Harlequin Presents--July 2021--Box Set 1 of 2

by Natalie Anderson

  For the place that had helped him hang on to a shred of humanity when everything and everyone around him had shown him that life was a hot mess of greed, pain and self-aggrandisement. In his more indulgent moods, he’d even believed the island had reached out loving arms and hugged him when he’d needed it most.

  The last thing he would allow was Georgios to turn this into a hedonistic destination for his unsavoury circle of friends. That he wasn’t prepared to stomach.

  He focused on her as Alexis finished admiring the view and turned her gaze on him. That blaze flared up higher.

  ‘This is a beautiful place. I can see why you want to hang on to it.’

  He handed her a glass. ‘It definitely deserves better than to have it turned into another celebrity hangout or, worse, a destination for a TV reality show.’

  Her eyes grew wide. ‘That’s what your cousin intends to do?’

  ‘Yes. My grandfather isn’t the only one with eyes and ears.’

  ‘Does he know?’

  ‘No. And I don’t intend to tell him.’ Telling Costas to gain an unfair advantage wasn’t his style.

  She sipped her champagne, then flicked those magnificent eyes at him. ‘Even though it might gain you an upper hand?’

  ‘I’m confident Georgios will show his own hand before long.’

  ‘You don’t seem to think very highly of him.’

  He shrugged. ‘Perhaps I would if he didn’t expend far too much time and energy cursing me for advantages he seems to think I earned simply by being born Costas’s grandson when he was not. What he doesn’t appreciate is that it’s the effort you put in, not the blood running through your veins, that matters.’

  Her eyes shadowed. ‘I wouldn’t know, would I?’

  He uttered a silent curse. ‘No. And that’s regrettable. But perhaps you’ll take my word for it that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side?’

  ‘Is it bad to wish that I’d been given the opportunity to find out for myself?’

  A twinge of shame in his chest reminded him why he was doing all of this in the first place—because while his parents had fallen far short of their duties, he’d found an outlet here on Drakonisos thanks to his grandfather. ‘No, it isn’t,’ he found himself responding, his regret piercing deeper.

  Her eyes stayed on his a moment longer, an affinity settling between them, before her long-lashed gaze lingered again on the deeper blue waters that slammed against the rocks a short distance away. ‘I agree. It’ll be a shame to have all this spoilt for the sake of financial gain.’

  He’d already concluded that she was...unsettling to his senses. But every time she confirmed how in sync they were, the more he became certain that his plan would work. ‘Unfortunately, some people can’t think beyond the urge to win at all costs, regardless of how much they have or the consequences of their actions.’

  The acid in his voice redirected her gaze to his. His stomach clenched, a part of him wary that she’d delve deeper into what he’d already revealed about his parents.

  But again, she surprised him by holding her tongue when others would’ve seized the opportunity to ferret out more secrets.

  They dished out small quiches, cold meats, olives and sun-dried tomatoes. He passed on the baklava but served her a portion, watching with a compulsion he couldn’t stem while she ate it.

  ‘Well, I hope you win,’ she said softly after finishing the last bite, and his breath expelled, partly in relief, and partly with an emotion he was loath to name. Because while professionally he had people on his side, personally there’d never been anyone. Even Costas had been preoccupied with his grandmother and her failing health, only granting crumbs of affection to Christos when he could. While he’d gratefully accepted those crumbs, he’d known then it wasn’t enough. The hunger in his soul had demanded more. And while he hated to admit it, that lack had scarred him. Enough to put commonplace desires, like love and family, out of his mind.

  But one desire he could have. One desire he craved more than anything else. His gaze dropped to her chest. Lower, over her belly to where her dress gathered in her lap. The memory of the sound of her keening arousal, the scent of her femininity, made him grow instantly hard, and he raised his eyes to clash with the liquid chocolate-brown ones he yearned to see flame with passion.

  ‘Don’t look at me like that,’ she murmured, her husky voice like tinder to the flames already burning within him.

