He felt her tense, then utter a faint sob as he bestowed the most intimate kiss of all, taking infinite care as her tension built, urging her high until she reached the brink…then he held as she fell.
And glimpsed the tears well in her eyes, the soundless movement of her lips as she struggled to find the words, and he trailed gentle fingers over each cheek, dispensing the warm moisture.
It was more, so much more than she believed it possible to experience, and she cradled his face and urged it towards her own as she sought his mouth in a kiss so expressive there was no need for words.
She felt mesmerized by the darkness in his eyes, the passion clearly evident as he moved over her, and she managed a strangled plea to turn off the light. Only to have him shake his head.
How could she explain that in the darkness she hadn’t had to witness the hatred of the man who’d only married her for material gain? A man who had used sex as a punishment.
‘Loukas—’
‘Open your eyes,’ he chided gently. ‘I want you to see me, only me, and know who and what I am, and the pleasure I can give you.’
‘Please. I—’
‘Trust me, agape mou.’ His mouth closed on her own as he positioned his length and eased in, careful to ensure she could accommodate him before filling her completely.
At first he didn’t move, almost as if he sensed she needed to absorb his possession, and her eyes widened as he shifted his weight and began to withdraw, only to increase the pace as her vaginal muscles caught his rhythm and matched it, until he took her high…so high she could only cling to him and experience the ride.
She felt alive. Acutely sensitive to every nerve in her body. This…this was how it was meant to be.
Not just sex…something so much more.
Body, mind, and spirit coalesced into one entity to provide a sensual magic.
Electrifying, primitive, exquisite.
She wanted to thank him, except she couldn’t find the words for what she wanted to say.
Instead she lifted a shaky hand and placed it against his cheek, then brushed his mouth with her own.
She expected him to withdraw, and she gasped as he caught her close and rolled onto his back, taking her with him.
A slow smile curved his lips as he eased her into a sitting position astride him, and he took in her pink cheeks, the gleaming brown eyes dreamy with lingering passion. The softly parted mouth swollen from his kisses, the tousled hair framing her face.
His hands clasped her waist, and he used each thumb to trace a light pattern over her stomach…and felt her quiver beneath his touch.
This is the aftermath? Alesha mused as she felt him swell inside her. A spiral of sensation curled deep within and rose through her body…sensuous, consuming, witching.
His eyes held hers, and she was unable to look away as he began to move, taking her with him as she held on and joined him in a ride that held her spellbound with intense pulsating pleasure.
It was almost more than she could bear, and he drew her trembling body close and pressed his lips to her temple.
He murmured words she didn’t quite catch as he nestled her head into the curve of his shoulder, and she lay there, too emotionally spent to move.
She must have slept, for she became aware of a warm body close to her own and the drift of fingers trailing a light path over the slender curve of her waist.
Her eyes flew open, and for one agonizing second her body tensed…then she recognized the bed, the room, the man who held her.
She lay perfectly still as memory of the night filled her mind, and she swallowed the sudden lump that rose in her throat.
‘Look at me,’ Loukas commanded gently, and when she did he captured her chin, giving her little option but to hold his dark gaze.
Her mouth quivered, and he brushed the pad of his thumb over its sensitive fullness.
‘What do you want from me?’
‘Whatever you choose to give.’
It wasn’t the answer she expected. ‘Last night—’
‘Was beautiful,’ he completed, and saw the soft pink colour her cheeks.
It had been all about her…her pleasure, her orgasm. What would he say if she told him it was her first?
A sudden thought swept her eyes wide. Ohmigod…he couldn’t know, surely? She’d been blind with ecstasy, totally out of herself. Had she cried? Please, dear heaven, she didn’t scream?
Was this where they conducted a post-coital report?
Should she thank him?
For what?
A miraculous melting of her frozen emotions?
Like one sexual encounter would do it?
Staying here quiescent was madness. He’d take it as an invitation for more, and, besides, daylight filtered through the shutters.
His hand slid to her stomach…her bare stomach. A touch that made her aware she wore nothing beneath the bedcovers, and she shifted as he traced her ribcage, only to pause as he encountered a small hard lump on one rib, followed by another.
Alesha uttered a distressed sound as Loukas discovered the scar lesion beneath her breast, the legacy of a vicious bite.
‘Don’t.’ Except she was too late to prevent Loukas from peeling back the bedcovers, and any move she made to escape from the bed was easily stalled.
‘Are these it?’ Loukas demanded in a dangerously soft voice. ‘Or are there more?’
More. Cracked ribs, long healed.
Her eyes met his, hardening to obsidian shards. Anger rose from the deep well in which she’d buried it. She drew in a shuddering breath. ‘Let me go.’
And let her escape to curl into a foetal ball alone? ‘No.’
Only her father knew she’d summoned a lawyer from a hospital bed and filed for divorce. And paid Seth to get out of her life so she could rebuild her own.
‘You want me to admit I was a blind fool and should have listened to my parents’ caution?’ She was like a runaway train, unable to stop. ‘That I should have realized much sooner that it was the Karsouli wealth he wanted…not me, and that the entire engagement and lead-up to the marriage had simply been an act?’
