For Your Love Only

by Diana Von Lutzenrath

  Chapter 22

  Athens, Greece

  Costa waved his secretary away with a brisk flick of his wrist as he walked out of the conference room. Moving swiftly to avoid being waylaid by any of the people he had just spent the last three hours caged in with, he sailed right past his office, since that would be like stepping into a trap.

  He was beginning to seriously consider installing a back door to his suite of offices, so he could slip out unmolested when the urge took him. The urge was taking him now, and it had been for the past week. Lately, he felt as if the walls were closing in on him whenever he was at his business headquarters. None of his projects interested him. He was weary of the interminable meetings and negotiations, as well as the relentless politics and backbiting. All he wanted was to be left alone.

  His current mood was no secret to the people who worked for him, and the floor of offices he kept was as quiet and subdued as a church. Since he returned from London, everyone had learned to tiptoe around him as if he were surrounded by land mines.

  Looking at his secretary, who had been taking the brunt of his foul mood, Costa almost felt sorry for her when she darted over to hand him a message. These days, she behaved more like a dog who had been kicked than the regal, gimlet-eyed gorgon he hired five years ago to do his dirty work and guard his privacy. The poor woman slinked away, obviously relieved to see him leave the office.

  Stepping into an elevator crammed with people, he crumpled the unread message into a ball and grit his teeth as they began the long ride down. He bit back a curse each time the stifling steel box dinged to a stop, only to provoke looks of disappointment from the people who waited for it on the lower floors. The damn thing stopped at almost every floor, since it was six o'clock and most of the offices in the huge, prestigious tower in the middle of Athens business district, were closing for the day.

  When one dense cretin tried to squeeze onto the packed lift, Costa froze him with a glacial look, which was mild compared to what he really would have liked to do to the man. By the time they reached the lobby, he was ready to scream as the press of bodies and the miasma of different colognes and perfumes suffocated him. He took one step off the lift however, and stood bolted to the spot as if turned to stone.

  He saw her immediately, as if he had been expecting her. She wasn't hard to miss. Her brilliant head of white-blond hair caught the sunlight streaming through the four-story glass windows along the front of the building. Tallia

  Costa's hand groped for something to hold onto, as his body went weak. He stumbled when the people surging out of the lift jostled him. The elevator dinged furiously, while he remained glued to the spot, his hand clenched on the steel and rubber edge of the door.

  For a crazy moment, Costa actually considered retreating, considered getting right back inside the elevator and going back up to his office to hide. He couldn't deal with this. He couldn't stand to see her again, much less talk to her, even though he couldn't seem to tear his eyes from her.

  Clearly Tallia had been vetted by security and denied access to the offices. She stood on the other side of a line of metal posts equipped with scanners that only permitted people with electronic badges to pass. It was an invisible barrier, but he knew that if she stepped across it without a pass, setting off the alarms, a dozen guards would fall on her in seconds. Security officers sat behind counters on either side of the entrance, eyeing everyone with humorless expressions on their faces.

  Violet eyes locked with his as she stood in the middle of the lobby, staring at the elevators, waiting for him. She looked like an angel, standing there. People flowed around her, a bland stream of mere mortals that parted on either side of her, as if she generated a force field that repelled anything that came too close.

  Costa could see the stares Tallia attracted, and he was not surprised. She was a vision, more beautiful than even he remembered. Her skin had lost the faint golden glow it had taken on at Seleni, but her pallor only made her more striking. The glorious rosy flush to her cheeks offset her violet eyes, which burned as if lit from within.

  He was so busy drooling over her that he didn't even realize she had begun to move until the alarms went off. As she burst into motion, he suddenly realized Tallia was no delicate seraph or fey, but rather a fierce Valkyrie. The light in her eyes was the fire of hot, molten rage.

  Like an avenging angel she came at him, her hair a flying banner of silver. Her eyes shot sparks of amethyst and crimson, oblivious to the pack of black uniformed guards who sprang from their posts like unleashed attack dogs, thirsty for blood.

  Costa snapped from his daze and barked a harsh command to the guards to stop. He held up a hand and they fell back obediently. In the next instant he wished Tallia were so easily intimidated. As soon as she came within striking distance, her hand whipped out and caught him a stinging blow across the face that loosened half his teeth.

  "You bloody bastard," she hissed with a fury that was not in the least dampened by the softness of her voice.

  Shocked by both the strength of the blow she landed and the rage pouring off of her, Costa could only gape at her like a simpleton. Tallia's other hand jerked and cracked across his opposite cheek with equally stinging force. Costa was finally jarred out of his stupor by the second, stinging blow. He grabbed her arms and swung her into the open lift. He punched the close button and then the emergency stop, while she continued to attack.

