Kitabı oku: «Greek Bachelors: Buying His Bride», sayfa 7

A stunned silence followed her frank confession. ‘Are you telling me that your red dress started life on the inside of a curtain?’

‘A very expensive curtain.’ She shrugged. ‘Why are you looking so shocked? You just said that individuality is to be celebrated.’

His handsome face was a mask of incredulous disbelief and he released her. ‘That night—’ His voice not quite steady, he rubbed his fingers over the bridge of his nose. ‘You really didn’t have a clue who I was, did you?’

She tried not to feel disappointed that he’d let her go. ‘Of course I didn’t know who you were. Why would I?’

It took him a moment to answer. ‘Women usually do.’

‘The women you mix with do. But I’m not one of those. And I wouldn’t want to be,’ she said firmly. She knew far too much about that type of woman. ‘I only spoke to you because you spoke to me first. I’d been standing there, wishing I’d never decided to go to the ball, and then there you were.’ She swallowed as she remembered the sharp intensity of that moment. ‘And you were—there was—something—’

Their eyes met for a moment and he frowned. ‘If all that is true, and you genuinely came to the villa because of concern for my father’s health, then why are you leaving now?’

Because she had to.

Her fingers tightened on the case and she looked away from him so that she wouldn’t be tempted. ‘Because everything has changed. You know I’m not Isabelle, and our relationship has become—’ She broke off and searched for the right word. ‘Become personal. It goes against my principles.’

‘Our relationship is now exactly the way my father always wanted it to be so to leave now makes no sense. We’ve merely dropped the pretence. It actually makes the situation simpler, not more complicated.’

‘Not to me. We had—’ She broke off again and cleared her throat, trying not to mind that he was quite prepared to pretend that the sex had never happened. ‘What we did changes things.’

‘I don’t see how.’

‘You think I’m just leeching from you.’

He glanced briefly towards the roll of notes he’d so carelessly discarded. ‘Is that why you gave me the money?’

‘I’m giving you the money because I don’t want you to pay for me. I’ve never taken money from a man in my life.’

‘I haven’t offered you money.’

‘You’re paying for me to be here. That amounts to the same thing. You think I’m a gold-digger.’

Amusement flickered in his dark eyes. ‘Gold-diggers generally aren’t innocent virgins, agape mou. You’re obviously not quite as familiar with the job description as you think you are.’

She couldn’t think of a suitable reply, so she stayed silent.

He sighed. ‘You’re not leaving.’

She wished she could put the whole episode behind her as easily as he clearly had. ‘I have to.’ For so many reasons. Preserving her sanity was one, but so was maintaining her self respect.

‘Chantal.’ There was a decisive tone to his voice, like a judge who was summing up. ‘You claim that you came here because of my father—’

‘I did.’

‘Then why would you leave? My father’s needs are as great as they ever were. Greater, in fact. Since you arrived he has talked of nothing else. He is looking forward to joining us at dinner tonight. Nothing has changed.’

Chantal chewed her lip.

For him, nothing had changed. She wished she felt similarly indifferent. ‘Everything has changed.’ Her eyes moved to his and then skidded away. ‘We—’

‘Yes,’ he said softly, ‘we did. And given that you were a virgin I’m assuming that you aren’t protected by any form of contraception?’

Her heart stumbled.

Pregnant? It hadn’t even occurred to her that she might become pregnant. For a moment she forgot he was standing there as she considered that possibility. After her own childhood she’d never thought that she’d—

‘I’ll take your silence as a no,’ he drawled softly, and she was silent for a moment as she did some rapid calculations in her head.

‘It will be fine,’ she muttered finally, her cheeks blossoming with colour because this was one topic she wasn’t used to discussing with a man. ‘So you don’t need to think what you’re thinking.’

‘What am I thinking?’

‘That I’ve set the ultimate honey trap.’ She looked him in the eye, her expression fierce. ‘Even if I were pregnant, I wouldn’t take money from you.’

‘Let’s not argue about an issue which might never arise. The more pressing concern is what we do in the short term.’

‘You’re going to let me leave the island.’

His exasperated glance suggested that he wasn’t used to people defying him. ‘Whatever you may think of me, I’m not in the habit of indulging in careless sex regardless of the consequences.’

‘So why did you with me?’

