by Maya Blake
Then she jack-knifed upright. She was in the bedroom. And the clock on the bedside table showed it was four a.m. She’d slept for almost ten hours. And somewhere during that time she’d been moved from the sofa. The bolt of shock threatened to morph into something else.
She pushed away the covers and stood, looking around for goodness knew what. Evidence of Xandro’s presence? A sign that she might have sleepwalked?
She knew it wasn’t the latter. Which made the thought that she’d been in his arms without knowing it all the more unnerving.
Wide-awake and too restless to get back into bed and lie there with her roiling thoughts, she left the room.
The hallway and living room were softly lit. She stood for a moment, listening for signs of occupation. Then, convinced the coffee she smelled was from a timed percolator, she followed the scent to the kitchen.
Xandro stood with his back to her, pouring black coffee into a mug. The temptation to flee warred with the need to stay put, stare at the muscular V-shaped back displayed in all its naked glory above the dark, low-riding sweatpants he wore.
Sage wasn’t sure whether she made a sound or whether the predatory instinct she sensed in him alerted him to her presence. He looked over his shoulder, spotted her and swivelled on his heel with a grace that wouldn’t have gone amiss in a male dancer. The low buzzing in her ears that had started at the sight of his bare back intensified when she was confronted with his chiselled, silky-haired chest.
‘We’re both paying the price of jet lag, I see. Coffee?’ He lifted his cup.
She wavered.
‘Come here, Sage, I’m not going to bite,’ he drawled.
It would be childish to retreat now, she told herself. ‘Did you move me from the sofa to the bedroom?’
He poured the coffee, added cream and the exact amount of sugar he somehow knew she liked, and strolled over to where she stood. ‘Yes.’ He held out the cup to her, his gaze moving from the top of her head to her face, then down her body and back again.
She accepted the coffee, making sure to keep her fingers away from his. Already his scrutiny was messing with her breathing. ‘Why?’
‘You didn’t look comfortable. You were in danger of waking with a sore neck. I tried to wake you but you were dead to the world.’
Somehow that didn’t make her feel better. Her every sense warned her that any vulnerability revealed to this man was a bad idea. ‘You should’ve tried harder. Or left me alone.’
‘And ignore the rare opportunity to flex my Good Samaritan wings? I don’t think so.’ His words suggested amusement, but there was a hard look in his eyes that was at variance with his words.
She eyed him warily. ‘Are you annoyed about something?’
‘Only at the thought that you nearly cost James his job.’
Confused, she stared at him. ‘What are you talking about?’
His jaw gritted as his eyes conducted another sweep of her body in the skimpy T-shirt. ‘My butler. You’re lucky I gave him the night off. Are you in the habit of walking around half naked?’
She frowned. ‘I...what?’
‘I would’ve had to fire him if he’d seen you like this,’ he rasped.
Her eyes widened. ‘You’ve seen me like this. Do us both a favour and fire yourself.’
His teeth bared in a grin. Again, she found herself unable to look away. ‘Perhaps we should start again. Blame our irrationality on jet lag.’
‘That might be wise, although you’re winning the irrationality stakes right now.’
‘I’m extremely possessive, Sage. Even, I’m discovering, within the boundary of a fake relationship.’
She had no adequate words to counter that. Probably because her brain was still malfunctioning, and his huskily spoken words had started a keen fire in her belly.
She took the safest option and kept her mouth shut and her eyes averted from his breathtaking body.
They sipped their coffee in silence, with him leaning a slim hip on the centre island counter, unapologetically staring at her, and she fighting not to react to his blatant scrutiny. When the tension got too much, she spoke.
‘Why were you in my room in the first place?’ The thought that she’d been so out of it she hadn’t sensed his presence still disturbed her.
He reached into his pocket and brought out her phone. ‘You left your purse in the living room. It rang several times after the latest pictures of us hit social media,’ he said gravely.
Her gut clenched. ‘Ben?’
