He let out a savage groan as his control snapped and he came hard, his body shuddering with the force of his climax. Even as the tremors still juddered through him, shame at his lack of restraint lashed his soul. How could he have been so weak? How could Sara have made him so desperate?
And what the hell was he going to do with her now?
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘WHY DIDN’T YOU tell me it was your first time?’
Alekos’s voice sounded...odd, not angry exactly, but not pleased either. And perhaps his gruff tone was to be expected, Sara acknowledged. He had been anticipating a night of passion with a sexually experienced mistress, but instead he’d found himself making love to a woman whose sexual experience could be documented on the back of a postage stamp.
‘It was my business,’ she said huskily, finding it hard to speak past the lump that inexplicably blocked her throat.
‘But now you have made it my business too.’ He said something in Greek that she thought it was best she did not understand. ‘I’m sorry I hurt you.’ He sounded remorseful and again there was that odd tone in his voice that was not quite anger but might have been regret.
‘You didn’t really. I mean, just a bit at first but then it was...okay.’
‘You should have told me,’ he said more harshly this time.
She sighed. ‘I was curious.’ Not the full truth but it would do. She wanted to cry—perhaps every woman felt emotional after her first sexual experience—but she was determined to wait until she was alone before she let her tears fall.
Alekos’s weight was heavy on her, pressing her into the mattress and making her feel trapped. She didn’t want to look at him, but there was nowhere else to look when his body was still joined with hers. His dark eyes that only moments ago had blazed with desire were now chips of obsidian and his beautiful mouth was compressed into a hard line. It was impossible to believe that his lips had ever curved into a smile of sensual promise.
She pushed against his chest. ‘Can we talk about this some other time, and preferably not at all? We’re done, aren’t we?’ She bit her lip. ‘To be honest, I don’t understand why people make sex such a big deal.’
She could not hide the disappointment in her voice. The discomfort she’d experienced when Alekos had pushed his powerful erection into her had only lasted a few moments. The stinging sensation had faded and been replaced with a sense of fullness that had begun as pleasant, and when he’d moved, and pushed deeper, had become a tantalising throb that she had wanted to continue.
But it had ended abruptly. Alekos’s ragged breaths had grown hoarser before he’d made a feral growl that sounded as if it had been ripped from his throat as he had slumped forwards and she’d felt his hot breath on her neck.
He was still on top of her. Still inside her. There was too much of him for her fragile emotions to cope with, and now he was frowning, his heavy brows meeting above his aquiline nose.
‘No, we are not done, Sara mou. Nowhere near.’
‘I’m not your Sara.’
He laughed softly and the rich sound curled around her aching heart. Tenderness from Alekos was something she hadn’t expected and it was too beguiling for her to bear right now.
‘I have indisputable proof that you are mine. Am I hurting you now?’ he murmured. He shifted his position very slightly and she felt something bloom inside her, filling her once more so that her internal muscles were stretched. While she was stunned by the realisation that he was hardening again, he bent his head and captured her mouth in a slow, sensual kiss that started out as gentle and, when she responded because she couldn’t help herself, became deeper and more demanding.
She was breathless by the time he trailed his lips over her cheek to her ear and nipped her lobe with just enough pressure that she shivered with pleasure that was not quite pain. He moved lower, kissing his way down her throat and over the slopes of her breasts before he flicked his tongue across one nipple and rolled the other peak between his fingers, making her gasp at the sheer intensity of the sensations he was creating.
He played her body the way a skilled musician wrung exquisite notes from an instrument, his touch now light, now masterful, and always with the utmost dedication to giving her pleasure. And all the while he moved his hips unhurriedly, sometimes in a gentle rocking motion, sometimes circling his pelvis against hers.
Each movement resulted in his erection growing harder within her and stretching her a little more, filling her until she was only aware of Alekos—the warmth of his skin, the strength of his bunched shoulder muscles beneath her hands, the power of his manhood pushing into her, pulling back, pushing into her, pulling back, in a steady rhythm that made her want more of the same.
