SHE decided to give Nikolas an hour to send for her before going to look for him herself. Whatever happened, before she left here she needed to know what he’d meant last night when he’d told Sophie he’d tried to get in touch with her after she and her father had returned to England. He’d probably said it to spare her feelings, but, just in case Sophie asked, she wanted to know the truth.
Or that was what she told herself…
As she took her suitcase out of the closet and set it on the rack, she couldn’t help the troubling thought that her father could have intercepted Nikolas’s calls. But what if he had? she asked herself defensively. He could only have been protecting her. After the way Nikolas had behaved, her father had had every right to distrust the man.
Or had he…?
She shook the disloyal thought aside and went to get her shoes from the bottom of the tallboy. Her father might not always have been scrupulous in his dealings, but he’d always been entirely honest with her. She was his daughter, for heaven’s sake. He’d loved her. Look at the way he’d behaved when he’d found out what Nikolas had done!
She refused to remember the way he’d urged her to treat Nikolas before he’d discovered what had happened. In retrospect, she was sure she must have misunderstood what he’d said. After all, it wasn’t the first time he’d asked her to charm one of his clients. He’d been angry with Nikolas and she’d caught the backlash, that was all.
She was putting her underwear into the suitcase when someone knocked at the bedroom door. Guessing it was one of the maids, come to tell her that Nikolas was waiting in his study, she called, ‘Beno mesa,’ and continued with her task. But some sixth sense told her it wasn’t the maid almost before the door opened, and she wasn’t entirely surprised when Nikolas entered the room.
She was surprised when he closed the door behind him, however, and she straightened to face him with wary eyes. It was so totally out of character for him to invade a woman’s bedroom uninvited, and she was aware of an anxious tingling in her belly as he leaned back against the panels.
‘What are you doing?’
His question was not unexpected even though he must have been able to see perfectly well what she was about. ‘I don’t know what time the flights leave from Athens,’ she said, pushing her thumbs into the waistband of her shorts at the back, and then pulling them out again when she realised it caused her breasts to bead against the thin cotton of her shirt. ‘I—I—’ She struggled to hide her nervousness. ‘Perhaps you could ask Yanis to find out for us.’
‘Why would I do that?’ Nikolas regarded her with narrowed eyes. He had showered recently, and drops of water sparkled on his dark hair. In a black T-shirt and black cotton trousers, he looked lean and masculine, even if there were lines of weariness etched on his grim face. ‘You are not going anywhere.’
Paige blinked. ‘But I thought—’
‘Yes? What did you think?’ Nikolas pushed away from the door. ‘That I would allow you to run out on me again as you did before?’
Paige’s breath rushed out on a gasp. ‘I’d have thought you’d have been glad that I’ve made it so easy for you,’ she said, swallowing her astonishment. ‘Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?’
‘Partly.’ Nikolas was terse. ‘But first I wanted to apologise for Ariadne’s behaviour. I am afraid I have spoiled her badly. I had no idea that she thought there was more to my affection for her than—well, affection.’
Paige shook her head. ‘Young girls often conceive crushes on older men,’ she said. Then, seeing his lack of comprehension, she explained, ‘I mean puppy love, of course. Infatuation.’ She made a helpless gesture. ‘She’ll get over it.’
‘As you did?’ asked Nikolas roughly. ‘Yes, I suppose you would understand her feelings better than most.’
Paige’s jaw dropped. ‘I hope you’re not implying that what I—what I shared with you was a childish infatuation!’ she exclaimed, and he moved his shoulders in a dismissing gesture.
‘What else?’ he demanded. ‘Though I have to say you soon got over it.’
‘You don’t know anything about my—my feelings,’ cried Paige indignantly. And then, because she had to say something in her own defence, she went on, ‘I hope you’re not going to pretend it meant anything to you. Even if you did tell Sophie that you’d tried to reach me after I went home. What was all that about, by the way? Was it to save my feelings or your own?’
Nikolas’s mouth thinned at her deliberate provocation. ‘And why would I wish to save your feelings?’ he enquired bitterly, and Paige pressed her quivering lips together.
‘Indeed,’ she said, when she had herself in control again. ‘Your own, then. I should have known. I hope you realise that for a few moments you had me actually doubting my father’s word.’
‘And so you should.’ Nikolas spoke hoarsely now. ‘I did not wish him dead, Paige, but that man has a lot to answer for.’
‘How dare you?’ Paige found strength in indignation. ‘How dare you defile my father’s name? My God, he said you were an unscrupulous bastard, and he was right!’
‘Is that what he told you?’ Nikolas pulled a wry face. ‘Well, what is it the English say? It takes one to know one.’