Xandro gave a curt nod.
‘Did you talk to him?’
‘Eventually.’
‘What did he say?’ she demanded.
One corner of his mouth lifted in that half smile she found so intriguing. ‘He confirmed he was no longer in Macau, refused to tell me where he was, then threatened murder and mayhem again if I laid another finger on you.’
She lurched forward, reaching for the phone. He raised it out of reach. ‘What are you doing? Give me the phone.’
He slipped it back into his pocket. ‘Not yet.’
‘Xandro—’
His eyes gleamed at her use of his name. But he still shook his head. ‘You’re feeling emotional. You need to calm down a little before you speak to him.’
Her grip tightened on the cup. ‘Don’t tell me how to feel.’
‘Tell me you’re not going to placate him the moment he answers—if he deigns to answer—and I’ll give your phone back.’
‘Isn’t that what you want? For me to speak to him and try to find out where he is?’
He remained silent for a long stretch. Then he shook his head. ‘We’re past the cat and mouse game of Guess Where Ben Is. I made it clear that the only way he’ll escape my full wrath is if he comes to me. There’s no going back from there. As for you, your hero worship needs to stop.’
She gasped. ‘How dare you?’
He didn’t so much as blink in the face of her anger. ‘I don’t need three guesses to know what’s got you rattled. We kissed. You enjoyed it. Then you felt guilty afterwards. You’re not great at hiding your emotions. Some of it was captured on camera. Now you want to ensure your brother isn’t troubled by it. Sorry, pethi mou. I can’t risk you attempting to alleviate that guilt by confessing our agreement to your brother.’
That the thought had crossed her mind was neither here nor there. But the razor-sharp look he sent her told her he’d guessed her reactions correctly.
‘You may be great at ruses like this, but I detest lying.’
‘Well, then, enjoy your coffee and allow me to save you from yourself.’
‘Xandro...’
His breath expelled a little harsher this time. ‘You say my name like that and all I want to do is kiss you.’
‘Do you ever not say what you’re thinking?’ she demanded, partly in exasperation, partly because her body, like the slave it’d clearly become, was already reacting to his words.
‘Where’s the fun in that?’
She firmed her lips. ‘Having a conversation with you is like trying to stop a freight train with a leaf.’
His grin returned. ‘I’m touched you find me so formidable.’
‘It wasn’t a compliment. I meant it was a useless exercise I should think about avoiding altogether,’ she said, although she had the most absurd urge to smile back at him.
He shrugged, seemingly unaffected by her glare. After another moment, he straightened. ‘Come with me.’
‘Why would I do that?’
‘Because we’ve had our first fight of the day and it’s not even five a.m. We have a long day ahead of us, so let’s counter it with a bit of pleasure, too. Unless you have something against pleasure?’ he asked with a wicked glint in his eyes.
She wanted to refuse but curiosity won out. She followed him across the vast double-ceilinged living room to the east corner, where two large windows met. Beneath them the lights of The Strip continued to dance and sparkle in the approaching dawn. But that wasn’t
where Xandro’s attention was centred.
He pointed to a spot on the east horizon between two sprawling luxury hotels. ‘Watch,’ he murmured.
For several seconds all she saw was grey gloom. Then the purest pulse of yellow burst from behind a mountain. Her breath caught, the sight of the sunrise so pure and gorgeous she gasped. ‘Beautiful,’ she whispered.
His gaze shifted a fraction and caught hers in the window’s reflection. It stayed on her for a moment before he murmured, ‘Yes.’
Sage couldn’t explain the shiver that charged through her. Her senses had been jumping all over the place since she’d woken up. Xandro’s hot and cold play wasn’t helping. His smile scrambled her senses. But he didn’t attempt to hide his ruthless streak.
She wanted to say something. Thank him for showing her the spectacular sunrise. But she couldn’t find words that wouldn’t be flippant or reveal the emotions running riot through her. Nor could she dismiss the effect his half naked body was having on her.
