, which now seemed such a non-starter compared to what she had with Christos.

  And what did she have, exactly?

  Those searing, portentous moments of dread quickly dissipated when he pulled her into his arms in their bed at night. And, as much as she knew she was sinking deeper into whatever this emotional quagmire was, she’d welcomed him. Craved his lovemaking. While clinging on to the belief that things would go back to normal when they left the island.

  Except...

  Normal didn’t appeal any more. Normal came with a Christos-shaped hole that—

  ‘Are you ready, matia m—’

  She spun around at his voice, then froze at the look in Christos’s eyes as he stood in the doorway to her dressing room. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘You look...stunning,’ he said, his voice hoarse and his attention...transfixed.

  Alexis couldn’t stop her smile or the pleasure that filled her heart. The dove grey dress edged with silvery crystals was a halter-neck design that moulded her figure from chest to thighs before dropping in an eye-catching fall of silver sequins at her feet. ‘Then I guess the dress is doing its job.’

  His lips twisted and he moved with a quiet urgency towards her. ‘It’s not the dress. It’s the woman inside it.’

  ‘I...thank you.’

  His nostrils flared then, as if breathing her in. ‘A woman I want to be inside right now,’ he added thickly, one hand reaching out to cup her nape.

  ‘Christos...’

  He lowered his head, brushed his lips over hers. ‘Thee mou, I don’t know why you do this to me,’ he muttered, his voice almost bewildered.

  One small part of her leapt in delight, while the other wondered where her willpower had gone. Why she continued to stand there, an open flower absorbing the power of his sun without caring if she got burned.

  Because she would get burned. That note in his voice that questioned his own craving of her was a warning not to hope. But he was cupping her shoulders, drawing her to him with ruthlessly carnal intent that made her tremble from head to toe.

  ‘I want you,’ he growled against her lips.

  ‘Christos...we need to be—’

  ‘Nowhere but here right now. I need to be inside you.’

  The raw words sent another hot shudder through her. And when he walked her back against the cool wall of her dressing room, she was his willing captive. When he drew up her dress and tore off her panties, she lost the ability to think. ‘Hold up your dress for me, agapita.’

  Her hands shook as she complied. And between one breath and the next, his trousers were undone, her legs were around his waist and he was driving hot and hard and mind-melting inside her.

  His mouth covered hers and their tongues commenced a decadent rhythm to match the one due south. Then, their movement catching the corner of her eye, Alexis twisted her head. Christos followed her gaze and, together, they watched in the mirror as he thrust into her over and over.

  But underneath the wicked hedonism of it, she caught something in her own eyes, something that went far beyond desire. Something sacred and precious she should’ve kept concealed but was now out in the open. So she quickly shut her eyes. When she exploded, her scream was muffled by his kiss, followed by the hoarse groan of his own release, before their urgent pants filled the room.

  He lowered her to her feet and she was still coming down from the addictive high when she felt a cool touch against her throat. Her gaze dropped to see brilliant gems gleaming in his hand. Her breath caught as he fastened the diamond necklace around her neck, trailed a string
of kisses along her jaw, before rasping in her ear, ‘This is what I came to give you.’

  With her hair up in an elaborate knot the stylist had spent almost an hour on, her neck was exposed to highlight the magnificence of the diamond choker. ‘Oh, it’s beautiful.’ Her fingers shook as she reached up to touch it. But then the realisation of how deeply she was being drawn into this altered reality hit her hard. ‘But I can’t accept it. It’s...it’s too much.’

  Displeasure hardened his eyes as he slid his semi-hard erection out of her. ‘You’re my wife. It will be expected.’

  That hollow space inside that had never quite gone away expanded, and hurt poured in. The kind of hurt she knew she only had herself to blame for. ‘Of course, how silly of me to think it would be for any other reason. Well, since you put it that way, how can I refuse?’

  He heard the bite in her voice and his eyes narrowed. ‘You can’t.’

  He remained where he stood after rearranging his clothes back into pristine sophistication, blocking out her light, filling every corner of her senses. She needed a moment...several...to recentre herself after yet another emotional roller coaster. ‘Is that all?’

  ‘Alexis—’

  ‘We were already late before you came in. I think we’re now in danger of giving fashionably late a bad rep. I need to refresh my make-up. Not to mention the underwear you ripped off.’ Her face flamed as she said the last words, and she forbade herself from looking down, from giving substance to the reality of her shredded weakness.

  For an eternity, he stared at her. Then he stepped back. ‘I’ll see you in the living room in five minutes.’

  She watched him walk away, a new sensation of being in free fall with no parachute assailing her. She tried to push it out of her mind as she dug out fresh underwear, repaired her make-up and, after a few deep breaths that did nothing to restore her composure, ventured out to join Christos.