Bride by Day

by Rebecca Winters

  “That’s going to be difficult since the garden will extend from the front of the villa to the sea.”

  “Then I’ll drive around the back when I come in the house and refrain from letting my curiosity get the best of me.”

  “You’d actually do that?”

  “You have my word.”

  She was inexplicably delighted by his willingness to go along with her.

  “Then that’s good enough for me.”

  “You’ve never been this amenable before. Greece must agree with you.”

  It does. Far too much, and all because of you.

  Putting on a false smile she said, “It’s because you’re taking such perfect care of me, Perseus. Making a bargain with you is like making one with God. You never let down on your end.” Her voice shook. “I just hope you feel you’re getting your money’s worth.”

  In an instant, the teasing rapport with him was gone. He rose from the lounger with a dark expression, towering over her like the god whose name he’d been given.

  “We’ll find out tonight when we pay a call on Sofia and her father.”

  Her heart lurched, and she had to fight to remain calm. “I’ll do whatever you ask.”

  Silence reigned before he said, “That’s a rash statement to fall from such innocent lips.”

  Her face felt hot.

  “It’s not rash at all,” she countered. “You must have been desperate to have married me to help you deal with Sofia. After talking to her on the phone, I can see why. She was very penitent and convincing.”

  Sam swallowed over and over again. “I—it’s entirely possible that after tonight, you won’t need my services any longer.”

  “What in the name of heaven is that supposed to mean?” he thundered.

  Mentally backing away from him she said, “Sofia is still in love with you, and she explained that there were reasons why she stabbed you before running away. Reasons that make sense if you’ll only give her the chance to explain. When you hear her explanation, you may feel differently about everything a-and want to recap—”

  “Enough—” he practically bellowed.

  She shuddered because her comment seemed to have infuriated him even more.

  “I’ve invested a considerable amount of money in you already, and expect you to remain loyal to me. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, of course, Perseus. I wouldn’t be anything else. I only meant that I’ll understand if you two decide to get back together. You’ve already done so much for me, I could never repay you and wouldn’t dream of holding you to the rest of our contract. If you and Sofia can resolve your differences, I’ll be on the next plane back to New York.”

  He reached out and cupped her face in his hands. His body had grown rigid. “You won’t be leaving to go anywhere until I tell you, you can go.” As if to remind her of their pact, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her so hard and thoroughly, she felt dizzy.

  “In any event,” he murmured in thick tones minutes later, “it’s a moot point since I’m in possession of your passport.” After a tension-filled pause, “Everything you need to get started on the plans for our yard is sitting on the next table. If you desire anything else, I’ll be in my study. Me sinchorite.”

  Upon excusing himself, he strode swiftly from the pool room and disappeared.

  She stood there clinging to a chair, attempting to pick up the pieces of a conversation which had started out lighthearted, and had ended in a kiss that had rocked her to the very foundations.

  The mention of Sofia had triggered a violent reaction in Perseus. Heartsick because when it was good with Perseus, she’d never been so happy in her life, she had a great deal of difficulty settling down to anything, let alone planning a yard of which he could be proud.

  She had thought it was going to be a joint venture, but in pleading Sofia’s case, she’d driven him away.

  Lesson number one she said to herself, plopping a gardening catalog on her lap. Never collaborate with the enemy, not even with the best of intentions.

  Sam would do well to remember that tonight when they went to the Leonidas’s home. Sam wouldn’t listen to anything Sofia had to say, nor would she go to Perseus about it.

  When she thought about it, Perseus had every right to be upset with her. She’d let Sofia get to her, which was tantamount to betraying Perseus. Sam would never make such a mistake again.

  Stung by his words and hurt over his departure, she plunged into her work as if a demon were in pursuit. At one point Ariadne made an appearance to clear away their brunch, but Sam hardly noticed the activity while she was sketching various designs.

  The color schemes were already in her head. It was simply a matter of finding the plants which could survive the heat and do best in the island soil. Fortunately the catalogs Perseus had provided gave all the information she would need.

