by Andie Brock
* * *
Kate breathed in the Parisian night air, concentrating on soaking up the atmosphere to try and blot out the nearness of the man beside her.
This place had such a buzz to it you couldn’t help but fall in love with it. The ancient streets were bustling with tourists and locals alike, the cafés and restaurants were spilling out onto the wide pavements, the smell of cooking filled the air, laughter and chatter were all around them.
Turning a corner, they entered in a square filled with artists, their easels set up under trees festooned with fairy lights, their paintings spread out on the pavement or set up against the railings. Taking his cue from Kate, Nikos slowed his step.
‘Montmartre is famous for its artists.’ He gestured to the tall buildings around them. ‘Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso—they all lived and worked here at some point in their career.’
Kate followed his gaze. She was pretty good on her art history, so she already knew that, but how wonderful it was to think that these geniuses, whose paintings she had drooled over in galleries, had actually been here—maybe even stood in the exact same spot. She could almost feel their presence.
‘Though I’m not sure these guys are quite in the same league.’
‘Maybe not.’ Kate gave a soft laugh. ‘But they have to earn a living, the same as the rest of us, and if this is the way they do it then I envy them.’
‘Really?’ Nikos turned her towards him so he could see her face. ‘You mean you would give up your candy empire in favour of an artist’s palette?’
‘It would be a camera in my case.’ Kate pulled her gaze away from his searching stare. ‘I would have loved to be a professional photographer.’
‘But I thought you hated the paparazzi?’
‘I do.’ She turned back quickly to look at him. ‘I’m not talking about that sort of photography. I mean portraits, landscapes—that sort of thing.’
‘So why didn’t you, then?’
‘Why didn’t I what?’
‘Become a photographer?’
‘As my father’s only heir, I was expected to join the family firm. The idea was that I would start at the bottom, slowly learn all aspects of the business. But then Daddy died...’ she looked away again ‘...and suddenly I was in charge of the whole company. Well, me and Mom. Mom couldn’t cope with the pressure and I messed up—big-time. But I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that.’
‘No.’ Nikos agreed, and his gentle voice turned her back to face him. ‘There are plenty of sharks out there waiting for the chance to pounce on a vulnerable innocent.’
‘As I found out to my cost.’
‘Indeed.’ Nikos scuffed his foot against the ground. ‘But I always assumed taking control of Kandy Kate was what you wanted.’
‘Maybe at some point in the future. But not then. I never expected my father to die so soon...’ Her voice tailed off.
‘So your years of freedom were cut short?’
‘I’ve never had any freedom—not really.’ Kate met the dark gleam of his eyes. ‘Kandy Kate has always ruled my life.’
As her gentle confession fell softly between them Nikos’s intense stare made Kate catch her breath. For in that one fleeting moment it felt as if he was seeing the real her.
‘And more so now than ever?’ He lowered his head, deepening the level of intimacy.
‘Yes...’ The word came out on a soft breath. ‘More so now than ever.’
‘But it doesn’t have to be like that.’ Nikos shifted his position. ‘Once I have legal guardianship of Sofia you will have your freedom back. Kandy Kate will be back on its feet. You could sell it as a profitable business, invest the money—do whatever you want to do.’
‘I would never sell Kandy Kate.’
‘No? Well, that’s your choice.’ His voice suddenly hardened, the glitter in his eyes turning to chips of ice. ‘Why didn’t you tell me, Kate, right from the start, that you were heiress to a confectionery fortune?’
‘I told you about the business.’ The mood had changed in an instant.
‘But you deliberately played it down. I had no idea it was such a big deal until I got to New York.’
‘I didn’t think it was important.’
‘Don’t give me that,’ Nikos scoffed. ‘You consciously withheld the information.’
Kate touched her ear. ‘Maybe I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want it come between us—the fact that...’
‘Go on, Kate. The fact that what?’
‘Well, that I was from a wealthy background and you were...’
‘I was what? A penniless waiter? The son of a two-bit taverna owner?’
