There was no way she wanted him to stop now. She drew in a breath of ecstasy as with alarming ease he gathered up the silk of the skirt, his hand spreading over her bare thigh. The touch was exquisite, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted more. Much more. As he moved higher, finding the lace of her panties and sliding his fingers over the delicate fabric, she thought she might explode with pleasure. Now in her head the fast and wild notes of the third movement played, driving her to further heights of pleasure.
‘Lysandros,’ she gasped again, almost unable to speak, not wanting the moment to end. ‘Don’t stop.’
While his hand continued the tormenting exploration of lace, his lips moved away from her breast, the air cool on her skin, damp from his kiss. He looked at her with heavy eyes as she fought to keep hers open. His touch at the apex of her thighs was light and teasing, almost where she needed it but not quite.
‘You are so beautiful,’ he said softly, his accent deeper and more pronounced than ever.
She couldn’t form any words, couldn’t tell him that he made her feel beautiful as his fingers slid along the line of her panties, touching her where she craved it. She closed her eyes as he teased her, the only barrier to his touch the lace. Fire leapt within her and she moved against him instinctively, but still it wasn’t enough.
Through a fog of need she looked at him, imploring him without words. She gasped in pleasure as his fingers pushed aside the material. The keys of the piano sounded again as she moved against his touch, opening her legs, feeling him going deeper as she looked into his eyes. She wanted to close her eyes, give herself up to the pleasure of what he was doing. At the same time she wanted to fight it so that it didn’t have to end.
‘Rio.’ The gravelly whisper of her name was followed by words of Greek.
A wave of pleasure so powerful she had to close her eyes washed over her. She shuddered as he took her to the dizzying heights of orgasm, gasping his name and clutching at the piano. Slowly she became aware of his touch again, aware of her skirt dropping back down as he took her in his arms, holding her tightly against him. Kissing her hair.
He was thinking only of her pleasure, holding himself back, and her heart filled with love for him. She clung to him, savouring the moment, but her body still hummed with need, still rang with desire. She wanted him to feel the same pleasure. She wanted to touch every part of him, send him to the stars, just as he had done to her.
‘Take me to your bed,’ she whispered against his neck as she kissed him, the new growth of stubble prickling her lips.
* * *
As the pulse of desire thumped through him, Lysandros took Rio’s hand, leading her away from the piano, across the wooden floors to his bedroom. Any misgivings about what they were doing, any doubts after her revelation, had vanished as she’d gasped out his name. There was now only one conclusion that could come of this evening. Rio would be his in every way possible.
Not just as a woman he’d made love to but as his fiancée. The thought filled him with a new emotion. He’d never felt this way before, never had that undeniable connection with any woman, as if his heart and soul were committed to hers for evermore. Unable to deal with that stark realisation with desire firing through him, he pushed it aside. Now was not the time for analysing.
His bedroom was bathed in soft light from the glow of the city and he wanted to see her naked on his bed as that light caressed her. He turned to face her as she stood by his bed, the innocence that always shone from her now muted by the desire still simmering beneath the surface, waiting for release.
He rested his hands on her hips, drawing her gently to him, smiling that she’d restored order to her dress, once again concealing the swell of her breasts from him—just.
‘I want you to make love to me, Lysandros. I want to be yours.’ She brushed her lips provocatively over his before looking up at him. Her beautiful eyes were so full of desire and emotion there was no longer any doubt in his mind of what she wanted.
‘Rio, I want you so very much.’ He kissed her, unable to restrain the passion and desire she roused in him any longer, but he remained gentle, wanting to keep the pace slow.
His fingers found the zip at her waist and slid it down as he indulged in the pleasure of her kiss. The fury of fiery passion consuming him once more, he pushed down each shoulder of the dress. He stood back, drinking her in as it slipped to the floor in a pool of indigo blue at her stiletto-clad feet.
He crouched before her, reaching up to pull the lace panties down her long legs. She clutched her fingers in his hair, stepping out of them as he kissed up her thigh, the tension in her fingers as she gripped tighter almost too much. He wanted to push her back onto the bed and plunge himself deep into her, but this was about her pleasure, not his.
Thankful he was still dressed, he continued to explore her thighs with kisses. He wanted to taste her and resumed where he’d left off at the piano. She gasped in pleasure, pulling at his hair as his tongue swirled against her, threatening to tip her over the edge once more. He took her almost to that edge again and then stood up in front of her, discarding his clothes, watching her breathe hard with passion, her desire-laden eyes locked with his.
Almost too late he remembered the necessary protection and opened a drawer behind him. He might be about to make their engagement far more of a reality than either of them had anticipated, but he had no intention of taking it further and creating a family.
Rio moved towards him, brushing her breasts against him as he tore open the foil packet. He rolled on the condom as he looked at her, then took her in his arms, kissing her as he moved her back towards the bed. Together they fell onto its softness, his body covering hers, her legs wrapping around him.
He’d wanted to take it slowly, to touch her, kiss her until neither of them could wait any longer, but as she lifted her hips, her legs pulling him to her, he lost all power of control, thrusting in deep and hard.
