by Kit Tunstall
“I am married,” said Nikos coldly. A smile spread across Leah’s face, and she pressed a hand to her chest to still her racing heart. Perhaps she shouldn’t take such joy in his rejection of his old lover, but she couldn’t summon any guilt. The other woman was skulking about, trying to seduce her husband. No wonder she couldn’t feel badly for her.
Maia’s laugh was icy and stark, with no trace of real amusement. “You must be kidding. That girl is hopeless. It is clearly a sham marriage. I know your big heart and somewhat inflexibly morals, Nikos. You probably married her to take care of her after her father died in your brother’s service.”
Leah flinched at the almost accurate assessment of their situation.
“You know nothing of our relationship.” Nikos looked pointedly at his watch. “It must be nearly time for the cake.”
Taking that as her cue, Leah strode into the room, deliberately clicking her heels against the marble floor with more force than necessary. She pasted on a fake smile as she approached them. “There you are. The caterer is about to wheel out the cake.” Leah walked straight to Nikos to put her arm around his waist. “She’ll be heartbroken if you aren’t there. She’d miss you almost as much as I have the last few hours.” With a sexy smile, she lifted her head in his direction. Nikos instantly responded to her cue, bending his head to capture her mouth.
It had started as a way to demonstrate their marriage wasn’t fake—at least not anymore—but the kiss quickly escalated. Nikos gathered her into his arms as his mouth plundered hers. Vaguely, Leah heard Maia say something in Greek. She didn’t understand the words, but the tone revealed the other woman’s rage. When neither of them broke apart, Maia said something else that sounded crude and spun on her heel. Her shoes tapped across the marble in staccato rhythm as she strode from the room.
Even with her gone, Leah couldn’t tear herself from Nikos’s embrace. In the back of her mind, she knew time was a precious commodity, but couldn’t remember why they shouldn’t be doing this now.
Fortunately, Nikos seemed slightly more clearheaded. He withdrew his mouth, lifting his head with a sigh that sounded regretful. “Cake now, agapi mou, and you later.” He seemed to struggle to step away. “Both will be sweet, but I have no doubt which dessert I shall prefer.”
Leah smothered a yawn, finding it difficult to keep her eyes open. The party was finally winding down, and most of the remaining guests were Arianna’s friends. She cast a longing glance at the doorway, wishing she could excuse herself and go to bed. She’d spent too many nights with Nikos, not getting much sleep.
“Tired?” he asked, coming up behind her to put an arm around her waist.
She nodded. “Very. I hope the kids leave soon.”
“Why don’t you go on up to bed? I’ll keep an eye on them.” He glanced at his watch. “I need to check the markets anyway.” Nikos waved a hand at the small group. “I don’t think they can get into much mischief with me down the hall.”
Another yawn escaped, and Leah let herself be persuaded. “I’ll be lonely without you.”
He chuckled. “Liar. You’ll be sleeping.”
“You can wake me up,” she said in a husky whisper.
With a shake of his head, he patted her bottom and scooted her in the direction of the door. “I will be gallant and allow you to sleep tonight.” His expression turned wicked. “For a while.”
Leah had fallen into a deep sleep almost the instant her head hit the pillow. She awoke disoriented, uncertain what had awakened her so abruptly. A second later, she heard raised voices and realized the sound of an argument had roused her. She listened for a moment, recognizing Arianna and Nikos’s voices. It wasn’t like them to argue, and she slid from bed and wrapped herself in a robe before leaving the bedroom.
They stood down the hall, near Arianna’s bedroom. Nikos was yelling and waving his hands, occasionally pointing at Arianna and Loukas, who stood beside her, looking frightened but determined not to show fear.
“What’s going on?” Leah asked as she approached them.
“I caught this boy sneaking out of Arianna’s room. They had…” He switched to Greek, unleashing a new wave of anger on the young couple.
“He was not sneaking, Theo Nikos. I am an adult, and I can do as I please.”
“An adult?” His cold laugh made Leah flinch almost as much as Arianna. “You are a stupid girl, led by a stupid boy.”
