The Antonides Marriage Deal

by Anne McAllister

  He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched him like that—intensely, personally, honestly. It touched not just his hand, but something deep inside him, stirred it, like a stick stirring the ashes of a nearly dead fire, sparking it, creating embers, heat.

  He steeled himself against it.

  “I know it’s not what you want for her,” Tallie went on earnestly, still clutching his hand. “She knows that. She said you have ‘high expectations.’”

  “I don’t ask anyone for anything I wouldn’t do myself.”

  “Of course not.” Tallie smiled almost gently. “But Cristina doesn’t have the same resiliency you do. Most people don’t. Most people wouldn’t take on saving a family business when they were, what? Twenty-five years old?”

  “Twenty-four. But that’s not the point.”

  “It’s part of the point. It speaks to your strength, your determination, your love of your family. What you did by staying on at Antonides when my father foisted me off on you speaks of the same thing,” she added with a wry little smile.

  Elias scowled. “I love that house,” he said, then shrugged. “Besides, it’s not a big deal. As a president, you’re doing all right.” However annoying, it was the truth.

  Tallie smiled faintly. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. But this isn’t about me. Or about you, really. It’s about Cristina and Mark and their child. She wants this child. And she wants to marry Mark. She would have liked for it to have happened differently. But sometimes life just…happens.”

  “Especially to Cristina,” Elias said drily.

  Tallie’s fingers squeezed his lightly. “Especially to Cristina,” she echoed with a smile. “But she’s determined to make this work. And from what she told me, that’s new to her. Isn’t it?”

  Slowly, reluctantly, Elias nodded. “But who says she will?”

  He had wanted his marriage to work, too, but it hadn’t. What he’d wanted hadn’t mattered at all.

  “Who says she won’t?” Tallie countered quietly. “Especially if Mark wants it, too. From everything she said, I gather she has always happily, or not so happily, jumped from one thing to another—”

  “And one guy to another,” Elias added.

  “—her whole life. She never felt any commitment to any of them.” Tallie’s fingers were massaging his gently, warming them. “She feels commitment to Mark. She loves Mark. And their child.”

  Elias raised his eyes and looked at her wordlessly. What was there to say? That he didn’t believe it? He didn’t. But what did he know?

  He certainly hadn’t known Millicent. If you didn’t even know about your own wife or your own marriage—

  It was true, what Tallie said about Cristina’s lack of previous commitment. She had always had the staying power of a fruit fly. But who knew what anyone else felt, what anyone else was capable of?

  “What the hell are my folks going to say?”

  “Very little if you support her decision,” Tallie predicted. “They’ll be upset that she got married so quickly and without them there.”

  “What do you mean, without them there?”

  “Cristina says she doesn’t want them there under the circumstances. She says that she and your mother would just battle their way through all the preparations and drive each other crazy and it would be awful. But if it is a done deal—and you support them—then your mother will be fine. Cristina wants it to be fine.”

  Odd as it seemed, when he thought about it, Elias knew his sister was right. She had their parents pegged. Maybe she did know what she was doing.

  “Well, they can’t get married tomorrow,” he said. “It takes longer than that to get a license, arrange a wedding.”

  “Mark has already done it.”

  “How?”

  “No idea. When they talked on the phone, Mark said he’d arrange it, and he has. He called a couple of hours ago to say it was all set up for two o’clock tomorrow afternoon in some judge’s chambers in Manhattan.”

  “We have a meeting with Corbett tomorrow at two.”

  Tallie just looked at him. “Elias.” There was gentle reproach tone in her voice.

  His mouth twisted, but before he could say anything else, the door buzzer sounded.

  “Mark,” Tallie predicted.

  Elias’s hand turned into a fist. “I’d like to punch his lights out.”

  Tallie curved her fingers around his fist. “I know.” She gave it a gentle, knowing squeeze, then she let go of his hand and struggled to get to her feet. “But you won’t,” she concluded with more confidence in him than he had himself.