‘You’re fidgeting,’ he observed after five minutes. The sun was now a whole dazzling vision in the sky, anointing the sleepless city with a new day.
‘I’m...’ She stopped, then broached the only subject she could without confronting her confounding feelings. ‘What if Ben never returns?’
All traces of mirth left his face. Once again, he became Xandro Christofides, ruthless and controlling mogul in pursuit of a vital piece of his past. ‘Then you’ll find out the hard way that you’re not as important to him as you think. And I’ll devote even more of my considerable resources into getting back what’s mine.’
A moment ago she’d been alarmed that she couldn’t figure him out. The simple truth was he was a merciless strategist who would chew her up and spit her out at the first sign of vulnerability if it served his purpose.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THAT OBSERVATION AND acceptance settled a few things for her.
Suddenly chilled, she turned her back on the sunrise, shivering despite the warmth in the room.
Xandro stepped in front of her, piercing eyes narrowing on her. ‘Do you think me cold?’ he observed clinically.
‘What I think of you doesn’t matter any more, does it? I’m just a pawn in your battle with Ben.’
His lips thinned. ‘Sage—’
She shook her head. ‘That’s fine; I get it. But there is one thing I’d like, though. Now that you’ve succeeded in setting your little fire under him, can this ruse be over already? I’ll stay here, of course, but no more PDAs, if you don’t mind.’
‘I do mind,’ he returned implacably. ‘Our agreement stays in place until I have my possession back.’
She took a deep breath, realising she was partly to blame for her current situation. When she’d first agreed to act as the lure for her brother, she’d been far away from here in a foreign land, removed from the possible consequences such a visible association with Xandro would bring.
Greece was his home, despite whatever had happened to rip his family apart. He was revered there and, according to what she’d read about him, his clout and image extended through the halls of government. But Vegas was his stomping ground and, as she’d witnessed yesterday, the media on this side of the world clamoured for all things Xandro Christofides. She couldn’t hide from confronting what that could mean for her. Extended exposure to his world would damage hers in the long run.
‘I haven’t worked this hard to have people think I got this position by sleeping with you,’ she forced out.
‘And you care that much about what other people think?’ he countered.
‘When it can impact on my career long after I’m smoke in your rear-view mirror? Absolutely.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘For all you know, this association will benefit you.’
‘I make assumptions based on the evidence I have. Isn’t it true that you don’t date anyone for longer than a few months?’
His jaw gritted for a moment, then he shrugged. ‘Regardless of that fact, I assure you that the impact—’
‘I don’t want you to impact on me in any way.’
‘Don’t be naive.’
She inhaled sharply. ‘Excuse me?’
‘You live in a city where networking literally rules the world. Whatever happens between us, you can take comfort in the fact that it won’t adversely affect your career.’
‘Sorry, I don’t want to take comfort in that. I need to be able to go to bed at night knowing I don’t owe my success to anyone but myself.’
‘And I want to take you to bed at night, period,’ he gritted out roughly.
Her mouth gaped, momentarily silenced by the ragged hunger etched in his face. They stared at each other for an age.
Then he gave her a mocking smile. ‘Now that I have you adequately speechless, I’ll add this. Your brother is in a spiral. This thing will be over by the time the production starts. Whatever rumours arise from our association will eventually die. In the meantime, I intend to explore wherever our attraction takes us.’
‘Nowhere. It’ll take us nowhere,’ she stressed firmly. For his sake and definitely for hers.
He shrugged. ‘We’ll see. And now I think I’ll draw a line under this discussion and get on with my day.’
He started to walk away.
‘What about your...whoever warms your bed these days? Won’t she object to you carrying on this charade with another woman?’
He glanced over his shoulder, one eyebrow quirked. ‘Are you asking me if I have a lover stashed away, Sage? One who is open-minded enough not to object when I kiss another woman in public?’
She shrugged. ‘I know exclusivity is optional among some couples these days.’
