One-Click Buy: September Harlequin Presents

by Penny Jordan

  ‘What is wrong with you? This isn’t real…this is a farce. And everyone in there thinks that we’re in love, that this is a proper marriage.’ She started to back away, back towards the room, babbling, ‘I can’t do it. I can’t do this. I’m going to tell them. I’ll work for Alexei, I’ll do anything to help him get another loan…But don’t make me…I just can’t do this, I can’t—’

  With lightning speed Alexandros reached her as she turned and hauled her into his arms, his mouth crashing down on hers, silencing her words. She struggled and fought but he kept kissing her, and kissing her. Finally he felt her body grow pliant, and her mouth had softened. He’d forgotten the reason he’d started to kiss her in the first place.

  Kallie forgot, too, in a shamingly short amount of time. The anger drained away under the intense building of desire that started low down and rose throughout her entire body. Her hands were trapped against Alexandros’s chest and she revelled in the close contact with the hard muscle under his shirt. When she felt the strength of his arousal through the flimsy silk of her dress she couldn’t pull away. Her hips rocked, aching to be closer, and he pulled her up and into the cradle of his lap.

  When he lifted his head after long minutes. Kallie’s mouth clung…until the cool air swept over her skin as someone came out of the door behind them. She tensed immediately and her eyes flew open, clashing with dark brown ones. This time there was a look of triumph on his face.

  She was still too stunned by the strength of her reaction to do anything, feel anything other than the blood that coursed through her with the force of a crashing wave.

  He smiled down at her, and trailed a finger along her jaw. He, unlike her, seemed to be capable of speaking, of being rational.

  ‘It’s too late, Kallie. We’re married. As you seem to have conveniently forgotten, you’ve already signed the agreement that seals my promise of the loan, and this…’ He moved his hips slightly, his erection sliding tantalisingly against the silk-covered apex of her thighs. The burning desire still held her in its grip. ‘This is very much the next part of the plan.’

  She was held and mesmerised by his eyes. She had to wonder for the first moment since seeing him again what he would do when he discovered she was woefully inexperienced. That suddenly made her brain freeze. He wouldn’t want to sleep with a novice. She wasn’t a virgin but may as well be compared to him! She should tell him now before they went any further. This was the thing that would make him dump her faster than a hot piece of coal. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Two sides of her went to war, the side that wanted very badly to get away right now, forget she’d ever seen Alexandros again, and the other side that wanted nothing more than for him to lay her down, right where they were, and take her to paradise and back.

  They were still locked together, as close as they could be. She had to say something, she couldn’t be this weak. A flashing pop made Kallie flinch in his arms as suddenly, within what seemed like seconds, they were surrounded by paparazzi. The hotel doormen, along with bodyguards that had materialised out of thin air, were trying to beat them back, and in the mayhem that followed Kallie was bundled out and into a car with Alexandros so fast that they were speeding away before she could even get her breath, never mind launch into a declaration of her sexual inexperience.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  WHEN she was finally able to articulate a word she bit out, ‘Are you going to tell me where we’re going?’

  The thought of a honeymoon, just her and Alexandros together, was causing waves of panic through Kallie’s tense body.

  Alexandros looked at her. Her arms were folded across her chest. Everything about her screamed, Get out! And made him more determined than ever to slake his lust, experience the passion that ignited with just a touch of their mouths.

  He forced himself to relax, to try and dampen the spark that was ready to be fanned into a burning flame at the slightest provocation…or encouragement, which he figured was unlikely in the near future.

  ‘Our bags are following so we’re going straight to the airport.’

  Was he being deliberately obtuse? Kallie emitted a frustrated sigh.

  ‘And is this a magic mystery tour or are you going to tell me where we’re going?’

  She was all too aware of the strained edge in her voice. Alexandros regarded her coolly from his seat. Looking casual and relaxed and at ease, when she felt as tightly wound as a spring.

  ‘We’re going to my villa just outside Athens.’

  Kallie frowned and automatically slipped into the familiar Greek name for her grandmother. ‘The villa beside ya ya’s?’

