by Maya Banks
“I want you to be happy, too, Marley. I want this very much. And while I can’t convince you of your place in my life with mere words, hopefully I can prove it to you over time.”
Her smile warmed him to his toes. It was like watching the sun break over the horizon. She reached for his hands and slid her palms into his grip.
“Come walk with me,” she invited.
Unable to deny her anything in that moment, he gathered her close and began walking down the beach.
Chapter 10
Marley knelt in the cool soil of the garden and plucked the few weeds from around the flowers and greenery. With Chrysander’s morning ritual of working, she’d found other ways to occupy her time, much to the dismay of the gardener who flew out twice a week to tend the grounds.
Ever since her outburst on the beach, Chrysander had ceased to push Patrice and Dr. Karounis at her for every little health concern. Instead, they stayed firmly in the background on an as-needed basis, and Chrysander had relented on her traveling the stairs alone.
Despite the fact that he continued to work in the mornings, he came out to have breakfast with her before returning to his office. Then the fun began for Marley. Each day she found a new method of driving him insane. He’d come looking for her when work was finished, and invariably she tried the restraint he’d promised to exercise when it came to demanding that she rest.
When Chrysander had found her in the garden on her hands and knees, she thought he was going to burst a blood vessel. He’d promptly carried her inside and up the stairs, stripped her down and put her into the bathtub.
She’d giggled at his ferocious scowl, listened with pretended solemnity to his decree that she not endanger herself in that manner anymore and promptly plotted to return as soon as he was caught up in work again.
It began a fun game between them, although the amusement was entirely hers because Chrysander failed to see the hilarity in her continued disobedience.
So here she sat, waiting with amused delight for his arrival.
She heard his sigh behind her and grinned even as she found herself lifted into the air. She tumbled against Chrysander’s hard chest and smiled serenely up at his dark expression.
He strode for the house, grumbling the entire way.
“I promised to ease up on my overprotective tendencies. I stopped insisting you rest and even allowed you to walk unaided up and down the stairs.”
Marley rolled her eyes.
“But you would try the patience of a saint,” he growled.
As he had done before, and as she was counting on, he stripped her down and deposited her into an already drawn bath. He glared balefully at her, and she giggled as she sank lower into the water. He watched intently as she slowly washed herself, hunger glittering in his eyes.
Relishing the fact that she had his full attention, she took advantage as she worked the cloth over every inch of her body. When she was finished, she glanced innocently up at him as he towered over her. She flashed him her best smile, but he continued to glower at her.
“Your cuteness is not going to get you out of trouble, pedhaki mou,” he said.
“Well, at least I’m cute,” she said pertly.
“Why do you insist on provoking me? My hair is turning gray, and it is solely your fault.”
She glanced up at his dark hair, not marred by a single gray strand, and raised an eyebrow. “You poor baby. Are you too old to keep up with one little pregnant woman?”
“I’ll show you old,” he growled as he plucked her from the bathtub.
He barely took the time to dry her before he strode into the bedroom and deposited her on the bed. Her eyes widened appreciatively as he began stripping his clothing from his muscled body.
“Clearly I need to be bad more often,” she murmured. “I could learn to live with the punishment.”
“Little minx,” he said as he lowered himself into her waiting arms.
He was always in control in their lovemaking, and she knew this was the way it had always been, but now she had a sudden desire to turn the tables. To make him as crazy as he made her.
She pushed at him, and he withdrew with a frown. She followed him up and placed her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to lie on his back. She straddled his legs and stared at his shocked expression, a mischievous grin working at her lips.
“I want to touch you, Chrysander,” she said softly. She placed her palms on the tops of his thick legs and smoothed them slowly upward.
His eyes smoldered and sparked. “Then by all means, touch me, agape mou.”
With a little nervousness, she touched his male flesh, and he jerked in reaction. Feeling a little bolder, she wrapped her fingers around the turgid length and stroked lightly.
A groan worked from his throat, and she could see sweat beading on his brow. He was beautiful. Hard, male, his strength rippled through his every muscle.
She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his taut abdomen and then worked her way up to his flat nipples. A thin line of hair dusted his midline, and she ran her fingers over it, liking the feel of it on her skin.
She knew what she wanted to do but was unsure of exactly how she would accomplish it. He must have sensed her uncertainty and her hesitation, because he reached down with his strong hands and grasped her hips.
He lifted her then eased her down over the length of his erection. She closed her eyes as he slid inside her.
“You’re killing me, pedhaki mou,” he rasped. “God, it’s so good. You’re so sweet.”
Encouraged by the satisfaction and approval in his voice, she made love to him, raining kisses over his chest as his hands helped guide the movements of her hips.
