by Kira Archer
Constance took a deep breath and blew it out. Then she stood, pushing away the papers laid out for her before she’d gotten through the whole stack.
“I’m not going to lie and say I’m happy about all this, but I did sign up for it. I knew it would happen, to an extent anyway. If you can put up with it every day of your life, I can manage for a few weeks.”
Luca stared at her, shocked into silence for probably the first time in his life. He’d expected her to…well, he wasn’t sure. Cry, maybe. Get angry, certainly. But this calm acceptance? Never.
She hadn’t seen what they’d written about her past. His Constance had been through a lot in her life. Enough that he could understand the rigid control she tried to keep over everything.
It was that desire for control that made her acceptance of her current situation all the more incredible. She seemed to be taking it all in stride. He should probably tell her about the other article, though she probably already at least suspected they’d have dug around in her past. Still…
She smiled at him and reached up to pat his cheek, like she knew the confusion that was currently running through his head.
“I never much believed in crying over spilt milk, as they say. It’s done. I can’t change it. And to a certain extent this was our purpose to begin with, so we can hardly fault them for doing what we want them to be doing. After our discussion last night…” She glanced up at him, barely meeting his eyes before looking away again. “Like I said, this is your life. You’ll have to deal with it forever. I can make do for a few weeks.”
Her mention of the night before brought back a few delectable images he would have loved to dwell on but she didn’t give him the chance.
She rose up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, shocking him for the second time. “Now, let’s ignore the vultures as best we can and go see what the children are getting into.”
“Oh God,” Luca groaned. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
He was right. The girls were splashing about in the pool like they were under attack from a shiver of sharks, and were screaming just as loudly as if they were. He wasn’t sure how there was enough water left in the pool to actually swim in— most of it seemed to be on the patio. The women watching them had apparently given up trying to keep any sort of order. Mrs. Ballas sat on a lounge chair watching the chaos with a bemused expression on her face.
Elena was the only child not going completely crazy. She hung on the edge of the pool in the shallow end, staring out to sea. He couldn’t really blame her—it was an incredible view. With his house perched on a cliff, swimmers in the pool got an unobstructed view of the crystal clear turquoise waters of the sea. If he wanted to get closer, a path ran down the rocky hill to his own little slice of sandy shoreline, but from the pool, you could see for miles. The coastline of the island, crammed with whitewashed buildings with their bright blue and red roofs, the sailboats coming in and out of the harbors, the larger ocean liners and yachts farther out.
The little girl had found one of his favorite spots to just sit and contemplate, but he was a thirty-year-old man who’d gone through enough in his life to be jaded and cynical and in need of some natural therapy. She was a little girl, five at most. What sorts of things could be running through her head to keep her from playing like her friends in their newfound paradise?
“What’s with her?” he asked, nodding at Elena.
Constance bristled. “There’s nothing ‘with’ her.” She went back into the house, beckoning him to follow.
His interest piqued, he followed.
Constance glanced back outside before she spoke. “The other girls are all foster children, but Elena is an orphan. Her parents were killed in a car accident last year. She has no other relatives and needed a home. I’d already taken on more than I planned with my five girls, but she and Magdalena were friends and we thought she should be with someone she was close to. So I took her in. She’s a good girl, but she doesn’t talk much. She loses her temper frequently. I try to be there for her as much as I can, but she doesn’t really let anyone get close.”
Luca watched the little girl, not joining in on the fun even when the other girls tried to include her.
“You’re worried about her,” he said.
Every time she looked at Elena, Constance’s whole being shifted, like she was trying to pour positive energy into the little girl just by sheer will, not unlike what she had done with him the night before.
“Yes,” she answered. “She seems to like being in my company, but she’s been through too much and I can’t take it away, though I wish with every ounce of me I could. There’s only so much I can do for her.”
She gave him a half-hearted smile and went back out to sit beside Elena.
Luca frowned. The sadness he’d seen in her eyes created an ache in his heart he didn’t know how to deal with. What was this woman doing to him? He’d known her two days and already he was willing to rearrange his life just to put a smile on her face. Had she been anyone else that might not have been such a problem, but this particular woman would turn his life upside down and bring a whole lot of noisy, destructive baggage along with her.
Still, he wanted to try, and the thought shook him to his core.
“Joe,” he said.
The man was by his side in a second. “Yes, sir?”
“I know we can’t keep the photographers controlled all the time. But no more inviting them along; they have enough pictures of us.”
“Arrangements have already been made for a few sessions with you and Miss Constance. I’m afraid if we cancel those, they will try to get shots in a less civilized manner.”
Luca sighed. “Fine. We’ll honor whatever arrangements have already been made, but no new photo ops. And I don’t want them anywhere near the children. I want extra security measures taken when they are with us. It’s one thing for them to get pictures of me, but the kids don’t need to be involved. No more leaks about me spending time with them. No more mention of them. They are here for a vacation. That is all.”
“Sir…”
“Is that understood?”
Joe nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.”
