There was time to make love before dinner, but he wanted to make love to her properly, till he was utterly spent and all the tension had been burned out of him. That would take longer. A lot longer.
Kerry could feel Theo’s eyes burning a hole in her back all the way across the patio. It was a relief to enter the cool interior of the house, but she was wound far too tightly to relax properly.
She hurried straight to their room, then showered and changed for dinner as quickly as she could. She was ready far too early—but she didn’t want Theo to come back before she was dressed. From the way he’d been looking at her she knew exactly what he wanted to do—and that was the last thing she wanted. Or so she told herself.
She paced uneasily around the room for a few minutes, then decided to go out again. At least that way she could avoid being trapped in a confined space with him. Chances were that he wouldn’t come on too strongly if they could be interrupted at any moment.
She closed the door quietly, then made her way along the corridor, admiring the many paintings that were hung along the simple whitewashed walls. She realised they were all different views of the island, and they were all painted by the same artist. There seemed to be something familiar about them, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
She was still looking at the paintings when Theo returned. Her heart skipped a beat as he paused beside her, and she could feel the heat radiating off his powerful body, smell his warm, musky scent. He was slightly flushed and looked as if he’d been hurrying.
‘It took me longer to climb back up the cliff path than I expected,’ he said. ‘Drakon is waiting for us in the dining room. Go and join him—I’ll be there very soon.’
She watched him stride away to their room, feeling her heart rate slowly subside once he was out of sight. She was happy to go and talk to Drakon. It was safer than spending time with Theo. And she was interested in finding out something about the paintings she had been admiring.
It wasn’t long before Theo joined them and dinner was served. The meal that followed began much more easily than Kerry had anticipated. For the most part Theo carried the conversation, keeping the topics light and undemanding. She found herself starting to relax. It was almost possible to imagine that this was an ordinary social event like the many events she had attended with Theo in the past. Actually, it was more pleasant than many—she liked Drakon and enjoyed hearing his views on the world.
Theo was a charming and attentive companion. His manner seemed so natural and so familiar—so much like the way he had always behaved towards her when they were together. In fact there was nothing to distinguish the way he was treating her now from the way he had treated her during the year she’d been his lover.
She knew that tonight it was just an act—that he was simply playing the role of devoted lover—but it reminded her painfully of the past. Then suddenly, out of the blue, she found herself wondering if he had always been acting with her.
If he could turn on the charm now—even though she knew for sure that his feelings towards her were the complete opposite of those he was portraying—how could she know he’d ever been genuine? Had he ever really cared—or had she been nothing more than a suitably undemanding, biddable candidate who was willing to travel with him, to be at his beck and call for his personal convenience?
That thought felt like a slap in the face.
This evening showed that he was a master of deception. There was no way of knowing if he had ever been true to her—if his affection had ever been anything more than an act.
She stared at him across the table, unable to keep her expression neutral. After everything—what was she doing here with him?
She thought about Lucas. It made her chest ache, she missed him so much. She’d never been away from him overnight. By now Bridget would already have put him down to sleep. Had he settled quickly? Or had he cried because he missed his mother?
‘Kerry?’ Theo’s voice cut into her thoughts, and she realised he had spoken to her more than once before she’d heard. ‘Our host is saying goodnight.’
She quickly turned to Drakon, noticing how tired and drawn he was looking.
‘That was a delicious meal,’ she said quickly, hoping he hadn’t noticed how distracted she’d become towards the end.
‘Don’t have the stamina I once had,’ Drakon muttered as he heaved himself up on unsteady legs.
‘Let me help,’ Kerry said, rushing over to support him.
‘I don’t mind accepting help from a pretty young woman,’ he replied.
She could tell he was trying to make his voice sound light, but the strain that he was trying to hide was clearly visible in his face. She helped him halfway across the room, then his assistant appeared with a wheelchair, which he gratefully sank into.
‘Didn’t want you to see this,’ he mumbled. ‘Don’t really need it, but…’
‘Thank you for a lovely evening,’ she said, bending down to kiss him lightly on the cheek before his assistant wheeled him away.
She straightened her shoulders, already feeling Theo’s eyes on her. For a moment she didn’t want to turn and face him—but there was nothing else she could do.
‘Alone at last.’
Theo’s deep voice oozed with intent, and the sexual message in his tone tingled down her spine like a dark promise.
Kerry’s feet felt as if they were glued to the floor, but she made herself turn on the spot until she was facing Theo. Their eyes met with a snap, and she felt a surge of emotion rush through her. It had been so easy for him to play the attentive lover that evening—but she knew he was just playing a role for the sake of their elderly host. Had it been that way all the time they were together?
‘Was it always just an act?’ she demanded.
CHAPTER FIVE
A GLIMMER of surprise flashed across Theo’s face, but it was gone in an instant, to be replaced by a hard, shuttered expression. It was clear that he didn’t intend to get into the discussion that she wanted—at least not in Drakon’s dining room.
