“Nonsense! Everyone knows how wealthy Alessandros Petrides is.”
“Yes, yes. But you read a number in an article and that’s very different to living it. Look at my engagement ring.”
“I did, believe me,” Olivia teased.
“I mean, I can’t even imagine how much he spent on it. It’s like … all this is so normal to him. And I don’t want it! I certainly don’t need it.”
“Then don’t wear the ring. Buy yourself something simple and use that instead.”
“But this is special because he gave it to me,” Sophie pointed out with a shrug. “It’s fine. I’m being silly. It’s just an adjustment.”
“Mmmm. You said that.” Olivia pursed her lips in the style that was uniquely hers. “I like your hair like this.”
Sophie might have laughed at the lightning fast conversation change, but she was used to her sister. “It’s the same as always.”
“No, it’s longer, and blonder.”
“Oh.” Sophie shrugged. “The length is laziness, and the blonde must just be from the sun.”
“It suits you. You look good.”
Sophie’s smile felt almost completely natural. “Thanks. So, are you going to tell me what adventure you’re off on this time?”
Olivia leaned forward, her eyes glinting with excitement. “Vegas.”
“I know where you’re going, but not why.”
“Why?” She scrunched up her nose as though Sophie was asking the most ludicrously simple question in the world. “Because it’s Vegas.”
“But what’s in Vegas?”
“Bright lights. Action. Fun.”
“You only got back from Rome a few months ago. Aren’t you a little sick of all that?”
“Says the girl who married a hot, billionaire stallion about three seconds after meeting him. To say nothing of your decision to up and move to his palatial home in stunning Greece.”
“We haven’t moved here,” Sophie corrected quickly, her tone distracted. “We’re just … staying here for now.”
“You’re missing my point! Your life is all about adventure! You were the first one to leave Celli. You escaped to Sydney as soon as you could and look at what you’ve done since. You’ve travelled with the bloody prime minister of England!”
“I might have been the first to leave home, but you’re definitely making up for lost time.” Sophie crossed one leg over the other with unconscious elegance.
“I know.” Olivia shrugged. “You know me. I get itchy feet if I sit still for too long.”
“What will you do for work?”
“I’ll find something. Or something will find me.” She grinned. “I have a friend who said they’re looking for someone like me.”
“You’re so like mum sometimes, Liv,” Sophie said with a shake of her head.
They were quiet for a moment, thinking of Meredith Henderson, a woman they’d loved so dearly, and had lost so tragically.
“Can you believe Cristiano’s going to be back in the valley?”
“No,” Olivia responded with a steady shake of her head. Her lips tugged downwards in one corner.
“What is it?” Sophie prompted, sipping her champagne and trying not to wonder how much that tiny amount of alcohol would have cost.
“It’s just … I don’t think Ava’s seeing the whole picture here. Cristiano’s not the kind of guy to take news of a secret child lying down. He’s going to be livid.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Maybe he won’t even find out,” Sophie pointed out hopefully.
“They’re staying at the vineyard. Milly’s bound to make an impression on them.”
Sophie couldn’t help the smile that touched her expression. “Maybe. God, I miss that kid.”
“I know, tell me about it.” She ran a finger around the rim of her glass. “What are you worried about though? You know Cristiano’s got no interest in kids. He’s the proverbial bachelor. That was part of the problem.”
“Look who’s talking. You’ve gone and tamed one of those, so don’t take it for granted that leopards can’t change their spots.”
“I haven’t tamed Alessandro,” Sophie demurred.
“He’s a renowned … well … you know as much as I do, I presume. And you’ve got him stitched up and loved up.”
“But Alex is nothing like Cristiano.”
“Isn’t he?” Olivia pushed.
“No.” Sophie insisted. She drank her remaining champagne simply to break the conversation and Olivia topped their glasses up to stave off the reappearance of the over-attentive wait staff. “Cristiano’s a bastard. He broke Ava’s heart and left her pregnant and alone. Alex would never act like that. Ever. Family is hugely important to him.”