He turned back toward the chaos in his backyard; toward the little girl at the edge of the pool in particular. And the woman sitting beside her. There might not be much he could to ease the pain of their pasts. But he could help ensure he didn’t instigate any in their futures.
It wasn’t enough. But it was a start.
Chapter Twelve
Constance held her breath, her heart twisting with the emotions rushing through her. Luca had been busy with work for the last week and as a reward for closing his first solo deal since returning full time to the firm, he’d surprised them all with a day of horseback riding on the beach. Organizing six children with enough adults for each child to ride with was the definition of chaos, but things had gone relatively smoothly.
Constance was already mounted and Magdalena sat in front of her. Mrs. Ballas had shocked Constance by springing onto the back of her small mare like she’d been doing it her whole life. She took Lexi up with her. Each of the other girls rode with staff from the riding company except Elena. Elena had watched quietly while everyone got situated and then walked over to Luca, raising her arms up to him.
He glanced at Constance with something like panic but had bent to lift the child onto the horse, swinging up behind her. He rode over to her side, his brows lifting when he reached her, his eyes looking from Elena, to Constance, and back again. She just shrugged with a smile she knew was both pleased and amused. She didn’t know what it was about Luca that appealed to the little girl…maybe she sensed the same sadness in him that she carried with her. Maybe it was as simple as the fact that Luca was about the only man in her life. Whatever it was, she’d taken a shine to Luca, which seemed to disconcert him to no end. Constance would be lying if she said she didn’t find that at least a little amusing.
“Quit s
miling,” he playfully growled at her, which only made her smile bigger.
He smiled back and she had half a second for her suspicion to spike before he reached across the space between them and grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her to him for a quick but thorough kiss.
Magdalena giggled and he let go, winked at Constance, and spurred his horse into a trot through the surf.
Constance glanced around, blushing at the indulgent and amused smiles of the adults, the giggles of the girls, and the outright anger on the face of one of the guides. She stared at her, for a moment not sure what she’d done to earn the woman’s scowl, then she realized the other woman must be jealous. A spark of pride and possession burned in her chest. Temporary or not, Luca was hers and whether it was all an act or not, he made no secret of the fact that he wanted her and enjoyed her company. Any other women could just keep their jealousy to themselves.
She nudged her horse to a trot, following the path Luca had taken through the surf. He smiled at her when she caught up and her heart filled with joy at the expression on Elena’s face. Luca earned so many brownie points because of that bit of happiness, she didn’t protest once at his repeated stolen kisses and slightly inappropriate behavior throughout the afternoon. By the time they’d returned the horses and finished the picnic dinner they’d packed and the girls were drowsily roasting marshmallows in the fire Luca and the men had built, Constance was ready to concede just about anything to him. It had been an amazing day, thanks in large part to him.
So when he slid down behind her next to the fire, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back against his chest, she didn’t hesitate to snuggle into him. They watched the sun sink into the sea while he nuzzled against her neck, murmuring nonsense in her ear. She didn’t even care if it was for real or for show. The few photographers that had tried to get near the group had been chased off by Luca’s security. A surprise, to be sure, since she thought he wanted “proof” more than anything. But a welcome one. She cuddled closer to Luca and pretended it was all real.
Once the sun had set, Joseph and Mrs. Ballas loaded the girls into the van he had waiting to take them back to the house. Joseph would stay behind with another guard as inconspicuous security while Constance and Luca had their own private photo op. A necessary evil to keep the circus at bay when possible. She wasn’t sure what he had in mind. He’d earned a lot of goodwill and cooperation from her that day, but she wasn’t going to have sex on the beach or anything, no matter how wonderful Luca had been.
Luca left her for a moment to have a quick word with Joseph, who stood with the other guard a discreet distance away. Close enough to help if they needed it, but far enough away they had at least the illusion of privacy. Luca came back with a guitar in one hand and a bottle of champagne and two glasses in the other.
She raised an eyebrow. “You play?”
“Occasionally,” he said, his lips stretching into a slow, sexy smile that had her heart pounding and her body aching for him.
If he could do all that with a smile, she was a goner if he touched her.
He set the guitar down and opened the champagne, handing her a glass. She sipped a little too quickly, needing something to take the edge off. With the girls gone, things had gone from safe to intensely intimate, even with the lurking presence of security and the paparazzi she figured were out there somewhere.
It didn’t help that he wasn’t speaking, just sitting there, drinking his champagne and watching her watch him, that smile still on his lips, sitting so close the heat from his body warmed hers even though he didn’t touch her. He knew the effect he was having on her. Damn him. He was enjoying every second of it.
“It was a wonderful day, Luca. Thank you,” she said when she couldn’t stand the silence anymore.
“You’re welcome. I found it rather pleasant myself.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I am. I’ve always loved to ride. Having you in front of me while we rode would have been immensely pleasurable. We’ll have to do that next time.”
The heated promise of those words had her breasts tightening and warmth pooling low in her belly. She took another hasty sip of champagne, ignoring his quiet, smug chuckle.