His dark eyes fastened on hers. ‘I have been asking myself that same question for the past few hours. I’m sure the answer will come to me in time.’

She shrank as she imagined how much he must now be regretting his uncharacteristic lack of control. It was all too easy to imagine him calculating what that one awkward lapse was going to cost him in terms of money and adverse publicity. ‘Well, anyway, it doesn’t change the facts. I need to leave.’

‘My father was kind to you.’

‘Yes.’

‘Then you must stay. You owe him this favour.’

She stared at him helplessly. ‘That’s not fair—’

‘I don’t play fair, Chantal,’ he said softly. ‘I play to win.’

She closed her eyes and tried to find the steely streak she needed to refuse. ‘I can’t—’

‘His health is fragile. You have the ability to make him happy. Can you deprive him of that?’

She opened her eyes. ‘You’re totally ruthless, aren’t you?’

‘Focused.’

She turned her head away, feeling as though she were a leaf caught in a hurricane. The force of his personality was too powerful to resist.

‘I don’t see how my presence will really help him…’ But she was wavering and he sensed it, moving in for the kill like a lion spotting a wonded antelope.

‘Your presence could make all the difference to his recovery.’

She wanted to say no, but she couldn’t forget the kindness his father had shown her.

‘All right.’ The words were dragged from her lips. ‘I’ll stay—’

‘Of course you will.’ Clearly supremely confident of his own negotiation skills, he didn’t look surprised by her decision.

‘—But only if you let me pay you.’

‘I don’t understand your desire to be independent.’

‘It isn’t about independence—’ She broke off, realising that if she stuck by that claim then she’d have to explain herself. And she had no intention of doing that. He already knew far too much about her.

His dark eyes narrowed. ‘I don’t want your money.’

‘Take it,’ she said fiercely. ‘Or I’m going home right now.’

He studied her in silence, his expression unreadable. ‘All right. If it makes you happy.’ With economy of movement he reached for the roll of notes and slipped it into his pocket. ‘So, now that problem is solved you can unpack your suitcase. My father is waiting for us on the terrace. Why don’t you change and then join us?’

It was only after he’d strode from the room that Chantal realised they still hadn’t discussed what had happened in the pool.

‘I’m not that hungry,’ Costas protested as Chantal spooned a small helping of roasted peppers onto his plate.

‘They’re delicious,’ she enthused. ‘You just have to try them. Just a mouthful.’

‘Women.’ Costas sighed and picked up his fork. ‘They never let a man rest.’

‘You can rest later.’ She helped herself to a different dish, examining the contents closely. ‘What’s this?’

‘Fasoláda—kidney beans baked in the oven with vegetables, herbs and olive oil. It’s delicious. Try it.’

‘Only if you try some, too.’ Her smile engaging, she spooned a small amount onto his plate and watched while he ate. ‘Well?’

‘It’s good.’

Feeling like a spare part, Angelos watched as she cleverly coaxed his father to eat, selecting small quantities of healthy food for him to try.

Only when she was satisfied that he’d eaten something did she turn her attentions to her own plate. After several mouthfuls she smiled at his father. ‘You’re right, it is delicious. I’d swim through a shark-infested pond to eat this again.’

His father laughed with delight and reached for another dish. ‘If you think that’s good, then you should try this one—’

The two of them were like excited children and Angelos watched as his father flirted outrageously with Chantal.

Now that he knew she wasn’t Isabelle Ducat, he was noticing things he should have noticed before. Like the fact that she didn’t actually flirt. No simpering, no hair tossing, no lowered lashes. Nothing, in fact, that could be described as flirtatious. She just had an open, friendly attitude.

He remembered that night of the ball, and recalled that one of the things about her he’d found so attractive was that she’d been so different from everyone around her.

She’d shown a cheeky sense of humour, a playfulness that was quite different from flirting.

It was no wonder his father had liked her.

And no wonder that she was having such a powerful effect on him.

He’d never been so aware of a woman. The curve of her mouth when she smiled; the slight dimple at the corner of her mouth, the light that appeared in her eyes when she laughed.

And then there was her body…At that point he found his descriptive powers severely challenged. All he knew was that she appeared to have been designed specifically to distract a man from whatever path he was taking.

Suddenly he couldn’t wait for dinner to end so that he could finish what they’d started in the pool.