  Several hours went by. Ariadne brought her a light lunch of grilled salmon and more luscious fruit. Of Perseus, there was no sign. For all she knew he’d left the villa. He might even had asked Yanni drive him to the area where his helicopter stood ready to fly him to Athens for the day. She would never know, which caused another little pain to enter her heart.

  Around three-thirty Sam decided to call it quits. She took everything back to her suite, pleased with what she’d accomplished, but now it was time to start thinking about the evening ahead.

  There was one designer dress hanging in the closet which appealed to her immensely. It was a cream-colored crepe de chine, slim-fitting with short sleeves and a scooped neck. The simplicity of the style shouted elegance.

  But if Sam chose to wear it, then the first thing she needed to do was get a little color. Being a New Yorker meant she was too pale. If she went swimming and stretched out on the sand for a while, she’d pick up some sun which would tint her cheeks and lighten the natural blond steaks in her hair.

  Without wasting another moment, she slipped into her bikini, grabbed a towel and left her room through the sliding doors to run down to the water’s edge.

  In the far distance she spied several sailboats and a ferry. Otherwise, the line of the blue horizon was barely distinguishable where sky met water.

  Slipping off her sandals, she ran into the aqua water, frolicked for a few minutes, then laid out on her towel to absorb the sun’s burning rays. Though she was a true blonde, she had light olive skin and could tan well if she worked hard at it. But in this heat she’d have to be careful so she wouldn’t burn.

  Promising herself ten minutes, she closed her eyes and tried to rid her mind of everything troubling her. Slowly the peace and serenity of this heavenly spot, with the gentle lapping of water and a few gulls calling to each other overhead, lulled her into a light sleep.

  “If you intended sabotaging tonight’s outing, you’re doing a good job,” came a deep, accusing voice which jerked her awake and brought her to her feet in an instant.

  “Perseus—” she cried, stepping away from him as soon as he’d shaken out the towel and draped it around her shoulders. She didn’t know what bothered her more. His anger, or the sight and feel of his bronzed, wellhoned body still dressed in cutoffs which rode low on his hips.

  “I was only sunning myself for a few minutes.”

  “Twenty to be exact,” he stated unequivocally. “Another few more and you’d be burned to toast. Come back to the house. Now.”

  She avoided his eyes, already aware of an unpleasant stinging on her midriff and upper thighs where the sun rarely touched her body. Slipping on her sandals, she followed in his footsteps. “I—I didn’t realize. You have to believe me.”

  He paused mid-stride, his chest rising and falling as if he were having great difficulty controlling his disgust. “You’re in Greece, not Central Park.”

  “I know that,” she grumbled, hating it because he made her feel like a recalcitrant child.

  “From now on, you’ll inform either myself or Ariadne when you come down to the beach. And I’ll extract another
promise from you, as well. You’ll never, ever go swimming alone.”

  “I promise,” she said quietly when they reached the sliding door to her room. The fact that she wasn’t a strong swimmer precluded her ever being that foolhardy. Unfortunately, Perseus didn’t believe she had any common sense.

  Wanting to change the subject she asked, “What time should I be ready tonight?”

  “I thought we’d leave here in an hour and drive to Panagia where you asked me if I lived. It overlooks the whole island. We’ll have dinner in a quaint tavema I know you’ll enjoy, then we’ll go on to Livadi.”

  Livadi was the port town which Perseus told her contained discos, bars and cinemas for the tourist crowd. His lack of enthusiasm for the place revealed his dislike of that kind of entertainment, or perhaps it was simply a cover for painful reminders of Sofia since she lived there with her father.

  “Does an hour give you enough time?”

  “Yes,” she murmured, not wishing to say or do anything which would upset him further.

  “There’s lotion in the cabinet for your sunburn. If you put it on after your shower, it’ll cut down on the pain.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, wishing he wouldn’t be so kind. It was getting harder and harder to remain objective and unaffected around him.