  ‘If all it takes is a look to arouse you, perhaps you should either shore up your defences a little more...or—and this is my personal preference—give in to me.’

  Her nostrils quivered. Right before her firm little chin rose in challenge. ‘I’m done eating. Can we go now?’

  He smiled, partly in anticipation. Partly in acceptance that she was proving unique in this too, that she wouldn’t fall into his lap the way women had done so very easily in the past. He also smiled because he knew this chase would be the most thrilling of all. Because at its culmination he would gain the thing he treasured most in the world.

  He rose with a peculiar lightness in his chest, and when she placed her hand in the one he held out to her that sensation intensified.

  ‘I look forward to our little skirmish,’ he murmured.

  That adorable defiance remained as her gaze boldly met his. ‘I wouldn’t hold your breath if I were you.’

  * * *

  The following days became an exercise in frustration, a test of his willpower and the intensifying thrill and uncertainty that maybe he might not acquire his prey this time.

  From afar, Christos watched Alexis charm the villa staff with halting Greek phrases she was determined to perfect, first when her gowns arrived and he happened upon her in the living room of their suite, trying them on with the help of a young maid. Their eyes met across the small mountain of boxes and frivolous tissues, her face flushed a delicate pink as she stood there, her curvy body lovingly outlined in a satin slip, and her bare thighs and legs delivering a fresh punch of lust into his groin.

  ‘There are way more gowns than I remember ordering,’ she said, indicating the garments strewn around her.

  He leaned in the doorway, hands thrust into his pockets, another first as he basked in the previously boring exercise of watching a woman try on clothes. ‘I may have let myself be talked into expanding the collection on the premise that future engagements will necessitate their use.’

  ‘Future engagements?’ she echoed.

  ‘Costas is right. Perhaps it’s time to make our union a little bit more...public.’

  ‘What does that mean?’

  ‘It means I intend to let the world know you’re my wife when we leave here.’

  Her eyes were wide and her lips parted when he walked away; she was a little perturbed to notice he was smiling.

  After that he found himself watching her, increasingly aware of and intensely absorbed by her movements around the villa. Like when he found her sunbathing by the pool, the lime-green bikini clinging to her glorious, sun-kissed skin making his entire body clench in fierce need. Her exploration on the beach, usually before sunset, when the sun cast dazzling golden light in her hair. Their meals with Costas were equally absorbing. She’d shed her shyness and indulged Costas’s wicked banter with a sharp wit he found entertaining.

  But the nights were the most taxing of all. To give himself a break from that battering of his libido, he waited a clear hour before joining her in their suite. Not that it helped. She might have got over her reticence on their first night but Alexis tossed and turned in her sleep for several minutes after he’d slid in beside her, making him painfully aware of her graceful limbs, of the rich thickness of her hair almost reaching out to him across the pillows, of her bewitching scent that insisted on wrapping itself around his senses and especially around his manhood, keeping him hard and on the edge of his control as she gle
efully slept on.

  His only consoling thought was that maybe she wasn’t having a particularly easy time of it either. He called her on it four nights later, as she was about to excuse herself to let him spend a few minutes alone with his grandfather. But tonight, Costas had pleaded tiredness and retired before coffee was served, leaving them alone.

  Christos caught her arm before she could make her escape. ‘Wait.’

  Slowly, she sat, her eyes flicking warily to his. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Are you ready to give me your answer?’ he asked, unable to drag his gaze from lips she’d painted a luscious, kissable gloss.

  ‘What makes you think it’s changed?’ she parried, although the faintest flush tinged her skin.

  ‘I’ve seen how you grip that pillow between us. How you tuck it between your legs when you sleep, as if to alleviate a certain ache. You grow breathless around me, and I’ve noticed the way your eyes follow me when you think I’m not looking.’

  Her mouth opened in shock. ‘You’re unbelievable!’

