The Andreou Marriage Arrangement (12 page)

Cristos, whom Loukas had insisted join the guests, brought the limousine out front as everyone assembled outside the main entrance to provide a cheering send-off as Loukas
handed Alesha into the rear seat before moving round the rear of the car to join her.

The drive to Kifissia held a certain magic as Loukas took hold of her hand and linked his fingers through her own.

It had been a beautiful day…a glorious evening, and she said as much.

‘Thank you.' She turned to search his features and saw his smile.

‘For what, specifically?'

‘Agreeing to indulge your parents and Daria to arrange a second wedding on Greek soil.'

‘It meant a lot to them to do so.'

‘I know.' And she did know. To bring happiness into the lives of loved ones was a special gift.

‘My ring is beautiful,' Alesha offered as she touched the exquisite solitaire resting above her wedding band. ‘I didn't think about a gift. I have nothing for you in return.'

‘Yes, you do.
You
.'

Did hearts melt? She was sure hers did. Together with every bone in her body.

‘That's a…' she paused to gather the right words together, and faltered ‘…lovely compliment.' If only you mean it, she added silently.

For the first time she felt as if she knew where
home
was.

Not bricks and mortar in any country in the world. For it mattered little whether it was Sydney, Athens or other cities elsewhere.

It was Loukas. Knowing she'd follow him wherever he chose to lead. For without him she was nothing.

Love?

Wouldn't that be the ultimate irony?

She, who had wanted a paper marriage with no emotional
involvement. Who had fought so hard to gain emotional independence after a disastrous first marriage…and who had vowed never to love again.

Alesha became aware the limousine had drawn to a halt, and she cast a surprised glance at the front entrance of Loukas' Kifissia mansion. She'd been so lost in contemplative reflection she hadn't noticed the passage of time.

Minutes later she entered the foyer and gasped as Loukas placed an arm beneath her thighs and swept her into his arms.

‘What is this?' she demanded in laughing query.

‘I believe it's referred to as carrying one's new wife over the threshold,' he drawled with amusement as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

‘And?'

He began ascending the stairs. ‘An indication the night is far from over.'

‘Really?'

Loukas touched his lips to her temple. ‘Indeed.'

‘Sounds promising.'

They reached the landing and he took the wide hallway leading to their bedroom.

‘It's my intention to drive you wild.'

Sensation spiralled through her body, and she brushed her fingers over his beautiful mouth. ‘Oh.'

He entered the bedroom and kicked the door shut, then released her in a slow slide down his body to stand on the floor.

‘Just…
oh, agape
?' he teased as he carefully removed the veil from her hair.

‘I'm lost for words.' She urged his suit jacket over his shoulders and tossed it onto a nearby chair as he reached for the zip fastening of her gown.

‘I doubt
words
will form part of your vocabulary.'

She dealt with the buttons on his shirt, pulled it free and reached for the waistband of his trousers.

‘Payback for last night?'

Her gown slithered to the floor, and she stepped from the puddle of slipper satin.

He buried his mouth into the soft scented hollow at the base of her throat. ‘I promise to deliver.'

He did.

With such consummate skill, she didn't have any breath left in her body to do more than subside against him, totally spent…aware he'd brought every sensory cell achingly alive with a pleasure so intense it had been almost more than she could bear.

It was mid-morning when Cristos deposited them outside the main entrance to the Andreou building where a helicopter waited on the helipad at roof level to transport them to the island.

Within minutes of their boarding and being secured in their seats the rotors kicked in to a higher speed, then the helicopter lifted effortlessly into the air and began its flight over city buildings to the deep blue sparkling waters of the Aegean sea.

The scenery was magic as several islands, both large and small came into view. Some bore small towns, hillside homes, hosting a populated community and geared to the tourist trade. While others bore small villages and olive groves. Then there were those tiny uninhabited islands covered in overgrown shrubbery.

Loukas pointed out a few privately owned islands and relayed their fascinating history, then he indicated another that had been owned by one of Greece's famed shipping magnates and used as a holiday home where his moored luxury cruiser hosted parties for the rich and famous.

The Andreou-owned island was small, with only thirty-odd
acres of land, five of which had been levelled to hold a beautiful double-storeyed home whose stark white-painted stucco and brilliant blue-tiled roof epitomized Greek island architecture.

As the helicopter began to lose height Alesha saw luscious green lawn surrounding the house, garden borders, the dappled waters of a swimming pool and a tennis court. There was a designated helipad, and a separate cottage where, Loukas explained, the manager and his wife resided.

A middle-aged couple came forward as the helicopter rotors slowed, and Loukas introduced Spiros and Sofia, who offered an affectionate greeting before Spiros moved to take their bags from the helicopter.

‘Magical,' Alesha accorded as she viewed the grounds. An idyllic haven, she added silently, far away from the hectic pace of a bustling city, and absent from any tourist trade.

The interior of the house bore tiled floors with patterned rugs of varying sizes, ivory-painted walls, solid furniture and modern amenities powered by a generator.

A comfortable home designed to promote relaxation with its spacious covered terraces and airy rooms.

The perfect private sanctuary, Alesha commended as she viewed the large bedroom offering splendid views over a small cove and beyond.

‘I have prepared lunch,' Sofia informed. ‘An evening meal is in the refrigerator to be heated in the microwave when you are ready to eat.'

‘Thank you,' Alesha said with polite sincerity, and Sofia's smile widened.

‘It is a pleasure.'

