by Andie Brock
Nikos had recognised a trap when he’d seen one. Besides, he’d had no intention of finding a wife and settling down. Far from it. That road led only to misery. One summer—that was all he’d promised his father. Then he would be out of there.
But a lot could change in one summer...
The first trigger had been meeting up again with his old school friend, Philippos. Nikos had already heard the tragic news that Philippos’s parents had been killed in a car crash a couple of years ago, leaving him and his little sister to fend for themselves. Keen to see if he could be of any help while he was in Agia Loukia, Nikos had sat himself down at Philippos’s table expecting nothing more than a cup of coffee in return for his offer of help.
But when Philippos had started talking about the project he was working on—how he’d found a way to print circuits onto flexible plastic—Nikos had instantly seen the potential. He’d known it could be big—huge! Something that Philippos’s brilliant but totally non-businesslike brain hadn’t even considered.
Promising that this was going to make their fortune, Nikos had formed a joint business with him and set about doing just that. At that point neither of them had had two cents to their names, which had meant securing investment was difficult. But with boundless enthusiasm and determination Nikos had known he was going to make it work.
And then one night a remarkable woman had turned up at the taverna, just in time to share his adventure. Suddenly Nikos had been able to see a future, a wife, kids, the complete package. Suddenly the whole marriage thing had made sense. Here was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Kate O’Connor—The One.
Boy, had he got that wrong.
Returning from the bathroom, Kate slid into the booth opposite him again, looking slightly more composed than when she had left. Nikos acknowledged her presence with a quick quirk of a dark brow, his eyes slowly moving across her face, taking in the pursed set of her mouth, the wariness in those deep green eyes. She was nervous. Maybe she had good reason to be.
He hadn’t fully decided how he was going to proceed from here, but he did know he intended to use the situation to its full advantage. He was marrying for a legitimate reason—to secure the guardianship of Sofia. But that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be other benefits along the way.
Revenge was an ugly word, but it was still uppermost in Nikos’s mind. He and Kate had unfinished business and here was the perfect chance to put that right. He was going to make her pay for the way she had treated him. And he would enjoy doing it. He’d have to be careful he didn’t enjoy it too much.
‘Drink up.’ Breaking the silence, he indicated the second untouched cup of coffee in front of Kate with a wave of his hand. ‘If we hurry we can get a marriage license straight away.’
CHAPTER FOUR
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS LATER Kate was in a taxi, drawing up outside City Hall.
She could see Nikos on the steps of the building even before the cab slowed to a halt. Amid the sea of people his tall, dark figure was unmissable, standing alone, arms behind his back, his eyes scanning the traffic.
Waiting for her.
Paying the driver, Kate felt her last bit of independence slipping away with the coins she dropped into his hand. She had flatly refused Nikos’s offer of a limousine to pick her up, insisting that she would find her own way, thank you very much. This whole wedding was enough of a farce as it was, without adding insult to injury with fancy cars and pointless traditions.
Snapping her purse shut, she stood on the pavement, knowing without looking round that Nikos had seen her, that he was coming down the steps to greet her. There was no escape.
Taking a deep breath, she smoothed down the fabric of her dress. This was it, then. A couple of days ago Nikos had been firmly part of her past, blocked out as best she could, the misery locked away, buried deep within her. If anyone had told her she would be marrying the man who had hurt her so badly—and so astonishingly quickly—she would have thought they were completely insane.
And yet here she was, about to do just that. About to tie herself to Nikos Nikoladis for the foreseeable future.
She started up the steps, one at a time, concentrating on the bright red high-heeled shoes she had put on today in the hope of giving herself a bit of much-needed confidence. The short white lace dress she had had for years, but it fitted the bill well enough. She’d hardly had time to buy a new outfit even if she’d wanted to, which she hadn’t.
To her horror, Nikos had insisted that they marry right away, brushing aside Kate’s objections and maintaining that delaying matters wasn’t going to help either of them. When Kate had finally conceded that he might have a point she had been rushed off to secure a marriage license there and then.
In a complete daze she had found herself at the clerk’s office, providing identification, signing forms, committing to this mad idea before she’d had any chance to think it through. She was sure if Nikos could have found a way to circumnavigate the rule that said they had to wait twenty-four hours between getting the license and getting wed they would have been married on the spot. But it seemed that was beyond even his powers of persuasion, so reluctantly he had arranged to meet her here precisely one day later.
‘You look beautiful.’
Suddenly he was in front of her, all around her, filling her vision, her senses, blotting out everything else. He smelled divine. When he took her elbow she had no choice but to look at him, at the immaculately cut dark suit, the shirt collar glowing white against his olive skin, the blue silk tie perfectly knotted. As her gaze was pulled to his handsome face she met the glitter in his eyes, the slight smile that lightly curved his sensuous lips. The sort of smile a fox might give a chicken.
Kate fought against the fierce kick of desire just the sight of him produced. So dark and suave, so drop-dead gorgeous, he was the epitome of the perfect groom. On the outside, at least. Inside was a different matter.