Trying not to dwell on the fact that Angelos had barely spoken to her over dinner, Chantal stepped into the shower. In the end she’d left him on the terrace with his father, both of them engrossed in an unintelligible conversation about the Far Eastern money markets.

And now she stood under the sharp jets of water, satisfied that Costas had at least eaten something. She just needed to make sure that he did that at every mealtime.

Reaching for one of the fluffy towels that were piled in uniform rows, Chantal walked out of the shower and into the bedroom.

Angelos was sprawled on the bed, talking in rapid Greek into his mobile phone.

Shocked to see him there, she was about to retreat into the bathroom when he noticed her and ended the call with a decisive stab of one long finger. ‘You were so long I was about to join you in the shower.’

‘What are you doing in my bedroom?’

‘Our bedroom, agape mou,’ he drawled softly, extending a hand in her direction. ‘Come to bed.’

She clutched the towel. ‘What for?’

His eyes shimmered with amusement. ‘I understand that you’re inexperienced, but surely not that inexperienced.’

Chantal didn’t move. ‘You’re suggesting that we share a bed?’

‘Generally that’s what happens.’ Dark lashes veiled his expression and she felt her tummy jump like a grasshopper.

‘But you—I—’ She broke off. ‘It was a one off.’

‘I don’t do “one-offs”. I’ve already told you, casual affairs are not my style.’

‘But that’s ridiculous—we hardly know each other.’

‘On the contrary. We know each other in the most literal and intimate sense of the word,’ he drawled, and she felt the colour flood into her cheeks.

‘That’s different. Neither of us was thinking.’

‘Sex doesn’t generally require a great deal of intellectual input.’

Her heart was pounding against her chest. ‘But you didn’t even enjoy it,’ she blurted out impulsively. ‘You were really bored.’

‘Bored?’ Incredulous dark eyes swept her flushed cheeks. ‘At what point, precisely, did I appear to be bored?’

‘Afterwards—when you didn’t once mention it.’

‘I’ve always considered sex to be more of a practical than an academic subject. More about doing than talking.’ His voice was deep and impossibly sexy. ‘And at the time we had rather more pressing topics to discuss—such as your identity. Call me old-fashioned, but my preference is always to at least know the name of the person with whom I’ve been intimate.’ He sprang off the bed and strolled towards her, a look of intent on his handsome face.

As his hand slid decisively around her wrist, her bones melted away like chocolate over a flame. ‘Angelos—’

‘I like the way you say my name,’ he purred, sliding his other hand behind her neck and drawing her towards him. ‘And for the next few hours that’s the only word I want to hear from you. I’m tired of talking.’

She opened her mouth to give him all the reasons why she had no intention of doing this, but he was standing so close that a helpless rush of excitement engulfed her. It was like being in the path of a red-hot lava flow.

Her body was trembling with delicious anticipation and she gave a moan and swayed towards him. He brought his mouth down on hers and his powerful body urged her back towards the bed, his hand divesting her of the towel just seconds before she tumbled back onto the mattress.

He came down on top of her with single-minded intent, his heated gaze devouring every detail of her trembling naked body.

A frantic mixture of desperation and embarrassment, Chantal squirmed under his frank appraisal. What if he didn’t like what he saw? ‘Angelos—’

Clearly suffering none of the inhibitions she suffered, his eyes drifted back to hers and he lowered his head once again. ‘You really are incredibly beautiful,’ he groaned, and this time when he kissed her it was like dropping a burning match into a barrel of gunpowder. Her insides exploded in a shower of agonising sensation and she dug her nails into the firm muscle of his shoulders, so unbelievably aroused that she couldn’t really grasp what was happening to her.

He controlled her utterly, completely sure of himself as he turned his attention to her breasts, using his fingers and his mouth with such erotic expertise that the heat inside her grew to hazardous levels.

She was burning. Every single inch of her body was sizzling and smouldering. She lifted her hips in frantic demand and expectation.

His fingers slid lower, skimming her abdomen and resting just short of this ultimate destination. The fact that he was still capable of control when she had none might have been humiliating, but she no longer cared. She was just too desperate to care.

‘Am I the first man to touch you?’ His husky demand penetrated her dazed brain.

