by Lucy Gordon;Sarah Morgan;Robyn Donald;Lucy Monroe;Lee Wilkinson;Kate Walker
They spoke in Greek but Angie had no trouble understanding what they were saying.
‘She’s the sister?’
‘Older sister.’
‘There’s only one reason why you would have married a woman like that. Someone related to that terrible girl. Money. She’s blackmailed you, hasn’t she?’ Eleni’s voice cracked. ‘She’s threatened to go to the press or something like that. Something worse—’
‘I love Angelina. And I don’t want her sister discussed again.’
At that point there were more voices on the terrace and Angie assumed that Nikos and his mother had found a more peaceful place to continue their conversation.
She sat for a moment feeling numb. How had his mother referred to her?
A woman like that.
And she wasn’t even in a position to deny the charges made against her. She had blackmailed Nikos. Not for money, that was true, but for the jewel, which was possibly even worse. He’d sacrificed himself in order to protect his family. He was lying about loving her to spare his mother’s feelings. He was a man of honour, whereas she—
She was just someone who never should have been with him.
Tiffany had almost destroyed his family.
How had she ever been foolish enough to think that dressing up and showing that she enjoyed sex would be enough for him? He didn’t love her and he never would. He was just saying that to soften his mother’s opinion of her. And it was crazy for the two of them to stay together. She’d created this situation but she could also undo it. She could set him free. She should set him free.
But how, when she loved him so much?
Her eyes filled as she contemplated exactly what setting him free would mean.
In an agony of indecision, she sat for a moment, battling with a powerful urge to ignore the honest, responsible side of her nature. They were legally bound for the next two years. He had to stay with her. She could remain as his wife and hope in time he’d fall in love with her. She could—
She could stop kidding herself.
With an impatient sigh, she stood up and took a deep breath, reminding herself of her personal values. She’d done wrong, but she could put it right. Nikos would never fall in love, especially not with a woman like her, and she needed to set him free.
No matter what the cost to her, she was going to do that.
She’d return to England, she decided. She’d ask the solicitor to draw up a document that would renounce all her rights to the Brandizi diamond.
She’d return home. But not to her old life. She loved her job but she was no longer prepared to live with her mother, nor was she willing to consider an evening at a lecture the be all and end all of her social life.
It wouldn’t be right to take the clothes that Nikos had given her but that didn’t stop her going on her own shopping spree. She’d revamp her wardrobe and use her new found confidence to get out and enjoy life. She just wasn’t the old Angie any more. For the first time in her life she felt different.
She straightened her shoulders and brushed away tears that she hadn’t even been aware of shedding. Yes, she was in love with Nikos. Yes, it was going to be painful and difficult to live without him. But she’d learn in the same way that she’d learned everything else.
She wasn’t Angie any more—she was Angelina.
And the next thing she’d have to learn was how to live without him.
Chapter Eleven
‘I CAN’T believe the change in you. You look so different. And I can’t believe you’re seriously moving to Greece.’
‘Why not? Greek history has always been my passion. I can’t think why I didn’t do it before.’ Angie staggered under the weight of a box of books that she was carrying to the attic. ‘This is the last one and then I need to get ready, Mum. I’m going out tonight.’
Her mother gave a sniff. ‘Another lecture at the museum with one of those boring professor types you insist on hanging around with, I suppose.’
‘No, actually.’ Angie heaved the last of the boxes up the ladder and pushed it into the attic. ‘I’m going to the opening night of that new play at the Aldwych.’ On her own, but her mother didn’t need to know that.
Since she’d returned from Crete and started going out more, she’d had plenty of offers from men, but she’d found it impossible to say yes to any of them. Until her divorce was finalised she wasn’t going to date anyone and anyway, she thought wistfully as she stacked the box on top of the others, none of the men were Nikos. He put all other men into the shade.
‘Well, if you’re harbouring romantic thoughts about that billionaire of yours, you’re wasting your time. If you’d wanted to hang on to him then you never should have returned his jewel.’ Her mother folded her arms. ‘A man like him would never have been happy with someone like you.’
Angie negotiated the ladder and then turned and faced her mother. ‘The jewel belonged to him, which is why I returned it. And I think, in different circumstances, a man like him could be extremely happy with a woman like me. Unfortunately for both of us, Tiffany’s behaviour almost destroyed his family. That will always be between us. It was my choice to leave and I have no intention of seeking to resume our relationship.’
Her mother frowned. ‘You’ve got plenty to say for yourself all of a sudden. And you look different. Posh. What’s the point in wearing lip gloss when he isn’t even here to see it?’
‘I like wearing lip gloss and I’m not doing it for him, I’m doing it for me.’ Angie walked into the living room and scooped up the last of her things. ‘It’s who I am.’
‘Well, I must admit you look better, although you’ll never hold a candle to Tiffany, of course.’
‘And I wouldn’t want to. I’m me, Mum. And I’m proud to be me. This is who I am.’ She reached out and picked up the photograph of Tiffany as a two-year-old, innocence shining out of her eyes. ‘I’m taking this because this is how I think of her and it’s how I want to remember her.’ Not as a home-wrecker.