He looked down at her and his mouth curved into a slow smile as he slid his hands beneath her bottom and encouraged her to arch her hips to accept the thrust of his body.
‘Does that feel good?’
‘Yes.’ It felt amazing but she was suddenly shy, which was ridiculous, she told herself, when she was joined with him in the most intimate way possible.
‘Tell me if it hurts.’
‘It doesn’t.’
‘Tell me what you want.’
Oh, God, how could she tell him that his relentless rhythm was driving her mad? How could she tell him what she wanted when she didn’t know? She stared up at his handsome face and thought she would die of wanting him. ‘I want you to move faster,’ she whispered. ‘And harder. Much harder.’
‘Theos, Sara...’ He gave a rough laugh. ‘Like this?’ He thrust deep and, before she had time to catch her breath, he thrust again. ‘Like this?’
‘Yes...yes.’
It was unbelievable, indescribable. And so beautiful. She learned his rhythm and moved with him, meeting each thrust eagerly as he took her higher, higher. He possessed her utterly, her body and her soul, and he held her at the edge, made her wait a heartbeat before he drove into her one final time and they exploded together, her cries mingled with his hoarse groan as they shattered in the ecstasy of their simultaneous release.
Sara came down slowly. A heavy lethargy stole through her body, making her muscles relax and blocking out the hundreds of thoughts that were waiting in the wings of her mind, preparing to lambast her with recriminations. Alekos moved away from her and moments later she heard a click that she guessed was the door of the en suite bathroom closing. She wondered if it was her cue to leave. What was the protocol when you had just lost your virginity to your boss?
Oh, God, it was better not to think of that. Better not to think at all, but to keep her eyes closed and that way she could pretend it had all been a dream. Hovering on the edge of sleep, she was aware that the mattress dipped and she breathed in the elixir that was Alekos—his aftershave, sweat, the heat of his body.
In her dream she turned towards his warmth and curled up against him, her face pressed to his chest so that she felt his rough chest hairs against her cheek. In her dream he muttered words in Greek that she didn’t understand as he slid his arm beneath her shoulders and pulled her close to him.
* * *
Alekos knew he was in trouble before he opened his eyes. The brush of silk on his shoulder and a faint vanilla scent were unwelcome reminders of his stupidity. Lifting his lashes, he confirmed that the situation was as bad as it could get. Not only had he had sex with Sara, but she had slept all night in his bed. Theos, in his arms.
He hardly ever spent an entire night with a lover. Sharing a bed for sleeping suggested a level of intimacy he did not want and could lead to mistaken expectations from a woman that she had a chance of being more than his mistress. Last night he had intended to leave Sara in his bed and go and sleep in another cabin.
He could not explain to himself why he had climbed back into bed after he’d visited the bathroom. Alarm bells had rung in his head when she’d snuggled up to him, all soft and warm and dangerously tempting. He’d been tired and had closed his eyes, promising himself he would get up in a cou
ple of minutes, and the next he’d known it was morning.
He swore beneath his breath. Sara was still asleep and he carefully eased his arm from beneath her. The sunlight filtering through the blinds played in her hair and made the silky layers burnish myriad shades of golden brown. With her English rose complexion and her lips slightly parted she looked innocent, but of course she wasn’t, thanks to him, he acknowledged grimly.
What had he been thinking when he’d made love to her, not just once but twice? But that was the trouble. He hadn’t been capable of rational thought. His actions had been driven by desire, by his need for Sara that in the crystal clarity of the-day-after-the-night-before shamed him. Discovering that she was a virgin should have immediately prompted him to stop having sex with her. But he had been unable to resist the slick, sweet heat of her body, and he’d come—hell, he’d come so hard. Even now, remembering the savage intensity of his release caused his traitorous body to stir.