‘I’m not sure I understand your meaning.’ His voice sounded smooth and unhurried, but he closed the distance between them with a few rapid strides and wrapped his arm snugly around her. Although to an onlooker the gesture might have appeared affectionate, Kerry knew that was far from the truth. ‘Let’s go to our room, where we can talk quietly.’
‘You know exactly what I mean,’ she said curtly, attempting to pull away from him. But he tightened his hold on her and started walking out of the dining room. She had no choice but to go with him—not if she didn’t wish to make a scene.
Reluctantly, she let him guide her back to their bedroom, clamped to his side by his powerful arm. She was acutely conscious of his firm, masculine body moving beside her. With every step they took she could feel his legs brushing against hers, feel his muscles working, feel the heat passing from his body to hers. It was as if there was a current flowing from him into her, making her more and more sensitive to him.
Her pulse-rate was rising and she was starting to feel slightly breathless. But it wasn’t because of the strong emotions that had flared within her. Something else was building inside her now.
She tried desperately to ignore the way she was feeling physically—to call back the anger that had sparked in the dining room. But her mind and emotions were clouded simply from being so close to Theo.
‘Let’s not talk,’ he said as he closed the door quietly behind them. He turned and pulled her towards him, face to face. ‘I can think of things I’d far rather be doing with you.’
‘No.’ Kerry lifted her hands and pressed her palms flat against his chest to hold him away from her, although he was drawing her closer and closer with every second that passed. ‘I want answers. I want to know if everything was always just an act. Did you never care for me at all?’
‘An act?’ Theo looked deep into her eyes in a way that sent a quiver of heat running right to her centre. ‘You know this isn’t an act. No one
could fake sexual chemistry like this.’
‘I’m not talking about the chemistry,’ Kerry protested, trying not to be distracted by the heat of his chest through the fine fabric of his shirt. Her fingers twitched, longing to delve inside his clothing and feel his naked skin. ‘There was more than that between—’
She hadn’t finished speaking when Theo’s mouth came down on hers, silencing her with a kiss. She gasped in surprise and he pushed his advantage home, plunging his tongue between her open lips.
It was a forceful possession of her mouth that she hadn’t consciously invited—but her response was instant. An immediate rush of excitement tore through her body, making her tremble and moan with desire. It was as if her ability to resist him had evaporated in an explosion of pure physical arousal, and she arched towards him, moulding herself to his body.
His hands slid over her, touching and stroking through her dress. His tongue writhed erotically against hers, sending her pulse-rate soaring and making her head spin. It was impossible to think. Impossible to do anything other than surrender to Theo and kiss him back with equal passion.
Then, through the hot haze of sexual desire, she felt his hands moving on her hips. He was tugging at her dress, bunching the fabric up so that he could reach underneath.
A blast of feverish anticipation shot through her, making her legs buckle simply at the thought of what might happen next—of what she was suddenly desperate to experience again.
Theo’s arms went around her, lifting her on to the bed, and for a moment she lay back breathlessly against the pillows, staring up into his flushed face. He was leaning over her, his black hair falling forward over his brow, filling her vision, blocking out everything but him.
His hand was on her leg, sliding quickly past her knee, along the inside of her thigh. Her whole being yearned for him, wanted to be one with him again.
But it would never happen—not truly. Not in the way her heart wanted.
He didn’t love her. He’d never loved her.
‘No.’
The word was hardly audible, but it was enough to make Theo stop completely still. His hand was resting just a few inches from the very top of her leg, right next to the most sensitive place on her body.
‘Don’t try to tell me you don’t want this.’ His tone was level, but Kerry could hear that he was breathing hard. She knew that he was fully aroused and expecting to make love to her.
‘Not this,’ she said, trying hard not to wriggle. The position of his hand was driving her to the point of distraction. If she rocked her hips it would move, slide intimately against her throbbing flesh. ‘I want an answer to my question.’
‘I told you—this is real,’ he said, squeezing her inner thigh lightly. He didn’t move his hand any higher, but the gentle pressure on her leg was enough to send waves of sensation rolling across the centre of her desire.
‘Oh.’ She couldn’t help sighing in pleasure. She closed her eyes for a moment, drawing in a shaky breath.
‘You want this,’ Theo said. ‘You want to make love.’
Kerry opened her eyes and looked at him.
‘It’s not love,’ she said.
‘No,’ Theo replied, studying her through narrowed eyes. ‘No one ever said it was.’
‘But I thought that you had feelings for me,’ Kerry said shakily, finally finding the will to push his hand away and sit up against the pillows. ‘I thought that we had feelings for each other. At least that’s how it seemed.’
‘Feelings?’
Theo pulled away abruptly and stared at her in disgust. How dared she bring up the subject of their feelings?
She was the one who’d betrayed his trust—gone behind his back and stirred up trouble, almost causing a family tragedy.
‘Don’t even think of trying that one,’ he bit out, standing up beside the bed. ‘What kind of fool do you take me for? I can’t be manipulated so easily.’
Her face was flushed and he could see the rapid rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed. She was just as turned on as he was—yet she was tormenting them both, trying to make him say something unguarded in the heat of passion.