In a complete turnaround, Kate had to keep reminding herself of the way he had treated her, after spending the last three years desperately trying to block it out. If she was to stand any chance of combatting the tumultuous surge of emotions he stirred in her with little more than a glance from those deep brown eyes she had to focus on the man he really was. On what he was capable of.
‘Here.’ Nikos produced a bunch of flowers from behind his back. ‘I thought the bride should have a bouquet.’
Kate took the flowers from his outstretched hand. A mixture of blood-red peonies and soft pink roses. They were beautiful, of course. Nikos had always had impeccable taste. But to Kate the bouquet felt like a symbol of his possession, and his deliberate use of the word ‘bride’ had underlined the role she had to play.
She drew in another breath. No one was forcing her to marry Nikos. This was her decision.
That was something she had been silently repeating like a mantra this past twenty-four hours. Through a sleepless night when the twisted bedsheets had seemed to rise up to strangle her, into the harsh light of a new day, glaring like a cruel spotlight on her many misgivings.
Long term, this was the sensible decision—even if it no longer felt like it. She was helping Sofia and she was saving Kandy Kate. And she was in way too deep to pull out now.
Clutching the flowers to her chest, she let Nikos take her arm, tucking it through his as he started to move them up the steps towards the register office. He was holding her closely to him in an outward show of affection, the way a loving groom about to get married should behave. But they were no loving couple, and Nikos’s firm touch only made her skin skitter with nerves.
Nerves that increased tenfold as Kate sat on the bench awaiting their turn, her bouquet lying in her lap, watching the other couples coming and going.
They all appeared so happy, so much in love, and it twisted her heart with pain. In contrast, her own groom was pacing up and down like a caged lion, glanci
ng at his watch as if time was of the utmost importance, then looking back at her as if to check she was still there, grim determination written all over his face.
Finally their number was called, and together they walked into the clerk’s office. With rapid efficiency, the officiant ran through the legalities, the marriage certificate was signed by themselves and two witnesses who had been procured for the purpose, and that was it—they were married!
The whole thing felt like a dream to Kate—some sort of confused fantasy that she would wake from at any moment. But as they walked out into the fresh air, the sunlight flashing on the gold band on her finger, Kate knew this was no illusion. She was now legally married to Nikos Nikoladis, and somehow she was going to have to work out a way to deal with it.
Somehow, over the next few months, she had to find a way to protect herself from this man, from the brutal effect he had on her heart. From all that Nikos was and all that he had meant to her. If she didn’t she knew he had the power to crush her yet again. She was sure of it.
‘Hey, Kandy Kate!’
A paparazzi photographer appeared from nowhere, making Kate jump. This was all she needed. She hated the paps, having been at their mercy her entire life. Instinctively she turned towards Nikos for protection.
‘Hold it right there for me, baby—that’s it. Can you turn this way? Beautiful!’
Why wasn’t Nikos telling this guy where to go?
Kate looked up at him, her beseeching eyes making it obvious that she needed help—needed Nikos to tell this chancer to clear off. She’d tell him herself, but she was didn’t want to draw any more attention to herself than was absolutely necessary. People were already turning to stare. The Kandy Kate name was enough to stop them in their tracks, see them pulling out their cell phones.
But, to her horror, Nikos showed no sign of warning off the photographer—quite the reverse. Pulling her tightly by his side, he moved them so that the guy could get the most advantageous shot. With the camera shutter clicking away furiously, not to mention the small crowd that had gathered around them, taking pictures on their phones, they were causing quite a stir.
‘Nikos!’ With a panicky intake of breath, Kate hissed at him. ‘Do something.’
‘I am doing something.’ Bringing his arm up so that it wrapped around her shoulder, Nikos drew her even closer to him, giving her an affectionate squeeze. ‘I’m showing off my new bride. You’re the one who needs to do something—loosen up a bit. Make this look believable.’
‘Hey, Kate, over here!’
Another photographer had arrived, pounding up the steps and elbowing his way through the crowd, a battery of cameras bouncing against his chest.
‘Congratulations, guys!’ Holding a camera high, he adjusted the massive lens. ‘How about a nice big smile?’
‘Oh, I think we can do better than that.’
With no warning Nikos took Kate’s face in his hands and lowered his head, covering her mouth with his own in one smooth movement.
Kate gave a silent gasp, the touch of his lips momentarily paralysing her, until the heat from his mouth made sensation flood back, swelling her lips, heating them beneath his silky soft touch. For a second they stayed like that...joined, melded. Kate was unable to pull away, no matter how much she knew she should. It was all she could do to stop herself from deepening the kiss, from leaning into him and begging for more.
And all the time those camera shutters clicked noisily.
‘Much better, agape mou.’ Finally Nikos released her, his breath a soft caress against her cheek as he turned to whisper in her ear. ‘So much better. For a moment there you almost had me fooled.’
Kate pulled away, her heart thudding, shock stealing away the sharp retort his taunting comment deserved. Instead she found herself pressing her fingers to her lips as if to check that they were still intact. That they hadn’t somehow been flayed by the heat of Nikos’s kiss.
‘Okay, guys, if you will let us through...’
