
Amourisa Press and Kit Tunstall reserve all rights to Losing Leah. This work may not be shared or reproduced in any fashion without permission of the publisher and/or author. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
© Kit Tunstall, 2010
Published by Amourisa Press at Smashwords.
Numb with grief, Leah Moore sat in front of Nikos Andrakis. His massive desk provided a sizeable barrier between them, but their losses brought them together. "I still can't believe it." Even seeing her father's coffin, with his smiling face displayed on a picture perched atop, hadn't really made it reality yet.
"I share your shock," said Nikos, looking much older than his twenty-eight years.
He had buried his older brother and sister-in-law yesterday. Had circumstances been different, she never would have missed Dmitri and Ione's funeral, but she'd had her father's to plan.
"Have you thought about the future yet?" asked Nikos.
Leah shook her head, pleating the black skirt of her sensible suit. Of her mother's sensible suit, she silently amended. She had found it hanging in Sophie's closet a couple of days ago, likely where her mother had left it two years ago, when she had died. "It's difficult enough to deal with the present."
"You know my brother found Miles invaluable to the Andrakis Company. They were much more than employer and employee. Miles was also his friend."
Leah nodded, wishing her father hadn't been so close to Dmitri. If he hadn't, Miles wouldn't have been on the plane that crashed, taking the only person she had left in the world. It had become Miles's tradition to accompany the Andrakis family on vacations, to deal with any business matters that arose. His loyalty to Dmitri and the Andrakis Corporation had cost him everything.
"I took the liberty of making some inquiries." Nikos shuffled some papers, though he didn't look down at them. His dark eyes remained on her, the solemnity in his expression unable to fully mute the classic perfection of his features. Before the crash, she would have been giddy to have so much of Nikos's undivided attention but today, her heart couldn't muster even a slightly rapid pulse in reaction to his proximity. "How much do you know of your father's finances?"
That was unexpected question. With a shrug, she said, "Not much. It wasn't my business." Her stomach clenched with anxiety. "Why?"
"Your mother's illness was expensive. My brother offered to help, but you know how proud your father is... was."
She nodded tightly, anxiety increasing by the moment.
Nikos offered his first smile of the day---a weak, half-hearted curl of the lips. "It drove Dmitri crazy, but Miles continued to refuse his offers."
"What's the bottom line?" Leah couldn't take not knowing.
"You're penniless. Miles died with everything leveraged, including your family home. He'd borrowed everything possible from his life insurance policy and still owes a substantial amount to creditors."
She blinked, unable to fully process what Nikos said. She understood the words but couldn't yet figure how they affected her. How would life change? She'd already lost her father. It seemed impossible that things could get worse.
"Dmitri would never forgive me if I didn't settle your father's accounts and provide for you."
Instinctively, Leah shook her head. "I can't accept that. Dad wouldn't want me to take charity."
Nikos sighed, leaning back in his chair. He rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. "It wouldn't be charity. I have a business proposition, of sorts, for you to consider."
Leah gazed at him with confusion. What kind of business could she assist with? As a sophomore in college, studying botany, she was hardly qualified to work for the Andrakis Corporation. What did she know of imports and exports? "What possible use could I be?"
"Arianna is lost, as you can imagine."
Leah felt a sharp pang in her chest. "How is she?" How could she have forgotten to ask about Dmitri's daughter? It was thoughtless, and she reproached herself for being so lost in her own grief that she hadn't truly thought about anyone else involved.
"Physically, the doctors expect Arianna to make a full recovery." Nikos grimaced. "I am not so confident about her mental state. She still doesn't seem to grasp her father's death."
"That's understandable." Leah could relate, having been unable to really accept Miles's death as of yet. It had been less than a week, and she knew it would take time---for her and Arianna. "What happens to Arianna now?"
"There is an aging aunt in Greece who would look after her, but Arianna begged me not to send her away. Her life is here in New York, and she knows nothing of our homeland, aside from vacations spent on Trini Island and occasional visits to Greece." Nikos leaned forward, folding his hands together. "I have agreed to keep her here, with me."
Leah nodded. "That is the best solution. She's already lost so much. It wouldn't be fair to make her lose everything else."
"I am pleased you agree." A strange expression lit his face. It sent a shiver down her spine, though she couldn't say why.
"Back to my business proposition," he said briskly. "I want you to marry me."
Leah gasped. "Are you insane?" Nikos proposing marriage was almost as big a bombshell as her father's death.
"Probably," he said with a hint of tiredness. "Yet, I see no other option."
"I don't need you to take care of me, especially not by marrying me." Briefly, she entertained the idea of what she would have said if Nikos had proposed in other circumstances. Considering he barely knew she was alive, it had been improbable that he would have suddenly proposed had their families not died.
"It isn't to take care of you. Well, it is in some ways. You'll be well provided for, and I'll make sure you have a generous settlement when we divorce."
Her eyes narrowed. "I haven't even agreed to marry you, and you're already discussing divorce?"
Nikos sighed. "I'm proposing a temporary arrangement, Leah. I assure you the idea of marrying someone whom I barely know is as strange for me as it is you."
"What do you need me for? If you want a marriage of convenience, for whatever reason, I'm certain you'd have a hundred candidates volunteering within the hour." She forced back a twinge of jealousy she had no right to feel.
"I could find someone else, but that wouldn't help Arianna."
She drew up short at the mention of his niece. "What about Arianna?"
"She needs someone she knows to be here for her. I will be tied up for months trying to step in for Dmitri, to learn his duties and start running a company I never expected to inherit. I want Arianna to have someone with her, someone who loves her as much as I do." He leaned a little closer. "I know you are fond of her."
Leah nodded. Arianna was only five years younger than she was, and they had become friends during the years Miles worked for Dmitri. "I'd be happy to help with Arianna."
He nodded. "Good. I'll see to the arrangements. I think a civil service with a justice of the peace would be most expedient."
Leah put up her hand. "Hold on. I didn't agree to marry you. I see no reason for us to marry just so I can help with Arianna."
The intensity of his almost-black eyes made her squirm as he stared at her. "Arianna lost her mother three years ago when Althea had an aneurysm." At Leah's nod, he continued. "Dmitri loved Arianna, but he was often busy, and when he remarried, there was even less time for Arianna."
"Not to mention, she didn't get along well with Ione," Leah said ruefully. Ione had been Althea's social secretary. After his first wife's death, Dmitri had hired her as his assistant, and he'd married her less than a year later. Ione had been a beautiful young woman, and she'd wanted no competition from her beautiful young stepdaughter, either for Dmitri's attention or anyone else's. Arianna had gone to boarding school within months of the marriage.
"In a sense, everyone Arianna loves has abandoned her."
"I'm not going to leave her until she's recovered."
Nikos shook his head. "She needs more permanence than having you act as a companion could provide. Not to mention, living in my home would destroy your reputation if we aren't married."
Askance, Leah gaped. "Are you serious? It's the twenty-first century. Who cares about such things?"
"I care," he said coldly, making her flinch. "The perception will be that you are my mistress. You will have several new duties, including taking over some of Ione's charitable affairs. In my social circle, you won't receive the full respect due you if others believe you're sleeping with me without marriage."
She winced at the subtle reminder of the differences in their social classes. Leah could easily imagine the disapproval of some of the people Nikos knew. "Why don't you hire a social secretary? My school is forty minutes away. Arianna can move in with me for now, and we can reevaluate when she's physically recovered."
Nikos stood up, coming around the huge desk to sit on it near her, making him far too close for her comfort. "You won't be returning to school," he said bluntly. "Your father left no money for tuition. Your private college is expensive, and they don't participate in federal financial aid programs." At her surprised look, he said, "I have checked."
Leah gulped audibly. "You said you would help me."
"If you help me. I require you to be my wife for three years. Once Arianna is off to college, we will quietly divorce and go our separate ways. You can return to your schooling, or travel the world. Whatever you choose to do with the money I'm offering is up to you."
Leah's mind whirled with confusion. Nikos proposed a preposterous plan, but she could understand his reasons. Arianna needed to come first right now, and he was honest enough to acknowledge he couldn't fully help his niece. She admired that Nikos hadn't simply sent the girl to Greece, or hired a nanny to watch the fifteen-year-old, and gone about his business.
After a long moment, Leah nodded. "Okay."
"Okay, what?"
"Let's get married," she said with a forced smile. She had never let herself fantasize about any sort of relationship with Nikos, yet here she was, about to become Kyria Nikos Andrakis. It was surreal, to say the least.
Nikos looked up from his laptop when Arianna and Leah giggled loudly. Again. How could a man get any work done with those two carrying on? He was about to chastise them when their conversation caught his attention.
"...has an excellent pre-med program, but they're in Virginia. Maybe I should go to university somewhere around New York City. William & Mary is so far away."
"You'll be fine, if that's where you decide to go," said Leah. "Selfishly, I'd rather have you in New York, but you have to do what is best for you."
"NYU has a good pre-med program too." Arianna nibbled on her lower lip, clearly undecided. "Are you going to NYU in the fall?"
Nikos strove not to appear like he was listening intently for Leah's answer. "I'm not sure. I can return to Adamsville and complete my degree in botany, or I can go to another school. I'm considering a couple of universities around New York." Leah shrugged. "My decision depends on your decision."
"Would you be happy at Adamsville?" asked Arianna. "You said it was an all girls' school, full of girls you'll have nothing in common with anymore."
"Which is why I'm thinking about other options," said Leah, ruffling Arianna's glossy black hair.
"Quit," said the girl, a hint of whining in her voice. "You know I hate when you do that."
Nikos allowed his attention to return to his laptop, letting their conversation fade into the background. The words on the screen blurred, and he realized he couldn't concentrate. He'd hoped to finish this project before they landed on the island, so he could fully enjoy his vacation, but the girls had distracted him.
Nikos closed his laptop and turned to stare out the window of the Andrakis jet. In truth, the girls hadn't distracted him. Leah had. Leah, who was most definitely not a girl. Her figure had filled out with pleasing softness, giving her womanly curves that tempted his hands. Her sophisticated hairstyle invited mussing, and he could easily imagine doing so by taking her to his bed. He would run his fingers through the golden-brown strands until the hair framed her heart-shaped face on his pillow. Her emerald green eyes would darken with passion just before he pressed his mouth to hers to taste those sinfully full lips.
He groaned softly, doing his best to wipe the images from his mind. It would never happen. Leah would never be in his bed, because his wife treated him with friendly distance and nothing else.
His wife.
He brooded about the word, finding it maddening. Leah was his wife, in name only, but he had been questioning the wisdom of a celibate union for months now. He could pinpoint the exact night when he'd suddenly realized his wife was an attractive, desirable woman, and he desired her. They had been at a party for some charity function, and she'd worn a stunning red dress. The silk hugged her curves, making him notice just how much she had changed in the three years they'd been married. Leah had gone from an unsophisticated college girl to a polished, poised woman. His woman.
Except she wasn't his woman. Their marriage ended in three months, at the end of summer. Arianna would head off to university, and they would go their separate ways. It had been his idea, after all. They'd even signed a contract, to make it all official. What a fool he'd been.
Leah was preparing to move on. He'd known for a while now, having seen her various college catalogs. He'd seen her checking property in different Burroughs, and had even watched over her shoulder one night as she surfed furniture websites, adding different things to her wish list. She clearly had no doubts about ending their union. For her, the business deal was coming to a close. She had fulfilled her part, and he had to do the same.
Nikos groaned softly, resisting the idea of letting her go. He never went back on his word, but the idea of letting Leah walk out of his life pained him. She was his wife. He'd finally figured out what he wanted from her, just in time for her to become his ex-wife.
No. He refused to allow it. Nikos wanted Leah. He wanted the wedding night he'd deprived them of, along with three years' worth of lost nights. Somehow, he had to find a way to make Leah want to stay.
This was the first summer anyone from Nikos's family had spent on the island since the jet crashed three years ago. It had been even longer since Leah had set foot on the soft, white sand, but it was Arianna she worried about. The girl had been calmer than either she or Nikos had expected on the flight to the island. The last time she'd flown that route, the plane had crashed, leaving her the sole survivor.
Leah feared the trip, and being on the island, would bring back too many memories that might overwhelm Arianna, so she'd been deliberately keeping the girl's attention focused elsewhere. The conversation had mostly revolved around college, because Arianna was so excited to be going. She was excited for Arianna, and happy knowing her friend had become a confident young woman, but it hurt a little knowing she was no longer needed. She was too young to be Arianna's mother, but she felt maternal toward the girl, having filled the role for the past three years.
At least Arianna not needing her meant the sham marriage to Nikos was coming to an end. Finally, she could get on with her life and build a new one. She'd find a man to hold her at night and warm her empty bed. There would be babies of her own, which lessened the sting of Arianna growing up. Ignoring the small voice in the back of her head whispering a suggestion for the as-yet-unknown man, she stood close to Arianna, putting her arm around the other girl's waist. Arianna's height made it impossible for her to sling an arm around her neck as she'd used to do. "Are you okay?"
Arianna nodded, though there were traces of sadness on her face. "I'd forgotten how beautiful the island is."
"Me too." A collection of elegant, ancient buildings lined the hills of the island, leading up to the summit, where one villa stood alone---the Andrakis home. Together, they walked across the sand from the landing strip, toward the waiting car. The villa was a couple of miles away, but visible even from this distance. Up-close, it was even more magnificent, with pale walls and a red tiled roof. The grounds were immaculate, and Leah couldn't wait to explore the landscaping. She yearned for the feel of soil between her fingers and hoped Nikos wouldn't make a fuss about it. When she'd asked about making a small garden at his New York home, he'd icily pointed out she had many duties to keep her busy, leaving no time for gardening. She had contented herself with a few indoor houseplants in her room.
Arianna slid in first, and Leah went next. She made a sound of surprise when Nikos sat down beside her, instead of taking the seat across from them. When he made no move to transfer, she scooted closer to Arianna, annoyed when he followed. She gritted her teeth, determined not to make an issue of it. The ride would be over quickly.
The black car whisked them up the winding hill to the villa. Arianna had rolled down her window, and the scent of tropical flowers made Leah's nostrils flare. She breathed deeply, with anticipation. As she did so, the clean, male scent of Nikos teased her nose. She swallowed thickly, deliberately turning her head away from him, to lean closer to the open window. The change of position angled her bottom closer to Nikos, and she recoiled as though his touch had burned. In a way, it had. It burned her to have him so close, infringing upon her space.
Liar, whispered that annoying voice, which she quickly quashed.
"Would you like to hang your head out the window? Perhaps let the breeze flap your tongue?" teased Nikos.
She shot him a glare and refocused on the land as they pulled up the driveway, parking in front of the villa. Nikos was the first out, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The relief was short-lived, because he paused, reaching in to offer her a hand out as the driver came around to let out Arianna. "I can manage," she said through gritted teeth as she put her legs out.
"It's no trouble." He overrode her objection by grasping her hand and giving her a gentle tug. Her momentum shifted, sending her sprawling forward, straight into Nikos's arms.
"A simple thank you would have sufficed." His lips twitched, but he didn't smile. She'd like to think her hot glower influenced his decision.
She jerked upright, straightened her spine, and stepped away from him. "Thank you for making me stumble," she said as coldly as she could manage and turned away from him. To her annoyance, he laughed softly behind her.
To her surprise, Irina came bustling out of the villa. The housekeeper had to be over sixty by now, but she was still at her post. In a shower of Greek, Irina swept Arianna into a big hug, her larger girth swallowing up the other's smaller frame. After a moment, Arianna fought her way free, and Irina moved on to Nikos. Leah couldn't hide her pleasure at the way the older woman engulfed the man in one of her massive hugs. When she released him, she patted his face and spoke lovingly in Greek.
Leah walked by them, surprised when Irina touched her arm. She turned to smile at the older woman and found herself wrapped in her arms. She knew Irina from other visits, but it had been years, and she'd never been greeted with a hug before.
"Ah, Kyria Andrakis, welcome. The last time I saw you, you were younger than Miss Arianna."
Leah shook her head as best she could with Irina's hands framing her face. "I think I was seventeen." It had been the summer before Arianna's mother died, the year she'd developed a huge crush on Nikos. Thank goodness she was over that.
"You have become a beautiful woman, Kyria Andrakis. I can see why Mr. Nikos married you."
Leah flushed, deliberately not looking at Nikos. "Please call me Leah."
Irina nodded, clearly not one to adhere to rigid standards of conduct. "Come, Kyria Leah, and Miss Arianna," she threaded her arms through theirs, practically marching the women up the marble stairs and into the house, with Nikos trailing behind.
The interior was more luxurious than she'd remembered, complete with a marble mosaic of one the saints on the foyer floor. It seemed disrespectful to walk on it, and she wasn't even religious. The others trod over the saint without a glance downward, so she did the same. More marble stairs, carpeted with a maroon runner, led them to the next floor, where Irina released Arianna in front of her room. She didn't wait for the girl to enter as she hurried Leah on. "You will love the master suite, Kyria Leah. It is heaven."
Leah nodded, not really paying attention. She was too busy trying to keep up with the powerhouse old woman. When they entered the master suite, she didn't give it much thought. At Nikos's home in New York, they shared the master suite, though with separate bedrooms and bathrooms. If the staff there thought it was odd, they'd known better than to express the opinion.
"Heaven," repeated Irina with a sigh. "This is the perfect place to make a baby, Kyria Leah. Miss Arianna and Mr. Nikos were both conceived here."
Leah choked, somehow managing a nod. She voiced words of appreciation to Irina as the other woman left her after one last hug. It was then she noticed Nikos was also in the room. She'd hoped he'd gone straight to the study, or anywhere else. Being in a bedroom with him, alone, was awkward.
She turned toward the doors, opening the first to reveal a dressing room with another door. "Is my room through here?"
Nikos shrugged. "It can be yours if you'd like."
Leah frowned at the odd comment and walked through the dressing room to open the other door. She opened it and stepped into the other room, startled to find a nursery. An antique crib, armoire, and chair took up most of one wall. There were toys lined neatly on shelves, obviously dusted regularly. To her relief, she spotted a single bed against another wall---probably for a nanny. It wasn't the luxurious king-size bed she was used to, but she'd make do. She would have made do with the crib in order to avoid sharing a room with Nikos.
To her surprise, he followed. "Will this room suit you?"
She shrugged. "It's fine." Feeling lost, reluctant to meet his eyes, Leah fussed with the button of her linen jacket. "Though it is lacking in closet space."
Nikos nodded, leaning against the doorjamb as though he planned to stay there all day. "There's plenty of room in my closet."
"Thanks." An awkward silence fell, and she searched for something to say. "What are---?"
"Dinner is---" said Nikos simultaneously. "What were you saying?"
"I was going to ask if you knew Arianna's plans for the summer?"
He shrugged. "I imagine she'll spend much of her time on the beach. There are several young people living in the area, and she will likely want to renew her friendships with them."
"Ah."
Nikos straightened, walking toward her. He seemed to loom over her even more than usual. He was several inches taller, but she didn't usually feel uncomfortable when he stood so close---not that he'd stood this close to her in a long time. "And what are your plans, Leah?"
She swallowed audibly when he brushed his hand against her cheek as he pushed a strand of hair back in place. "Nothing." Her voice emerged a husky croak.
Nikos lifted a brow. "Nothing? Will you be staying in bed all day? How unproductive, but fun." He winked.
She suppressed the overwhelming urge to blush. "Of course not. I'll find something to amuse myself. I always do." Leah schooled her expression into neutrality, taking a step back from her husband. "I think I will take a nap though." She glanced pointedly at the door.
With a crook of his lips, Nikos turned and sauntered away, pausing once more at the door to glance back. "If you decide that bed is too small, you are welcome to mine."
She didn't reply, but knew he was aware of the double entendre in his words by his rich chuckle and the gleam in his eyes as he left. Leah waited until she heard the outer door of his room close, ensuring he had left the suite, before relaxing her stiff posture. She was tired, but wondered if she would be able to sleep with the thoughts whirling through her mind. What was Nikos up to? He never acted like that. Why had he suddenly started treating her with intimate familiarity, when he had made it very clear he wanted nothing physical from her so long ago?
Despite her confusion, Leah had managed to sleep. When she woke, a glance out the window revealed the sun was about to set, meaning it would soon be dinnertime. She stretched, wincing at the kink in her neck. The bed certainly left much to be desired, but she wouldn't be borrowing Nikos's anytime soon.
Never, she silently amended as she slipped from the bed and straightened her slept-in clothes, going in search of the lavatory. The other door from the main bedroom opened to reveal an opulent bathroom, and she sighed with delight at the sunken marble tub, complete with whirlpool jets.
She shed her wrinkled travel clothes, leaving them in a heap near the tub. The water rushed from the crystal faucet with a small nudge, filling the whirlpool much faster than she'd have expected. Leah stepped into the tub, going down the marble steps until she was waist-deep in the warm water. Settling onto the built-in bench, she turned on the jets using the control panel and lay back, resting her head on the padded ledge.
When Leah glanced up, her lips quirked at the sight of a fresco of cavorting, bare-bottomed cherubs on the ceiling. Someone had obviously attempted to give the room a romantic feel, evidenced from the tub clearly meant for two to the tiny votives in crystal holders scattered all around the room. However, any romantic vibe came to a screeching halt with the cherubs. How could anyone feel sexy with a group of chubby little angels staring down at them? She giggled at the thought, relieved to see the tacky cherubs. They would preclude any sort of romantic interludes.
Not that she and Nikos would have indulged in any such thing. A frown turned down the corners of her mouth when she imagined her husband in the tub with another woman. Scowling, Leah let out the water and stood up, wrapping herself in a plush towel the color of ripe plums.
At the mirror, she met her own gaze briefly before looking away, disconcerted by her expression. She wasn't jealous, of course. Her relationship with Nikos allowed no room for such emotions. Her negative reaction to the idea of Nikos having sex with another woman in the bathtub was simply due to the possibility Arianna might find out. The girl knew Leah was returning to college when she went off to university, but Arianna had no idea she and Nikos were divorcing. It would be a terrible way for her to discover the true state of their marriage.
This time, she avoided looking at herself to keep from seeing any trace of artifice in her expression. It would be impossible to make herself believe the assertion if she admitted to lying to herself.
A few moments later, Leah left the bathroom, still in the towel. She walked to the last door, finding a huge walk-in closet. Someone, presumably Irina, had unpacked her clothes. A quick search revealed her underwear in one of the drawers built into the closet. Her stomach churned in reaction to the sight of her underwear nestled snugly alongside Nikos's.
Giving in to a compulsion she couldn't ignore, Leah reached out a shaking hand to lift a pair of his briefs. The silky black material was cool against her fingers, though she could imagine how hot it would be with his skin underneath. She had no trouble picturing him wearing nothing but the briefs... and then nothing.