‘No...well, yes. I didn’t want the differences in our backgrounds to come between us.’
‘That worked out well.’ Sarcasm scored his voice. ‘So I was right.’ Nikos folded his arms across his chest. ‘The reason you didn’t want me to accompany you when you returned to New York was because you were ashamed of me.’
‘No! You’ve got it all wrong, Nikos.’
‘Really? Well, that’s what it felt like. When I asked you to marry me, I had no idea of the extreme wealth of your family. When I flew to New York to attend your father’s funeral I had no idea what I was walking in to. And that’s because you deliberately kept it from me, Kate.’
‘Well, if I did it was just because I was trying to hang on to what we had for as long as possible.’
‘You knew, Kate. Right from the start you knew we had no long-term future. Even when you accepted my marriage proposal. Even as I slipped the engagement ring on your finger.’
‘No! I didn’t! You’re twisting my words.’
‘Then how come that ring had miraculously vanished by the time I arrived in New York?’
‘You know why.’ Kate looked down at her feet. ‘When Daddy got ill, I didn’t want to risk upsetting him any further...’
‘Ah, yes. Thanks for that, Kate.’
‘And then he died. And then...’
‘Yeah.’ Nikos curled his lip. ‘I know—the rest is history.’ He pushed back his shoulders, looking down at her from his imposing height. ‘And now we’re in the present and I’m the one with the money and the power. How does that feel, Kate?’
‘It doesn’t feel like anything.’ Kate felt her cheeks flush with the lie. ‘You flatter yourself if you think you still have the ability to upset me.’
‘Is that so?’
Cupping her jaw with one strong, warm hand, Nikos tilted her head until her startled gaze met his. She desperately battled against the pulse of arousal.
‘Then you might want to tell your face.’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘That pinched expression is getting tiresome.’
What? Hurt and outrage stole away Kate’s breath, along with the words she wanted to hurl at him.
But she had no chance to reply anyway. For Nikos had turned away, leaving Kate gaping at the broad width of his back as he strode towards a collection of paintings propped up against some railings. As he approached the artist—an elderly gentleman wearing a beret and a cotton jacket fastened with one high button—levered himself up from his stool and started a conversation.
Kate stayed where she was, silently seething. She saw the artist look over at her, say something to Nikos, then gesture for her to come closer. Reluctantly Kate did as she was told, keeping a frosty distance from Nikos, who was holding up a painting to inspect it more closely.
‘Enchanté, mademoiselle.’ With a theatrical flourish the artist took Kate’s hand and raised it to his dry lips. Letting her hand drop, he took hold of her chin, turning her profile first one way and then the other. ‘Magnifique.’ He muttered the word under his breath before addressing her again. ‘The perfect artist’s muse.’
‘Thank you—merci.’
Kate flinched with embarrassmen
t. No stranger to compliments, she usually casually accepted them for what they were—throwaway comments or chat-up lines. But this elderly gentleman seemed to be looking right through her.
‘All the artists...they must be queuing up to paint you, oui?’ He continued to stare at her.
‘No—non.’ She gave an awkward laugh. All she had was a controlling fake husband who thought she had a pinched face.
‘Then I despair of the younger generation.’ He shook his head sadly. ‘If I were twenty years younger I would not let you walk away. But as it is...’ He paused, stroking his chin. ‘Perhaps you would allow me to do a drawing of you?’
‘Oh, I don’t think so...’
‘Go on, Kate.’ Nikos interrupted, a hint of amusement in his voice. ‘Why not?’
‘Ten minutes of your time—that’s all.’
The artist was already clipping a large sheet of paper to his easel and picking up his charcoals. Gesturing to Kate to sit in a folding chair opposite him, he studied her carefully for several long seconds, then rapidly began to sketch.
Nikos moved so that he was behind the artist, his eyes travelling from the portrait to Kate and back again, almost as if he was drawing her himself. Kate held herself very still, Nikos’s intense gaze was putting her in a sensual trance, making every inch of her feel tight, aware, as the sound of the charcoal squeaked across the paper. It was the most peculiar feeling.
