Harlequin Presents--July 2021--Box Set 1 of 2

by Natalie Anderson

  ‘There’s a reason you left your last firm, isn’t there? Things didn’t quite go according to plan?’

  Her lungs flattened, her heart striking up a terrible hammering that attacked her ribcage. ‘You know about that?’

  He inclined his head with the slightest nod. ‘Ne,’ he responded in his mother tongue, perhaps because they were in his homeland.

  ‘Why haven’t you asked me before?’

  ‘Perhaps because I was attempting to be discreet. But now it’s out in the open—’

  ‘It’s still not up for discussion,’ she responded hurriedly, feeling blindsided.

  ‘You’re not the only one who doesn’t like surprises. But I didn’t go digging, if that’s what you’re worried about. I find gossip distasteful. I would much prefer to hear about the whole thing from you.’

  A small part of her yearned to discover what he knew and how he’d found out, while the rest shied away from knowing. ‘It’s nothing that affects our working relationship.’

  ‘What about our private one? And before you say we don’t have one, think again.’

  She looked out of the window to buy herself some time. The last thing she wanted was to admit to the degrading humiliation of her one failed relationship. To the utterly blind error of judgement she’d made that had nearly cost her everything. Would he trust her judgement if he knew the true details? ‘Can we just chalk it up to a relationship that didn’t work out?’ she eventually managed.

  ‘That depends.’

  ‘On what?’

  ‘On whether it colours all your decisions.’

  She snatched in a breath. ‘Do all your relationships colour yours?’

  ‘Very much so.’

  Not the answer she expected, she reflected as she searched his face. Found it, much like many times before, an enigmatic book. But this time, within those grey depths she spotted something. Barely a glimmer but she saw it. Pain. Bitterness.

  Right before he blinked and neutralised his expression. She bit her lip, torn between curiosity and reservation.

  After several moments, the corners of his lips lifted. ‘Not going to give in to your curiosity?’

  She shrugged. ‘Your past private life is your own. Much like mine is my business.’

  Before he could respond, the vehicle slowed to a stop.

  Alexis stepped out with relief, pulling in a long breath of fresh air in the hope of restoring the few layers of sanity she’d lost since their embrace on the plane.

  The villa was set on the highest point of the island to take full advantage of the breathtaking views. Past cypress trees, perfectly pruned hibiscus bushes, bougainvillea hedges and impeccably manicured lawns, the sea glinted like a blanket of gemstones, an endless invitation for a cool reprieve out of the June heat.

  From past visits, she knew the beach was less than five minutes away, that the Drakakis yacht and speedboat were moored out of sight around the cove. She’d declined an invitation to waterski with Christos on their last trip but had the stomach-fluttering experience of watching him ski with breathtaking style.

  Her belly heating on that recollection, she turned towards him and saw his gaze on the far distant view. Towards the other side of the island, where the terrain was craggier. Shadows flitted through his eyes, his jaw clenching then releasing before he sucked in a long deep breath. A light breeze tossed a lock of hair across his forehead, but Alexis was certain it didn’t register. He was caught in whatever memories made Drakonisos a place he wanted to possess. A place that had prompted a man with cynical views on relationships to enter a marriage of convenience with an employee. As she continued to watch him his features softened and he gave a slow exhale, the kind that came with inner contentment. Perhaps even...peace.

  Sensing her regard, he turned to her. ‘Shall we get out of the sun before Costas grumbles at us again?’ he said evenly, but that faraway look in his eyes took another moment to dissipate.

  She nodded, although her senses remained a little askew as she turned towards the villa.

  Costas’s home was a sprawling, multi-level whitewashed traditional Greek villa but with every modern amenity conceivable. Despite her previous visits, Alexis’s breath still caught when she stepped onto the smooth terracotta tiles of the wide hallway and looked up at the large rectangular stained-glass windows that let in endless sunlight. That light glinted over light stone-coloured walls, complemented by gold-accented local Cycladic art and white furniture. Several masterpieces were dotted along the vast hallway that led to a large living room, beyond which the terracotta tiles were replicated on a sun-soaked terrace.