“She’s not stupid,” said Leah. “Arianna is a young woman, Nikos. This sort of thing is natural.”
“Not for good Greek girls,” he snarled. “You wait for marriage,” he said to Arianna.
She rolled her eyes. “Your attitude is archaic, Theo. In New York, no one would think anything of me making love with my boyfriend.”
Nikos winced, clearly disconcerted to hear the words coming from her. “We are not in New York. With this act, I see you have not spent nearly enough time in your homeland, learning proper behavior.” He cursed. “You should be ashamed, both of you.”
Loukas bowed his head, but Arianna straightened her shoulders. Leah stepped closer, sensing the situation would continue to escalate unless she could convince them to stop arguing. “It’s late—”
They both ignored her. “I feel no shame. I love Loukas, and it was as Leah said.”
Nikos turned his glower on Leah. “What did Leah say?”
“She told me sex can be beautiful with someone you love. You don’t have to be married to be in love.”
Leah gulped, not liking the way Nikos’s eyes darkened. “It’s late,” she said again. “Why don’t we go to bed and talk about this in the morning?”
He regarded her with an unreadable expression for a long second, before transferring his attention to Loukas. “I will escort the boy home.”
Seeing Loukas tremble, Leah put her hand on Nikos’s arm. “I’m sure he can find his way home just fine, Nikos.”
“Yes, Kyria Andrakis,” said the boy eagerly. He paused long enough to squeeze Arianna’s hand before practically running down the stairs. His escape might have been amusing if not for the heavy tension remaining between her husband and his niece.
“I am going to bed,” said Arianna haughtily as she spun on her heel and marched back into her room. The resounding slam of the door echoed through the hallway.
Leah stood awkwardly beside Nikos. His silence worried her, and she found herself trying to fill it. “It isn’t the end of the world, you know.”
He regarded her coldly. “I do not expect you to understand our ways. I also wouldn’t have expected you to deliberately steer her down the wrong path.”
Leah’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t steer her anywhere, Nikos. She asked me a question, and I gave her the best answer I could.”
“No. You gave her a trite, Western answer that excuses promiscuity.”
She threw up her hands. “I can’t reason with you when you’re like this. I’m going to bed too.” Leah turned and strode back to the bedroom, anger making her heart thump in her ears. She felt a tinge of guilt, wondering if his words were correct. Had Leah given Arianna an answer based on the values of her society instead of the girl’s? With a shake of her head, she closed the bedroom door behind her. Whether he liked it or not, Arianna was a product of both cultures. She was also an adult, and Nikos would have to accept that.
Body still thrumming with anger, Leah returned to bed. She was certain she wouldn’t be able to sleep with the adrenaline flowing, but exhaustion swept over her, returning her to a deep sleep within minutes.
She awoke later in the morning to someone shaking her. Felling heavy-headed, Leah blinked open her eyes, staring at Arianna with a touch of confusion.
“He’s gone mad, Leah.”
She blinked, forcing her eyes to focus on Arianna as she sat up in the bed. “Who?”
“Theo Nikos is insane. He’s insisting I marry Loukas.” The younger girl’s lip trembled. “He’s gone to discuss the particulars with Loukas’s father.”
&nbs
p; “What?” She shook her head to clear it. “That’s crazy.”
Arianna nodded. “He insists it’s the only way to fix this.” She wrung her hands. “I don’t want to marry him, Leah. I love Loukas, but it isn’t the kind of deep love one needs for a marriage.” She blushed. “I am not exactly in love with him, if you understand what I mean? I was curious, and he is handsome and kind…” Her blush deepened as she trailed off. “I wanted him to be my first lover, not my only lover.”
Leah hugged Arianna. “I understand. It probably wasn’t a wise decision, but it’s an understandable one.” She shook her head. “He can’t really mean to force you to marry that boy.”
Arianna nodded. “He has reserved the church for three days from now and sent for a seamstress to make me a dress. All that’s left is to negotiate the deal with Loukas’s father.”
