The rush of a bigger wave drew him from the bubble of isolation his thoughts had taken him to. He took her hand as she stepped towards him, avoiding the wave, and eased her gently closer to him. ‘I don’t believe that, Rio.’
She sighed, her lips pressing together as if she knew how utterly kissable she looked and was doing everything possible to avoid that. ‘But I do,’ she said firmly.
He searched her face, looking into her eyes, convinced the attraction was there, if only she would allow it to shine through. ‘Is that really the truth?’ He kept his voice calm and gentle, sensing she was more like a nervous foal who could bolt at the slightest thing.
She pulled her hand from his, stepping back from him as the undertow of water dragged another wave back out to sea, seeming to take her too. She looked lost. More vulnerable than he’d ever seen her, and he wished now he hadn’t adhered to Xena’s advice. He should have demanded to know why Rio had abruptly ended things between them. Because he needed to know. If only he’d asked Xena to explain what had happened to make Rio change her mind so quickly, so unexpectedly, after the recital.
Rio made him feel unsure of himself. He hadn’t felt like that since Kyra’s betrayal ten years ago. The effect Rio had had on him had been different, right from the day Xena had introduced them. The attraction had been instant, but Rio’s innocent fragility had made him want to take things slowly. For the first time in many years he had wanted to build a relationship based on more than just sex. A fact Xena had been quick to pick up on, goading him in the way only a sister could about one day making things with Rio more permanent.
Then something had changed. Rio had changed, and Xena knew why. If only he had asked Xena then, instead of allowing his pride to keep him wrapped up in work in Athens. Now he couldn’t do anything to risk upsetting the fragile state of his sister’s memory and confidence. And it was for that very reason he and Rio needed to act as if they were still a couple, around Xena at least.
‘Yes, it’s true.’ She stood there, the wet sand gleaming in the sunlight around her, and she looked more beautiful than she’d ever looked. ‘There is nothing between us, Lysandros. We should never have got together in the first place.’
He frowned at her, moving towards her as another wave rushed around his feet. ‘Why is that, Rio?’
‘We are too different.’ Her explanation rushed at him faster than the waves were coming in, unbalancing him more than the undertow of water. The expression on her face left him in no doubt she believed that claim. He did not.
‘If that is true, how did Xena manage to think we were so suited to one another?’ As he spoke he realised the absurdity of the situation. His sister was the one person, apart from Rio herself, who could possibly tell him what had happened to make her change her mind. Yet Xena couldn’t remember a thing about it. Not that he’d pressed her, not after the doctor’s warning of not pushing her too hard too soon. But if Xena had blocked out all the bad events from her life in recent weeks and she still believed he and Rio were an item, there was only one conclusion he could draw. Whatever it was that had made Rio change her mind, it must have been bad. As upsetting for Xena as for Rio.
Rio smiled. A sad smile that held regret. ‘Xena lives in a world of fantasy, where true love and happy-ever-afters exist. Surely you know that?’
He did. Only too well. His constant trips to London after he’d met Rio had certainly shown him that, as his sister had become convinced he and Rio had been on the path to one of those happy-ever-afters. He’d adopted the stance of ignoring her comments, hoping she’d find something new to focus on.
He nodded and smiled, wanting to lighten the mood, to put Rio at ease again. ‘I do, yes. She has some very fixed ideas about us.’
‘Except that she doesn’t recall we are no longer dating,’ Rio said, concern filling her voice. ‘While I understand the doctors say she needs time to adjust to allow her memory to return and that it should be allowed to happen organically, I wish I could just tell her.’
‘I don’t think we should say anything yet.’ Lysandros wasn’t about to allow Rio to slip away from him so easily, not when he was finally beginning to break through her barriers. He looked at her, his gaze drawn to her lips, to the plump softness, and the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her rushed forward again. Maybe they should go back to the villa, back to Xena’s company—before he lost the battle and kissed her.
