The Power of the Legendary Greek(24)

'I was allowed to observe while he was being questioned later,' Luke  told Isobel when he rang for the second time to give details. 'Once in  custody, the man begged protection for his family against Zena and Zoe  Karras, twin sisters of the dead Melina Andreadis. As I suspected, they  were the driving force behind this all along. Just like the man who  attacked me, your kidnapper's wife and children had been threatened by  the two harpies. But he swore he was no killer, which is why he sent me  the note giving me your location.'

'And he never actually hurt me,' added Isobel.

'But he tied you up and left you in that hut,' said Luke grimly, then  continued to tell her that the police went straight to the Karras house  to question the sisters, who promptly went berserk with fury at the  failure of their plan and poured everything out in a flood of venom  against him, which shocked even the battle-hardened detectives. Luke  laughed cynically. 'But the sisters' vendetta against me was more for  the loss of the generous allowance Melina had made them, than for her  death. I was informed later that they blamed me for her death and  everything else wrong in their lives.'                       
       
           



       

'They meant to have you killed?'

'No. Just to wound and harm me in any way possible, out of pure venom. As a source of money, I was no good to them dead.'

Isobel shivered, her knuckles white on the phone. 'What was to happen to me?'

'They were too hysterical to make any sense by the time they were taken  into custody, but Andres is related to one of the policemen  interrogating them, so I shall know more eventually.' His voice dropped a  tone. 'But, no matter what they intended, you are safe now, hriso mou.  You can sleep tonight.'

'I'll probably have nightmares!'

'If I were there with you I could provide a cure for those,' he said softly.

The mere thought of it made her weak at the knees. 'When will you be back?'

'As soon as I can, Isobel. I must work with Andres for a while first  today. Even without all this drama I have been neglecting my business  interests since you came into my life, Miss Isobel James!'

'So sorry about that. Never mind. I'll soon be gone.'

'I know this very well,' he assured her darkly. 'When I get back we will spend every possible moment together before you leave.'

Isobel put her phone on the bedside table, limp with relief now it was  all over and Luke was safe. But she was very thoughtful as she settled  into the pillows. If Luke intended to spend every moment possible with  her before she left, did he mean in as well as out of bed? And, if so,  what would Eleni and Spiro think of the arrangement? Isobel bit her lip.  She had become so fond of the couple the thought of losing their  respect was painful. She hugged a pillow to her chest fiercely. If she'd  known beforehand that she'd be in danger of falling madly in love  during her holiday she would have steered clear of these magical Greek  islands. The holiday had been intended as a recovery programme, both  from working overtime for weeks and from the hateful episode with Gavin.  But now she would need all the hard work she could get once she was  home to help her recover from her Greek odyssey. And from Luke. She  sighed. If she wasn't her sparkling self for a while, at least Jo would  assume that her hair-raising adventures were the reason. Whereas the  real problem would be that she was pining for the man who'd rescued her  from them.



The next day seemed endless. Luke rang twice in snatched moments between  meetings, but he was too busy for more than a word or two. And when  Alyssa rang later she apologised because the taverna was short-staffed  and she had to work all day rather than drive up to the Villa Medusa as  she'd intended. To occupy herself, Isobel finished the drawing of Luke  for Eleni and Spiro, ate the lunch put in front of her and in between  took walks in the garden with her stick at regular intervals to exercise  her ankle and pass the time until Luke got back. After that, her time  with him would be so brief she was determined to make the most of every  minute-once he tore himself away from his empire to fly back to Chyros.

When Eleni apologised because dinner would be served an hour later that  evening Isobel assured her it was fine with her and went carefully up  the stairs, supporting herself on the carved banister rail as she went.  In preparation for Luke's return tomorrow she would use the hour for the  kind of top-to-toe beauty treatment she rarely had time, or  inclination, for at home.