  “I’ll hurry.”

  Without waiting for an answer, she stepped into the shower and shut the door, her heart pounding out of rhythm. Through the etched glass she saw him hesitate before he turned on his heel and left the bathroom. Only then did she remove her bikini and give her hair a good wash.

  She didn’t stay under the water long. Since she planned to wear her hair loose and flowing about her shoulders, she needed all the time possible to blow-dry the strands.

  As Perseus had predicted, the aloe vera lotion did take some of the sting out of her sunburn. Luckily, her face hadn’t burned to a lobster color yet, but anyone looking at her would recognize she’d had a healthy dose of sun. The frosted coral lipstick she’d brought in her bag went well with her pinkish tan.

  Strappy high heels in the same cream color as her dress completed her outfit. With a touch of fleur de rocailles French perfume he’d picked out for her, plus some expensive-looking gold hoops for her ears, she felt as ready as she’d ever be to accompany Perseus. Her only other adornment came in the form of her wedding ring.

  The ring more than anything else made her feel a complete fraud. She’d taken it off after the ceremony, afraid to lose it. But she knew he’d expect it to be on her ring finger tonight, so she reached in the jewelry box and slid it home.

  When she finally glanced in the mirror, a stranger stared back. It was herself, yet not herself. She looked elegant, sophisticated, polished and expensive. Her hair, lightened by the sun, had a tendency to curl and swung about her shoulders from a side part.

  Right now it gleamed like gold—the perfect foil for Perseus Kostopoulos’s dark good looks. Deep in her heart she was pleased that she wouldn’t disappoint him.

  When she recalled that first afternoon in his officestanding there drenched, with her scruffy hair pulled back with fishnet, and wearing that spotted denim shirt and jeans—she cringed to imagine what he must have thought.

  Embarrassed by the memory, she turned to leave when she heard a knock on the adjoining door. “Samantha? May I come in?”

  The breath all but left her body. “Y-yes. I’m ready.” Then the door to his room opened and she found she was incapable of taking another.

  This evening Perseus looked the ultimate male specimen, his broad shoulders aligned with a hard-muscled body clothed in a silky royal blue shirt and off-white trousers, a jacket of tiny blue pinstripes flung carelessly over his shoulder. His straight black hair had grown a little longer since the first day she’d met him, giving him a vaguely dangerous look.

  He could easily be the heroic god he’d been named for, not only physically but in every other sense. As far as Sam was concerned, he was her hero. To this point in time she’d never seen him do anything unworthy. A magnificent man unchanged by his wealth and position.

  His only flaw seemed to be that he was haunted by a past love, immobilizing him so that he couldn’t move on with his personal life. A tragedy for the scores of women who would have desired a relationship with him.

  But if Sam didn’t miss her guess, Sofia would achieve her goal to be the real. the one and only Mrs. Kostopoulos.

  One look at him tonight and Sofia would recognize that he was infinitely more desirable than the eighteenyear-old lover she’d adored in her heart all these years.

  Sam had the strange premonition that their meeting tonight was going to change destiny, and she, Sam, would be given her freedom along with a bonus check for duties rendered.

  The reality of that hurt more than any pain she’d ever suffered in her life, even the defection of her father and the death of her mother. Her eyes closed tightly. Every minute with Perseus had made her fall fathoms deeper in love with him.

  Throughout all her silent emoting, she hadn’t realized that Perseus had been standing there in pregnant silence, staring at her as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Had she worn the wrong outfit?

  Feeling suddenly uncomfortable and restless, she inquired, “What is it? Why are you looking at me so strangely?”

  “Come into the bedroom.”

  She blinked in shock.

  His mouth quirked mockingly. “I want you to see something. I’m not about to seduce you. That was part of our contract.”

  Sam already despised their contract, and wished he’d never brought it up. Not able to imagine what he was getting at, she moved toward him on shaky legs. He was acting so mysterious. She felt him eye her progress with an intensity that sent a frisson of excitement across her skin.

