All The Way

by Tricia Jones

  “Your phone.” He waggled his fingers. “I don’t want you contacting your sister again.”

  “I won’t, but you’re not taking my phone away like I’m some recalcitrant child.”

  He shook his head as the attendant offered to fill his coffee cup. Alone with Grace again, he warned, “Don’t make further contact unless you run it by me first.”

  “I appreciate what you’re doing. More than you’ll ever know. But please don’t treat me as if I’m lacking in brain cells.”

  “You surely have a few missing,” he said stiffly. “Why else would you have allowed your sister to become involved with a man without knowing or having some inclination what was going on?”

  “How was I supposed to do that? Take away her phone?”

  “If necessary. You knew her better than anyone, yet you failed to restrict her comings and goings. You should have kept a tight rein on her flighty ways. Always she twisted you around her finger.”

  Because it was true, Grace turned and looked out the window. “She’s all I have. I want her to be happy.”

  “You want her to need you.”

  She snapped back to glare at him. “That’s not true.”

  “Isn’t it?” Casually, he turned to her. “You agonized deciding whether or not to send her away to that school. You wanted to keep her home as much for your benefit as for hers. You spoil her, Grace. You always did.”

  She seethed for a moment, letting his words penetrate, but knew he spoke the truth. She had spoiled Leah. It was the only way she knew to keep her vow to her father.

  “The promise you made to your parents,” he said as if reading her thoughts, “is what drives you now.”

  “Of course it drives me, I’d be a fool to deny it. That doesn’t mean I don’t love her, don’t want what’s best for her. She’s still a baby. As much as she likes to think so, she isn’t worldly.”

  For the sake of something to do with her hands, Grace picked up the magazine again. “I’m not letting her down. Not again. If, in your words, that makes me needy, then I’m needy.”

  The attendant came back to clear away their coffee and the remnants of the sandwiches Grace had hardly touched.

  “You should eat,” Nikolai said absently as he closed down his laptop. “You’ll be no use to me or your sister if you fall ill.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Then buckle up, we’ll be landing shortly.”

  ****

  Athens was hot, crowded and noisy. The waiting car sped them through rush hour traffic, setting horns honking and tires screeching. Any other time, Grace would have been white knuckled, but this time she sat stoically willing the miles away until they reached their destination and the search for Leah could begin.

  The hotel was small and secluded, on the outskirts of the city, its quiet elegance and comfort different to the five-star luxury Nikolai usually demanded. The concierge showed them to adjoining rooms, and Nikolai glanced around Grace’s room as the man placed her suitcase on the small antique unit at the end of her bed. Nikolai mumbled something to the man who glanced at Grace before nodding as Nikolai slipped him a tip, then closed the door as he left.

  “What did you say to him?”

  “Suspicious of my every move, but as we have already established, nothing changes.”

  Tired and hot, she went to her suitcase and unzipped it. “Yeah, and you always give me reason to think otherwise, don’t you?”

  “Sarcasm. I don’t remember that of you. I’ll put it down to lack of food.”

  “Put it down to what you like, but don’t forget to add the presence of an obnoxious, domineering brute to the list of possibilities.” She flipped open the lid of her case, not surprised when he didn’t take the inference and stood watching her as she pulled out her toiletries and fresh underwear. Awareness shimmered over her at the knowledge of his perusal, which only inflamed her irritation with both the situation and him. “Why don’t you do something useful and check out your own room. Or can’t I be trusted to behave myself?”

  She wasn’t sure why she was baiting him. Like her sister, he dug his heels in when challenged and on occasion could be bloody-minded just for the sake of it. So why was she deliberately trying to piss him off?

  When he stepped behind her, she had the answer to her question. She still wanted him. After everything that had happened between them, she still wanted him. He was inches from her but she felt his energy like a lightning bolt.

  “Are you so anxious to be rid of me, milaya? There was a time, and many a hotel room, when you welcomed my presence.” Her flesh reacted with a delicious shiver as he moved even closer. “So much has changed, it seems, since those days.”

  “Too much.” She stiffened, more in protection of her shaky nerves and trembling flesh than anything else. “Those days are truly gone, Niko. If you intend to have sex with me now, this minute, the consequences will be on your head not mine.”

  He wrapped his fingers around her upper arms and drew her back against him. She closed her eyes against the torment of his touch, against the scent of him invading her nostrils.

  “If I take you now, this minute, I could care less that it’s on my head. I would,” he brushed his mouth along her neck, “welcome it.”

  “So you’re saying you want to reinstate your terms for helping me?” She tried to make her tone sharp and officious, but her shaky voice made a mockery of her plan. “You’d be within your rights, of course, but you’ll not have my response.”

  His mouth skimmed along her shoulder, pushing aside the white cotton of her simple tee. “A challenge, angel? How you know I love those.”

  Her body remembered his touch, welcomed it. Her blood ran hot in her veins and her flesh responded with primal need as his mouth continued its slow torture. He traced a line along her shoulder and back again to her neck, keeping the contact light and excruciating.

  Grace bit the inside of her mouth, determined not to react as his hands slid sensuously down her arms. “Do you remember?” His breath whispered over her ear. “That first night we were together?”