His face hardened. ‘It’s not optional for me. I don’t have a lover. And if you had a lover, I would object. Very strongly. Have you forgotten that I don’t share?’
The pulse of anger and possessiveness in his voice made something tighten inside her. She pushed it away. She couldn’t afford to be waylaid by superfluous emotions right now. Especially when another important thought impinged.
He gave an exasperated sigh. ‘Something else on your mind?’
‘Yes. I’ve spent the better part of two days without rehearsing. I’d like to find a dance studio somewhere in the city and practise my routines.’
He remained silent for a second. ‘There’s no need to leave the penthouse to do that,’ he said.
Surprise widened her eyes. ‘What?’
‘The big bad ogre has thought of everything. Come.’
The command, like before, was domineering, demanding her immediate obedience. Her curiosity was stronger this time, so she followed.
He took her down the same corridor that led to her bedroom but stopped at the first door and threw it open.
The space was as big as her bedroom suite, but this room was bare, with polished wood floors. It faced the east, and sunlight slanted through the windows, bathing the room in brilliant light.
In one corner a state-of-the-art music system had been set up on a steel pedestal. Next to it was a sofa, a coffee table and a pile of magazines. Everything she needed to keep her training on schedule was right here.
She watched, a little stunned, as Xandro walked to the music station, picked up a remote and hit a button. Familiar music by the artist she used to practise and perform her auditions with filtered into the room. Sage wasn’t sure why the discovery that he knew her preferred music should cause her heartbeat to accelerate, but it did.
Accepting in that moment that Xandro Christofides was the most mercurial and dynamic man she’d ever met, she watched him prowl, shirtless and magnificent and totally dangerous to her senses, back to her.
‘Now I won’t worry that you’ll attempt to strangle yourself with the wire from your headphones while you dance,’ he drawled. ‘Will that be all?’
It was barely six a.m. but she supposed powerful, drop dead gorgeous tyrants, like sharks, needed to keep moving, seeking out their next target
.
She nodded, unable to get her vocal cords to work in that moment. He stared down at her for a beat before he nodded and left the room. She looked around, still unable to take in what he’d done for her. Like sharing the sunrise with her, this gift seemed at variance with the ruthless persona Xandro exhibited.
More than a little confused, Sage gave up trying to decrypt this new facet of Xandro, and went to her room to change before returning to the music room. She practised until she heard a knock on the door. ‘Come in.’
James entered with a silver breakfast trolley piled with domed dishes. ‘Good morning, miss. Mr Christofides asked me to bring you breakfast at nine.’
He lifted the dishes to reveal bacon, eggs, bagels and a selection of muesli and fruit. He waited for her to serve herself and sit on the sofa, then set a sterling silver tray on her lap. He returned her smile of thanks with one of his own.
‘Mr Christofides asked me inform you that you’ll be dining out tonight. And he’s also arranged for a stylist to deliver a few items of clothing for you.’
‘Um...what?’
James opened his mouth. Sage shook her head. ‘Sorry, I heard you. I just...’ She stopped. ‘It’s fine. I’ll talk to...’ She stopped again, realising that she had no means of reaching Xandro. And that even if she did, he’d never returned her phone!
‘Can I contact him?’ she asked.
‘No, I believe he’s in meetings for most of the day.’
The distinct feeling that Xandro had done that deliberately stayed with her, right up until James knocked on the door again after lunch to inform her the clothes had arrived. Except a few items turned out to be three clothes racks packed with at least three dozen outfits and countless boxes of shoes and accessories.
‘I can’t accept all this!’
The butler and maid both stilled. ‘Um...would you like me to send them back, miss?’ James asked.
She took a deep breath. ‘No. I’ll take care of it.’
‘Very well, miss. Nina will put them in your dressing room for the time being. Lunch will be served in fifteen minutes.’ With that, he left the makeshift studio.
Only to return at six to inform her that Xandro was running late. ‘He would like you to meet him downstairs in half an hour.’