‘Voilà.’ Unclipping the paper, the elderly man gave it a shake before turning it for Kate to see.
The trance broken, Kate looked at her image in astonishment. It was amazing, the way he had captured her so quickly and so accurately. Her guarded expression stared back at her, but there was also a faraway look in her eyes, a hint of the erotic way Nikos had made her feel as the sketch had been drawn. It was almost indecent—not to mention embarrassing. Kate had no idea she’d given away her feelings so blatantly. And if the artist had caught that look, then obviously so had Nikos.
She stole a nervous glance in his direction, but he was still standing in the shadows and she couldn’t read his expression. Oh, well, Kate reasoned as she peered at the portrait again, on the plus side, at least Nikos couldn’t accuse her of looking pinched.
‘How much do I owe you?’ Stepping forward, Nikos put his hand in his inside pocket, reaching for his wallet.
‘Rien. Nothing.’ The old man sprayed the portrait with fixative, then started to roll up it up, deftly tying it with string. ‘This is a gift.’
‘No, really—you must let me pay you.’ Ever the alpha male, Nikos had pulled out a wad of euros and was trying to hand them over, but he was waved away dismissively.
‘What you must do, monsieur, is take care of this young woman.’ He solemnly presented Nikos with the drawing. ‘Love her as she deserves to be loved. That is all the payment I need.’
Awkward!
After thanking the artist profusely, Kate moved away, suddenly desperate to escape the hothouse atmosphere surrounding them. She set off at a brisk pace, having no idea where she was going, but Nikos’s footsteps soon caught up with her, and as he linked his arm through hers, guiding them away from the square, it was clear he was in charge again.
Kate’s body stiffened as she waited for him to say something, to make a deliberate comment about the drawing that he held by its string in his left hand in order to watch her squirm. But seemingly lost in brooding silence Nikos remained quiet, and Kate let herself breathe again.
When she tried to loosen his hold on her, however, he resisted, keeping her securely by his side as he purposefully steered them through the narrow, twisty streets.
Eventually a steep fight of steps brought them to a wide open space, offering the most breathtaking view of Paris. Behind them the magnificent Basilica Sacré-Coeur rose up, floodlit a pale orange against the indigo night sky.
‘Wow!’ Kate whispered into the night as she stared in awe at the towering edifice.
‘Quite something, isn’t it?’
Despite his comment, Kate could feel that Nikos’s intense gaze was focussed solely on her.
‘Shall we walk up to the top?’
‘Sure.’ She hurriedly agreed, if only to stop him staring at her like that.
The shoes would have to go, though. All this walking in heels was killing her feet. Easing them off, she hooked them over her shoulder with two fingers, trying her best to ignore the fact that Nikos was watching her every move with meticulous attention.
The climb was well worth it. The view was even more spectacular from up here. The whole of Paris was laid out before them like a tapestry of light, with the Eiffel Tower twinkling away in the distance.
Kate sat herself down on the top step but Nikos seemed restless, pacing around with his arms folded across his chest. Eventually he came and sat next to her, so close that she could feel his warmth, breathe in his unique, intoxicating scent. Suddenly the view blurred and Kate became aware of nothing but the overpowering presence of the man beside her.
No matter where they were, however fraught, infuriating or downright horrific the situation, his nearness always provoked the same wild, uncontrollable reaction. A rioting mess of nerves and sensations that went through her like a sweeping storm, knotting her insides with both pleasure and pain, leaving her weak with longing.
She stole a look at his stark profile, softened only slightly by the glow from the floodlights. So darkly handsome. So imposing. Held in the quiet intensity of this moment, Kate heard herself silently wishing, yet again, that things could have been different. That they could have found a way to make it work.
As her gaze fell upon his proud features she was forced to accept that mistakes had been made on both sides. Nikos had been unforgivably cruel. But maybe she could have handled things better.