“Yes, but Cristiano doesn’t know he’s got family in Australia, remember.”
“That’s not Ava’s fault. She tried to tell him. He wouldn’t see her. You can’t possibly be defending him?”
“God, no.” Liv shook her head. “I went with her to Rio, remember. I’ll never forget the sight of our pregnant sister waddling away from his apartment building, having been turned away by his housekeeper.” Sophie’s eyes had a faraway expression. “And we both know what state she was in afterwards.”
They didn’t need to cover that in any more detail. The recollection of those dark days in Ava’s life haunted them all. Thankfully, the sisters were so close-knit that they’d been able to pull together and help her through the post-natal depression and other complications. Between their support and the proper medical attention, Ava had come through the other side and returned to her normal self.
And Helena? Would her brother be able to help her in that unique way siblings had? Sophie leaned back into the leather seat, and focussed on one of the ornate lamps in the corner. Was she denying him the opportunity to help Helena, in a way that he’d never be able to forgive?
“Would you have told him?” Olivia wondered thoughtfully, conjuring out of nowhere an image of Cristiano’s handsome, dark face.
“Absolutely,” Sophie insisted. “He’s the father. He should, if nothing else, have had the chance to support his child.”
“Ava’s doing okay in that department,” Olivia pointed out.
“Yes, but Cristiano is a proud man. He would hate to know how she’s been struggling, and how hard she’s been working.”
“I don’t think he’d care.” Liv shook her head. “Bastard.”
“Yeah.” It was a concise ending to the conversation. However, it was not the last conversation they would have on the matter. For that afternoon though, they filed it away for later prodding, and turned to more pleasurable matters. Hours passed in the blink of an eye, and before Sophie knew it, she was pleasantly fuzzy around the edges from excellent champagne, and her sprits were high courtesy of her funny, spontaneous sister.
“Okay, Mrs Petrides, I think it’s time you took me to meet this sexy husband of yours.”
Sophie felt her heart pound sharply in her chest. Alex. And just like that, her state of relaxation evaporated, to be replaced by one of anxious uncertainty. But what could she do? Her sister was in Greece, and of course she must meet the man who had swept Sophie off her feet. Even if they were barely speaking.
7
“Does he always work so much?” Olivia queried, stretching her legs to catch more of the sun.
“Yes,” Sophie murmured, not opening her eyes for fear of the expression she might see reflected back at her.
“I’ve been here four days and am yet to see him.”
“I’m aware of that,” Sophie’s words were sharper than she’d intended. She softened them with an apologetic smile. If she didn’t take care, Olivia would start to worry that something was wrong. “I’m sorry. I miss him. Our wedding caught him as much off guard as it did me. He can hardly put his projects aside just to wait on us hand and foot.”
“I’m not expecting him to. I only want to meet him before I go.”
“You will. You don’t have firm plans, I thought?”
“Itchy feet, remember?” She teased. “Besides, when he does get back, I don’t want to cramp your style. Having seen how little you two get to see of one another, I don’t want to be the annoying third wheel.”
Sophie reached her hand out and curled it over her sister’s. The water lapped in the pool at their feet, making a rhythmic sound that was quite soporific. “I’m glad you’re here, Liv. I feel like we haven’t just hung out like this in such a long time.”
“I know. It’s been far too long.”
Alex paused at the edge of the paved area that led to the pool. His eyes briefly took in Olivia, and then slammed into Sophie. His gut twisted uncomfortably and acid formed in his throat. Her toes were pink, her skin tanned, and her hair silky. Even at this distance, he could catch a light hint of her sweet, vanilla fragrance, blowing to him on the afternoon breeze.
“It could only be better if Ava was here,” Olivia murmured, stretched on a small sigh, and then turned around to reach for the sunblock. Only she saw the man who was on the edges of the pool deck and she smiled. “You must be Alex.” She stood quickly and walked over to him, curiosity an actual force in her body.
“And with those eyes, I have no doubt you are my wife’s sister.”