  He nodded. ‘My mother has moved into town. It’s easier for her, and closer to the doctors if she needs them. I’ve had it completely refurbished in the interim.’

  She’d bet he had. And she could only imagine the opulence. It had always been very grand, effortlessly overshadowing her grandparents’ more humble villa, with its deceptively simple design.

  She saw that they were driving into a small airfield, approaching a private jet. She tried to quell her panic and looked at Alexandros as if to block out the evidence that very shortly they would be on a plane, flying to Athens, to be alone. She knew she was talking quickly, inanely.

  ‘I haven’t been back there since ya ya died. Her house is sitting empty now. Some of the family go there sometimes, I think, but…’

  A sudden upsurge of sadness gripped Kallie, taking her by surprise. That house held such special memories for her and the thought of seeing it again without her beloved grandmother hit home.

  She didn’t see how Alexandros’s gaze narrowed on her face. ‘Is this your first visit back to Athens since then?’

  And was that moisture in her eyes?

  She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked at him, shaking her head, desperately willing the emotion down. ‘Not to Athens, just to her house…’

  She’d had no idea the thought of going back there would affect her so strongly.

  The car came to a smooth halt and thankfully she clambered out into the cool air. Anything to avoid that intense, laser-like gaze. Within minutes they were ensconced in plush cream leather seats in the plane, sitting opposite one another. Kallie felt a little more under control again. She couldn’t be her normal self around Alexandros. But it was so hard, watching everything she said, having to control every impulse. She was used to living honestly, openly. But, of course, they were the last things he believed her to be. Open and honest. As they took off and she avoided meeting the dark gaze she could feel resting on her, Kallie had to admit to herself that being open and honest hadn’t exactly worked for her in the past. She’d found out that people didn’t appreciate it. Would step all over it…

  A host of conflicting uncomfortable emotions were ripping through Alexandros. He took in Kallie’s averted profile, the way she swallowed convulsively. He’d seen the sheen of tears in her eyes in the car and it had thrown him completely. He’d even found himself about to ask if she’d prefer to stay at his apartment in Athens, rather than go to the villa. His jaw clenched. Thank goodness he’d come to his senses. Kallie Demarchis at the age of seventeen had shown a mercenary streak that had stunned him. Seven years on, it would only have been honed and developed.

  The only reason she’d be letting tears fall would be to manipulate a situation for her own ends. And he had to concede that she must be seething…perhaps even plotting something. How could she not? He’d made sure that she would get nothing from the marriage and he’d checked up on her financial status. The money she would have got from her shares, which would have gone into six figures, was long gone. The girl had expensive tastes. Goodness only knew what she had spent the money on.

  He looked away moodily and stared out the window at the ground dropping away beneath them. Bed her and get her out of his system. That’s all he wanted to do. He didn’t have to think about anything else. He sent up a fervent prayer that by the end of the two weeks he’d be thoroug
hly sated and he could file for divorce. He’d even told his solicitor to have the divorce papers drawn up and ready, not intending this to be a long marriage at all.

  Kallie sent a quick curious look to Alexandros and was shocked to see his face in such stern lines. She’d felt his withdrawal, as if he was pulling in, pulling away from her. And as if to confirm her suspicions, he looked at her then, but it was so cold, so black that she had to repress a shiver.

  ‘Are you hungry?’ he surprised her by asking brusquely,

  Kallie shook her head and felt a wave of tiredness wash over her, which she succumbed to with relief and not a little cowardice. She was confused by her own turbulent desires. She welcomed some respite, however flimsy. Allowing her eyes to close, shutting out the evocative and disturbing image of Alexandros, her body sank into the reclining seat.

  Kallie woke to a gentle touch and found the stewardess standing over her. Someone had put a blanket over her, too.

  ‘Mrs Kouros, we’re landing in a few minutes.’