  When she reached him, he clasped her right hand and walked her the rest of the way into his room, leading her toward a large, framed, four-by-five foot painting which hung on the wall between the two double beds.

  Of course. The painting of Andromeda. Sam had forgotten.

  She stepped closer for a good look, then cried out in total shock, feeling the blood drain from her face.

  “Perseus—” She swayed into him and he caught her against his chest, sliding his arms around her waist from behind so she wouldn’t fall.

  “Th-that’s my mother!”

  Sam’s hair stifled the unintelligible words he said beneath his breath. “I knew there had to be an explanation for the likeness,” his husky voice sounded at last. “Finally it all makes sense.”

  “What do you mean? I d-don’t understand.”

  “Your beauty which has always been familiar to me. That spark of genius in your collage that sets you above everyone else.”

  Sam couldn’t take any of this in. Not his amazing words, or the fabulous painting created by her father. A painting Perseus had bought years ago because he was so taken with the subject.

  Her father was a genius. He’d caught her mother’s essence, her beauty, her young woman’s body which was revealed beneath the diaphanous celadon-toned drape. It molded to every line and curve because of the ocean breeze. She was chained to a rock, her bare arms beckoning her beloved Perseus to save her from the sea monster.

  Tears started gushing down her cheeks. “I’ve never seen my mother look so young, so bewitching. Or so happy! That’s love light illuminating her face and eyes.”

  She fought for breath, and tried to control the rage that suddenly welled up inside her breast. “My father must have painted this before he left her alone and pregnant.”

  The room reverberated with the bitterness of her words, but she was helpless to recall them. They’d been dammed up too long.

  On a little gold nameplate at the bottom of the frame she read, “My Andromeda.” In the bottom right corner of the painting was her father’s signature. Jules.

  “Dear God—”

  Unable to hold back any longer, she broke into a paroxysm of tears, instincti
vely turning her body to burrow against Perseus who held her against his heart for timeless moments, rocking her until the worst of her sobbing had subsided.

  There was deep concern in his low, vibrant voice when he asked, “When was the last time you saw him, Samantha?”

  She could hardly get the words out. “I—I’ve never seen him in person in my life, and I never want to. Please—never speak his name to me again. He doesn’t exist for me.”

  Disgusted and ashamed because she’d broken down so completely in front of Perseus, she lifted her head and pulled free of his arms, avoiding his penetrating gaze.

  “Forgive me for ruining your shirt. If you’ll grant me five minutes, I’ll have fixed my makeup so we can go out to dinner.”

  “We don’t have to go anyplace.”

  Trust Perseus to put her needs before his own. Another reason why her heart was breaking.

  “Yes. Yes we do. Tonight is possibly the most important night of your life. I have a contract to fill and I intend to fulfill it. I’ll meet you at the car.”

  A few minutes later they left for Panagia, keeping to desultory conversation throughout their drive and meal. Finally, “Are you feeling ill?”

  They were fast approaching Livadi and those were the first words Perseus had spoken since they’d left the taverna.

  “No. Why do you ask that?”

  His black brows knit together. “Because you only played with your food. I doubt one bite of octopus salad made it past your lips.”

  He’d done everything to distract her by telling her amusing anecdotes, ordering native dishes she might otherwise never have had an opportunity to taste. Honorable to a fault, he’d refrained from mentioning her father or the scene at the villa. But she knew his innate concern for her welfare was troubling him.

  Coming face-to-face with her mother’s portrait, created by her absentee father, had been a tremendous shock, one he’d witnessed for himself. The problem was, Sam couldn’t talk about it, not to anyone, particularly not Perseus who had demons of his own to exorcise. It would be unthinkable to add to his burdens.

  She continued to stare out the passenger window so she wouldn’t be tempted to feast her eyes on his distinctive, aquiline profile. Throughout dinner she’d grown increasingly aware of him. His economy of movement, the way he enjoyed his wine, the line of concentration between his brows when he was studying the menu.