With a growl of annoyance, she dropped the underwear, snatched up a pair of her panties, and slammed shut the drawer. Whatever was wrong with her had to stop now. It had taken much too long for her to become immune to Nikos's presence for her to risk destroying that immunity by indulging in carnal thoughts about him.
Frustration. That's all it was. She was physically frustrated, and so close to the end of their marriage of convenience that her body was stirring to life. Leah would finally have a chance to pursue a sexual relationship in just a few months, and she could no longer fully suppress her natural urges. It had been to her detriment to experience desire while married to Nikos, so she had shut off that part of her, ruthlessly squashing any sexual sparks that cropped up. The vacation and change of scenery must be the cause of her temporary insanity. The last thing she wanted was to feel attracted to Nikos again, when she was so close to being free.
Leah slipped out of the towel, draped it on a hook, and slipped on the white panties she'd grabbed randomly from the drawer. They were demure and comfortable, though not at all sexy. That suited her just fine.
In just her underwear, Leah sorted through her clothes, finally selecting a yellow dress that bared her arms and back. The sun was gone, but it would still be hot, especially if they ate outside, as had been the custom the last time she visited the island.
To her horror, as she took the dress from its hanger, she heard the main door open. Leah scrambled to slip on the dress, trying to cover her nakedness before Nikos saw her. Somehow, she managed to wriggle into it, thankful the dress had built-in support that disguised her lack of a bra.
She was flushed and flustered when Nikos stopped at the entry to the closet, leaning in slightly. He seemed to know she had been practically naked just a millisecond ago, and his eyes lingered on her breasts for a moment before his gaze rose to meet hers.
"Are you ready to dine?" His tone was bland, but his eyes sparkled with amusement.
Leah nodded. "Of course." She turned from him to select a pair of golden sandals from the small selection she'd packed, sliding them onto her feet as fast as possible. She could practically feel the heat of his gaze caressing her buttocks as she knelt to adjust the straps.
When she turned around, there was no hint that he'd been ogling her, but she couldn't help ogling him. He'd stripped off his shirt and was reaching for another. There was nothing overtly sexual about him being in khaki slacks, bare from the waist up for a moment before he slid on a polo shirt, but it sent all kinds of naughty thoughts skittering through her brain.
Clearing her throat, Leah tore her gaze from the rippling muscles of his tanned torso, sidling past him. "Excuse me," she said breathily as her body touched his. She didn't wait for a response as she fled from the closet and the master suite, anxious to put space between them so she could regain control and marshal her errant thoughts.
By the time she'd traversed the marble staircase and made her way to the salon, Leah had returned to her cool, collected self. If she hadn't, she could at least give the appearance of being collected. Arianna sat on a white velvet couch, casually clad in capris and a modest halter top. That meant there would be no guests tonight, to her relief. Leah wasn't up to putting on the usual married act required when she and Nikos socialized.
She'd barely sat down on the couch when Nikos appeared. He looked at ease in his casual outfit, not like the CEO of an international corporation that made him one of the richest men in the world. He seemed approachable, which made her stomach knot with tension. She preferred Nikos be remote, distracted, and buried in his work. It was disconcerting to see him so relaxed, and she was glad this would be her last vacation with him.
Irina appeared in the doorway. "Dinner is served."
Leah jumped to her feet as though propelled by a spring, hurrying forward. She was desperate to escape the salon, where Nikos seemed to consume all the oxygen and take up all the space. Being on the patio would temper his larger-than-life presence that was so distressing to her this evening.
She forced herself to fall into step with Nikos and Arianna instead of racing ahead. Leah's head swam for a moment when Nikos placed a warm hand on her bare back. It was nothing more than a courteous gesture, but his fingers scorched her skin, making her shift with discomfort, though she didn't break contact. It wouldn't be polite to act like she couldn't stand him to touch her at all. Choosing not to step away had nothing to do with liking his touch entirely too much.
It was a relief to break free of his hand to settle into the chair he assisted her into before doing the same for Arianna. She was reading too much into Nikos's behavior. He was mostly freed from the burden of work for the first time since they'd married, and it was only natural that he would be more open and friendly. It meant nothing. She meant nothing to him, she ruthlessly reminded herself. There was no doubt about that, despite his perplexing behavior today.
Arianna chattered away as they dined on olives and aubergine marinated in olive oil, followed by fish in a yogurt-mint sauce, perfectly grilled vegetables, and a plate of cheese and figs to round out the meal. She was able to contribute to the conversation on autopilot while her brain continuously scolded her about allowing any emotion except remote politeness in regards to Nikos.
When they returned to the salon for more conversation and thick Greek coffee served in demitasse cups, she was less bothered by Nikos's proximity, despite him sitting just a few feet away. Instead, she focused on Arianna, discussing the girl's plans for her vacation, which were basically as Nikos had told her earlier.
When she caught Arianna smothering a yawn behind her hand, Leah stretched slightly. "Would anyone mind if we cut the evening short? I am exhausted." Her nap had given her a fresh burst of energy, but she didn't want to embarrass Arianna by suggesting it was bedtime for the younger girl.
Arianna nodded. "I could use an early night."
Her stomach dropped when Nikos said, "So could I." To her relief, he didn't place a hand on her back this time as they walked up the stairs close together. Her stomach knotted with apprehension as they bid goodnight to Arianna and continued on to the master suite. Despite her mental reassurances that Nikos's actions meant nothing, she couldn't help worrying that they did. Was he as physically frustrated as she was? Did Leah present a convenient body for him to use over the summer? She doubted it. Nikos had never been blatant about having other women, but she knew he must have during their marriage. They hadn't discussed it, but she had instinctively known he wouldn't remain celibate for three years---just as she had instinctively known his Greek pride would insist that she did.
She held her breath as they entered the suite, pausing uncertainly near the door to the nursery. "Good night," she said with a hint of chill in her tone, prepared to rebuff any advances he might make.
"Good night, Leah." His voice betrayed nothing as he walked past her to the bathroom.
She closed the door with more force than necessary, not certain why she was annoyed. She should have been overjoyed that he had been so disinterested in her that he had practically looked right through her on his way to perform his nightly ablutions. She certainly shouldn't be gnashing her teeth with anger that he had suddenly become so distant again. The last thing she wanted was the complication of sex when they were so close to the end of their marriage.
Right?
It had taken Nikos a considerable amount of time to fall asleep, and he was briefly confused upon waking just a short time after finally dropping off. Something had awakened him, though he didn't know what. A furtive scraping sound made him tense, and his heart hammered in his chest as he speculated that Leah was creeping through the darkened room, making her way to his bed to take him up on the invitation to share.
The appearance of a dim light in the closet dashed those hopes. He started to slide from the bed but hesitated. Leah was moving quietly, so she clearly didn't want him to wake up. Was she being polite, or was she trying to hide something?
He lay in the bed, his eyes opened to slits, as he waited for her to leave the closet. A couple of minutes passed before the light went out, and the door opened a second later. In the moonlight shining through the balcony's French doors, he saw Leah tiptoe across the room. A shaft of light illuminated her briefly, revealing she wore a white one-piece swimsuit. His lower body tightened, and he clenched his hands into fists to keep from reaching out for her as she crept by him.
The well-oiled door opened soundlessly and closed with a small click as she left the bedroom. Her actions seemed innocent, but he wanted to confirm her intentions of a late-night swim, alone; or so he told himself as he got out of bed and walked to the balcony. He wasn't spying on her, and he certainly wasn't watching her without her knowledge, like some creepy stalker.
Nikos peeked out the glass door, glad his room offered a strategic overlook of the swimming pool. Within moments, she appeared, diving into the pool with innate grace. He watched her for a moment longer before forcing himself to step away from the window. It didn't sit well with him to observe her when she didn't know his gaze was on her. As much as he could have drunk in the sight of her swimsuit-clad body slicing through the water all night, he wouldn't. He was also compelled to join her in her midnight swim but doubted she would give him a friendly reception.
Nikos had quite a bit of work ahead of him before he could expect Leah to accept him as her lover. After the way he'd reacted on their wedding night, he couldn't blame her for wanting to maintain her distance. However, he couldn't allow her to keep up the walls erected between them. He wasn't afraid of a challenge and was confident that he could soon overcome her resistance. Surely, she must still felt at least a spark of desire for him? All he had to do was find a way to ignite it into a blaze that consumed them both.
Leah awoke with a slight headache, likely caused by the unaccustomed heat and the lack of sound sleep. The nighttime swim had relaxed her body, but her mind had refused to shut down until the wee hours of the morning. It had been a struggle to get up when Irina brought in a breakfast tray, clicking her tongue with disapproval at finding Leah in the nursery, not the master's bed.
Just minutes after finishing her breakfast, Arianna knocked and entered. Leah had just come out of the bathroom and was relieved not to have to explain why she'd been sleeping in the nursery. Arianna was eager to hit the beach and wade into the sparkling Aegean Sea.
"I'll be down in a few minutes," said Leah. "Once I change." She glanced ruefully down at the modest pink nightgown. "I don't think this is suitable for the beach, do you?"
With a giggle, Arianna left the bedroom and she hurried into another one-piece. This was a black suit with spaghetti straps and a hint of cleavage, cut in a style that exposed most of her back. A multicolored sarong finished the look. She slipped her feet into flip-flops and grabbed a sunhat, sunglasses, and a novel before leaving the room for the beach.
Arianna had already staked out a spot. This stretch of beach was accessible only by the Andrakis villa, along with the two closest neighbors, so she'd had her choice of locations. The younger girl lay on a blanket on the light golden sand, wearing a bikini Leah wouldn't have the nerve to wear even at her age, let alone when she'd been eighteen.
As she sat beside Arianna, the other girl stretched and sat up. "Could you do my back?"She passed over a tube of suntan oil.
Leah dispensed a handful of the slick oil and coated Arianna's back. The girl finished applying the oil to her legs as Leah got settled, prepared to spend the next couple of hours reading her book before she even contemplated dipping her toes into the ocean. Time to read was a rare commodity.
The sun was so bright that it prevented her from easily seeing the words. After a few pages, she gave up the attempt and lay on her stomach, watching Arianna charge fearlessly into the lapping waves. Had she ever been so young and lighthearted? It seemed impossible to think she had. The death of her mother had ended her adolescences, and the convenient marriage to Nikos had forced her to finish growing up quickly. His social circle was full of sharks, and she'd had to learn how to navigate among them in a hurry, to avoid leaving blood in the water, so to speak.
She grinned at the analogy, having no trouble imagining several of Nikos's associates and friends as predatory sea creatures out to devour those who were weaker. It was an apt description, and her grin faded when her amusement turned to melancholy. She'd lost so much during the last three years, including the typical college experience, dating, sex, and independence.
When Arianna waved from the water, Leah lifted a hand to wave in return. She'd also gained a lot. Arianna had come through the worst time of her life with only a few emotional scars. Leah knew the other girl would have been very different if left to her own devices or banished to Greece after her father's death. Leah had also traveled more places than she could have ever afforded on a botanist's salary, had learned about art and culture firsthand, and had made a difference in at least a few lives with her charity work.
Sex was a small tradeoff for all the positive things she'd gained. So why did her thoughts keep returning to the carnal the past few days? Was it because she was so close to being free, or maybe it was Nikos's sudden, and alarming, approachability? Regardless of the cause, she renewed her determination to stop thinking such thoughts and to avoid being alone with Nikos as much as possible in order to avoid temptation.
The hot sun beat down on her back, so bright she was still squinting. Leah folded her arms and laid down her head, letting her thoughts drift as she relaxed.
She jerked awake sometime later. Before she had time to process where she was, or that she'd fallen asleep on the beach, warm oil trickled over her back. Still drowsy, her eyes were half-mast as Arianna rubbed suntan oil on her back. "Thanks," she said sleepily.
"You're welcome," Nikos purred. "I wouldn't want you to burn."
Leah stiffened, unsure how to react. It seemed truculent to pull away and sit up, but his hands were provoking all kinds of disturbing sensations. "You should stop." Was that throaty rasp really her voice?
He made a non-committal sound as he continued stroking her back. She knew she should make a greater attempt to protest, but his touch felt so good. Leah barely stifled a moan as he trailed his fingers up her spine.
"You're so tight." Nikos probed her shoulders and neck with his fingers. "Are you stressed about something, Leah?" he whispered in a husky voice.
"Slept wrong." Somehow, she pushed the words through gritted teeth, determined not to betray a reaction as Nikos drizzled more of the sun-warmed oil on her upper back and shoulders. A breeze carried the coconut scent of the oil to her nose, where it mingled with the tangy salt air and Nikos's uniquely male aroma. Leah inhaled deeply, savoring the combination.
"You know how to avoid that problem."
She ignored his words, clenching her hands into fists to stifle any signs of pleasure from his massage. Despite her best intentions, a whimper escaped when he worked at the kinked spot in her neck.
"Does it hurt?" asked Nikos, sounding concerned. His hands stopped moving.
She shifted restlessly, eager for his hands to continue exploring her skin under the guise of a rubdown. "No. It felt really good."
He resumed the massage, working at the knot until her muscles were loose, and her body was languid. Her eyes had drifted closed, but they popped open with surprise when his hands moved to her front. During the process of rubbing her shoulders, he had slipped the spaghetti straps down her arms, and now she realized his fingers were gradually moving lower. He was inches away from breaching the neckline of her suit. Her nipples tightened at the thought of his hands cupping her breasts, the slick digits gliding over her soft mounds.
Frozen with indecision, Leah held her breath, not sure if she wanted his hands to go lower, or if she wanted him to stop. If she didn't do something soon, he would take the decision from her. Was that what she wanted?
Conflicted, she remained silent as his touch became increasing light and sensual, stroking across her slippery skin. It was a relief, but also frustrating, when Arianna came running back from where she'd been chatting with a boy on the beach, plopping down on the towel beside them.
Immediately, Nikos withdrew his hands. His casual posture revealed no trace of tension, and she wondered if he was frustrated at the interruption. If so, he didn't betray it, she thought sourly.
Sitting up, Leah took off her hat to run fingers through her tangled hair. From the corner of her eye, she watched Nikos, waiting for a reaction when she arched her back to better display her cleavage. His gaze didn't even flicker to her as he spoke with Arianna.
"Loukas invited me into town with some of the others, so I thought I'd do that?" Arianna worded it confidently but was still subtly seeking Nikos's approval.
Nikos grinned. "Are you sure you want to miss a stuffy party with us old people in favor of getting together with your friends?"
The younger girl rolled her eyes. "It sounds so fun, Theo Nikos, but I think I will force myself to go out with Loukas and his friends instead of attending your party."
Leah frowned. "What party?"
"Caesar Kakos has invited us to a dinner party this evening."
Leah smothered a groan, knowing she could offer no good reason why they shouldn't go. They had no other plans, and if Arianna was going to be gone, she really didn't want to be alone in the house with Nikos. Her reluctance to engage with his friends paled in comparison to resisting his---and her own---urges.
She chose a dress that draped artfully in front to conceal more than it revealed, despite giving the opposite impression. The sheath curved around, baring her to mid-back, and fell to the middle of her calves in a whisper of silk. The blue-gray shade reminded her of the Hudson on a stormy day, making her a little homesick.
To avoid another half-dressed encounter with Nikos, she'd brought the clothes into the nursery. Her legs had acquired a nice tan earlier, so she skipped pantyhose. As Leah slipped on silver heels, she sorted through the small jewelry box she'd brought on the trip, looking for a pair of earrings Nikos had given her on their first anniversary. She knew Arianna had been behind the purchase, because the girl had felt terrible when she let that slip, but they were still her favorite pair. A light silver wrap of some diaphanous material and her evening bag completed the look. She had no further excuse to dally.
With a sigh, Leah left the nursery, not surprised to find Nikos waiting for her in the bedroom. The summer weight evening suit caressed his body the way her fingers itched to, and she clenched her hand around the purse in her hand. She couldn't deny his attractiveness. She'd never been able to get over that, despite successfully eliminating any other inappropriate feelings for her husband.
He arched a brow as his gaze thoroughly examined her from head to toe. "Beautiful."
She managed a small smile. "I'm ready if you are."
Nikos nodded, but didn't move for another long second. "Our anniversary."
Her eyes widened. "That was months ago."
He shook his head as he came to her, taking her arm in what could have been a polite gesture, if he hadn't pulled her so close against him. "I'm talking about the earrings. I gave them to you on our first anniversary."
Leah blinked. "You remember that?"
He grinned, looking sheepish. "I remember how embarrassed I was when Arianna accidentally told you she'd selected the earrings."
They left the room, heading down the stairs to the car waiting outside. "I had already figured out the gift was her idea."
He waited for her to slide into the limousine before joining her. "Why?"
It took a considerable amount of self-control to speak in a careless, offhanded way. "Why would we celebrate milestones in a fake marriage?"
Nikos grimaced but didn't reply as the car drove away from the villa. The silence should have been welcome, but it was awkward and uncomfortable. They had often sat in companionable silence, usually engaged in their own activities, but there was nothing easygoing about this quiet interlude. As much as she wished to avoid the evening's party, it was a relief to arrive at the Kakos villa a few moments later.
Leah admired the landscaping as they exited the car. The home was also lovely, but it couldn't compare to the beauty of their villa.
She drew up short at the thought, mentally reminding herself the Andrakis villa wasn't hers. Nothing of the Andrakis Empire belonged to her. It was foolish to allow the villa, or even the penthouse apartment where she'd resided with Nikos for the past three years, to feel like home. After the marriage dissolved, she would find a place that felt like home. Only a few more months of limbo---which should have made her feel relieved but didn't.
Warm lights lent a welcoming glow to the home as they walked up the stairs to the entrance. Leah stiffened when Nikos suddenly took her hand. Acting on instinct, she tried to tug it away, but he tightened his grip almost imperceptibly. The strength he exerted wasn't enough to hold her, but it would necessitate causing a scene to wrench her hand free. She glared at him, resentful that he'd maneuvered her into that position. Their usual performance involved walking together, but they had a tacit agreement to avoid touching as much as possible.
A milieu of people filled the home's large salon, and Leah caught sight of wait staff circulating among the guests. Their crisp white uniforms were a stark contrast to the glittering finery of the guests. She had a rudimentary knowledge of designers but couldn't identify one in particular. It was another oddity that set her apart from the women in Nikos's social circles.
Within moments, they had integrated into the party, with Leah somehow maintaining the façade of a happily married woman enjoying a night of sophisticated company. Her book offered more entertainment, and she thought longingly of curling up in the huge tub with the paperback as the sister of their host spoke incessantly about the new wardrobe she was commissioning. Somewhere between hearing about every detail of importing the correct fabrics to arranging to bring the designer directly to Trini Island, Leah managed to finish a glass of champagne and slowly slip away from the small group of vapid women surrounding Hestia Kakos.
Leah made her way to an alcove to survey the partygoers, willing to admit only to herself that she was searching for Nikos. Some of the men in the room shared his height or had similar hairstyles or frames, but only Nikos made her heart stutter when her gaze found him. His back was to her, but she knew it was him.
Her heart skipped another beat when she saw his companion. Heat suffused her face, and she leaned against the wall for support. The last time she'd seen Maia Papadas, the other woman hadn't worn a sexy black tube dress. She hadn't worn anything.
During her last trip to the island, when she had half-convinced herself she was in love with Nikos, despite his lack of awareness about her existence, she had spent a lot of time moping in the gardens surrounding the villa. One afternoon, she'd been wandering the paths, looking for a place to sit and pour out the adolescent whining of her heart into the journal she had clutched in her hands, when she'd heard passionate moaning.
Feeling a thrill of curiosity that overwhelmed the voice of caution, she had stopped and sought out the source of the sounds. Peeking through a thick growth of short chaste trees, she had seen two bodies entwined in a passionate embrace. Nikos had lain on his back, his hands cupping Maia's breasts as she rode him.
Devastated, Leah had fled from the scene and locked herself in the room she'd been assigned for the vacation. For the rest of the trip, she hadn't set foot in the garden, and she hadn't spoken to Nikos. He clearly hadn't noticed, but it had made her ill to look at him.
With the perspective of some maturity, she had realized his actions were normal and healthy, and that he hadn't betrayed her. Leah had once again been able to interact with Nikos on the few occasions they were thrown together.
Having thought she was over the trauma of the scene, it was an unpleasant shock to be reacting so strongly to the sight of her husband just talking to his former lover.
Or maybe she wasn't his former anything? Perhaps they had continued their relationship. She knew very little about Maia. For that matter, she knew little about her husband's personal life.
Feeling nauseated, Leah turned away from them, randomly joining another group. They seemed to be gossiping, so she tuned them out until one of the women said Maia's name.
"Disgraceful," said another woman.
Emboldened by the glass of champagne and morbid curiosity, Leah asked, "Why is she disgraceful?"
"Her husband was barely dead before she was on the hunt for another one," said a woman with an English accent. "There is strong speculation that she was looking before Stavros died. He was much older than she was, so his death wasn't unexpected."
Leah nodded, surprised to hear them condemning the other woman for actions that weren't unheard of among their circles.
"Everyone thought she had her claws deeply into Salus Valokis."
"Many women breathed a sigh of relief," interjected a stunning Greek woman in her mid-forties, who looked like she had never had to worry about competing for men's attention.
"Until he married his assistant without a hint of warning," said the Englishwoman, sporting a diamond wedding ring set with a diamond the size of an ice cube.
"Now, she has returned to her pursuit."
Leah hid a grimace by taking another glass of champagne from a circulating tray.
"Most disgracefully, she continues to pursue Salus," said the older Greek woman.
As one, all the women turned their gazes to Maia, still talking to Nikos. "Maybe she has found a new victim," said the Englishwoman.
The older woman shook her head. "There is nothing new about that victim, Liv. Nikos Andrakis and Maia were once engaged."
Leah choked on the second glass of champagne she had just taken a first sip from.
"My dear, are you all right?" asked the older woman.
Leah nodded. "I'm fine, thank you."
"I pity his wife," said the youngest woman. "He keeps her hidden away, and now he is humiliating her with his ex-fiancée."
The Englishwoman scoffed. "I hardly think he's humiliating his wife by talking to someone he knows."
"Liv, you still don't fully understand our ways," said the older woman, but not unkindly. "Many Greek husbands are philanderers, and Greek wives are expected to turn a blind eye. Look at the pair and tell me their conversation is innocent."
Trying to detach her perceptions from the equation, Leah eyed her husband and the other woman as impassively as possible. Maia leaned in close to Nikos, her hand on his shoulder in a possessive fashion. While Nikos didn't appear to be as eager to touch the other woman, he definitely wasn't backing away.
"We're being terribly rude to discuss this in front of you without even proper introductions," said the third woman suddenly, turning to look at Leah. "I am Sophie Russo. This is Calista Kakos," she said of the older woman, "And Olivia Volakis."
The Englishwoman extended the hand with the heavy rings. "It's actually Harcourt-Volakis, and I prefer Liv."
Leah took her hand, putting off the moment when she had to reveal her identity as the wife to be pitied. "Are you related to Salus?"
