“We really appreciate that we are not sitting in this” pointing to a window, as everybody had nodded in agreement as the storm had raged noisily outside.
Inclining his head with a small crooked smile he had told them they were welcome.
“We are up very early, being the last day…so I think that I will retire for the night, so I would like to say thank you as I am sure that we will be gone before you get up”
Alexos had given a small humorous chuckle “Why Grace…of course I will be up, what kind of a host would I be not to see my guests off?”
Giving him a harder look she had forced a smile onto her lips “Well in that case…I will see you tomorrow” before looking at the others “I will see you all at five” the group groaning but nodding in agreement.
Moving from the room, she had felt relief having made it through the night, retreating thankfully into her room.
Looking at the bath within the luxurious en-suite she had groaned softly, finally giving in to the temptation, running it deep and adding some of the expensive bubble bath. Smiling at the sight of the foaming bath she had sank into the warmth with a soft sigh of pure pleasure. It had been weeks since she had enjoyed such a luxury and after half an hour of soaking she had dried off, feeling contentment through to her very bones. Humming happily her long hair had then been dried, Grace using some of the many new brushes to style it, chuckling to herself at the desire to do this. Pulling on her fitted crop top and small bed shorts she had moved from the bathroom looking forward to sinking into the soft sheets, her mind remembering the last time she had stayed at the villa, smiling softly at the memory as it had resurfaced.
The slight movement in the corner of the room had made her jump in fright, her hands covering her mouth to hold back the scream at seeing the man sitting so relaxed in the armchair.
“Alexos!” his name falling from her lips as shock had thudded into every part of her.
“Hello Grace” he drawled softly, his eyes watching her carefully “I thought you and I should have a talk”
Grace had wrapped her arms around herself, so aware that she wore so little, the crop top stopping above her navel her toned flat belly visible. With a voice which shook alarmingly she had tried to stand taller, to seem surer than she was.
“We have nothing to talk about Alexos…I appreciate your hospitality for my team” stopping as her eyes had narrowed “I locked that door…how did you get in here?”
Standing, he had moved closer, alarm bells ringing throughout her.
“I own this house Grace. I have keys for every room”
Raising her chin defiantly she had resolutely stood her ground “Please leave…as I said we have nothing to talk about and I have an early start”
Shaking his head he had continued to move towards her, Grace’s bravado starting to slip as she had moved backwards away from him.
“I disagree. You didn’t want to talk about things in front of your team…I understand that, but believe me we ARE going to talk”
His eyes were no longer gentle, no longer full of humour, but ice-cold full of hostility.
“You left me to explain to my whole family and all the friends I introduced you to, that the woman I was going to marry had eloped, married some nobody and moved to the UK”
With a gasp her hands balled, she had leapt to Daryle’s defence.
“He is not some nobody…he is the best man I have ever known”
With a raised eyebrow Alexos had stopped a frown coming to his handsome face. “And yet you are no longer married to this ‘best man’” his tone full of contempt “What happened Grace did you get a better offer, ditch that poor man too?”
Glaring back she had bitten out “You don’t understand” he had moved forward bridging the remaining distance between them.
“You are damn right I don’t understand” Grace feeling the way her heart was beating so fast in her chest, the alarm showing in her large eyes.
“You agreed to my, for a better word ‘wooing’ you. We and our families had an agreement and in that you agreed to effectively be my wife”
Looking up into his face she had once more felt the tremors of awareness, the strange flip-flopping within her stomach tinged with fear as he had glared down at her.
“I phoned you…I explained it to you, we had not officially made any announcement Alexos”
With a derisory laugh he had grabbed her by the upper arms.
“Everybody knew Grace, my father, your parents and my friends. I had finally met the woman I was going to marry…and then you eloped. You used me, you used everybody”