His voice sent tremors of desire spiking through Sophie’s blood. She felt her veins pounding with heat, and her throat was parched. But outwardly, she tried her hardest to stay calm.
“Olivia Henderson. Please, call me Liv.”
“Liv,” he agreed, shaking her hand. “I must apologise for my rudeness. I had an urgent matter in New York I had to attend to.”
“New York.” She spun to Sophie. “You never said he was in New York.”
Sophie’s bitterness was profound. She hadn’t known. Alex hadn’t told her. “No, I didn’t.” She responded casually, as though her husband’s location didn’t matter to her one bit. She couldn’t put off greeting him any longer, but she wished fervently that her sister wasn’t there, acting as a curious audience. She stood reluctantly, and began to make her way towards him. Every step made her heart race faster. She was in love with him, but she was also as mad as hell. Her eyes clashed with his, and her pulse fired loudly.
“Mrs Petrides,” he murmured, moving towards her with his long stride, to close the distance. His expression was impossible to interpret. He lifted a hand to cup her cheek and lowered his head. His kiss was slow and it was desperate at the same time. Sophie felt her whole body electrify as though she’d been shocked, and she lifted her hands and tangled them in his dark hair. How easy it was to forget anything except Alex when he kissed her like that.
He pulled away from her but moved his mouth to her ear. His words were barely a whisper. “Kiss me like that and I will take you right here on deck, with no care for who might be watching.”
Colour darkened her cheeks and she stepped away from him as though stung. Olivia, watching the interaction with unashamed curiosity, arched a brow at her sister. “I was thinking of going for a walk. Alex, perhaps you could point me in the direction of the best paths.”
“I can take you, honey,” Sophie said quickly, her body and her mind all over the place. He was back. But she was still so angry with him. And yet she needed to speak to him. Her mind was firing like a cannon.
“No,” Olivia shook her head. “I have a few calls to make.”
“Then you can use Alex’s study.”
“No,” Olivia laughed. She lifted her gaze to Alex and winked. “I think I should make myself scarce for a while.” She scooped her book up from the lounger and lifted a hand in farewell. “I’ll see you for dinner.”
“Livvie,” Sophie called after her retreating back, but Liv only lifted her hand back in the air and waved.
Sophie and Alex, then, were alone.
“I like your sister. She is … perceptive.”
“I wouldn’t have said so,” Sophie corrected peevishly.
His laugh was like warm caramel on her skin. She expelled a breath and forced herself to face him. “How was New York?”
“Exhausting,” he responded honestly. “I would have called, except …”
Sophie nodded quickly, but she didn’t believe him. “Don’t worry about it. I had Liv. We’ve been having a great time.”
He had no doubt, and yet her attitude bothered him. “Have you missed me at all?”
She lifted a hand and toyed with her necklace. She wanted to deny it, because she wasn’t sure he deserved her slavish devotion. But she found herself nodding. “Alex, I wanted to talk to you that day, but you’d left already.”
He nodded, his eyes dark in his face. “I needed to get out of here.”
“You were angry with me. And I’d like to know why.”
God, but she had gall! To put him on the spot and ask to know what had bothered him, when surely she knew how very wrong her behaviour was! “I am quite certain you already know why,” he drawled, reaching down and linking his fingers through hers. Warm heat travelled the length of her arm from where they were joined. She looked down at their clasped hands, as if she might see a source of heat, like flame or fire.
She had a feeling that she was sinking into volcanic lava. Did he know? Could she gamble that he didn’t? And if it wasn’t about Helena, then what?
“I don’t know why,” she said finally. For she only suspected, and the more she thought about it, the more his anger didn’t seem to fit the situation. If he had discovered the truth about Helena, surely he would have peppered her with questions to ascertain the degree of Helena’s depression.
“I see.” He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed his teeth lightly into the soft pad of her thumb. “And so we will continue to pretend.”
Sophie’s heart turned over in her chest. “Alex, this is killing me. Please talk to me.”