‘Yes, yes—’ But he hadn’t touched her yet, had he? And if he didn’t do it soon she thought she might explode, because it wasn’t possible to be any more aroused than she was at that moment. ‘Angelos—please—’

He gave a satisfied smile and stripped off his boxer shorts. ‘I have never wanted a woman as much as I want you. You’re mine. Exclusively.’ It was an unashamed statement of possession but she didn’t even care.

Confronted by the breathtaking vision of Angelos naked, she felt her mouth dry and her excitement levels shoot higher still.

He was magnificent: his shoulders broad, his abdomen flat and as for the rest of him—

Reminding herself that they’d already done it once, and everything had fitted, Chantal gasped as she felt his hair-roughened thigh brush against her.

Why didn’t he touch her?

What was he waiting for?

The ache inside her was almost painful and she arched against him, unconsciously begging for his touch, aware that he was torturing her on purpose.

At last his fingers moved, brushing through the soft curls that protected her soft, damp core. And then finally he touched her where she was longing to be touched, and his fingers were so impossibly sure and skilful that she immediately shot into an orgasm so intense that she couldn’t breathe. Consumed by sensation, she sobbed his name—and then whimpered in disbelief as he pulled her beneath him and surged into her with propulsive force, taking her with long, hard strokes that launched her into the outer reaches of ecstasy.

Out of her mind with excitement, Chantal clutched at his shoulders, his primal possession starting up a chain reaction that was outside her control. Without having time to breathe or recover she was plunged straight into another orgasm, her body tightening around his, driving him to his own peak. The sudden increase in masculine thrust sent her over the edge yet again, so that this time they exploded together, both of them consumed by the same fire.

In the aftermath she lay shocked and stunned and he smoothed her hair away from her face with a surprisingly gentle hand. ‘You are amazing—’

She was just about to point out that he was the one who had made it all happen when his fingers began another extremely intimate exploration.

With a moan of excitement and disbelief, she gazed at him in a state of helpless abandon. ‘You can’t mean to do it again—’

‘You’re so innocent. I love the fact that this is all new to you. You have much to learn, agape mou,’ he said huskily, ‘and I am delighted to be the one to teach you.’

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHANTAL woke to find the bed empty and no sign of Angelos.

Even without glancing at her watch she knew it was late.

Hot sun shone through the open bedroom doors, illuminating the room like a stage set, and from outside by the pool she could hear the low hum of male voices.

Obviously the physical demands of the night and the complete absence of sleep hadn’t affected him at all.

Memories flooded back into her head with embarrassing clarity.

It had been like being caught in the focus of an earthquake, watching helplessly as everything familiar had crumbled around her. She’d had no control over her reactions. She hadn’t recognised herself.

Covering her face with her hands, she gave a groan of disbelief as she forced herself to face the uncomfortable truth.

She had made love with a man she barely knew. Again and again. And then again.

And not just any man. A man with more wealth than she could possibly imagine. A billionaire. Which made the situation a hundred times worse as far as she was concerned.

Hadn’t she always promised herself that she would never have that sort of relationship? Not when she, of all people, knew what such a relationship meant.

She’d come here on her own terms, living by her own rules. And now everything had changed. Sex had shifted the balance. Instead of being a guest, she was—she was—

What was she? His mistress? His lover?

It didn’t really matter what she called herself, because the reality was that technically she was now a kept woman. She was on his territory, living by his rules. He was paying for her. She was staying in his villa, eating his food, swimming in his pool, luxuriating in his bathroom—

Her breathing suddenly increased and she sat upright in bed, faintly panicky as the reality of her situation sank in.

She’d let a man buy her.

All right, he hadn’t actually given her cash, but she was using his hospitality, which amounted to the same thing, and she couldn’t allow that to carry on. Not for one moment did she fool herself into believing that the money she’d given him anywhere near covered their expenses so far.

Which meant that she had to leave.

How could she stay when staying went against everything she believed in? He wanted sex from her, that was all. Sex.

She became conscious of every delicious ache and tingle in her body and she glanced at the rumpled sheets, admitting to herself that her reluctance to leave wasn’t all to do with his father.

She was crazy about Angelos.

What woman wouldn’t be?

But it wasn’t an equal relationship, was it? And she’d always promised herself that this wasn’t going to happen to her.

