Powerful Greek, Unworldly Wife

by Sarah Morgan

  ‘I have no idea. I’m assuming your caveman tendencies ran a little out of control.’

  The look in his eyes sent her pulse racing again and she stepped backwards, grateful that she was holding the baby.

  ‘I need to feed Costas.’

  ‘If you think that’s going to get you off the hook, you don’t know me. We’re going to talk about this, agape mou. I’m going to explore every last corner of…’ His voice tailed off and her breathing quickened because the look in his eyes was unmistakably sexual.

  ‘Of?’

  His smile widened. ‘Of our relationship,’ he purred, and she knew he was perfectly aware that she’d been waiting for him to say ‘your body.’

  Millie gritted her teeth and was about to stalk towards the table when he closed his hand over her shoulder and bent his head so that his mouth was by her ear.

  ‘That, too,’ he murmured silkily, and the colour flooded into her cheeks.

  ‘You’ve done enough exploring for one day.’

  ‘I haven’t even started.’ Leandro pulled the chair out for her and made sure she had what she needed for the baby. Then he took the seat opposite her and poured her some coffee.

  ‘What was it you wanted to say to me?’ The anticipation of the conversation to come scraped at her insides like sandpaper, putting her off her food. Trying to distract herself, she slid the teat into the baby’s mouth, her expression softening as he clamped his jaws and started to suck.

  ‘Eat some food. This honey comes from a friend’s bees. It’s delicious.’

  ‘I’m not hungry.’

  ‘Eat, or I will feed you,’ he said pleasantly, but his eyes glinted warningly across the table. ‘I overlooked the fact that you didn’t eat last night. You’d worked yourself up into a state about telling me what had happened to you, and you’d braced yourself for rejection. But that didn’t happen, did it, Millie? You are still sitting at my table, having just climbed out of my bed—metaphorically at least—so there is no longer a reason for you to have lost your appetite.’

  ‘Nothing’s changed, Leandro.’ She watched as he drizzled the thick, golden honey over the creamy yoghurt. ‘The issues between us are still there.’

  ‘All right—so let’s address those issues because the worry is affecting you badly. First, can I get you anything? This sweet pastry is delicious.’

  Millie shook her head, envying his calm. ‘You’re not stressed, are you?’

  ‘What is there to be stressed about?’ He drank his coffee and replaced the cup carefully in the saucer. ‘I am relaxing on a beautiful island with a beautiful woman. If I found that stressful, I would be a fool, no?’

  She closed her eyes briefly. ‘So you’re just going to pretend that sex solves everything.’

  ‘No. I’m not going to pretend that. I want to make a few things clear to you. I made love to you in the dark last night because you were clearly very upset and I thought it was the sensitive thing to do, but…’ he gave a self deprecating smile ‘…as I now know, a man’s idea of what is sensitive isn’t always the same as a woman’s. As you keep pointing out, I’m not that good at the whole sensitive side of things, so I need to work on that.’

  Millie gave a strangled laugh. ‘What? You’re suddenly going to turn into a modern man?’

  ‘I wouldn’t go that far.’ There was humour in his tone and in the glance he sent in her direction. ‘Tell me why you think I made love to you in the dark?’

  ‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Was he going to make her spell it out?

  Apparently he was, because he showed no inclination to let her off the hook. ‘I think we’ve both accepted that what is obvious to me isn’t obvious to you and vice versa. Guessing games haven’t done much for the success of our relationship to date.’

  Unable to argue with that, Millie grimaced. ‘All right.’ She adjusted the bottle in the baby’s mouth. ‘You made love to me in the dark because you didn’t want to see my body. I thought being in the dark was the only way you could be sure you’d be able to—’ She broke off and his eyes gleamed with sardonic humour as he challenged her unspoken assumption.

  ‘Well, you were wrong about that, weren’t you?’

  Remembering just how wrong, her mouth dried. ‘I suppose I was.’

  His mind clearly lingering on the same memories, he gave a slow, masculine smile. ‘It was fantastic, no?’

  Millie looked away from him. ‘It didn’t solve anything.’

  ‘Yes, it did.’ His voice soft, Leandro leaned across the table and took her hand. ‘It told me a great deal about you.’