She cried out and stilled, her fingernails digging into his back. As questions raced for answers in his mind she moved, taking him deeper inside her, kissing his shoulders, and that final shred of control broke.
In a frenzied and wild dance that was anything but the gentle seduction he’d planned, his world splintered, her cries of ecstasy filling the room. She clung to him as her release claimed her, her legs wrapped tightly around him, keeping him deep inside her. It was so different from any other time, more intense, more powerful. Was that because he’d taken her virginity or because, despite everything, she was reaching a part of him long since closed off?
He didn’t want to think of either of those scenarios right now. Instead he held her close and gave in to the need to close his eyes.
* * *
Rio lay in Lysandros’s arms as darkness became day. She’d woken to feel the heavy weight of his relaxed body against hers. What had happened between them tonight had been totally magical. The pleasure of becoming his, of giving herself to him, had finally chased away those terrible nightmares, and she knew, without doubt, she was in love with Lysandros. She wasn’t sure if he loved her, but did that really matter when they had a connection as powerful as this? Surely she had enough love for both of them?
He moved sleepily and she propped herself up on one elbow to look at him. The man she loved. Unable to resist the temptation, she kissed his lips, stirring him from his slumber, and with a suddenness that made her cry out he turned her onto her back and kissed her, his aroused body pressed against hers. Feeling wicked with the power she had over him, she ran her hands down his back and over his buttocks.
‘Minx,’ he said as he pulled himself away from her, throwing back the sheet. He went to the drawers and took out the packet of condoms, taking one and placing the box on the table next to the bed. Unable to take her eyes from him, she watched as he rolled the condom on.
Again he spoke in Greek as he crawled across the bed, kissing any part of her
body he could as she laughed. Last night she’d done two things she’d thought would be impossible. Played the piano again and given herself to the man she loved. He’d been so gentle, so caring, thinking only of her. There was no way she could deny it any longer. She loved Lysandros.
Now she intended to enjoy being physically loved by him for as long as possible. Before reality crept back in.
CHAPTER NINE
AFTER AN EXQUISITE night of pleasure, making love with Lysandros, Rio had slept far later than normal. When she’d woken, she had expected Lysandros to be making excuses and stepping back from her, but the day had continued in the same passion-fuelled and romantic way of the previous night. Now, as the sun set over Athens, she sat on the roof terrace, a glass of wine in her hand and the man she knew for certain she was hopelessly in love with at her side.
‘I’m sorry you weren’t able to tell me about what had happened.’ Lysandros’s deep voice cut through her thoughts, his mind clearly on her revelation last night.
Last night, as she’d given herself to him, making her completely his, she’d known he’d guessed the truth, that it had been her first time. She hadn’t told him the full details of what Hans had done to her, but at least now Lysandros knew he hadn’t taken from her the one thing she’d been saving for the right man. The one thing she’d wanted to give Lysandros, leaving him in no doubt she’d been ready to be his all those weeks ago at the recital.
Was he angry she’d been unable to tell him she was a virgin? After telling him about Hans, it hadn’t felt right to tell him that too.
He took her hand, leaning across from his chair. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ he coaxed gently, that caring and protective touch still there. There was a new softness in his eyes and she hated herself for hoping there could be something good between them developing—something permanent.
‘Admitting what Hans had done was hard.’ She lowered her gaze briefly before looking back into his classically handsome features. She could so easily believe this was real, but she had to remember only the passion and desire were real. Their engagement wasn’t real or intended to be long term. It was all about giving Xena the happiness and security she needed to recover her memory. And once she did, it would end.
‘Not that, Rio. I can understand completely how hard that was, but why couldn’t you tell me it was your first time?’ She could see a hint of sadness in his gaze. Was it regret? Would he have slept with her if he’d known she was a virgin?
She sipped her wine, desperate to distract herself as his fingers caressed her hand so lovingly. If she thought her own emotional barriers were down then so were his. This was the real Lysandros, but could she keep him with her? Prevent him from retreating behind them once more?
‘You normally date experienced women. I didn’t think you’d want anything to do with a twenty-five-year-old virgin. I’d already made one big revelation.’ She wanted to add how he’d made her feel, how she’d fallen in love with him, but held back. Such an admission would make her more vulnerable than ever.
‘I wanted it to be special for you, after what you’d told me, but if I had known you were a virgin, I would have been gentler, far more considerate.’
Rio closed her eyes, her heart flipping over. He was saying all the right things, looking at her in the right way, even caressing her hand gently as he spoke. He was doing and saying everything she would want from the man who loved her. But the sensible part of her knew there could never really be a future with him. He didn’t want to settle down and certainly didn’t want to fall in love. She was just part of the plan to help Xena. To him last night was another brief affair.
She opened her eyes and looked into his, her breath catching as desire swirled in his once more. ‘It was special. And you were considerate,’ she whispered.
‘I am honoured that after all you’ve been through, it was me you chose to share in the moment you discovered the passionate woman within you.’