  “I—”

  “You answer the door. I’ll wake Cristina.”

  The buzzer sounded again, short, sharp, impatient.

  Elias gritted his teeth and stalked toward the door.

  Mark Batakis looked very much as if he expected the punch Elias so desperately wanted to throw. An inch or so shorter than Elias, he was stockier, with dark hair and a nose that had obviously been punched in the past—though not, Elias hoped, for the same reason he wanted to. “Go ahead,” Mark said, reading his body language if not his mind. He thrust out his chin. “Hit me. Do whatever you want, but it isn’t going to change anything. I’m still marrying your sister.”

  “So I hear.” Elias stood aside and let the other man enter, then shut the door with a decided click. “So I’ll save it—and give it to you later if you ever dare to hurt her.”

  Mark looked surprised at the reprieve, but no less determined. “I won’t hurt her. I love her. Where is she?” He was looking around the dimly lit room with increasing apprehension. “Tina! Tina! What have you done to her?”

  “I—” Elias’s voice was icy “—haven’t done anything to her.”

  The door to the bedroom flew open. “Here I am!” And Cristina ran tearfully into Mark’s arms, which folded protectively around her. High drama all around. Elias winced, remembering how Millicent had hated the emotional intensity of Antonides family life.

  She’d always found Cristina’s outbursts annoying, his father’s jovial backslapping irritating, his mother’s hugs stifling.

  “I’m just not like that, Elias,” she’d said more than once. “It’s uncomfortable.”

  But Tallie didn’t seem uncomfortable. She went right up to the tearful couple and held out her hand to Mark. “I’m Tallie Savas. I spoke with you earlier. I’m glad to meet you.”

  And Tallie’s matter-of-factness seemed to spark an answering chord in his loony sister. As Elias watched, dumbfounded, Cristina dried her tears and mustered the social skills that their mother had despaired of ever teaching her, introducing Tallie to Mark and vice versa.

  She even told Mark how wonderful Tallie had been to her—to them, she corrected herself, giving Tallie a watery smile. Mark heartily agreed, shaking Tallie’s hand, thanking her profusely.

  “Don’t thank me,” Tallie said. “I was just doing what Elias would have done if he’d been here.”

  While none of them believed this for a minute, they were all apparently—even Cristina—on their best behavior and too polite to say so. In the awkward silence that followed Tallie’s announcement, however, Cristina took Mark’s hand and drew him over to where they could stand facing Elias together.

  “I know you knew each other at Yale,” she said. “And I know you might not have been friends. But this is different. This is family. This is my brother,” she said to Mark, her voice a little wavery but determined. She swallowed, then turned an equally determined look on Elias. “Elias, I want you to meet—and welcome—Mark. My fiancé.” There was more than a little defiance in her tone.

  Before Elias could do more than grit his teeth, he felt something brush against his shirtsleeve and realized that Tallie had come to stand next to him. For moral support or to step on his foot if he misspoke? Probably the latter.

  No matter. No one had ever done it before. He let out a deep breath and stuck out his hand to shake Mark’s.

  “Congrat
ulations,” he said, his voice a little rough.

  Mark blinked his surprise, then a grin spread across his face and he gave Elias’s hand a strong firm shake. “Thanks. You don’t have to worry. I’ll take care of your sister,” he vowed. “And our child. All our children,” he added. “I mean that.”

  All? Good God. There were going to be more? Elias suppressed a shudder at the thought of a horde of little Cristinas. But she was looking at him with such teary-eyed happiness that he managed an answering smile.

  “See that you do,” he said evenly to Mark, “and there will never be any problem.”

  “I’m sure he will.” Tallie’s voice was firm and cheerful, defusing the gunfighters-at-noon feel to the moment. “Why don’t you tell Elias what the plans are so he can arrange to meet you tomorrow?” she suggested to Mark.