Paige was incensed at his insensitivity. ‘You—you have no right to criticise someone who—who can’t defend himself—’
‘No? Even when that someone did his best to ruin my reputation?’ Nikolas moved closer, and as he did so a stunned expression came over his face. ‘Hristo, he really didn’t tell you, did he?’
‘Tell me?’ Paige stared at him suspiciously. ‘Tell me what?’
Nikolas shook his head. ‘Yanis swore it was possible but I didn’t believe him. I thought he was only saying it to save his own sorry skin.’
‘Yanis?’ Paige was totally confused. ‘Why would Yanis need to save—?’
‘Because he was the one who arranged for you to leave the island,’ Nikolas broke in impatiently. Then, with a groan, he added, ‘Didn’t you ever question the fact that I had apparently lost all interest in you when you left?’
Paige shook her head. ‘I— No.’
‘It meant so little to you?’
Paige flushed. ‘I didn’t say that.’
‘What are you saying, then?’ Nikolas gazed at her imploringly. ‘Theus, do you have any idea how I felt when Yanis told me you’d gone?’
‘Relieved, I should think.’ Paige strove for a glib tone and failed, miserably.
‘Desperate,’ Nikolas corrected her grimly, stepping forward to grasp her shoulders, and although she made a halfhearted attempt to free herself the anguish in his eyes kept her where she was. ‘Paige, didn’t you realise how I felt about you, about our relationship? Did it not occur to you that if all I had wanted was to take you to bed, then I would not have respected your innocence for the rest of the time you were on the yacht?’
Paige didn’t know how to answer him. ‘I—I thought—’ That you were bored with me; that as soon as you discovered how inexperienced I was you regretted getting involved with me… She shivered suddenly. ‘I—I didn’t know what to think.’
‘Then hear this: I did try to get in touch with you after you returned to London. Several times, in fact.’ His lips twisted. ‘Until your father told me that I was wasting my time, that there was another man in your life, and that in any case you had only been acting on his instructions.’
‘No—’
‘Yes.’ When she would have stepped back from him, he used her momentary imbalance to jerk her closer. ‘Why do you think I was so angry with myself when I betrayed my feelings to you that morning down at the jetty?’ he demanded, thrusting his face close to hers. ‘Theus, Paige, for four years I thought you had made a fool of me. My only consolation was that Tennant—your father—hadn’t got what he wanted, what he’d traded your innocence to achieve—’
‘No…’
But it was a pitiful sound she made, and when he gathered her close against the taut strength of his lean body she trembled in his embrace.
‘I didn’t betray you, Paige,’ he said thickly, his hands sliding up to cradle her skull. ‘I fell in love with you. I wanted to marry you. But your father couldn’t accept defeat, and although it cost him dearly in the end he destroyed the thing I most desired.’
Paige shook her head. ‘Daddy’s dead—’
‘Do you think I don’t know that?’ Nikolas spoke bitterly. ‘You were right, you know. That day when we had lunch together you understood my motives perfectly. It was no coincidence that I had contacted Price’s firm. I’d been waiting four years to have my revenge and when I heard that Tennant—that your father—was dead I thought any chance of retribution had died with him.’
Paige gazed up at him, aghast. ‘Why are you telling me this now?’
‘Because I want you to know the truth,’ said Nikolas grimly. ‘There will be no lies, no half-truths between us. If you decide to forgive me, it will be because you are in possession of all the facts. Not just those I would wish you to know.’
Paige’s tongue appeared to moisten her lips, and, as if he couldn’t stop himself, Nikolas bent his head to allow their tongues to touch; to mate; to seek an intimacy that had Paige’s knees shaking and her hands reaching unsteadily for his waist; for some place she could anchor herself while he took possession of her mouth.
Her senses swam, but, as if he realised that seducing her again was not the answer, Nikolas pulled his mouth away and allowed his thumbs to take its place. ‘Gliko,’ he said huskily. ‘Very sweet. You have a taste like no other, agape mou. But I must not be distracted. I want you to know all my sins, and persuading Price to talk about you was only the least of them.’
Paige shook her head. ‘I can’t take this in.’
‘But you want to?’
She wanted to deny it. She wanted to hold onto the fragile belief that her father had always had her best interests at heart, but it was becoming harder and harder to achieve. And, looking up into Nikolas’s dark, anxious face, she knew that being honest with him was more important than hanging onto the crumbling reputation of a dead man.
‘Yes,’ she said softly. ‘Yes, I want to.’ And had the satisfaction of seeing the heat of emotion flare in his eyes.
‘Very well,’ he said, and now she detected a slight tremor in his voice, too. ‘So—you must know that it was common knowledge that your father died owing a small fortune, and I watched with interest your efforts to rescue something from the wreck he left behind. Oh, yes.’ This, as her eyes widened in shocked denial. ‘I am not proud of my actions, aghapita, but you must remember I had your father’s word that you had been a party to your own seduction.’
