What The Greek Wants Most(29)

And that vice had tightened every time he'd cried out in the middle of the night after another nightmare.

She'd been surprised that first night after their return when he'd   pulled her close after a fiery lovemaking and instructed her to go to   sleep.

When he kept her with him the following night, she'd boldly asked him why.

'I don't want to be alone,' he'd stated baldly. And each time he'd come   awake he'd reached for her, wrapping his trembling body around her and   holding on tight until his nightmare receded and his breathing returned   to normal.

More and more, her foolish heart had begun to believe that her presence   was making the nightmares, if not any less horrific, then at least   tolerable.

Or she could just be living in a fantasy land where her mind and heart   had no idea what language the other was speaking. Because she was   beginning to believe that her heart was more involved in Theo's welfare   than was wise. And yet she couldn't control it enough to make it stop   wrenching in pain when he suffered another nightmare, or soar with joy   when he took her to the heights of ecstasy. Even the knowledge that some   time in the very near future, after his goal to destroy her father was   achieved, Theo would pack up his bags and leave Rio for good, made her   heart ache in a way that was almost a physical pain.

Santa Maria, she was losing her mind-

'There you are. Teresa told me you're still here. I thought you'd be at   the centre by now.' She'd shared more details of her volunteer work  with  him during the times when he'd been Normal Theo, not Revenge Theo.  And  she'd been ridiculously thrilled when he hadn't been judgemental  or  condescending.

She looked up as he entered the living room and crossed to where she   sat, applying finishing touches to the sketch she'd been working on   since breakfast an hour ago. She'd thought he'd left for the day but   obviously she'd been mistaken.

Glancing up at his lean, solid frame and gorgeous face, her heart   performed that painfully giddy flip again and she glanced away. 'I took a   day off. I'm … I'm still thinking of resigning.'

He stilled then dropped to his haunches in front of her. 'Why?'

She struggled to breathe as his scent surrounded her, making her yearn   to lean in closer. 'This whole thing with my father has brought unwanted   attention to people who are already struggling with life's   difficulties. I don't think it's fair on the children.'

A look resembling regret passed through his eyes before he blinked it   away. After a full minute, he murmured, 'No, it's not. But you won't   resign.'

Her heart caught. 'Why not?'

'Because I won't allow you to give up something you love doing. The   publicity about your father will go away. I'll make sure of it.'

She met mesmerising hazel eyes. 'Why are you doing this?'                       
       
           



       

He shrugged. 'Perhaps I'm beginning to realise that I was mistaken about how much collateral damage I was prepared to accept.'

Collateral damage. She was grappling with that when he spoke again.

'I have something for you.'

She glanced warily at him. 'Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. I'm sure I've read that warning somewhere.'

His smile held a certain chill but was heart-stopping nonetheless. 'For   the most part, I'd urge you to heed that warning. But this one is   completely harmless.' He pulled something from his back pocket and   presented it to her. The look in his eyes made her stomach flip as she   glanced from his face to the box.

'What is it?' she asked.

'Open it and see.'

She opened the velvet case and gaped at the platinum-linked, three-tiered diamond choker nestling between the two catches.

'Are you trying to make some sort of macho statement?'

He shook his head in confusion. 'Sorry, anjo, you've lost me.'

'This is a choker. You want everyone to see that you own me?'

He frowned. 'What the hell are you talking about?'

'Why a choker? Why not a simple diamond pendant?'

'I asked my jeweller to send a few pieces. I liked the look of that one.   So I chose it. No big deal, no mind games. I thought you'd like it,'  he  finished tersely.

She bit her lip and wondered if she was reading too much into it. Much   like she was reading far too much into her feelings for Theo and what   would happen when things ended.

'It's a beautiful piece of jewellery. But frankly it's a bit   ostentatious for my taste.' She snapped the box shut and held it out to   him. 'Besides, since my role as paparazzi bait is over, I don't see   where I would wear something like that.'

His jaw tightened and he pushed the box back at her. 'I was just coming   to that. Ari is getting married next weekend. You're coming with me as   my plus one.'

She couldn't stop her mouth from gaping open any more than she could   stop breathing. 'You want me to drop everything and fly to Greece with   you?'

'I'm sure you can work something out with the charity. I'm happy to make a donation to cover your absence if you like.'

'I … '

'And we're not going to Greece. Ari and Perla are getting married at their resort in Bermuda.'

'Different continent, same response.'

His eyes narrowed. 'Do I need to remind you that we're only three weeks into our agreement?'

Her fingers trembled and she threw the box down on the sofa. 'No, you   don't need to remind me. Call me foolish, but I thought we were getting   beyond that.'

'I'm trying to, Inez.'

'Then ask me nicely. For all you know, I may be busy next weekend and would need to rearrange my plans for you.'

He raised an eyebrow. 'Busy doing what?'

'Splitting the atom. Shaving my legs. Rehearsing to join a circus   troupe. What does it matter? You didn't bother to ask. You only brought   me trinkets and ordered me to be ready to fly off to Bermuda.' Her  mouth  trembled and she firmed it.

'You're angry.'

'You're very observant.'

'Tell me why.'

She laughed. Even to her ears it sounded as if it could've easily cut   glass. His eyes narrowed as she shook her head. 'What would be the   point?'

'The point would be that I would listen.'

She placed her feet on the carpet and tried to stand. He caught her hips and kept her seated in front of him.

This close she could see the hypnotic gold flecks in his eyes. She   wanted to drown in them. Wanted to drown in him. She tried to calm her   racing pulse.

His gaze dropped to her mouth, then down to her chest and a different sort of fever took hold of her.

'That necklace-'

'Is just a necklace. I thought I'd give it to you now so you could get an outfit to match for the wedding.'

'And the trip?'

'I need a plus one. I need you. And you can hate me if you want but I'm   not prepared to leave you here so Benedicto can hound you.'                       
       
           



       

'I can take care of myself.'

His eyes narrowed. 'I don't doubt that. But can you tell me that he   won't view your refusal to take his calls this last week as a betrayal?'

Her heart skittered. 'And you think he'll harm me in some way?'

He glanced meaningfully at her arm, then back to her face. 'Sorry, anjo, I'm not prepared to take that chance.'

Darkness and light. Tenderness and ruthlessness. It was what kept her emotions on a knife-edge where this man was concerned.

'Will you come to Bermuda with me? Please?'

She glanced at the velvet box. 'I will. But I'm not wearing that necklace.'

'Fine. We'll find you something else.'

'I don't need anything-' Her argument died on her lips when he picked up   her sketchpad. She grabbed at it but he held it out of her reach.   'Theo, hand it over.' She breathed a secret sigh of relief when her   panic didn't bleed through her voice.

'You're supposed to be designing me a boat.'

'I'm still working on it. I'll show it to you when it's done.'

His gaze brushed her face and settled on her mouth. The intensity of it   made her insides contract. After a minute he handed the pad over and   rose. 'I look forward to it. We're dining in tonight. I'm in the mood   for an early night.'

He left the room just as silently as he'd entered. She realised her   fingers were clamped white around her sketchpad and slowly relaxed them.

She flipped through the pages until she came to the one she'd been   drawing. It was one of many featuring Theo asleep. She stared at it,   seeing the vulnerability and gentleness in his face that he covered up   so efficiently when he was awake. When he was asleep he was all light,   no darkness. There was a boyishness about him that she only caught rare   glimpses of during the day.

Darkness and light. Unfortunately, her heart refused to be picky about   which it preferred because, awake or asleep, Theo had captured her   emotions so efficiently she was beginning to fear she was falling in   love with him.