  ‘That I’m easy?’

  ‘Easy?’ He gave a hollow laugh. ‘You’re the most difficult woman I know. In every sense. You’re complicated, contrary, you don’t say what you think—and you put thoughts in other people’s heads.’ He paused. ‘And that brings us to the most important part of this conversation.’

  ‘Which is what?’

  ‘Your insecurities. We married quickly, as you constantly remind me.’ He pulled a face. ‘And I didn’t take the time to get to know you properly. That was my first mistake. The sex overwhelmed us both, I think.’

  ‘Yes, it did. You can’t build a marriage on…’ she cast a worried look at the baby and lowered her voice ‘…sex. Sex isn’t communication.’

  ‘Actually, I disagree.’ His gaze was direct. ‘I think sex is often a very honest form of communication. On our honeymoon you were insatiable—affectionate, uninhibited and spontaneous. When you turned your back on me, I should have made you talk. Instead, I gave you space.’ Leandro leaned back in his chair. ‘You assumed that I’d prefer your sister to you, isn’t that right?’

  ‘Yes.’ Millie didn’t lie. ‘Becca was beautiful, elegant and witty. She wouldn’t have had any difficulties knowing what to wear and what to say.’

  ‘So you saw us together and instead of thinking, He wouldn’t, you thought I understand why he would.’

  ‘Sort of.’

  ‘So would you agree that the whole incident said more about you than it did about me?’

  Her heart was thumping. Had she been unfair? The doubt was slowly growing in her mind. ‘Maybe. I don’t know. She was my sister.’ She bit her lip. ‘I just want to put the whole thing behind us.’

  His mouth tightened for a moment and then he lifted a padded envelope from the table and handed it to her. ‘This is for you.’

  ‘What is it?’ Millie slid her hand into the packet and withdrew some discs. ‘What are these?’

  ‘It’s the CCTV footage of what happened in the pool that day. Take it.’ He leaned forward. ‘It proves that I’m telling the truth.’

  ‘You had proof?’

  ‘I have a very sophisticated security system in the house.’

  ‘But you didn’t show me before?’

  Leandro hesitated. ‘Two reasons,’ he said softly. ‘Firstly, because I had this idealistic wish for my wife to have unquestioning faith and trust in me. Secondly, I didn’t want to be the one who exposed your sister for what she was. I’m doing it now because I realise how insecure you are and I don’t want you to feel that way.’

  Her heart lifted and sank and Millie looked at him helplessly. ‘So this proves my husband is innocent and my sister is guilty.’

  ‘Yes.’

  Struggling with the truth, she fingered the CDs. ‘When Becca came to stay, I thought she was helping me. But she was targeting you, wasn’t she?’

  ‘I think we have to assume that.’

  Reflecting on that, Millie bit her lip and then put the CDs back in the envelope. ‘Thanks,’ she said gruffly, ‘for giving me the chance to see them. Now I’m the one who owes you an apology.’

  ‘Aren’t you going to look at them?’

  ‘No.’ Millie rubbed her fingers over the envelope. ‘I believe you. I think perhaps a small part of me always believed you, but believing you meant accepting that Becca—’ She broke off and Leandro breathed out heavily.

  ‘I know. I’m sorr
y.’

  ‘She was my family. Someone I trusted.’ Millie lifted her eyes to his and saw dark shadows there. ‘What? You think I was stupid to trust her?’

  ‘No.’ His voice was rough. ‘You should be able to trust family. It’s just that sometimes…’ He muttered something under his breath and stood up abruptly. ‘Enough of this, Millie. It’s in the past now.’

  Millie looked at him, wondering what was going on in his mind. ‘Leandro—’

  ‘I want you to forget it,’ he ordered. ‘I want to put it behind us.’

  ‘But it doesn’t really change the facts! You need a wife who’s able to stand by your side at glittering functions, someone who can hold her own with the elite of Hollywood, politicians, businessmen—’

  ‘And I have a wife capable of all those things. The only thing she apparently isn’t capable of is believing in herself.’ Leandro reached for her hand across the table. ‘But that is going to change.’

  ‘I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you have to be realistic. That actress was right—I’m not your type.’