Paige shook her head. ‘He—he wouldn’t say that.’
‘Ah, but he did. And more besides.’ Nikolas’s thumbs caressed her cheeks. ‘He wanted me to believe that everything that had happened had been for a purpose; that you did whatever he asked of you, and the reason that you’d left was because you were ashamed that you’d failed.’
Paige blinked. ‘But how could you believe that?’
‘How could I not, when you consistently refused to return my calls?’
‘But I didn’t—’
‘Know about them? Yes, I realise that now. But at the time I am afraid my anger blinded me to the most transparent of explanations. If I had not been so childishly aggrieved at your apparent behaviour, I would have come to London and had the truth from your own lips.’
Paige took a trembling breath. ‘If—if you had come to London, it might not have made any difference,’ she murmured unhappily. She hesitated. ‘Daddy had told me that you had laughed when he’d expressed his outrage at—at what you’d done. He said you’d told him it was his fault for being fool enough to trust you in the first place.’
Nikolas swore then in his own language, and although Paige didn’t understand the words he used she could understand his frustration at the way her father had deceived them both. It was as if Parker Tennant had had no care for his daughter’s happiness at all; as if his own loss had destroyed any finer feelings he had once possessed.
After a few moments, Nikolas had himself in control again, but there was a dogged determination in his voice that proved how difficult it was for him to go on. ‘So,’ he said, his words tight with emotion, ‘it is better not to dwell upon the past. Let it be enough to say that we both thought we had our reasons for despising the other, ohi?’ His eyes searched her pale face. ‘But perhaps you can understand now why I was so curious to see how you would handle the situation you found yourself in. Price’s behaviour was predictable, of course. I’d known for some time that that young man had an eye to the—to the main chance, ne?’ His eyes darkened briefly. ‘Did you love him?’
Paige gave a rueful sigh. ‘You must know I didn’t or you wouldn’t be asking that question.’
‘I hoped,’ he said, and, as if unable to resist, he bent his head and brushed a light kiss over the corner of her mouth. ‘But I digress. I am nothing if not determined, and if there is something I want I will wait any length of time to get it.’
‘But you said—’
‘Revenge,’ said Nikolas regretfully. ‘I wanted revenge, and your vulnerability provided the ideal opportunity.’
‘I see.’
‘Do you? I wonder.’ Nikolas’s lips twisted now. ‘You have no idea of the torment I went through, wondering if you would prove to be your father’s daughter, after all.’
Paige frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Oh, Paige, surely it must have occurred to you that you could have easily found yourself and Sophie a wealthy protector? You must have met dozens of men in the course of your father’s business. I am sure many of them would have been only too glad to—’
‘Sell myself, you mean?’ Paige stiffened. ‘I told you once before, Nikolas—’
‘You are not for sale.’ He finished the sentence for her. ‘I know that now. But at the time…’ He sighed. ‘I am not proud of the thoughts I had about you, agape mou. But when you removed Sophie from her public school and took up residence with your aunt in Islington I knew the time had come for me to act.’
‘You knew all that, and yet you still believed that I—’
‘No.’ Nikolas stopped her there. ‘No. Deep down, I suppose I had always known that the creature your father had painted for me bore little resemblance to the beautiful, sensitive woman I had fallen in love with.’ He shook his head. ‘Yet I still believed that you had betrayed me, that that was the reason you had run away—’
‘It wasn’t.’
Nikolas grimaced. ‘I can believe that now. But I have to admit that at the time I did not have such confidence. I had only your father’s word—and the evidence of my own eyes—to convince me that you had no further use for my affections.’
‘Oh, Nikolas!’
‘You do believe me, don’t you?’
‘Yes, I believe you.’
‘Because I have to tell you that after the lies Ariadne has been spreading about me my ego is sadly dented.’
‘I believe you,’ Paige said again, and this time when he bent to kiss her she wound her arms around his neck.
Hunger and sweet, sweet desire flowered inside her. Nikolas’s lips and the damp heat he was generating filled her heart and her mind with an aching need that only he could assuage. His breath was warm in her mouth, his tongue touching and exploring all those dark and moist places that opened to his sensual caress. Her eyes closed, and she gave herself up to sensory pleasures, an involuntary moan escaping her when he released her mouth to seek the scented hollow of her throat.
Memories enveloped her, but they were good memories now, and only heightened her response to his urgent embrace. His hands spanned her shoulders briefly and then curved down the arching column of her spine, bringing her yielding body even closer to the powerful thrust of his. His hands cupped her bottom, lifting her against him, his fingers skimming the cleft that tightened almost automatically at his touch.