Her body trembled, and she knew she was nearing her release, but she wouldn’t succumb until he went with her. He tensed beneath her, and suddenly his hands tightened around her hips. He arched into her, and with a cry, the world exploded around her.
She fell forward, but he caught her with gentle hands. He lowered her to his heaving chest and stroked her hair as they struggled to catch their breaths.
He turned so that he could position her beside him, and he eased out of her body, eliciting another soft moan from her. She cuddled against him, warm and replete.
“Was I any good?” she asked, her words muffled by his chest.
He shook with laughter then turned her face up so she could see him. “If you were any better, you really would make me an old man before my time.”
“But did you like it?” she asked softly. “Or do you think I’m a brazen hussy now?”
He tweaked her on the nose then kissed the same spot. “I liked it very much. I liked it so much that I might consider letting you go play in your garden again tomorrow.”
She rolled her eyes and yawned sleepily. He drew his finger down her cheek. “Sleep now. I’ll wake you for dinner.”
“I don’t need a nap,” she grumbled, but she was already drifting off.
* * *
Not wanting to be entirely predictable, Marley forewent the garden the next day and opted instead for the heated pool. She’d been eyeing it with longing since they’d arrived, and thanks to boutiques only too willing to deliver to the island, she had a simply decadent swimsuit she was dying to try out.
As she pulled the skimpy suit on, she realized that in essence she was trying to seduce Chrysander. Not that she hadn’t already, but she was attempting to make him fall in love with her.
/> She frowned back at herself in the mirror. Wasn’t this backward? He was the one with the memory. Shouldn’t he be trying to make her fall in love with him? She knew she loved him but hadn’t said the words. Something had held her back, and now she pondered what it was that made her unwilling to take that jump.
There was a hesitation about him that niggled at her, as though he wanted to keep a certain amount of distance between them. She didn’t want that. She wanted him to love her as she loved him.
She sighed. If only she could remember.
She wiggled a bit and readjusted the bikini until she was satisfied with the result. The top cupped her small breasts and did a remarkable job of making them seem more impressive than they actually were. The bottom... She smiled as she turned at an angle to view the back of the bikini. It wasn’t a thong...exactly, but it did draw attention to her gently rounded bottom.
Straightening again, she smoothed a hand over the swell of her belly. Chrysander seemed to enjoy her pregnancy. He touched and kissed her belly frequently and seemed entranced by the mound. She hoped he’d find the suit, and her, sexy.
Recognizing that she was stalling, she reached for the silk robe and tugged it on. She wanted no chance that someone else would see her in such a scandalous suit. This was for Chrysander’s eyes only.
She slipped down the stairs and made it through the living room unseen. She walked into the smaller room that housed the indoor portion of the pool and eyed the rippling water with anticipation. Chrysander or no Chrysander, she was looking forward to a swim.
Shedding the wrap, she tossed it over one of the loungers and walked to the edge of the pool to dip her toe in. It was wonderfully warm. She moved to the steps and carefully descended into the water.
Oh, it was marvelous. She swam toward the back glass enclosure that overlooked the outdoor portion of the pool. She was tempted to duck under the divider and swim outside, but the breeze would be cold on her damp skin.
She floated lazily on her back for a while then did a few laps, gliding underneath the water for as long as she could hold her breath. She came up with a gasp and grabbed on to the side of the pool. And then she saw a pair of leather loafers.
She glanced up to see Chrysander watching her, arms folded across his chest, a mock scowl on his face. Even she could see that his lips were twitching suspiciously.
With an innocent blink, she smiled and offered a hello. He squatted down and put a finger underneath her chin, nudging it upward.
“Enjoying yourself, pedhaki mou?”
“Very much,” she returned.
“And to think I was looking forward to hauling you out of your garden today,” he murmured.
Her face heated as she recalled all that had happened yesterday when he’d done just that. She extended her hand. “Help me out?”
He grasped her hand, and she reached to grip his wrist with her other hand at the same time she planted her feet against the side of the pool and pulled with all her might. He gave a shout of surprise as he toppled over and hit the water with a gigantic splash.
He came up sputtering, and for a moment, she worried that he was truly angry. He scowled ferociously at her before glancing down at his soaked clothing. Then he started laughing.
Before he could think retaliation, and since she still wanted him to see her suit, she swam over to the steps and exited the pool in slow, deliberate movements. She glanced over her shoulder to see his mouth drop open as he viewed the back of her suit.
When Marley reached the top, she turned so he could see her profile, and she heard him suck in his breath. She turned away again and began walking toward where her wrap was laying.
“Oh no you don’t, you little tease,” he growled.