She nodded, sending waves of black hair rippling around her face. "I'm married to his brother, Ioseph."
Aware that they were waiting for her name, Leah released Liv's hand, took a long drink of champagne, and said, "I'm Leah Andrakis, married to Nikos Andrakis." As the other women gasped, quickly looking away in their discomfort, she drained the glass of champagne and strolled away, hoping she looked half as composed as she strove to, instead of revealing the tattered mass of nerves she was on the inside.
Seeking sanctuary in a powder room, Leah locked the door and leaned against the counter, taking several minutes to process what she'd learned and to restore her calm. She shouldn't feel so betrayed that Nikos had never told her about the engagement. Theirs wasn't a normal marriage, so she had no right to be upset at the revelation or to feel jealous seeing the two of them together.
Her lips tightened as she met her eyes in the mirror. However, she was entitled to respect and to be treated like his wife in public. Humiliating her wasn't part of their deal. He hadn't yet crossed any lines of impropriety, but Nikos was dancing at the edge. It crossed her mind to saunter back into the party to Nikos and Maia, thread her arms around Nikos, and kiss him senseless, just to remind everyone to whom he was married.
Shaking her head, Leah opened her purse instead, removing a tube to freshen her lipstick. If she were Nikos's true wife, she wouldn't have had any compunction about reminding Maia of that fact, but it would be hypocritical to do so when she and Nikos both knew their marriage was coming to an end.
With a small pang in her chest, Leah took a deep breath and left the powder room, surprised by the flow of traffic passing. She soon realized the guests were moving to another room and assumed it was time for dinner. Leah refused to look for Nikos and joined the procession with her head held high.
She jumped slightly when someone placed an arm around her waist. Leah instantly recognized Nikos's touch and scent but didn't look at him.
"There you are. I was looking for you."
"I'm sure," she said icily.
Nikos frowned as they entered a large dining room arranged with multiple tables, complete with place cards. Servants in black tuxedos milled about, helping guests find their spots. "Is something wrong?"
With a shrug, Leah said, "No." She turned her head from him under the guise of looking for their seats. The search for their spots took under a minute, and she groaned quietly when she saw Calista and Caesar Kakos seated at the head table, along with a younger man who appeared to be dateless, and three open spots. At least Hestia wasn't seated there. She was in no mood to hear more about the woman's couture wardrobe.
As she slid into her seat, ignoring Nikos's assistance, Leah glanced at the remaining name card, somehow unsurprised to see Maia Papadas in elegant script on the crisp white paper. Had it been a random accident that Nikos's ex-fiancée was also assigned to their table, or had she arranged it with one of the servants? Or had he? The last thought was too unsettling to think about, and she struggled to push it out of her mind.
To her credit, Calista didn't avoid Leah's gaze, and she didn't act uncomfortable around them. The older woman wasn't quite so adept at hiding her reaction when Maia approached their table, standing by her chair as though she didn't have the strength to pull it out herself. When the unknown man and Nikos both got to their feet to assist her, Calista grimaced.
Biting back the impulse to giggle, unsure if the giddiness came from amusement or lingering shock, Leah reached for a crystal goblet of ice water, hiding her own expression of disgust by taking a sip. Nikos surrendered the pleasure of seating Maia to the other man and returned to his seat. As he settled, his hand dropped onto her shoulder, and she quickly shrugged it off.
To her relief, Calista made an effort to engage her in conversation, negating the need to address the questions in Nikos's eyes. It physically hurt when he turned to Maia, falling into a quiet conversation that she did her best to block out.
Calista seemed to be aware of her reaction and set out to keep her distracted with lighthearted topics. To her surprise, Leah found Calista a charming conversationalist and managed to ignore the fact her husband acted like she didn't exist. They were discussing the Kakos' recent yacht purchase and their plans to sail around the Greek islands when Maia's cold laugh cut through their conversation. Caesar and the other man fell silent as well, all eyes turning to Maia.
"What amuses you, Maia?" asked Calista.
"That." Maia gestured toward a heavily pregnant woman making her way across the dining room, probably in search of a bathroom.
"Why do you find Helene funny?" Calista regarded her with barely concealed dislike.
"There are so many reasons. She looks ridiculous in that gold tent." Maia shrugged. "What can you expect from someone who is not one of us? The woman was devious enough to trap her boss into marriage by getting pregnant, but she will never be clever enough to fit into our world."
"I think she is lovely," said the man who remained unnamed to Leah.
Maia snorted, contorting her face into an expression that greatly detracted from her classical beauty. "I think she is disgusting. I refuse to have anything to do with her."
"There is no reason to be unkind to a pregnant woman," said Nikos, sounding annoyed.
Either Maia didn't catch his tone or didn't care. "You cannot expect me to treat her as an equal. It is clear she doesn't belong." Her dark eyes settled meaningfully on Leah for a moment before her tirade continued. "She might be able to lie and trick her way into Salus's bed, but she cannot trick her way into acceptance by his peers."
"I doubt she tricked Salus into anything," said Caesar. "He is an astute man."
"You can't think he deliberately impregnated her?" Maia laughed again, though it was more of the screech of metal against metal than a sound of amusement. "I am certain he only married her because of the baby."
"If that is so, I find it refreshing," said Calista in a tone laden with ice. "So many men we know keep mistresses. If one falls pregnant, the woman usually receives money and disappears from his life. Regardless of the circumstances of conception, I find it admirable that Salus has lived up to his responsibility."
"I agree," said Leah, surprising herself by contributing to the discussion. "I know it isn't healthy for a child to grow up with parents who argue all the time, or who are miserable, but children need both parents---particularly when they are young. In that situation, I think you have to set aside what you want and think of your child, at least during the formative years."
She looked at Nikos, who was frowning at her. "You disagree?"
He shook his head, his voice husky when he said, "No. No, I do not."
She found his intense gaze disturbing and quickly looked away, once more immersing herself in conversation with Calista. It pleased her to see Nikos wasn't so eager to speak with Maia now, though she didn't know if that was because of the other woman's behavior or because he kept staring at her, a thoughtful look on his face. Leah wondered what ideas spun in his head, and if they should worry her.
They arrived back at the villa late. Too much champagne and a little too much wine with dinner had left Leah feeling mellow. Some of her anger at the discovery of Nikos's previous engagement had faded, and she didn't pull away when he put a hand on her back as they walked up the marble stairs.
"That is better," he said as they traversed the steps to the second floor.
Leah cocked her head to look at him. "What's better?"
"You're no longer acting like my touch scalds you."
She blushed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Liar," he said with a soft chuckle. "A block of ice would have been warmer to me than you were this evening."
"That's silly." Leah waved a hand as if to dismiss the whole idea, though her stomach knotted.
They stepped onto the landing, and he surprised her by taking her hand. Nikos stopped, pulling her around to face him in a stance that could turn intimate in a second. "I don't know what I did to offend you, but I am pleased you are no longer in a snit."
She gasped. "A snit? It wasn't a snit, and you know what you did."
He frowned. "I haven't a clue, Leah mou."
Leah pulled away, continuing determinedly toward the master suite. "You can't be that dense, Nikos. And I'm not your Leah."
He didn't reply until they had entered the bedroom. His hands on her shoulders made her freeze, but it was the softness of his voice that kept her from moving away. "Please tell me why you are upset, Leah."
She turned slowly to face him. "I was humiliated. You cozying up with your ex-fiancée had all the gossips' tongues wagging, and I bore the brunt of the comments."
Nikos scowled. "Women have nothing better to do than talk about others?"
Leah rolled her eyes. "Men can be just as bad, and you know it."
After a moment, he nodded. "I apologize if you were humiliated."
She shrugged. "Thank you." He seemed so open tonight, with a gentleness displayed toward her that she had never seen. It gave her the courage to ask, "Were you really going to marry Maia?"
His expression became guarded, but he said, "Yes. I was much younger than."
Pushing her luck, she asked, "What happened?"
Nikos frowned. "I realized our relationship lacked the necessary depth to last a lifetime. She must have reached the same conclusion, because she married someone else within weeks of ending our short engagement."
She mulled over his words. "Wait, who ended it? You or her?"
With a sigh of impatience, he tugged at his tie. "What does it matter now, Leah? That was years ago."
Eyes narrowed at his evasion, she murmured words of agreement and turned toward the nursery. "Good night." Nikos reached for her, and she didn't resist when he turned her back to face him. "Was there something else?"
He cursed under his breath in his native language. She didn't understand the words, but she heard the frustration loud and clear. "Yes, agapi mou. This."
Even before his head descended, Leah knew Nikos was going to kiss her. Deep in her heart, she had known all night that every glance and touch was leading to this moment. She held her breath, knowing she should turn away but unable to do so. When his lips touched hers, she sighed, melting against him.
Her lips molded to his, and Leah savored the feel. He opened her lips with his to thrust his tongue inside her mouth, exploring the depths. Eagerly, Leah stroked his tongue with hers. He tasted like the ouzo he'd had after the meal, along with something intangible.
Nikos pulled her closer, until their bodies fit together as though made for each other. Leah deepened the kiss, burying her hands in his hair to drag his head lower. She was desperate for the taste of him, her need sublimating all self-control.
She moaned when he put one hand on her back while the other ventured lower, to cup her bottom. A jolt shot through her when he lifted her slightly, aligning their lower bodies. His proximity was intoxicating, and the sensations he evoked threatened to overwhelm her.
Nikos pulled his mouth from hers, brushing tender kisses across her cheek. "Se thelo, Leah," he said in a thick voice.
She shook her head. "I don't know what that means, Nikos."
He lifted his head so that their gazes locked. "I want you, Leah. I want to touch every inch of you, to learn all your secret places, to watch you come apart in my arms. Se thelo."
Nikos's words were like ice water tossed in her face, completely dousing her arousal. "Why?" she asked in a distant tone, pulling away.
He frowned, looking confused. "You are a beautiful woman. My woman. I want to make love to you."
Leah took another step back. "You once told me you would never want me, Nikos. Do you remember? On our wedding night, you made it crystal clear that you didn't desire me and never wanted me in your bed. What changed your mind?" He stared at her, mouth agape. She dug her fingernails into her palms to keep from turning into a screeching banshee. Three years of hurt and anger threatened to explode, but she refused to let him see how deeply his rejection had affected her.
"Nothing's changed, has it, Nikos? I'm just a warm body, conveniently available." Her shoulders sagged when he didn't reply. "Good night, Nikos." This time, he let her go without trying to call her back, to her mingled relief and disappointment. Her heart ached, and all she wanted was to forget about this night and to expunge the memory of his kiss from her mind and body.
In the nursery, Leah stripped off the expensive evening gown and tossed it away before slipping into her nightgown and crawling into bed. Shivers racked her body, though the night was warm. It was reaction, her body's way of processing what had just happened, along with what had happened three years ago.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the memory of their wedding night, but unable to do so. As she had done so many times in the early days of their marriage, once again, she relived the night's events in her mind.
As planned, theirs had been a simple civil ceremony in front of a justice of the peace, with Arianna as their only guest. Nikos's way of announcing the marriage was hosting a reception following the ceremony, and the house had been crowded with guests. By the time the evening wound to a close, she was exhausted.
Leah made her way upstairs to the suite the housekeeper had shown her before the ceremony, while asking how she wanted her clothes arranged. The austere room suited Nikos, with its massive antique furnishings, dark brown carpet, and beige walls. The room wasn't conducive to passion, but she assumed she wouldn't even notice the décor once Nikos started making love to her.
She bathed meticulously and slipped into a nearly transparent white negligee. The color was appropriate for a virgin bride, but the style was anything except innocent. Lost in the sea of garments at the boutique where she'd selected it, along with many pieces of her new wardrobe, she had deferred to the saleswoman's suggestion. Examining herself in the mirror, she nodded her approval, deciding the lingerie lent her an air of sophistication she sorely lacked.
Would Nikos be pleased or disappointed to find out she was a virgin? At the age of twenty, she was only one of a few young women in her circle who hadn't yet gone to bed with a man. Leah wasn't prudish, but she also didn't want to jump in to bed with just any man, and none of the boys she'd dated had come close to tempting her to go that far. None had measured up to Nikos.
A faint smile curved her lips. She could admit that she loved Nikos and had for years. He was the standard to which she held all other men, and none had been equal. The circumstances of their marriage were tragic, but she was determined to make the best of the opportunity. By the end of the marriage contract, she hoped Nikos would love her as much as she loved him, and that their arrangement would become permanent.
A colony of butterflies danced in her stomach as she opened the bathroom door to enter the bedroom. Nikos stood a few feet away, in the process of unknotting his tie. At first, he didn't look at her, and she stood before him, feeling exposed in more ways than one. A chill in the air made her shiver, but she resisted the urge to wrap her arms around her body to warm herself, and also to hide her skin.
When he did look at her, his eyes had widened with surprise. For a moment, his gaze had flicked lower, but quickly returned to hers. "Did the housekeeper show you your room?"
She frowned. "No. She put my things in here."
Nikos nodded. "We'll be sharing a dressing room."
"Oh." Confusion swirled through her. "Do you prefer to sleep alone?"
His abrupt answer should have told her all she needed. "Yes."
Her own naiveté had prompted her to push forward. Thinking he didn't want to scare her, Leah thought maybe he was waiting for her to make the first move. A deep breath helped marshal her courage, and she stepped close to him, putting a hand on his chest.
Her husband stiffened, his expression darkening. "What are you doing, Leah?"
She licked dry lips. "I...I don't know. I thought you wanted me to..."
His motion was gentle, but the action was brutal as he took her hand from his chest and stepped away from her. "No, I don't want you to do anything. I shouldn't have assumed we were in agreement on this... aspect of marriage. I expect nothing from you."
Leah's lips parted in a small gasp. "I didn't realize."
He nodded. "I know. It's an understandable mistake." Nikos waved a hand downward to indicate her body. "I appreciate the effort, but sex will complicate things needlessly."
She nodded, trying not to betray her hurt and shock. "Yes," she said tremulously.
"Your room is through that door." He gestured to it, and she turned toward it, desperate to escape his presence. She was a few steps from the door when he called her name. Leah paused, turning back to look at him. "Just so we're clear, Leah, I won't be changing my mind in the future. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about anything."
Figuratively gathering the tatters of her pride, she lifted her head high. "I understand now. It's a relief, to be honest," she tossed out, hoping she didn't sound shrill or whiny. She wanted to be calm. "Now that we understand all the terms, it should be a relatively easy three years, everything considered." Without waiting for a reply, she had entered the other bedroom of the master suite, finding its Queen Anne furniture and light purple accents much more to her tastes than his room. The king-size bed was so comfortable as to be almost sinful, she discovered seconds later, after throwing herself on the plush surface and burying her face into her pillow to sob out her humiliation and hurt.
His words from the night had imprinted on her brain and still haunted her from time to time. It was true he'd never said he didn't want her, but she had been able to infer what he was trying to say in his politely remote way. It had taken months, but Leah had eventually recovered from her "love" for Nikos, finally dismissing it as a lingering adolescent crush. The indifference which she displayed toward him after that night had started out forced, but she had mastered her reactions and eventually managed to feel true detachment from Nikos.
With one moment of weakness, she had undone all her hard work. Her body still ached for him, though her mind recoiled at the thought of sleeping with him now. He hadn't wanted her three years ago, and she refused to be used because she was now convenient. Leah had no doubt sex with her husband would be amazing, but it wasn't worth the cost to her pride or her emotional stability. She couldn't risk falling in love with him again.
Nikos took refuge in his study, where men in his family had found solace from the time his father first built the villa. A finger of whiskey remained untouched in the crystal glass, though he swirled it absentmindedly from time to time.
He had certainly mucked up everything. Nikos set aside the glass to wipe a hand across his face. Three years ago, he'd been determined that Leah understand he wanted nothing physical with her. She had been beautiful, standing before him in a white negligee that made his fingers itch to pull off the scrap of fabric and explore the skin beneath. His wife had been desirable, though seeming less experienced than he was accustomed to in a lover. Nikos had exerted every ounce of will power not to accept her shy invitation.
At the time, he had been thankful that his wits quickly conquered his baser urges, and he was able to resist. Nikos had tried to be gentle with his rejection, but still get his point across. After that night, she had acted like nothing more than a roommate that he saw in passing a couple of times per day. Leah hadn't shown any sign of distress that he'd rejected her consummation attempt, so he had assumed all was well, and she had reached the same conclusion he had---that lovemaking was strictly off-limits if they both wanted to avoid developing deeper emotions.
With a wry tilt of his lips, he acknowledged his assumptions had certainly made him an ass. It wasn't clear if she had been deeply hurt, but Leah had obviously taken his message to heart. He cursed himself, shaking his head at his own blindness. How could he have been near Leah for the past three years and not taken her to his bed? The idea of losing her now was unacceptable. At thirty-one, he didn't want to give up the comfort of having a wife, nor undertake the task of finding another when he had a perfect one already. Leah was an ideal partner and he was used to her habits. It was silly to end their marriage. He just had to convince her of that.
His lower body tightened painfully as he relived holding her earlier, her mouth devouring his while their bodies strained to get closer. Leah had been willing and responsive. He could likely seduce her with just a little perseverance, but would that be enough to make her stay?
A conversation from the party replayed in his head, and the seed of an idea germinated. Leah had said it herself. "Children need both parents, particularly when they are young. In that situation, I think you have to set aside what you want and think of your child, at least during the formative years." If she became pregnant from his seduction, she would have to stay. It wasn't the ideal way to convince her of the logic of maintaining their relationship, but at least it gave him an option if she proved stubborn.
His mouth curled in a smile as he imagined his child held in Leah's arms, suckling at her breast. A wave of warmth suffused him. He already knew she was maternal and kind. Nikos couldn't think of a better woman to be the mother of his children.
To her relief, Nikos was gone from the room when she emerged from the nursery late the next morning. Another restless night had left her tossing and turning, and the little sleep she'd finally managed hadn't reenergized her. She grimaced at the bruising around her eyes when she stood in front of the mirror, after a hot shower, several minutes later. His sharp eyes wouldn't miss the proof of her distress, which she had no desire to show. Setting her lips in a grim line, Leah reached for her little-used cosmetics bag to conceal the signs of last night's ravages.
Her hands were quick and skillful in masking the discoloration, but she'd had lots of experience with the technique three years ago. It didn't sit well to be back in the same spot years later.
Once she had fixed her face, Leah padded from the bathroom, wrapped from head to toe in her bathrobe. He was nowhere in sight, so she risked dressing in the dressing room, pulling on shorts and a shirt in record time.
If Irina had brought breakfast this morning, Leah must have slept right through her knocking. Her stomach growled as she descended the stairs, sending her in the direction of the kitchen.
Irina clicked her tongue when Leah entered and went straight to the fridge. "I will cook for you, Kyria Leah. Tell me what you would like."
With a smile, Leah held up a bottle of water after closing the refrigerator door. "I'm fine." She scooped up a juicy orange, likely grown in the Andrakis' orchard, from a bowl on the counter. Ignoring Irina's admonishments about needing a substantial breakfast, she left the villa through the servants' entrance.
Leah headed for the gardens and orchard, eager to reacquaint herself with the foliage of the island. Soon enough, she found a stone bench in the center of a small arrangement of various plants. It was one of the six garden areas set up on the Andrakis land. Six years ago, she had known them all well by the end of her stay.
As she peeled the orange, Leah scuffed her foot along the bricks underfoot. She smiled at discovering the small heart she'd found long ago was still there, with the initials K.A. + J.A.---the initials of Nikos's parents. She remembered Kostas vaguely as a remote, serious man, so it was nice to see proof that he'd had a softer side. At some point on one of their vacations, he had taken time to make this little monument to the love he felt for Jacinth. She could imagine Nikos doing the same someday, though her heart stuttered when her imagination provided M.P. to pair with the N.A.---Maia Papadas. It had almost been a reality once, and it could be again, once he was free from their marriage.
The orange was perfectly ripe and delicious, but her thoughts killed her appetite. With a sigh, she tossed the remaining fruit and peel into the discreet rubbish bin located under the bench. The bottle of water provided a way for her to rinse her hands and avoid returning to the villa just yet. That was the last place she wanted to be, since she didn't know when Nikos might turn up. If he persisted with his seduction attempts, Leah wasn't sure she could continue to resist.
She resumed her explorations, enchanted all over again by the bushes, flowers, and trees that grew together in such beautiful harmony under the hot Grecian sun. By mid-afternoon, she'd been through four of the six gardens. She followed the hedge border around the fifth patch, ambling into the garden.
Leah drew up short, eyes wide. A young man tended to a tree. He had stripped off his shirt, and the sun-bronzed skin displayed was beautiful. He could have been a god in another time. A young god, she amended, when he caught sight of her and grinned. Too young for her even if she weren't still married. He was probably closer to Arianna's age than her own.
Not able to turn and walk away without being rude, Leah walked deeper into the garden, toward the man. He greeted her in Greek, and she shook her head. "I don't really speak your language. Do you speak English?"
"A little, Kyria Andrakis."
"What are you working on?"
He waved to a row of lotus trees. "I am to prune so they will blooming in the fall. The fruit is delicious."
She cocked her head, examining the slender green leaves. "I think I know this as a date plum tree."
He nodded and continued with his work. Leah watched him for a couple of minutes, feeling awkward. "What is your name?" she asked finally, more to break the silence than anything else.
"Angelo, Kyria Andrakis."
She wandered around his work area, examining the plants bloom. Tenacious violets and narcissus flowers still bloomed in the wilting heat. "What else do you do here, Angelo?"
"I am the gardener. Irina is a distant cousin."
Leah took a sip of her water before saying, "You're young for such a job. Did you design all this?" There were new additions and changes to the gardens from the last time she'd explored the grounds six years ago.
Angelo shook his head. "No, Kyria. Kyrios Andrakis hired a company from Athens to design the layouts. I maintain what they have done." He grinned, displaying even white teeth against his deeply tanned skin. "It is big work, but I keep doing it busy."
"It keeps you busy?" At his nod, she asked, "Do you have staff?"
He shrugged one shoulder. "When needed, I will give my little brothers help to me."
She licked her lips, torn between her desire to dig into the deep, rich soil and the definite class distinctions between them. Of course, she was once the servant's child too, though Dmitri had regarded Miles as a friend, not servant.
It had been years since she'd really gardened, and the longing filled her. Leah knew to her core that Nikos would disapprove of what she was about to do, which made it a little more fun---and more dangerous. She would have to keep her activities secret from him.
With a deep breath, Leah said, "I'd be happy to help." At his shocked expression, she prepared herself for the imminent task of convincing the young man to let the wife of Nikos Andrakis dig in the dirt and follow his commands. She almost giggled with giddiness, feeling lighter than she had since arriving on Trini Island.