  That was where Costas had headed and where she and Christos followed to find a long table of refreshments awaiting them. The knots that had barely loosened when she’d stepped out of the plane began to tighten again as Christos’s hand landed in the small of her back.

  He led her to the table and drew back a chair for her.

  No reprieve, then...

  ‘We’ll have refreshments while our luggage is unpacked.’

  With no option but to accept the invitation, she took a seat and smiled at the older man.

  Paxos, one half of the middle-aged married couple in charge of keeping the villa and grounds in pristine condition, stepped forward and poured an ouzo-infused punch Alexis knew could be lethal if not consumed with caution. Then he served delicate pastries and sandwiches, which she helped herself to as Costas conversed in Greek with his grandson.

  When a small silence fell at the table, she glanced up.

  ‘Kalos orises spiti,’ Costas rasped.

  ‘My grandfather says welcome home.’

  The old man’s eyes were fixed on her, reading her every expression, her every interaction with his grandson. While she hadn’t doubted Christos’s emphasis that this trip was different, she’d secretly hoped it was exaggerated. Costas’s laser-focused gaze confirmed Christos’s assessment. This visit was different. She was being analysed. Their relationship was being vetted.

  Acutely mindful of that, she forced a smile. ‘Efkharisto,’ she replied.

  A shade of warmth stole back into the old man’s eyes and she allowed herself the merest inch to relax as he turned to his grandson.

  ‘If you’re here to check on me, I suggest you instruct the staff not to unpack your luggage. I’ve had my fill of shameless meddlers for quite a while,’ he griped in English.

  Christos took his time to sip his drink before resting muscled forearms on his armrests. ‘I am here to check on you,’ he replied without apology. ‘And we intend to stay until I’m satisfied.’

  His grandfather’s eyes narrowed. ‘Is that the only reason?’

  ‘Play your games all you want with me, old man. Just remember I’m not a weak opponent.’

  Costas’s weathered cheeks cracked the smallest smile and, within it, Alexis saw satisfaction. Anticipation.

  He might project the outward appearance of a grumpy old man but, as was evidenced by his presence at the airstrip, Costas was glad his grandson was here.

  They enjoyed their refreshments for a few minutes, before Christos resolutely set his napkin down. ‘I would like the unvarnished report on what’s going on with you.’

  His grandfather’s smile was pure wickedness. ‘Your strong-arm tactics on my physicians didn’t work?’

  ‘We both know you made it deliberately difficult, just so I would come here and find out for myself. So enough with the suspense.’

  The older man shrugged, not in the least bit unnerved by the accusation. ‘It’s the usual. Old age after a life well lived.’

  ‘Details, Pappous.’

  Costas’s gaze flickered to Alexis before returning to his grandson. ‘Now that you’re here, perhaps I will give my doctors permission to speak to you. They can fill you in on all the gory details.’

  Impatience vibrated
from Christos, but, perhaps knowing he wouldn’t gain any more headway on the subject, he nodded. ‘Very well. I’ll speak to them when we’re done here.’

  ‘And once that’s out of the way, you might let yourself relax a little, enjoy this party your cousin has been threatening to throw in my honour.’

  Christos stiffened. ‘What party?’

  ‘A birthday party, I hear. A rather large one.’

  Alexis’s gaze flicked to Christos to see his eyes frosting over. ‘You gave Georgios permission to throw you a party without consulting me first?’

  Costas shrugged. ‘Your cousin insisted, even though this isn’t a milestone celebration. And my grandnephew has been more...available lately. Much more than my own grandson and his new bride, who I thought would be on their way to becoming a...larger family by now,’ he said, his eyes dropping blatantly to her stomach.

  Alexis gasped. ‘We... I...’