Angelos had drained his third cup of coffee and was trying to concentrate on what his father was saying when Chantal stepped hesitantly onto the terrace.

No one looking at her could have been in any doubt as to how she’d spent the previous night. Her eyes were adorably sleepy, her mouth was soft and bruised, and the haphazard way that her blonde hair had been pinned to the top of her head suggested that her hands hadn’t been quite steady at the time.

The simple pair of shorts she’d elected to wear simply accentuated her ridiculously narrow waist and the generous curve of her hips. She somehow managed to ooze sexuality and innocence at the same time, and the combination was intoxicating.

His mind suddenly wiped of all coherent thought, Angelos endeavoured to recall exactly why he’d opted to join his father for breakfast when there had been such a good reason for staying in bed. Looking at her now, he cursed his generosity in allowing her to sleep, wishing instead that he’d woken her up and continued his exploration of her exquisite body with the benefit of full daylight.

Clearly her mind was running along the same lines as his because she met his gaze and her cheeks immediately turned a deep shade of rose. Her eyes slid longingly to his mouth and then she looked away again.

‘I’m sorry I’m so late,’ she mumbled, and Angelos watched with growing amusement, wondering whether she was aware that she’d as good as announced their level of intimacy to anyone watching.

He loved the fact that she couldn’t hide her feelings.

At least his father would need no convincing as to the exact nature of their relationship, he thought with wry humour as he stood up and pulled out a chair for her.

She blushed more than any woman he’d ever met and he found it incredibly appealing.

‘Kalimera.’ His hand brushed against hers and he heard her softly indrawn breath. Then she sat quickly in the chair and the sudden flash of lush, creamy flesh and the glorious scent of her hair sent an explosion of lust tearing through his body. The desire to remove her clothing and rediscover her amazing and addictive curves was so powerful that Angelos inhaled sharply and stepped backwards.

Costas chuckled and put down his coffee cup. ‘It’s time I left the two of you alone.’

Realising that his reaction to her had clearly been as transparent as hers had been to him, Angelos frowned. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

What was the matter with him?

Discretion and discipline were just two of the rules he stringently applied to his love life, but so far both had been notably absent in his dealings with Chantal.

When he remembered the passionate interlude in the swimming pool, he felt as though he were reviewing the actions of a stranger.

His father’s smile widened. ‘You should congratulate yourself, Chantal,’ he said cheerfully, reaching for another piece of fruit. ‘You’ve achieved what other women have only dreamed of achieving. You’ve distracted my son from the share price. This is the first meal I’ve shared with him when he hasn’t bored me to death on the subject of the money markets. In fact, he hasn’t noticed me since he sat down at the table. Clearly he has something far more absorbing on his mind.’

Wishing he’d encouraged his father to leave them alone, Angelos ignored the growing sexual hunger inside him and instead applied cold, hard logic to the situation. What would he normally be doing after a night of incredible sex?

The answer was that he would be working, having left the woman in his life to occupy herself in whatever way she found most amusing. In his experience, that usually involved shops.

And that, of course, was exactly what he should do in this case. Send her shopping. It would remove the distraction caused by having her around, enable him to get some work done, and it would please her. And he wanted to please her.

Satisfied with that solution, Angelos lounged in his chair, a faint smile touching his sensuous mouth as he anticipated being on the receiving end of her gratitude that coming night.

‘Contrary to my father’s expectations, I do have to work today,’ he said smoothly. ‘You’re welcome to occupy yourself around the villa, or Jannis can take you by boat to the mainland. We keep a car there, so if you fancy a trip of some sort. Shopping, perhaps?’ He waited for her face to brighten with the appropriate display of enthusiasm, but she merely stared at him.

‘Shopping for what? I don’t need anything.’

‘Then feel free to buy something you don’t need,’ Angelos drawled, extremely amused by her naïve response. He decided that he liked her more and more. She was original, and entirely different from the women he usually dated. ‘The female desire to shop usually stems more from want than need.’

‘There’s nothing I want, either.’

Never before having found himself in the position of having to encourage a female to spend money, Angelos was momentarily at a loss as to how to respond. Then it occurred to him that she might be assuming that he was expecting her to pay for herself. ‘I’m offering you my credit card, agape mou.’

Her narrow shoulders tensed. ‘I don’t want your credit card. I don’t want anything from you.’