  ‘She was trying to destroy your confidence.’ His fingers tightened on hers. ‘Are you going to let her?’

  ‘Very possibly.’ Millie gave a weak smile. ‘You think I should look in the mirror and say I’m more beautiful than her? I’d have to be treated for hallucinations.’

  Leandro gestured to a staff member who was hovering discreetly, and she hurried up and carefully lifted Costas from Millie’s arms.

  ‘I don’t want him corrupted,’ Leandro said silkily, ‘so I didn’t think he should be here for the next part.’ He stood up and drew her against him intimately, a smile playing around his firm mouth. ‘Are you aware of your own power yet?’

  Feeling the hard thrust of his arousal, she looked at him in amused disbelief. ‘You’re insatiable.’

  ‘With you, yes. You turn me on,’ he breathed, lowering his mouth to hers, ‘and on, and on. All the time. And I want you, all the time. So next time you don’t feel beautiful, remind yourself of that.’

  ‘So what happens now?’

  ‘You learn to be yourself. No more dressing as you think you are expected to dress—no more behaving as you are expected to behave. Just be you. Is that so hard?’

  ‘And when I embarrass you?’

  Leandro smiled. ‘That won’t happen. I find you beautiful, generous and kind and I intend to devote the next few weeks to making you believe in yourself.’

  If they could have stayed in Greece forever, maybe their relationship would work, Millie thought. But his life was so much bigger than this one, idyllic island.

  And what was going to happen then?

  CHAPTER TEN

  THE idyll lasted two more weeks.

  ‘He loves his afternoon nap. He’s sleeping really well now.’ Millie tucked Costas into the cot and tiptoed towards Leandro, who was waiting in the doorway. He was dressed casually in shorts and a polo shirt and his dark hair gleamed in the sunshine.

  ‘You are very good with him.’ His eyes lingered on her face. ‘And extremely generous to give so much of yourself to a child who isn’t yours.’

  Millie was horribly conscious of his scrutiny. ‘He’s part of my sister.’

  Leandro took her hand and led her across the terrace and towards the narrow path that led down through a garden of tumbling Mediterranean plants to the beach. ‘You are nothing like her.’

  ‘I’m well aware of that. My parents were constantly reminding me of that.’

  Leandro frowned down at her. ‘Really?’

  ‘I don’t blame them. I never gave my parents anything to boast about. I was never top in maths, I was only ever picked for the netball team if everyone else was struck down by some vile virus or other, I didn’t play a musical instrument, I have a voice like a crow with a sore throat and I don’t have the face and body of a model.’

  ‘And is all that important?’

  ‘Among you alpha high achievers, it is. My mum’s face glowed with pride when she introduced Becca to anyone—“This is my daughter who works as a top model but she also has a maths degree from Cambridge, you know.” And then she’d turn to me and say, “And this is our other daughter—Millie isn’t academic, are you dear?” And I’d feel the same way I felt when I got my spelling wrong at school. The teachers would sigh and say, “You’re nothing like your sister, are you?” as if that was a major disadvantage in life.’

  ‘No wonder you have no confidence. But all that is going to change.’ As they reached the bottom of the path, Leandro tightened his grip on her hand. ‘You can’t possibly still be feeling insecure,’ he murmured, taking her face in his hands and kissing her. ‘For the past two weeks we’ve done nothing but talk and make love.’

  ‘Maybe I’m having problems believing that anyone can be this lucky,’ Millie replied humbly, wrapping her arms around his neck. ‘And I still can’t believe you don’t want someone who you can discuss the money markets with over breakfast.’

  ‘I can’t think of anything more guaranteed to put me off my food.’ He dragged his thumb across her mouth in an unmistakably sensual gesture. ‘I work in a very high-pressured, conflict-ridden environment—when I come home I don’t want to discuss work. And I don’t want conflict. I want a soft, warm woman who can challenge me in other ways. Which you do. So the answer to your unspoken question, agape mou, is no. I didn’t ever want your sister. But I have told you that before.’ He released her and took her hand, leading her towards the jetty.

  Millie looked at the sleek motorboat. ‘We’re going out on that?’

