Ruthless Revenge: Sinful Seduction: Demetriou Demands His Child / Olivero's Outrageous Proposal / Rafael's Contract Bride. Кейт Хьюит

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      ‘Lunch will be ready in a few minutes,’ Alekos said as he slid onto the bench next to hers. His thigh nudged hers and Iolanthe felt her senses see-saw crazily from just that brief contact. She froze, unsure whether to inch away from him or act as if she hadn’t noticed.

      ‘When will we arrive at the island?’

      ‘Another hour or so.’ He turned a smiling glance on his son. ‘Still surfing the Internet, Niko?’ He spoke lightly but Iolanthe could see the worry in his eyes, feel it in the taut length of muscle next to her leg. He wanted to bond with Niko.

      ‘Yeah.’ Niko ducked his head, not looking at Alekos, and Iolanthe knew he didn’t want to tell Alekos about the apps because he didn’t want to risk scorn or derision. Lukas’s silent rejection of her child ran deep.

      The member of Alekos’s staff who had been discreetly seeing to their needs on the yacht now called them to the aft deck where a table and chairs had been brought out, set for what looked like a lavish lunch.

      ‘This is amazing,’ Iolanthe murmured as Alekos pulled out her chair. She surveyed the spread of different pitas and dips, several fresh salads and a tray of roasted meat with appreciation.

      ‘Dig in,’ Alekos said lightly as he popped the cork on a bottle of sparkling wine and poured Iolanthe a very full glass.

      She gave an uncertain laugh. ‘It’s the middle of the afternoon...’

      ‘We’re celebrating.’ Alekos’s eyes met hers, and she saw both heat and expectation in their tawny depths. The knowledge that he still desired her, that something might actually happen between them again, sent alarm bells jangling in her head and heat pooling low in her belly.

      ‘Why not?’ she murmured, and took the glass of bubbly from him.

      Alekos sat opposite and served everyone from the different dishes, asking Niko what he preferred, keeping the conversation light and easy. Iolanthe watched out of the corner of her eye as the tension that had kept her son’s slight body rigid slowly eased. He didn’t talk much and he only picked at his food, but it was progress.

      After they’d eaten Niko went to sit farther on the aft deck, facing the sea, watching the water churn and foam as the yacht cut smoothly through the water.

      Iolanthe watched him with wry pleasure. ‘You’ve managed to pry him off his laptop.’

      ‘I think it’s most likely the surroundings rather than me,’ Alekos answered, topping up both of their glasses and leaning back in his chair.

      Iolanthe already felt pleasantly relaxed and slightly muddle-headed from the wine. After the near-constant levels of stress of the last few months—or years, if she was honest—it felt rather wonderful.

      And the surroundings Niko was currently enjoying were incredible—azure sky, lemon-yellow sun, and sparkling aquamarine water in every direction. ‘Still, it’s a blessing,’ she said as she took a sip of the sparkling wine. It was crisp and bubbly on her tongue. ‘And I’ve learned not to take those for granted.’ She spoke the words unthinkingly, too relaxed to guard her tongue, and Alekos swept her with a considering gaze.

      ‘How have you learned that, Iolanthe?’

      Something about the way he said her name, taking his time with the syllables, made a tremor go through her. Just seeing him there sprawled in his chair, the T-shirt moulded to his chest and the board shorts emphasising his long, muscular legs, the wind ruffling his dark hair, caused another tremor. He was so beautiful, with his bronze skin and topaz eyes and air of utter masculine authority. Her gaze fell to his fingers cradling his wine glass and she remembered what those fingers had felt like on her body, touching her in secret places. Quickly she looked away.

      ‘I suppose it’s called growing up,’ she said with a wry smile. ‘Happens to everybody.’

      ‘Maybe,’ Alekos allowed. ‘But some people have to grow up more quickly than others.’

      ‘Like you did?’ She’d rather talk about him than herself, and in truth she was curious about his past and the few references he’d made to it.

      ‘Yes, I suppose I had to grow up fast,’ Alekos said. His voice was measured, a little wary.

      ‘Tell me,’ Iolanthe said. ‘Considering our...situation, we should get to know more about one another.’

      Alekos looked as if he was about to resist but then he caught sight of Niko gazing out at the water and he said, reluctance audible in his voice, ‘What do you want to know?’

      ‘You said you lost both your parents when you were young.’

      A terse nod. ‘My father left when I was four years old.’

      ‘You mean...he just walked out?’

      ‘That’s exactly what I mean.’ Alekos shrugged, rotating his glass between his fingers as he gazed down into its swirling depths. ‘Plenty of men shirk their responsibilities to their families. I never intend to be one of them.’

      Guilt assailed her then, as piercing and accurate as an arrow. ‘That’s what you said...’ she began, and Alekos’s gaze narrowed.

      ‘When?’

      ‘Then. That night.’ And just like that the memory of that evening seemed to shimmer in the air between them, and Iolanthe felt her limbs tremble with weakness as desire flooded through her. How could it still be so strong, after all these years? After all the sadness? But maybe her reaction to Alekos was simply because she hadn’t felt desire or experienced male attention for a long, long time. For the entire length of her marriage.

      ‘Yes, I did say that then,’ Alekos said. His gaze was trained on hers, seeking, burning. ‘And I meant it.’

      ‘I’m sorry,’ she said quietly. ‘I hadn’t realised about your past...’

      He shook his head. ‘I didn’t tell you. And the truth is...’ He glanced down at his glass again, his expression shadowed. ‘I didn’t act charitably towards you then. That night or after.’

      Iolanthe could feel her heart bumping in her chest. She’d never expected Alekos, so cold and arrogant and unyielding, to admit even that much. Deciding the mood needed to be lightened, she gave him a small, wry smile. ‘Wait, was that actually an apology?’

      He smiled back, slow and sensual, making her senses somersault. ‘Something like it.’

      ‘I’ll take it. Thank you.’ She took a deep breath. ‘And I didn’t act charitably towards you in keeping my pregnancy from you. I’m sorry.’

      ‘Apology accepted.’

      Was it that easy? They’d said their apologies, they could draw a line across the past, and start afresh? Did she even want that? Confused by her own muddled feelings, Iolanthe took another sip of wine, gazing out at the horizon to keep from looking at Alekos with what she feared might be hunger in her eyes.

      Being here with him like this, when he seemed warm and approachable and sexy, brought back too many memories. Wonderful memories, and other, awful ones corroded by confusion and hurt. Tangled together, they made her more uncertain than СКАЧАТЬ