  Briefly Mark did. What it amounted to was that Elias was expected to wear a dark suit, show up at the judge’s chambers, witness the deed and sign the paper afterward. In other words, not a lot.

  “And this is all right with you?” Elias asked his sister doubtfully. As weddings went, this was so spare it bore no resemblance to those she’d prattled on about in her girlish dreams.

  But Cristina just nodded her head. “It’s fine.”

  “And the parents?”

  She bit her lip. “If they would come and not try to argue or run things or make me cry, I would ask them to be there,” she said, meeting his gaze. “You know they won’t.”

  Elias nodded. “All right,” he said. “I’ll be there tomorrow a little before two.”

  Cristina threw her arms around him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Oh, I love you, Elias. You’re the best brother in the whole world.”

  “I’m glad you finally realize that,” he said drily. Then because, damn it, he did care, he gave her a hard squeeze in return, then let her loose and said gruffly, “Go home, Cristina,”

  Giggling she gave his cheek another kiss. “I will. Don’t be a grouch, Eli. Someday I hope you’re as happy as I am.”

  “God forbid.”

  “You will be,” she prophesied. “Just because that witch—”

  “Cristina,” he said sharply, “go home.”

  “I’m going,” she said. Then, smiling, she hooked her arm in Mark’s. “Let’s go, darling.” Then she turned back to Tallie. “Thank you, Tallie, for everything. You are the best.”

  “I’m glad you think so.”

  Mark looped an arm protectively around Cristina, opened the door, then stopped and looked back at Tallie. “Can we give you a lift home?”

  “I—”

  “I’ll see that she gets home,” Elias cut in.

  Cristina’s eyes got wide and round as dinner plates as she looked from him to Tallie and back again, then opened her mouth to stick her foot in it.

  “Good night, Cristina,” Elias said firmly before she could. “I’ll see you tomorrow for your wedding.” There was a finality to his tone that even his clueless sister seemed to recognize.

  She nodded and blinked rapidly, her mascara sliding further down her cheeks as she smiled tremulously. “Good night. Thank you. Thank you both.”

  Then at last the door shut behind them.

  And there was suddenly such complete silence that Elias thought he could hear his heart beat. Or maybe that was Tallie’s.

  She was still standing right next to him, close enough that their arms brushed. Close enough for him to make just a half turn to his left to come nearly mouth to nose with her. Close enough to remember all too vividly what it had felt like to be this close…to be even closer. To touch her lips with his.

  And all thoughts he’d been trying not to think since Friday night came back with a vengeance as Tallie seemed almost to sway toward him.

  It was the crutches, of course. She had no balance. But God, she had beautiful lips. Kissable lips.

  Desperately he cleared his throat, tried to find his voice—and his equilibrium. “Thank you… for…for taking care of Cristina.” He tried to sound calm and collected. He sounded rusty and out of breath.

  “I was glad to do it.” There was a huskiness in her voice, as well. Their gazes locked.

  It was just like last Friday—only worse. Because this time there were no pain killers involved. There was no baklava.

  There was only desire.

  It was insane. A mistake. A very bad idea. All of the above.

  He should put her in a taxi and see her home, because Tallie Savas was a complication he didn’t need in his life. He knew that. If it wasn’t smart, it wasn’t sensible, it wasn’t in the best interests of Antonides Marine or the Antonides family, Elias didn’t do it.

  For the first time in his adult life Elias didn’t give a damn about Antonides Marine or the rest of the Antonides family. He didn’t give a damn about being sane and sensible.

  Just once…just one damn time, he was going to live for the moment, in the moment.

  “To hell with it,” he muttered.

  He took Tallie’s crutches and tossed them aside.

  “Elias!”

  He shook his head and wrapped his arms around her, drew her close, reveling in the slender curves and softness that seemed to fit so well against him. And then he bent his head and kissed Tallie Savas for all he was worth. His lips found hers and they melted together.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  IT DIDN’T stop at kissing.

  Tallie was glad about that.