Loukas wrapped his arms around her slender form and drew her in against him, sheltering her even as anger against the man who’d hurt her consumed him. To think of her as the victim of one man’s uncontrollable rage almost undid him.
A shiver shook her slender frame as she felt his muscles tense. ‘Please.’ She couldn’t remain where she was, naked and vulnerable.
‘Stay,’ he said gently.
What of her own emotions? He’d awakened something inside her she hadn’t known existed. Feelings that tugged her heartstrings and made her think of the impossible.
And that would never do.
She’d given her heart once, only to have that love blow up in her face. There was no way she’d risk gifting her heart again.
Yet it felt good to be held curved in against him. His warmth surrounded her, the beat of his heart solid and even against her back. His arms offered a protective haven, and on an early Sunday morning there was no need to rise, shine and prepare for a day in the city.
Alesha spent the morning at her apartment, checked with Reception for any mail, made a few phone calls, one of which enlisted the continued services of her cleaning lady…another to Lacey suggesting they spend the afternoon at Darling Harbour.
The day was cool, the skies grey with the threat of showers, and she chose to don designer jeans, a tee shirt over which she pulled on a thigh-length knitted jacket, and she fixed a belt low on her hips. Knee-length boots completed the outfit.
By chance she found a convenient parking space not too far distant from where she’d arranged to meet Lacey, and after exchanging an affectionate hug they made for a nearby café and ordered lattes.
‘So,’ Lacey began. ‘Tell.’
Alesha lifted an eyebrow. ‘As in?’
‘This is Lacey, best friend, confidante…remember? I have your happiness at heart.’ The look she
offered held thoughtful concern as she queried quietly, ‘Are you?’
Prevarication wouldn’t work. Lacey would see through it in a second. ‘Happy? It’s early days.’
‘Yes, I guess it is. So…moving right along?’
The benefit of friendship was being in tune, and they were, instinctively aware when to pause or pursue a subject.
‘Let’s focus on you.’ Alesha took an appreciative sip of her latte.
‘Too boring.’
‘Elucidate. Life, John, work?’
‘He wants the ring, house in the burbs, kids.’
‘And you don’t?’
‘I’ve known him for ever. We fit together well. But I want more than just…contentment. Warm and fuzzy is fine twenty or more years down the track. But now?’
‘Try adding some excitement.’
‘Did that, and all I got was the look. You know the one…like have I suddenly flipped?’
‘I’m almost afraid to ask.’
Lacey leaned in close to confide, and a few minutes later Alesha didn’t know whether to roll her eyes or laugh. ‘Subtle—not.’
Afterwards they wandered the various shops, boutiques and stalls, sharing company with an eclectic mix of people. Girls sporting boho chic, guys dressed from top to toe in black; a television personality with his wife and children; tourists. As well as the social set enjoying a late leisurely lunch in the restaurants overlooking the inner harbour.
Dusk was encroaching as Alesha headed towards Point Piper, and her pulse quickened to a faster beat as she garaged the car.
Loukas’ black Aston Martin was parked in its customary bay, and she entered the foyer, then headed for the staircase.
There was a need to shower and change before dinner, and she walked into the master suite, only to pause at the sight of Loukas in the process of shedding his clothes.
Fluid muscles moved and flexed beneath smooth olive skin…superb musculature honed to a peak of physical fitness.
Heat unfurled deep inside her with the memory of what they’d shared during the night. How his mouth had devoured her…the touch of his hands, the movement of his body within her own. Oh, dear God, the sweet ecstasy he created within as he played her with unhurried grace, urging her high until she shattered in his arms.
There was a part of her that wanted to cross the room, lean in close and lift her mouth to his and seek the wickedly sensual slide of his tongue as it explored, tantalized…and possessed.
At that moment he turned, and dark eyes speared her own as a smile curved his generously moulded mouth.
‘How was your afternoon with Lacey?’
‘Great.’ She consciously swallowed as he freed the zip fastening on his trousers and dispatched them. ‘We explored Darling Harbour.’
What was she doing standing here watching him undress like a fascinated voyeur?
An impertinent imp silently taunted, Because he’s well worth the look.
Alesha turned away, suddenly cross with herself, and she tugged off her boots, freed the belt and discarded her woollen jacket.
She heard the faint buzz of an electric shaver and relaxed a little. If she moved quickly, she’d be able to shed her jeans and tee and reach her own en suite before Loukas finished shaving.
Minutes later she activated the shower, shed bra and briefs, then she stepped into the large marble-tiled cubicle, caught up soap and began sliding the scented tablet over her body.
Her skin felt sensitive, alive, in a way it never had before, and each movement of the soap brought a vivid reminder of his touch. If she closed her eyes, she could almost believe he was there.
To have her every waking thought filled with his image after one night in his bed was crazy. Yet try as she might she couldn’t shake him from her mind.
A faint groan emerged from her throat minutes later as she closed the water dial and caught up a towel.
Don’t think…in the name of heaven don’t let your mind slip back and compare the past with the present.
Yet how could she not?