She was no innocent girl now, and when he eased one muscled thigh between her legs her eyes opened wide to see the hot passion in his face. His own need, stark and thrilling, darkened his eyes, burned like a torch in their depths, drove her to grab fistfuls of his hair and drag his mouth back to hers.
She wanted him, she thought dizzily. She’d always wanted him, and it was incredible to believe that that impossible dream was almost within reach…
‘Hey, Paige—ooh, whoops!’
Sophie’s eruption into the room was as unexpected as it was unwelcome and Paige felt an almost agonising pang of regret when Nikolas stifled a groan and slowly, but firmly, put her away from him.
There was an awkward moment’s silence when Paige nurtured the faint hope that Sophie might show some discretion and walk out again. But she’d known it was an unlikely possibility. Her sister was far too curious to allow something so intriguing to go unchallenged, and when she propped her shoulder against the jamb Paige knew she was going to demand an explanation she didn’t have.
‘Does this mean we won’t be leaving, after all?’ Sophie asked, with her usual insensitivity, and Paige wanted to die with embarrassment.
‘Sophie!’ she exclaimed, hoping her sister would get the message, but before the younger girl could respond Nikolas’s hand had looped around Paige’s wrist.
‘I take it you wouldn’t have any objections?’ he enquired, addressing himself to Sophie, but all Paige was aware of was his thumb rubbing sensuously against her palm.
Sophie blew out a breath. ‘Are you serious?’ she exclaimed, looking at her sister with a staggered expression. ‘I mean—I thought—’ She broke off in some confusion, and Paige enjoyed the experience of seeing her sister speechless for once.
‘Yes? What did you think, Sophie?’ Nikolas, too, appeared to be enjoying the moment, but Paige was not conceited enough to think that anything Sophie said would influence him one way or the other.
‘Well, I—’ Sophie gulped. ‘Like—is this supposed to be some kind of joke or something?’ She looked to her sister for support, but Paige was still too bemused by the feelings Nikolas was so effortlessly inspiring to have an answer for her. ‘I thought you said Ariadne was going back to school.’
‘Me sinhorite!’ For a moment Nikolas was so disconcerted by this apparent non sequitur that he lapsed into his own language, and Sophie sighed in frustration.
‘Paige said we were leaving,’ she declared resentfully, staring at her sister. ‘Didn’t you, Paige? Well, are we or aren’t we? I have a right to know.’
‘Ah…’ Nikolas recovered his composure before Paige could say anything, but instead of answering her he adopted a rather humorous expression. ‘Well, Sophie, I would say that your question is a little—how shall I put it?—premature?’
Premature!
Oh, God!
With a feeling of complete devastation, Paige detached her hand from Nikolas’s and put some space between them. She’d been such a fool, she thought painfully, avoiding his curious gaze. Why hadn’t she seen what was happening? Why hadn’t she realised that he had spoken in the past tense? He’d said he had fallen in love with her; that he’d wanted to marry her. Then, not now. Now all he wanted was satisfaction—a chance to prove to himself that she was still as vulnerable to him as she had ever been…
‘Premature?’ It was Sophie who was speaking again, and Paige wanted desperately to shut her up. ‘What do you mean, premature? There didn’t seem to be anything premature about the way you two were acting when—’
‘Sophie!’
Paige was mortified, but Nikolas seemed to find Sophie’s candour amusing. ‘You’re right,’ he said as Paige started across the room to push her sister out of the door. He came after her, and although she attempted to resist he slipped his arm around her waist, successfully halting her in mid-flight. ‘We had just begun to understand one another, hadn’t we, aghapita?’ he whispered. And, to her ignominy and Sophie’s amazement, he bestowed a lingering kiss on her nape. ‘For the first time in four years, we were being completely honest with one another.’
Paige drew a trembling breath. ‘Is that what you call it?’ she muttered in an undertone, but she couldn’t prevent her automatic response to the heat of his body at her back.
‘It will do for now,’ he chided her softly. ‘Stop fighting me, mora, or your sister will think you do not love me, after all.’
‘Love you?’ The words fell helplessly from Paige’s lips, and, ignoring Sophie’s stunned face, he turned her in his arms and lowered his mouth to hers.
‘As I love you,’ he conceded gently.
Paige quivered. ‘You said—you said Sophie’s question was premature—’
‘And it was. I have not yet had the time to tell you how I feel; to ask you to do me the honour of becoming my wife.’
Paige’s knees sagged, and now even Sophie found the naked emotion between them just too private to intrude upon.
‘I guess we are staying,’ she mumbled ruefully, backing out of the room, and wasn’t really surprised when no one even noticed that she’d gone…