He saw her shrink back a little, and her eyes widened with surprise, as if she was startled by his sudden change of temper. But then her expression hardened and her brow creased with annoyance. He knew she was about to challenge him.
‘You have always been the one controlling our relationship. You still are—even though it’s more than a year since you kicked me out,’ she said, sliding off the opposite side of the bed and turning to face him. ‘So don’t talk to me about manipulation—I’ve always done everything you ever asked of me.’
‘We have no relationship,’ Theo grated. ‘It ended the night you betrayed the trust I’d placed in you.’
He was shocked to hear her use the present tense—surely she knew the score as well as he did? This was just sex—nothing more. Why would she make it sound as if their affair was ongoing?
‘You threw me out without a second thought,’ she said. ‘And now it suits your purpose you want me back.’
‘I don’t want you back,’ he said through gritted teeth.
‘But you still made me come here with you,’ Kerry said. ‘And you’re deliberately messing with my head—acting like a devoted lover and trying to seduce me.’
‘You understood the situation when you came here,’ he said. ‘So don’t act surprised by the way I’ve treated you in public. And in private you want me just as much as you ever did.’
Kerry bit her lip and stared at Theo, feeling lost and utterly humiliated.
He was right. She did still want him. Despite everything, she did still want him.
‘I never meant anything to you,’ she said, hearing her voice crack with emotion. ‘You’ve never even had the slightest respect for me.’
‘Respect?’ he repeated incredulously. ‘After everything, how can you even mention respect?’
It was the confirmation she’d been dreading—proof that she’d never meant anything to him at all. That was why it had been so easy for him to discard her when she did something foolish.
She felt her heart breaking all over again. Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away, refusing to let him see her cry. He didn’t respect her—but she had to show some respect for herself.
‘Get away from me,’ she said. ‘I don’t want to be in the same room as you.’
‘I’m not leaving,’ he said. ‘I’m not asking our host for separate rooms. That would defeat the point of you being here.’
‘Then I will,’ Kerry said. She turned and stepped quickly towards the door.
Theo moved like lightning. In an instant he had circled the bed, and caught up with her just as she reached for the door handle.
His fingers closed like a vice around her wrist and he flipped her round, pinning her to the wall.
‘Don’t do something you’ll regret.’ His voice was deep and rough, as if he was only just holding his temper in check, and she could feel the tension in his muscular frame as he pushed up against her.
‘It’s too late for that,’ she whispered miserably. ‘I should never have come here with you in the first place.’
He pressed her back to wall with one hard thigh thrust between her legs and stared straight into her eyes. His gaze held her trapped as securely as the strength in his large, powerful body, and she could feel the angry energy emanating from him.
Then he released her with such abruptness that she stumbled forward into the room.
She was still finding her balance when she realised he had gone. He’d moved so quickly and shut the door so silently that it was almost as if he’d simply vanished.
She staggered over to the bed, breathing in jerky, painful gasps. Her eyes were swimming with tears, but she wouldn’t let them fall. She would not let them fall. She could not let him win any more.
But she knew it wasn’t over. No matter how many times she cried, or how hard she tried to hide the
pain, it would never be over—because she was the mother of his son.
The following morning Kerry woke to the sound of the shower running in the en suite bathroom—Theo must have come back, but she had no idea when. It had taken her hours to fall asleep, but he hadn’t disturbed her when he came into the room.
She frowned, wondering when he’d returned—and if he’d slept elsewhere and just come back to shower, or if he’d slipped into the bed during the night while she was sleeping.
She got up quickly, collected some fresh clothes from her case and sat at the table flicking through a magazine, intending to dash straight into the bathroom as soon as he appeared. After their argument she was not looking forward to the day, and she wanted to be washed and dressed before she had to talk to him again. She had the feeling he was going to make her pay for not meekly complying with his wishes the night before.
A minute later she heard the door to the bathroom open.
‘Good morning.’ Theo’s voice seemed deeper than usual, and for a second Kerry wondered how much sleep he’d had—not much, if his gruff tone was anything to go by. But most importantly she realised his tone was neutral—he didn’t sound angry any more. A ripple of relief ran through her and she turned to reply.
‘Good morn…’ She faltered, staring at him standing in the doorway—naked apart from a small white towel wrapped around his hips—and all coherent thought flew out of her head.
He looked absolutely magnificent, and she could not drag her eyes off him. His skin was still glistening with water droplets and his wet hair was sexily dishevelled, as if he’d just roughly towel-dried it.
He started walking towards her across the room, and she swallowed reflexively, simply staring at him in awe. The movement of his muscles rippling beneath his taut bronzed skin was totally mesmerising. And totally arousing.
Her gaze slid easily over the contours of his broad chest, down to the sculptured beauty of his lean stomach muscles. A sprinkling of black hair arrowed downwards, drawing her gaze lower still.
Her eyes widened as she found herself staring at his towel. Her attention was having a powerful effect on him, and he was making no attempt to hide it. She pressed her teeth into her lower lip, feeling an answering heat flood through her own veins.
The Diakos Baby Scandal Page 5