  How would she ever forget? She would die remembering.

  “The hotel bar was full of stranded passengers.” He linked their fingers. “All I saw was you.”

  Determined not to revisit that night again, and especially not while his mouth did amazing things to her neck, Grace tried to block the memory. She couldn’t. All she could remember was his cool, blue gaze as it fixed on her; the way he hadn’t taken his attention from her as he walked across the space separating them; his deep and accented voice as he asked her what she would like to drink.

  She swallowed, turned her head away. “You had several hours to kill. We’ve already established that picking up a woman was one way to pass them.”

  Her response did nothing to halt his treacherous mouth as it continued its journey along her shivering flesh. “You let me buy you a drink.”

  “Then you talked me into bed.”

  His fingers flexed against hers. “I needed few words to convince you.”

  “‘Spend the night with me,’ you said. Very original.”

  He laughed, a light rumble against her neck. “We missed our flights the next morning.”

  “Yes, thanks for that. I had to fill out a report when I got back to work asking why.”

  His tongue was doing something really good to her ear lobe and heat screamed between her legs. When he bit gently on the sensitive skin, she felt her head swim.

  “You refused to tell me your name.”

  Because she’d thought they’d never meet again. For the first time in her life she’d indulged in a one-night-stand, anticipating that there would be no repercussions. She’d needed someone that night and a stranger in a hotel bar had been the perfect solution.

  Except it had backfired. A few weeks later he’d turned up on her doorstep.

  “Maybe you should have taken the hint.”

  His hands moved to her hips, then lowered to her thighs. �
�Hint?”

  “No names,” she said as her knees went weak. “The strangers in the bar thing. No names, no consequences.”

  “I wanted you, angel. Then…” He nudged away her skirt, then slipped his hands between her thighs, fingers pushing in toward the heat. “…and now.”

  She closed her eyes, leaning back against him as his fingers pressed between her legs. She covered his hands with hers, felt the strength and determination in his touch. “What about your ‘any other woman’ theory.”

  She felt him smile against her neck. “I lied.”

  Wanting to deepen and prolong the connection, she subtly parted her legs an inch. “Pretty convenient time for a confession.”

  She wasn’t sure which one of them groaned as he cupped her, pushing the fingers of one hand as deep inside her as the thin barrier of her panties would allow.

  “You feel the same,” he whispered in that dark and accented tone she loved so much. “The same.”

  While he referred to her body, Grace knew that wasn’t the only thing that remained the same. She felt herself sinking into that same pit of need, so familiar, so heartbreakingly dangerous.

  “You’re wet and ready for me. As you always were.”

  It was the proverbial damp sponge.

  She couldn’t do this again. Couldn’t go here again. Never again.

  With an effort of will that seemed to belong to someone else, Grace pulled his hand away. “You’re wrong.” As she side-stepped him, she tugged down her skirt. “Nothing’s the same.”

  When she turned to face him she saw the gleam in his eyes. “Two years ago, I wanted you. I don’t any more. And that’s not meant as a challenge, Niko.”

  He smiled, confident and feral. “You are a liar.”

  As he moved toward her, she stepped back from him. “Leave me alone. I have a headache.”

  The smile disappeared. He started to lift his hand toward her face, hesitated, then gave her a questioning look before he walked to the adjoining door.

  Alone, Grace dropped to the bed. Her legs felt like jelly, her stomach in knots, her heart in freefall. Despite all the ways she’d tried to forget him, it seemed their time apart had only served to make her want him more. How he could make her feel. How he could reduce her to pulp with the stroke of his hand against her skin. A simple touch. Kisses that left her breathless. If he wanted her, he could have her. He’d been right about that. Damn him.

  Which went to prove what an idiot she was. Things would never change. He would never change. He was still guarded, perhaps even more so. He still treated her like she didn’t have the brains she was born with.

  If she gave in to him now, if she gave in to her own needs and desires? More heartbreak. More long nights wishing he were different. Was that what she really wanted for herself? She wrapped her arms around her chest and resisted the urge to sway. God. How had she managed to get everything so wrong? How had she managed to mess up the two things in her life that had been all that really mattered—Leah and…him.

  Giving evidence against him had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. Yet he’d given her no choice and she’d had to put Leah first. If he’d been willing to share with her, tell her what was happening, she wouldn’t have been placed in such an impossible position. If he’d simply told her the truth, she wouldn’t have been forced into betraying him.

  She’d had no choice.

  Grace kept trying to convince herself of that as she went into the bathroom, took a shower and washed her hair. Refreshed, she slipped into a fresh cotton top, then looked around the room. What did she do now? At a loss, she turned on the TV and flicked through channels trying to locate an English speaking one. All she found was the news channel and, unable to concentrate, switched it off.

  On the side table sat bottled water, fresh fruit and chocolates. Leah would be on the latter before Grace could blink, she thought as she poured herself water. Her sister had a sweet tooth that could single-handed keep the sugar industry in business. A smile hovered on her lips but froze halfway. Where was Leah now? What was she doing? Was she okay?