  ‘You’re embarrassing my wife, Costas,’ Christos said, a hard edge to the softly spoken words.

  That Drakakis steel entered Costas’s eyes as his gaze returned to Christos. ‘Perhaps a little bit of embarrassment is necessary. I’m not going to live forever, you know. And since you claim to be married but are still maintaining separate residences, I find myself wondering whether you’re pulling the wool over an old man’s eyes.’

  Her jaw gaped. ‘How—’

  The words dried in her throat as Christos’s firm grip found hers beneath the table. ‘The intimate details of my marriage are none of your business, old man. Tell your spies to retreat if they value their skins. And if you’re playing my cousin off against me—’

  ‘What if I am? What will you do about it?’ his grandfather asked brazenly, dropping any attempt at diplomacy.

  Christos’s jaw tightened. ‘You would do that?’ he asked, an enigmatic tone wrapped around the words.

  The old man remained inflexible for another second before he relaxed in his seat. ‘You said you’re up to the game? Prove it.’

  The words still echoed in Alexis’s head as they finished their refreshments and Costas’s nurse firmly steered the old man away for a rest.

  As Alexis and Christos retreated to the suite in the left wing of the villa, she all but felt the tension vibrating off him.

  The moment the door shut behind them he muttered a curse under his breath.

  ‘He knows we don’t live together,’ she said. ‘And he’s been keeping tabs on us.’ Alexis wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about being under such scrutiny.

  His lips pursed. ‘Yes. And I’m fairly certain I know who’s behind it.’

  ‘Your cousin?’

  He shrugged, clawing his fingers through his hair as he began to pace. ‘We’ve been married for a year. If he’d known all along that we lived separately, he would’ve said something before now. I can only conclude that he’s been fed the information recently.’

  She wrapped her arms around her middle, the silken web closing over her making her shiver. ‘So what are we going to do about it?’

  He slowed to a stop, his laser gaze fixing on her. Whatever he read in her face made his lips thin. ‘You don’t need to worry that your precious Hope House will suffer because of this, Alexis.’

  Hurt made her gasp. ‘That was the last thing I was thinking of. If you must know, I was thinking of you!’

  He tensed. ‘Me?’

  ‘I saw your face when we arrived. This place means something to you. More than a simple birthright you don’t want your cousin to claim.’

  For a moment, he looked poleaxed. Then his features shuttered. ‘The why doesn’t matter. It’s the how we need to concern ourselves with.’

  The hurt she felt at his shutdown was as bad as the Hope House dig. But she was determined not to show it. She was too busy grappling with the unnerving emotions she’d been unable to control all week.

  ‘I think we can be assured the none of your business argument isn’t going to fly with him,’ Christos said, resuming his tight pacing. ‘The only way to kill his suspicions is to successfully convince him that this marriage is real.’

  His words steeped her deeper in the present, her pulse rattling faster as her gaze darted around the room.

  Their suite was the last word in comfort and luxury. Each suite had twin dressing rooms, a sumptuous living room and private terrace.

  In the past, Christos had yielded the bed to her and slept on the sofa. But, in light of the altered dynamic between them, her attention was held most of all by the four-poster bed dominating the room. Heat unfurled through her at the thought of Christos in that bed. With her.

  Their bodies sliding, straining and locking together. The pleasure he’d harnessed and then detonated in her.

  A small sound escaped her throat before she could stop it.

  Then she watched as Christos presumably mistook the sound for distress, his eyes hardening. ‘I’m not going to unleash my animalistic desires on you right this minute, if that’s what you’re concerned about, Alexis.’

  Rather than disclose the reason for her fluster, she brazened it out. ‘You said you hadn’t had a woman in a year. Maybe you see this as an opportunity to scratch an itch?’

  His lips curled with distaste as he stopped in front of her. ‘What an unsavoury turn of phrase. I prefer the more authentic and earthy description of lust, sex and mutual satisfaction.’