“Anyway,” he continued. “I didn’t expect to enjoy today as much as I did, with all of our additional company. It was a bit surprising.”
“I’m glad you had fun,” she said.
He picked up the guitar and absently strummed a few chords, tuning the strings and plucking out a few notes. The firelight flickered over him, highlighting his chiseled features, the biceps that bunched as he played. His fingers moved across the strings and she shivered, too easily picturing those fingers moving over her skin. She had no doubt he’d play her just as well.
The few notes he’d been picking out solidified into a song, one of her favorite songs. He played very well. She found herself smiling as she swayed to the tune, her eyes closed. When he started quietly singing, her eyes flew open and she sucked in a small breath of surprise. His voice floated to her, deep and smooth. Her gaze met his and held, those dark eyes burning into hers while he sang.
Ach koritsi mou. Oh, my girl.
She breathed in one shaky breath after another as he sang about the unrevealed parts of his soul belonging to her. How he’d waited so long for her to come into his life, and every time he sang the words ach koritsi mou it was like he was laying claim to her, branding her as his.
His voice died away with the last note of the song. Still they sat staring into each other’s eyes. He put the guitar down and her breathing sped up as he leaned in. She watched him until their lips met, then she closed her eyes and gave herself over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. He hauled her closer, pressing her down into the sand. His lips left hers to trail down her neck and she arched against him, trying to bring him closer.
“Koritsi mou,” he murmured against her skin.
My girl. Oh yes, she was his. It might not last. It might not be real in the harsh light of day, but for that moment, on the sand beneath the soft moonlight, with the salty breeze of the sea flowing over them as he moved over her, kissing her until her body begged for more, she was his, totally and completely his.
He broke away, pulling back so he could look into her eyes. Whatever he saw there must have pleased him. He brushed her hair from her face, his smile somehow both tender and possessive. His hand stroked down her side, his thumb brushing across her breast. She trembled beneath him, wanting more, needing more. He leaned down to recapture her lips and her eyes fluttered closed again.
Someone cleared his throat and Constance gasped, her hand flying up to cover her face. The whole “I can’t see you, so you can’t see me” theory had never actually worked out, but it did help to close out the sight of Joseph’s uncomfortable face.
She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten they weren’t alone. Had he forgotten? Or had he been aware, maybe even counting on the fact that someone out in the bushes was taking pictures to sell to the highest bidder? She knew she had no right to be angry. He hadn’t tricked her; she’d known they had an audience. Apparently, the key to making her completely forget everything was a sexy Greek god singing to her in the moonlight.
“Sorry,” he said, taking her hand to pull her up. He kept his arm around her waist, drawing her close for another kiss. She was angry but…she sighed, melting against him. Who was she kidding? She had no defense against him.
He reluctantly released her. “Got a little carried away there,” he said with a slight laugh.
That assuaged her embarrassment a bit. At least he didn’t seem to have purposely started a make out session for the benefit of the cameras. She hoped.
He leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Why don’t we take this back to house where we won’t be interrupted?”
Her heart thudded. She knew what he was saying. If they picked up where they left off, somewhere where they were alone, with a bed, it was go
ing to go all the way. Hell, if Joseph hadn’t interrupted them, they might be well past the point of no return right there on the beach.
Luca watched her, waiting for her answer. She wanted to so badly she literally ached, but if she gave in now she was just setting herself up for heartbreak when the whole charade was over. She’d never been a casual sex–type person, and she was already starting to care for him more than he’d ever care about her. Sleeping with him was a really bad idea.
She opened her mouth to tell him no. “Yes,” she whispered.
The look of sheer carnal promise Luca aimed at her sent a fine tremble running through her. He drew her in for one last kiss and then took her hand to lead her to their waiting car.
She couldn’t believe she’d said yes. She should take it back. Tell him she’d changed her mind. But as she settled against him in the backseat of the car, his arm pulling her close, his hand tangling in her hair while he trailed kisses over her heated skin, she knew no matter how badly she might regret it in the future, she wanted this, wanted him, desperately.
She’d deal with the future later.
…
Luca couldn’t believe she’d said yes. He expected her to shoot him down immediately, but she hadn’t. His body thrummed, impatient, greedy. He wanted all of her right then.
When they arrived at home, the house was quiet, the kids and Mrs. Ballas tucked up asleep in their wing of the house. Luca barely paused to nod good night to Joe before marching to his bedroom, his hand entwined with Constance’s. He pulled her into the room behind him, kicked the door shut, and had her up against the wall, his body holding her captive.
Her eyes widened, their deep blue centers dark with desire. Her mouth dropped open, her breaths coming in little pants. He throbbed, ached. He pressed against her, growing even harder when her eyes fluttered and a little moan escaped her lips.
He leaned in close. “Is it still a yes?” he asked. He’d die if she said no, but he wanted to make sure she knew what she was getting into and was on board one hundred percent.