Lysandros took her glass of wine from her, placing it on the small table at his side, then gently pulled her to her feet as he too stood up. Her heart pounded so hard she could scarcely breathe, the intensity of the desire around them heavier than the humid night air.
She couldn’t hold it in any longer and the truth broke free from her. ‘You made me feel so special, so desired and loved. Last night made me forget.’
‘I don’t know how you can possibly forget the moment a man betrays your trust like that.’ The anger in his voice only added to the tension in the air.
‘It’s hard to forget, but I don’t want it in my thoughts. I will not allow that moment, that man, to define who I am, what I feel.’ Her words sounded strong, her breathing rapid and shallow, but it was the expression on his face that obliterated that memory from the past, enabling her to finally move forward.
‘Nothing bad will happen to you now. I will make sure of that.’
Rio searched his eyes as questions rang through her mind. Was he offering to look after her? Help her move forward and leave the past well behind and truly find the woman she’d been last night? Did that mean he wanted their engagement to be as real as everything they’d shared last night?
Hope flared to life within her. She was under no illusions that this man would ever love her, but as her own love for him was growing, she hoped he felt something, affection that would keep them together. If he could, then maybe there was a future for them.
She’d opened her soul to him, told him her dark secret. She didn’t want any more untruths between them. Boldly she looked at him, determined to change the direction of the conversation, to find out more about the man who was now her fiancé—an arrangement she wished was entirely real.
‘Last night, because of you, I got past the barriers that had prevented me from playing a single note on the piano since the night of the attack. I let go of a painful memory when I kissed you and asked you to take me to your bed.’ Her voice wavered as the emotion of the moment he’d taken her by the hand and led her away from the piano rushed back. ‘I wanted you to make love to me. I wanted you to be my first lover.’ She looked at him cautiously. She needed to say something to make him see there could be something between them other than a temporary arrangement. ‘It’s liberating to come out from behind emotional barriers, Lysandros. Maybe you should try it.’
He brushed his fingers over her cheek just as he had done last night and the slow, steady thump of passion began to pump around her once more. ‘And what barriers am I hiding behind?’ Humour lingered sexily in his voice, a smile on his lips.
‘You were nearly married. You must have really loved her to be so adamant you will not give any other woman your love again.’
His eyes hardened and the smile slipped away. Whether he admitted it or not, she had touched the demons of his past. ‘Yes, Kyra and I nearly married.’ Bitterness filled his voice. ‘It is not something I ever think about and certainly doesn’t have any lasting effects on me.’
‘I’m not sure Xena shares that view.’ Instantly she regretted her words. Xena believed he’d locked his heart away, shut himself out of reach of love, and hoped he and Rio would find love together. How could they? When their engagement was nothing more than a sham?
* * *
Lysandros looked at Rio’s beautiful face, the setting sun casting a glow on her skin that was incredibly sexy. He stopped stroking the softness of her skin. Until she’d brought up his past he’d been hungry for her, wanting only to take her back to his bed. Now the ghosts of the past had emerged like shadows of the night, challenging him, despite what he’d just claimed. They challenged the way he felt about Rio, the way he wanted to protect and care for her. The shadows darkened. He was still the man Kyra’s deception and rejection had made him. Still the man who couldn’t open his heart, allowing in a woman’s love, and he certainly wasn’t ready to love her in return.
If only things had been different. If it had be
en Rio he’d fallen in love with and proposed to for real. Would he now have had the happy home life he had been desperate to avoid ever since the betrayal of his first love? Was it possible that he’d already have produced the grandchildren his mother still yearned for? Guilt stabbed at him. He was going to disappoint his mother all over again.
The gentleness of Rio’s eyes coaxed the past even further from the darkness, and though their engagement would only last until Xena’s memory returned, he could envisage more. Rio had opened up to him, told him all that had happened to her, so it was only fair that he bare his inner soul too.
‘I was foolish enough to believe I had found love, to believe that Kyra and I would be together for ever.’ His words were sharper than he’d intended, but the gentleness in Rio’s eyes, waiting patiently for him to continue, eased the shame of admitting his male pride had got it wrong. The same pride Rio had attacked when she’d stood him up after the recital.
Rio dragged in a sharp breath, snagging his attention as she bit at her lower lip. ‘That doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love again.’
He saw the hope in her eyes. Was she hoping to be the woman who changed that, changed him? It could never happen. He never wanted to be that vulnerable again. His childhood had made him cautious with his emotions and Kyra’s betrayal had only confirmed his long-held belief it was easier, safer not to feel, not to get emotionally involved.
He must smother Rio’s hopes. ‘I can cope with the fact that maybe Kyra didn’t want to marry me, that maybe she just got dragged along with things, but what I can’t get past is the fact that she lied to me, that she was unfaithful.’ He took a deep breath. Damn it. He was coming out from behind his barriers. ‘My father was unfaithful to my mother. He destroyed their marriage. Our family. My faith in love.’
Seducing His Convenient Innocent Page 12