Leah nibbled on her lower lip. Nikos sounded determined to force the marriage. She knew how stubborn he could be, and getting him to change his mind would be difficult. It would be impossible with Arianna’s presence. Making a decision she prayed she wouldn’t regret, Leah said, “Pack a bag while I make arrangements for you to travel back to New York. Once Nikos calms down, I’m sure I can persuade him that trying to force you to marry Loukas isn’t the right answer.” To her relief, she sounded much more confident than she felt.
Arianna threw herself against Leah, hugging her hard. “Thank you, Leah.”
“It will be okay,” she said, patting the girl’s back while hoping she wasn’t lying to her. The thought of facing Nikos’s anger induced a wave of nausea as she slid from the bed, forcing her to swallow hard. Please let him be reasonable, she thought to herself.
“You did what?” Nikos’s roared filled the salon, making Leah wince. “You had no right interfering, Leah.”
She squared her shoulders. “I did the right thing, Nikos. When you’ve calmed down, you’ll realize that. It’s foolish to try to make her marry Loukas. She’s only eighteen.”
“You undermine my authority and then call me foolish?” His voice was arctic, cutting through her to the bone. “You are the foolish one, interfering with my family.”
She glared at him. “We got married so I could help take care of Arianna. I’ve done my best to watch out for her and protect her. Right now, she needs protecting from your crazy Greek pride.”
Nikos said something in Greek before leaning in close, his face against hers. “It is not crazy pride that motivates my decision. Arianna made a mistake, and I am fixing it.”
“It wasn’t a mistake.” She ran a hand through her hair. “She’s a teenager. Teenagers have sex. It’s not a big deal.”
“You didn’t,” he said quietly.
Leah faltered. “Everyone is different.”
“If you, an American, can wait until marriage, why can’t my niece?” He exhaled harshly. “I do not understand how she could do this.”
His confusion cut through her annoyance, and she put a hand on his shoulder. “Arianna loved him. She acknowledges it isn’t the kind of love she should have for her husband, but she does care for him. Arianna chose him for her first. It was her choice, not yours or mine. You have to let this go, Nikos. She’s too young to get married, especially to someone she doesn’t love.”
He compressed his lips. “You do not need love to make a marriage work. Look at us.”
She barely kept herself from reacting as though he’d struck her physically. In a cool voice, she said, “We have love for Arianna in common. We’re also older and more mature. Marriages of convenience aren’t the norm, especially for eighteen-year-old girls.”
His gaze settled on her with disconcerting intensity. “You told her she would enjoy making love when she was in love.”
Leah shifted uneasily. “Yeah. I was trying to give her a good answer.”
“Do you believe what you told her?”
Sensing dangerous territory ahead, Leah cleared her throat. “Yes,” she finally said reluctantly.
“Yet how would you know, Leah mou? I have been your only lover.”
Wishing fervently he would return to his state of anger from minutes before, she searched for an answer. “I believe a young woman should feel love for the boy she takes as a lover.” She shrugged, affecting a careless demeanor. “Adult women don’t have the same requirements.”
“Hmmm.” He seemed to weigh her words. “That is good. It means you require no false sentiment to come to my bed, being an adult,” he said with a hint of mockery.
Feeling trapped, she tipped up her chin. “Of course not. We both know how pleasurable sex can be. Who needs anything else?”
“Indeed.” Nikos startled her by sweeping her into his arms. “I find I’m in the mood for some pleasure after the day I’ve had. Do you object?”
How could she and maintain her façade? The last thing she wanted to do was admit she’d fallen in love with him and face his rejection. Or even worse, his pity. A shudder ran through her. “Not at all.” The physical pleasure might dull some of the emotional ache that came from loving him without reciprocation.
Nikos had left by the time she awakened the next morning. Nausea had crept up her throat, making her regret the marathon lovemaking that had led them to skip dinner. A quick breakfast of a boiled egg and oatmeal had her feeling better, and her thoughts turned to Nikos.
To her relief, he had mentioned nothing else about a marriage between Arianna and Loukas. Perhaps he had acknowledged his overreaction to the situation.
