Glancing at him, Lisa realised that Stella was right: the Greeks did have a natural affinity with the sea. Had Tino named the island after his elderly friend? Or had Stella’s parents chosen her name in tribute to their beautiful island home?
‘Have you thought about dinner, Lisa?’
‘Dinner?’ It was the last thing on her mind. Tino had just cut the engine, and they were drifting slowly towards the mooring. She had been focused on the picturesque houses circling the quay—their Technicolor shades seemed to have been intensified by the fading light. ‘I hadn’t really thought about dinner. I suppose I’ll eat later, on my balcony.’
‘It would be a good opportunity to talk.’
‘To talk?’ Her heart started thundering. ‘About business?’
‘Of course.’
He sounded mildly impatient—and had every right to, Lisa realised. He would hardly welcome any further investigation into his life—and there was no question of them making small talk, since neither one of them was good at that.
‘Well?’ He was still staring at her.
‘Oy, Tino! Opa! Siga… Siga!’
Hearing the warning shout, they both whipped around in time to see one of the local men gesticulating furiously.
‘Theos!’ Tino swung the wheel violently, narrowly avoiding a collision.
‘That was close.’ Lisa was still shaking with shock, but Tino had made the adjustment in time, and the fishing vessel slid neatly, if narrowly, into its berth beside the Stellamaris Odyssey. ‘I imagine that might have been an expensive mistake if you had crashed into your yacht.’
‘Expensive mistake?’ Tino stared at her for a moment, as if he couldn’t quite believe what had happened, and then he stalked away to toss the mooring ropes to the man waiting on shore.
Straddling the deck and the shore, he looked magnificent. As the two men secured the ropes she could see how much bigger he was than the other man, but, even so, their movements were perfectly synchronised. It was as if they shared the same internal rhythm. If she had learned nothing more than this, Stellamaris was Tino’s true home. But if that was so, then what drove him? What demon in Tino’s past would make him leave his beautiful island home in search of new worlds to conquer, new deals to make?
She was sure now that they shared something more fundamental than business, and it was something very few people would have recognised. They both kept the past hidden, and though she didn’t know what had happened to Tino yet she did know that the past had shaped them, made them both strong—but it was their weakness too.
CHAPTER SIX
ON THE walk back from the harbour Tino was lost in his own thoughts, giving Lisa all the space she needed to scroll through the events of an incredible day. Her lips were still burning from his kiss, and how was she supposed to forget that he had almost spanked her, or how aroused that had made her? What might have happened if he hadn’t drawn back? Would she have lost control? Just thinking about all the possibilities was enough to excite her.
‘I’ll leave you now.’
Her cheeks reddened guiltily as he reclaimed her attention.
‘I have to take the lobsters to Stella.’ Reaching past her, he opened the garden gate.
He seemed to have forgotten the dinner invitation. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow morning at eight?’ She spoke briskly. And when he didn’t answer, she added, ‘I can’t let you win this by default because you never found time to listen to my proposal.’
‘I don’t need that kind of advantage, Lisa.’
‘Let’s wait until tomorrow before you get too confident?’
Tipping his head, he gave her one of his rare smiles. ‘I’m looking forward to it.’
‘In that case, I’ll say goodnight.’
As she walked away Lisa hoped crazily that he would call her back. Almost immediately, she found she missed him… She missed walking with him, relaxing with him, talking to him… She missed everything about him—which was ridiculous. They had shared one day. But sharing was something she never did. The lack of privacy in the commune had seen to that. There had been no private space, no personal possessions. Her time there had made her selfish. She knew that. Today had been different. Today she had experienced an alternative, and found she liked it. She liked it a lot.
Opening the door to her bedroom, Lisa smiled, remembering the moment Tino had almost crashed into the harbour wall. He hadn’t come out of the day unscathed either. They had both been equally distracted. Tossing her battered sunhat on the bed, she freed her hair and ran her fingers through the tangles. She would take a long, lazy bath, and forget about dangerous Greek men—she had to focus on business now.
