by Sarah Morgan
Then stay with me and I will teach you how your sex is supposed to behave,' he said with a sardonic smile that wasn't quite steady. ‘I wiil teach you how to spend, spend, spend and party, party, party. You deserve it.'
It was so tempting just to say yes. ‘ It isn't enough, Sebastien,' she said shakily, lifting a hand to her throbbing head. 'You'll get bored.'
'Never—you constantly surprise me—'
'You've never stayed with one woman for more than five minutes—'
'And with you I can't be away from you even for that long’ he pointed out in husky tones. 'Or has that fact escaped you?'
She blushed. That's just sex.'
'Not just sex' he contradicted her, inhaling deeply as if he were bracing himself to say something. 'I love you and I know that you don't feel the same way about me, but I still can't let you go.'
She stilled. ‘ You don't love me—you just said that for the benefit of my mother and grandfather.'
'I said it because it is true,' he said quietly, stroking a hand over her tumbled hair and giving her a strangely uncertain smile. 'I never thought love existed before I met you and now I've found it I can't let it go, even though I know it isn't reciprocated. I still think I can make you happy.'
Alesia was in a daze. He loved her? ‘ You can't possibly love me—after our wedding night you just walked out. You didn't even spend the night with me.'
'Don't remind me what a total louse I was,' he groaned, sliding his hands around her face and forcing her to look at him. 'I was so cruel to you.'
'Because you hated me—'
'Because I didn't trust myself in the bed with you,' he corrected her, bringing his mouth down on her softy parted lips and stealing a drugging kiss. 'It took a monumental effort on my part not to climb back into bed with you and make love until you couldn't move.'
‘Then why didn't you?'
'Because what I felt for you scared me and I didn't like feeling that way,' he confessed with unusual candour. ‘ You made me feel out of control and I just hated that. Particularly given the sort of woman I believed you to be.'
‘ So you vanished for two weeks without any contact—'
He gave a rueful smile. ‘ I wasn't used to being faced with powerful emotions because it had never happened to me before. I decided to keep my distance and on top of that I was working twenty-four hours a day trying to unravel the mess your grandfather had made of the company’
She stared at him. It hadn't occurred to her that he'd been under pressure at work but of course he must have been. ' We were so close on the island but after I told you that I was infertile you didn't come near me. I thought you hated me.'
' At first I was angry,' he conceded, sliding an arm round her and tucking her against him, ' but when I calmed down I realized that you'd had no choice but to marry me. Because of the person that you are and because of your circumstances, you made the only decision open to you. Once I recognized that, I didn't want you to be forced to endure my company’
‘ But you announced that you were going to continue to support me because you felt responsible for the explosion even though you weren't even there’
He sighed. ‘I’d sensed trouble all along. I'd advised my father not to have the meeting because I didn't trust your grandfather not to intervene. But he thought it was time to mend fences and I was only nineteen—why should he listen to me? I was arrogant—thought I knew everything—'
Alesia looked up at him. ‘ But you were right ’
He shrugged. ‘ As it turns out, yes. I decided to go to the meeting anyway but, as I reached the bay, the boat exploded. In the chaos afterwards I never knew who was on board.'
Her gaze softened. 'I still can't believe it was you who saved me—'
‘ It was fate,' he growled possessively, tightening his grip on her. ‘ You were meant to be mine all along.'
That's guilt, Sebastien,' she whispered, 'not love, and you have no reason to feel responsible for what happened.'
It's not guilt,' he said fiercely, 'and one day I will make you love me the way I love you.'
The breath jammed in her throat. 'Do you mean it?'
'I am devoting every waking hour to finding ways of making you love me,' he vowed and she shook her head, her gaze suddenly shy as she stared up at him.
'No, I mean do you really love me?'
'You need more convincing?' He gave a wry smile. 'I have made myself vulnerable for the first time in my life, agape mou , and for a very proud Greek man, that should say it all. The fact that I'm prepared to confess my love, knowing that it isn't returned—'
'It is returned. I do love you, Sebastien,' she whispered softly, her blue eyes reflecting everything she felt. 'I've loved you from the moment I realized what sort of man you really are. Strong, dependable, responsible. Everything that my grandfather isn't'
His powerful body tensed and he stared at her intently. 'You don't have to lie to me to make me feel better—'
She shook her head. 'No more lies, ever. From now on, only the truth and the truth is that I love you.'
He caught the words in his mouth and kissed her. Tell me again’ he groaned against her mouth, 'and again—'
'I love you.' Alesia gave a womanly smile and then gasped as his mouth found a sensitive spot at the base of her neck. 'Oh, Sebastien—'
'No other man is ever going to discover just how hot you are,' he vowed, pulling her down next to him and curving her trembling body into his.
'I forgot to add that as well as strong, dependable and responsible, you're also macho, overbearing and impossibly possessive,' she teased, and he gave a smug smile.
'I'm Greek, agape mou. What do you expect?'
‘ I like the fact that you want to protect me. No one has ever done that for me before.'
He tightened his hold on her. 'From now on, nothing will hurt you. And we need never go to the island again. he promised her in thickened tones. 'We can live in cities if that is where you feel more comfortable.
'I don't mind where we live as long as you're there,' she confessed breathlessly, snuggling against him like a contented kitten. 'You make me feel safe. I don't think swimming in the sea will ever be my speciality but I can learn to fly over it as long as you're holding my hand. I love the island, Sebastien. It's the place where I fell in love with you.'
He gave a groan and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. 'We will find the very best counsellors to cure you of your fear of water and I'm never letting you out of my sight again, agape mou’ he vowed huskily. 'From now on you're mine and I always protect what is mine. Anything you want, you have only to ask.'
'Anything?' Her eyes twinkled and he gave an appreciative laugh.
'Now you're making me nervous.' His wickedly sexy eyes gleamed. 'What is it you want? At this point perhaps I ought to warn you that I won't permit the mother of my child to walk around dressed in a miniskirt and three-inch heels.'
'Possessive again’ she teased, but her arms slid round the strong column of his neck and she pressed a kiss into the corner of his mouth. 'Did you mean what you said about my mother living in Greece?'
'Of course. The doctors feel she will recuperate much faster in the sunshine,' he told her. 'As soon as she is well enough to travel we will have her transferred to a private hospital in Athens’
Alesia sighed. 'What it is to have money— '
'You still have to ask me for something for yourself,' he reminded her, a trace of amusement lighting his dark gaze.
'What are you, the genie of the lamp?'
He gave a groan of submission. 'I just want to give you everything’ he confessed and she smiled the smile of a woman who knew she was truly loved.
In that case, can we go back to Greece as soon as possible? I'm in love with Greek food and Greek sunshine.'
'And Greek men?' He dropped a kiss on her parted lips. 'Are you in love with them also?'
‘Just the one Greek man, Mr. Fiorukis,' she replied with a laugh in her ey
es. ‘Just the one.'