by Leslie North
Fixing his eyes on the table, he tried to focus on the food. Dolmas, pita bread, olives, fruit—a good Greek meal. Dammit, he needed to get control of himself.
“Where’s Eva?” he asked.
Alexandra waved a hand. “She’s not hungry. She said she’d see us at dinner. She’s got her sketch pad out and she’s doing portraits of the crew—I think they adore her already.”
Dareios stood and held out Alexandra’s chair to seat her. He poured her a lemonade and ouzo for himself. Staring at her over the top of his glass, he said, “This trip was supposed to be a chance for you to get over your infatuation.”
She rolled her eyes and started to pick fruit from the bowl. “No, it’s supposed to give us a chance to get the attraction between us out of our systems. Although how we can do that with you running away—
“I’m not—”
“And avoiding me.” Alexandra glanced at him and bit into a strawberry. Red juice trickled onto her lower lip and her tongue flickered out to catch it. Dareios couldn’t help but stare, and Alexandra smiled. “I know how I feel when I’m with you. No other man has ever made me feel this way. That means something to me—as in we should have a brief, torrid affair and we can be friends again.”
He sipped his ouzo. The anise liquor went down hot and warm. “What if we can’t be friends? What if it changes everything?”
She shook her head. “I’m not that shallow.”
“Do you think this is going to lead to us getting married and settling down with a houseful of kids? Do you really think I would be a good husband? A man who can’t keep his hands off other women? Don’t you know the reputation my father has? That I have?”
She tipped her head to the side. “Maybe you should be answering the same questions. What do you see when you see me? You’re the one who keeps bringing up marriage—is that what you think must happen between us?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to settle with one woman. The men in my family aren’t—aren’t good at that.”
“But your parents still want grandchildren—don’t they always? Grandbabies for them to spoil. And you need a wife for that. But maybe you want a wife who doesn’t care if you sleep around.”
He threw back his drink and slapped the glass onto the table. “Look, I would love nothing more than to damn the consequences and sleep with you, but I can’t.”
She twirled the end of her braid around one finger. “Why do there have to be consequences? Why can’t we just be two people who are attracted to each other and like each other? Why can’t I be just another girl you romance?”
“Alexandra, you know there are always consequences.”
She shook her head and ate a slice of watermelon. “Not with me. Not from me. All I want is a wild affair. I don’t want a ring. I don’t want promises. And I don’t want Antonio to even have to know about it. This is just between us.”
She bit into another strawberry, and Dareios wanted to lunge across the table and seal his lips over hers. He didn’t want lunch—he wanted her. He wanted to dine on her, and feast on her lips, her breasts—everything. He’d been hard for two days, and masturbating in the shower wasn’t helping—not when he ended up imagining Alexandra’s wet body and how she looked after she came out of the water.
He propped his elbows on the table. “I don’t want you to have any regrets, and I especially don’t want you to end up hating me.”
Alexandra looked into his eyes and leaned forward. She licked her lips. “Why would I ever hate you?”
Reaching across the table, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her to him. He kissed her—hard. She tasted of strawberries and lemonade. She tasted of coconut from her tanning lotion. She tasted of heaven. He let go and sat back in his chair. Red stained her cheeks. He smiled. “There need to be some ground rules here.”
“Ground rules?” The words came out hoarse and stuttered. She nodded and sipped her lemonade.
Dareios nodded. “You will behave yourself in public. We’re not going to give the tabloids photos that Antonio is going to see.”
She frowned, but she nodded. “And after we reach Methoni?”
Dareios smiled. It was about time that Alexandra learned this was not a child’s game. If she wanted a fling, he was going to give her that. But first he was going to use every trick he knew to scare her out of wanting a seduction—it was time she learned what it was like to play with fire.
Chapter Sixteen
Dareios had to talk to his crew that afternoon—to the engineer and the captain about the course change and also there were minor issues still being worked out. The Kairos wasn’t one of the biggest, but it was big enough, and with three decks and six cabins, all with their own full bathrooms, there was much that could go wrong.