It was a very different bathroom from the sophisticated wet room she used at the apartment. In that ultra-modern space, minimalism ruled. Tino’s preferred style was traditional, as if he appreciated the history behind every object. The various jars and crystal vases were exquisite, as was the beautiful pale peach fabric covering the antique chaise longue in one corner of the room. Everything had been chosen with care, or maybe he had inherited the lot from his wealthy parents…
The commune had been littered with other people’s junk. All she craved now in her life were a few highly sought after examples of modern craftsmanship—precious items, carefully selected, and then kept like museum pieces for her pleasure alone, almost as if she needed to remind herself that no one could force her to share them.
When she walked onto the balcony after her bath she was forced to dodge out of sight, seeing Tino deep in conversation with one of his gardeners. It had been foolish to walk outside wrapped in nothing but a towel, but the sunset had drawn her. The remarkable light had bathed the two men in an other-worldly glow, and even the petals of the flowers they were holding seemed lit by some spectral fire.
Then she remembered the taxi driver telling her that the May Day festivities required every house on Stellamaris to be filled with flowers. The meeting between Tino and his gardener would be something to do with that, she supposed. The gardener was probably outlining his plans, while Tino was making his selection from the available blooms.
The May Day celebrations would start on Friday. Had Tino planned this week knowing he would be too wrapped up in local festivities to spare time for their business discussions?
On this point at least, Lisa felt confident. Tino Zagorakis would never forego the chance of a business deal in favour of a local flower festival.
She would have to put her suit back on, Lisa realised, returning inside—or the trousers and shirt part of it, at least. She hadn’t brought anything more with her than her swimming things, a change of underwear and tops, and her pyjamas. She had not expected to be staying longer than a couple of nights at most…
As she opened the wardrobe door Lisa exclaimed with surprise. It certainly wasn’t empty now. Her initial thought was that all the beautiful outfits must belong to Arianna, but as she ran her hand along the rail she could see that they still had labels attached, as if they had been sent on approval from some high-class boutique.
She frowned, and pulled back. Was this Tino’s idea? If they were meant for her, she couldn’t accept them. Of course she couldn’t accept them. But on the other hand, if she was staying until Friday she had to have something to wear. And she already had to pay him back for the sunhat and cream—she could just add this to the tally…
A quick call to the housekeeper confirmed they were for her. Tino had judged her dress size accurately, suggesting he had made some pretty thorough observations. Lisa felt heat flood through her, and then as she remembered the chest of drawers across the room excitement rushed through her. Nothing like this had ever happened to her.. and, surely, there couldn’t be anything else?
Wrapping her fingers around the handles, she dragged a drawer open and stared inside. A sigh slowly peeled out of her. Underwear that she had only ever lusted after before was stacked—not laid, but stacked in neat piles—and arranged carefully according to colour. Of course she could ea
sily have afforded any of it, but where clothes were concerned she was frugal. In the commune dozens of outfits had been shared around, but she had always worn the same threadbare track suit, guarding it jealously. The habit had stuck; though her clothes were no longer threadbare, she still kept her wardrobe to a minimum.
On the rare occasions when her father had pressed money into her hands so she didn’t disgrace herself at a social function, she had spent as little as possible, returning the change to a man who had been as bemused by his daughter’s parsimony as he had been appalled by her mother’s reckless transfer of funds to the commune. Treating herself had been out of the question, wasting her father’s money unthinkable, and she still kept rigid control of her finances. This abundance of luxury goods was like every birthday come at once…
It certainly beat having things sent on approval to the office, Lisa reflected ruefully as she rummaged through the drawer. Who, for goodness’ sake, had time to choose briefs made of the finest flesh-coloured gossamer net? As she held them up she knew that her decision to keep some of the things was already made. She might be destined to eat dinner alone, but she was going to be dressed to kill.
