by Sara Craven
‘Very little does.’ He was preparing a peach, his long fingers deft, but he looked across at her and smiled. ‘Did you know that the sun turns your hair to fire?’
‘I’m aware it’s red,’ Kate said, with something of a snap. ‘You don’t need to labour the point.’
‘And you should learn to accept a compliment with more grace, matia mou,’ he said drily. ‘Make the most of the sun,’ he added. ‘Because it will rain soon.’
She looked up at the cloudless sky. ‘How do you know?’
He shrugged. ‘These are my islands. It is my business to know. And our autumns tend to be damp.’
‘Are you from Zycos originally?’
‘No.’ There was a sudden curtness in his voice. ‘I was born on Kefalonia, and my real home was always there.’
‘But no longer?’ She remembered Stavros mentioning a family dispute.
He was silent for a moment. Then, ‘I travel a great deal. I have no permanent base just now.’ He paused again. ‘And you?’
‘I share a flat in London.’
He frowned. ‘With this Lisa?’ There was a sudden austerity in his voice.
‘Oh, no,’ Kate said hastily. ‘We were colleagues here for the season, and it just seemed—convenient. My flatmate in London is called Sandy, and she’s very different. She works as a researcher on a national newspaper.’ She hesitated. ‘I shall—miss her when I move.’
‘You are planning to do so?’ He sounded politely interested.
‘Yes,’ she said. She took a deep breath. ‘Actually—I’m going to be married. Quite soon. So—you see—I have every reason to be grateful for what you did for me. And I do—thank you. Very much indeed.’
There was silence—a slow tingling silence that threatened to stretch into eternity. Expressionlessly, Michael Theodakis looked down at her ringless hands. Studied them. Returned to her face.
He said, ‘You are very much in love?’
‘Naturally.’ Kate stiffened defensively.
‘And is it also natural to enjoy erotic fantasies about another man—a stranger?’
Her mouth was suddenly very dry. ‘My fiancé is the one who matters. I’m not interested in anyone else.’
‘Truly?’ he asked softly. ‘I wonder.’ He pushed back his chair and came round the table to her, pulling her up out of her seat. His arms went round her, pulling her close to his body. Then he bent his head and kissed her, slowly and very thoroughly, his enjoyment of her mouth unashamedly sensuous.
Time stilled. His tongue was slow fire against hers, the practised mouth teaching her things she’d never known she needed to learn. Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe—or think.
When he released her at last, he was smiling.
He said, ‘I think, pedhi mou, that you are fooling yourself.’
Kate took a step backwards. She brushed a shaky hand across her burning lips, her eyes sparking anger at him. Anger she could shelter behind. ‘You’re despicable,’ she flung at him. ‘You had no right to do that—no right at all.’
He shrugged an unperturbed shoulder. ‘Why not? I am a single man. You are a single woman.’
‘But I told you. I’m going to be married.’
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘You did. Be sure to send me an invitation to the wedding. If it ever happens. Because if I was going to marry you, Katharina mou, I would make sure you only dreamed of me.’
He lifted her hand, and dropped a brief kiss on to its palm, then turned and walked away into the suite, and out of her life.
Leaving her standing there in the sunlight, looking after him, white-faced and totally defenceless.
CHAPTER FOUR
SHE had a lot to think about on the flight back to Britain.
But her priority was the deliberate, systematic banishment of Mick Theodakis from her mind. Because there was nothing to be gained from remembering the glinting amusement in his dark eyes, or the incredible feel of his mouth on hers. Nothing at all.
So, she made herself contemplate her immediate future instead, which, to her dismay, proved just as tricky.
Because she knew with total and shattering certainty that she couldn’t marry Grant. Not any more.
Clearly, he would want to know why she’d changed her mind, she thought wretchedly, and she didn’t have a single reason to give that made any real sense, even to herself.
And whatever she said would be bound to hurt him, she thought wincing, and she didn’t want to do that. Perhaps she could say that her time in Greece had changed her in some basic way. That she wasn’t the same person any longer.
After all, it was no more than the truth.