  For a second she was about to assert that she wasn’t Mrs Kouros until she remembered that she was. She scrambled up inelegantly, relieved to see that Alexandros was missing from his seat. She pushed her hands through her tumbled hair and secured it back again. The orchid came out in her hand and she looked at it. What had possessed her to put it in her hair earlier? She threw it down on the table beside her, disgusted with herself that she might have somehow unconsciously done it for him. She wanted to get out of the dress, which clung far too much, and get into jeans…or overalls, or something. Anything else.

  And who had put the blanket over her? The thought that it might have been him made her insides liquefy. Silly, she chided herself. It was far more likely to have been the stewardess. She looked up and saw Alexandros emerge from a cabin at the back. He looked pristine. Her cheeks felt hot and her eyes sticky from sleep as he came towards her.

  ‘Good, you’re awake. We’re landing now.’

  She just nodded, didn’t trust herself to speak, and diverted her attention to the view outside. The vista of Athens in the distance got closer and closer until they finally landed. A warm feeling spread through her as she saw the familiar skyline. Coming back to Athens had always felt like coming home, and she’d missed it.

  Once they had landed everything happened so quickly it was a blur. They were out of the plane and ensconced in a luxury four-wheel-drive with tinted windows within minutes. One bodyguard in the front with the driver, the other following in another vehicle with the luggage. She was caught out by feeling suddenly happy at the thought of being back here. She needed to feel close to the Greek earth again.

  The warm air caressed Kallie’s skin like silk as she stepped from the vehicle outside the Kouros villa. Dusk was claiming the sky, lines of pink strewn across it like ribbons as the sun fell. Her own family villa was hidden in the trees just a couple of hundred yards away. She sucked in the warm spring air and drank in the sight of Alexandros’s home. It had always had a slightly crumbling grandeur that Kallie had been in awe of, but the refurbishment was total and stunning. It was painted a warm off-white that reflected the glow of the setting sun. Its low front and flat roof made it look almost unassuming, but the wide veranda leading up to the huge front door hinted at the luxury that lay inside.

  What kept the villa from looking almost too linear, flat, were the trees that lined the entire front façade. Tall and willowy, the typical pine trees of the region were spaced in such a way as to enhance the view of the villa, not detract from it. Kallie knew the first modest impression was deceptive.

  The villa was built into the hillside, almost wrapped around it, in fact, giving it two stunning views over Athens—one from the garden, the other from the pool that was at the bottom of several levels cut into the earth, among trees and olive groves.

  Just then the front door opened and a familiar full-bodied figure rushed out and down the steps, a round brown face wreathed in smiles. Kallie tried to keep track of the rapid Greek as Alexandros’s long-time housekeeper greeted him with a big hug. But when it came to Kallie Thea merely skated a glance over her and barely acknowledged her. Kallie’s stomach dropped. So Thea hadn’t forgiven her either. There had been a time when she had been the housekeeper’s favourite, when she used to sneak over and spend happy hours in the kitchen learning how to make traditional Greek recipes. But Thea had never forgiven Kallie for the way Alexandros had been treated. Kallie had tried to explain, feeling that out of everyone Thea might listen to her, but to no avail. And with seven years gone by, Kallie knew she’d be even less likely to listen now.

  In the entrance hall Thea called a young maid and asked her to show Kallie up to her room, as coolly as if she’d never even known her. Kallie was determined not to reveal how hurt she was and followed the young girl upstairs. She was relieved to see that it wasn’t the master bedroom, although her relief fled when Alexandros appeared at the door, leaning against it nonchalantly.

  He took her in, standing like a startled fawn caught in the headlights. The raw, visceral way he felt, the almost overwhelming urge he had to go over and tip her onto the bed, made him very, very wary. The maid had mistakenly brought her to a guest room. He’d intended her to be in his room with him…but now he wasn’t so sure that was the best idea, despite the clamour of his pulse. He was a civilised man of the world. Not someone ruled by his primitive desires, like some kind of caveman. He made a decision to play around with the truth slightly.

  ‘I’ve given you your own room, Kallie,’ he said as he came in. She backed away against the far wall, watching with huge eyes as he walked to another door and opened it. That led into the master bedroom. He left it open.

  ‘There’s no lock in this door…Like I said in Paris, you’ll come to me. And I’ll be ready when you do.’

