“I do.”
She spun around to face him, her expression showing her surprise.
“You live in Athens.”
“No. Now I live here.”
Elle felt hot and cold; stars were sparkling before her eyes. “No,” she said slowly. “Your home is in Athens. I’ve been there.”
“And it’s still there. You can go there again. But if you’re here, in New York, then I am too.”
She ground her teeth together. “I told you I can’t be with you.”
“That night we met, something weird happened to me too.”
“Yeah?” She was mocking. Her disbelief was obvious.
“I fell in love. I mean literally, I think I fell in love with you the second I saw you. Definitely by the next morning, when I saw that text from Hannah.” He linked his fingers through hers. “I have never known anything like that sense of betrayal and terror. The power you had over me made me feel raw and exposed. When you hurt, I hurt.”
“I would never hurt you,” she said darkly, stepping away from him. “Not the way you did me.”
“I know that. Because you, my beautiful, sweet Ellie, are a far, far better person than I.” He cupped her hands. “But if you just give me a second chance, you’ll see that I want this. That I will spend every day wanting you. Trying to deserve you.” He brought his nose to brush against hers. “That I would die before I would ever risk hurting you again.”
Her breath was shaky. Trust was always an unquantifiable emotion. How could one explain the way they became willing to take that leap of faith? To look into someone’s eyes and agree that they were worth the risk? That they would risk all the pain and heartbreak in the world for the chance that just maybe everything would work out?
Elle stared at him, her heart racing, her mind spinning. “Why? Why me?”
His smile was fatalistic. “Because I love you.” He shrugged.
“But why?”
He kissed her lips and she felt everything in her body fire back to life. “Because of that.” He put his arm around her and gently led her deeper into his penthouse. “Because I touch you and feel like I can do anything. I kiss you and know I don’t want to be anywhere else. Because waking up beside you is like waking up in a different universe. Because I look at you and I see perfection and potential. I see a person I want to do anything and everything for, just for a single smile.” He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her to his chest. “But if you say that you truly want me to leave you alone, that your life is better and happier and complete without me, then I will go. Because your happiness, this is what I want most of all.”
She sobbed and for a moment he felt the cement pour inside his chest. The fear of losing her anew was the risk he’d known he would have to face. “Well?”
“I don’t know,” she said unsteadily, though her heart was singing. “The things you said…”
“I was a stupid ass,” he said angrily. “A total fool.”
“No,” she shook her head, and now it was her turn to kiss him. She pressed her lips lightly to his and felt him relax. “A better answer would be this: I was a fool, but I did it because my mom had just buried her husband. Because I’m a good person and I love my mother, and I was terrified that she’d be hurt by the truth about Filip. And so I lashed out, even though I knew you would never do such a thing, in my heart of hearts.”
He nodded, filled with hope but barely allowing himself to believe. “Yes. Let’s go with that.”
She laughed, but slowly, the importance of that night was fading. The pain was going too, ebbing away into the tide of emotion that formed the ocean of their relationship. She pressed her head to his chest and then stepped away. “What is that?” Though it was a question that didn’t require an answer.
“You seemed to like it,” he shrugged.
“You brought your piano over?”
He nodded. “Of course. I thought that if I had it here it would at least be a reason for you to visit me.”
She laughed. “You’re not enough?”
“Insurance never hurts,” he said with a grin. “I would have put it downstairs except you’ve been so adamant that you’d never accept anything from me … I thought you might take offence and push it off the balcony.”
“Never!” She said with mock outrage. “Not an instrument like this.”
“Then it’s yours.”
She smiled. “I like the idea of it being yours. It is an excellent reason to come and see you. After all, I’d need to practice twice a day, at least.”
“Twice a day?” His frown was a mask. “Then I guess it might even make sense for you to move in.”
Her heart thrilled in her chest.
“To move in? Here? With you?”
He nodded with mock severity. “Better than us wearing out the elevator cables going back and forth.” He caught her blonde hair in his hand and angled her face towards his. “Do you really want to be anywhere else?”
She bit down on her lip. “No. I really don’t.”
He tilted his head back. “So you’ll stay?”
She laughed. “Yeah. I guess so.” She nodded. “That’s what I’m saying.” She sobered, arranging her features into an expression of consideration with effort. “But Christos? What I said still stands. I’m happy to move in here, but I don’t want you to go crazy with lavish gifts. Just … let me be who I am, and get used to all this.”
His love for her, already a force that was threatening to overwhelm him, swelled tidally. It had never occurred to him that his money, his legacy, his fortune and power, wouldn’t be pieces of the puzzle when a woman fell in love with him. Not the entire reason, but surely they would hold some sway. That Elle almost viewed them as disincentives was the highest recommendation that he had found someone worthy of his love.
“Done.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Except for one tiny, teeny thing.”
“What’s that?”