Eventually, she had worn down Angelo's resistance and persuaded him she could be useful. Leah spent the next several days immersed in landscaping. Sometimes, she worked alongside Angelo in companionable silence, and other times he gave her a task to perform solo. He seemed as enchanted with the dirt and plants as she did, preferring to work quietly, though he chatted gregariously during breaks, even attempting to teach her some Greek.
The pleasant days still didn't get her through the awkward evenings. Nikos was much too attentive, and his determination to seduce her apparently hadn't faltered. She had tried every way she could think of to dissuade him, to no avail. Leah was just relieved he hadn't resorted to more than a few lingering touches, or her will power might fade away.
It annoyed her that she spent many nights tossing and turning, her body aching for his, before finally falling into a restless sleep where he haunted her dreams. She was determined to resist the impulse to sleep with her husband, no matter how difficult he made it.
Several days after beginning her new routine of gardening during the day and dodging her husband in the evenings, Leah entered the master suite after a long day of gardening, dirt under her fingernails and on her nose. She grimaced to see Nikos sitting at the desk, typing on his laptop. He was engrossed, and she managed to wipe the dirt off her nose before he looked up.
Leah stuffed her filthy hands into her shorts pockets and tried to look nonchalant. Nikos gazed at her with narrowed eyes. She smiled and took a step toward the bathroom. She made two more before he spoke her name in the deep, husky way that sent shivers up her spine. Keeping her hands in her pockets, she turned. "Yes?"
"We have plans tonight."
She pulled a face, irked that he hadn't bothered to consult her. Of course, that had been their pattern for years. Leah responded to his summonses and followed his orders for managing social affairs just as professionally as any of the staff he employed. Why should that change just because he'd suddenly decided to indulge in a holiday fling with her? "Where?"
"Caesar and Calista Kakos invited us to a small dinner party on their new yacht."
She sighed with relief, doubting Calista had invited Maia. She hadn't seemed to care for Nikos's ex-fiancée. "That sounds enjoyable."
He arched a brow, perhaps surprised by her bland tone. "I am pleased you will enjoy it. They plan to take a little cruise around the Aegean after dinner. I cannot recall if you suffer seasickness?"
Leah shook her head. "Not that I know of." She hadn't been on many boats or yachts, but had never experienced sickness during her limited sailing experiences.
"Good." He glanced at the understated gold Rolex on his wrist. "We are due there in three hours. Will you have sufficient time to prepare?"
"Of course. I'm not one of those women who take hours to get dressed," she said with exasperation.
He made a sound low in his throat. "And how long does it take to get you undressed, agape mou?"
Teeth clenched, Leah strode into the bathroom, getting a small bit of satisfaction from slamming the door and blocking out his hearty chuckle. The man was insufferable. He was also stubborn, pursuing what he was convinced he wanted with single-minded devotion. The thought made her tremble, but she wasn't sure if it was from fear or anticipation.
The wind blew through her hair, picking up strands and tossing them about into utter disarray as she leaned against the railing of the Kakos' yacht. The elaborate hairstyle she'd spent twenty minutes pinning up was completely ruined, but the night breeze was refreshing.
She turned her head as Nikos joined her, withdrawing from his close stance. Leah didn't speak, and he didn't either, to her surprise. He put his hand on the rail next to hers, their skin barely touching. She waited for him to try more, but he seemed content with just reminding her that he was within arm's reach.
"Dance with me."
For the first time, Leah realized the band she'd seen setting up before dinner was now playing. Several couples danced close together on the deck, eschewing traditional Greek dances in favor of more intimate Western dancing. She shook her head, trying to dig in her heels when he took her hand.
"Come on, Leah. It's just a dance."
Leah considered protesting, mainly because she wanted to dance with him, which frightened her. A second thought dismissed the idea, and she decided one dance couldn't hurt. It might test her resolve, but she was in no danger of surrendering to him in a crowd of fellow dancers.
Nikos stopped at the edge of the makeshift dance area, drawing her into his arms. He maintained a respectable distance between them, and she didn't like that it made her disgruntled.
At first, she held herself stiffly, but the posture was uncomfortable. As they swayed to the soft music, with its occasional sharp metallic twang from the bouzouki, Leah relaxed, letting herself move a little closer.
"That's better," said Nikos.
She tried to move away, but he held her closer. "Relax, Leah. Pretend my touch doesn't annoy you." He ran his hand down her back, making her shudder. Nikos chuckled. "Or perhaps I should say stop pretending that it does?"
"I'm done dancing," she said through gritted teeth.
"Pity that I am not." His arms enfolded her, molding their bodies together.
Leah glared at him. "Do you want me to make a scene?"
He quirked a brow, as though considering the notion. "Maybe so. Anger would be an improvement from the cold disdain which you have displayed the past few days."
Leah tried to appear calm when she said, "I'm not disdainful toward you, Nikos; just apathetic."
He made a scoffing sound low in his throat. "You might hate me, or you might desire me---maybe both---but you are not indifferent, agapi mou."
It was dangerous to provoke him. She knew that, but couldn't seem to keep from replying. "Believe what you will, Nikos. I don't care."
His lips curled into a slight smile. "Of course you don't. You do not care if I put my hand here," he rested it just above her buttocks, "Or if I put my lips here." Nikos lowered his head to place a light kiss at the bend of her neck. "You certainly don't care if I do this," he whispered against her skin, as his other hand roamed from her hip to just under her breast, his fingers grazing the mound.
Leah tried to hide any hint of a reaction, but failed miserably when he sucked at the delicate flesh of her neck, drawing it into his mouth and exhaling. Gooseflesh rose on her arms, and she shivered, though the night wasn't cold.
"Yes, I can see you are completely unaffected," he said with heavy irony before easing away, back to a normal dance position.
She didn't give him the satisfaction of an answer. Through sheer determination, Leah made it through the rest of the dance, tearing herself from his arms the moment the song ended. She hurried away from the deck, opening the first door she came to, and flicked on the light. It wasn't a powder room, as she had hoped, but a small room with a table and chairs that could be used for multiple purposes. She closed the door, leaning against it.
Her heart hammered in her ears, and Leah took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. It was daunting to face returning to the deck, and Nikos, but she couldn't hide in here all night. As it was, she had embarrassed herself by fleeing from him, along with revealing more of her emotions than she had planned.
With another deep breath, Leah straightened and turned, grasping the doorknob to turn it. As the door opened, she gasped to find Nikos standing on the other side. She had the childish urge to slam the door in his face but resisted. "Excuse me," she said with what she hoped could pass for cool indifference. "I thought this was the restroom."
He put a palm against the door, pushing it toward her. Leah tried to hold it, but he was stronger and soon slipped inside. A wave of dread washed over her when he closed the door with a soft click. "I need the powder room. Please move out of my way."
The corner of his mouth curled upward. "I know what you need, Leah, and it isn't escape to the powder room."
She sniffed. "You really don't know anything about me, so how could you know what I need?" Leah reached past him, for the knob, but ended up much too close.
He chuckled. "You know what you need too."
Leah looked up, meeting his gaze. "I don't need a fling that will complicate things, Nikos."
He took her hand, folding it in his to press against his chest. "It doesn't have to be a fling, agapi mou."
She shook her head, denying his words and her own urges. "Let me go, Nikos."
He seemed a little sad. "I can't." Nikos drew her into his arms.
She could have stepped back, or tried to resist, but it was impossible to deny what they both wanted. With a small sigh of defeat, she melted into his arms, pressing her ear to his chest. His heart thumped as quickly as hers, and she moved her hand on his chest to his waist, smiling slightly when a light stroke made his heartbeat increase even more.
Nikos cupped her face in his hands, tilting her head back as his descended. His lips coaxed hers to open with light, feathery kisses. Leah moaned into his mouth as he swept his tongue inside hers. As he deepened the kiss, she strained to get closer, pushing her hands under his jacket to knead his flesh through the linen shirt. He wore no tie, so the buttons of his shirt yielded easily, with no impediment.
His breath hissed through his teeth when she undid the first few buttons and plunged her hand inside. His skin was hot, with a light dusting of hair that tickled her fingers. Leah stroked him, moving her hand lower. He exhaled sharply when she raked her nails lightly over his nipple.
"Leah." Her name was more a harsh exhalation than a true sound. He lifted her into his arms, making her cry out with surprise, and carried her to the table. The table was hard under her bottom, but not as hard as the sleek muscles rippling under her husband's skin. She found his responses fascinating as she continued caressing him. Each time he twitched or shuddered, she smiled. It was exhilarating to have so much power over Nikos, when he usually left her feeling inept and weak, no matter how well she hid it.
"Why did I wait so long?" Nikos asked against her lips, before claiming them in a hungry kiss that allowed no reply to his question.
Leah surrendered to his masterful kisses, her thoughts growing fuzzier the more they kissed. She squirmed against him when he cupped her breast, thumbing the nipple through the thin layer of silk. She threaded her other hand through his hair, tangling her fingers in the glossy black strands, while his heart continued to beat rapidly under her palm.
Nikos's hands moved over her body with blatant possessiveness, but she didn't mind. His touch was intoxicating, and his kisses drugged her into a state of limpid compliance. For the first time ever, Leah experienced true desire. She wanted him to hold her naked body against his and to grasp his waist as she guided him inside her.
There were so many sensations swamping her that it was difficult to separate the sources until Nikos moved his hand up her thigh, under the hem of her dress. She froze, eyes wide open, as he hesitated, fingers hovering over the scrap of silk and lace shielding her most intimate place. He lifted his mouth from hers, and their gazes locked. "Leah?"
The rational part of her screamed at her to push his hand away and leave the room before their interlude led them to an irrevocable decision. The other, more primitive part of her yearned to feel his fingers against her. She bowed her head, pressing her forehead against his shoulder, letting him decide.
She bit her lower lip when he stroked her through the panties, simultaneously wanting him to stop and to push aside the material to touch her directly. As though he'd read her thoughts, Nikos slipped a finger inside her panties, touching her wet heat. Leah cried out, lying back as he guided her, his fingers moving restlessly between her thighs.
Leah closed her eyes, clenching her hands into fists to keep from uttering sounds of pleasure, afraid she couldn't control the volume if she gave the impulse free reign. He touched her intimately, evoking sensations and emotions she'd never imagined. With tender skill, Nikos brought her to the edge. Leah arched against his hand, groaning as she climaxed. He leaned over, sealing her mouth with his to muffle her cries of release.
Leah's body convulsed, and she whimpered as the pleasure ebbed. She couldn't find words to express herself, so she stroked her fingers through his hair as he kissed her with unbridled need.
They froze as the sound of voices passed by the corridor. Leah blinked and then pulled away from him so quickly she almost rolled off the table. Nikos caught her, easing them both into an upright position. "The voices of reason," he said with a self-conscious grin. She nodded, still incapable of speech. "It's for the best," he said as he straightened her appearance and refastened his buttons.
"Yes," Leah managed to rasp. It was definitely for the best that things had gone no farther.
"I don't want to make love to you for the first time on a hard table."
She dragged in a deep breath as he opened the door.
"We should be back to the harbor soon," said Nikos after a glance at his watch. "I'd best return you to polite company or risk ravishing you here."
Leah managed a shaky smile. "Yes." She didn't recoil when he put his arm around her waist, drawing her close. Sanity was rapidly returning, and she knew she couldn't go to bed with Nikos, but still lacked the coherence to tell him. As they rejoined the party, she almost turned to him, but couldn't. It made sense to tell him she hadn't changed her mind about sex, despite what had just occurred, but it felt too nice to have his arm around her to say anything right then. Feeling cowardly, but reveling in his touch, she snuggled against him, allowing herself a few more minutes in his arms.
The cruise ended within the hour, returning to the harbor. The limousine awaited, and Leah summoned her courage as they slipped inside. A glance forward confirmed the privacy screen was in place. She licked her lips, searching for the best way to word her thoughts.
Nikos wasn't helping matters. He pushed the windblown hair off her neck to nibble on her skin. Leah pulled away, but he followed. Her thoughts tried to fracture again, but she marshaled them. "Nikos, stop."
He lifted his head. "I'm sorry to paw at you like a horny teenager," he said with self-deprecating humor. "I suppose I can wait a few more minutes, for the sake of decorum."
Leah scooted over slightly, putting some distance between them. "I'm sorry."
"Why?" he asked with a frown.
"I've given you the wrong idea." She shook her head. "I shouldn't have let things get so far."
His expression turned wary. "Do you regret what happened?"
She cocked her head, finally shaking it. "No. I should, but I don't." With a deep breath, she added, "But it can't happen again."
He cursed. "Why not, Leah? Who would it hurt? You're my wife. It is perfectly normal to make love to you."
She swallowed. "There is no normal for us, Nikos. Everything is an illusion."
Nikos exhaled sharply. "No."
"Yes," she insisted. "We're married, but only for a few more months. We both know getting physical will only complicate things."
He grasped her hand, pressing it high against his thigh. "It is no illusion how much I want you."
She tugged free of his hold. Leah met his eyes, admitting to both of them what she had been denying for so long. "I want you too, Nikos, but I'm not going to give in to that urge. I have to think of the long-term consequences. As much as I want you to make love to me, I can't let it happen."
With a long sigh, Nikos raked a hand through his hair. "I could change your mind."
Leah nodded. "You probably could, but it wouldn't change anything. You know I'm right."
He sighed again. "Right now, agapi mou, all I know is I will not sleep well tonight from frustration."
She smiled tentatively. "I know the feeling."
Nikos watched the door to the nursery close behind Leah. It required every ounce of will power not to follow her and finish what they had started. His body ached for her, and he knew she was in a similar state. Leah had admitted he could change her mind. It was tempting, but he held back.
He cursed himself, hating that he was respecting her decision, though it was the right thing to do. Nikos didn't believe lovemaking would complicate things, because he wanted to keep her as his wife, but it was right to honor her choice. He would do so, for now, and reluctantly. Nikos could give her a few more days to sort out her confusion and realize she was denying them both needlessly. With a rueful chuckle, Nikos admitted to himself that he wasn't averse to trying to sway her to his point-of-view. Leah would find it difficult to maintain her resolve when he moved forward with his seduction plans.
Leah sought solace in gardening a few mornings later, when she successfully managed to slip away from the villa while Nikos was engaged in his morning business briefings. It was a relief to have some space and a chance to remind herself that she was not going to sleep with him. In light of his siege, it was getting harder to stick with that decision. She couldn't think of a better word. Nikos was methodically probing her weak points, preparing for invasion. She trembled, liking it too much when her mind supplied an image of him conquering her. If she couldn't regain focus, he would find easy conquest.
She couldn't allow that to happen. Exposed to his presence and undivided attention for most of the past few days, Leah had finally admitted to herself that she had never recovered from her "crush". She loved Nikos, but it was emotional suicide. He wanted her, for the moment, but that would change as soon as they returned to their real lives, away from Trini Island. It was going to be difficult enough to move on and try to suppress her feelings for him until and after the dissolution of their marriage. Having known the ecstasy of his lovemaking only to have it wrenched away would devastate her.
"You are quiet, Kyria Leah."
She forced a smile for Angelo, pleased he had finally stopped calling her Kyria Andrakis. "I didn't sleep well," she said while stabbing a hand spade into the rich soil. That was certainly true. Nikos had teased and touched her most of the day, but had bid her goodnight like a perfect gentleman, other than the wicked gleam in his eye. Her only satisfaction came from knowing he had gone to bed just as frustrated as her.
Angelo nodded, not speaking again for a few minutes. He seemed determined to cheer her up, as though sensing she was troubled. Leah laughed her way through the next hour, listening to the young man recount in his imperfect English the adventures he and his brother had shared over the years. It was difficult to be so introspective and melancholy with such a charming companion.
He was midway through a story involving his youngest brother and the family goat when a chill fell over the warmth of the day. Leah shivered, looking up to find Nikos looming over her, blocking out the sun.
Angelo fell silent for a moment before saying, "Kalimera, Kyrios Andrakis."
"Good afternoon," returned Nikos coldly, making the younger man flinch.
Leah flinched herself when he turned his scorching gaze on her. She had done nothing wrong but still felt awash with guilt under his accusing stare. She swallowed the lump in her throat, striving to sound normal. "Did you need something, Nikos?"
He arched a brow. "I needed my wife. I've been looking for you for the past two hours." He curled his lip with contempt. "I should have known I would find you playing in the dirt."
She strove to sound disinterested. "Yes. What do you want?"
Nikos's eyes narrowed. "You know the answer to that, agapi mou." The term sounded more like a threat than an endearment. "For starters, I would like my wife to behave with proper dignity. We have servants for these tasks."
She glared at him when Angelo bowed his head. "Of course, Kyrios." As calmly as possible, Leah set down the spade and got to her feet, grimacing at the dirt covering her shirt and shorts. It didn't bother her, but she knew Nikos must be livid to see her looking like one of the staff. Inclining her chin, she met his gaze.
Nose wrinkled with distaste, Nikos grasped her upper arm, pulling her with him. "This is inexcusable."
"Save the tirade for private," she said, jerking away from his hold. Leah held her head high and marched back to the villa, conscious of his presence directly behind her. A spark of fear ignited as they entered the house, and Nikos directed her up the stairs toward the master suite. Leah was certain he wouldn't hurt her, but she still worried about the coming confrontation. Would he be so disgusted by her behavior as to send her back to New York without him and Arianna? That should have been a relief, but the thought filled her with anxiety.
She held herself stiffly when they entered the room. The door slamming made her jump, despite her best efforts to maintain a calm façade. "Why are you behaving this way?"
"Strip."
Leah's eyes widened. "What?"
Nikos raked her with a contemptuous look. "You look like a street urchin. Wash off the dirt and make yourself presentable."
Leah shook her head. "No. I'm tired of taking orders from you, Nikos." She held up her hands. "I like dirt under my fingernails. I feel normal when I'm digging in the soil. You have no idea how much I've missed it."
"You defy me?" He seemed to have trouble grasping that she would do such a thing. "You are my wife. Make yourself look like it before we talk."
With a toss of her head, Leah turned away from him. "We'll discuss this when you've calmed down." She turned toward her room, but gasped when Nikos put a hand on her arm. "Let go."
Ignoring her protest and attempts to free herself, Nikos lifted Leah and carried her into the bathroom. "Put me down."
"As you wish." He set her down in the shower before turning on the faucet.
Leah shrieked when cold water cascaded over her before it turned warm. "You're crazy."
A vein in his temple throbbed visibly. "Wash yourself." His voice dropped an octave as his gaze settled on her breasts under the soaked t-shirt. "Unless you want help?"
"Get out." Leah slammed the shower door, watching him through the opaque glass until he left the bathroom. Livid, Leah stepped out of the shower, shedding her wet clothes and shoes with some difficulty. Finding it pointless not to finish the shower, she returned to the stall, soaping with quick efficiency. Her heart raced, and her stomach ached with the effort to keep from screaming. How dare he treat her that way?
She was clean within minutes, but as time passed, Leah found herself dawdling. With the return of a cooler head, she no longer wanted to rush into a confrontation. Why was she so eager to face him again? The first round certainly hadn't gone in her favor. Leah was still fuming at his treatment, but perhaps it was wise to give him time to calm down too. He had displayed a depth of anger she had never seen before. Surely, he had realized that by now and was trying to regain control?
Clinging to that hope, Leah forced herself from the shower. She forced herself to dry off quickly, instead of drawing out the process. It was only after she'd dried off that Leah realized she had nothing to wear. A quick glance at the door revealed no robes on the hooks, indicating Irina had collected them for washing.
The plush bath sheet wasn't adequate armor in which to face Nikos, but the alternative was even less appealing. No way was she going into the bedroom wearing nothing. The towel was long enough to wrap around her twice, and she tucked the end as securely as she could. After running a comb through her damp hair, she couldn't find any remaining reason not to leave the bathroom. Taking a deep breath for fortification, Leah walked from the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
Nikos had taken advantage of her absence to remove his wet shirt. She swallowed thickly at the sight of his bare chest, feeling a stir of something other than umbrage.
He seemed to have regained control. "I owe you an apology, Leah. I had no right to treat you that way."
She inclined her head to acknowledge his apology. "Thank you." Leah tipped her head. "Why did you react so strongly? You know my major was botany. It shouldn't have shocked you so much to find me in the garden."
Nikos ran a hand through his damp hair, further tangling it. "I suppose I could say the sight of my wife on her knees in the dirt made me so angry."
Leah nodded. "I can see why. You're used to glamorous women, and I try to live up to that as much as possible." She shrugged. "I just couldn't resist the allure. I'm sure you don't understand the attraction, but I have missed it."
Nikos's expression tightened. "I saw what was so attractive about the garden, Leah."
She blinked. "I don't understand..." Leah trailed off as she realized what he meant. "Angelo?"
"Is he your lover?" Nikos delivered the question in a distant tone, but his body radiated tension.
"Of course not." Leah walked across the room, heading toward the dressing room. "He's just a boy."
Nikos followed her. "He isn't much younger than you. You must find him attractive."
She turned to face him. "Yes, he's handsome. He has the body of a Greek god. Is that what you want to hear?"
He flinched. "No."
"Then stop this. I haven't slept with him, and I have no plans to do so." Her hand trembled as she reached for a simple sundress. "He's a nice boy, but no matter how attractive, I don't want him."
"Why not?" rasped Nikos.
Unable to look at him, she kept her gaze centered on the line of clothes hanging before her. "He isn't you," she whispered.
His ragged exhalation was the only sound for a long moment. The extended silence unnerved her. Leah busied herself with removing the dress from the hanger and replacing the hanger with exaggerated precision. When he cupped her arms in his hands, she sagged against him, knowing she had been waiting for him to touch her.
As he turned her around to face him, she dropped the dress and wrapped her arms around his neck. Despite the complications, and how it was going to break her heart, she wanted to be with him. Long after their marriage had ended, she would have this memory.
"Leah mou." Nikos examined her intently. "You are sure you want this? I fear I can't stop if you change your mind, so be certain."
She licked her dry lips. "I'm sure." Without hesitation, Leah took the hand he extended and walked with him back to the bedroom. She dropped her towel near the bed and watched with silent appreciation as he removed his remaining clothes. Here was the body of a true Greek god. Every smooth plane and rounded angle represented perfection. His hot skin burned under her fingers, but it was a pleasant fire.
Nikos lifted her onto the bed, lying down atop her. As he caressed and kissed her to a fever pitch, she touched him, drinking her fill of him. Leah ached to be one with him, and when he finally positioned himself between her thighs, poised to enter her, she clutched his buttocks, lifting herself to meet him.
Leah winced at the sharp pain accompanying their union. Nikos froze, looking down at her with an expression of mingled surprise and wonder. "You are a virgin?"
"Was," she managed to say while lifting her hips, taking him completely inside. After a brief pause, Nikos resumed thrusting, and she strove to match his rhythm. They found release together, and her body convulsed under him.
What could have been minutes or hours later, Nikos rolled to her side, wrapping her in his arms. To her consternation, tears streamed from her eyes. Nikos sat up abruptly. "Are you hurt? Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry, Leah."