  ‘I’m simply observant. Do you protest because it’s the truth? Or because I’ve noticed?’

  ‘Shut up!’

  He laughed.

  She gave an unladylike growl before tossing her napkin at him. He batted it away before leaning in close.

  ‘You need an outlet? Feel free to use me instead, matia mou,’ he offered, then had the pleasure of seeing her eyes turn that liquid chocolate he craved.

  ‘Thanks for the offer but no, thanks. The only thing I want to do now is go to bed.’ Her face flamed on the heels of her words. When he laughed again, her lips pursed. ‘I meant alone...’ Then at his raised eyebrow, she growled again. ‘You know what I mean,’ she whispered angrily.

  It pleased him that, even het up, she was being discreet enough not to give the game away. Then he sobered up as sharp realisation hit him. He didn’t want this to be a game. He wanted...

  ‘What is it?’ Her question held sudden tension.

  He released her, snatching his thoughts away from the sudden need for the unthinkable. For things he’d never craved or wanted. Things that would eventually only spawn hatred and recrimination. He had the emotional scars to prove it after all. ‘You can go.’

  ‘That wasn’t what I asked,’ she replied stubbornly, standing her ground. ‘What’s going on in that brain of yours?’

  Christos rose from the table, closed the gap between them with a single step. ‘Do you really want to find out, koukla mou?’

  She frowned. ‘That one is new. What does it mean?’

  He smiled, the kind that bared his deep hunger. Felt a modicum of satisfaction when she swallowed and grew slightly breathless.

  Before he could taunt her some more, she stepped back. ‘You know what, forget it. Goodnight.’

  He didn’t respond, on account of staring into the space she’d just vacated with the type of stupefaction that came from receiving a thunderbolt. Male pride at hearing her addressed as Mrs Drakakis was one thing. Her hand slipping into his in sympathy after that harrowing revelation on the cliff and salving the rawness in his soul was another.

  But...he couldn’t want any kind of permanence with her...could he?

  He gritted his teeth, summoning every single scrap of memory he’d buried deep down, together with its attendant emotion. Anger. Desperation. Loneliness...that seared hardest.

  ‘Your mother doesn’t love you. She just hates losing to me.’

  ‘And you, Papa? Do you love me?’

  The pitying look his father had levelled at him had shrivelled every ounce of hope in his foolish boyhood heart. But it had also taught him a valuable lesson. That depending on others for his happiness was a fruitless exercise unworthy of his efforts. Accepting that simple conclusion had truly been the moment he’d known his true purpose and worth.

  It was what had got him through a faceless judge deciding he needed to live with the father who didn’t love him instead of a mother who, when she wasn’t embroiled in bitterness, regarded him with distant affection.

  Perhaps it was because of that judge’s actions that he’d decided to become a lawyer. But Christos didn’t go into court with hope and love in his heart. Those emotions were too flawed to be reliable. Came with too many strings to be worth the air it took to speak them.

  An hour passed, or perhaps it was only a handful of minutes—he couldn’t quite tell. As he strode down the hallway, Christos smiled grimly to himself.

  No. There would be no permanence with Alexis.

  A temporary agreement, with a side order of sex. And if everything went as planned, Drakonisos would be within his grasp. That was all he wanted.

  All he would ever want.

  So what if his stomach hollowed out with a quiet bleakness at his future outlook? It was only because he was yet to plan it all out.

  * * *

  ‘Where are we going?’ Alexis asked as she stepped out into sunshine the next afternoon. She’d been summoned an hour ago by Christos with the instruction to pack an overnight bag. When she saw his casual state and the buggy parked at the bottom of the front steps, excitement leapt high.

  ‘The party is in four days. I want to show you the rest of the island before the guests descend on us.’

  ‘Why do I need an overnight bag if we’re staying on the island?’ The only other habitat she’d seen was the staff quarters. Unless... ‘We’re not going camping, are we?’ She wasn’t sure how she’d fare since she’d never done it.

