They’d shared explosive sex, which accounted for an erotic adventure being the first thing that sprang into his mind, but they’d shared some tender moments too. As he remembered those now his mouth flattened with despair. He would have done better to take her on a tour of the island. He of all people knew how dangerous it was to play with anyone’s feelings—and he had no excuse; he knew she was as scarred as he was. And what? Did he want to hurt her more? The best thing he could have done for Lisa was to stay away from her for good.
In just one day more their business dealings would be concluded. Of course the deal was done. For the first time in his business career he hadn’t listened to his advisors, to his own intuition, or to the bald facts as they appeared in columns of figures on the documents that lay untouched on his desk. He could see no further than the fact that Lisa’s company desperately needed a cash injection from him, and that he wouldn’t let her fail.
She could have had anything she wanted from him, but he knew she would only take what she needed to secure the future of her people. He had been wrong to say they were alike when he was still holding himself aloof, still keeping his true feelings hidden.
He smiled grimly, remembering all the clothes he had ordered for her. He hadn’t troubled to choose them himself. Of course he hadn’t. When had he ever taken time to do that—even for himself? Money bought more than fabulous clothes, and fast cars, it bought the undivided attention of top people in whatever field he chose to spread his wealth.
Delegating trivia like shopping had always worked fine for him before. He didn’t care as long as there was always a clean shirt waiting, but now it wasn’t enough. He wanted to choose something special for Lisa, and he wanted to do that without anyone else’s interference. He wanted her to have something precious, something unique, something to remember him by.
Making a harsh noise that sounded nothing like a laugh, Tino stared at himself in the mirror, his mouth twisting with self-disgust.
‘Come in, Maria.’ Lisa recognised the knock on her bedroom door. She was almost ready for dinner, and it was always a pleasure to see the young girl.
‘Why, Maria, you look beautiful.’
‘We can never wait for anything here in Stellamaris, so the celebrations for May Day have already started in our village,’ Maria explained, spreading her hands lovingly down her intricately embroidered skirt. ‘We are all in national costume.’
‘Well, I think you look absolutely stunning. What a wonderful heritage.’
‘You look very lovely too, Thespinis Bond,’ Maria said, her black eyes widening as Lisa stood up.
‘Thank you, Maria. I only hope Kirie Zagorakis will think so. He bought this dress for me.’ Lisa blushed, realising that she had confessed rather more than she ought to, but the jade-green chiffon, though more modest than some of the other gowns in her wardrobe, was perhaps the most beautiful dress she had ever owned, and tonight, in spite of their pact, she wanted Tino to look at her with something other than lust in his eyes.
‘What’s that, Maria?’ Apprehension struck Lisa as she stared at the velvet box in Maria’s hands.
‘Kirie Zagorakis asked me to bring this to you, Thespinis Bond. He asks you to put them on for him this evening.’
Lisa frowned as she stared at the small velvet case Maria was holding out to her. Maria frowned too, sensing her unease.
‘Just leave it over there.’ Lisa pointed to her dressing table. She couldn’t bring herself to open the small case in front of anyone, not even Maria.
As Maria did as she asked Lisa stepped forward impulsively, and took the young girl’s hands between her own. ‘You’ve been very kind to me, Maria.’
‘Kind to you?’ Maria looked at her with surprise, tilting up her chin to stare into Lisa’s eyes, ‘Is no one else kind to you, Thespinis Bond?’
‘Of course, they are, Maria.’ Lisa looked away briefly. ‘But you’ve made me feel so welcome here.’
Turning at the door, Maria smiled at her. ‘I hope you have a lovely evening, Thespinis Bond.’
Lisa circled the jewellery box as if it were an asp. It was just a small box in navy-blue velvet, she told herself sensibly… A small, beautifully made box that looked as if it had come from one of the most exclusive jewellers in Athens. But how could that be possible? Had it been delivered by jet, or by helicopter? Or did Tino keep a stock of such things, just in case—perhaps increasing the value of the gift depending upon the services he had received? The blood drained from her face at the thought of the pleasure they had shared. Was this her payment for it?
Lisa looked at the jewel case again. She wanted to believe it was a spontaneous gift with no strings attached; something she could return without causing offence. She had last seen Tino five hours ago. Plenty of time for a wilful billionaire to call for his jet to go shopping…
But that wasn’t Tino’s way, Lisa remembered. He ordered in: designer clothes, accessories, jewels, like other men ordered pizza. The amethyst earrings had been a perfect example. Was he upping the ante now, perhaps tempting her with priceless baubles to see if he could push her into becoming the billionaire’s bought woman? Exhaling tensely, she picked up the box, and checked her pale reflection one last time in the mirror.
The return of the gift, as well as the confrontation she expected to erupt between them—none of that was possible, Lisa realised as soon as she walked onto the patio. Tonight was clearly a night of celebration for Arianna and Giorgio.