Sex with Loukas had been mind-blowing. Except it hadn’t just been sex, it had been intimacy, at a level she hadn’t previously experienced.
A shaft of sheer sensation spiralled through her body at the mere thought…
Oh, move right along, why don’t you? Focus on the prosaic. Get dressed, go join Loukas for dinner, indulge in pleasant conversation…and escape in due course with the need for an early night.
Rethink that excuse, or he might take it as an invitation to join her in bed. Time spent on her laptop, catching up with email, work…that should do it.
Act…you’re good at it, she admonished as she forked delicious morsels from her plate.
Did Loukas guess she was harbouring a conflicting mess of nerves? Possibly. He was an intelligent man, and way too astute for her peace of mind.
Why should she feel so acutely sensitive…on edge, and extremely conscious of him? Dammit, she could still feel him inside her, his penetration so deep and all-consuming her vaginal muscles quivered on mere reflection.
Oh, hell. Now she was really losing it.
Somehow she managed to get through dinner, and when she was done she excused herself on the pretext of work.
Loukas let her go, his gaze thoughtful as he watched her leave the room. She was like a cat treading hot bricks, at odds with herself, him.
He tamped down the inclination to go after her. Instead, he refilled his cup with coffee, then took it into his home office and participated in a conference call with the Andreou Athens office, issued orders, and faced the possibility he might need to personally deal with the problem.
It was late when Alesha closed the laptop down and headed towards the master suite, only to find it empty.
She completed her nightly routine, discarded clothes for sleep trousers and top, then she stood hesitantly unsure whether to occupy Loukas’ bed or her own.
There was a part of her that wanted the comfort of his arms, his body and the pleasure he could gift her.
‘One or the other,’ Loukas declared from the doorway, startling her. ‘But we share.’
She turned and offered him a level look. ‘What if I choose not to?’
‘We sleep together,’ he drawled. ‘With the emphasis on sleep.’ He pulled his shirt free, tended to the buttons and reached for the zip fastening on his trousers, shed them and crossed to his en suite.
Alesha slid into bed, her own, closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, only to unconsciously tense as she sensed the bedcovers shift and Loukas joined her in bed.
‘Sleep well, agape mou.’
His voice held quiet amusement, and she refrained from uttering a word in response.
Within minutes his breathing steadied, and she silently cursed his ability to fall asleep so easily.
At some stage she must have succumbed, for she woke at dawn feeling warm, secure…and aware she lay gathered in against a hard male body.
Had she moved in the night…or had he?
Did it matter?
The question was how she could extricate herself without waking him. A mission in itself, given his arm lay heavy across her waist.
It was a nice feeling.
Nice? Oh, please. The word didn’t even begin to cut it. It felt so good, so right, there was a part of her that wanted to remain where she was, curled in against him.
Safe, secure, here where she was meant to be.
Where she wanted to be.
To touch him, lightly, with her lips, the tips of her fingers…to watch him stir, become aware, awake. And see his mouth curve into that sensual smile he did so well, the soft gleam appear in those dark eyes…and have his mouth close over hers in the prerequisite that would lead to early-morning sex.
Whoa. What was happening here?
Being held in his arms was one thing…sex, a whole different ball game. One she didn’t feel sufficiently equipped to play. At least, not yet. But just for a moment, while he slept, she savoured the luxu
ry and let her mind wander to possible maybes…until reality surfaced.
So, just shift his arm, and move. What’s the big deal?
But what if…? Oh, hell.
‘I can almost hear your mind working.’
So much for thinking he still slept.
‘Then you’ll know I want out of this bed.’
She was almost certain she sensed his soft laugh. ‘I can’t persuade you to stay?’
‘No.’
‘Pity.’ He removed his arm and rolled onto his back as she escaped from the bed, taking pleasure in watching her cross the room.
A beautiful young woman, who came alive beneath his touch, wondrous at the measure of her response, yet tentative about losing her inhibitions.
There was a part of him that wanted the opportunity to physically thrash the man who’d treated her with such deliberate mercilessness.
Except there was a better, more subtle way to inflict pain. He had the resources, the influence, the knowledge.
All he needed to do was set the wheels in motion.
CHAPTER EIGHT
PEAK-HOUR traffic into the city seemed more hectic and hazardous than usual, and Alesha silently cursed her independence in refusing to ride in to the office earlier with Loukas.
It set the day on a wrong foot; her laptop refused to boot up, her PA called in sick, and almost anything that could go wrong…did.
Worse, her BMW developed a puncture en route home at day’s end and the spare happened to be flat. Enlisting the help of an automobile service took wait time, together with the need to have the car towed to an approved workshop, where she called for a taxi to take her home.
Loukas arrived as she paid off the driver, and she grimaced a little.
‘Don’t ask,’ Alesha declared as he reached her side. ‘You really don’t want to know.’
He examined her pale features, the tenseness apparent as he cupped her chin and tilted it. ‘You weren’t in an accident?’
Her eyes met his with fearless disregard. ‘No.’ Without preamble she relayed the puncture, the flat spare.
The Andreou Marriage Arrangement Page 9