* * *
‘There you are.’ Xena’s voice cut through the tension in the warm air and Rio had never been so pleased to be interrupted. ‘I should have known you two would be making the most of a bit of time alone.’
Rio smiled, but she was far from happy. Not only did Xena believe they were still dating, but Lysandros still wanted to know why she’d ended their relationship. She pushed her anxieties aside and walked towards Xena, relieved to move away from Lysandros. Away from the sensation that she was falling back under the intoxicating spell that was weaving around them again, just as it had the first day they’d met. She focused on Xena, trying to dismiss Lysandros from her thoughts. ‘We thought we’d give you some peace to rest.’
‘And we wanted a bit of time alone,’ Lysandros said softly as he moved to her side, putting his arm around her, sending a rush of heat hurtling through her. His voice, filled with that lethal charm, always made her fall for him a little bit more. And now was no exception, but she couldn’t afford to allow him to know that.
‘What is it you shouldn’t say to me?’ Xena narrowed her eyes and pouted mischievously at Lysandros, and Rio held her breath. Would he tell Xena? Threaten the potential return of her memory by filling it with facts she needed to remember at her own pace?
‘Did I say that?’ Lysandros laughed and Rio felt the ice around her heart melt a little more as his genuine concern for Xena showed in his face. He might pretend to be the hard-edged businessman, but Xena could wrap him around her little finger in no time.
‘Yes, Lysandros Drakakis. I distinctly heard you say, “I don’t think we should say anything yet.” What’s it all about?’
‘Isn’t it time for us to be getting to your mother’s?’ Rio jumped into the conversation, trying to divert Xena’s attention, but she just turned Xena’s teasing suspicion on herself.
‘You two are up to something.’ Then her eyes widened and she looked at Lysandros, laughing. ‘I wonder what it can be.’
‘That’s for me to know, little sister, not you,’ Lysandros’s voice teased as he turned Xena physically around, moving her back towards the villa. ‘But right now it’s time to go and see Mother.’
Rio began walking back to the villa as Xena continued to taunt Lysandros, but with that teasing now in Greek, Rio had little hope of understanding. Lysandros seemed to be denying whatever it was she was saying, but from the anxious look he cast at her as they entered the villa, Rio wondered just what had been said and what wild conclusions Xena had come to.
‘Mother will be anxious to see you, Xena, and happy you are in such good spirits,’ Lysandros said as he locked up the villa and they made their way to the jetty and his boat.
‘She’ll also be happy to see you two all loved up,’ Xena taunted again, that look of mischief on her face getting ever stronger.
‘We are not loved up,’ Rio said quickly. Too quickly, if the warning look Lysandros shot her was anything to go by.
Xena laughed and teased Lysandros again in Greek. Whatever it was she was saying, it was making him distinctly uncomfortable. ‘Stop fooling around,’ he said lightly to Xena, and Rio was thankful he’d brought the conversation back to English. ‘Mother will be waiting.’
After a short boat ride across the sea, they arrived at the villa, and their mother, who must have been watching for them, hurried from her villa and down to the jetty. Rio hung back, wanting to give Xena a few moments alone with her mother. After enthusiastic hugs, Xena and her mother went inside, leaving R
io once again alone with Lysandros.
‘Xena really seems excited,’ Rio said as Lysandros secured the final rope on the boat. He looked up at her, the wind tousling his dark hair, and she curled her fingers tightly into the palms of her hands, trying to halt the thought of running them through his hair, for fear of giving in to that temptation.
‘A bit too much perhaps.’ He stood up and suddenly he was too close again.
He looked down at her, his expression serious and intense, and Rio’s heart skipped a beat. Why did she still react like this to him? How could he still have that effect on her? He was slowly dismantling every barrier she’d put in place around herself, along with the extra defences she’d built up after Hans had tried to claim something from her she hadn’t wanted to give.
