by Maya Blake
The two women exchanged another glance and she rushed to cover the awkward silence. ‘Please, come in.’
Brianna paused. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Sim…yes, I’m sure. I was just unpacking…’ she started and noticed Perla’s frown.
‘Why are you doing that yourself? We have two butlers and three villa staff attached to each residence.’
‘I think Theo sent them away,’ she said, then bit her lip as Perla’s eyebrows shot upward.
‘Did he? Ari did that once too, when we first arrived here four months ago. Then we proceeded to have an almighty row.’ She smiled at the memory and placed her hand lovingly over her swollen belly.
Brianna laughed and walked to the sofa. Settling herself down, she opened her shirt and adjusted her son for a feed.
Perla sat on the sofa too and they both stared back at her. Their open curiosity made her nape tingle.
‘We won’t keep you long. I just wanted to run the itinerary by you because, frankly, I don’t trust the men with the information. We have a casual dinner tonight, followed by a quick rehearsal. Most of the guests arrive in the morning and the wedding is at three o’clock, okay?’
‘Okay.’ She ventured a smile and Brianna’s eyes widened.
‘Gosh, you’re stunning! How did you meet Theo again?’
‘Brianna!’ Perla admonished with a laugh.
‘What?’
Inez fiddled with the clasp of the velvet box and pushed down the well of sadness that surged from nowhere. These two women were not only almost family, they were friends too. Whereas her family was in utter chaos and she had no friends to speak of.
She forced another smile. ‘He had some business in Rio. I was…am helping him out with it.’
‘Right. Okay.’ Perla struggled upright and nudged Brianna. ‘We’ll leave you alone. I think the guys are rowing in about an hour. It’s an experience you don’t want to miss if you’ve never seen it before.’
Brianna gently dislodged her drowsy baby from her breast and laid him on her shoulder, gently patting his back as she stood.
The door opened as they neared it and Theo’s large frame filled the doorway.
His gaze zeroed in on her, then dropped to the box still clutched in her hand before coming back up. Her throat dried at the sight of him and the ever present tingle that struck her deep within flared heat outward.
‘Um, Theo?’ Perla ventured.
‘What?’ he snapped without taking his eyes from Inez.
‘You need to move from the doorway so we can leave.’
He snorted under his breath and entered the villa. He turned with his hand on the door, causing Brianna to roll her eyes. ‘We’ve given Inez the schedule so you have no excuse to be late.’
‘I’m never late.’
‘Yeah, right. You were almost two hours late for Perla’s engagement party and an hour late for Dimitri’s christening.’
‘Which therefore means I’ll only be half an hour late for this wedding. Now, please go and pester your other halves and leave me alone.’
The women grumbled as they left. He turned from the door with a smile on his face but it slowly dimmed as his gaze connected with hers.
‘Did they harass you?’ he asked, a touch of wary concern in his eyes.
She shook her head. ‘No. They were lovely.’
‘I don’t know about lovely but I tolerate them.’ Contrary to his words, his voice held a fondness that made her chest tighten.
Theo understood family. Enough that he’d been devastated when his had been broken. And yet he’d wanted to rip hers apart.
Despite understanding the reason behind his motives, the thought still hurt deeply.
‘Inez?’
She turned sharply and headed back to the bedroom. He followed and grabbed her wrist as she reached out to set the box down.
‘What’s wrong?’
Her throat clogged. ‘What isn’t wrong?’
His eyes narrowed. ‘If Brianna or Perla said something to upset you—’
‘No, I told you they were wonderful! They were kind and funny and…and incredible.’ Tears threatened and she swallowed hard.
‘You only met them for twenty minutes.’
‘It was enough.’
‘Enough for what?’
‘Enough to know that I want what they have. And that I’ll probably never have it. So far my record has been beyond appalling.’
He frowned. ‘You don’t have a record.’
‘Constantine used me to get dirt on my father and—’
‘I don’t want you to say his name in my presence,’ he interrupted harshly.