Isobel was sitting on the veranda as the sun set, waving her newly  painted toes around to dry the polish, when her heart leapt at the sound  she hadn't been expecting until the next day. Tense with excitement,  she leaned out over the balcony rail as Luke's helicopter circled round  to land, then forced herself to wait for him to come to her. She went  barefoot into the bedroom, listening to the sound of greetings  downstairs as Luke brought Spiro up to date, her pulse racing in time  with his footsteps as Luke ran upstairs, and at last he was there in the  doorway, arms outstretched. She flew into them and he buried his face  in the fragrant mass of her newly washed hair, holding her close against  his thudding heart.

Luke raised his head at last, smiling down into her eyes. 'Kalispera, Isobel.'

'Hi,' she said, smiling radiantly. 'You forgot to tell me you were coming home today.'                       
       
           



       

'I did not forget. I wanted to surprise you.'

She wagged a finger. 'But you let Spiro know, because Eleni asked to put dinner later tonight. She never said a word.'

'On my orders,' Luke said, and put her away from him to look down into  her eyes. 'I wanted to see your face when I arrived, and now I have seen  it and know you are glad to see me I want to kiss you very badly. But  if I do I might not stop, and I need time to make myself worthy of my  beautiful dinner companion.'

'Thank you, kind sir. I'll wait for you on the terrace.'

'Wait up here and I shall carry you down,' he said promptly, but she shook her head.

'With care, I can manage without my crutch now if I go barefoot and  carry these to put on downstairs.' Isobel grinned at him as she picked  up her sandals. 'Don't be long. I'm hungry.'



Isobel had felt no enthusiasm for dining alone, but with Luke for such  unexpected company she did full justice to the celebration meal Eleni  and Spiro took such pleasure in serving them, both of them blazingly  happy now that the man they loved like a son had faced down his enemies  and returned to them safely.

At intervals Luke left the table to answer the phone to well wishers who  had seen the news, among them Alyssa Nicolaides, who apologised for  disturbing him but had been instructed to convey her parents' relief,  along with hers, that he had survived yet another dangerous encounter  unscathed.

'The gods must be watching over you, Lukas mou. Give my love to Isobel,' Alyssa added sweetly as she said goodbye.

'That was Alyssa,' said Luke as he resumed his place at the table. 'She  sent you her love. I shall leave all other calls to the machine. If  there is anything urgent from Andres he will use my private line.' He  yawned hugely. 'Forgive me, Isobel, I had very little sleep last night.'

'I'm not surprised.' She abandoned the pomegranate she'd been toying with. 'Do you want to go to bed?'

Luke jumped up to pull out her chair. 'Zeus, yes, I do. I will tell Spiro he can lock up.'

'Thank Eleni for a wonderful dinner, Luke, but don't be long,' said Isobel, then flushed hectically at the look her gave her.

As Luke strode off towards the kitchen Isobel slipped off the sandals  and began her usual careful ascent of the stairs but, before she was  even halfway up, he caught up with her and carried her the rest of the  way and along the landing to her room. Once inside, he kicked the door  shut and laid her on the bed, then cast himself down beside her and took  her in his arms, his face buried against her neck.

'Last night,' he said, his breath hot against her skin, 'I thought of  this when I was watching that alley, waiting to seize the man who had  kidnapped you.'

'I thought of it every minute of the day,' she admitted huskily. 'Then  you rang me to say you were safe, and I could breathe again.'

Luke raised his head to look in her eyes. 'You cared that much?'

'Yes.' She wriggled closer. 'Now tell me about it again. Was it a shock to learn the Karras sisters were behind the vendetta?'

'No. After their behaviour towards me at Melina's funeral it was no  surprise at all.' Luke kissed her with sudden heat. 'Now forget them,  agapi mou, and concentrate on me.'



Isobel woke alone the next morning and had showered and dressed before Luke came to find her.

'Kalimera,' he said, taking her in his arms.

'Good morning.' She smiled up at him. 'How are you today?'

'Now there is no longer danger to you, I feel as though a great weight  has rolled from my shoulders, Isobel. I also feel hungry,' he added, and  kissed her. 'For breakfast also, you understand. And while we eat you  shall tell me what you would like to do today.'