Her mother looked taken aback. ‘Well, of course, you’ve always been the clever one, but Tiffany—’
‘Tiffany’s dead, Mum. I miss her and always will. But now we need to get on with our lives.’ Angie glanced at her watch. ‘I’ll say goodbye now because you’re going next door for supper and I’m going straight to the airport from the theatre. As soon as I’m settled in Greece, I’ll send you my address and you can come and stay.’
‘This is crazy.’ Her mother frowned. ‘You haven’t even found a job.’
‘I have excellent qualifications and I speak fluent Greek. I’ll find a job when I’m ready. To begin with I’m actually thinking of working as a volunteer on an archaeological dig.’
‘A volunteer? Why would you want to do a thing like that?’ Her mother couldn’t hide her distaste. ‘I will never understand you, Angelina.’
Angie slid her bag on to her shoulder. ‘No, Mum,’ she said quietly, ‘I don’t think you will. But it doesn’t matter. I’m used to it now and I like who I am. I’m proud of who I am. Take care of yourself.’
She enjoyed the play, absorbed by the characters and the quality of the writing, and then finally it was over and she spilled out on to the damp London street with the rest of the crowd, all eager to make their way onto their next destination. Restaurants. Home.
Greece.
For a moment her heart ached and she felt a shaft of pain that came close to agony. Would it ever become easier? Would she ever be able to forget him?
Refusing to allow herself to become morose, she raised a hand to a passing taxi, but before the driver could stop and pick her up a long black limousine purred to a halt next to the kerb.
A door opened and Nikos stepped out.
For a moment she just stared at him stupidly. Was it really him or was her mind playing tricks? And then she noticed that the women spilling out of the theatre were gaping in admiration. Only Nikos attracted that sort of attention from the female sex.
What was he doing
here?
Her heart leaped in crazy excitement and then she used logic to rein in her entirely foolish assumption that he’d come to see her.
Of course he hadn’t come to see her.
Nikos ran an international business. He travelled all over the world.
He was here to close some deal or other.
Suddenly she wished that his deal had been in Brazil or somewhere equally distant. She wasn’t sure she could survive seeing him so soon after forcing herself to leave.
She needed more time.
She’d spent a month trying to convince herself that she could live her life without him and suddenly, seeing him standing there, her confidence drained away.
How could she live without him, when not being with him felt like only half a life?
‘What are you doing here, Nikos?’ She managed what she hoped was a casual smile. ‘More business meetings?’
‘I’m concluding a very important deal.’
She nodded. Of course he was. ‘I hope it went well for you.’
‘Negotiations are only just beginning.’ He seemed unusually tense and she glanced over his shoulder to see if she could spot another taxi.
She had to get away before she broke down and embarrassed him. ‘I’m sure you’ll achieve the outcome you want.’
‘I’m banking on it. Get in the car, Angelina.’
‘Sorry?’ Her gaze swivelled to his and there was something in his eyes that made her heart stumble in her chest. ‘I can’t go anywhere with you. My flight leaves in two hours. I have hardly any time to get to the airport and the roads will be awful on a rainy night like this.’
‘I’ll take you to the airport.’ He closed his strong fingers round her wrist and guided her to the car without giving her time to argue. He leaned forward, delivered instructions to the driver and then activated the screen that guaranteed them privacy. ‘Where are you going, Angelina?’
Being in such a confined space with him was torture. She wanted to sink her hands into his thick, glossy hair and press her lips to his firm, sensuous mouth. ‘I’m going to Greece.’ Why not tell him the truth?
‘You loved my country.’
At any other time his smug expression would have made her smile. Now it just made her sad but she hid her feelings carefully. ‘Of course. I can’t think why I didn’t go there before. To start with it’s just going to be an extended holiday; I’m volunteering on a dig. But I hope to find more permanent work eventually.’
The car was nosing its way through the crowded London streets, tyres hissing on the wet roads as it gradually ate up the miles. Eventually they drove on to the motorway that led to the airport.
‘Why did you leave Crete without saying goodbye?’
She closed her eyes briefly and then turned her head to stare out of the window, afraid that her eyes would reveal too much. ‘It seemed like the right thing to do.’
‘I received the documents from your lawyer.’
‘Good. You’re basically a free man.’
‘Unfortunately not.’ His tone held none of its usual smooth confidence and she glanced towards him with a frown.
‘There was something wrong with the documents?’
‘Everything was wrong with them.’
‘I didn’t realise. The lawyer assured me that there was no impediment to divorce. He checked every angle.’
His eyes lingered on hers. ‘He missed one extremely important factor.’
Her heart sank. She’d tried so hard to make sure nothing could go wrong. ‘What? What did he miss?’
‘He missed the fact that I’m in love with you. And that makes divorce impossible.’
She sat still, shock holding her immobile. ‘Sorry?’
‘I love you. And I won’t let you divorce me because I’m sure that you love me too.’ He moved closer to her in a lithe, athletic movement and his hand slid into her hair. ‘You left because you overheard a conversation between me and my mother, isn’t that right?’