Failing to satisfy a lover was a new experience for him and Sara’s obvious disappointment had piqued his pride. He grimaced. His damnable pride was not the only reason he’d set out to seduce her a second time. He’d convinced himself it was only fair that he should gift her with the pleasure of an orgasm. Despite her inexperience, she had been a willing pupil and he’d found her ardent response to his lovemaking irresistible.
It was that thought that compelled him to slide out of bed and move noiselessly around the bedroom while he dressed. In his mind he replayed the last conversation he’d had with his brother when he was fourteen.
‘Why are you so upset just because your girlfriend cheated? You can easily find another girlfriend. Women love you.’
‘No other woman could ever replace Nia in my heart,’ Dimitri had said. ‘When you are older you’ll understand, Alekos. One day you will meet a woman who gets under your skin and you’ll be unable to resist her. It’s called falling in love and it’s hellish.’
He wouldn’t visit hell for any woman, Alekos had vowed years ago as he’d watched his brother weeping. Love had brought Dimitri to his knees. Had it also been ultimately responsible for his death? The question had haunted Alekos for twenty years.
There was no danger he would fall in love with Sara. But his weakness last night served as a warning he could not ignore. He didn’t know why she had chosen to lose her virginity with him, and he did not want to know what hopes she might be harbouring about them making their pretend affair a reality.
One thing he knew for sure was that he needed to get the hell off the yacht before she woke up. A short, sharp lesson might be brutal but it was best to make it clear that all he’d felt for her was lust. He still felt, he amended when she moved in her sleep and the sheet slipped down to reveal one perfect rose-tipped breast. She was peaches and cream and he wanted to feast on her again. The strength of his desire shocked him and he strode over to the door, resisting the urge to look back at her.
Sara would probably expect to find him gone when she woke up. She knew he was planning to fly to Dubai to take part in a charity polo match organised by his friend Sheikh Al Mansoor. Kalif had brought one of his cousins to Monaco to visit the yacht show, and the three of them would fly to Dubai on the Prince’s private jet. There was no reason why he should feel guilty for abandoning Sara, Alekos assured himself. After all, she was his PA and she had arranged his diary around his ten-day trip to stay at Kalif’s royal palace.
Deep down, Alekos acknowledged that he was running away, and the unedifying truth did not make him feel good about himself. He was running scared, his conscience taunted him. Sara had made him lose control and it had never happened before. No woman had ever got under his skin and he hoped—no, he was sure—that distance would allow him to put his fascination with her into perspective. He’d responded to the chemistry between them. That was all. When he returned to the London office in ten days’ time she would no doubt be as keen as him to forget about their night of passion.
* * *
Sara was woken by a thud-thud noise that she recognised was a helicopter’s rotor blades. She opened her eyes and frowned as she looked around her. This was not her cabin on Artemis. This was... Dear, sweet heaven! Memories of the previous night flooded her mind. Last night she’d had sex with Alekos and he had not been pleased when he’d discovered it was her first time.
She turned her head on the pillow and, finding she was alone in the bed, assumed he was in the bathroom. Her thoughts flew back to last night. It had been over fairly quickly and she’d felt underwhelmed by the experience. But then Alekos had made love to her a second time, and nothing she’d ever read about sexual pleasure came close to the incredible orgasm that had exploded through her body like an electrical storm and left her shaking in its aftermath.
It had been just as good for Alekos. His harsh groan before he’d slumped on top of her had told her he’d reached his own nirvana. But what would happen now? Where did they go from here?
It suddenly seemed a good idea to get dressed before she faced him. Muscles she’d been unaware of until this morning tugged as she slid out of bed and scooped up her dress and knickers from the floor where they had scattered. The memory of his hands on her body and his mouth on her breasts and—dear God—between her legs when he’d bestowed a shockingly intimate caress, caused heat to bloom on her cheeks and she felt even hotter inside.
When he’d realised she was inexperienced he had tempered his passion with tenderness that had captured her heart and made her hope—No, she must not go down that road, she told herself firmly. Just because Alekos had made love to her with exquisite care and made her feel beautiful and desirable, she must not hope he might fall in love with her. But he might, whispered a little voice in her head.