  He walked over and stood very close. He reached out a hand and trailed fingers over her collar-bone, which was bared in the dress. Her breath hitched. The energy crackled between them, like a live wire as his hand went down, lower and lower until his fingers grazed the slopes of her breast. Watching her intently, Alexandros let his hand cup one breast. Her nipple sprang to immediate hardness against the silk of her dress and pushed insistently against his palm. He struggled not to haul her close and take her mouth with his, ravaging her breast with his hand.

  Kallie’s breath had long stopped and she’d given up trying to figure out how she still stood. She could feel a bead of sweat break out on her brow. Her lips quivered under his look and she could feel her body wanting to push…push against his hand, have him caress her breast, have his fingers close over her nipple, which throbbed. Then abruptly, cruelly, his hand was gone, his warmth was gone, his scent was gone as he stepped back. Not a shred of evidence that he was as in the same turmoil as she was.

  ‘So don’t take too long, Kallie. There won’t be a divorce until this marriage is consummated so you see…it’s in your hands. You have the power to make this go as quickly or as slowly as you want. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the anticipation.’

  Kallie wanted nothing more at that moment than to have the nerve to reach up, pull him back to her and give in. Once they’d slept together she was sure she wouldn’t satisfy him…a man with his reputation, used to women like Isabelle Zolanz! One night with Kallie would cure him of whatever madness she was sure was just tied up with his lust for revenge.

  He turned and stalked to the door, turning back just as he reached it. ‘Dinner will be served at eight.’

  She stood for a long time, waiting for her body to cool down. A curt knock came on the door and Kallie steeled herself, expecting to see Alexandros again. But it opened to reveal Thea, who put her bags inside the door. She was almost gone when Kallie called to her. ‘Thea…’ She walked over when the woman stopped, her heart aching that Thea could be so cold.

  ‘Thea…it’s good to see you again.’

  The older woman just looked at Kallie, grunted something unintelligible and left.

&n
bsp; Kallie went and sat down on the bed. Her head reeled. Little had she known that when Alexandros had stormed out of her life seven years ago she’d be back to face her demons. And how…

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ‘YOU look tired.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Kallie replied dryly, noting that he looked vibrant, vital and more alive than anyone she’d ever known. They were sitting at a wrought-iron table, covered with a white linen tablecloth, on the back terrace. The French doors to the salon inside had been thrown open. Thea had insisted on serving dinner out here, more, Kallie was sure, for Alexandros’s pleasure than hers. But Kallie had to admit that it was magical. Chinese lanterns threw shapes on the ground at their feet, she could just make out the glimmer of water from the pool on the next level down and the glinting, twinkling lights of Athens and the Acropolis in the distance were mesmerising.

  ‘I’d forgotten how breathtaking this view is.’

  ‘Yes. It is.’

  The tension was giving Kallie a headache. Their conversation over dinner had been stilted and forced. And Kallie dreaded to think what Alexandros might expect that night. She stood up, her chair sounding harsh on the stone.

  ‘I’m going to turn in. It’s been a long day.’ Her voice sounded too forced. He looked up at her and Kallie knew that if he was to stand up and take her in his arms, she’d be lost. He just nodded and she felt an irrational surge of disappointment. She went to walk past him and just when she was nearly clear, he grabbed her wrist in a loose yet firm grip. Her heart skidded to a halt. She looked at him warily, eyes glinting green and blue in the light.

  His voice was silky. ‘Kallie, that door will be open. Don’t forget.’

  Kallie jerked her hand out of his grip and fled. As much as she perversely wanted him to make a move, she knew she couldn’t. Not yet.

  Alexandros swallowed the last of his wine with almost a savage movement. This evening had been purgatory, sitting opposite Kallie with the lanterns and moonlight bathing her skin in a warm milky glow. It had looked so smooth, so silky that it had taken all the strength he’d possessed not to reach out and touch her. But she’d caught him off guard again. Every time he’d moved, she’d flinched slightly and looked at him with those huge wary eyes. Even though he’d seen the blatant desire in their depths.