  She grew hot again, an alarmingly frequent occurrence every time he was within touching distance. His scent reached out and wrapped around her as he stood staring down at her.

  ‘We’re both adults, Alexis, with needs. If we decided on a mutually satisfactory path to pleasure, I know I can trust in your discretion.’

  The very idea sent another minor earthquake through her system. ‘Aren’t you even a little bit worried that I might turn overly emotional if we indulge in whatever it is you’re insinuating?’

  His gaze grew contemplative. ‘Besides your wish to secure the future of Hope House, why did you agree to my proposition?’

  It was her turn to tense. ‘Why does it matter?’

  ‘You’re young, attractive, with a bright future ahead of you. And yet you agreed to tie yourself down for three years. Why?’

  She forced a laugh, desperate for something to break the sharp awareness zinging in the air. ‘Isn’t it a little too late to be asking me these questions?’

  He caught a stray lock of her hair, twisting it around his finger, while his gaze remained fixed on her face. ‘Why the evasion? Answer the question, Alexis.’

  ‘Because I’m not interested in relationships. Not any more,’ she confessed with an upsurge of bitterness that seared her throat. ‘And the agreement we made stated specifically that there would be nothing...intimate.’

  Something flickered in his eyes. A blend of satisfaction, challenge and...anticipation. ‘Maybe not before, but we both know things have changed now, after what happened two months ago. You feel it with every breath. So do I.’

  ‘That means nothing,’ she argued, despite the sizzle in her belly and the tightening of her core. ‘Our agreement stays as it is.’

  He curled her hair behind her ear and smiled when she shivered. ‘You can hide behind the letter of the agreement if it gives you comfort. But this thing between us isn’t going away, glykia mou. No matter how much you deny it. As for worrying about your being overly emotional, why would I? You’ve remained consistently unflappable in the face of every circumstance. Are you warning me that might change if I take you to bed?’ The brush of his fingers over her cheek and the electric pleasure they created only emphasised his words.

  ‘First of all, you’re not taking me to bed. Second, I was being facetious since the reason you fired so many of my predecessors was because they deigned to look at you with stars in their eyes.’

  ‘They did. And that’s the difference betwee
n you and them. You just said you don’t do relationships. That assures me things won’t change, so we won’t have a problem.’

  ‘What about your own lines?’ she challenged.

  For a moment he stilled, his lashes sweeping down to hide his expression. When they lifted, the heat in his eyes seared her to the bone. ‘I find you more alluring than I anticipated. What better way to work through the...situation than to immerse oneself in it? Work it out of our systems, so to speak?’ he asked indolently.

  She wanted to condemn him for being a calculating bastard. But could she conscientiously do so when he was only speaking his mind? Wasn’t the one thing she’d despised Adrian for more than anything the lying sweet talk he’d spouted simply to manipulate her?

  The mere thought of Christos sweet talking anyone brought a strained smile.

  ‘Something amusing you, glykia mou?’ The endearment held an edge to it.

  ‘I had the frightening notion of you attempting to sweet talk me into your sensual web.’

  ‘I prefer plain-speaking.’

  She swallowed, his very potent vitality threatening to consume her. ‘I can see that.’

  ‘Then perhaps the time for talking is over?’

  He breached the last few inches between them and took her mouth with his. The fever that had brewed just below the surface for two months now flared strong and consuming once more. They devoured each other until their breaths grew frantic, until she felt as if her whole body were a flame of desire. She’d imagined a lot during those forbidden hours in her bed when she’d allowed Christos to fill her thoughts. This surpassed her every fantasy. Each stroke of his tongue felt like a brush with pure bliss, as if she were touching heaven itself.

  ‘Christos.’

  ‘Yes. Say my name, matia mou.’

  Dear God, what was she doing? ‘Christos...stop. I have another question.’

  His breath shuddered out and he held himself still for a long moment before he stepped back. ‘What is it?’

  She scrambled to get her thoughts together. ‘What was Costas talking about? What games are you two playing?’