She chose an elegant floor-length silk skirt in dove-grey with a matching camisole that had a toning, chiffon over-shirt in shades of grey and smoky lilac. The colours were ideal for her complexion, and she wore her hair down. In one of the drawers she was stunned to find a pair of beautiful amethyst earrings in a small velvet case. She never wore jewellery, but these were gorgeous—and whoever had chosen them had exquisite taste. Maybe she would develop a taste for jewellery too, Lisa mused, viewing her reflection in the floor-length mirror.
She turned at a knock on the door, feeling rather foolish as she hurried to open it. She was dressed for an occasion, not to eat dinner alone on her balcony.
‘Oh.’ Lisa stared with amazement at the vast floral arrangement the maid was holding out to her.
‘For you, Thespinis Bond.’
‘Are you sure?’
The girl looked at her.
Of course, she was sure, Lisa realised, kicking her sluggish brain cells into action as she stood back to let the young girl into the room.
‘Shall I put them over here for you, Thespinis Bond, where you can see them from the bed?’ The maid hovered by an ornate console table.
‘Yes, please. That’s definitely the right place for them… They’re magnificent.’
‘They are all from the gardens here at Villa Aphrodite.’
‘Oh.’
‘I almost forgot, Thespinis Bond. There is a card for you.’
Taking the vellum envelope, Lisa waited until the maid had left the room before opening it. Her heart started to thump heavily as she read the firm, uncompromising script. ‘I would be delighted if you could join me for dinner this evening, Tino.’
So he hadn’t forgotten. Her heart was hammering like a piston. She was excited and apprehensive too. A small part of her wanted this to be the most romantic thing that had ever happened to her—that was ever likely to happen to her—but she knew she had to be wary of Tino’s motives. This was all very nice, but she couldn’t afford to be distracted yet again from the purpose of her visit. Was this just part of his business plan—his well-thought-out strategy to soften her up? Everyone said Tino Zagorakis would stop at nothing. Was this just another example of the tactics he was prepared to employ?
As Lisa stared at the beautiful flowers they might as well have sprouted darts all aimed in her direction. There was another discreet tap on the door, and when she opened it Lisa found the same maid hovering.
‘I’m sorry to trouble you again, Thespinis Bond, but Kirie Zagorakis would like your answer now. Will you be joining him for dinner, or would you prefer to dine in your room tonight?’
‘Tell him…’ Lisa glanced towards the balcony where she could see the lights from the garden reflected on the stone balustrade. Whatever Tino’s motives, she didn’t feel like hiding in her room. ‘Tell him I will be down shortly.’
She couldn’t delay any longer, Lisa realized, laying her hairbrush on the dressing table. She had brushed her hair so vigorously and for so long it was springing out around her shoulders. A spritz of perfume, and a slick of lip-gloss, and she was ready…
Tino turned the moment she walked onto the balcony. It was almost as if he could sense her presence before he saw her.
‘You look beautiful.’
‘Thank you. You look different too,’ Lisa observed dryly.
‘Yes, well, I thought I might as well make an effort,’ he said casually.
As they stared at each other Lisa found she was smiling. But she had to keep part of herself aloof if she was ever to stand a chance of remaining immune to Tino. He was wearing a black dinner suit that made him look more handsome than ever—if such a thing was possible. The white, open-necked shirt was a startling contrast against his tanned skin—and she was blatantly staring at him, Lisa realised, quickly looking away.
She was so beautiful it was the easiest thing in the world to forget about business. And business was the purpose of every moment he spent with her. It was easy to forget about dinner too, and just take her to bed…
He had never felt such unbridled lust for any woman. And why should he hold back when there was no reason to do so? Time was running out, after all. And she was smiling at him—and looking as if she meant it. He was getting the hang of this wooing business. Just as he had expected, the day out on the fishing smack had thrown all her preconceptions about him into confusion. The clothes that had been flown in for her from the top Athenian designers had clearly delighted her, or she wouldn’t be wearing them. The modest jewellery was a masterstroke—the amethyst earrings gleamed in the candlelight, setting off her sun-kissed skin, drawing his eye to the lustre of her hair, and making her even more beautiful for him. Next time he’d buy her emeralds to bring out the colour of her eyes.