‘And what about you? You make me hope for things I have no right to hope for, Theo. What sort of fool does that make me?’
‘No, you’re not a fool. You’re one of the bravest, most loyal people I know.’ He said the words gravely. ‘It is I who is the fool.’
* * *
Theo’s words echoed through her mind as she watched the brothers row in perfect harmony across the almost still resort water a short while later.
He took the middle position with Sakis in front and Ari at the back. She watched, spellbound, as his shoulders rippled with smooth grace and utmost efficiency.
‘Aren’t they something to watch?’ Perla sighed wistfully.
‘Sim,’ she agreed huskily.
‘I think they do that just to get us girls all hot and bothered,’ Brianna complained but Inez noticed that she didn’t take her eyes off her husband for one second.
When the men eventually returned to shore, the two women joined them and were immediately enfolded into the group.
Theo glanced her way, a touch of irritation in his eyes. Seconds later, he broke away from the group and came towards her.
‘I didn’t expect you to be down here. You should be resting.’
‘I was invited. I hope I’m not intruding.’
‘If you were invited then you’re not intruding. Come and join us.’ He grabbed her hand and led her to where Ari and Sakis were turning over the boat to dry the underside.
The two brothers gave her cursory glances but barely spoke to her. When Ari abruptly asked Theo to accompany him to the boat shed, her stomach fell.
Perla organised a Jeep to take her back to their villa and when Theo returned half an hour later, his jaw was tight and his movements jerky as he swept her off her feet and strode into the bedroom.
He made love to her with a fierce, silent passion that robbed her of speech and breath before he clamped her to his side and slid into sleep.
Her eyes filled with tears and she hurriedly brushed them away. It was no use daydreaming that things would ever magically turn rosy between her and Theo.
As much as she wanted to wish otherwise, they were on a countdown to being over for good.
* * *
The wedding was beautiful and quietly elegant in a way only an events organiser extraordinaire like Perla could achieve despite being seven months pregnant. Inez watched the bride and groom dance across the polished floor of the casino, transformed into a spectacular masterpiece that stood directly on the water, and fought the feelings rampaging through her.
Theo would never be hers. She would never have a wedding like this or have him gazing at her the way Ari was gazing at his new wife.
She would never feel the weight of his baby in her belly or have it suckle at her breast.
Despair slowly built inside her, despite knowing deep down that Theo had done her a favour by bringing her here. He didn’t need her to save him from whatever nightmares plagued him. He had a family that clearly adored him, who would be there for him when he chose to let them in.
She needed to stop moping and get on with her life.
Her time in Theo’s house and his bed was over. In retrospect, she was thankful she’d let him talk her into keeping her volunteer position. It was a lifeline she was grateful for in a world skidding out of control. The things she couldn’t control she wo
uld learn to live without.
A tall figure danced into her view and her eyes connected with the man who occupied an astonishingly large percentage of her mind. In his arms was an elegantly dressed woman with greying brown hair and a sad expression. She said something to him and he glanced down at her. His smile was gentle but wary and Inez saw her sadness deepen.
Inez heard the soft gurgle of a baby over the music and turned to see Brianna next to her. ‘That’s their mother.’ She nodded to Theo’s dance partner. ‘Their relationship has been fraught but I think they’re all finding their way back to each other.’ She glanced at Inez with a smile. ‘I hope that you two find your way too.’
Inez shook her head. ‘I’m afraid that’s impossible.’
Brianna laughed. ‘Believe me, I’ve seen the impossible happen in this family. I’ve learned not to rule anything out.’ She smiled down at her child and danced away with him towards her husband.
Tears stung her eyes as she watched Sakis enfold his wife and son in his arms.
‘What’s wrong now?’ Theo’s deep voice sounded in her ear.
She blinked rapidly and pasted a smile on her face. ‘Nothing. Weddings…they make me emotional. That’s all.’