She couldn’t take her eyes from Lysandros, couldn’t break the eye contact. Her body began to sway towards him and she bit at her bottom lip. She wanted to kiss him, wanted to go back to that moment after the recital when she’d promised him so much with just one kiss. But she couldn’t. She wasn’t ready for that. Not now. Not yet.
‘We should go,’ Lysandros said, his voice deep and firm, dragging her mind back from the past, back from what could never be again. He was angry with her. She could sense it. See it in the firm set of his shoulders as he looked at her. Guilt raced through her. She’d been ready to take their relationship further, ready to give him her virginity, and then she’d stood him up. She really did owe him an explanation. But where did she start? And with everything else going on with Xena—how?
Memories of Hans as he’d spoilt everything she could have had with Lysandros rushed at her. Any hopes for a future with Lysandros were still spoilt, unless she could talk to Lysandros, tell him what had happened that afternoon. But she wasn’t ready to do that yet and she couldn’t go back to where she and Lysandros had been. She would be so far out of her depth with him, she might as well be plunging into the sea. ‘Yes, let’s,’ she said quickly. At least with Xena and his mother around, she would be safe. Safe from Lysandros and herself.
* * *
When they entered his mother’s villa, Lysandros watched as she enveloped Rio in a big hug, welcoming her in stilted English. Did Rio’s presence also make his mother believe they were back together? Or, worse, did his mother share Xena’s hopes? That Rio was the woman he would finally settle down with?
Xena’s teasing, which mercifully had been in Greek, left him in no doubt how his sister saw the situation between him and Rio. It was more worrying than her lack of memory. To Xena, Rio’s presence in Greece was not simply to keep her company while she recovered from the accident. It wasn’t even about his need to find out why he and Rio had broken up, not when Xena didn’t recall that event. It was about his and Rio’s future—together.
Xena believed wholeheartedly he was about to propose to Rio. A thought that filled Xena with much happiness. That, in itself, was shocking, but so too was the realisation that if he did propose it could help Xena, could help her to feel safe and secure and allow her memory to return.
‘She is very beautiful.’ His mother spoke in Greek as she came to stand beside him. He dragged himself from his thoughts and back to the moment, refusing to acknowledge the idea that was solidifying inside his mind.
He looked at Xena and Rio as they laughed and chatted together, their friendship clear. Rio was beautiful. And he still wanted her. ‘She is,’ he said softly.
‘Don’t lose her, Lysandros.’ His mother’s words jarred his mind and he jerked his head to look at her. She was under the same misapprehension as Xena. He could see the hope in her eyes.
‘Lose Rio?’ he questioned in Greek, aware the use of her name had caught Rio’s attention. Xena, understanding the discussion with his mother, came to the rescue as she took Rio’s arm, wanting to show her around the villa.
‘You are perfect together,’ his mother said as Rio and Xena left the room. ‘It’s time to put aside the past and settle down. Both Xena and I agree. Rio is perfect for you.’
He should be angry they had been talking, but he couldn’t get the thought of having Rio back in his life out of his mind. It would give him the chance to find out what had happened to make her stand him up and what he could do to get back to the moment she’d kissed him, telling him she wanted to be his.
‘You and Xena have been discussing us?’ he continued in Greek, aware that Rio and Xena could return at any moment.
‘We have,’ his mother said with a smile, along with a little embarrassment at being caught out. ‘And if you and Rio are serious about one another, maybe now would be a good time to propose—for Xena’s sake.’
He shook his head. Despite his earlier thoughts, he couldn’t propose. Not when they weren’t even dating. ‘I don’t have a ring.’
‘There’s Grandmother’s.’ Xena’s voice startled him and he looked around for Rio. ‘She’ll be back in a moment. Oh, I can’t wait to see you ask her.’
How the hell was he going to get out of this? Lysandros couldn’t miss the joy on Xena’s face, the excitement in her voice. If he told her she was wrong, told her he had no intention of proposing—to anyone—it might unbalance her when she least needed upset. He could hear again the doctor’s words.