  He tossed her a wry glance. ‘So many questions. It’s almost as if you don’t trust me.’

  I don’t trust anyone any more. It was a phrase she’d have unapologetically tossed at him a few weeks ago, but Alexis realised that it was no longer true.

  Christos had proved himself with his generosity to Hope House, the only home she’d ever known. He trusted her professional judgement. Despite sharing a bed, he hadn’t crossed any lines. As enigmatic as he sometimes was, she knew she could trust him not to betray her the way Adrian had.

  The knowledge unravelled inside her, birthing a weighty, worrisome sensation. Aware of the sharp eyes watching her, she forced a casual shrug. ‘Fine. I’ll play along.’

  His gaze combed her face, paused on her mouth long enough to make it tingle wildly. Then, with a new kind of tension vibrating off him, he stepped away.

  Alexis ignored the sharp dart of disappointment and watched as her bag was placed on the small flatbed buggy next to his.

  Her every nerve went on high alert as they drove off once more, this time in a westerly direction.

  She told herself it was residual nerves from the past several days, but she knew it was something else. It was the ever-increasing drumbeat in her chest that urged her to stop fighting. That said this was as inevitable as her arrogant husband had stated it was.

  She’d spent far too many days and nights trying to rationalise her emotions. Each subsequent mental argument veering in favour of giving in.

  This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She’d known from the first day she’d walked into Christos Drakakis’s office that there was no other man like him.

  The brooding looks, the smouldering energy, the hunger he didn’t bother to hide any more, all said he wanted her. That he wanted, even if only temporarily, to make their marriage a real one.

  Adrian swayed you with words and passion too.

  But that thought did Christos an injustice. He’d stated his expectations upfront. No emotions. Nothing long-term. Just a physical exploration of their chemistry. A chapter to be closed when they tired of the story.

  But was it worth her career?

  The fervent no she’d expected arrived with a question mark. The kind that questioned the choices she’d believed were cemented in her heart. She’d seen a different facet to Christos. His care for his grandfather. For his godson even
from afar. The lengths he was prepared to travel to protect the one place that meant something to him...

  That already made him miles better than Adrian.

  Take the leap...

  She shivered, the enormity of the decision gathering strength inside her becoming a physical need as they trundled along over verdant fields and then onto a wide rocky pathway that sloped gently downwards.

  ‘Are you cold?’ Christos asked, the keen observance telling her his attention was on her despite his easy, offhand attitude.

  She shook her head and tucked her hands into her lap. ‘Not really.’

  ‘We’re almost there.’

  The sun was due to set in about an hour, and its brilliant rays turned the water into a jewelled, breathtaking expanse as far as the eye could see. Alexis was so enthralled by the spectacular view, she didn’t notice their destination until the buggy bounced onto rougher sand and gravel, then onto the powdery golden sand of a wide, hidden beach.

  She stared around her, her eyes widening when she saw the yawning forty-foot opening set into the sheer rock face. ‘Is...is that a cave?’

  The flatbed buggy she’d watched depart a few minutes before them was parked at the cavernous entrance, the staff unloading. Christos parked and stepped out. ‘Yes.’

  The simple response made her glance at him. ‘And? What’s inside?’ she asked, unable to hide her excitement.

  He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes doing that intense thing that sparked fireworks inside her. ‘You’ll see once we’re alone in a few minutes.’

  Excitement surged higher, not helped by the light breeze that made her aware of every goosebump on her body. And the fact that she would be alone with Christos. All night long since she’d packed an overnight bag.

  The bag that was currently being carried inside...

  The staff emerged a few minutes later, and Christos led her in, his attention fixed on her as Alexis stepped inside the most entrancing place she’d ever seen.

  Dozens of lanterns, large and small, were dotted around the living area where divans and plump futons were spread around in inviting comfort. A coffee table graced the centre, and large, thick rugs kept her bare feet cool.