His eyes narrowed speculatively on her face before he took hold of her elbow. ‘Dance with me.’
He led her to the dance floor and pulled her close.
‘You have a big family,’ she said, more for something to fill the silence.
‘They can be a pain in the rear sometimes.’
‘Regardless, you all seem to watch out for each other.’
He shrugged. ‘Force of habit.’
‘No, it’s not. Does Ari know who I am?’
His mouth tightened. ‘He suspects. I didn’t enlighten or deny because it’s none of his business. He’s welcome to draw his own conclusions. Why do you ask?’
‘Because he’s been watching me like a hawk since we got here and he hasn’t spoken more than two words to me. That’s what I mean. What you have with your brothers isn’t habit. It’s love.’
His mouth twisted in a way that evidenced his dark pain.
‘Love hasn’t conquered the nightmares that have plagued me for all these years, Inez.’ The raw pain in his voice made her throat clog. She forced a swallow.
‘Because you haven’t allowed it to. You resisted any attempt at help because you thought you had to face this demon alone, do things your way.’
The honest barb struck home. He was silent for the rest of the song. Then abruptly he spoke. ‘I didn’t want to appear weak. I hated myself every time I couldn’t walk into a dark room or down an unlit street. I haven’t been able to cope with the smell of cigars without breaking out in a cold sweat. Do you know what that feels like?’ he asked in a harsh undertone.
She shook her head. ‘No, but I know it will never go away if you keep it buried.’
Her warmth, her strength hit him hard and he wanted to reach for her with all he had. Suddenly, everything he’d ever craved, ever wished for seemed coalesced in the woman before him.
‘It’s no longer buried. A month ago I was still the messed-up boy Ari dug up from that hole twelve years ago. But you did something about that.’
‘No, I’m not responsible for that.’
His hand cupped her nape and he whispered fiercely in her ear. ‘You are. You’ve seen me, Inez. I can’t sleep with the lights off. I used to panic whenever someone shut a door behind me. That’s why I surrounded myself with glass. With you by my side I flew here with no need for sleeping pills.’
‘Even though you refused to speak to me for hours.’
He exhaled. ‘Things are upside down and inside out right now. Let’s just…we’ll get through this wedding and head back to Rio. And we will damn well fix this thing between us. Because I’m not prepared to let you go yet.’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘I TOLD YOU, you’re so much better than a damn sleeping pill.’
Inez laughed as Theo tugged her dress down and lifted her out of it. Leaving it on the floor of the master cabin bedroom, he waited for her to kick her shoes off before he crossed over to the bed. The diamond pendant he’d looked incredibly pleased that she’d worn lay nestled between her breasts.
‘Keep that on,’ he instructed, just as the plane jerked through turbulence and they fell onto the bed together, a tangle of hard and soft limbs and hot, needy kisses.
‘I’m glad I have my uses,’ she said, laughing, when he let her up for air.
His face grew serious as he stared down at her. ‘You’ve attained the ultimate purpose in my life, querida. Now more than ever you’re my saviour: my angel.’ He cradled her head as he kissed her.
Inez closed her eyes and imagined that she could feel his soul through his reverent kiss. She studiously ignored the voice that mocked that she was deluding herself.
When he finished undressing her with gentle hands, she tried to stem her tears as he made love to her with a greedy passion that touched her very soul.
Afterwards she held him in her arms as he fell asleep. Unable to sleep, her mind drifted back to the wedding.
Theo had introduced her to his mother and again she’d witnessed the sadness in her eyes. When he’d hugged her at the end of the evening and murmured gently into her ear, his mother had burst into tears. Inez had watched as the brothers closed around her and soothed her tears.
She was still watching them when Ari had glanced her way. His measured smile and thoughtful nod in her direction had made her swallow. It hadn’t been acceptance but it hadn’t been the chilly reception he’d given her either.
As they’d packed to leave, Inez had asked Theo about what had happened with his mother.