‘I—she—’ Angie felt the brush of his fingers against the nape of her neck and the sudden sprint of her heart. ‘What makes you say that?’
‘Because it was the only possible explanation for your behaviour. Before the dinner we shared incredible mind-blowing sex. Everything was amazing. And then on the way home in the car you were silent. The next morning you were gone.’
She swallowed. ‘There just didn’t seem any point in waiting two years to do something that we could do immediately. You deserve to be allowed to get on with your life. It seemed to me that fewer people would be hurt that way. Including your mother.’
‘I’m not interested in my mother,’ he said quietly, lifting a hand and trailing his fingers down her cheek. ‘Nor am I interested in your mother or your sister. In fact, at this present moment, I’m not interested in anyone but you. And I’m here because I agree that it’s important to get on with my life. And my life is going to include you.’
She forced herself to draw back slightly. ‘Nikos—’
‘When I first met you in London I was furiously angry with your whole family and your apparent defence of your sister’s appalling behaviour offended me greatly.’
‘She behaved terribly,’ Angie whispered, ‘but she was still my sister.’
‘And your loyalty to her does you credit, agape mou. At the time, my entire focus was on returning the diamond to my mother.’
‘I understand that now. You must have been very worried about her.’
‘She has had a great deal to endure but she is a strong woman and my father has learned an important lesson. We are doing it again—’ with a low groan of frustration, he buried his face in her neck and kissed her ‘—talking about our families when all I want to do is talk about us.’
‘There is no “us”, Nikos.’ She tried to pull away from him, unable to think clearly when he was so close. ‘I behaved terribly, forcing you to marry me. But I was angry and I thought you were incredibly arrogant.’
‘I was incredibly arrogant,’ he murmured, his mouth trailing over the curve of her jaw towards her lips, ‘and I didn’t have to marry you. I could have said no. I could have called my lawyers. But I was already fascinated by you.’
She gave a soft gasp as his tongue teased the corner of her mouth. ‘That’s not true. You thought I was plain.’
‘I never thought you were plain,’ he muttered against her mouth. ‘I noticed your incredible eyes on the first day we met, then I saw your hair loose and the first time I discovered your legs—’ He stopped talking for several long minutes while he kissed her with disturbing thoroughness. When he finally lifted his head she was breathless.
‘You said I had an unfortunate personality,’ she gasped. ‘Being seen with me was embarrassing.’
‘I haven’t met that many women who answer me back and are capable of holding a conversation about classical Greek pottery in my native tongue. It took a while for me to adjust to the fact that you are highly intelligent but I’ve done it,’ he assured her hastily, ‘and I find it a real turn-on. I’m incredibly proud of you.’
‘You never would have married me if it hadn’t been for my sister.’
‘Then that’s something that I will always be grateful to her for.’ He looked out of the window and she suddenly realised that the car had stopped.
‘This isn’t Heathrow.’
‘No. But my plane is here and I’m hoping that you’ll fly back to Crete with me. If you want to volunteer on a dig, then that’s fine and if you want to stay at home and have my babies then that’s fine too. You can do whatever makes you happy.’
She stared at him, wondering if she’d heard correctly. ‘Have your babies?’
‘Of course. I am Greek and we love children.’ He shrugged his broad shoulders and then reached inside his jacket and withdrew a box. ‘We have come full circle because I am going to give you this.’ He opened the box and she looked down and gave a soft gasp.
‘It’s the Brandizi diamond.’
‘Given by the eldest son to the woman of his heart. And that’s you, agape mou. Will you accept the diamond? Will you marry me?’
Her hand shaking slightly, she reached down and picked up the beautiful necklace. ‘I couldn’t bear to give this back because she’d worn it.’
‘Then wear it now and remember the good in your sister,’ he said softly, ‘and know that I love you.’
The stone sparkled and shone in the semi-darkness. ‘If my sister hadn’t been wearing this necklace, we probably never would have met.’
‘Then perhaps it was fate.’ His voice was husky as he took the necklace from her fingers and fastened it around her neck. ‘It suits you.’
‘I’m scared to wear something so valuable.’
He smiled. ‘There are two bodyguards in the front of the car and they are both armed, but the true value of this necklace lies in the sentiment behind the gift, not in the stone itself.’ His smile faded. ‘I never thought I would find a woman I wanted to give it to. I treated you so badly, agape mou. Can you forgive me?’
‘What is there to forgive?’
He took a deep breath. ‘I was hard and cold and very unapproachable. You were impossibly shy in the bedroom but I refused to allow you to hide.’
‘And I’m grateful for that.’ Her voice was soft. ‘You showed me a part of myself that I hadn’t even known existed. You made me feel beautiful for the first time in my life. You gave me a confidence that I’d only ever had in my professional life. You taught me to like who I am and that’s a gift beyond price.’
‘You don’t regret what happened between us?’
‘How can you possibly think that I’d regret anything so perfect? I love you too, Nikos. You’re right about that.’
He took her face in his hands. ‘And you’ll come back to Greece with me?’
‘Of course.’ She smiled and turned her head so that her lips brushed his hand. ‘It’s where I belong. With you. For ever.’