His dark brows shot up in disbelief. 'Can you doubt it?'
Her eyes fell as she tried to think of some kind of response.
Luke smiled crookedly and released her hands. 'You find my feelings so hard to believe?'
'Other than the guilt part, yes,' she muttered. 'I'm just a passing stranger in your life.'
'I feel I know you very well, Isobel,' he said softly, his eyes hot with a look that made her own fall again.
'That's probably because the circumstances have been so unusual.'
'Holding your delectable body in my arms so much certainly accelerated the process,' he agreed with relish.
'At least you don't have to do that any more,' she retorted. 'I'm mobile now.'
His eyes fastened on hers. 'But I still want to hold you in my arms, little friend.'
Battening down a leap of response, Isobel took in a deep breath. 'Luke, next week I'm going home. So, although I'm deeply grateful to you for saving my life-'
'Twice!'
Her eyes flashed. 'Even so, I'm afraid I have nothing to-to offer in return but my grateful thanks. I may be jumping the gun again, but holiday romances are just not my thing.'
Luke got to his feet, irritatingly unperturbed. 'I will try hard to remember that, Isobel.' He looked at his watch. 'Rest now until Eleni brings your dinner. I shall be in the study, keeping in touch with my people in Athens. Is there anything you need?'
'No, thank you,' she said, subdued, and with a formal little bow he turned away.
'Luke.'
'Yes?' He turned at the door.
She smiled shakily. 'Thank you again for rescuing me. But I'm worried. What if the man makes off with the money without being caught?'
'Then he does,' he said, shrugging.
'In which case I'll owe you a lot more than mere thanks.'
'You owe me nothing,' he retorted, suddenly grim. 'You were a guest in my house. I should have taken better care of you. This, in some small way, I can remedy now.' He strode back to her and picked her up to place her against the stacked pillows on the bed, then handed the book to her. 'Read if you must, but sleep would be better.'
Isobel smiled her thanks, but she had a lump in her throat. Again. She had to kick this crying habit. Not her style, normally. But then, nothing quite so momentous as kidnapping had ever happened in her life before. What a tale she would have to tell when she got home.
Luke ran down to the study to check with his assistant in Athens. Andres, as usual, was concise and efficient, with news that the money was ready and would be left the following evening, packaged according to instructions, in the alley alongside the indicated kafeinion, which was already under covert surveillance by the police. There had been no communication from the kidnapper since the original statement that the goods would be returned once he had the money.
Not right, thought Luke. 'I don't like this, Andres. Something smells wrong. I want him caught. And I need to know who's behind this. Someone's after my blood, one way or another. It has to stop.'
'I agree, kyrie. And with police help, and our own people watching, we shall catch him and make it stop.'
'I'll be back in the morning,' said Luke decisively.
'Better you are not! You would be an obvious target.'
'All the more reason for me to return. I am the one he wants. No argument, Andres. I have to do this.'
'Then I will cover your back, kyrie,' said Andres promptly.
'I was counting on that,' Luke assured him. 'Ari has his team ready in support?'
'Ready and waiting. How is the lady?'
'Doing remarkably well after her ordeal. Thanks, Andres. Keep me informed.'
Luke went outside to prowl round the garden. Given the choice, he would have returned to Athens immediately, to be right at the heart of things well in advance of zero hour. Luke's fists clenched at the thought of Isobel helpless in the kidnapper's hands. His blood ran cold at the thought of what he might have done to her before killing her. Because whoever was behind all this knew that the perfect way to make him suffer was to threaten the woman they assumed was his. But a fatal mistake had been made in choosing a kidnapper. The man had taken it for granted that the guest staying in his house on Chyros was Arianna Stratos, the woman most recently linked with him.