  "Bastard!" she cried, her voice ringing in the enclosed space, "I can't believe your nerve, your sheer arrogance! Is there blood in your veins? Do you have any feeling at all- a heart, a soul?"

  Costa tried to catch her flying fists, but Tallia was surprisingly quick and agile. She managed to land numerous hard, pointy-knuckled blows all over his chest and shoulders. Catching him in the face more than once, she exploded into action like a spitting ball of rage. When he did snag one of her wrists, she went completely berserk and started kicking and screaming. She bit his hand until he had to let go or risk loosing a chunk of flesh.

  "I hate you!" she kept screaming as she beat him. "I wish I never met you or that you'd never been born!"

  His heart twisted at her words and the pain in her voice as she railed at him until she sounded raw and hoarse. He didn't try and stop her as she pummeled him. He just deflected some of the more dangerous blows, knowing he deserved everything she dished out. If anything, Costa wished she were strong enough to give him the beating he so richly deserved.

  He had played with too many people’s emotions for too long. Now he knew he was finally getting his just desserts. The woman he loved more than life hated him so passionately that she had flown all the way here just to tell him so personally, after ending things almost two weeks ago. From the amount of hurt and despair in Tallia face and voice, he knew he had taken something very precious from her. It was not her virginity; he knew Tallia didn't care about that. It was her peace of mind he had stolen, and probably a good deal of her faith in men and people in general.

  As abruptly as she had flown off the handle, Tallia suddenly collapsed against the opposite wall of the elevator and stared at him blankly. She looked as if she didn't recognize him for a moment, and then she started to cry. Not great teary sobs, but silent trickles of big teardrops slid down her flushed cheeks and turned her eyes a luminous periwinkle.

  "I'm sorry Tallia," Costa said softly, torn apart by the sight of her so distraught.

  She said nothing, but reached around and dragged a familiar velvet box from the back pocket of the jeans she wore. Digging into a front pocket, she brought forth the black ring box Emily had tried to give him. Costa held up his hands and shook his head, no more willing to take back his gifts this time than the last.

  "Take them!" Tallia shouted furiously.

  "I never meant to hurt you, Tallia," Costa told her, realizing with sick certainty that she was about to walk out of his life, and he would never see her again. He had tried to be noble since he left London, but Costa knew he couldn't live withou
t her and would do anything to keep her.

  "Just take them," she repeated firmly.

  "I'm not proud of who I am Tallia," he whispered. "I've been a shallow, egotistical prick for most of my life, but I never meant to cause you any pain. I knew I never should have touched you. I tried to do the decent thing and leave you alone, but… I'm not a decent person. I'm selfish and spoiled, and I like to get my own way-"

  "You set out to hurt me from the moment you laid eyes on me," she stated softly. Her gorgeous eyes darkened to violet again with righteous indignation.

  "No, that's not true," he retorted quickly, so relieved that she was talking to him that he didn't allow himself to be discouraged by what she was saying. "I'll admit," he was quick to add when her eyes turned purple, "that first day I meant to scare you, and… and hurt you, yes, because I thought you were Fidelio's girlfriend-"

  “Who you intended to screw."

  Costa flinched, "Tallia…"

  "Who you intended to screw!"

  "Yes," he muttered, flushing darkly. "One look at you… I knew there was no way in hell I could keep my hands off."

  Tallia's eyes narrowed furiously.

  "I'm not denying I'm a creep, or rather I was a creep, but you don't understand how I felt when I saw you."

  "Oh, please. Spare me the bullshit," she hissed across his words.

  "No Tallia, you want the truth, then here it is," Costa snapped, crossing the distance between them in one long stride. She jerked back to avoid touching him and fetched up hard against the opposite wall. Her reaction infuriated him, as she never used to avoid his touch. Costa braced a hand on either side of her head, aggressively caging her in, and leaning down until their faces were only inches apart. He looked her directly in the eye.

  "I've been out of my mind for you since the moment I set eyes on you. All I wanted was to get you in my bed, and I really didn't give a damn what I had to do or who I had to hurt to get what I wanted. That's just the kind of guy I am," he said with bitter sarcasm.

  "I took you on the ride from hell to make damn sure you left my brother alone. It was that or have Fidelio removed to some distant part of the galaxy, so the two of you would never be able to see each other again. The idea of you with him and him with you, it was enough to make me want to go ‘old school’ Greek, and cut off his most treasured bits.