  ‘I feel in need of an adrenaline rush,’ he drawled. ‘In the absence of anyone to fire, bully or intimidate, I need to find alternative forms of excitement.’

  Her eyes slid to his and he gave a slow grin. ‘Yes, we’ll be doing that, too,’ he purred, helping her into the boat and loosening the rope. Lithe and agile, he followed her into the boat, taking the control with his usual cool confidence. ‘Do you get seasick?’

  ‘I don’t know, but I’m probably about to find out.’ Her nerve endings sizzling from the chemistry that constantly flared between them, she tried to concentrate. ‘How fast are you going to go?’

  His smile widened. ‘Fast.’

  And he did.

  Having eased the boat skilfully out of the shallow bay, he pushed the throttle forwards and sent the boat flying across the waves at a speed that took her breath away.

  Millie held tight to the seat, meeting his brief, questioning glance with an exaggerated smile of delight.

  Men, she thought, relieved that she hadn’t bothered with a hat. Her hair flew around her face and the spray from the waves stung her cheeks.

  Leandro kept up the pace until they reached a neighbouring island, and then he cut the engine and dropped the anchor.

  ‘Presumably you could have gone at half the pace.’

  ‘And that would have taken twice the time.’ Unapologetic, he leaned forward and kissed her hard. ‘I don’t like hanging around.’

  ‘I’d noticed.’ Millie looked towards the beach. ‘Is that where we’re going?’

  ‘Later. If you want to. First I want to show you something. Put this on.’ He handed her a slim, expensive-looking box with a discreet logo in the corner, which she recognised as that of a top fashion designer.

  ‘If this is another swimming costume, you can forget it. In the last ten days all you’ve done is make me take my clothes off all the time.’

  ‘That isn’t quite all I’ve done, agape mou.’

  She blushed. ‘OK, so I wore a swimming costume on your island, but presumably this isn’t private. Anyone could see me.’

  “You have nothing to hide.’

  ‘I still can’t believe you got me into a swimming costume.’

  ‘You looked fabulous.’

  ‘From the back.’

  ‘Yes, from the back. And from the front. And the side. From every angle,’ Leandro said, sliding his shorts off to reveal the str
ong, flat stomach and hard thighs. ‘You seem a little overdressed for a Greek beach. Open the box.’

  ‘Where did this come from, anyway? You haven’t been anywhere to buy me anything.’

  He spread his hands in masculine apology. ‘All right—I confess I didn’t actually choose it. I made a call, gave someone a brief and it was delivered.’

  ‘You made a call.’ She mimicked him as she opened the box. Wrapped carefully inside layers of luxurious silken tissue paper was the sexiest bikini she’d ever seen. It was a shimmering gold and she could see that it was brief enough to be virtually non-existent. Her heart thudded uncomfortably. ‘No way, Leandro!’

  ‘Put it on.’

  ‘I can’t possibly wear this.’

  ‘Trust me, you will look sensational in it.’ Calm and unconcerned, he stripped off his T-shirt, revealing bronzed shoulders hard with muscle. ‘I will enjoy watching you change into it.’

  ‘Leandro.’ Her tone was urgent and her fingers tightened on the slippery fabric. ‘A swimming costume—well, I managed that. But I can’t wear a bikini. I just can’t. I have—’

  ‘Scars—yes, I know.’ He was as relaxed as she was agitated, and her fingers tightened on the silky fabric. ‘You don’t understand how self-conscious I feel.’

  ‘I understand exactly how self-conscious you feel and I am trying to show you that I find you incredibly sexy in whatever you’re wearing.’ His voice was husky. ‘Or not wearing. Get changed.’

  Millie held the bikini in her hands. Looked at it. Then she saw the determination in his eyes. ‘I can’t wear a bikini.’

  ‘You have ten seconds to change,’ he warned in a silky tone, ‘or I will put it on you myself.’

  ‘You’re not very sympathetic, are you?’

  ‘Do you want my sympathy?’

  ‘No. I just want to hide and you won’t let me. For the past two weeks you’ve done nothing but expose me! You make love in daylight, you make me parade around in a swimming costume and now this.’

  Leandro glanced pointedly at his watch. ‘You’re down to one second. Are you going to do it yourself or do I do it for you?’