She blinked at how quickly he got out of the pool. She gave a shriek of surprise when he closed in on her then laughed when he gathered her into his arms and headed back toward the pool.
“Chrysander, your clothes!”
“As if they matter now. You’ve quite ruined them.”
“I’m sorry.”
He laughed. “No, you’re not.” He bent down at the side of the pool and gently eased her back into the water. Then he stood and fixed her with a glare. “You stay right there.”
She giggled. Her laughter died in her throat, though, when he began peeling his clothing off his body. First his shirt came off, revealing his muscular chest. Then he kicked off his shoes and yanked off the soaked socks. When he reached for the fly of his trousers, she blushed but couldn’t look away to save her life.
The discernible bulge in his boxers as he stepped out of his pants told her that she’d certainly been successful in her quest to make him a little crazy. But now she wondered what exactly he’d do about it.
He hopped over the side, landing next to her with a minimal splash. Then he hauled her against him, kissing her hungrily.
“That suit should be illegal,” he said as he worked his mouth down her neck.
“You don’t like it?” she asked innocently. “I could always get rid of it.”
“Oh, I like it,” he murmured. “I’m going to like taking it off of you even better.”
She broke loose and dove beneath the water, swimming away from him as fast as she could. She surfaced after a short distance but didn’t immediately see him. She looked down, too late, to see his glimmering body. He grabbed her legs and yanked her underneath.
His lips closed over hers, and he propelled them both above the water. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. “I suppose I’m going to have to take back what I said about you being no fun.”
“It would seem so.”
“I wouldn’t object to you hauling me out of the pool and taking me upstairs,” she said with pretended innocence.
He kissed her again, hot, breathless. His hands slid around her waist to cup her bottom. He lifted her upward, and she latched her legs around his waist.
“Hold on to me, pedhaki mou,” he murmured. “I’m hauling you out of the pool right now.”
He mounted the steps and carefully climbed out of the pool. As he neared one of the loungers, she noticed that he’d brought two towels with him. Apparently he had planned to come in all the while. She grinned impishly at him. He wasn’t so serious all the time.
He put her down in one of the loungers then reached for a towel. He dried her hair and her body, allowing his hands to linger in some of her most sensitive areas. He touched and caressed until she was squirming in the chair.
“Now who’s teasing?” she said breathlessly.
He straddled the lounger and lowered his body to hers.
“Mmmm, you’re warm.”
“Are you cold?” he asked huskily. “I wonder what I can do to warm you.”
She pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around him. She threaded her fingers into his wet hair and kissed him. A sound of contentment purred from her throat as he returned her kiss with equal ardor.
His erection strained against her belly, hot, like steel. Warmth shot through her body, leaving her flushed and aching. She wanted him. Wanted him so badly.
“Take me upstairs,” she whispered as his lips scorched down her neck and to the swell of her breasts.
The sound of a door closing startled them both. Chrysander let out an oath as he rolled away from Marley and yanked up a towel to cover her. Marley stiffened when she saw Roslyn over Chrysander’s shoulder.
Her surprise turned to anger. The woman had barg
ed in, intruded on their privacy without so much as a call to let them know she was coming out to the island. They hadn’t even heard the helicopter land, but then they’d been occupied with other matters.
“What are you doing here?” Chrysander said icily.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Anetakis,” Roslyn said, though her expression said she was anything but. Her gaze skimmed Marley in triumph, but the look was gone when she turned her attention back to Chrysander. “There were several things that needed your attention, and I thought it best to see to them personally rather than rely on the phone or e-mail.”
“They certainly haven’t failed in the past,” Chrysander said stiffly. “If you’ll excuse us, I think perhaps it would be better for you to wait in my office.”
“Yes, of course, Mr. Anetakis. Again, my apologies for the disturbance.”
Marley shivered, this time the chill setting in deep. The woman had impeccable timing.
“I’m sorry,” Chrysander said as he helped her from the lounger. He wrapped the towel around her shivering body and tucked her against his side. “I’ll take you upstairs so you can change into something warmer. This shouldn’t take but a moment, and then I’ll return.”
Marley nodded, but for her, the moment was ruined. Gone was Chrysander’s fun-loving mood. The passion that had sizzled between them just minutes ago was now a cold blanket thrown by his trusty assistant.
He took her upstairs and ushered her into the shower. When she stepped out, he’d already dressed and gone back downstairs. With an unhappy sigh, she gathered the towel around her and sat down on the edge of the bed.
* * *
Chrysander entered his office, irritation replacing his earlier good mood. He stared hard at Roslyn, who stood to the side. “I do not appreciate this intrusion,” he said crisply. “There was no call, no warning, no permission asked to come out to the island.”