They couldn’t stand like this staring at each other for ever, Lisa realised, still smiling as she walked forward. She felt strangely bashful, but then she wasn’t used to presenting herself for a man’s approval. And, for some reason, what Tino thought about her appearance really did matter to her.
‘You look lovely, Lisa.’ Taking hold of her hand, he raised it to his lips.
At his touch a quiver ran through her, and it didn’t stop there, so she pulled her hand away—too late.
He searched her face.
She stared at him and heard a little cry, and then realised that it was her own voice and that Tino had swung her into his arms.
As he strode inside the house with her all the servants seemed to have disappeared. He mounted the stairs swiftly, holding her close and safe in his arms. When they reached the top landing he shifted her weight effortlessly, and opened a door. Walking inside, he kicked it shut behind them, and lowered her to the ground in front of him, steadying her on her feet.
Gazing up, Lisa thought she saw something in Tino’s eyes that mirrored her own need. Acting on impulse, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling back, he stared down at her for a few moments, as if he had to confirm something.
Lisa wasn’t sure which of them moved first, which of them gave in first. She only knew that she needed to feel Tino pressed up hard against her. She needed his mouth to claim hers with the same urgency she had to draw her next breath. And then they were kissing each other passionately, and she had her fingers laced through his hair, keeping him fast, pressing against him with all the hunger a lifetime of denial could produce. She heard the sounds of passion she was making, and didn’t care. Nothing mattered now—all she cared about was that Tino didn’t let her go, and that this time he didn’t leave her unsatisfied, because now she wanted all of him, with no restrictions, no boundaries, no doubts…
They were like two lions mating, raw, primitive, desperate, hungry. There was so much sex in the air it formed a miasma around them, invading their nostrils, and sending them both hurtling off to a pla
ce where no clear thought was possible, and only sensation and hunger existed; hunger that only one act could relieve.
‘I need you,’ Lisa gasped as Tino lifted her into his arms.
‘Thee mou! I need you more,’ he ground out as he carried her over to the bed.
‘No—don’t rip it off.’ She closed her hands protectively over the chiffon over-blouse, suddenly nervous, suddenly conscious of what they were about to do.
‘I’ll buy you another, Thespinis mou.’
‘But I like this one.’
‘Then take it off,’ he instructed roughly. ‘Take it off for me, yineka mou.’
She was panting, eyes wide. She was his equal and that made her feel safe. Slipping off the bed, Lisa undid the sash at the front and then allowed the chiffon blouse to fall. As it floated to the floor she felt no fear. There was an unspoken connection between them that for some reason made her trust him. Watching Tino take her place on the bed and then stretch out like a sleek black panther was more seduction than she could take.
‘Continue,’ he instructed lazily.
‘No.’ She stared fiercely at him. ‘This is far too one- sided.’
Quirking a brow, he sat up and shrugged off his jacket.
‘Get rid of it.’ She could see he was as aroused as she was, and then he indicated that it was her turn now.
Slowly easing the straps of the silk camisole from her shoulders, Lisa let it drop. Then, swooping down, she took it from the floor by one finger. She was wearing nothing underneath.
‘Have you no shame?’ Tino murmured appreciatively.
‘None.’ Gazing down, Lisa saw how taut her nipples had become. They seemed to be stretching out to him to both tease and provoke his censure. Raising her head, she gazed steadily into his eyes.
‘Just as I’d hoped.’ He quickly opened the buttons on his shirt.
‘Take it off.’ Her voice was firm, and once he had obeyed her she rewarded him, arching her back and displaying her breasts to their best advantage.
The Millionaire's Virgin (Mills & Boon By Request) Page 8