‘Come here, darling,’ he coaxed. ‘I haven’t kissed you goodbye.’
She retraced her steps and lifted her face to his, trying to ignore the taunting light in his dark eyes as he bent his head to hers.
His kiss was blatantly sexual, which made her grow hot all over, particularly with his right-hand man looking on.
Somehow she managed to break the embrace without betraying herself. She lifted her hand in a wave that encompassed them both and left the office with a haste she hoped Jeremy Myalls would put down to her urge to shop and not to the desperate need she had to put some much needed distance between Demetrius Papasakis and herself.
After the brief appointment with Demetrius’s lawyer was over she wandered aimlessly around the shops, stopping to look at things occasionally, but after half an hour or so gave up. She decided her lack of shopping prowess was no doubt due to her constant shortage of funds in the past, Kyle’s history of disruptive behaviour steadily eating into her resources.
She wondered if perhaps Demetrius was right; she had gone to her brother’s rescue too often, but on reflection she couldn’t see how she could have done any differently. Ever since their mother had died in a car accident she’d more or less taken on the responsibility of caring for Kyle. She knew deep down he appreciated it, even if he never actually came out and said so. She’d even given up her own hopes of a university education so he could take the lion’s share of resources their father had faithfully provided.
It worried her to think of how hard their father had worked to keep the family together. They hadn’t been exactly poor but neither had there been a surfeit of funds for the sort of luxuries other people took for granted. She thought about Demetrius’s comments about her father’s unusual behaviour in the few months before he died. It concerned her that she might have overlooked something which would provide the clue to why Demetrius would adopt that view, but for the life of her couldn’t recall anything significant in her father’s behaviour. Over the years she’d more or less grown used to his quiet presence in the background. Never a man to talk about his feelings; she had been content to let him be while she got on with the challenge of keeping Kyle on the straight and narrow with varying degrees of success.
But perhaps things hadn’t been as straightforward as she’d assumed. Maybe her father had had worries he hadn’t told anyone about, worries that in the end had become too much to cope with. Certainly the details of his estate had been somewhat of a shock to both her and Kyle. Their father’s lawyer had told them regretfully of outstanding taxes to pay, funeral costs and other overdue debts that needed immediate settlement. Once all those details had been attended to, however, there had been very little left. There had been no long-term investments, no stocks and bonds, and no savings to speak of. Maddison had had to sell her car to pay for one of Kyle’s subsequent misdemeanours as the bank had foreclosed on the house, leaving them without capital.
The more she thought about it she couldn’t help feeling guilty for not recognising her brother’s deep-seated anger towards Demetrius Papasakis earlier. While she knew Demetrius’s actions had no doubt contributed to her father’s illness and subsequent death, she hadn’t gone so far as to articulate as such. Instead, she’d quietly nurtured her own anger, hoping one day to do something to bring about the justice she knew her father deserved. In the meantime her volatile younger brother had taken his own revenge, an action she could hardly blame him for, considering the grief and loss they’d experienced. The only trouble was that she was now the one paying the price for her brother’s impulsive actions and from what she’d seen so far of Demetrius he expected her to pay up in full.
Another day passed without any contact from him and by the end of that evening Maddison started to relax enough to let her breath out in more generous portions. She’d felt on edge all day, waiting for his call or summons, busily rehearsing a hundred excuses to decline whatever date he had organised so he wouldn’t be able to call all the shots. But when it got to midnight and he hadn’t called at all she became angry. She felt as if he were playing with her, dangling her on the end of his line to draw out her punishment.
Two more days passed and she began to feel the pressure of the approaching wedding. Demetrius’s secretary informed her of the arrangements made on her behalf and Maddison’s anger grew steadily.
The removals firm arrived the next morning and she stood by as they set to the task of packing all her things ready to be transported to Demetrius’s penthouse or into storage. She opted to take very little with her, preferring to communicate the very temporary nature of their arrangement by keeping her baggage necessarily light.
Once the removal people had finished, she cleaned the apartment before taking the keys to the agent, feeling all the time as if she was stepping into the unknown.
How would she live with a man she hardly knew for an unspecified length of time? Could she trust him to keep the arrangement on paper? She kept reassuring herself he was already involved with Elena Tsoulis and would have no need of her to entertain him, but something in his manner towards her set her on edge. She had never been so acutely aware of a man in her entire life. How could she keep her reactions to him under wraps until the time lapsed? And when he had no further need of her would she be able to walk away without a single backward glance?
Later that day Maddison caught a cab to the Papasakis Park View Tower Hotel and approached the front desk to claim a key as directed by Demetrius’s secretary.
‘Miss Jones.’ The manager on duty smiled at her with warmth. ‘Welcome to the Papasakis Park View Tower. I hope your stay with us will be extremely happy.’
‘Thank you,’ she answered politely.
‘Here is your key.’ He handed her the key card. ‘And if there’s anything you require please feel free to call reception at any time. I believe your things have already been delivered. Would you like one of the domestic staff to help you unpack?’
‘No, that won’t be necessary,’ she reassured him. ‘Is…is Mr Papasakis upstairs?’