But she had to recognise that she hadn’t harboured a single doubt about her future with Grant until Michael Theodakis had crossed her path. Which was crazy, because you didn’t overturn your entire life because of a casual kiss from a seasoned womaniser.
She needed to remember that, for Mick Theodakis, the kiss had been little more than a reflex action, she thought, plus an element of punishment for misjudging him.
All this she knew. So, why didn’t it make any real difference?
She was still wondering when she walked into Arrivals and saw Grant waiting for her, smiling, with a bouquet of flowers.
Kate’s heart sank. She’d been counting on a slight breathing space before they met.
‘Darling.’ His arms hugged her close. ‘God, I’ve missed you. From now on, I don’t let you out of my sight. We have a wedding to plan, and I can’t wait.’
She walked beside him in silence to the car, wondering how to begin.
‘So, where’s the crazy Lisa?’ Grant asked cheerfully, as he stowed her bags in the boot. ‘I thought she’d be with you.’
Kate bit her lip, remembering how she’d returned to the apartment to find it bare and empty, with Lisa’s keys discarded on the living room table.
She said quietly, ‘She decided to take another flight.’ She took a deep breath, knowing she couldn’t pretend—or hedge any more. ‘Grant—I have something to tell you.’
His reaction was every bit as bad as she’d feared. He started with frank disbelief, moved to bewilderment, then to resentment and real anger.
On the whole, she thought, standing outside her flat, watching him drive away, the anger had been the easiest to cope with.
And now she had to deal with Sandy.
‘Where’s Grant?’ was her flatmate’s first inevitable question, after a welcoming hug. ‘I was going to open a bottle of wine, then tactfully vanish.’
‘No need.’ Kate squared her shoulders. ‘Grant and I are no longer an item.’
Sandy stared at her. ‘When did this happen?’
‘At the airport. He was making plans. I realised I couldn’t let him.’
‘Fair enough,’ Sandy said equably. ‘So—who’s the new man?’
‘Grant asked that too,’ Kate said, aware that she was flushing. ‘Why should my breaking up with him imply there’s someone else?’
‘Because that’s the way it generally works.’ Sandy poured the wine. ‘So don’t tell me he doesn’t exist.’
Kate paused. ‘It was nothing.’
‘Then you did meet someone,’ Sandy said triumphantly. ‘I knew it.’
‘No,’ Kate shook her head. ‘I encountered someone. Very briefly. Big difference.’
‘Details please?’
‘His name was Theodakis,’ Kate said reluctantly. ‘His family owns the Regina hotel chain, plus the Odyssey cruise fleet, and the Helicon airline. Does that tell you enough?’
‘Absolutely.’ Sandy gave her a narrow-eyed look. ‘And that’s a hell of a lot of info for just a brief encounter.’
‘He didn’t tell me all of it.’ Kate’s flush deepened. ‘I—looked him up on the office computer before I went to the airport.’
‘Good move.’ Sandy approved. ‘When’s the wedding, and please may I be bridesmaid? I’d like to meet his friends.’
‘I doubt he has any,’ Kate said with a snap. ‘He’s arrogant and t
otally impossible.’
‘Yet he’s made you think twice about Grant, who’s always been the soul of sweet reason.’ Sandy clicked her tongue. ‘I spy muddled thinking here, babe.’
‘Not at all,’ Kate retorted with dignity. ‘I simply found out that absence—hadn’t made my heart grow fonder.’
‘Ah,’ said Sandy. ‘In that case, you should have no problem getting over Mr Theodakis either.’ She raised her glass. ‘Good luck,’ she added cheerfully. ‘You’re going to need it.’
When Kate reported for duty at Halcyon’s head offices a couple of days later, she was aware of an atmosphere, and sideways looks from other members of staff.
It didn’t take her long to discover that Lisa had been fired, and had openly blamed Kate for getting her into trouble with the Greek police.
When the other girl came in to collect some paperwork, Kate confronted her, but Lisa remained obdurate.
‘You dropped us all in it,’ she accused. ‘Now the lads are in jail, and I’ve got a police record. I’ll probably never work in Greece again.’
‘Lisa,’ Kate said quietly. ‘Stavros and Dimitris spiked my drink. They were seen doing it.’