Luke stalked restlessly through the garden. His feelings had been indescribable as the Athena approached that barren little island-hope and gripping fear and then overwhelming, engulfing relief as he spotted the bright gleam of hair against the undergrowth and saw Isobel, dirty and defiant, brandishing her weapon as she prepared to do battle. One look, and all his original suspicions of her had vanished, consumed in the fire of his rage at the thought of losing her, of another man touching her, or worse. Luke smiled crookedly. How polite Isobel had been, making it plain that if he was expecting anything more from his little friend than gratitude for his trouble he was out of luck.
CHAPTER NINE
ISOBEL woke to a hand patting hers gently and smiled into Eleni's hovering face. 'What time is it?' she asked.
'Dinner time.'
'Already?' Isobel yawned as she sat upright. 'You should have woken me sooner.'
'Kyrie Luke said leave you rest.'
'Right. Just give me a few minutes.'
'Spiro put paintings in room downstairs,' the woman informed her.
Isobel thanked her warmly. So much had happened since painting them, she'd forgotten about her watercolours. Ten minutes later, her hair and face were as good as she could make them, but her shirt was badly creased. Not that it mattered if she was eating alone. Though she would have appreciated some company after her adventure. But, as had happened in the past with other men, maybe Luke wasn't interested in her sparkling conversation if it was the only thing on offer. Isobel's thoughts skidded to a halt. Why, exactly, was she so adamant about that? After her brush with possible death, would it be so terrible to enjoy a brief love affair with a man who appealed to her on every possible level? She leaned back in the chair with a sigh. Not terrible, at all, which was the problem. A love affair with Luke might-would-be a thing of glory for a few days. And nights. But she had to think outside the box, to the time when she flew home to the real world. So she'd pushed him away, even though every instinct had been screaming at her to celebrate life by making love with the charismatic man who'd saved that life for her. Twice.
Luke suddenly appeared in the open doorway as though her thoughts had conjured him up. 'You look very serious, Isobel.'
'I was contemplating the mysteries of life,' she said lightly. 'Is there any news?'
'Only that all arrangements are in hand.' Luke drew up a chair beside her. 'My assistant is keeping me up to speed.'
'Is she super-efficient?' And probably beautiful, too, thought Isobel glumly.
'The best. Andres Stefanides has been my right-hand man since I bought my first freighter. I would trust him with my life, Isobel,' said Luke and got up, still too restless to sit. He went over to the glass doors to open them wide and brought in the veranda table. He set it in front of Isobel, then closed and locked the doors.
'Do you really think there's a danger he might come here again?' she asked.
'It is best to guard against the possibility.' He slammed one fist into the other in frustration. 'I will not rest until the police have him in custody and I can find out who is pulling his strings. From your description, he sounds like another hired thug, so there must be some mastermind behind him.'
She hesitated. 'It couldn't possibly be your grandfather? Because of his wife's death?'
Luke shook his head. 'Even if he did the unthinkable and hired a man to kill someone of his own blood, Theo would not have arranged the abduction. Arianna's grandfather is a lifelong friend.'
'You mean the kidnapper thought I was this Arianna?' said Isobel, eyes narrowed.
'Yes. She is a good friend of mine.'
'Pillow variety?'
'No. We share the kind of relationship you say you yearn for, Isobel. She is an intelligent, handsome woman whose company I enjoy when we get together, but-'
'But she's not the type you take to bed.'
'No.' Luke lifted an expressive shoulder. 'She is proof that it is possible for a man and woman to be just friends, Isobel.'
'I just wish more men felt the same. When I was in the hut, wondering if the man was going to come back and finish me off, I wondered if I'd ever see any of my friends again, Joanna most of all. It was an extra spur to get myself out.' Isobel smiled. 'And then you came, so all's well that ends well.'
'You should not have been forced to endure such treatment,' said Luke bitterly.
She shrugged. 'I survived. By the way, when he found he had the wrong woman, surely whoever's behind this must have wondered if you'd pay to get me back?'
'You were a guest in my house, whoever you were,' said Luke with emphasis. 'He knew I would pay. Though he made a big mistake with old Denis Stratos. Arianna was actually there in the room with her grandfather when the ransom demand arrived.'