  “Once I realized my mistake, I thought it was over and you would never give me the time of day. But you forgave me," he said, his voice trailing away as emotion gripped him. "You just forgave me!"

  Costa shook his head, "I couldn't believe it. Everything I wanted just fell into place perfectly. It was as if it was fate, and you were meant to be mine. With nothing in my way and Fidelio and your sister off on their pre-honeymoon boat trip, I set out to seduce you.

  “Yes, I was totally bent on seduction. I was cocksure and practically giddy with excitement when it became obvious you were attracted to me. It seemed inevitable that you would end up exactly where I wanted you… in my bed," Costa pronounced those last three words very carefully, not even trying to keep the satisfaction from his voice.

  "But then everything changed the moment I realized you were a virgin. Theos, I might be a scumbag Agapate, but I never, never had a virgin. I never sleep with innocents. If I had one rule over the years, it was always to only play my nasty little games with the kind of women who knew the rules. At least they understood that I had nothing to offer other than sex. You blew me away," he told her. Holding her gaze intently because he needed her to see that he was telling her the truth… unvarnished and ugly, but from the heart.

  "Nothing to offer?" she scorned, "Don't be modest Costa. Aren't you forgetting all the wonderful consolation gifts you love to splash around?"

  She raised her hands to slam the two jewelry cases against his chest, trying again to make him take them. Costa shook his head in denial. "I never gave you any consolation prizes, Tallia. These are gifts, real tokens of affection. The others were just…"

  "Insults… you’re parting shot," she filled in for him.

  Holding her condemning gaze, he nodded his head slowly, "Yes, that's exactly what they were. Those women I fucked only wanted me for my money. They chase after me because I'm Costa Eustakhios, who has a net worth crammed full of dollar signs.

  “They don't give a damn about me. I treat them like crap, and they don't care. They run crying to the gossip rags, but that's only to see their name in print and get people’s attention. If any of them had any self-respect, they wouldn't crawl into my bed knowing how I treat women. I have never hidden that fact from anyone. I have never pretended to be anything I'm not Tallia. I never put on an act or lie or fake emotions I don't feel. That should tell you something," he added pointedly.

  Tallia's eyes slid away from his, and her long lashes dipped to shield their expression. Costa brushed a knuckle over her velvet cheek, and then slid it under her chin to lift her face gently to his. Tallia's lashes swept up, and she reluctantly met his intent gaze.

  "I'm crazy about you Agapate, I thought I made that pretty obvious on Seleni. I know I don't deserve you, and I'm probably the last guy you should be with, but I want to marry you. I want to be your husband, father to your children. I'll do anything-" he began in a pleading undertone, forsaking his pride.

  "Anything?! How dare you Costa? When you never even came to London like you promised, but you sent this 'gift' instead. You were right about one thing. You really will do whatever it takes to get what you want. You want me gone? You want me to leave quietly to spare your pride? Just watch me! If you want, you can even walk me out so you won't be embarrassed any further in your work place. I wouldn't want your image as the ultimate lady killer tarnished."

  "What are you talking about?" he growled, grabbing her arms and giving her a little shake. "I came to London, and you sent your damn sister to tell me off!"

  "Don't lie to me Costa!" Tallia cried, her eyes darkening again as her temper rekindled.

  "I haven't lied to you once!" he roared, shaking her in earnest. "Your sister came to my hotel and told me off, speaking on your behalf. She said to go to hell and tried to give me back your engagement ring. That’s when I gave her that bracelet. I never sent anything to you, and I kept my promise!"

  Tallia stared at him mutely, her eyes like saucers, "Emmy…?"

  "Yes, Emmy, your sister-" Costa swallowed, his furious words silenced as understanding suddenly hit.

  "She wouldn't…" Tallia whispered, her mind working just as quickly as his.

  "Oh, yes she would, Agapate," he replied without any heat, "to protect you."

  Tallia stared at him mutely for a minute, and Costa was fascinated as he watched the naked play of emotions over her expressive face. The anger vanished. The hurt and uncertainty wavered and then were chased away by a slow, blooming joy. Her beautiful eyes were the most expressive of all, changing from deepest violet to a soft, dreamy amethyst.

  "You really came?"

  "On the second day," he told her.

  "Costa," she whispered, a wealth of love and yearning in that one word.

  He yanked her into his arms, nearly crushing her in his relief. "Agapate, how could you doubt me?" he asked teasingly, his big body beginning to shake as he realized she was really here, and she believed him.

  "Emmy told me such horrible things, and then you never came. I read all about you on the Internet and had all these doubts. And you never said you loved me, so I started…"

  "Never said I love you!" he howled, holding her at arms length, "Agapate, it's all I ever say to you."