‘Rubbish,’ Lisa said defiantly. ‘It was just a giggle—something to relax you, and take the starch out of your knickers. You—over-reacted.’
‘They were also carrying ecstasy tablets.’ Kate spread her hands. ‘They were drug dealers, Lisa. They could have caused us more trouble than we’ve ever dreamed of.’
Lisa shrugged, her face hard. She said, ‘A word of advice. Whatever you may think of Stavros and Dimitris, they aren’t even in the same league as Mick Theodakis. When it comes to ruthless, he invented the word. I don’t know why he chose to meddle, but he probably had his own devious reasons. Because Sir Galahad he ain’t.’
Kate bit her lip. ‘Thanks—but I never thought he was.’
The next two weeks were difficult ones, especially when Grant decided to launch a charm offensive to win her back, turning up at the flat in the evening with flowers, bottles of wine, theatre tickets and invitations to dinner, all of which she steadfastly refused.
Work helped. Halcyon’s winter City Breaks programme took her away a lot and, when she was at home, she let the answering machine field Grant’s increasingly plaintive calls.
And eventually, her life steadied and found a new rhythm. A new purpose. One which did not include any lingering memories of Michael Theodakis, she told herself determinedly. And certainly no regrets.
After a weekend trip to Rome which had thrown up more than its fair share of problems, she was spending a wet November afternoon at the office, working on a detailed report, when reception buzzed to say she had a visitor.
Kate groaned inwardly. Surely not Grant, again, she thought glumly as she rode down in the lift. He was beginning to be a nuisance, and she’d have to instruct Debbie to say she wasn’t there in future.
She was already rehearsing the words, ‘This has got to stop,’ when the lift doors opened, and she stepped out into the foyer, to be brought up short, the blood draining from her face as she saw exactly who awaited her.
‘Katharina,’ Michael Theodakis said softly. ‘It is good to see you again.’
Goodness, Kate thought breathlessly, has nothing to do with it.
He was lounging against the desk, immaculate in a formal suit and dark overcoat. Dressed for the City, for meetings and high-powered business deals. Smooth, she thought. Civilised. But she wasn’t fooled for a moment.
She felt as if she’d strayed into a pet shop, and found a tiger on the loose.
Her mouth was suddenly dry. ‘Mr Theodakis—what are you doing here?’
‘I came to find you matia mou. What else?’ He smiled at her, totally at his ease, the dark eyes making an unhurried assessment of her.
Making her feel, in spite of her neat grey flannel skirt and matching wool shirt, curiously undressed.
She said, her voice barely a whisper. ‘I don’t understand…’
‘Then I will explain.’ He straightened. The tiger, she thought, about to leap.
‘Get your coat,’ he directed. ‘I have a car waiting.’
‘But I’m working,’ Kate said, desperately searching for a lifeline. ‘I can’t just—leave.’
‘Mr Harris says you can, Miss Dennison.’ Debbie, who’d been devouring him shamelessly with her gaze, broke in eagerly. ‘Mr Theodakis spoke to him just now. I put him through,’ she added proudly.
‘Oh,’ Kate said in a hollow voice. ‘I see.’
One mention of the Theodakis name, she knew, would be enough to get the Halcyon boss jumping through hoops. He would dearly love to get exclusive rights at the Regina hotels for his holidays. And, quite suddenly, Kate had become the possible means to that end. Or so he would think.
In the cloakroom, Kate thrust her arms clumsily into the sleeves of her raincoat, but did not attempt to fasten it because her hands were shaking too much. When she tried to renew her lipstick, she ended up dropping the tube into the washbasin. Better not try again, she thought as she retrieved it, or she’d end up looking like a clown.
And she felt quite stupid enough already.
She found herself avoiding Debbie’s envious glance as Michael Theodakis took her arm and walked her through the glass doors to the street.
The car was at the kerb, with a chauffeur waiting deferentially to open the door.
What else? Kate thought, as she sank into the luxury of the leather seating. And either I’ve gone crazy, or this is a dream, and presently I’ll be awake again.