Alex had thought about doing just that. But wouldn’t it simply give her the opportunity to go back to Eric? No. Alex needed to hold onto his wife until he was certain Helena’s marriage was safe. “I do not wish to talk to you right now,” he murmured, slipping a finger through the straps of her swimmers and gliding the top down her arms.
“Alex,” she groaned, for her insides were already churning with pleasurable anticipation at his touch. “We have to talk.”
He put an arm around her waist and guided her away from the pool, towards the villa. The side entrance led to the room he used for business, and beyond them, there was a narrow staircase. He led her up it until they reached yet another bedroom.
“When you are ready to talk honestly to me, I will listen.”
She stared at him and felt a strange prickle of concern. “Why do I get the feeling you’re playing me somehow?”
His smile was bleak. “Because I am.”
Sophie tried to think of something to say, but he brought his mouth down to one of her nipples and rational thought became increasingly difficult.
“Alex,” she lifted her hands, meaning to push him away, but they gripped the lapels of his shirt instead. “I don’t understand.”
“Does it matter now? In this moment, do you care?”
“I care,” she shuddered as he transferred his mouth to her other breast.
“Do you want me to stop, so that we can speak?”
“No,” she responded instantly, her breath coming in ragged spurts now. “There will be time … later.”
“Yes. The rest of our lives, remember?” His ironical tone wasn’t lost on her. It was simply subsumed by what they were about to share.
In contrast to several nights earlier, when they made love now, Alex was gentle and kind, careful to hold her lovingly as he moved her to the brink of passionate collapse. It was as if he was atoning for the way he’d taken her, only Sophie, traitorous, treacherous, sex-mad Sophie, was part-desperate for the intensity and strength he’d introduced her too.
As she felt herself tipping into climax, she dug her nails into his shoulder. “Fuck me, Alex.”
He lifted his head so that he could stare into
her eyes. His look was loaded with silent enquiry.
“Fuck me, Alex,” she repeated, nodding slowly.
He ran a hand down her cheek. “I hurt you last time.”
“No.” A single tear slid out of the corner of one of her eyes and he watched it with a kick of remorse. “Your manner hurt me. Your anger hurt me. You didn’t hurt me. Physically, you were … amazing. It was amazing.” Her cheeks flamed. Discussing their sex life was not something she’d ever find easy.
He shook his head, his eyes banking down on the emotions she was invoking. “I was angry. I do not ever want to hurt you, Sophie.” It was a plea. A broken, angry, confused plea, and Sophie understood then that whatever he knew, whatever he felt, it was eating him alive too.
“Then don’t.” She pushed up on her elbows and kissed him. “I love you, Alex. Whatever else you think, you have to know that I married you because I love you.”
He kissed her back, but he felt even less convinced of anything than ever. She was either an excellent liar, or she did indeed feel something for him. But love? Was this woman who had slept with two of her married employers truly capable of feeling love?
He made love to her with the desperate, aching need that was consuming him. He took her until she screamed with pleasure, and then he held her tight. Silently, while he held her to his chest, he begged whatever Gods were out there to work out a way to make his Siren truly belong to him.
And to absolve him of guilt for manipulating her into a marriage that, if she understood his true motivation, she wouldn’t have wanted a bar of.
“Seriously the best Scotch I’ve ever had.” Olivia cradled the glass in her hand, her legs curled beneath her. The man she’d come to meet had, over the previous two days, impressed her. She hadn’t wanted to be caught up in his web, but Alessandro Petrides was an impressive specimen. Funny, engaging, intelligent, gorgeous and generous, he had made her feel completely at ease, and had even insisted on his private jet taking her over to Vegas. “It is, forever, at your disposal. Any time you need it, simply call Sophie and she can arrange it.”
Sophie had been oddly touched by the gesture, for it provided some of the reassurance that she was desperately seeking. Beside their bed, which was practically burning up from the heat of their connection, he spoke to her with the same civil politeness he was employing with Olivia. In fact, perhaps even less!