‘She fell apart completely after my father was arrested. She left Athens and locked herself away at our house in Santorini,’ he’d replied in an offhand manner, but Inez had seen his anguish.
Recalling his words about abandonment, she’d gasped, ‘She wasn’t there when you were kidnapped, was she?’
Heart-shredding pain washed over his face, but a moment later it was replaced by a look even more soul-shaking. Forgiveness. ‘No. She wasn’t. But I had Ari and Sakis. They were strong for me. And they were that way because of her. I told her that tonight because I think we both needed to hear it.’
His words had resonated deep inside her. But most of all it had been his statement on the dance floor that continued to flash across her mind. I’m not prepared to let you go yet.
Her heart lurched. He meant to keep her in his bed for a while yet. Like a trophy he wasn’t prepared to relinquish. And her foolish heart performed a giddy little samba at the thought of having a few more moments with him.
She woke to kisses on her forehead and her cheek and opened her eyes to bright sunshine.
‘Good, you’re awake. We just landed.’
She yawned widely. ‘Already? I feel as if I just fell asleep.’
He laughed. ‘It’s three o’clock in the afternoon. And we have much to do before tonight.’
She stared at his wide grin and her heart lifted with happiness. ‘You seem in very good spirits, querido,’ she commented.
He gathered her close in his arms and gazed down at her. ‘There is a reason for that.’
‘Tell me,’ she murmured softly.
His face turned serious, his eyes fierce as he watched her. ‘For the first time in twelve years, I slept through the night without a nightmare,’ he muttered hoarsely.
Theo watched her face light up with shocked pleasure before she reached up to clasp his face. Her kiss was gentle and sweet. ‘Oh, Theo. I’m so happy for you.’
‘I’m happy for us,’ he replied. With another kiss, he got up and started dressing. ‘Get a move on, sweetheart, unless you wish to give the customs guy an eyeful when he boards.’
With a yelp she got up and pulled her clothes on.
Theo’s phone started ringing the moment they stepped off the plane. And it wasn’t until they were
back home that she remembered what he’d said on the plane.
‘What did you mean—“we have much to do before tonight”? We’re not going out, are we?’ She groaned.
He took the phone from his pocket and checked it as another text message came through. She waited impatiently for him to finish.
‘No, we’re not going out. But we have a guest coming.’
‘A guest? Who?’
‘I’ve invited your father to dinner.’
Inez staggered as if a bucket of ice had been poured over her.
‘My father is coming here?’
‘Yes.’
‘And you didn’t think to inform me of this? What makes you think I want to see him?’
‘We have to. It’s time to get this thing over and done with, once and for all.’
‘And you don’t care how I feel about it?’
‘I thought we agreed to fix things when we return to Rio?’ he asked with a frown.
‘Yes, but when you said we, I thought you meant us, you and me. More fool me. Because there is not me without my father, is there?’
‘What are you talking about? Of course there is.’
‘Then why would you go behind my back to arrange this?’
A tic started in his temple. ‘Because it’s my fault you’re in the middle of all this.’ He sighed and clawed a hand through his hair. ‘I got a chance to fix things with my mother in Bermuda. We may never get back what we had but I’ll take that over nothing. Whatever relationship you choose to have with your own father from here on in is up to you. But this is a hardship I caused in your life and one I have a duty to fix.’
The fight fizzed out of her but the fear that something had gone seriously wrong between the airport and home wouldn’t go away.
At seven on the dot, the doorbell rang. She passed her hand over her black jumpsuit and tucked a lock of hair nervously behind her ear as she stood by Theo’s side.
The butler entered the living room, followed by her father.
Benedicto da Costa drew to a halt. His narrowed gaze slid from Theo to her, his face a mask of dark anger and cold malice she’d forced herself to overlook in the past.
Now she saw him for who he really was. Images of Theo’s scars flashed through her mind and her hands fisted at her side.