‘Your sister’s memory will return if she is happy and relaxed, but she doesn’t need any emotional upset.’
‘I will fetch it now,’ his mother said, and Lysandros wanted to shout, no, wanted to tell her to stop. He didn’t want to propose. A proposal would mean marriage. He didn’t want to get engaged again, much less married. His mind whirred. But a temporary proposal, one to help Xena’s recovery, would not have to lead to marriage...
It would give Xena something positive to focus on and maybe he and Rio could finally find time to deal with whatever it was that had made her run out on him. Maybe they could then share the passion of a night together? The night her last kiss had promised him?
‘I have kept it all these years, sure that after Kyra you wouldn’t want to shower a woman in shiny new diamonds again.’ She clasped her hands in front of her chest, her eyes now sparkling with tears and excitement. ‘Rio is the perfect girl to give the ring to.’
As his mother went to get the ring he rejoined Xena and Rio, who were chatting happily as if nothing untoward had ever happened, their bond of friendship clear to see. He briefly considered if the idea of a fake romance would work without this added pretence, but one look at Xena as she gave him a conspiratorial glance told him it was absolutely necessary to achieve his objective. She believed he was about to propose and anything less would upset her.
But what about Rio? Would she play along? Would she do as she’d claimed and help Xena in any way she could?
Questions raced through his mind as his mother returned to the room, handing him a small box as she passed him, before she joined Rio and Xena. Rio looked apprehensive. She knew something was going on, but did she know he was about to up the stakes? Take everything to a level neither of them wanted?
He held the old and somewhat tatty box in his hand, knowing he was at a big turning point in his life. He was about to do the one thing he’d sworn he’d never do again. Ask a woman to marry him. He pushed the thought savagely aside, along with memories of the past. All he had to remember was that it wasn’t real this time. It was easier to think of it as just an extra caveat in the deal between him and Rio to help his sister.
‘I have something to ask, Rio,’ he said, suddenly more anxious than he’d ever been in his life, not that he’d let anyone know. What the hell was wrong with him? He struck deals for shipping contracts and his new line of luxury yachts almost daily. Had faced all sorts of drama, yet he couldn’t do this. Why?
Because you got it wrong once before.
Xena looked up at him, her expression anxious, making him wonder again what it was that was bothering her so much. ‘Do it, Lysandros.’
He sensed Rio watching him as he held his sister’s gaze. He could feel her scrutiny burning his skin, setting fire to the passion that had simmered dangerously close to the surface the last time he’d kissed her—just hours before she’d stood him up.
‘Rio...’ he began, turning to her, opening his hand to reveal the box his mother had just secretly given him. The squeal of delight Xena made as a hand flew to her lips fuelled his conviction that this was the right thing to do, and he moved closer to Rio, whose brows pulled together in confusion. ‘Will you do me the honour of becoming my fiancée?’
The words came far more easily than he’d thought and he opened the box as Rio’s eyes widened in shock. She looked down at the ring and then back at him, questions clearly running riot in her mind.
‘But...’ Her voice was barely a whisper and the whole room echoed with a heaviness of expectant silence.
Slowly he took her left hand, which shook, confirming she really was afraid of what he was doing. Carefully he slid the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. She looked at him, the same shock he felt flooding her eyes. ‘I want us to be engaged.’
CHAPTER FOUR
‘I...’ RIO BEGAN, stumbling over her words.
Lysandros’s fingers tightened on hers, and the soft and caring expression in his eyes, which she wasn’t going to allow herself to be fooled by, intensified. She forced out her words as her heart thumped and adrenaline raced through her. ‘It’s an engagement ring.’
‘And I want you to wear it.’ Lysandros’s voice was deep, full of charm. If he was trying to win her round, he was almost succeeding. This was what she’d secretly wished for once, before...
Seducing His Convenient Innocent Page 5