‘I believe he is.’ The manager smiled. ‘Would you like me to call him to tell him you’re here?’
‘No, I think I’ll surprise him myself.’ She schooled her features into what she hoped looked like artful playfulness. ‘He just loves surprises.’
She swung away towards the lifts with a secret smile; Demetrius Papasakis was in for the surprise of his life, she determined. She wasn’t going to meekly fit into his plans as if she didn’t have a bone in her back.
She opened the door of the penthouse without hesitation and closed it heavily behind her.
‘Hey babe, is that you?’ Demetrius’s voice called from one of the rooms down the hall.
His endearment threw her somewhat but she rallied valiantly. ‘Yes, Cupcake, it’s me.’
She heard his heavy strides as he came down the hall and straightened her spine when he came into view. He was wearing gym gear, the white T-shirt sticking to his chest where perspiration had gathered. His long tanned legs seemed to go on for ever, their hard musculature a heady reminder to her of his implacable strength.
His dark eyes swept over her briefly, coming back to settle on her blue eyes.
‘Cupcake?’ He frowned.
She gave him a guileless look. ‘Would you prefer something else?’ She put her bag down and kicked off her shoes. ‘Sweetie or baby or something?’
‘Demetrius will be fine,’ he said, watching as she released her hair from its casual ponytail to shake the ash-blonde tresses free.
‘God, I’m starving.’ She cracked her knuckles in front of her. ‘Does this place have room service?’
His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at her. ‘Just dial nine.’
She brushed past him to look around the penthouse, stopping in front of the huge windows to peer down at the street below.
‘Wow, what a view!’ She turned back to face him. ‘I think I’m going to enjoy living here.’
‘I’m very g
lad to hear it.’ His tone suggested anything but, and she smiled another secret inward smile.
‘Did you manage to find a suitable wedding dress?’ he asked.
‘I did, actually.’ She plopped down on the nearest leather sofa and put her feet on the coffee table, one of her big toes peeking out from a hole in her sock. ‘I made it myself.’
He disguised his grimace well, she thought.
‘You didn’t need to put yourself to so much trouble,’ he said dryly. ‘I gave you a credit card.’
‘Oh, it was no trouble,’ she assured him gaily. ‘I had some material left over from the curtains.’
‘Curtains?’
‘What’s wrong?’ She gave him a wide-eyed innocent look. ‘I paid a lot of money for those curtains, I’ll have you know.’
‘I don’t believe this.’ He shook his head as if trying to remove some sort of gremlin from his brain.
‘I thought you’d be pleased.’ She gave her version of a pout. ‘I didn’t see the point in wasting even more money, especially since you’ve already lost one point five million dollars with your boat.’
‘Don’t remind me.’
She swung her legs off the coffee table to stand up and stretch, instantly noting the way his dark eyes followed the upward movement of her T-shirt to reveal her toned stomach.
‘Have you had dinner?’ she asked.
‘Not as yet.’
‘Shall I order room service for you as well?’
‘No, I’m going out.’
‘Oh, silly me.’ She gave a vacuous giggle. ‘It’s your buck’s night, isn’t it?’
‘No, actually I was going to see Elena.’ He found himself lying for the heck of it. ‘I thought that was her when you arrived.’
‘Is she coming to the wedding?’ she asked, refusing to acknowledge the way his reference to Elena hurt.
‘No, I didn’t think it appropriate under the circumstances.’
‘I guess not,’ she said. ‘Exactly who is coming?’
‘No one you’d know. What about you? Did you get around to inviting anyone?’
‘No. I didn’t see the point.’
Demetrius’s hooded expression gave little away but Maddison knew she had annoyed him. She could sense it in the narrow eyed looks he was sending her way as if he couldn’t quite make her out.
‘I’m going to have a shower,’ he said. ‘I’ll leave you to make yourself at home.’
‘I feel right at home already.’ She smiled as she reached for the telephone to dial room service.
‘So I see,’ he said and turned away.
Maddison smiled to herself as she tucked her feet under her on the sofa; Demetrius Papasakis wasn’t going to have things all his own way if she had anything to do with it.
He left a short while later dressed in a casual shirt and trousers, the citrus fragrance of his aftershave lingering in the air long after he’d gone.
She picked at the food she’d ordered with little appetite. She hated to admit it but it annoyed her that he’d gone to be with his mistress the night before his marriage to her. She knew it was silly of her, especially since he’d made it clear the marriage was to be nothing but a charade, but still she felt irritated by his dismissal. She wondered if he was doing it deliberately to remind her of her temporary place in his life, that she had no hold over him at all.
She wandered about the plush penthouse distractedly, wondering if this time she’d bitten off far more than she could chew comfortably. Her little game was likely to backfire on her, for even though he played his cards close to his chest she sensed a brooding, simmering anger just under the surface of the thin veneer of politeness he’d demonstrated earlier.
She waited until as long as she dared for him to return but it was well past midnight when she conceded defeat and curled up in a tight ball in the spare bedroom, her things in various cartons about the room still unpacked. She was increasingly aware of the minutes ticking by, each one drawing her closer to the morning of her marriage to Demetrius.
