“If you’ll extend your time in Greece, I can arrange for you to stay on Anti Paxos. Think about it and let me know after we get back to Chloe’s house.”
“Even if I could take time off from work, what about yours? Can you afford to be gone any longer?”
His heart leaped. So she was interested...
“My brother will cover for me.”
“You’re lucky to have him.” She sounded sincere. “Is there more family?”
“No. Just Vasso.”
“Is he younger? Older?”
The questions were coming at last. “Older by eleven months.”
“You were almost twins!”
“Almost.”
“Do you resemble each other?”
He turned to his pilot. “What do you think?” he asked in Greek. “Do Vasso and I look alike?”
The other man grinned before giving him an answer.
Akis translated. “He said, superficially.”
“Is Vasso married?”
Why did she want to know that? “Not yet.”
“Then maybe you should arrange for him to meet Chloe’s bridesmaid.”
His black brows furrowed. “I’m afraid my brother prefers to be the one in pursuit. What makes you so concerned for Althea?”
“Even Nora noticed how crestfallen she looked when you stopped dancing with her.”
“According to Theo, she has lots of boyfriends.”
“But she wanted you,” Raina came back.
“Why do you say that?”
“I may have been farther away, but I could see her disappointment. Think how much she would have enjoyed a day like this with you.”
“If you’re trying to make me feel guilty, it isn’t working.”
She flashed him a quick smile. “Not at all. I was just thinking how fortunate I’ve been to be given a fantastic personal tour narrated by you. It’s a real thrill.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. But it’s not over yet. We’ll be flying over a portion of the Pindus National Park covered in black pines. The view from this altitude is extraordinary.” While she studied the landscape, he’d feast his eyes on her.
For the next hour she appeared captivated by the unfolding scenery. Every now and again he heard a little gasp of awe as they dipped lower to view a new sight. Whatever his suspicions might have been in the beginning, her barrage of questions made him think her reactions to the beauty below them couldn’t be faked.
Once they’d landed on the pad of the Milonis estate, he helped Raina down. Their bodies brushed, causing a tiny gasp to escape her lips. He knew exactly how she felt and didn’t know how long he could stand it before he kissed her again.
Akis watched her disappear before he used the guest bathroom and phoned his driver to come to the house. He had plans for him and Raina later. After washing his hands, he walked out to the patio to phone his brother. No doubt he was still at the office. Akis needed to give him a heads-up that he wouldn’t be coming in to work for a few days. He was taking a brief vacation in order to spend time with Raina.
To his frustration, his call went to Vasso’s voice mail. Once again he had to ask him to call him back ASAP. Then he spoke to his private secretary to know if there were any situations he needed to hear about. But he was assured everything was fine. Vasso had been there until two o’clock, then he’d left.
After hanging up, he walked to the cabana and changed into a swimming suit. Akis needed a workout after sitting so long. Much as he wanted Raina to join him in the pool, he knew she couldn’t. But on that score he was wrong. When he’d finished his laps and started to get out, he saw her at the shallow end, floating on her back. The crutches had been left at the side of the pool.
By rotating her arms, she was able to move around without hurting her ankle. He swam over to her, noticing her blond hair looked darker now that it was wet and swept back. The classic features of her oval face revealed her pure beauty. Those eyes shimmered like amethysts. Incredible.
“I’m glad you came out here.”
“After today’s tour, I thought I’d like to see what it was like to swim with Poseidon, god of the sea.”
He sucked in his breath. “You’re not afraid I might make you my next conquest?”
She kept on moving. “Do you think you can?”
He kept up with her. “After our kiss the other night, I think you know the answer to that.”
“What will your wife say?”
“She doesn’t rule my life.”
“That would be the worst fate for you, wouldn’t it? To be ruled by your passion for one woman? To be her slave forever?”
“Not if she’s the right woman.”
“How will you know when you’ve found her?” The pulse throbbing violently in the vulnerable spot of her throat betrayed her.
“I think I have. Stay in Greece until I can unveil all of the real you.”
“The real me?”
“Yes. There’s more to you than you want to let on.”
A beguiling smile broke the corners of her mouth. “And what about you, swimming into my life? Who are you, really?”
He swam closer. “Who would you like me to be?” The blood pounded in his ears.
“Just yourself.”
Raina...
She’d reached for the side of the pool and clung to it. “Akis,” she said softly. “I’m frightened because my feelings for you are already too strong.”
“Strong enough to meet me halfway and kiss me again?”
“I want to.” Her voice throbbed. “But I’m worried I’ll be enslaved by you.”
Akis took a deep breath and moved through the water next to her. “Don’t you know you’re the one who has enslaved me? I need you, Raina.”
Her eyes looked glazed. “You’re not the only one,” she confessed.
He clasped her to him and covered her trembling mouth with his own. This time he’d jumped right into the fire, heedless of the flames licking through his body.
Her curves melted against him as if she were made for him. He kissed her with growing abandon until he felt her hungry response. It wasn’t like anything he’d ever known and he was afraid he’d never get enough.
“Raina,” he whispered in a thick tone. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? How much I want you?”
She moaned her answer, too swallowed up in their need for each other to talk. This was what Akis had been waiting for all his life, this feeling of oneness and ecstasy.
“Anyone for dinner?” came the sudden godlike voice of thunder.
Raina made a sound in her throat and tore her lips from his. “Socus has seen us.”
“He has to know what’s going on,” Akis whispered against the side of her neck. “You’re a grown woman.”
“Yes, but I’m also a guest in their home. What must he think when we only met a few days ago?”
“That we’re incredibly lucky and are enjoying ourselves.”
She lifted anxious eyes to him. “Way too much.” To his regret she eased away from him in her orange bikini to reach the steps of the pool. After grabbing her towel and crutches, she disappeared inside the house.
Akis threw his dark head back and drank in gulps of air. No doubt Chloe’s father had seen the two of them locked together while the water sizzled around them.
Naturally Raina would bring out a protective instinct in the older man. She was their honored guest. Akis swam to the deep end. After levering himself over the edge, he headed for the cabana to shower and get dressed.
As he was pulling on his crew neck, his cell rang. He drew it from his pant pocket to look at the caller ID and clicked on. “Vasso? Did you get my message?”
“Yes, but we’ve got an electrical problem at the number ten store I’ve got to see about. I’m leaving the penthouse to take care of it now. Before you go away on vacation, I’ve left some papers for you to look at in the den.”
“About that new property we were thinking about on Crete?”
“No. It’s something else. Talk to you later.” He hung up before Akis could question him further.
Something else? What exactly did that mean? Curious over it, Akis left the cabana in a slightly different mood than before and walked around the pool to the covered portion of the patio. Everyone was seated at the table waiting for him. Raina looked a golden vision wearing a pale yellow beach robe over her beautiful body.
“Ah, there you are,” Nora exclaimed. “Now we can eat.”
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. My brother called me about a business problem. After dinner, I’ll have to get back to the penthouse to deal with it.” His gaze darted to Raina whose eyes were asking questions not even he could answer yet. “I’ll phone you later about our plans for tomorrow.” The night he’d planned with her would have to wait.
Raina watched Akis’s tall, powerful body disappear from the patio in a few swift strides. Disappointment swept over her. She despised her weakness for remaining silent when he announced in front of Chloe’s parents he’d call her later about plans for the next day. To them the silence on her part meant agreement and she’d be staying in Greece longer.
After the two of them had come close to kissing each other senseless out in the pool, he would naturally assume she couldn’t wait to be with him again. Socus had seen them kissing and had been left in no doubt what was going on between them.