It also had enough luxury with two hot tubs two sunning decks, a glass enclosed gym, a swimming pool, a library and an aft deck that opened off the dining room, and then there was the crew’s cabins and the main control deck.
Alexandra decided she could stay on board for months at a time. Since the Kairos had anchored for a couple of hours, Alexandra went for a swim, dragging Eva with her.
Eva had been slightly scandalized when she’d seen Alexandra’s bikini, and she’d warned, “Be careful that doesn’t come off when you dive into the water.”
Alexandra had grinned. “If it does, I’ll make Dareios find it for me.” She stood on the edge of the aft sunning deck, her skin dark from a day spent in the sun, and dove into the water. With a shrug, Eva followed. She’d worn a more sensible one-piece and she was more than happy to play in the water with Alexandra. They spotted dolphins nearby, and swam with schools of fish.
Her skin cool from the water, Alexandra climbed back onto the Kairos and grabbed a towel. Eva climbed up onto the deck, using the ladder, and Alexandra threw another towel to Eva. Shaking the water from her hair, Eva asked, “How can you stand to be seen in so little fabric? You know, it’s a good thing Antonio’s not here.”
Alexandra smiled and waved at her suit, which had stayed on. “Oh, he’s seen this one. He told me if I burned my skin so much that I couldn’t sit down, he wasn’t going to give me any sympathy.” She snapped the skimpy bottom of her bikini. “You could wear something like this.”
Eva rolled her eyes. “You look like a model. I would look too skinny on top and too wide on the bottom. No thanks. I’m going to shower and change before dinner. You coming?”
Alexandra nodded and followed Eva down to their rooms. They had matching suites, and Alexandra was tempted to lounge in the tub, but she slipped into the shower and quickly washed her hair. Once she was dry, she put on a simple, loose dress in dark blue and silver sandals. She was just brushing out her hair when Eva came in.
Flopping down on the bed, Eva propped her chin on her hand. She’d pulled her hair back into a braid and had put on an old T-shirt and cut-off jean shorts that left her looking about ten. “So how are things going with you and Dareios—did he freak out when you mentioned going to Methoni?”
Alexandra shrugged and kept brushing the tangles from her hair. “He’s fine.”
“So he’s not going to put you on a plane back to Athens?” Eva sat up. “I think you should get him drunk and take advantage of him.”
“Eva!” Turning, Alexandra put her hands on her hips. “If I get Dareios into my bed, I want him to know exactly where he is.” She bit her lower lip and sat down on the bed. “But I’m not sure this was a great plan—the way he was looking at me this afternoon…” She trailed off.
Eva scooted closer. “How? Like you were water and he was a man in the desert? Like you were the last ripe cherry in a bowl and he was starving? Like—”
“Enough.” Alexandra smiled and shook her head.
“I’ll bet he plans a romantic dinner for you.”
“Dinner is for all of us,” Alexandra said. But she took the time to put on some eye shadow and silver earrings.
They head
ed up the stairs and into the dining room. Alexandra gave a small gasp and Eva said, her voice low, “I knew it!”
White tapers lit the room in candlelight, pulling glints from the silverware and the silver-edged china. Crystal goblets sparkled. Fresh flowers were difficult to get this far from shore, but an arrangement of shells in the center looked even more beautiful, draped with strands of artificial pearls. Whoever had set the table had left the deep mahogany wood uncovered, and Alexandra liked that informal touch.
Dareios emerged from the galley with a bottle of wine. He’d changed into loose, white trousers and a loose white shirt. With his blue eyes and dark hair and tan skin, he looked exotic—all he needed was a keffiyeh wrapped around his head to look the complete sheik. He also had bare feet—and Alexandra’s mouth watered. Beautiful, narrow bare feet that were a match for his lovely hands.
Alexandra managed to drag her stare away from those bare feet to look him in the eye. “What are we celebrating?”
He put the wine on the table and gave Alexandra a smoldering look from those blue eyes of his. With his dark lashes lowered slightly, he left her thinking of what he must look like in the mornings—or mornings after a hard night in bed. “What—we can't just have a nice dinner?” he asked.