But there was nothing remotely dream-like about the man sitting beside her in the back of this limousine. He was living, breathing flesh and blood, and her every nerve-ending was tingling in acknowledgement of this. In terrifying awareness.
As the car drew away, he said, ‘You are trembling. Why?’
No point in denial, she realised. He saw too much.
She said, ‘I think I’m in shock.’ She made herself look at him, meet the lurking laughter in his dark eyes. ‘You’re the last person in the world I ever expected to see again.’
He grinned at her, the lean body relaxed and graceful. ‘Truly? Or did you just hope that I was out of your life?’
Kate lifted her chin. ‘That too.’
‘Then I am sorry to disappoint you,’ he said without any sign of contrition. ‘But it was inevitable. The world is such a small place, Katharina mou. I always knew we would meet again. And I decided it should be sooner rather than later.’
Kate sat bolt upright. ‘I can’t think why.’
‘Naturally, I wished to make sure you had recovered from your traumatic experience on Zycos,’ he said silkily. ‘Have you?’
‘I never give it a thought,’ Kate said shortly, resisting the urge to ask which particular trauma he was referring to.
‘You are blessed with a convenient memory, matia mou.’ His tone was dry. He looked her over, his glance lingering on the thrust of her breasts under the thin wool. ‘You have lost weight a little. Why?’
‘I lead a busy life.’ His scrutiny brought a faint flush to her cheeks.
‘Then you should make time to relax,’ he said. ‘Taste the wine. Feel the sun on your face.’
Kate sent a dry look towards the drenched streets. ‘Not much chance of that today.’
‘There is always sun somewhere, agapi mou.’ He spoke softly. ‘You must learn to follow it.’
‘Then why aren’t you doing so?’
‘Because I am here—with you.’ He paused. ‘It is too early for dinner, so I thought we would go somewhere for tea. I told my driver the Ritz, but perhaps you’d prefer somewhere else.’
‘That would be fine, although I can’t imagine you’ll find afternoon tea very exciting.’ Kate tried to speak lightly.
He said gently, ‘But you have yet to learn what excites me, Katharina.’
Kate’s throat tightened. She felt herself blushing again, and bent her head slightly. A stran
d of hair fell across her cheek and she lifted a hand to brush it back.
He said, ‘Leave it. You should not wear your hair scraped back from your face.’
‘It’s neat,’ she said. ‘And tidy. For work.’
‘But you are not working now. And I like to see your hair loose on your shoulders. Or across a pillow,’ he added softly.
Her face burned. ‘But I don’t style it to please you, Kyrios Theodakis.’
He smiled at her. ‘Not yet, anyway.’
Kate tucked the errant tress behind her ear with a certain stony emphasis.
Immediately, she felt the focus of his attention shift. He moved sharply, his fingers closing round her wrists, capturing her hands while he studied them.
Kate tried to pull away. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Still no ring, agapi mou?’ There was an odd note in his voice. ‘Your lover cannot be very ardent. He should tell the whole world that you belong to him.’
Kate looked down at her lap. ‘I—we decided to wait a little longer. That’s all.’
His tone hardened. ‘Katharina—look at me.’
Reluctantly, she obeyed, almost flinching at the sudden intensity of his gaze.
‘Now,’ he said. ‘Tell me the truth. Are you engaged to this man? Do you plan to be married?’
She knew what she should do. She should tell him it was none of his damned business, and request him to stop the car and let her out.
The silence seemed to close round them. The air was suddenly heavy. Charged.
Kate swallowed helplessly. She heard herself say, ‘I—I’m not seeing him. It’s over.’
‘Ah,’ he said softly. ‘Then that changes everything. Does it not, agapi mou?’ Still watching the bewildered play of colour in her face, he lifted one hand, and then the other to his lips.
At the brush of his mouth, she found herself pierced by such an agony of need that she had to bite down on her lip to stop herself crying out.
Her voice shook. ‘No. Kyrie—please…’
He made no attempt to release her. The dark eyes glittered at her. ‘Say my name.’
‘Mr Theodakis…’
‘No.’ His voice was urgent. ‘Say my name as I wish to hear it. As you, in your heart, want to speak it. Say it now.’