  "Agapate…?" Tallia repeated softly, really hearing the words for once and instinctively grasping their true meaning. She looked up at him and smiled blindingly, "Oh, Costa! You're going to have to teach me Greek immediately."

  He threw his head back and laughed lustily, "So you will marry me?"

  "Of course! I already have this marvelous ring," she retorted playfully.

  Costa let her go and took the b
lack box from her hand. Popping it open, he sighed when he saw the ring, twinkling brilliantly up at him. For a moment it was on the tip of his tongue to admonish her for thinking he would give such an outrageously expensive ‘gift’ to a woman he wasn’t planning to marry. Thinking better of risking her wrath, he kept silent. Costa gladly went down on one knee and took Tallia's hand. Just as he had in his study the first time, he kissed her finger and then slid the ring into place.

  Tallia smiled down at him. Putting her hands on his shoulders, she leaned down and kissed him softly. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, Costa urged her mouth more fully against his, kissing her with all the searing need and love he felt for her. He stood up after a few minutes, when he finally became aware of the persistent ringing of the elevator alarm. Realizing where they were, he knew it was not the right setting for what he desperately wanted to do right then and there with the future Mrs. Eustakhios, to seal the deal.

  "Lets get out of here," he said gruffly, slipping an arm around her shoulders and drawing her close.

  "Yes, let’s do," Tallia murmured in a dreamy little voice.

  "I want you naked when I put that bracelet on you," Costa told her hotly, remembering the other jewelry box. He reached for the elevator buttons, his gaze fixed on her.

  "Costa!" Tallia gasped, though her eyes were dancing as she looked up at him. He couldn't resist but bend down and kissed her laughing lips.

  "I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed by your reaction to it," he commented as the elevator lurched and dinged plaintively. Clearly the machine was discombobulated and didn't know what to do. He prayed it didn't dump them into the basement, since he had too much to live for to end his life so ignominiously. Everything looked as if it might actually be working out better than he could ever have dreamed.

  "Don't be ridiculous, Costa. How was I supposed to react to the sight of a jewelry box and no you, given your past history?" Tallia retorted a bit coolly, slapping him in the chest with the aforementioned box.

  "Ancient history, Agapate. I am a new man now… your man, and only your man," he added sincerely. "But didn't you feel anything when you looked at the bracelet?"

  "I-I never even opened the box," Tallia admitted apologetically.

  Costa stared at her in stunned disbelief, not even noticing that the elevator started climbing upwards. "You never looked inside?!"

  "No. I just found it this morning in Emmy's room, and it set me off in such a rage I just had to come here and, well… you know."

  "Teach your man a lesson?" he teased, pleased by her revelation. It made it clear to him just how much Tallia loved him. She had come storming down to Greece without ever even opening his present, just to give him a piece of her mind.

  "For all you knew, it could have been an empty box," he suggested lightly.

  Her mouth flying open on a shocked gasp, Tallia blushed hotly, "Are you saying I overreacted?"

  "Absolutely not! I'd still be living in hell right now, if you hadn't come here. These past weeks without you have been a nightmare. I thought you hated me and never wanted to see me again," he confessed with feeling, taking her face in his hands and kissing her hard.

  "Oh, my love, I'm so sorry everything got turned around. But I was in hell too," she said against his mouth, kissing him back fervently. They pulled apart with great reluctance when the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. A crowd of neatly dressed professionals filed in and they couldn't speak again for some time as the elevator made the rounds all the way back down to the lobby.

  Costa didn't mind the wait this time though. Tallia took his hand and held it tight the entire way. When they finally reached the lobby again and stepped off the elevator last, he was especially jubilant at the prospect of their future together. He announced quite loudly to anyone with ears, "She said yes!" and proudly held up Tallia's left hand with his ring on it.

  Tallia blushed. Costa laughed, too delighted to care that most of the curious people in the lobby, especially the slack-jawed security guards, who watched them with open curiosity as they reappeared, were looking at him as if he were insane. His car was waiting for them at the curb. He bustled Tallia into the back seat, instructing his driver to take them directly to the airport. He then called his flight crew to inform them he needed the helicopter readied to take him immediately to Seleni. After that he called Calamini to tell her they were on their way home, giving Tallia an apologetic smile as she waited patiently for him to finish his calls.

  "Soooo," she asked with a sly smile when he put down his cell phone, "does that mean there's something in this box?"