“How about we celebrate friendship…and romance?” Eva suggested, earning a hard stare from her sister and a lifted eyebrow from Dareios. She grinned. “Those two things are best when together, aren’t they?”
“Eva!” Alexandra whispered beneath her breath. Her sister had gone from only slightly obvious to right in your face.
Eva’s grin stayed put. Dareios opened the wine and poured. He gave Eva a glass and a winked, and then he handed a glass to Alexandra. His fingers brushed hers and her pulse jumped. Raising his glass, he offered a toast. “To our good health!”
“Yamas!” Eva said, switching to Greek for the toast. She sipped her wine—a good, Italian Chianti—and then asked, “Dareios, when will we reach Methoni?”
“The day after tomorrow, or so the captain tells me. We’ll dock at Methoni for the day.”
“And when do we get cell service?” Eva asked.
Dareios smiled at her. “Not this far from cell towers. Go see Captain Markos. He has a satellite phone in the pilot house you may use.”
Eva disappeared, and Alexandra turned to Dareios. She lifted her glass to him. “Thank you for not making it a big deal to change course. This has been great for Eva to have a little down time.” She sat in one of the chairs. Dareios sat next to her and started to stroke the back of her hand.
Tingles shot down Alexandra’s spine. Her skin heated. She’d never had Dareios look at her like this—like she was a desirable woman. Wetting her lips, she looked away. “Did you want to stop at Methoni all along?”
“No.” Dareios pulled her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips over her skin. “I like the way you smell.”
Alexandra’s pulse jumped even faster. She almost spilled her wine.
Eva came back into the room, all smiles, and Dareios let go of Alexandra’s hand. She was almost sorry he had—but she was also a little relieved. She wasn’t used to Dareios acting like this with her. Usually, he was just—just Dareios. But now he was giving her heated looks, and touching her, and…and she was a little overwhelmed.
“So, I got hold of the camp and they’re going to…” Eva let the words trail off. She glanced from Alexandra—who could feel her face glowing red—to Dareios, who now seemed more interested in his wine. Eva asked, “Should I come back in a few minutes?”
Dareios shook his head. “Of course not. Food will be here soon.” He looked at Alexandra. “I’m starving.”
Alexandra choked on her wine. Putting it down, she picked up her ice water and sipped it.
Frowning, Eva gave Alexandra a long stare, but then turned to Dareios. “They’re going to meet me at the marina at three tomorrow afternoon. They’ll take care of transporting me and my luggage to the camp.”
“Good. And just in time we have food.”
Two waiters came in with silver trays. They set out a variety of dishes, a mix of Italian and Greek. Linguini with clams, orzo with chicken meatballs, bistecca fiorentina, a tomato and cucumber salad with olives and feta cheese, and fanouropita, a spiced raisin cake, along with gelato, served in frozen glasses that were buried in ice to stay cool. Dareios poured more wine. The sun dipped low in the sky, leaving a streak of gold in the west, while the moon rose, a pale crescent in the east. The waiters came back to clear the table, and Dareios sent his compliments to the chef and asked, “Anyone want coffee?”
Alexandra did, but Eva gave an exaggerated yawn. “I’m for bed.” Getting up, she kissed Dareios on the cheek. “Efkharisto, Dareio.”
Suddenly Dareios looked more the man that Alexandra knew—the guy with the easy smile. The guy who was so easy to be with. The danger dropped from his eyes and he caught Eva’s wrist. “Thank you for what?”
“For taking me to Methoni.” She winked at her sister. “Don’t stay up too late.”
Picking up his wine glass, Dareios stood. He held out his free hand to Alexandra. “Come watch the stars with me.”
Chapter Seventeen
Alexandra put her hand into his—so trusting. So unaware that he intended to show her just what it was to want a bad boy like him. But on the deck, and out from under the awning, the sky caught at him as it always did. The moon hung like the earring of a goddess, a shimmering crescent.