She shook her head. "It's not that," she said in a wet voice. A cough cleared her throat, and she sounded more like herself when she said, "It was wonderful. Amazing. I guess I was just thinking about how this is just a brief interlude. When our marriage ends..." She shrugged a shoulder. "I guess I'm just overwhelmed." That wasn't the truth, but Leah wasn't about to compound her mistake by admitting she was in love with him and had already started mourning losing him, even before they parted.
He laid his head on her upper arm. "It doesn't have to."
Leah craned her neck to see his face. "What doesn't?"
"Our marriage doesn't have to end." He trailed a finger across her stomach, making her tremble. Nikos changed positions to straddle her. "Let's forget the agreement we had and make a new one."
Eyes wide, she stared up at him. "We agreed to three years."
Nikos shrugged. "Is there some reason why we shouldn't at least try to have a real marriage?"
Leah floundered, not even certain how she felt. It was tempting to agree, but she would fall even deeper in love with Nikos. If he decided it wasn't what he wanted, could she weather the emotional devastation? "Why do you want to change things, Nikos?"
"We're good together. We like and respect each other." He thrust against her suggestively. "I think we're sexually compatible."
She
frowned. "What about more? Don't you want to marry someone you love?"
He shook his head. "I don't think so. We have the foundation laid for a strong marriage. Maybe we'll even love each other in time."
She tried to reject the thrill of hope his words imparted. It had been an afternoon of recklessness, and she decided one more act wouldn't make a difference. "Perhaps. I'm willing to renegotiate our deal. Do you want to add six months?"
"I do not think we need to impose a deadline, agapi mou." Let's just see how things progress." Nikos slid slowly down her body, placing kisses as he went---across her neck, breasts and stomach, progressing lower. When he reached his destination, Leah became incapable of any further discussion or thought.
The next several weeks passed in a happy haze for Leah. She and Nikos spent most of the days and all of the nights together. Not only were they learning about each other's physical needs, they were connecting on a deeper level. She was afraid of how much she had started to love her husband. If he changed his mind, she didn't know how she would survive walking away.
That fear still couldn't keep her from loving him. Leah watched him with Arianna, patiently listening to her instructions on where to move the furniture to clear the room for her birthday party that night. It was a task any of the servants could have performed, but Nikos had volunteered.
She had dreaded this day coming for a long time. With Arianna turning eighteen, she was no longer needed. Leah hadn't been sure what she would do with herself, beyond finishing her botany degree. Now, she dared to tentatively envision a future with Nikos.
He looked up from sliding a wingchair out of the way and caught her staring at him. Nikos winked before resuming his task.
Which brought her back to her own task. Leah focused her attention on arranging flowers in the vases around the room. She was nearly finished when Nikos came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her body to draw her against him. He was hard and ready for her, as he always seemed to be, but there was no time to indulge their physical needs at the moment.
Leah giggled when he nuzzled her neck. "Stop it. I have to finish this."
"It looks fine to me," he said, cupping her breast. "Perfect."
"Arianna..."
"Is busy," he said against her skin. "She's with Irina, going over the menu. Again." He chuckled.
"You don't turn eighteen every day." Leah allowed him to turn her around, so she was facing him. She dropped the bunch of hyacinths she'd been holding to put her arms on his shoulders. "What were you like then? I didn't really know you." She had been ten and had only just started noticing boys. Even then, she'd found Nikos attractive, but he'd seemed much too old.
"I don't even remember being eighteen." He rested his forehead against hers. "I remember never being able to live up to my father's expectations." A sad smile drifted across his lips. "He told me multiple times he was thankful for Dmitri, because I would never be fit to run the Andrakis Corporation."
Leah stroked his neck. "That must have been difficult."
Nikos shrugged. "It is the way of many fathers." His lips firmed. "It will not be my way though."
She touched her tongue to her dry lips. "You want children?"
He quirked a brow. "Of course."
She swallowed, searching for courage. "With me?"
Nikos frowned at the question. "Of course, agapi mou, but not until I have had you to myself for a long time yet."
She tilted her neck so he could nibble the flesh, feeling content. Nikos wanted her to have his children. That must be a good sign that they had a strong future ahead of them. As he lifted her into his arms, she wrapped her legs around his waist, silently concurring with the idea to wait a while to have a child. She could spend years getting her fill of his body before she was ever ready to share her attention.
He spirited her to their bedroom, closing the door with his foot. Leah gasped when he pushed up her skirt, bracing her against the wall.
"I love when you wear dresses." He stroked her sensitive flesh. "Along with those silky little panties." Nikos pushed them aside to touch her bare flesh. She was wet and eager for him.
"Please, Nikos." She dug her hands into his shoulders as he shifted positions to take a foil packet from the nightstand. When he had it open, she lent him a free hand with slipping it on. "Now."
Nikos plunged deep inside her, pushing her against the wall with each thrust. It was unbearably erotic, to be trapped between the unyielding wall and his almost equally unyielding body. Leah arched against him, losing herself in the rhythm he set. She climaxed several times before he finally let himself find satisfaction.
Sweaty and exhausted, but energized, Leah laid her head against his shoulder, kissing his chest gently. She couldn't imagine being happier than she was right now. Her only regret was they had wasted three years living as distant roommates.
Leah assisted Arianna with her hair later that evening, pinning up the black strands into a sophisticated up-do. The younger girl had chosen an aquamarine gown that was slightly sexy, but wouldn't have Nikos trying to send her back to her room to change. Leah pressed a kiss to Arianna's cheek. "You look beautiful, and all grown up." Tears filled her eyes, and she had to blink several times.
Arianna looked alarmed. "Are you all right, Leah?"
She nodded, wiping away the few tears that had escaped. It was a good thing she was running behind and hadn't yet applied her own makeup, or she would have to redo it now. "I'm fine, and so proud of you. You are a lovely young woman."
Arianna dragged her lower lip between her teeth, looking uncertain. "Do you think so? Truly?"
Leah nodded. "Of course I do."
With a quick glance around, though they were the only two in Arianna's room, the girl lowered her voice to say, "Loukas wants to... you know. I want to as well, but I'm scared." She looked up, eyes full of fear. "Do you think I'm old enough?"
Leah blinked. Only five years separated them, but she suddenly felt a thousand years older. "I think that if you can't even say make love, you're probably not ready to."
Arianna looked a little disappointed, but nodded. "What's it like?" She quickly held up a hand. "I don't want details about Theo Nikos and you, but is it... well, is it what everyone says it is?"
With a sigh, weighing her words, she said, "It can be. With someone you love, sex can be amazing. It's so much more than physical." She wanted to roll her eyes at herself, sounding so knowledgeable about something which she had just recently discovered. "When you find the right person, you'll know. That doesn't mean you have to be married to him, but you should at least love him." She put an arm around Arianna's waist. "Does that help?"
After a moment, Arianna nodded. "Thank you, Leah."
"You're welcome." She dropped her arm with a glance at the clock on the wall. "Now I really have to hurry to finish dressing, or I'll be wearing my dressing gown to your party."
"At least you wouldn't outshine me," said Arianna, a teasing gleam in her eyes.
"Darling, no one can outshine you, especially tonight."
Despite her time constraints, Leah dressed with care. She wanted to be beautiful for Nikos, without any possibility of outshining Arianna. With that in mind, she chose an elegant black sheath with no straps. It hugged her curves before flaring slightly at the hips to swing around her legs at mid-thigh. High heels that killed her feet and the anniversary earrings completed the look. She had time for only a cursory makeup session, but added a little color to her cheeks, used mascara, and applied a pale pink lip gloss. Knowing Nikos liked her hair down, she left it flowing to her shoulders, noting in passing that it was time for a trim. She had lost all sense of time while on the island, immersed in her husband. Had it really been only three weeks since they had first made love?
Leah closed the drawer on her vanity and got to her feet, wincing at the heels. If they didn't do such amazing things for her legs, she would kick them off and throw them away. Nikos waited in the bedroom, looking incredibly handsome in a lightweight black suit with a scarlet tie. He growled low in his throat as she walked toward him.
"Are you wearing those silky little panties I adore?"
With a sultry smile, Leah lifted her skirt to show him her lace underwear and garter belt securing black thigh-highs. When he reached out to touch her, she lightly smacked his hand. "There's no time for that. Yet," she added in a throaty purr.
With a groan, Nikos offered his arm instead. "You are killing me."
She patted his hand on her arm. "You'll survive."
"Heartless temptress."
Leah couldn't hold back a laugh, unashamed she was silently enjoying his alleged misery. He had teased her often enough that it was satisfying to turn the tables. Not to mention his blatant desire boosted her ego and made her more aware of her own sensuality.
They arrived downstairs shortly before the influx of guests began arriving. When the doorbell rang a few minutes later, Nikos whispered in her ear. "We would have had time, agapi mou."
Leah smiled wickedly. "Perhaps ten minutes would satisfy you, but I require more time."
His lips twitched with suppressed amusement. "You will pay for that. You will have so much time, you'll beg me to stop."
She shook her head. "Never," she said with complete seriousness.
A group of giggling teenagers interrupted them, and they ended up separated as they mingled, acting more as chaperone than party guests until some of the older guests began arriving.
Leah spent the next hour circulating among the guests, making sure everyone had what they needed. It was strange to see some of Arianna's friends drinking as heavily as some older guests, but she knew alcohol wasn't the taboo in Greece that it was in America. She observed Arianna surreptitiously and was pleased to see the girl nursing the same glass of champagne she'd taken at the beginning of the party. Her handsome Greek boyfriend, Loukas, seemed just as sensible.
Shortly after, a slight disruption drew Leah's attention to another part of the room. Her stomach clenched when she recognized Maia Papadas at the center of a small group. A group that included her husband. Leah's eyes narrowed at the way Maia leaned toward Nikos, tossing her hair back as she laughed at something he'd said. Her hand settled on his forearm, but he made no move to brush it off.
Resolutely, Leah turned away from the sight, determined to ignore Maia's behavior. She had to trust Nikos if they were going to have a real marriage. He didn't seem to be in love with Maia any longer, so she had nothing to fear. She almost convinced herself of that as she greeted more guests and ensured the catering staff kept the food in steady supply. It was a party much like any other, despite Maia's unwelcome presence.
When the caterer indicated the birthday cake was ready, Leah nodded. She craned her head, finding Arianna easily. Leah approached the other girl, who was deep in conversation with Loukas, clearing her throat as she neared to avoid overhearing anything personal. "The cake is ready."
Arianna smiled. "So am I." She looked around. "Where is Theo Nikos?"
"I'll find him," Leah said. She turned from Arianna to scan the room, not spotting Nikos. Her eyes seemed to have an unerring ability to zero in on him wherever he was, but she didn't see him. With a small sigh of impatience, Leah went in search of Nikos.
She searched his study and their bedroom, along with the rooms near the party. As she passed near a small salon, the sound of Maia's voice made her pause. Leah turned to the door, peeking inside cautiously. The salon led to one of the gardens, and Maia was out on the patio, with the French doors still open. Standing near her was Nikos.
Leah gasped softly when Maia pressed herself closer to Nikos, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Erastís, you must forgive me. I was young and foolish. It scared me how much I loved you, so I ran away."
"Right into Kyrios Milanou's arms," said Nikos sardonically.
Maia clutched his lapels, looking up at him with a pleading expression. It was clearly contrived, but Leah wondered if Nikos had realized that. "I married Giorgis to please my father. He wanted the union." Her voice dropped an octave, forcing Leah to ease closer to hear. "You must know I had no love for him. When he held me in his arms, it was unpleasant to have that old man touching me." She trailed a hand down Nikos's chest, stopping dangerously close to his belt. "I only got through it by imagining it was your hands on me and you making love to me."
"Perhaps you imagined it was my fortune when you spent large amounts of his vast wealth?" Nikos shook his head. "No, it couldn't be, because you broke off our engagement when my father threatened to disown me if I didn't follow his plans for my life."
"That wasn't the reason---"
"Save it," said Nikos harshly, finally pushing her away. "I truly do not care any longer, Maia. I am not in love with you and haven't been for a long time."
"You could be again, with a little persuasion." There was a hint of petulance in her expression, despite her seductive drawl.
"I am married," said Nikos coldly. A smile spread across Leah's face, and she pressed a hand to her chest to still her racing heart. Perhaps she shouldn't take such joy in his rejection of his old lover, but she couldn't summon any guilt. The other woman was skulking about, trying to seduce her husband. No wonder she couldn't feel badly for her.
Maia's laugh was icy and stark, with no trace of real amusement. "You must be kidding. That girl is hopeless. It is clearly a sham marriage. I know your big heart and somewhat inflexibly morals, Nikos. You probably married her to take care of her after her father died in your brother's service."
Leah flinched at the almost accurate assessment of their situation.
"You know nothing of our relationship." Nikos looked pointedly at his watch. "It must be nearly time for the cake."
Taking that as her cue, Leah strode into the room, deliberately clicking her heels against the marble floor with more force than necessary. She pasted on a fake smile as she approached them. "There you are. The caterer is about to wheel out the cake." Leah walked straight to Nikos to put her arm around his waist. "She'll be heartbroken if you aren't there. She'd miss you almost as much as I have the last few hours." With a sexy smile, she lifted her head in his direction. Nikos instantly responded to her cue, bending his head to capture her mouth.
It had started as a way to demonstrate their marriage wasn't fake---at least not anymore---but the kiss quickly escalated. Nikos gathered her into his arms as his mouth plundered hers. Vaguely, Leah heard Maia say something in Greek. She didn't understand the words, but the tone revealed the other woman's rage. When neither of them broke apart, Maia said something else that sounded crude and spun on her heel. Her shoes tapped across the marble in staccato rhythm as she strode from the room.
Even with her gone, Leah couldn't tear herself from Nikos's embrace. In the back of her mind, she knew time was a precious commodity, but couldn't remember why they shouldn't be doing this now.
Fortunately, Nikos seemed slightly more clearheaded. He withdrew his mouth, lifting his head with a sigh that sounded regretful. "Cake now, agapi mou, and you later." He seemed to struggle to step away. "Both will be sweet, but I have no doubt which dessert I shall prefer."
Leah smothered a yawn, finding it difficult to keep her eyes open. The party was finally winding down, and most of the remaining guests were Arianna's friends. She cast a longing glance at the doorway, wishing she could excuse herself and go to bed. She'd spent too many nights with Nikos, not getting much sleep.
"Tired?" he asked, coming up behind her to put an arm around her waist.
She nodded. "Very. I hope the kids leave soon."
"Why don't you go on up to bed? I'll keep an eye on them." He glanced at his watch. "I need to check the markets anyway." Nikos waved a hand at the small group. "I don't think they can get into much mischief with me down the hall."
Another yawn escaped, and Leah let herself be persuaded. "I'll be lonely without you."
He chuckled. "Liar. You'll be sleeping."
"You can wake me up," she said in a husky whisper.
With a shake of his head, he patted her bottom and scooted her in the direction of the door. "I will be gallant and allow you to sleep tonight." His expression turned wicked. "For a while."
Leah had fallen into a deep sleep almost the instant her head hit the pillow. She awoke disoriented, uncertain what had awakened her so abruptly. A second later, she heard raised voices and realized the sound of an argument had roused her. She listened for a moment, recognizing Arianna and Nikos's voices. It wasn't like them to argue, and she slid from bed and wrapped herself in a robe before leaving the bedroom.
They stood down the hall, near Arianna's bedroom. Nikos was yelling and waving his hands, occasionally pointing at Arianna and Loukas, who stood beside her, looking frightened but determined not to show fear.
"What's going on?" Leah asked as she approached them.
"I caught this boy sneaking out of Arianna's room. They had..." He switched to Greek, unleashing a new wave of anger on the young couple.
"He was not sneaking, Theo Nikos. I am an adult, and I can do as I please."
"An adult?" His cold laugh made Leah flinch almost as much as Arianna. "You are a stupid girl, led by a stupid boy."
"She's not stupid," said Leah. "Arianna is a young woman, Nikos. This sort of thing is natural."
"Not for good Greek girls," he snarled. "You wait for marriage," he said to Arianna.
She rolled her eyes. "Your attitude is archaic, Theo. In New York, no one would think anything of me making love with my boyfriend."
Nikos winced, clearly disconcerted to hear the words coming from her. "We are not in New York. With this act, I see you have not spent nearly enough time in your homeland, learning proper behavior." He cursed. "You should be ashamed, both of you."
Loukas bowed his head, but Arianna straightened her shoulders. Leah stepped closer, sensing the situation would continue to escalate unless she could convince them to stop arguing. "It's late---"
They both ignored her. "I feel no shame. I love Loukas, and it was as Leah said."
Nikos turned his glower on Leah. "What did Leah say?"
"She told me sex can be beautiful with someone you love. You don't have to be married to be in love."
Leah gulped, not liking the way Nikos's eyes darkened. "It's late," she said again. "Why don't we go to bed and talk about this in the morning?"
He regarded her with an unreadable expression for a long second, before transferring his attention to Loukas. "I will escort the boy home."
Seeing Loukas tremble, Leah put her hand on Nikos's arm. "I'm sure he can find his way home just fine, Nikos."
"Yes, Kyria Andrakis," said the boy eagerly. He paused long enough to squeeze Arianna's hand before practically running down the stairs. His escape might have been amusing if not for the heavy tension remaining between her husband and his niece.
"I am going to bed," said Arianna haughtily as she spun on her heel and marched back into her room. The resounding slam of the door echoed through the hallway.
Leah stood awkwardly beside Nikos. His silence worried her, and she found herself trying to fill it. "It isn't the end of the world, you know."
He regarded her coldly. "I do not expect you to understand our ways. I also wouldn't have expected you to deliberately steer her down the wrong path."
Leah's mouth dropped open. "I didn't steer her anywhere, Nikos. She asked me a question, and I gave her the best answer I could."
"No. You gave her a trite, Western answer that excuses promiscuity."
She threw up her hands. "I can't reason with you when you're like this. I'm going to bed too." Leah turned and strode back to the bedroom, anger making her heart thump in her ears. She felt a tinge of guilt, wondering if his words were correct. Had Leah given Arianna an answer based on the values of her society instead of the girl's? With a shake of her head, she closed the bedroom door behind her. Whether he liked it or not, Arianna was a product of both cultures. She was also an adult, and Nikos would have to accept that.
Body still thrumming with anger, Leah returned to bed. She was certain she wouldn't be able to sleep with the adrenaline flowing, but exhaustion swept over her, returning her to a deep sleep within minutes.
She awoke later in the morning to someone shaking her. Felling heavy-headed, Leah blinked open her eyes, staring at Arianna with a touch of confusion.
"He's gone mad, Leah."
She blinked, forcing her eyes to focus on Arianna as she sat up in the bed. "Who?"
"Theo Nikos is insane. He's insisting I marry Loukas." The younger girl's lip trembled. "He's gone to discuss the particulars with Loukas's father."
"What?" She shook her head to clear it. "That's crazy."
Arianna nodded. "He insists it's the only way to fix this." She wrung her hands. "I don't want to marry him, Leah. I love Loukas, but it isn't the kind of deep love one needs for a marriage." She blushed. "I am not exactly in love with him, if you understand what I mean? I was curious, and he is handsome and kind..." Her blush deepened as she trailed off. "I wanted him to be my first lover, not my only lover."
Leah hugged Arianna. "I understand. It probably wasn't a wise decision, but it's an understandable one." She shook her head. "He can't really mean to force you to marry that boy."
Arianna nodded. "He has reserved the church for three days from now and sent for a seamstress to make me a dress. All that's left is to negotiate the deal with Loukas's father."
Leah nibbled on her lower lip. Nikos sounded determined to force the marriage. She knew how stubborn he could be, and getting him to change his mind would be difficult. It would be impossible with Arianna's presence. Making a decision she prayed she wouldn't regret, Leah said, "Pack a bag while I make arrangements for you to travel back to New York. Once Nikos calms down, I'm sure I can persuade him that trying to force you to marry Loukas isn't the right answer." To her relief, she sounded much more confident than she felt.
Arianna threw herself against Leah, hugging her hard. "Thank you, Leah."
"It will be okay," she said, patting the girl's back while hoping she wasn't lying to her. The thought of facing Nikos's anger induced a wave of nausea as she slid from the bed, forcing her to swallow hard. Please let him be reasonable, she thought to herself.
"You did what?" Nikos's roared filled the salon, making Leah wince. "You had no right interfering, Leah."
She squared her shoulders. "I did the right thing, Nikos. When you've calmed down, you'll realize that. It's foolish to try to make her marry Loukas. She's only eighteen."
"You undermine my authority and then call me foolish?" His voice was arctic, cutting through her to the bone. "You are the foolish one, interfering with my family."
She glared at him. "We got married so I could help take care of Arianna. I've done my best to watch out for her and protect her. Right now, she needs protecting from your crazy Greek pride."
Nikos said something in Greek before leaning in close, his face against hers. "It is not crazy pride that motivates my decision. Arianna made a mistake, and I am fixing it."
"It wasn't a mistake." She ran a hand through her hair. "She's a teenager. Teenagers have sex. It's not a big deal."
"You didn't," he said quietly.
Leah faltered. "Everyone is different."
"If you, an American, can wait until marriage, why can't my niece?" He exhaled harshly. "I do not understand how she could do this."
His confusion cut through her annoyance, and she put a hand on his shoulder. "Arianna loved him. She acknowledges it isn't the kind of love she should have for her husband, but she does care for him. Arianna chose him for her first. It was her choice, not yours or mine. You have to let this go, Nikos. She's too young to get married, especially to someone she doesn't love."
He compressed his lips. "You do not need love to make a marriage work. Look at us."
She barely kept herself from reacting as though he'd struck her physically. In a cool voice, she said, "We have love for Arianna in common. We're also older and more mature. Marriages of convenience aren't the norm, especially for eighteen-year-old girls."
His gaze settled on her with disconcerting intensity. "You told her she would enjoy making love when she was in love."
Leah shifted uneasily. "Yeah. I was trying to give her a good answer."
"Do you believe what you told her?"
Sensing dangerous territory ahead, Leah cleared her throat. "Yes," she finally said reluctantly.
"Yet how would you know, Leah mou? I have been your only lover."
Wishing fervently he would return to his state of anger from minutes before, she searched for an answer. "I believe a young woman should feel love for the boy she takes as a lover." She shrugged, affecting a careless demeanor. "Adult women don't have the same requirements."
"Hmmm." He seemed to weigh her words. "That is good. It means you require no false sentiment to come to my bed, being an adult," he said with a hint of mockery.
Feeling trapped, she tipped up her chin. "Of course not. We both know how pleasurable sex can be. Who needs anything else?"
"Indeed." Nikos startled her by sweeping her into his arms. "I find I'm in the mood for some pleasure after the day I've had. Do you object?"