She heard him come in at about two a.m.
She seriously considered turning off the small bedside lamp but years of habit forestalled her. She hadn’t slept without a small light on for years.
She strained her ears, her breath tight in her chest as she listened for any sound of him coming towards her room, but apart from the slight hiss of a tap and the soft clunk of a door closing there was nothing to suggest he had any other intention than going straight to his own bed.
She flung herself on to her stomach in an effort to stop herself thinking about his very male torso lying stretched out in the big bed in the main bedroom, his long, tanned limbs entangled in the sheets, his broad chest rising and falling, his hair tousled, his straight dark brows softened in relaxation and the firm lines of his mouth softening as he gradually drifted off to sleep.
She thumped the pillow and turned over to her back and stared at the lamplight shadows dancing on the ceiling, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
Damn him! She didn’t want to think about him. She didn’t want to remember how it felt to have his mouth on hers. Didn’t want to imagine what it would feel like to have his hard male body press hers to the mattress, his swollen maleness reaching for her to take her on a journey to paradise. She didn’t want to be reduced to a quivering mess of need.
She mustn’t be reduced to that!
Somehow she must have slept for when she opened her eyes it was fully light and she could hear the sound of him moving about in the penthouse.
She brushed the hair out of her face and, dragging on the tracksuit she’d worn the day before, came out of the spare room with a casual indifference which she hoped he wouldn’t see was entirely forced.
‘Good morning.’ She padded into the kitchen cheerily.
Demetrius turned at the sound of her voice, his dark eyes running over her briefly before returning to her bed-tousled features. She had a little girl look about her, her shoulder-length hair all awry and her cheeks still slightly flushed from sleep. She looked as if she’d slept in her clothes and he felt a sudden stab of desire deep in his groin when he thought about what she would look like without the armour of unfashionable attire she insisted on wearing in his presence.
‘Good morning.’ He reached for the coffee pot. ‘How did you sleep?’
‘You know how it is, the first night in a strange bed.’ She stretched her arms above her head and gave a huge yawn.
‘Just how many strange beds have you slept in?’ he asked, handing her a cup of coffee.
She peeped at him from beneath her lashes as she took the steaming cup. ‘I make it a habit to never discuss previous lovers.’ She took a tentative sip. ‘It’s not fair to compare.’
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he stood watching her for a long moment. ‘That’s highly commendable of you. I’m not used to such considerate behaviour in the women I associate with.’
‘Perhaps you need to raise the standard of the women you associate with,’ she returned.
He gave her another studied look. ‘Perhaps I should.’
Maddison found it increasingly difficult to keep her mask of indifference in place under his tightening scrutiny. She felt as if he were peering below the surface of her skin, seeing her for who she really was instead of the caricature she was presenting to him. She needed to remain unaffected by him; it would keep him at arm’s length where he belonged.
Just when she thought she could stand his scrutiny no more he turned away to pour some cereal into a bowl.
‘I’ll be leaving shortly,’ he announced without turning around. ‘I thought you’d like some privacy to get ready.’
‘I’m surprised you trust me to turn up on time,’ she couldn’t resist saying.
He turned back to face her. ‘I’ve already allowed for the possibility you might do a runner. I’ve arranged for the beauty therapist to come up here to you and once she is done Jeremy Myalls will accompany you to the Botanic Gardens
.’
‘I could’ve arranged for one of my own friends to give me away.’
‘You told me you hadn’t invited any.’
‘I didn’t want to embarrass them by inviting them to a meaningless marriage ceremony,’ she sniped at him irritably.
‘It might appear to be meaningless to you, but let me assure you it means everything to your brother’s continued freedom. Just remember that if during the course of the next few hours you are tempted to renege on our deal.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of it. I’m looking forward to making you regret blackmailing me into marrying you.’
‘If you have any plans to embarrass me this morning at the ceremony I’d think again. Firstly, I’m not easily embarrassed and, secondly, you’d be very wise to do as you’re told in case things blow up in your face. I wouldn’t like to think of your brother suffering undue shame as a result of a petulant prank on your part to gain the upper hand.’
She didn’t have an answer at the ready and silently fumed as he ate his cereal without once looking her way.
Once he was finished he left the room and a few minutes later she heard him leave the penthouse, still without another word addressed to her.
Not long after she’d showered there was a discreet knock at the door and she opened it to find a young woman carrying an array of hair and beauty equipment in her arms.
‘Miss Jones?’ The young woman smiled at her. ‘My name is Candice. Mr Papasakis arranged for me to do your hair and make-up.’
‘Please come in.’ Maddison opened the door wider and forced a smile to her lips.
‘Mind you—’ Candice gave her another warm smile ‘—I don’t know why he thought it necessary; you look so naturally beautiful already.’
Maddison had never considered her features to be anything out of the ordinary and couldn’t help feeling a little touched by the compliment.
She led the way through to the bedroom where her dress was laid out on the bed.
‘What a stunning dress!’ Candice ran her fingers over the ivory silk reverently. ‘Who is the designer?’
The Greek's Convenient Wife Page 6