In the deep velvet sky, stars began to pop into existence. Dareios put an arm around Alexandra, his seduction forgotten for a moment.
For this moment, he only wanted to hold her, to keep her close, to share this moment.
Water lapped quietly at the hull of the Kairos, and salt-tinged spray dampened his skin. This was why he loved the water—the sea. Everything seemed so simple, so clear on the water. So uncomplicated. He glanced down at Alexandra.
She was complicated. She stared out at the sea and sky, her wine glass forgotten, seemingly hypnotized by the play of light and wind and waves. He could hear the splash of some aquatic animal—dolphins probably following the yacht.
He knew she wasn’t a virgin—the advantage of being an old family friend meant he knew almost everything about her. But she had not dated all that much. Her college fling with the dreadful Carl—a man he’d been more than glad to help Antonio send on his way—had been a bitter experience for Alexandra.
She’d been cautious with her heart—and her body. And he wondered now if she’d settled on him for this fling because she thought he was safe—good ol’ Dareios. Her brother’s friend. Well, he was not good…or that old…and he was not the sort of man she needed.
No, his Alex needed a nice boy. Someone looking to marry and have children and who would settle down at once and treat her as she deserved. She did not need a man like him—someone incapable of staying with one woman. She needed to learn there was a bad side to wanting to date a bad boy.
Alexandra let out a breath and leaned against him. “It’s beautiful. I love being on the water. Life seems so simple here. So perfect.”
He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss into her hair. “I look up at the stars, and I try to match each one I see with a reasons why you are so beautiful.”
She giggled. “Does that line generally work?”
He pulled back and raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me you didn’t like that? What is wrong with you?”
She wiped the smile from her mouth. “I’m sorry. Please try it again.”
“No, no—the moment is gone. I can’t remember what I said.”
“Something about stars…about me being beautiful?”
“Well, you are.” He shook his head. “Alexandra, you don’t have any idea—”
“About what?” She turned in his arms and leaned her palms against the deck railing. “I’m not an innocent, but you seem to think I’m still twelve.”
“More like sixteen with that body of yours.” He ran h
is hand down her waist and bunched her dress in his fists. “You have no idea what you’re asking for from me with this fling.”
“Yes. Yes, I do.” She stretched up on tiptoe and kissed the corner of his mouth. Swiping her tongue against his lips, she gave a soft moan. He pushed his hands into her hair and held her head, kissing her, delving deep into her mouth. Pulling back, he looked at her. Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to erase the memory of any other man from her mind. He wanted to see her smile—and come apart in his hands.
Pulling her with him, he took her back into the dining room—the night air had taken on a sharper bite. Inside the dining room, it was warmer. The crew had left coffee on a side table and the gelato was slowly melting in their small silver bowls set in ice. Dareios smiled. He turned to Alexandra took her by the waist and lifted her onto the mahogany table.
“What—?”
He put a finger over her lips. “You’re not allowed to question—only to be pleased. Lay back.”
She gave him a sideways look, reluctance and worry darkening her eyes. But she laid back. Her dress pooled around her. Reaching up under it, he pulled her panties down and off her. She gave a small gasp. He grinned, and put his hands over her breasts and squeezed. “Do you like this?”
“Am I allowed to answer?” she asked, her voice breathless and husky.
“Only yes or no—nai or oxi. Now do you like this?” He squeezed her breasts again, and rubbed his thumb over the nipples. Under her bra, the tips of her breasts hardened. He put his mouth onto one breast and tugged at the nipple through the fabric of her dress. She gave a moan. Lifting up, he saw her eyes had closed and her head fell back. “I’m going to take that as a yes.”
“Nai…Nai! Very yes,” she murmured.
Shifting, he ran his fingers up her bare legs. “You do have beautiful legs.” He was hard now. His erection rubbed against the edge of the mahogany table. He pushed into it, welcoming the pressure. Under his touch, Alexandra’s skin felt as smooth as the gelato that was slowly melting. And that gave him an idea. Dipping two of his fingers into the gelato, he painted a line along the inside of her thigh.