How could she and maintain her façade? The last thing she wanted to do was admit she'd fallen in love with him and face his rejection. Or even worse, his pity. A shudder ran through her. "Not at all." The physical pleasure might dull some of the emotional ache that came from loving him without reciprocation.
Nikos had left by the time she awakened the next morning. Nausea had crept up her throat, making her regret the marathon lovemaking that had led them to skip dinner. A quick breakfast of a boiled egg and oatmeal had her feeling better, and her thoughts turned to Nikos.
To her relief, he had mentioned nothing else about a marriage between Arianna and Loukas. Perhaps he had acknowledged his overreaction to the situation.
Now that Arianna was back in New York, she expected Nikos to cut short their vacation and return to the city. In preparation, Leah returned to the master bedroom and pulled down her suitcases, intending to pack everything except a couple of outfits, in case they stayed through tomorrow. She had filled half a suitcase when a knock sounded. "Come in," she called.
Irina entered, clicking her tongue when she saw Arianna's luggage. "I will do that, Kyria."
Leah waved a hand. "It's fine, Irina. It keeps me occupied."
The older woman scowled. "You have a visitor to keep you occupied, if you want to receive her."
Leah arched a brow. "Who?"
Irina appeared to be choking when she said, "Maia Papadas."
She grimaced. "Tell her Nikos will be back sometime later in the morning." That might or might not be true, but it should get rid of the other woman, at least for a time.
"She asked specifically for you, Kyria Leah."
Leah groaned. "I wonder what she wants."
"I can send her away," suggested Irina with an unaccustomed hardness in her gaze.
She contemplated it and shrugged. "No. I'll see what she wants. I might as well get it over with." After the display she and Nikos had given her at Arianna's party, Leah had half-expected a confrontation with Maia.
Leah took a moment to straighten her appearance and gather her wits. Her stomach clenched with nervousness as she left the bedroom and walked downstairs to the salon. With each step, Leah tried reminding herself that Maia couldn't hurt her, no matter how catty she became. After all, Leah had the man Maia wanted, so she was the ultimate victor in any battle.
Maia had draped herself artfully on a sofa, the white fabric highlighting her golden-brown skin and turquoise sundress that looked deceptively casual, meaning it had probably cost a fortune. She swung one foot, encased in silver sandals with dangerously high heels, as though she had no cares.
Leah hovered in the doorway for a second, but forced herself to enter the room and take a seat across from the other woman. "Hello," she said with as much coolness as she could muster. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked with a trace of mocking.
Maia's eyes narrowed, but then her mouth curved into a satisfied smile. She leaned forward slightly, as though preparing to attack. "I knew there had to be a reason."
"That's what I'm trying to discern. What is the reason for your visit?"
Maia wrinkled her nose. "I meant there had to be a reason for your marriage. Specifically, for Nikos playing the doting husband." She tapped her long nails, painted scarlet, against the glass of the coffee table. "I could think of several scenarios for why he would marry you, but not why he would pretend to be happy about it."
"Perhaps you should consider that it isn't a pretense." She was proud of herself for not betraying any reaction, though her stomach tightened. Maia was much too pleased to have news that would be good for Leah.
Maia's cold laugh held more scorn than amusement. "You poor, deluded fool. Have you imagined Nikos has fallen in love with you?" She raked a contemptuous glance down Leah, clad in khaki shorts and a pale pink tank top. "Did you sway him with your impeccable sense of fashion?" Her lids lowered slightly. "Or maybe it was your prowess in the bedroom?"
Leah shifted slightly. "I'm sure there's a point to your visit, so can you please get to it?"
Her expression was so malicious that it contorted the other woman's face into something not even remotely beautiful. "Here is the reason for your marriage." She lifted a manila envelope from the table and tossed it at Leah. "I can assure you it has nothing to do with love, you little fool."
Leah caught the envelope automatically. Her first instinct was to drop it on the floor and refuse to see the contents, but she didn't. She had to know what had made Maia so happy. With shaking hands, she lifted the flap and pulled out a thin sheaf of papers. A cursory glance revealed legal jargon. "What is this?"
"Those are the papers that allow Nikos, as your husband, to act as a voting proxy for your shares of Andrakis Corporation."
Leah shook her head. "You're crazy. I don't own any Andrakis stock."
"Wrong." Maia laughed, clearly enjoying her revelations. "Dmitri gave your father ten percent of the company ages ago. That came to you upon his death, and you blindly handed over the control to your husband." She shook her head, sending glossy strands cascading over her shoulder. "Did you really think he loved you?"
It took every ounce of control, but Leah managed to hide her bewilderment and the stirrings of anger. "I allowed Nikos to vote for me because he knows the company," she bluffed. "Besides, I hardly think he would have tied himself to me just to get back my ten percent. He could have bought me out."
"Not then, he couldn't. When Dmitri died, the company was in trouble. Nikos managed to turn it around, but the company couldn't have absorbed the costs of buying you out, and Nikos was using his own money to finance the day-to-day expenses of the company and of caring for Dmitri's daughter."
Her chest ached with a hollow pain, and she found it more difficult to maintain a calm façade. "My share would hardly matter. I couldn't do anything with ten percent."
Maia shook her head. "Kostas had given away other shares before Dmitri took over, shortly after he started the company. He was the son of a poor fisherman and didn't have the necessary capital. His partners had shares in the company."
"What has this to do with me?" asked Leah coldly, desperate to be rid of the other woman.
"Kostas purchased back much of the stock he'd used for collateral, but there remained bits and pieces among friends and family. Dmitri attempted to buy back the shares when the company was strong, but a few refused to sell." Maia leaned a little closer. "The other shareholders were pressuring Dmitri to take the company public. He remained steadfast about keeping it a private corporation, and he had your father's full support. However, when they died, you were left with enough shares to secure a majority share of the company if you'd thrown in with the others."
Leah's head spun, and she shook it, trying to clear her thoughts. "You're lying. Nikos didn't even want to run Andrakis Corporation."
"True." Maia shrugged. "Nevertheless, he is Greek and knows the importance of family. He wanted to honor Dmitri's plans for the company." She grimaced. "Nikos was willing to do anything, apparently."
"Get out." Leah stopped caring about hiding her reactions. She got to her feet, letting the envelope scatter on the marble floor.
Maia regarded her coolly. "I will leave, but only for a short time. Now that you know the truth, you have no reason to stay."
She straightened her shoulders. "Nikos still needs to control my shares."
The other woman gained her feet in one fluid motion. "Not any longer. He has reacquired all other stock, and the company can easily purchase your stocks. He has control of your stock, so I am puzzled why he's keeping you around. Perhaps he has decided a divorce is too expensive, or he doesn't want to risk you being petulant and refusing to sell the shares now that the company is almost fully under his control." Her eyes narrowed, and the smiled widened. "My theory is he has decided to woo you into signing over those stocks. He's trying to make you so besotted that you will agree to anything. Once you give up the stock, it will be the end of your 'marriage'." Her laugh was full of cruel mockery.
"I want you to leave. If you come back---"
Maia's eyes narrowed. "Oh, I shall return. Soon, I will be Kryia Andrakis. I made a foolish decision years ago, but I refuse to let Nikos slip through my fingers again." An expression resembling pity flashed across her face. "You can't really think you would be able to compete with me?" Without another word, she turned and strode from the room, her heels tapping against the marble.
Leah sagged into the chair, leaning down to pick up the dropped envelope. She pulled out the papers and examined them more thoroughly. Her signature appeared on several pages, all authorizing Nikos to control her shares of the company for as long as they remained married, unless she revoked the right. At the time, she had signed them without really reading, assuming the papers were more paperwork relating to their marriage contract.
Nausea burned in the back of her throat, and she swallowed thickly. Nikos had told her she was penniless. Selling the stock would have allowed her to finish her education and have the life she'd wanted. He must have thought she would choose her own comforts over allowing him to keep the company under his control.
Marriage had been such a drastic step to secure the shares. Of course, he had needed a companion for Arianna. It must have seemed like a small sacrifice, exchanging three years for total control of the Andrakis Corporation.
So why had he suggested extending the marriage? Had he developed feelings for her? Or was it as Maia had theorized, that he was trying to make her fall in love with him so desperately that she would do anything he asked? Was it simply a matter of convenience? He had said he didn't want to start over in another relationship. Was she merely his convenient wife, made even more convenient now that she was fulfilling all her wifely duties?
He hadn't expected Maia to be available. Would he change his mind now that he knew she wanted to take on the role she had shunned years before? Or would he keep Maia as a mistress and Leah as his wife?
Her lips compressed at the thought. She refused to be in that position. It didn't matter why he had changed his mind, or even if he had changed it again. What mattered was their marriage had begun under false pretenses, and he had deliberately withheld the only way she could have maintained her original plans for the future. In just a few minutes, the truth had shattered all the trust she'd placed in him.
Anger cut through the numb disbelief, and she jumped to her feet. The pages scattered around the floor, but she didn't stoop to pick them up. Her focus was centered on returning to her packing, but not with the intention of waiting for Nikos to decide it was time to return to New York. She would arrange for the jet to take her home. Once in the city, she would move her things from his penthouse apartment and go on with the plans she'd made when their marriage was supposed to dissolve at the end of summer.
Anger fueled her movements, and she filled her cases in less than an hour. Leah was stuffing clothes into the last bag when the bedroom door opened. Her spine stiffened, her heart raced, and her stomach churned as Nikos came in.
He seemed to be in a better mood than yesterday, and she briefly remembered Arianna's plight. If he was still intent on forcing a marriage, Leah would do her best to stop him. Forcing a marriage must be his answer to everything, she thought sardonically.
He drew up short, his gaze on the packed bags. "What's going on?"
"It's time to return to New York," she said in an icy tone.
Nikos frowned. "Has something happened? Is Arianna ill?"
She shook her head. "No."
He walked closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back against him. "What's the rush? I thought we could stay a while longer, just the two of us. It could be the honeymoon we never had."
She had stiffened at his touch, and now she jerked away. "The honeymoon we never had that went with the marriage we never should have had."
With a sharp exhalation, he turned her to face him. "What has happened? You are angry."
"Yes, but more than that, I'm just done." She didn't like the hint of defeat bleeding through in her voice.
His face reflected his bewilderment. "Done with what?"
"This." She waved her hand vaguely. "The whole situation, Nikos. I'm through with this sham of a marriage."
He frowned. "What happened to extending our arrangement?"
"What happened to honesty?" She advanced toward him, spurred by her anger. "You lied to me. You kept my share of the company shrouded in paperwork, taking advantage of my grief to take over the stocks, knowing I was in no state to realize what you were doing."
Nikos flinched. "What are you talking about?"
"Ask Maia," she tossed out glibly. "She knows everything about your motivations for the marriage. More than I do, but I'm just your wife."
"I had no motivations beyond Arianna's welfare," he bit out.
"I don't believe you, Nikos." She turned away from him. "I can't trust you, and we can't have a relationship if there's no trust."
"You're leaving, just like that?"
She nodded, glad he couldn't see the tears pushing against her eyelids. "It's over."
"No, not yet." Nikos strode to the door. "You are not going anywhere."
She glared at him. "Try to stop me."
A nasty smile made his lips curve. "Gladly, agapi mou." He slammed the door behind him. Leah rushed toward it as she heard a key turn in the lock.
"What are you doing?" She pounded on the door. "Nikos?"
"I am ensuring you stay put."
Leah yelled his name as the sound of his footfalls faded. "You bastard." She hit the door again before sagging against it, drained. It had been her plan to avoid a confrontation, at least until she was back in New York. Her racing mind had supplied a few scenarios for how it would go when she told him the marriage was over, but this had never occurred to her. She had never dreamed her husband would lock her in their bedroom, like a prisoner.
Like a prisoner? She was a prisoner. Trapped in his bedroom, in his house, and in his country, Leah was at Nikos's mercy.
The minutes crept by, and she paced the room while waiting for his return. At one point, Leah walked onto the balcony, but a look down confirmed the drop to the ground would be dangerous. The longer she paced, the more Leah seethed. When the lock finally turned in the door, she turned to face him as he entered the room, with her feet solidly planted, as though bracing herself.
"What do you think you're doing? You can't lock me in this room. I'm leaving."
His face tightened. "Not yet, you aren't."
"Stop me." Leah straightened her spine and strode forward. His hand clamped around her arm as she tried to pass him. "Release me, Nikos."
"If you want to leave, then you can---once you take this." He shoved a bag into her hand.
Leah took it automatically, opening the plastic bag to find a three-pack of home pregnancy tests and a specimen cup. She blinked, looking up at him with confusion. "What is this about?"
"It is about you not leaving until I know if you're carrying my child," said Nikos, his expression unreadable.
She closed the bag and tried to push it back into his hands, but he wouldn't take it. "This is crazy. I'm not pregnant. I can't be." Leah stared pointedly at the bedside table before looking back at him. "You always used protection."
"Always?" he asked silkily. "I think you're forgetting the first night we made love. If you're honest with yourself, you'll acknowledge our passion was so intense that we didn't always act responsibly."
Leah paled, but shook her head. "I'd know if I were pregnant."
He shrugged. "You haven't had your monthly visitor in weeks."
Her face burned. "How would you know? Are you keeping track?"
Nikos snorted. "Not at all, but you haven't been indisposed at all since we became lovers. Any person with a scintilla of observation would see that."
She dropped her gaze, not wanting to admit that she hadn't been keeping track. Her mind raced as she tried to remember when she'd last had a cycle. A sinking feeling hit the pit of her stomach when she realized she had been in New York the last time. They'd been here for weeks, and she was usually regular.
Leah swallowed audibly. "Fine, just to humor you, I'll take one." She lifted her head, meeting his gaze. "Just so we're clear, when the test is negative, you aren't stopping me from leaving."
His mouth curled at one corner. "I wouldn't dream of making you stay against your will, agapi mou." She turned toward the bathroom, freezing when he added, "Unless my child is inside you."
With a mutinous set of her shoulders, she advanced to the bathroom, uttering a sound of protest when he pushed open the door. "I can handle this alone."
Nikos arched his brow. "Of course you can, but I do not trust you to tell me the truth." He took the bag from her to withdraw the specimen cup. "You take care of this part, and I'll supervise the testing process."
"You're such an insufferable bastard." She snatched the cup from his hand. His chuckle followed her into the bathroom. Under her breath, she cursed him as she set about the task at hand. Performance anxiety caused a delay, but she finally managed to produce a sample.
With a sinking heart, she set the cup on the counter. "You can come in now," she said with reluctance, wanting to put off the test. She wanted to deny that she could be pregnant, but the more she thought about it, the more things made sense---like the bouts of nausea and her fatigue. She had attributed them to other causes, but now she couldn't help reevaluating the past few weeks, mentally searching for clues.
Nikos entered, holding a test in his hand. She took the foil package from him and ripped it open, despite her shaking hands. With a deep breath, Leah dipped the test stick into the cup. Even before she could put the cap back on and lay it flat, a faint test line started to appear. As she watched, the line became clearer and darker than the control line.
Nikos's breath stirred her hair as he exhaled from behind her. "You are pregnant."
You don't have to sound so pleased about it, she thought sourly. "It could be a false positive. The instructions said it would take up to ten minutes to be accurate. The line appeared immediately, so it must be a faulty test."
"That is unlikely, but test again." He withdrew another test. "This is a digital test." This time, her hands shook too much to allow her to open the package, so he did it himself and performed the test. The small screen displayed "Pregnant" in less than a minute. Nikos extended it to her. "This is also positive. You must admit the odds of two tests being defective are low."
She shrugged. "It could be a bad batch."
"Very well." He nodded decisively as he swept the tests into the trashcan. "We'll leave for New York within the hour. I shall arrange for you to see the best obstetrician in the city, and he can confirm your pregnancy."
"Don't say that," she hissed. "It isn't my anything. I'm not pregnant."
"We shall see," he said with apparent neutrality, though his eyes gleamed.
Two days later, Leah sat in the car beside Nikos as the limousine took them back to the apartment. She clutched a folder full of prenatal care tips in her hand but hadn't opened it. It was surreal, but there was no denying her pregnancy. The urine test at the doctor's office had yielded the same results, which the ob-gyn had confirmed with an ultrasound.
"There he---or she---is," Dr. Anderson had said, pointing with an elegantly manicured nail to a little blob on the screen. "That's the fetal pole, which is a good sign. It's too early to see the heartbeat, since you're only about five weeks pregnant." She must have seen Leah's look of confusion, because she added, "Don't forget we're counting from the first day of your last cycle, not the date of conception."
Leah's glance dropped to the ultrasound picture Nikos held in his hand. He had taken the printout reverently, while she had wanted to run from the room and pretend like this wasn't happening. The little blob looked like nothing discernable and certainly not the beginnings of their baby.
Their baby. She shook her head at the notion. Nikos was the father of her child. Anger still simmered within her at his deception. She should hate the idea of having his child. Instead, her heart swelled, and a lump of moisture settled in her throat. Hesitantly, she placed a hand low on her abdomen, amazed that a new life grew there.
She jumped when Nikos put his hand over hers. "Don't touch me."
He sighed heavily. "Leah, you must move past this unreasonable anger. We have to make our marriage work, for the baby's sake."
Leah sniffed. "How barbaric, to stay married for a baby. I can raise him just fine on my own, thank you."
His lips thinned. "Perhaps you could, but you won't. He will have two parents."
"Of course. I didn't mean you wouldn't be part of his life. I simply meant having a baby is no reason to stay together."
Nikos quirked his brow. "You have changed your opinion in such a short amount of time, agapi mou."
Leah frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"At the Kakos party, you said the needs of a child, particularly a young one, had to come before the wants of the parents, to paraphrase. Our baby needs both of us, no matter how much you want to leave me."
Leah flinched, remembering the conversation. She squirmed, unable to refute her original statement. She truly felt that way, but the idea of remaining trapped in a marriage to a man who had manipulated and used her brought tears to her eyes. She blinked them away, setting her mouth into a firm line. "You're right. He needs us, but I want no semblance of a marriage with you, Nikos. We'll return to our previous arrangement, one of roommates instead of lovers."
He cursed softly. "Why must you be so childish about this, Leah? You will deny us both the pleasure we can give each other because of your need for revenge?"
Her mouth dropped, and she whipped her head to the side to glare at him. "It isn't a childish need for revenge. I can't share my body with someone I don't trust."
Nikos scowled. "Very well, Leah. If we are to return to our previous arrangement, do not expect me to wait at home for a scrap of affection."
"I'm sure you can find what you need elsewhere," she said coldly, though her heart tore into pieces at the thought of him with another woman. Yet she couldn't have it both ways. It was devastating to imagine him with a mistress, but she was too hurt to be his wife.
The next few years stretched before her, a wasteland of emptiness. She couldn't regret conceiving a child, but she fervently wished it had been with a man who loved her as much as she loved Nikos. In her heart, she wanted no other man except him, but without trust, what future could they have?
Leah spent the next few weeks in a haze, going through the motions of everyday activities without feeling anything. No, that wasn't true. She was terrified of the future. She was also terrified of her continued physical reaction to Nikos. Whenever he was near, she had to keep reminding herself that she wasn't going to touch him.
Was she refusing to make love with him to punish him, and ending up also punishing herself? Leah didn't think she was that petty. It was difficult to look at Nikos without remembering the sharp agony of discovering the true reason for their marriage. That agony had faded to a duller, constant ache, but being near him was still torturous. That she could still desire him at the same time baffled her.
At least Nikos seemed to have dropped the idea of Arianna marrying Loukas. Tension remained between them, but they seemed to have declared a tentative truce. Arianna was due to depart for college next week, having decided to go earlier than planned, since they had ended the vacation so abruptly. Leah suspected the girl might be escaping before Nikos could change his mind.
If only she could escape so easily. The atmosphere was stifling, making her want to run screaming from the house, though that would solve nothing. Until the baby was older, she was trapped in a loveless marriage with Nikos.
It depressed her to visualize another few years of the empty relationship. At least before they had made love, she had convinced herself she didn't love him any longer. She'd also had Arianna as a focus of her attention. What would she do with herself from the time Arianna left until the baby came? Leah was looking forward to having the baby, but it was difficult to summon much enthusiasm when she was feeling so low.
She continued to drift through the days, lost in her own thoughts. Once Arianna departed the household a week later, she was even more lost and lonely, but couldn't reach out to Nikos. He would likely offer comfort, and perhaps suggest they try to build a real marriage again, but she couldn't risk exposing herself to more pain.
A few days after Arianna had left, Leah was in the study, attempting to focus her attention on a natural health pregnancy book. It was one of a stack she'd discovered on the table near Nikos's desk. Nikos was the only one who could have purchased the books, since it was unlikely one of the housemaids or the cook would have bought them. It touched her heart that he was so involved with the pregnancy, and it added to her confusion. How could he be so thoughtful, yet so deceptive?
The door opened, but she didn't look up, expecting it to be one of the maids. Nikos had left for the office hours ago, and he'd taken to coming home later and later each evening. She couldn't help wondering if he had found a mistress. It shouldn't hurt if he had, but she could barely breathe when contemplating the idea.
As the door closed, she looked up, alerted to his presence through some subtle sixth sense she had developed in regards to him. "Hello." She couldn't believe how difficult it was to get out the simple greeting and keep her voice neutral.
"Hello." He cast a glance at the books on the table, along with the one on her lap, looking sheepish. "It's probably too early to buy those..."
She managed a small smile. "I guess you can't start preparing for this kind of thing too early."
He nodded. "Do you have a moment?"
Leah hesitated. "Why?"
"I want to show you something."
She bit her lower lip, considering refusing. Without a good reason, her refusal would be churlish. She didn't want to punish him by behaving childishly. It was in both their interests to achieve, and maintain, a mature friendship since they would be raising a child together. "Sure." Taking time to fold the corner of the page that she had reread several times without absorbing any information, she set the book on the cushion beside her. He looked poised to assist her when she got to her feet, but she stepped away before he could touch her with the hand he seemed to have raised instinctively.
He sighed audibly, but said nothing about it. "Thanks."
"No problem," she said, slightly aloof, as she walked beside him. When they took the stairs, she tensed. Was he planning to steer her into the master suite? Would he try to persuade her to make love? Would she let him?
She breathed a slight sigh of relief, and tried to ignore a twinge of disappointment, when they bypassed the bedroom. Leah wondered if he was going to surprise her with a renovated room, turned into a nursery. Her lips twitched. If so, he was certainly being proactive, since she wasn't quite eight weeks along yet.
Instead, he led her farther down the hallway, to the door that provided roof access. Intrigued, Leah climbed up the flight of stairs, wondering what he wanted to show her on the roof.
They emerged into the sweltering heat, and she shielded her eyes from the sun. "Are we going for a swim?" she asked lightly, as they walked toward the pool.
"No." He walked past the pool and lounge chairs around it. When Nikos moved slightly, Leah caught sight of a white building that hadn't been there before. Her heart skipped a beat. She stopped beside him when he came to a halt.