His father laughed with delight. ‘A woman who doesn’t want anything from you, Angelos. Take my advice and hold onto her.’

Angelos frowned. Was she playing a game? Was this all to do with his remark about gold-diggers? Was she trying to impress him? ‘If you change you mind just speak to Jannis,’ he said smoothly. ‘He can take you anywhere you want to go.’ But he was starting to wonder whether that should be the bedroom. If it weren’t for the numerous business calls that were demanding his attention, he would drag her there right now, without even giving her time for breakfast.

Early night, he promised himself, his body tightening as he remembered how responsive she’d been the night before. ‘Coffee?’

‘Please.’ She reached forward and lifted the pot, not waiting for Maria to serve her. Then she smiled at his father. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Like a spring lamb. After breakfast I am starting some exercises with the physiotherapist.’ He glanced at Angelos. ‘You chose her. Is she better-looking than the nurses?’

‘She’s a grandmother,’ Angelos said dryly as he lifted an orange from the bowl. ‘And the purpose of her visit is to assist in your recovery, not liven up your love life.’

‘I have no problems with a mature woman, but is she thin?’

Intercepting Chantal’s surprised look, Angelos smiled. ‘My father is very wary of thin women.’ Deftly he peeled the orange and placed the segments on her plate. ‘Try this. It’s straight from the tree and absolutely delicious.’

His father waved a finger. ‘It isn’t natural for a woman to be thin. A thin woman—’

‘—has her priorities all wrong,’ Angelos finished, watching transfixed as Chantal licked her fingers of the last of the juice. Her lips were soft and pink, and as they closed round her fingers he felt the immediate and predictable response of his body. ‘My father thinks a woman should enjoy her food.’

‘When it tastes as good as this, it would be hard not to.’ She reached for another segment of orange and then met his gaze. Her hand stilled.

Aware of the effect he’d had on her, Angelos smiled.

The anticipation was burning him up inside and clearly she felt the same way.

Driven by the demands of his libido, he was tempted once again to ignore the mounting pressures of his business—but then he reminded himself that the wait would be good for both of them. It would make the conclusion all the more satisfying.

By the time the sun set, both of them would be so desperate that the night ahead would prove to be doubly satisfying.

It was the perfect solution.

Why hadn’t she thought of it immediately he’d suggested that she might like to go shopping?

As the boat sped across the bay, Chantal kept a close eye on the coastline.

When they arrived at the harbour, she leaned forward and spoke to Jannis. ‘This is perfect. Can we stop here?’

He moored the boat. ‘There are no expensive shops here. I will drive you to Athens.’

‘I don’t want expensive shops.’ She stepped out of the boat and scanned the restaurants that were strung along the beach. ‘This will do fine.’

‘You wish to spend half an hour here?’

‘No, I want to spend the day here.’ Grabbing her bag, she smiled at him. ‘Thank you so much for the lift. Is there a water taxi or anything that would take me back to the island?’

Jannis looked startled. ‘No taxi—’ He cleared his throat. ‘If you give me a time, I would be honoured to collect you.’

Chantal wrinkled her nose and thought for a moment. She didn’t really want him to collect her, but what alternative did she have? ‘All right. If you’re sure. Shall we say five o’clock?’

That should give her plenty of time to do what needed to be done.

Never had Angelos found so little in his working day to interest him.

After just one phone call he found himself staring at the door of his office, wondering what Chantal was doing.

Was she lying in the sun? Swimming?

The memory of her body outlined by a tight swimming costume sent the heat surging through his body and he ran a hand over the back of his neck, struggling against the impulse to go outside and check that she had everything she needed.

Concentration eluded him, and by the time Maria came to tell him that lunch was served on the terrace he’d already decided to take the rest of the day off and take Chantal back to bed. So it came as a shock to discover that she wasn’t there.

‘Jannis took her in the boat to the mainland,’ Maria told him as she placed several dishes on the table. ‘He’s picking her up at five o’clock.’

She was planning to be out all day?

Angelos’s expression didn’t alter. So much for her protests about not wanting or needing anything.

Obviously that had all been for his benefit, he thought cynically as he picked an olive out of a bowl and silently examined its dark, glossy skin. As soon as he was out of the way she’d vanished on a shopping trip.