  She told herself she would regret it someday. But even as she tried to form those negative words in her head, she was on her way to the bedroom in Elias’s arms, and what her mind was really saying was, “Yes, yes, yes.”

  Or were those her lips?

  No, they were busy nuzzling his neck, kissing his jawline, learning the feel of the rough stubble one way and the silky softness the other. And then he was bending to lay her on his bed. She settled in, snuggled down, raised her hands toward him.

  But he didn’t drop down beside her. Instead Elias braced himself, hands on the duvet on either side of her arms, and looked down at her, his eyes hooded, his handsome face taut.

  “This isn’t sensible,” he muttered.

  Tallie shook her head. “No.”

  It was possibly the most senseless thing she’d done in her life. He was not Brian. He didn’t love her the way Brian had. But this wasn’t about love.

  It was about coming back to life—feeling something again, wanting something…someone—again.

  Just that.

  She knew he felt the same way. She knew more about his demons now. This afternoon at lunch Cristina had explained why Elias was going to be so upset with her marrying Mark.

  “He thinks marriages don’t work. He was married,” she’d gone on to explain, “to the world’s biggest bitch. We called her ‘the ice maiden.’ She was grasping and demanding and she hated all of us. She wanted Elias—and Antonides Marine. And when it turned out the company had problems and Elias had to spend most of his life fixing them, she walked out!”

  Cristina’s eyes had flashed with anger. “He doesn’t trust anyone now. He doesn’t believe in happy endings. He doesn’t believe in love.”

  Tallie believed in love. She’d had it with Brian. She didn’t expect to ever have it like that again. She’d been in her own “ice chest” since his death.

  But just recently the ice had begun to thaw. Not the emotional ice that held her heart. But the physical ice. At least her hormones were alive and well—and attracted to Elias. His looks, of course, were memorable. His body was hard and muscular. He was one gorgeous specimen of manhood.

  But it was more than his looks or his physical attributes that attracted her. It was his energy, his determination, his dynamism. And his kindness to his family. How often had she seen him stop his work to deal with a family problem. He’d done it again today with Cristina.

  And on Friday, taking her home, staying all night, nobly refusing what she had so eagerly offered, he had been kind to her.


  Elias Antonides was a good man. And he came in a package that was, on every level, too tempting to resist.

  She’d tried. God knew she’d done everything she could. She’d turned her back. She’d walked away. She’d dated Martin.

  Suddenly she laughed. Her father had always told her never to turn her back on her problems. “It doesn’t work,” he said. “They always come back and bite you on the ass.”

  Elias had been nibbling her jaw, her neck her shoulders. Was he working his way south?

  “Something funny?” he growled, lifting his head and noting her smile. His face was taut, his body was hard. She could feel tremors running through him where her hands pressed against his back.

  “A little. I was thinking of something my father always said.”

  “Your father?” Elias pulled back abruptly. His eyes were glazed and he looked somewhere between pleasure and pain. But he was clearly aghast at the direction of her thoughts. A muscle jumped in his jaw. “You’re thinking about your father?”

  Tallie kissed the spot where the muscle was twitching. “Just for a moment.” And while she often told her father when his advice was particularly apropos, she didn’t think she’d mention this instance.

  “Forget him,” she muttered. And before Elias could pull back completely, she pulled Elias’s head down and began kissing him again.

  He resisted for only a moment, and then he came down beside her, as hungry and desperate and eager as she was. And Tallie welcomed him with open arms. She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, wanting desperately to get her hands inside it, to run her fingers over his hot skin.

  He didn’t bother with her buttons, just tugged her top out of her trousers and slid his hands up under it. His fingers were callused, slightly rough. Working-man’s hands. She’d noticed it before and had wondered how a man who ran a business got work-roughened hands.

  Cristina had explained that he’d done most of the renovations on the building and all of them in his apartment. He had made those beautiful cabinets in the kitchen, that stunning bar between it and the living room.