"Is that a greenhouse?"
Nikos nodded. "The workers set up everything this morning." He gestured to the area beside it, where someone had built raised gardening beds and filled them with rich soil.
Leah blinked, speechless for a long moment. "Why?" she finally asked.
He turned to face her. "I want you to be happy, Leah. You told me you'd missed gardening during the time we'd been married. I want you to have it back again."
Her eyes blurred, and she blinked back tears. "I... I don't know what to say."
He pushed the hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. "Say you'll be happy here, with me." Nikos paused before adding, "Or say you'll at least try to be happy. Seeing you mope around pains me, agapi mou."
Leah met his gaze, and the air around them crackled with anticipation. "Why does it hurt you? My sadness won't hurt the baby."
Nikos ran a rough hand through his hair, betraying his frustration. "Not everything is about the baby. You are my wife, and I hate seeing you act like a prisoner, serving a life sentence."
Leah closed her eyes, struggling to form a reply. "I'm doing the best I can." His gaze was still locked on hers when she lifted her eyelids. "I can't promise you anything, except I will stay until the baby is older. I don't know if I can be happy with you."
He jerked away, starting to pace. "You were happy on Trini Island. We were happy. Can't we go back there?" Nikos stopped in front of her, his expression a mixture of frustration and earnestness.
Leah shook her head. "I can't. I don't know what was real and what wasn't."
"This is real." He pulled her into his arms, holding her still when she tried to pull free. Anger had darkened his eyes, but they softened as he held her. She didn't try to get away when he lowered his head to kiss her. It took every ounce of inner strength to hold herself rigid when his lips touched hers.
Nikos kissed her gently, coaxing her mouth open to slip his tongue inside. Ire had prompted the kiss, but his soft strokes were persuasive, not punishing.
With a moan, Leah threaded her fingers through Nikos's hair, holding his mouth against hers. A little voice inside her brain screamed at her to stop. If she gave in and made love with him now, she would never sort out the truth from the lies. Her own emotions would overwhelm her, and she would be lost.
The voice faded to a distant whisper when Nikos cupped her breast, gently thumbing a nipple. The pregnancy made it more sensitive, and she inhaled audibly. He immediately stopped. "Did I hurt you?"
"Yes, a little, but in a good way." A blush made her face hot as she made the admission.
Nikos laughed lightly. "I want to make love to you, Leah."
She touched the tip of her tongue to her dry lips, watching his eyes follow the movement. "Are there strings attached to your gift?"
His eyes widened, and he shook his head. "The garden is yours to do with as you wish. I wanted to make you happy, not try to force you into something you clearly find distasteful."
As Nikos stepped away, Leah stepped forward, pressing her hand to his chest. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." She rested her forehead against his shoulder, unable to look into his eyes. "I don't trust you, Nikos, and I'm not sure what you want, or why you wanted to stay married, but I know you wouldn't force me into your bed."
Leah gasped when he wrapped his arms around her once more, pulling her so tightly against him that it was almost uncomfortable. The proof of his need pressed into her belly, and she moved her hand slowly down his body to caress him.
Nikos made a sound similar to a growl, shaking his head. "No."
"I thought you wanted this?"
"I do, agapi mou, but not on the roof. I want you in my bed, where I've dreamed of having you since we got home."
Pushing aside her confusion, Leah took the hand he extended and walked with him back into the house. She cast a glance over her shoulder as they entered, feeling a stir of excitement about the garden.
The garden couldn't match the excitement and anticipation of their forthcoming union. The bedroom door closed with a resounding thud when he kicked it shut, his hands too busy tugging at her clothes to perform the task.
Leah occupied herself with stripping him just as determinedly. When they were nude, he lifted her onto the bed, coming down on top of her. His touch ignited a firestorm that she had banked the past few weeks. The heat seemed like it would consume her as they spent the next few hours kissing and touching, stroking and exploring.
Afterward, she lay beside him, spent. Nikos kissed her lightly and laid his palm across her stomach. "You are so sexy to me, with my child growing inside you."
Leah's lips curved slightly. "I'll bet you won't say that in a few months. I'll be huge."
"You could be the size of a house and still be beautiful." He lowered his head to kiss the skin above his hand. "And sexy."
She couldn't suppress a giggle when his lips tickled her. "I doubt that, but I'll pretend like it's true."
"No more pretending." His expression had turned serious. "We have to talk, about everything." Nikos seemed to be contemplating something. "I need to tell you..."
Leah put her finger against his lips. "Hold that thought. I hate to be indelicate, but I have to... you know." She waved in the direction of the en suite bathroom.
Nikos shook his head, but appeared amused. "I am trying to pour my heart out to you, woman."
Her stomach clenched at his words. Was he implying what she thought he was? The moment stretched, the silence lengthening. Leah wanted to hear what he would say next, but the need became urgent, and she sat up. Separating from him was almost physically painful, and she wondered how she had made it almost three weeks without making love with him, despite her emotional turmoil.
She hurried to the bathroom, finishing as quickly as possible. Her thighs were slick, and she frowned. Looking down, she saw blood. Her heart forgot how to beat for a moment as she stared at the blood on her legs and hand, frozen as her mind processed the implications.
Eventually, she broke the paralysis and rushed from the bathroom, pausing only long enough to grab a robe. "I'm bleeding."
Nikos moved so quickly she almost didn't see him get to his feet. He rushed to her, taking her into his arms. Tears welled, and she sobbed quietly.
Nikos rubbed her back. "Do not cry. We were vigorous with our lovemaking, Leah. There might not even be a problem."
She swallowed hard, managing a shaky nod. "Maybe."
"Let me get dressed, and I shall take you to the hospital, just to make sure."
She nodded again, knowing it was the sensible decision, but reluctant to go. If there was a problem, the hospital would discover it. If she was losing the baby, she wouldn't be able to deny it if confronted with proof. Acting instinctively, she cupped her stomach, desperate to protect her unborn child.
The ride to the hospital was a blur. Nikos had driven her in the BMW instead of waiting for the limousine or an ambulance. She closed her eyes for most of the trip as he sped through traffic, negotiating his way through confidently, but at a speed that left her nauseated.
He left the car idling in front of the emergency department entrance, clearly uncaring about receiving a ticket or if the vehicle was towed. Leah leaned against him when he put his arm around her, drawing strength from his support.
The waiting room had only a few people waiting, much to her relief. Nikos checked her in while she curled into a chair, hugging herself and trying not to cry. With a start, she realized she hadn't changed out of the robe. It was mildly embarrassing, but she couldn't summon enough energy to really care.
He returned to her, sitting in the next chair, and they waited. Her stomach fluttered a few times, and she had some cramps. By the time a nurse took them back to a room, she wasn't feeling optimistic about the baby's chances.
Dr. Anderson entered the room a few minutes later. "I called her," said Nikos, apparently noticing her surprise.
Dr. Anderson performed an exam as she asked Leah questions. A few moments later, she sat on a stool by Leah's bed. "Your cervix is still closed, so that's a good sign. I want to get an ultrasound. The technician will bring in a portable machine as soon as he's free."
"He had better be free quickly," said Nikos with a hint of steel.
The stool squeaked when the doctor stood up. "I'll see what I can do to hurry the process, Mr. Andrakis."
When she left the room, Leah managed a feeble smile. "You're shameless, trying to intimidate them into preferential treatment."
His tight lips and the lines under his eyes revealed his worry, but he also managed a little smile. "What good is it to be a captain of industry if I cannot use my position for favors?"
She started to laugh, but a sob emerged instead. He was there in seconds, lying beside her on the narrow bed and taking her into his arms. "I'm so scared, Nikos."
"As am I, agapi mou." He squeezed her gently before saying, "I am a selfish bastard."
Leah turned her head to look at him. "What?"
"Our child is in danger, and all I can think of is that you'll leave me if you lose the baby." He studied her intently. "Promise me you won't leave, even if the baby is... gone."
Leah sighed. "I can't do this right now, Nikos. I can't promise anything. I can't even think clearly. I just need to know he's okay."
After a second, Nikos nodded, drawing her close again. "Of course. I told you I am a selfish bastard."
She shook her head against his shoulder. "No. You have done some things that might be wrong, but I don't doubt you did them for reasons you believed justified the end results. You had to protect Arianna and the company. It's her inheritance."
"Leah---"
The arrival of an ultrasound technician interrupted whatever he might have said. The man gave a frown of disapproval at seeing Nikos in the bed with her but had the good sense not to say anything.
The cold gel made her wince when he squirted it on her stomach a couple of minutes later. "I hope we can get this abdominally," commented the technician. "The other way isn't pleasant." She remembered the other method from her earlier ultrasound and winced again.
Fortunately, the man got a clear picture and spent a few minutes looking at the screen, not uttering a word. Leah couldn't even discern where the baby was, so she knew nothing more when the man left to fetch the obstetrician.
The wait was interminable, though Dr. Anderson couldn't have taken more than five minutes to arrive. Without speaking, she also performed an ultrasound. Leah studied the doctor's face, looking for a clue in the impassive expression.
Finally, Dr. Anderson put away the probe and scooted the stool closer. "I'm sorry, Leah, but the baby stopped growing a couple of weeks ago."
She shook her head. "No. I still feel pregnant. I've had morning sickness, afternoon sickness, and fatigue."
Dr. Anderson seemed genuinely sad. "The baby is gone. Your body just doesn't know it yet."
Nikos had been quiet, though he'd taken her hand when the doctor started speaking. "What happens now?"
"I can admit you to the hospital overnight for a D and C in the morning, or you can take medication at home to induce the miscarriage."
"No." Leah couldn't bear the thought of that. "I don't want to have to know, have to feel it." She already hurt so much, deep in her heart, that she couldn't take any more physical pain.
"Okay." Dr. Anderson made a notation on the computer before turning to Nikos. "We'll do the procedure around nine in the morning, and you should be able to pick her up by two."
His mouth firmed. "I'm not leaving her."
She didn't try to argue with him. "I'll get you two into a room as quickly as possible."
Late the next afternoon, Leah clung to Nikos's arm as he led her into their apartment building from the parking garage. The anesthetic had left her woozy, but it hadn't dulled the emotional pain. The elevator ferried them to their floor, and he opened the door with his key instead of waiting for a maid to open it.
As she crossed the threshold, tears slipped from her eyes. It was unbelievable that she'd been pregnant the last time she'd stood here. The tears intensified with the thought that she had been carrying a dead child just yesterday.
Nikos didn't try to get her to stop crying. He merely lifted her, carrying her to their room. He put her down briefly to open the door before taking her to his bed. Leah curled into a ball of misery, curving into him when he lay beside her, holding her as she wept.
As she let out her grief, Leah looked at him through blurred eyes and saw tears on his cheeks too. That was the moment when she accepted she still loved him. The realization made her cry harder, and he held her tighter. Loving Nikos without being able to trust him was almost as painful as losing the baby that had bound them together.
During the next few days, Nikos seemed to throw himself into the task of distracting her from the loss. When she was physically recovered, he took her to all her favorite places. The Museum of Modern Art filled one entire day, as did a visit to the New York Botanical Garden.
The distractions did help take her mind off the miscarriage, but did nothing to help her with the dilemma of loving her husband. Nikos was so sweet and protective, hiding his own hurt to help her cope, that it proved impossible not to fall even more deeply in love with him.
Over lunch at 21 Club, she couldn't stop staring at him. He carried on an easy conversation, but the slight purple discoloration under his eyes spoke of sleep deprivation, and the lines around his mouth hinted at the sadness still clinging to him.
Impulsively, she put her hand over his. "Thank you."
He quirked a brow. "For what?"
"You've made it your personal mission to distract me from thinking about... the loss. I know it must have been hell to rearrange your schedule so you could take more time off so soon after the vacation."
Nikos frowned. "I have no idea. I told my assistant to cancel everything. It might have been difficult for him, but I do not care. You are my first priority."
A surge of liquid warmth seemed to melt her heart. The tears she'd managed to suppress that day threatened to fall. Leah blinked them back, determined to comfort Nikos now. "I can imagine it's been difficult for you to suppress your emotions in order to see to my needs." Her voice softened. "I know you wanted the baby very much."
He paled slightly. "Yes." Nikos cleared his throat, but his voice still sounded thick. "I wanted a little girl who looked just like you."
Her lips trembled with the effort to hold the tears in check. "That's funny."
Nikos frowned. "Why?"
"I wanted a little boy with your features." She squeezed her eyes shut to keep from crying, unable to tell him the idea had lurked in the back of her mind that if their son resembled Nikos, she would always have something to remember him by after the marriage dissolved.
"Have you given any thought to what you will do now?" His words expressed curiosity, but the tone revealed the question went much deeper.
Leah shrugged. "I don't know."
"You could stay with me." His grip on her hand tightened almost imperceptibly. "Just for a while, even, until you figure out what you want to do."
Leah hesitated, having no plan. The miscarriage had consumed her thoughts to the point that she'd never even contemplated what she would do now that she didn't have to stay with Nikos.
"Stay as long as you want."
"Thank you." It probably wasn't a wise decision. The longer she stayed with him, the deeper she'd love him, making it that much harder to leave. It would also hurt more. She should leave soon, lest she stay permanently in their crippled marriage. Nikos as he was now was too easy to love, but she still had to reconcile his previous actions with the man he appeared to be before she could decide to remain his wife.
Nikos had to return to work a couple of days later, and Leah immersed herself in setting up the garden and greenhouse. She chose plants that would thrive in cooler weather by the time they matured, along with planting more delicate items in the greenhouse.
The simple acts of gardening proved more therapeutic than any counselor, so she ignored the referral Dr. Anderson had provided. The repetitive motions and the feel of the silky soil in her hands eased the loss, and she gradually spent less time thinking about the baby and what could have been.
That left more time for thinking about their relationship, and she continuously rehashed all her thoughts. Leah tried to plan for the future. She made lists and considered her options, but Nikos was a fixture in each scenario.
Several days later, over the spinach salads and plates of clam linguine left by the cook, Leah said, "I went to City College today."
Nikos paused in the act of reaching for a glass of wine. "Oh?"
She strove to sound casual. "I looked at their botany department and spoke with an advisor. She gave me a packet of information. I think I'll register for classes next week."
Nikos nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."
Leah analyzed his expression, but he revealed nothing. "You think so?"
"Yes." He took a sip of wine. "It gives you something to do during the day."
"I'm not sure I have the time."
His brow furrowed. "Why not?"
She shrugged. "I have a mountain of things to tend to from the various charities I inherited from Ione. With the vacation, and then subsequent events, I haven't done anything in ages."
Nikos swallowed a bite of pasta before replying. "None of that matters. I can hire someone to deal with it."
She frowned. "What? You nixed that idea when we first got married."
His eyes reflected warmth as he regarded her solemnly. "That isn't your passion, but I didn't take time to find out what was. I denied you the things you needed and wanted for too long. I want you to enjoy what you do. With Arianna away at college, you have more free time, and you should devote it to pursuits that pique your interest."
Leah took a deep breath, garnering her courage. What she wanted was a bad idea, but she couldn't talk herself out of the desire. "I have some free time at nights too." Her voice emerged huskily, with a sultry tone she hadn't intended.
He paused in the act of swallowing for a second. "Indeed?"
The gleaming cutlery became the focus of her attention when she found it too difficult to meet his gaze. "I have some ideas to pass the time."
He made a rough sound, low in his throat, and dropped the fork he'd been holding. "Such as?"
She found the courage to look up at him and squirmed under the intensity of his gaze. This had been a better idea when she'd rehearsed it earlier this afternoon. Leah cleared her throat with a gulp of wine. "I want you." She removed the napkin from her lap and devoted meticulous care to folding it into a perfect square. The sound of his chair moving didn't make her look up, but she did when he came to her side, taking the napkin from her and throwing it carelessly onto the center of the table.
Without protest, she let him take her hand to assist her from the chair. It was ridiculous to feel shy, but she did. Leah tried to look down, but his hands framed her face to prevent the motion. She licked her dry lips, and he groaned.
Nikos lowered his head, his tongue tracing the path hers had just taken. His mouth devoured hers, but she was just as hungry, matching his need. Almost mindlessly, she tugged at his shirt, anxious to feel his skin against hers.
A harsh breath left him when he tore his mouth from hers, appearing to gulp for air. "Are you certain this is safe?"
Leah nodded. "I read the literature the hospital sent home. I can have sex whenever I feel up to it." She smiled. "I feel up to it, and I'm not the only one," she added, brushing her hand against his trousers.
With a sound between a growl and a grunt, Nikos lifted her into his arms. She clung to him, laying her head on his shoulder. "A girl could get used to this," she whispered in his ear before planting a soft kiss again his jaw.
"I could also get used to holding you in my arms."
He sounded so serious, and she attempted to lighten the moment. "That wouldn't be very practical. You'd never get any work done."
"To hell with work and the Andrakis Corporation." Nikos angled his body to push open the bedroom door and strode across the room to deposit her on the bed before returning to close it.
Her eyes widened at his words, but she didn't let herself read much into it. It was probably just a spontaneous response to their conversation, motivated by his arousal. There was no way he considered her more important than the family business now that she was no longer pregnant with his child.
Nikos returned to her, and they shed their clothes, each with the other's assistance. He was careful and gentle, moving slowly, as though she would break. It was sweet, but also maddening.
As the minutes passed, and she grew increasingly frustrated, Leah finally seized control. "Enough."
Nikos lifted his head from her breast. "Are you in pain?"
She nodded, and an expression of alarm contorted his features. "I'm in pain with needing you. Please stop torturing me."
Nikos frowned. "I want to be gentle, agapi mou."
Leah shook her head. "I don't want that. I just want you." Seeing his resistance to the idea by the set of his shoulders and the firm line of his mouth, she wiggled out from his embrace. He rolled onto his side, reaching for her as she got up.
Seizing the moment, Leah leaned across the bed to push on his shoulders, rotating him to his back. His eyes were wide with surprise, but he didn't fight as she pinned him to the bed to straddle him. He could reverse their positions with little effort, but she enjoyed the illusion of being in control.
Leah bent her head to trace her tongue across one of his nipples, giving him the same torture he'd dispensed. Nikos gripped her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh almost to the point of pain, when she sucked the nub into her mouth.
"Leah, you are playing with fire."
She looked up at him from the veil of her lashes as she slid farther down his body. Nikos's eyes widened when she brought her mouth close to his manhood. Leah ignored his head shaking, saying, "How hot can you burn, syzygos?" She grinned at his look of surprise when she said the Greek word for husband. "I've had some free time, so I started that language program on your computer."
"Your husband is pleased."
"Not yet." She gave him a wicked grin. "But soon."
Nikos stiffened when she took him inside her mouth. Inexperienced at the task, it was more difficult than she had imagined, but Leah persevered, reveling in being the one to make Nikos shudder and tremble underneath her.
He must have reached the bounds of his self-control, because Nikos moved quickly, pushing her away from him. "Go no further, or I will not be responsible for what happens. I want to be inside you."
She nodded, understanding how he felt. The things he did with his mouth could be heaven, but she preferred to climax with him inside her. Leah repositioned herself, taking Nikos inside. He gripped her hips, and she tangled her fingers into the light dusting of hair on his chest. They moved together, finding release sometime later. Time lost meaning when they were together.
Afterward, they showered together and finally returned to the bed with the intention of sleeping. Leah curled against him, letting her eyes drift closed as sleep crept over her.
"Leah?"
She murmured a sleepy, "Hmm?"
"Does this mean you are staying with me?"
The childish urge to squeeze her eyes shut seized her. She hoped he would interpret her lack of an answer as her being asleep. How could she answer the question when she hadn't figured that out yet?
Nikos listened to Leah snore softly, pleased she was resting, but a little envious. He had lain beside her for at least an hour, but sleep wouldn't come. Finally, reluctant to release her, he moved away from her and out of the bed. If he couldn't sleep, he might as well not sleep while getting some work done.
In a robe, he padded barefoot to the study, turning on the PC. As it started up, he opened the bottom drawer of the desk to replenish the printer paper and froze. The stack of books he'd bought about pregnancy were in the drawer, where he'd shoved them the first day they'd come home.
His heart tugged painfully as he lifted them from the drawer, one by one, and stacked them on the printer table. It pained him that there wouldn't be a little Leah running through the house. With their future so unsettled, he couldn't be certain they would ever have a child together. That was nearly as heartbreaking as losing their baby.
It crossed his mind that they hadn't used protection tonight, but he shook his head. It was unlikely she had gotten pregnant again, but if she had, he wouldn't use that as a way to keep her with him. As much as he wanted Leah to stay his wife, he didn't want it to be against her will. He wanted her to love him completely. Why it was so important wasn't something he wanted to contemplate.
Nikos rose from the chair to take the books and hide them in a cabinet filled with business books Leah would be unlikely to want to read. He didn't want her stumbling across the books as he had, experiencing the painful reminder of what might have been.
After stowing the books, he returned to his desk and opened his email. Nikos spent the next hour working steadily through the electronic missives, many of them frantic messages from his assistant regarding a business deal that was on the verge of collapsing.
He leaned back in his chair, considering his options. The sensible thing to do was to fly to London and secure the deal himself. The thought of leaving Leah, especially as vulnerable as she still was, had him rejecting the notion. In an unaccustomed move, Nikos typed a terse message instructing his assistant to go to London and close the deal. If he wasn't able to, it wouldn't be the end of the world. The Andrakis Corporation was stable and secure for Arianna if and when she was ready to take it over.
Thinking of his niece brought him back to thoughts of Leah. Their lovemaking had lightened his heart, but he couldn't be completely optimistic that she had decided to stay with him. The sex between them was amazing, but it might not be a good enough foundation on which to build a true marriage.
He continued sorting his email as he considered ways to convince her to stay. Still lacking any epiphany, Nikos froze and leaned forward when he saw an email from Maia Papadas. His stomach tightened as he reluctantly clicked on the email.
Nikos snorted with disgust at the obscene picture she had sent. The attached message was almost as unsettling. Enjoy the view. I will soon be in New York, and you can look AND touch. I look forward to when we are together again, now that you have no reason to stay married.
His eyes narrowed as he reread the message. It was clear she had known about the baby, and that Leah had lost it. How could she know such intimate details? The only plausible explanation was someone had been giving her information. But whom?
Nikos hit "Reply" and stared at the blinking cursor, finding he couldn't muster a response. The things he wanted to write shouldn't be said to anyone, even her. With a sigh, he closed the reply box, but didn't delete the email. He would have to deal with it soon, but couldn't tonight. The need for sleep was finally catching up to him, and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed, hold his wife, and slumber.
The next morning over breakfast, Leah found it surprisingly easy to maintain a friendly camaraderie with Nikos. To her relief, he hadn't repeated the question that she couldn't answer. He had set the tone, keeping the conversation light and centered on neutral topics. If not for the slight soreness between her legs, she might not have believed they had made love so passionately just the night before.