  The queasy feeling rose up inside her again. Regardless of what Nikolai had warned, she had to keep trying to contact Leah.

  Grace walked to the bed, picked up her bag and checked her cell phone. No messages. Exasperated, her fingers went to the keypad. All she was doing was sending another text, she assured herself as Nikolai’s warning rang in her mind. A simple let me know you’re okay. Nothing to alert Leah that she was looking for her, or that Nikolai was with her. What could be wrong with that?

  Staring at the phone as if it held the secrets to the universe, Grace stood there beside the bed and tried to gather the courage to text again. But what if Nikolai had been right and her constant messaging would send them deeper underground? What then? She might never find Leah. It happened, didn’t it? People went missing and were never seen again.

  This waiting was killing her.

  Unable to stop herself, Grace went and knocked on the adjoining door. Receiving no response, she knocked harder. Harder still, calling Nikolai’s name.

  She tried the handle, and was only slightly surprised when she found the door unlocked. No sign of Nikolai though, and while his case lay on the bed, untouched, the room gave no other signs of occupancy. Zero traces of him in the bathroom either and her heart lurched disagreeably as anger clawed its way through.

  He’d gone. Without her.

  But why would he have left without his case? Unless… Yanking the case toward her she tried the clasp, but found it locked.

  Temper escalated as she fiddled with the padlock, keying in random number patterns but without success.

  “What do you expect to find?” She whirled and saw Nikolai move into the room, where he dropped a packet on the side table. “Nothing in there would interest you. Your snooping efforts would be more successfully directed toward my briefcase, but that is safely locked away.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “I wasn’t snooping. The only thing I expected to find was an empty case. I thought you’d left.”

  “Why would I leave?”

  “You made it clear you don’t want me here. You’d prefer I was back in London, so I can’t interfere, so I can’t get in your way.”

  He shrugged. “I find it hard to argue with that.”

  “And I wasn’t snooping.”

  He strolled toward his case, rattled the lock. “This time.”

  She angled her chin into the air. “Any time.”

  “I find that hard to believe when I come upon my ex-lover attempting to break into my case. Looking for what, I wonder? More evidence to use against me?”

  The insult hurt, going so deep it caught her breath. “For God’s sake, Niko. You gave me no choice.”

  “You had a choice.” He stepped in front of her as she stood with her back to the bed. “You chose to destroy me.”

  “That’s not how it was. I had Leah to—”

  She gasped as his hand snaked around her throat. “Tell me, Grace. What exactly do you believe me capable of?”

  His eyes were deceptively cool as his fingers squeezed lightly. She reached up to grab his wrist. “Let go of me.”

  “Do you believe me capable of this?” He squeezed a fraction more, enough to make her heart thump. Then he leaned close, his mouth a whisper away. “Tell me, angel. Are you afraid of me? Right now?”

  Against his palm, she swallowed. “No.”

  His gaze bored into hers, the look in his eyes no longer cool but darkening with heat. He leaned a little closer. She’d never seen him quite like this, but knew he’d take it no further. Deep down where it really mattered, she knew he’d take it no further. The surprise of it caught her breath, made her heart stumble. He’d never hurt her. At least, not physically.

  As if he’d read her thoughts, he released her. Instinctively, she covered her neck with her own hand and was about to suck in a breath when he wrapped his arm around her waist and nudged her backwards. Toge
ther they toppled onto the bed.

  “You are afraid of me.” His eyes had softened a fraction, but she wasn’t fooled. They could change in a heartbeat. “I see it now as I have always seen it.”

  Pressed against her, his hard body felt amazing. “I’m not afraid of you.”

  His smile was predatory. “You’re afraid of what I do to you, Grace. Of the way I make you feel.”

  “No.” She shoved him away, or tried to. “I’m not.”

  “Do you remember?” He ran his fingers lightly up her arm. “Do you remember this?” With no warning his mouth pressed down hard. Grace gasped beneath the force of it, but he only used the moment to push his tongue between her parted lips. She tried not to respond, she really did. But the battle was in vain. His touch. His taste. There was never any defence against him.

  When he nudged her legs apart, she tried to stop the kiss and turned her head away, but he used his hand to bring her mouth back to his. As his knee brushed against her inner thigh, the heat burning between her legs turned to fire and she ached to feel him at her very core, filling that part of her that had been empty for so long. She wanted him. Wanted him so badly she didn’t care about the how, why or where.

  He found her breast with rough, demanding fingers and started tugging the top from her waistband, but it caught. He withdrew his mouth from hers and glanced down, growling as he tried to unhook the material from the snap on her belt.

  She placed a hand on his chest, wanting the feel of that lean, hard muscle beneath his shirt.

  He froze and looked at her hand. “A token objection?” His eyes gleamed dangerously as he returned his gaze to hers. “So you can absolve yourself of responsibility for what happens between us?”

  His officious tone pissed her off and acted like a damp cloth over her escalating arousal. “I’m not responsible. This is not my choice, I’m merely paying off a debt.”

  He gave a mocking laugh, kissed her hard, then stood and straightened his shirt. “It takes one small touch to light you up, my little witch. One brush of my fingers against your breast. One stroke of my hand between your legs.”