The sound of rotor blades was becoming fainter, as if the helicopter was flying away. Sara frowned. Who could have been delivered to the yacht by helicopter? As far as she was aware, no guests were expected. Alekos was taking a long time in the bathroom. Struck by a sudden sense of foreboding, she knocked on the bathroom door and when he didn’t answer she tried the handle and found it unlocked and the room empty. She ran over to the sliding glass doors and out onto the deck. Looking up, she saw that it was the Artemis helicopter flying away from the yacht and her heart dropped faster than a stone thrown into a pool as she realised that Alekos must be on board.
She remembered she’d arranged for the pilot to fly him to the airport at Nice, and from there he would travel to Dubai. Of course she wouldn’t have expected him to change his plans, but why hadn’t he at least woken her to say goodbye? Because he was reluctant to face her after last night, she thought bleakly. She felt sick to think that Alekos had used her for sex. She heard her mother’s voice: ‘Once you’ve given a man what he wants you won’t see him for dust.’
Choking back a sob, Sara hurried back to her own cabin on the deck below, praying she wouldn’t bump into any of the yacht’s crew. She had things to do: clothes to pack, paperwork to stow in her briefcase before she was due to leave Artemis and travel to the airport with members of GE’s sales team. Keeping busy stopped her from brooding on the fact that Alekos had abandoned her.
Laden with her suitcase and laptop, she descended to the main deck and forced a smile when she saw her father’s friend Warren McCuskey walking up the gangway onto the yacht.
‘I’m afraid you have just missed Alekos. He left early for an appointment.’
‘Not to worry. I’ll call him with the news he’s been wanting to hear.’ The Texan laughed. ‘I’ve gotta hand it to your guy—he’s a damned good salesman. When I met him a couple of months back I happened to say that my wife, Charlene, fancied us having a boat, and since then Gionakis hasn’t missed a chance to try and persuade me to buy a yacht from GE. The day after we met at the art gallery in London he invited me to visit Artemis while she was in Monaco. By lucky coincidence I’d arranged to stay at Lionel’s place in Antibes.’
‘Did you say you had met Alekos before the gallery launch
?’ Sara strove to sound casual while her brain reminded her that Alekos did not operate on ‘lucky coincidences’. He’d known Warren would be staying at her father’s villa because she’d told him.
‘Sure. And, like I said, he used every opportunity to use his sales tactics on me. But what really sold me on the idea of buying a yacht from his company was when he said that you are Lionel’s daughter.’
Warren mopped his sunburned brow with a handkerchief and so did not notice the colour drain from Sara’s face. ‘Lionel is my closest friend, and if Gionakis is going to be his son-in-law I’ll be happy to buy a boat from him.’
‘Alekos told you that he and I are getting married?’ she said faintly.
‘Not in so many words. But I can tell when a fella is in love. He couldn’t keep his eyes off you at lunch yesterday. I was impressed with this yacht and I’ve decided to buy her.’
‘You want to buy Artemis?’ Sara was stunned. The superyacht’s price was two hundred million dollars, making her one of the most expensive yachts ever built. Alekos had seen a business opportunity when she’d told him that Lionel Kingsley was her father. No wonder he had suggested they could pretend to be having an affair so that she could attend functions with him and socialise with her father. He had been aware that Warren McCuskey was Lionel Kingsley’s close friend; it was fairly common knowledge.
Alekos had been so helpful talking to Warren to give her time alone with her father, she thought cynically. She had believed his offer to help her had been genuine, out of kindness. But Alekos wasn’t kind. He was a ruthless businessman and, unforgivably, he had betrayed her secret and told Warren that Lionel was her father.
Idiot, she thought bitterly. Why had she given herself to Alekos, knowing he was a notorious womaniser and heartbreaker? The answer—that she was in love with him—filled her with self-disgust. Did she really have so little self-worth to love a man who only loved himself?
Acquired by Her Greek Boss Page 10