She didn’t need anyone to tell her that Tino had given his permission for the two of them to marry; the joy on each of their faces told its own story.
‘Lisa,’ Arianna said happily, hurrying forward to draw her into the tightly knit group. ‘Giorgio and I are to be married.’
‘I’m so happy for you,’ Lisa said sincerely. Drawing Arianna to her, she held her close for a moment. She knew Tino was standing just a few feet away. ‘Giorgio,’ she said, releasing Arianna, ‘you’re a very lucky man.’
‘I know that, Lisa,’ Giorgio assured her as he put a protective arm around Arianna’s waist.
Tearing her gaze away from them, Lisa went next to Stella, and took both the older woman’s outstretched hands in her own, ‘This must be a very happy day for you.’
‘This is the happiest day of my life,’ Stella admitted, dragging Lisa into a bear hug. ‘And now I only have one task left to complete on Cupid’s behalf.’
‘Which is?’
The sound of Tino’s voice made Lisa tense in Stella’s arms.
‘Why,’ Stella said, turning from Lisa to Tino, ‘I would have thought that was obvious, Constantine. I still have to find someone who will marry you.’
‘That is one task far better left undone,’ he said softly.
Stella’s noncommittal hum made them all laugh.
‘Shall we sit down?’ Stella suggested. Pointing to a chair, she indicated that Lisa should sit next to Tino.
Discreetly, Lisa put the small velvet case on the table between them.
‘Do you want me to put them on for you?’ He leaned across.
‘No. I do not want you to put them on for me,’ Lisa said under her breath, ‘whatever they might be.’
‘You mean you haven’t looked?’ His voice rose. ‘You mean you haven’t even opened my gift.’
Everyone was staring at them.
‘Forgive me, Stella Panayotakis, Arianna, Giorgio,’ he said smoothly. ‘I did not mean to interrupt your conversation.’
‘Is that a gift for Lisa?’ Stella said happily. ‘You should give it to her yourself, Tino.’
‘No, no, I—’ Lisa started to protest as she pushed her chair back from the table. But then she felt Tino’s hand on her arm and froze. She couldn’t do this. Of course she couldn’t do this. She couldn’t ruin Arianna’s evening. ‘Forgive me, everyone.’ She found a laugh. ‘I’ve never been very good at receiving gifts.’
‘Perhaps that’s because you haven’t received enough gifts,’ Stella remarked, busying her
self with some olive-oil dip for her bread.
‘What have you bought for Lisa, Tino?’ Arianna cut in, dispelling the tension with her excitement. ‘I love presents. And, Giorgio—I’m very good at receiving them.’
Everyone laughed, and then Arianna said, ‘Well, aren’t you going to show us what you have bought for Lisa, Tino?’
He shrugged, and flipped the catch on the jewel case.
There was a stunned silence. The perfectly matched emerald earrings were surrounded by brilliant cut diamonds.
Giorgio was the first to recover. ‘Why, they’re magnificent,’ he said bluntly. ‘I’ve never seen such splendid stones.’
They were everything she had been expecting, and dreading too, Lisa realised as she watched Tino pluck the earrings from their velvet nest.
‘I remembered how much you loved the amethysts,’ he murmured, brushing back her hair to fix one earring in place. ‘And I thought these would be even better, because they will bring out the colour of your eyes.’ Cupping her chin in one hand, he brought her round to face him so that Lisa had nowhere to look but straight into his.
‘There…I was right,’ he murmured, adjusting the second one. ‘They’re perfect.’
There was a spontaneous round of applause.
She knew he could see the tears building up in her eyes, and she hated herself for the weakness. It took every ounce of will-power and years of practice to hold them back. ‘Thank you.’ Her voice sounded so wooden. ‘The earrings are lovely.’
‘And now we go dancing in the village to celebrate,’ Stella declared energetically.
‘Will you excuse me?’ Lisa pushed up from the table. ‘I seem to have developed a slight headache… The flickering candles, perhaps.’
‘Lisa—’ Tino started to get up from the table too, and then Arianna did too.
Stella held her daughter back. ‘You must be exhausted, Lisa. I know what these meetings have meant to you. Business has taken everything out of you. You need rest now…rest, and quiet.. and, goodness knows, you won’t get that in the village. Tino,’ Stella said, turning to him, ‘see that you take care of Lisa. She must go to bed with a cup of warm milk.’
‘Of course, Stella,’ he murmured politely, giving her a small bow.
Was this payback time for the priceless emeralds? Lisa wondered, because, however much she wanted Tino, she could never be bought.
They both stood as still as statues until Stella, Arianna and Giorgio had gone, and then Tino turned to her. ‘I’m not sure about the cup of warm milk.’
‘Tino, don’t.’
‘What do you mean, don’t?’ he said, lifting his warm hands away from her shoulders.