  Costa nodded, "Oh yes, I designed it myself- with a little input from Piet, of course. I knew you still had some doubts about us, and I thought it would be my ace in the hole. One look and you would know exactly how I felt.

  “When I gave it to Emily," he paused as his voice caught embarrassingly, "I really hoped you would look at it and give me a second chance."

  Tallia gave him a questioning look, but Costa merely nodded towards the box. Very carefully she lifted the lid and glanced inside. He heard her breath stall and could see that she understood. Dropping the box in her lap, Tallia turned on the seat beside him and put her hands on either side of his face. She drew him down to her, covering his mouth with her own in the sweetest kiss imaginable.

  "I love you Costa, I always will," she promised him with her usual direct simplicity, and he knew it was true.

  "I love you too my little faerie," he replied, "I always have and I always will."

  Epilogue

  Seleni, Greece

  Tallia yawned and stretched luxuriantly in bed, her lips curving back into the smile she woke up with. The thick arm draped over her waist tightened, keeping her firmly in place. She wriggled happily back into the curve of Costa's big body, snuggling under the sheets with him and giggling breathlessly when his hands started roving over her body ever so deliciously.

  "Costa, I have to go to work and I can't be late," she hissed when he began to drag her beneath him.

  "It's Saturday," he growled, his morning voice low and rough.

  "No, it's not, it’s Friday," she informed him with a laugh.

  His dark head came up, and he looked around with a bleary-eyed expression. He glared so thunderously at the alarm clock on the bedside table that she began to laugh in earnest. "Theos, you're joking," he grumbled. "I was looking forward to sleeping in with my wife!"

  "Ah, well, you'll have to content yourself with me for the time being."

  Flashing her a wolfish grin, he pounced on her. He began tickling her until she was breathless and too weak to resist him, and then he had his wicked way with her.

  "You beast," Tallia muttered as she sat up in bed almost an hour later.

  "Late again," he drawled, unrepentant, "They'll sack you for sure this time."

  "You'd like that wouldn't you, you wicked brat," she remarked with a serene smile, because unbeknownst to Costa she had set the clock back an hour last night in anticipation of starting her weekend a bit early.

  "Mmmhmm," he agreed, propping himself up in bed. He watched her with a lazy smile as she ran her hands through her hair and indulged in another lazy stretch. "Then I would have you all to myself."

  "Selfish, selfish," she admonished him lightly, leaning over to kiss his mouth soundly as if in punishment.

  "You still have a lot of work to do reforming me," Costa retorted blissfully. "It's practically a full time job. You really should quit teaching. I don't like the idea of you working so hard."

  "Ha, ha," she laughed, slipping on her bracelet, the one he had given her four years ago, which she wore almost every day. Tallia's fingers drifted over it lightly as they often did, caressing the unique twisting design and the multicolored stones. It was a very unusual bracelet, even for a one of a kind piece. Fashioned of platinum filigree, twisted into knobby strands to resemble the branches of a tree, the bracelet was covered with dark emeralds cut to form leaves and amethyst stones in v
arying shades of purple scattered throughout, to resemble fruit.

  "The figs should be ripe now," Costa said softly behind her, noticing the way she stroked the bracelet. He slid across the bed, closing the distance between them, and wrapped his arms around her so he could cuddle her to his chest. "We could take the boat out this weekend and go pick a few," he suggested as he began nibbling at the curve of her shoulder.

  Moaning softly as his tongue stroked her skin, Tallia reached back to tangle her fingers in his hair. She tugged gently until he brought his mouth to hers for a long, sensual kiss. "I would love to, but remember, Emmy's coming to visit."

  Costa groaned, and she stroked his cheek lightly. Tallia knew there was still some friction between her husband and her sister, but she thought that was behind them now and she said as much. "You and Em got on rather well last time she was here."

  "It's not that," Costa replied with a chagrined look, "I completely forgot she was coming. I told Fidelio, at the office yesterday, that it would be okay for him to join us this weekend when he asked me to."

  Tallia looked at him for a moment in dismay, and then they both burst into laughter.

  "Oh, Lord, there goes our weekend," she said with a sigh.

  "Do you remember the wedding…" Costa began with a chuckle.

  "Who could forget!"

  "But have you noticed they always seem to pick the same damn weekend to visit?" he remarked speculatively.

  Tallia turned in his arms to look him in the face, "Now that you mention it… You don't think…?”

  Costa shrugged, "Stranger things have happened on this island," he murmured and tumbled her back down into the bed. Tallia’s laughter rang merrily through the room and out the open windows into the garden. Gustav lifted his shaggy gray head and shook it gravely, though a smile lurked beneath his bushy mustache.