Now that Arianna was back in New York, she expected Nikos to cut short their vacation and return to the city. In preparation, Leah returned to the master bedroom and pulled down her suitcases, intending to pack everything except a couple of outfits, in case they stayed through tomorrow. She had filled half a suitcase when a knock sounded. “Come in,” she called.
Irina entered, clicking her tongue when she saw Arianna’s luggage. “I will do that, Kyria.”
Leah waved a hand. “It’s fine, Irina. It keeps me occupied.”
The older woman scowled. “You have a visitor to keep you occupied, if you want to receive her.”
Leah arched a brow. “Who?”
Irina appeared to be choking when she said, “Maia Papadas.”
She grimaced. “Tell her Nikos will be back sometime later in the morning.” That might or might not be true, but it should get rid of the other woman, at least for a time.
“She asked specifically for you, Kyria Leah.”
Leah groaned. “I wonder what she wants.”
“I can send her away,” suggested Irina with an unaccustomed hardness in her gaze.
She contemplated it and shrugged. “No. I’ll see what she wants. I might as well get it over with.” After the display she and Nikos had given her at Arianna’s party, Leah had half-expected a confrontation with Maia.
Leah took a moment to straighten her appearance and gather her wits. Her stomach clenched with nervousness as she left the bedroom and walked downstairs to the salon. With each step, Leah tried reminding herself that Maia couldn’t hurt her, no matter how catty she became. After all, Leah had the man Maia wanted, so she was the ultimate victor in any battle.
Maia had draped herself artfully on a sofa, the white fabric highlighting her golden-brown skin and turquoise sundress that looked deceptively casual, meaning it had probably cost a fortune. She swung one foot, encased in silver sandals with dangerously high heels, as though she had no cares.
Leah hovered in the doorway for a second, but forced herself to enter the room and take a seat across from the other woman. “Hello,” she said with as much coolness as she could muster. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” she asked with a trace of mocking.
Maia’s eyes narrowed, but then her mouth curved into a satisfied smile. She leaned forward slightly, as though preparing to attack. “I knew there had to be a reason.”
“That’s what I’m trying to discern. What is the reason for your visit?”
Maia wrinkled her nose. �
��I meant there had to be a reason for your marriage. Specifically, for Nikos playing the doting husband.” She tapped her long nails, painted scarlet, against the glass of the coffee table. “I could think of several scenarios for why he would marry you, but not why he would pretend to be happy about it.”
“Perhaps you should consider that it isn’t a pretense.” She was proud of herself for not betraying any reaction, though her stomach tightened. Maia was much too pleased to have news that would be good for Leah.
Maia’s cold laugh held more scorn than amusement. “You poor, deluded fool. Have you imagined Nikos has fallen in love with you?” She raked a contemptuous glance down Leah, clad in khaki shorts and a pale pink tank top. “Did you sway him with your impeccable sense of fashion?” Her lids lowered slightly. “Or maybe it was your prowess in the bedroom?”
Leah shifted slightly. “I’m sure there’s a point to your visit, so can you please get to it?”
Her expression was so malicious that it contorted the other woman’s face into something not even remotely beautiful. “Here is the reason for your marriage.” She lifted a manila envelope from the table and tossed it at Leah. “I can assure you it has nothing to do with love, you little fool.”
Chapter Seven
Leah caught the envelope automatically. Her first instinct was to drop it on the floor and refuse to see the contents, but she didn’t. She had to know what had made Maia so happy. With shaking hands, she lifted the flap and pulled out a thin sheaf of papers. A cursory glance revealed legal jargon. “What is this?”
“Those are the papers that allow Nikos, as your husband, to act as a voting proxy for your shares of Andrakis Corporation.”
Leah shook her head. “You’re crazy. I don’t own any Andrakis stock.”
“Wrong.” Maia laughed, clearly enjoying her revelations. “Dmitri gave your father ten percent of the company ages ago. That came to you upon his death, and you blindly handed over the control to your husband.” She shook her head, sending glossy strands cascading over her shoulder. “Did you really think he loved you?”