Dragging her gaze away to focus on the glittering lights of Paris, Kate knew one thing for certain. No matter what she did, how hard she tried to fight it, Nikos’s grip on her heart refused to lessen.
CHAPTER SIX
NIKOS TOOK IN a sharp breath, hoping the chill of the night air would knock some sense into him. His agitation, far from lessening since they had left the Moulin Rouge, had only grown more intense. That old artist guy hadn’t helped. He had fallen for Kate the same way everyone else seemed to. Something about her just drew people to her, made them love her.
Love her as she deserves to be loved.
Nikos turned the phrase over in his head. Hadn’t he tried loving Kate once, with disastrous consequences? He had no intention of making that mistake again. What Kate deserved was to be treated the same way she had treated him. To be shown exactly what it felt like to be on the receiving end of such callous disregard.
He would never forgive her for the way she had treated him when he’d arrived in New York. The panicked look on her face when he’d introduced himself to her mother as her fiancé...the way she had rejected him, pushed him away, both as a lover and as a man, making it abundantly clear that he wasn’t wanted there in the bosom of her precious family... It still trickled like lava through his veins. She had as good as told him he wasn’t worthy of her love. Her crucifying lack of faith in him, in who he was and who he could be, had ripped their precious relationship to shreds, tearing it apart like tissue paper.
Yes, Kate O’Connor deserved to be taught a lesson. And the form that lesson should take loomed larger and larger in Nikos’s head. The longer he was in Kate’s presence, the harder it became to resist.
He needed a diversion. Taking a breath, Nikos marshalled his thoughts into line. He needed something to diffuse the insidious power Kate had over him. Fiona O’Connor. The thought of that woman should do it.
‘So...’ Nikos gave a small cough. ‘How is your mother?’ His random question sounded every bit as insincere as it was. But immediately Kate’s head flew in his direction.
‘She’s okay, thank you.’
<
br /> ‘I trust she won’t get her hands on any of the money I have invested in Kandy Kate?’
Kate gave a huff. ‘So that’s what you’re worrying about? Let me assure you, your investment is perfectly safe.’
‘Kalos—good.’ Nikos placed his hand on the step between them. It felt pleasantly cold beneath his touch. ‘Though you can’t blame me for checking. I have to say the way she managed to ruin the reputation of the family business so quickly was very impressive. Her quote about never letting you eat candy as a kid because it was so bad for your teeth was a masterstroke.’
‘She was tricked into saying that by a manipulative journalist.’
‘Still defending her, Kate?’ Nikos edged closer, enjoying himself now. He watched as Kate picked up her shoes from beside her and placed them in her lap. ‘You still think that Mommy Dearest has done nothing wrong?’
‘I know she made some bad decisions. We both did.’
‘You can say that again.’
A tense silence split the air before Kate stood up, the shoes still held in her hands. She raised one, almost like a weapon, before bending to slip it onto her foot, wobbling unsteadily. Immediately Nikos was there, his arms around her to steady her.
‘But now you’re able to put that right.’ He held her firmly to him, refusing to let her pull away. She felt slight beneath his touch—fragile like a trapped bird. ‘I know how much that means to you.’
‘Yes.’ Kate held herself very still, her green eyes flashing in the dark. ‘It means everything.’
‘Everything?’ Nikos turned the word over in his mouth. It left a bitter taste. ‘That just about sums it up, doesn’t it, Kate? If only you’d told me that from the start it would have saved a lot of...’ He hesitated momentarily as he banished the word heartache from his lips. ‘A lot of confusion.’
He felt Kate stir in his arms, inhaled the meadowy scent of her freshly washed hair.
‘Let me go, Nikos.’
Nikos released his grip, letting his hands slide down Kate’s bare arms and at the last minute taking hold of her hands in his. ‘I thought I’d done that a long time ago, Kate. I really did.’ He stared at their joined hands, his thumbs gently stroking her palms. ‘Now I’m not so sure.’