“One day, when I think you’ve settled in to all this, I might surprise you with some jewellery. Just something small. Something you can wear.” He lifted her hand and kissed her ring finger. “Right here.”
The surprise at what he was suggesting quickly gave way to an overwhelming sense of perfection. “One day,” she agreed softly, “I would probably be happy to let you give me that.”
Epilogue
Three years later.
Every single seat in the main hall of Carnegie was filled. Anticipation and expensive fragrance filled the air. Elle looked out but could hardly see anything for all the butterflies assaulting her stomach.
“Hey.” Andre scanned her face. “You’re not going to pass out are you?”
She shook her head. “No.”
He grinned. “Good. This is your debut, Ellie, and you’ve worked damned hard to get here.”
She lifted her eyes to his. “Is Christos out there yet?”
“Front row,” Andre nodded. “Along with Xanthe, Filip and Caroline, Hannah and Chip. The whole Team Elle.”
She laughed. “God, I’m so nervous.”
“That’s good. Everyone is before they perform.”
“Even you?” She prompted sceptically.
“Are you kidding me?” He twitched the curtain aside for her to peer out. “Look at this. You’re about to play for a packed Carnegie Hall. There hasn’t been as much interest in a classical pianist since I came on the scene.” He winked, earning a tight laugh from her. “Use your nerves, Ellie. Use them to your advantage.”
She nodded.
“You’ve got this.”
“I know.” And the second she walked on stage, she did. It was just her, the piano, and the music. The audience ceased to matter. The press. The guy who’d come from SONY and was hounding her to sign up to their classical label and release an album. That was just flotsam in the ether.
A single spotlight flooded the stage.
Elle was radiant.
Christos could barely contain his love and pride as he watched her play. H
e always loved her. For three years he’d woken up every morning and made good on his promise to cherish and adore her. Of course they argued from time to time, but Christos never allowed them to sleep without resolving whatever issue had been troubling them. Elle was his match. In every way.
And with every day that passed he grew more and more convinced that he’d won the lottery the night he’d met her.
But in that moment, while she weaved magic through song, he could only watch, transfixed, like every other member of the two thousand strong audience. She wasn’t his lover in that moment. She was everyone’s. She was an entity of force, a spirit of nature and culture, humming amongst them.
She was a gift.
He sat immobile; completely frozen, for the entire performance. Finally, when the last piece began, he exhaled. He knew it was the finale because he’d heard her practicing for months. But he’d never heard it like this. The keys were loaded with emotion, each and every one.
The final note struck and the audience was silent. Then, as one, it erupted, standing and applauding. The noise was deafening. Christos couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He stood, and her eyes went straight to his. He understood her relief, and also her fear.
The gift she’d nurtured all of her twenty four years was no longer a secret.
She was the public’s, and the public would want more and more of her.
And he would be with her, by her side, supporting her, encouraging her, being whatever she needed.
“She was amazing,” Filip said in his ear and Christos could only nod.
“I had no idea,” Caroline shook her head. “I mean, obviously I knew she was talented, but …” Filip’s girlfriend’s statement trailed off as her eyes were drawn to the stage. Andre had joined Elle on stage. Rather than detract from her moment, he stood aside and clapped, then waved his hands in her direction.
Elle bowed, then walked to Andre. He wrapped her in a hug and together they waved towards the crowd.
When she stepped off-stage, she was shaking like a leaf. “Did that just happen?”
He laughed. “Kiddo, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Miss Bradley?”
Elle lifted her eyes. A tall man in a tuxedo with thick blonde hair was smiling at her. “That was magnificent.”
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Andre shook his head with amusement. “She’s got no idea who you are.”
“I’m sorry,” she blushed.
“Don’t be. I like to keep a low profile.”
“Elle,” Andre said, “This is Kenneth Morton.”
Her jaw dropped. “CEO of Morton Music.”
“The same,” Kenneth grinned. “I’d love to take a few minutes of your time later tonight.”
“Oh, um, sure. Of course.”
The din of the applause wasn’t dying down and Andre winked at her. “You’re not done yet.” With a gentle nudge, he pushed her back for another bow. She took the piano, barely registering that Christos’s seat was now empty.
Slowly she began to play. And this time, she chose a Tori Amos song. A modern classic, she thought to herself, as her fingers moved over the keyboard. The audience was hushed, and again, when she finished, the applause was deafening.
She left the stage wondering if this was really her life.
It was, and her dreams were falling so perfectly into place that she was barely surprised to find their apartment covered in flowers upon their return, later that night.
“You did this?” She spun around to face Christos, her eyes enormous. Roses, tulips and lillies covered almost every surface. She breathed in their fragrance. “Thank you. It’s stunning.”
“I was so proud of you tonight.” His words were thick with emotion. “I was nervous for you because I so badly wanted it to go well. And you killed it. You were sensational.”
“You were nervous?” She shook her head. “I spent the last five minutes before I went on stage thinking of ways I could get out of it.”