As they neared the end of the meal, his phone rang for the fourth time. Nikos started to silence it as he had previously, but she shook her head. "You don't have to avoid answering for my sake. Whoever it is obviously needs to talk to you."
Nikos nodded and spent a few minutes on the phone, growing progressively more annoyed. The conversation was in Greek, but she could see he was frustrated with something. When he hung up, Nikos cursed. "I have to go to London. My assistant is incapable of the simplest tasks, it seems."
Her heart stuttered, but she strove to keep from betraying her negative reaction to the news. "How long will you be?"
He shrugged. "I have no idea." Nikos eyed her, clearing thinking. "Come with me."
She frowned. "What would I do in London?"
"You'll have no shortage of activities. I can't be with you during the day, but I should be at your disposal most evenings." He lifted her hand, bringing it to his mouth to kiss her fingertips. "I could use a companion for the business dinners I'll have to endure."
Leah shook her head. "You won't need me for that."
"Perhaps not, but I do need you, and I want you to come with me." He leaned closer. "Have you been to Kew Gardens?"
With a shake of her head, she said, "I've never been to London."
"Now is the perfect time."
She hesitated, torn between the desire to go and the more prudent course of staying behind. A few days with him in such a setting would only make it harder to figure out what she was going to do. With a sigh, she opened her mouth to refuse, but found herself saying, "When do we leave?"
Their five days in London had been wonderful, just what she had needed to shake off most of her lingering grief. Leah would always think of her child with sadness and longing, but it now seemed possible to move forward and be happy again. While wandering the sites of London, including Kew Gardens, she had come to the tentative decision that she wanted to move forward with Nikos.
They celebrated their homecoming with glasses of wine by the fireplace, though it was too warm for a fire, followed by a night of lovemaking. When she woke the next morning, Nikos had already left, but he had warned her the night before he had an early meeting.
She stretched, working out all the kinks from the previous night. A hot shower left her refreshed, and she padded downstairs in her bare feet after dressing in a casual palazzo pantsuit. The maid brought breakfast to her in the dining room, and Leah finished every bite. Her appetite had returned while in London, though she had found some of the available cuisine unappetizing. On the other hand, she could go for another round of the greasy fish and chips, wrapped in the stereotypical newspaper, she had enjoyed several times at the stand just blocks from their hotel.
Leah went to the study, turning on the PC to check her email, which she had neglected. Most was spam, but she had a long email from Arianna. The girl seemed to be settling in happily and was about to pledge to a sorority.
With a smile, she propped her feet on the desk and continued sorting through the correspondences. She responded to an email from the advisor at City College, inviting her to register online. She had already decided to enroll there, due to the proximity to their apartment. It was silly to go halfway across the city for another college, with an equally good program, when she could walk to City College. Leah knew registering there was another little step to committing herself to remaining with Nikos, but she experienced only a few doubts.
Afterward, Leah turned her attention to the pile of mail stacked in the basket on his desk. Most of the correspondences were for Nikos, or Andrakis Corporation. There were a few invitations from people in their social circle, and she set those aside to discuss attending with Nikos. Leah had a few letters from various charities, thanking her for her dedicated service. She smiled, pleased to be acknowledged, but even happier that Nikos had hired someone to assume the duties.
The last envelope was thickly padded, with her name printed in neat block letters. Leah used the letter opener to slice open the flap and extract a stack of papers. In shock, Leah read through them, finding several emails addressed to her husband, from Maia. All were extremely intimate, if not pornographic, and spoke of when they would be together again. Soon, apparently.
She searched for a hint of who had sent the envelope, but found nothing besides a postmark from New York. It didn't take a genius to determine Maia was the sender. Her stomach clenched with the realization that the other woman was in New York.
For a moment, she sat in the chair, paralyzed with anger. How dare Maia come here? She and Nikos were on the cusp of a real marriage. That scheming hussy would only be trouble.
Her anger grew with the realization Nikos hadn't bothered to inform her of the emails. If they had been unwanted, why hadn't he told her? It was akin to lying, and she refused to put up with more lies.
Spurred into action, Leah stuffed the pages back into the envelope and carried it upstairs with her. She dressed in slacks and a nice blouse, not wanting to look out of place at the Andrakis Corporation's headquarters. The sensible approach was to wait until Nikos came home this evening to have a discussion, but she couldn't wait that long.
Leah took the limousine, deciding she was too angry to focus on driving herself and not wanting to wait for a taxi. The driver negotiated through the heavy traffic, finally reaching the building shortly before lunchtime.
He parked in the parking garage, and she demurred when he would have followed her. She had no need for his protection in the safety of the Andrakis Corporation.
A fuchsia Lamborghini, with a plate from a national car rental agency, caught her attention as she neared the elevator. It bothered her, though she couldn't pinpoint why until she had stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to take her to the top floor. It was such a flashy, sexy car and seemed like the kind Maia would rent. Was she already here? Had she been in New York for a while? Was Nikos keeping her a secret until he knew if Leah was staying? It wasn't just the sudden stop of the elevator that made her stomach turn when she reached the top floor.
Leah tried to look confident as she strode to the reception desk. She hadn't needed to deal with security before now, because the driver had the code to the employee parking garage. What if the receptionist refused to let her see Nikos? What could she do, besides cause a scene and hope he heard?
The blonde had silvery hair, high cheekbones, and bright green eyes. She was svelte and made the perfect ornament for Nikos's inner sanctum. Had he slept with this woman?
The friendly smile she gave Leah changed her demeanor from one of an ice princess to a normal person. "Hello, Mrs. Andrakis."
Leah blinked. She hadn't been to the building in years, since before this woman had started working here. "Do I know you?" Had they met at a company function, and she'd forgotten?
The blonde shook her head. "No, ma'am. I recognized you from the pictures in Mr. Andrakis's office."
"Oh." Leah didn't know how to respond to that. He kept pictures of her? Why? Upon learning the receptionist's name was Kelly, she asked, "May I pop in for a moment, Kelly?"
Kelly frowned slightly. "He's with someone, Mrs. Andrakis."
Her tone set the hairs on Leah's neck upright. "Who?"
The other girl hesitated, which spoke volumes. Leah didn't wait for her reply. She ignored Kelly calling after her as she turned and strode toward Nikos's office. With more force than she'd intended, Leah twisted the knob and pushed, slamming the door against the wall. Family pictures of Nikos, Arianna, and herself caught her attention momentarily. Focusing her gaze on Nikos, she was unsurprised to find Maia standing beside him. The other woman leaned against Nikos, her lips near enough his that they could have been kissing just a millisecond earlier.
Nikos looked up, going pale. Maia turned toward her, smirking with satisfaction as she trailed a finger down his chest. Her husband's chest.
"You whore." Leah tossed the envelope full of emails in their direction. "That is my husband you're pawing."
"Not for long," cooed Maia.
"Maia." Nikos sounded angry. No doubt he was---angry that she'd caught him with his mistress.
"I agree," said Leah with surprising calm. She turned to Nikos. "I don't know what you're doing, Nikos, and I really don't care. If this is about the stock, you can keep it. You can have everything, including the settlement stipulated in the marriage contract."
"Leah..." He finally stepped away from Maia, reaching toward her.
She jerked away, hissing vehemently, "Don't touch me. I don't want your filthy, lying, cheating hands on me." Leah turned on her heel, almost colliding with a shocked Kelly, but sidestepping her at the last moment. "Excuse me," she said with ridiculous politeness and walked around the other woman.
"Wait, Leah," Nikos shouted behind her. She sped up, in no mood to face him right now. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, and the sodden ball in her lump wouldn't allow her to talk. She refused to cry in front of him. He'd seen enough of her tears. He had caused enough of them, and she'd wasted too many on him.
Leah reached the elevator with Nikos still following. She stabbed the "Close" button repeatedly, and it shut before he made it to the lift. The ride down seemed to take forever, and she rushed out as soon as the doors opened. In a run, she made it to the limousine and climbed inside before the driver had even realized she was back. "Drive," she said breathlessly.
"Where, Mrs. Andrakis?"
"Anywhere," she snapped. "Except Nikos's apartment," she added through gritted teeth. On edge, she surveyed the garage, relieved to find no trace of Nikos as they exited the parking garage and joined the flow of traffic. Once safely away from Andrakis Corporation, Leah put up the privacy panel and had a good cry. As she wiped her eyes, she vowed it was the last time she would cry over Nikos Andrakis.
Leah had the chauffeur drive aimlessly through the city for several hours, before finally facing the reality that she had to return to the apartment for her belongings. A confrontation with Nikos was likely inevitable. As they pulled into the parking garage, she took a deep breath, bracing herself. With determination, she walked to the elevator and rode it to the penthouse, refusing to carry on or betray any emotions to Nikos. She would handle this calmly, maturely, and with distant politeness.
Leah's heart thudded in her ears when she opened the door with her key, but she was pleased to see a composed young woman staring back at her when she looked at herself in the mirror hanging on the wall near the entrance.
No sense in delaying the inevitable. Emotions firmly in check, Leah walked through the house, heading toward the study. She entered with a light knock, finding Nikos at his desk, as she had expected.
She hadn't expected him to look so disheveled. A half-empty decanter was on the desk near his crystal glass, and he looked like he'd had a few. Perhaps he'd been bracing himself too. It must be difficult to tell your wife you wanted a divorce so you could marry your mistress---especially when ten percent of your company was at stake, she thought scathingly.
"Where have you been?" he asked in a slurred voice.
Leah blinked at the realization he was intoxicated. She had never seen him drink too much. Other than when she'd miscarried, she had never seen Nikos appear less than fully in control of everything. "Out."
"'Out'," he mocked, tossing back the rest of the liquid in his glass.
"I was thinking."
Nikos slammed the glass onto the desk. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you're capable of the action, agapi mou." The endearment sounded more like an aspersion. "I have seen little evidence in the time we've been married."
Anger stirred, but she forced it away. "We should talk."
"Damn well right." Nikos started to stand, knocking his hand against the opened decanter and sloshing the alcohol everywhere. He collapsed back into the chair.
With a deep breath, she said, "I meant what I said earlier. I don't want anything from you. The stock in your company was never mine, even if I inherited it from my father." She shook her head. "If you had just asked me not to sell the shares until the company could afford to buy them back, I wouldn't have. There was no need to force us both into a marriage just to maintain control of the corporation."
He glared at her. "I don't know how many other ways to say this. I did not marry you for those damn shares. I married you for Arianna, and I am trying to stay married to you because---" Nikos trailed off, running a hand through his hair roughly. "Sit down." He gestured to the chair across from his desk.
She wanted to refuse, but decided not to with his mood so volatile. As Leah perched on the edge of the chair, she was eerily reminded of the night when she had sat here more than three years ago, when Nikos had first suggested the preposterous idea of them marrying.
"Here." Nikos lifted a stack of papers from a drawer and slid them across to her.
"What's this?"
"Read it."
Leah scanned the first few paragraphs, eyes widening as the words sank in. "What..."
"And this." With a flourish, he produced another stack of paper and fed it into the shredder.
"What's that?"
"The damned marriage contract. The gesture is mostly symbolic, I suppose, but I wanted to make a point."
"Which is?" she asked huskily.
Nikos dropped into his chair. "That there's nothing binding you to me. No legal agreement keeping us together. There is no requirement for you to stay."
She flinched at his words as her gaze dropped to the papers. More confused than ever, she said, "If you don't want to stay married, why are you giving back my shares?"
Nikos looked at her through bloodshot eyes. "I want to stay married, Leah, but I don't want to have trapped you. I got you pregnant with the intention of making you stay married to me."
She gasped. "That's not true."
He nodded, looking miserable. "It is. The night you made that offhanded comment at the party, the idea took seed. I knew if I could get you pregnant, you would have to stay with me. I deliberately didn't use protection whenever you were too engrossed to notice." His shoulders drooped. "I had no idea that I would give you a baby that wouldn't live."
Leah reached out automatically, but drew her hand back. "I hope you aren't blaming yourself for the miscarriage. We'll never know why he didn't live, but it could have been a genetic mistake contributed by either one of us, or my body might have failed him."
He swallowed but didn't reply.
Once more, she looked down at the papers. "I really don't want ten percent of your company, Nikos."
He snorted. "I guess it's a good thing I gave you one hundred percent then."
She blinked, scanning the pages more thoroughly. "What? This is crazy."
A harsh laugh exploded from him. "That's what the attorneys said---especially when I insisted they draw up all the necessary paperwork within hours."
"Why are you doing this?"
Nikos seemed defeated, and the lack of spark in his gaze was alarming. "It's all I can think of to prove to you that I want you as my wife because I love you, not because of that damned company."
She jerked in surprise. "What did you say?"
He sighed. "I want you to stay with me, but only because you want to. I love you, Leah. I tried trapping you and forcing you to stay, thinking having you even under duress was better than a life without you." Nikos's lips thinned. "I still think that, but I have no right to keep you. I have behaved boorishly, and the only way I can make up for it is to offer you your freedom." He leaned forward, bringing his hand near hers. "With the caveat that I want you to stay, with all my heart."
She shook her head, unable to believe what he had said. "How can you love me? I'm not the kind of woman who should be your wife." Her calm façade slipped, making her voice crack. "And there's Maia. If you love me, how can you still be with her?"
Nikos swore. "For an intelligent woman, you can be an idiot sometimes, agapi mou."
She gasped, but he continued before she could retort.
"I am not with Maia. I haven't been in years, and I do not wish to be. She has done everything in her power to make you think we are together, because she wants you out of the picture." He laughed harshly. "The fool actually thinks I could ever love someone else if you left me."
Leah bit her lip, wanting to believe him, but unable to summon the necessary level of trust. "What has she done?"
"She sent you those emails, for one." He lifted a finger, as though counting off her deeds. "Speaking of, perhaps you noticed there wasn't one reply from me in the pile? I ignored her. I should have responded bluntly, telling her I do not want her, but I didn't know how to deal with it." He shrugged. "You have had me so tangled inside that I could not think logically about anything."
She frowned at the accusation, but prompted him to continue. "What else?"
"She tricked my assistant into giving her information about us, including the miscarriage. He thought she was a friend of the family in Greece. Marco thought it was sweet that she called to discreetly check on us, because she didn't want to intrude at such a private time." Nikos rolled his eyes.
A sinking feeling hit her stomach, and she forced herself to ask, "When we got married, was Andrakis Corporation in trouble, capital-wise?"
Nikos frowned. "No. There were some financial difficulties years before I ever had anything to do with the company, but Dmitri had straightened it all out by the time he died." His eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"I really am an idiot." She closed her eyes, unable to bear looking at him. How could she have believed Maia without even asking Nikos?
"What? Why?"
Haltingly, Leah relayed the conversation she'd had with Maia. "She had all the paperwork pertaining to the stocks." Leah ran a hand through her hair, mussing it similarly to Nikos's in the process. "She just sounded so believable."
He cursed again, but his anger seemed to be directed at Maia. "She is a scheming, conniving piece of work, Leah. Only one thing motivates Maia and that is self-interest. I was too young to realize it when we were engaged, but maturity brought perspective and wisdom. I got over her a long time ago, even before I married you. I would not take her back under any circumstances."
She couldn't doubt the sincerity in his tone, or the genuine emotion in his gaze. Leah was numb with shock at her own stupidity. Why had she been so quick to believe Maia, having already ascertained what kind of woman she was?
The answer took her breath away as it came to her. She had been so quick to believe Maia because she couldn't understand why Nikos had wanted to continue the marriage. It had seemed beyond belief that he had wanted her. In her incredulity, she had managed to find all sorts of signs and clues pointing to his ulterior motives. Still, she did have reason not to trust him....
"Why didn't you tell me about my father's stock, and that I had inherited it?"
He paused, seeming to be looking for an answer. Finally, Nikos said, "I would like to say it was something incredibly romantic---like my need to have you as my wife at all costs---that kept me from telling you. The truth is, I didn't love you when we got married. I barely knew you. As for the stock, I really didn't think about it until we were about to be married. Arianna was so excited about the marriage and living with both of us. I was afraid of the setback to her recovery if you changed your mind."
Leah nodded, knowing he was right. After telling Arianna of the forthcoming marriage, along with the white lie of leading her to believe they had been dating for a while, the other girl had seemed reenergized and determined to get out of the hospital before the ceremony. "You might not believe it, but I would have gone through with the marriage, even if you had told me about the shares at the last minute."
He nodded. "I know that now. You love Arianna as much as I do, and you wouldn't have let her down."
Leah licked her lips. "Well, I'll admit my reasons for agreeing weren't completely altruistic, nor prompted by the need for financial security." She locked eyes with him. "I'd had a crush on you since I was a teenager. When you offered me the chance to be your wife, a small part of me jumped at it, convinced I could make you love me." She sighed. "I let go of that illusion after our wedding night. When you rejected me, I figured out you would never see me in any way besides your convenient, temporary wife."
"Leah." This time, he stretched to put his hand over hers, and she didn't pull away. "I was so cruel to you that night."
She nodded. "Yes, but you got the point across. I soon convinced myself that the silly crush I'd had on you that had turned to love was all in my imagination. I knew I loved you, and it took every ounce of strength and self-delusion to come to the point where I believed I didn't anymore."
His hand tightened on hers for just a second. "Are you still laboring under that delusion, agapi mou?"
For a moment, she couldn't answer. Whatever she said would determine the future for both of them. Her distrust had faded away, and her love was as strong as ever. There was no reason not to be with him.
Instead of answering immediately, Leah got to her feet, lifting the contract he'd placed before her in her hands. As he watched, looking baffled, she took the stack to the shredder and dumped it in. "No, I'm not," she said.
"What are you doing?"
She slid around the side of the desk to settle herself on his lap. "I'm giving you back your company. I don't want it. I don't want any of it." Leah put her arms around his neck. "I just want you." She brushed her lips against his, tasting and smelling the trace of spirits remaining. "S'agapo, agapi mou."
His lips slowly formed a smile. "You have been studying, haven't you?" At her nod, he said, "I love you too."
She pressed her mouth to his, enjoying the sensation of being in her husband's arms. For the first time in their relationship, she felt truly secure. Leah laid her head on his shoulder. "I don't understand one thing."
"What's that?" he asked, as his hands roamed over her body.
She lightly slapped away his hand when he cupped her breast. "I'm trying to have a conversation here."
"Talk quickly." He tugged at the hem of her shirt and started fumbling with the buttons as he spoke.
"How did Maia get all the paperwork she brought to the house on Trini Island?"
Nikos paused, tilting his head as he considered the question. "She either paid someone to steal the forms, she stole them from the office herself, or she convinced my idiot assistant to give them to her." He grimaced. "I would assume it was the idiot assistant."
Leah giggled. "What will you do to him?"
"I should fire him, but I'm feeling generous." He pushed open her shirt to tackle her bra. "I will demote the idiot to a valet in the parking garage."
She put her hand over his to stop his fumbling. "Let me help." To her surprise, Nikos took her left hand, examining it closely. "Is something wrong?"
"Marry me."
With a light chuckle, she said, "You've had more to drink that I thought. We are married, love."
Nikos waved a hand. "I mean in a real ceremony, with our friends and family." He kissed the back of her hand. "I want to mark the change in our relationship. I want you to be my wife completely."
Leah tugged her hand away gently, cupping his cheek. "I'd love to marry you." She shifted to press her lips to his before dropping her hands to his lap, to tug at the belt. "Provided you give me a preview of the wedding night."
Nikos changed position to allow her freer access. "For you, Leah mou, I would do anything."
The day of the wedding was bright and surprisingly warm, without a hint of clouds in the sky. Being late October, Leah had wondered if it was wise to hold the ceremony outdoors, but Nikos had insisted she have the wedding she wanted. There had been an indoor backup plan, but it was unnecessary.
They exchanged vows as myriad guests watched. If any thought they it strange they were renewing their vows after only three years, they hadn't said so. When Nikos kissed her, it was profoundly different than the other kisses they had shared. She had been married to him for three years, but now, she truly felt like his wife.
As they lined up to greet the guests, Leah glanced at the new wedding set on her finger. The other one had been exquisite and expensive, but Nikos had confessed his assistant---not the idiot one---had selected the set before their hasty marriage. This set, much more to her liking, had been selected by her husband personally.
Feeling warm inside, Leah did her best to get through the rest of the afternoon. She was thankful for their friends, and thrilled to have a real wedding, but she was impatient to have Nikos alone. She was looking forward to their "wedding night", but she also had another reason for the impatience.
It was several hours later before they slipped away from the reception at the hotel and went up to their honeymoon suite. Leah squealed with surprise when he swept her into his arms to carry her over the threshold---a tradition he hadn't bothered with the first time.
With Nikos's assistance, she shed the heavy and complicated wedding gown, and he removed his wedding finery. The Jacuzzi-for-two in the huge marble bathroom beckoned, and they settled into it. As he adjusted the controls, Leah said, "Don't turn up the temperature too high, love."
Nikos grinned. "We will provide our own heat?"
Leah smiled. "No doubt, but that isn't the reason."
He leaned back, tucking his arms around her and pulling her down onto his lap. The light hair on his chest tickled her back. "What is your reason?" Nikos cupped her breast, lightly thumbing her nipple as he asked.
She winced slightly. "I read it wasn't safe... for the baby."
His hand froze, and he seemed to have stopped breathing. "Baby?"
Leah nodded, turning her neck so she could see his face. "I'm pregnant."
He cupped her stomach. "How far along?"
"About ten weeks." Leah laid her hand over his. "I think we might have conceived the night you proposed."
He nodded. "Ah, yes. The night when we didn't even make it to our room."
With a giggle, she said, "We didn't even make it to the nearest sofa, Nikos."
Nikos paled. "We have made love many times since. I could have hurt you, or the baby."
She shook her head. "I talked to Dr. Anderson when I found out. She assured me it was perfectly safe to make love, even with my history. As much as I wanted to surprise you with the news on our wedding night, I wouldn't have put our baby in danger."
He nodded. "I know." His eyes narrowed. "How long have you known, agapi mou?"
"About four weeks." Leah couldn't help feeling a little sheepish. "It almost killed me to wait to tell you." She had wanted to wait until the wedding night, but she'd had another reason as well. Dr. Anderson had assured her once she saw the heartbeat, there was a less than five percent chance of miscarrying. The little heart had fluttered away at her ultrasound last week.
"You deserve a sound spanking for not telling me sooner," he said with a growl.
She grinned. "Promises, promises."
His expression turned serious. "I will keep every promise I make to you, Leah."
With a solemn nod, she said, "I know, Nikos. I trust you completely." She had no hesitation at uttering the words. Nikos had proven his love and trustworthiness in a thousand tiny ways, and a few major ones---like taking her with him when he had gone to Maia's hotel to confront her. The scene had been ugly, but they hadn't heard a word from the other woman since that night.
"S'agapo, Leah."
"Ke ego s'agapo, Nikos." She turned in the water to face him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Forever."