Taking charge at last, Nikos moved them through the crowd, one arm outstretched to allow Kate to descend the steps beside him, the other wrapped around her waist as he fended off congratulations and questions with pleasant thanks and nods of acknowledgment.
A sleek limousine had magically drawn up alongside the kerb. As the driver opened the door Kate hurried to get inside, her heart still hammering against her ribs. Nikos slid in beside her, and as the car door shut peace descended. Throwing the bouquet down between them, Kate drew in a furious breath.
‘Well, thanks for nothing!’ She turned on him as the car smoothly joined the flow of traffic. ‘After that little scene we’re going to be splashed all over the papers tomorrow.’
‘Exactly.’ Nikos’s arrogant expression said it all. ‘The perfect photo opportunity.’
‘What?’ Suddenly the light dawned, bright and sharp. ‘You mean you set that up?’
Nikos shrugged. ‘I happened to mention to someone I know in the newspaper business that we were getting married here today. They must have tipped off one of the photographers they use.’
He couldn’t even be bothered to look at her. Instead he was tapping something into his cell phone.
‘And you didn’t have the decency to ask me first if it was okay?’ Kate hissed back at him.
‘I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.’
Nikos’s silky tone stole over her like a tide of prickly heat. The phone, now finished with, was slipped back into his pocket and his focus moved back to her. Which was a whole lot worse.
His slow gaze swept over her exposed thighs, taking in the way her dress had ridden up when she’d twisted round to confront him. Furiously Kate tugged it down, lifting her bottom off the seat to try and release more of the lacy fabric. This dress was way too short. Whatever had she been thinking?
A glance in Nikos’s direction revealed his thoughts all too clearly. The dark, very masculine gleam in his eyes was unmistakable, deeply sexual, and hot enough to scorch her soul. And the smug expression on his face told Kate he was loving every minute of her turmoil. This was a power game he was playing—displaying his obvious interest and enjoying her confused reaction to the full.
Moving her eyes to the front, Kate primly crossed her legs, feeling Nikos’s stare burn a trail down her calf to her ankle and the red stiletto dangling from her foot. Damn him.
‘Well, I did not appreciate the surprise. You had absolutely no right to tell the press about our wedding without asking my permission first.’
‘No right, eh?’
She heard the rustle of Nikos folding his arms across his immaculately tailored chest.
‘Actually, that’s where you’re wrong. Because by agreeing to marry me you have also agreed to the terms of our relationship.’
‘What terms?’ Alarm caught in her throat as she snapped her head round to face him again. ‘I didn’t agree to any terms.’
‘I think you’ll find that you did.’
‘Our marriage is a purely practical arrangement, entered into for our mutual benefit. I did it solely for the money, Nikos, you know that. Nothing else.’
‘Ah, Kate...’
Nikos raised a hand, delicately stroking her jawline with a lover’s caress. Kate’s breath stalled.
‘You are such a romantic.’ His voice was heavy with sarcasm, but with seduction too, and his Greek accent, which usually gave no more than a hint of his European roots, seemed deliberately deepened to a sexy burr. ‘Whatever am I going to do with you?’
‘Nothing.’ Kate jerked her head back to dislodge his fingers and their velvet touch. ‘You are not going to do anything with me—that’s the point. Whatever you may think, marrying me has not given you the right to take over my life.’
‘Let’s get a couple of things straight, shall we?’ His tone hardened as he placed his hands down on his arrogantly spread muscled thi
ghs.
Kate remembered those hands well. Not immaculately manicured, as they were now, but roughened by his work on the fishing boats, by scrubbing tables and shucking oysters for the diners at Marios’s restaurant.
On the night they had met he had presented her with a plate of oysters sitting on a bed of ice, symmetrically arranged around half a lemon. She hadn’t ordered them. She had tried oysters before and decided they weren’t for her. But with Nikos standing there expectantly, waiting for her to taste them, she hadn’t been able to say no.
Picking up the first shell to examine it, she had been acutely aware of him watching her. And when she’d tipped back her head, letting the oyster slide down her throat, it had suddenly felt like the most erotic experience of her life.
Their eyes had met afterwards, their shared intimacy thrumming in the warm night air. Kate could still remember that moment...still taste the sea on her lips. By the end of the evening those hands had taken her to unknown heights of ecstasy.
Nikos’s ruthless voice cut through the heat of her memory.
‘Our lives are going to be inextricably linked for the next few months. So you had better get used to it. I need to generate publicity around our marriage to strengthen my custody application. The courts will want to see evidence of the two of us together to prove this is legitimate. Looking like we’re in love.’ He fixed her with a loaded stare. ‘I trust that won’t be a problem?’
Kate swallowed hard. No, it wasn’t a problem. It was living nightmare.
‘I will do whatever needs to be done.’ She forced herself to agree. To ignore the buzz in her head that was telling her to stop the car, to get out now, to run as far away from the dangerous man as was possible to do. ‘Within reason.’
‘Excellent.’ Nikos gave a brisk, satisfied nod. ‘And this will benefit you too. All good publicity for Kandy Kate.’
‘Kandy Kate is my affair.’ Kate struggled against his commanding authority. ‘I don’t need your advice on how to run my business.’