Taking off the earrings, Lisa held them out to him. ‘I don’t need these.’
‘No one needs beautiful things, but they are an expression of…’
‘Of what, Tino?’ Lisa said tensely. ‘Possession?’
She could see he was shocked. Perhaps she had gone straight to the heart of the matter. ‘Please take them back, Tino. I can’t take them. If I did want some new jewellery, I would buy it for myself.’
‘But it gave me such pleasure to buy them for you.’
Lisa almost smiled, but it would have been a sad smile. Tino sounded like a small child who couldn’t have his own way. They were both spoiled. They spoiled themselves. They had both reached a point where they could buy anything they wanted. And none of it mattered, none of it counted for anything. They were always flailing around thinking that the next purchase would fill the gap in their hearts, but it never did. ‘You bought the earrings for me? Did you pick them out yourself? Or did you make a telephone call, and have someone else do that?’
‘I took the jet.’ His mouth curved a little in wry appreciation of the privileged position in which he found himself.
‘So, you did choose them.’
‘Yes, of course I did—there’s no need to sound so surprised.’ Opening his fist, Tino stared down at the priceless gems nestled there. ‘I thought you’d like them.’
‘I do like them, but—’ How could she put her thoughts into words? They were both hopeless, both so clumsy when it came to managing the simplest of human relationships—and theirs was scarcely that. They matched perfectly sexually but something inside was broken—for both of them. ‘If you had wanted to give me a gift, why didn’t you give me some flowers from the garden, Tino? Like you did before…that would have been lovely.’
‘But I wanted to buy you something really special.’
‘The flowers were special…but emerald earrings?’ Lisa searched for the right words, words that would make sense to a billionaire to whom priceless emeralds would make no more dent in his bank account than another yacht. ‘I feel as if you’re trying to buy me, Tino—as if you’re trying to pay me for my services.’ She made a gesture of frustration.
‘Your services?’ Now he did smile. ‘Please.’ He held the earrings out to her again. ‘Take them back as payment on account.’
‘This isn’t a joke, Tino.’
‘I agree with you.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Take them, Lisa, I beg you.’
‘You beg?’ She shook her head. ‘Put them away before you lose them, Tino. They will have to be returned. I’m sorry, but you have flown to Athens for nothing.’
‘For nothing?’ His mouth tugged up wickedly at one corner. ‘Are you sure?’
‘The earrings must be returned to the jeweller, Tino. We’ve both made mistakes. We’re both useless when it comes to knowing what to do, how to behave in situations that don’t involve business.’
‘Is that what we have between us—a situation?’
‘Today is Wednesday and I’m going home on Friday. Let’s not make any more of this than we should…please, no more grand gestures, Tino.’
‘No more flying to Athens to buy you jewellery, you mean?’
As he gazed at her she saw a glint of humour had returned to his eyes. She pulled away. ‘You must be exhausted, after your journey.’
‘Not too tired to want you in my bed.’ He dragged her back into his arms. ‘And I will have my own way on this—with or without emerald earrings, you and I have an agreement to fulfil.’
He carried her upstairs, and, shouldering open the door to his suite, took her straight to the bed.
Lisa watched as he tugged off his shirt. ‘Tino, please, this doesn’t feel right.’
‘Why should we waste time when time is running out? We should make the most of it, don’t you think?’
‘I just can’t do this.’ Lisa tensed, expecting him to react to having his male pride badly dented, but instead he surprised her, coming to kneel at the side of the bed.
Taking her hand in his, he raised it to his forehead and closed his eyes. ‘Lisa, I’m so sorry… You’re right—we’re both hopeless cases. Can you forgive me?’ He looked up.
‘You’ll take the earrings back to the jeweller’s?’
‘If you really don’t want them,’ he agreed, searching her face. ‘I’ll do anything for you.’
Yes, but only for the duration of their agreement, Lisa thought sadly. And then Tino smiled at her, and the delicious curve of his mouth, and the laughter in his eyes, won her over.
She would have been frightened of a man like this at one time, Lisa realised, a man who could make her do anything he wanted with his strength alone, but it was the need she saw in him, the need that so perfectly matched her own that made her weaken…
He saw the change in her at once, and eased up from his knees. ‘You can’t resist me?’ he proposed wickedly.
‘Was there ever a more arrogant man on the face of this earth?’
‘Not here, surely?’ He looked at her wryly, and then gazed around. ‘I’m standing in the middle of my own bedroom.’
‘Then come to me,’ Lisa suggested seductively.
Was lovemaking supposed to start with shrieks of laughter, and end like this? Lisa wondered, lying snug in Tino’s arms. He had just dropped off to sleep, as well
he might after the exertions of the day—and she didn’t just have flying in mind, she reflected mischievously, brushing a stray lock of inky-black hair from his eyes. He moaned softly with contentment, and shifted position slightly at her side, drawing her a little closer.
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