He grinned. “I’m very pleased you didn’t.”
“Me too.”
“You were a runaway success. At this rate, I’m going to be asking you to finance my next venture.”
She laughed. “Hardly.”
“We’ll see.”
“It is nice to know that I can contribute around here.” She ran her finger over one of the crystal ducks that the decorator had installed. “I mean, maybe the next thingo like this can be on me.”
He burst out laughing. “I don’t think we need anymore thingos like that. Weren’t we going to get rid of it? It’s ugly as hell.”
“It’s growing on me.”
“Oh, good. Kind of like I did.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. The duck can at least double up as a paperweight. What are you good for?” She wrapped her arms around him, linking them at his back. “I mean, apart from the obvious.”
Christos put his arms around his wife’s narrow waist, and stared down at her grinning face. “Do you remember what I promised when you agreed to live here with me?”
“Not to call me a whore?” She teased, arching one perfectly-shaped brow in her face.
His nod was droll. “Other than that?”
She bit down on her lower lip and shook her head. “What is it?”
He laced his fingers through hers and lifted her hand to his lips. “For three years you have given my life purpose. Do you realise that you are on my mind all of the time? Your happiness is my priority in life.”
“And I’ve never been happier,” she said seriously.
“I hope with all my heart I can make you just a little happier,” he kissed her forehead softly and then released her. Elle frowned with a hint of confusion that only deepened when he knelt to the ground. Blinding clarity burst through her and suddenly she felt tears gliding down her flushed cheeks.
“You know what you mean to me. When I think of how easily we could have not met, or not been brought together as we were, I am filled with dread. I fell in love with you the first time we met and I have loved you ever since. I promised you three years ago that I would not show my love for you with expensive presents and gifts, no matter how tempting I find it. So this is it. My single gift to you, which I hope you will agree to wear, for the rest of your life.”
Elle looked down just as he slid an enormous diamond onto her hand. It glistened like ice on her finger. “It would have blinded my audience tonight,” she murmured, amused that this was her first thought.
“Do you not like it?” He stared at the rock wondering if it was too ostentatious for her.
“I like it,” she contradicted, lifting her hand to wipe her cheeks. “But I would have been just as happy with a piece of string. I don’t care about diamonds but I care a whole lot about marrying you.”
“I love you,” he said simply, standing and pulling her to him.
“I know.”
He laughed. “You know, Elle Bradley, I think you are always going to have me just a little on the back-foot, no?”
“For as long as we both shall live,” she agreed, grinning as she pressed her lips to his.
And all Christos Rakanti could think was that for all his empire and wealth, the woman in his arms was the truest asset in all the world.
THE END
The Greek’s Marriage Revenge
Prologue
Twenty years earlier.
“I’m so hungry,” Helena shivered, her frail seven-year-old frame curled over like a conch shell. The rain was lashing in from every direction, but she had the most sheltered spot in the litter-strewn street. Beneath a threadbare awning, her grotty face dry, her matted hair only a little damp; it was the best Alessandro could do.
“I’m going to find you something to eat,” Alex swore with more determination than clue. “And one day, Helena, we’re going to live like Kings.”
Helena’s teeth chattered. “I-I-I’m not a boy.”
“No,” he agreed, looking from one direction to the ot
her. The commuters were still drifting down the cobbled laneway. It was too early. Soon, though, he’d head out to the restaurant precinct and take what he could. Discarded meals, ignored wallets. Anything that would keep his little sister going. It was harder for her. She was so skinny her bones were protruding through her olive skin; he was big and strong, despite the hunger that constantly gnawed at his gut. He’d got used to it. At fourteen, he could rationalise it. He could tell himself it was temporary.
Alessandro Petrides was determined not to let homelessness, poverty or fear control him.
He sat down beside Helena and the dirty street water soaked through his already sodden pants. “You need to think your way out of this. Imagine yourself on a tropical beach. Imagine you’re warm and dry and your belly is full of food.”
“But I’m so hungry I could die.”
“Don’t die,” Alex responded jokingly, but inside, his heart was breaking. For three years he’d fought for them. He’d kept them alive, but they weren’t really living. What kind of existence was this? “I’d miss you.”
“You’d only have one of us to feed though.”
How could his sweet little Helena have such a sad understanding of their state in the world? He put an arm around her shoulders. “I’d give my last meal to you, Helena. You know that.” He kissed her head. “It’s just you and me, okay? We’re going to be fine.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m your brother. It’s my job to look after you.”
“But …”
“No buts,” he contradicted. “Forever and ever, whatever you need, I will be there for you.” He nudged her with his body. “Just promise me you won’t quit.”
Twenty years later.
“There is no way your husband is cheating on you, Helena. You are being paranoid.”
“I’m not!” The agony in his sister’s voice reached him, across the continent to his palatial home on the ragged cliffs of Corfu.
“Of course you are. I know Eric. He is one of my oldest friends. He is a good man.”