Minutes later she heard the faint click as the front door closed, followed by Sofia's footsteps as she trod the path to her cottage.

‘Come here,' Loukas beckoned quietly, and she cast him a faintly wicked grin.

‘You can't possibly be considering sex before lunch.'

‘No?'

He was deliberately teasing her, and she poked a cheeky tongue in his direction. ‘I have plans.'

One eyebrow slanted and his dark eyes gleamed with amusement. ‘You do?'

‘Uh-huh.'

‘Do I get to hear about them, or do you intend to surprise me?'

‘We play during the day. Swim, play tennis, sunbathe, maybe take that small boat out I saw moored to the jetty and catch fish.'

‘You want to catch fish?'

‘It's therapeutic,' she managed solemnly, and heard his quiet laughter.

‘And the night?'

‘Oh, I don't think you'll have anything to complain about there.'

‘And now?'

‘We explore, maybe swim before lunch.'

‘Tennis in the afternoon?' he posed, and she inclined her head.

‘It's called “keeping active”,' she managed with a straight face.

‘I can think of an infinitely more pleasurable activity.'

‘Imagine the anticipation,' she offered with a wicked smile. ‘And focus on the mutual reward.'

She was something else.

She'd been a tense young woman who held a fear of intimacy, and he'd taught her to trust again and gradually the barriers she'd erected in self-protection had diminished until they no longer existed.

‘You're proposing we change into casual clothes, pull on trainers and explore?'

Her eyes lost their teasing gleam and became serious.

‘Do you mind?'

He caught hold of her hand and drew her into the circle of his arms. ‘For you…anything,' he said quietly as he lowered his head and kissed her.

So very thoroughly she gave serious thought to discarding any plan that took them away from this room.

‘That
almost
worked,' she offered with a tremulous smile when Loukas lifted his head.

‘I could always put more effort into it.'

‘Do that, and we'll never get out of here.'

The corners of his mouth lifted as he released her.

‘Explore, I think you said?'

It became a light fun-filled day, followed by a night of slow loving that took them to a place where passion flared and ignited every sensory cell in her body. Followed by an aftermath of such piercing sweetness she prayed it would never end.

On the edge of sleep she had to wonder if it was the same for him.

Each day brought them even closer together, and Alesha adored the light teasing quality they exhibited with each other. The shared laughter as they swam laps in the pool, walked along the sandy foreshore, and played tennis.

There was the occasional hour spent in the electronically equipped office, as they checked emailed reports from Athens and Sydney and despatched emails in response.

Lacey wrote every few days relaying amusing anecdotes on life and love from her own perspective…and queried when Alesha and Loukas intended returning to Sydney.

All too soon the island idyll would end, Alesha recognized
with regret. Yet the real world awaited, and perhaps in another year they'd return to enjoy another relaxing sojourn.

It was early Friday morning when a call came through from Constantine citing a problem requiring Loukas' urgent attention. One involving an emergency meeting in the Athens' office. The helicopter was on its way to collect him.

‘I have—'

‘To be there,' Alesha said at once. ‘I know.'

In a short space of time a business suit replaced casual gear, and she accompanied him outside as the sound of the helicopter rotors drew close.

‘I'll call you.' Loukas covered her mouth briefly with his own, then he climbed into the cabin, belted the harness and attached a headset as the pilot increased the rotor speed…then they were in the air.

Alesha re-entered the house, poured herself a second cup of coffee and contemplated the day ahead without him. So she'd go for a walk along the beach, then persuade Sofia to reveal recipes for some of the delicious meals she'd served them. She could spend time on her laptop, slot in a DVD…and wait for Loukas to call.

Which he did as she ate lunch.

‘There's a complication,' he relayed. ‘I'm about to head into another meeting. I could be late.'

Resolve it and hurry back, I miss you… Words she refrained from voicing. ‘Take care.'

‘I'll call as I board the helicopter.' Then he cut the connection.

T
HE
phone rang late afternoon, and Alesha picked up on the third peal.

‘Loukas?'

‘Alesha?' Not Loukas' voice, but that of a woman, and she answered cautiously.

‘Yes?'

‘Eleni Petrakis, Loukas' PA.'

Her heart sank a little. Something had come up and Loukas wouldn't be back until tomorrow. So much for planning a special meal.

‘Eleni,' she acknowledged.

‘I'm so sorry to have to tell you Loukas was involved in a street accident and has been taken by ambulance to hospital with a gunshot wound. He's currently undergoing emergency surgery. The company's helicopter is on its way to collect you. I'll meet you at the helipad, a car will be waiting at the front entrance and I'll accompany you to the hospital.'

Alesha felt cold, so icily cold it felt as if her body were in shutdown mode, numb, totally without feeling.

‘How bad is it?' She knew she breathed, knew she had a heartbeat…because she could feel its thud, loud in the sudden stillness.

‘The full extent of damage won't be known until the bullet is removed. The Andreou family have been informed.'

Oh, dear God…what if…? The words banked up and stalled as the horror of what might be filled her vision.

Loukas, injured, bleeding and broken, in surgery attached to numerous machines…

It was almost impossible to believe. The man was invincible.

‘I suggest you pack a bag.' Eleni's voice softened a little as she gave the pilot's estimated time of arrival.

‘Kyria?'
Sofia glanced up with a smile as Alesha entered the kitchen…only to have her face sober with concern. ‘Something is wrong?'

‘I need to go to Athens. It's Loukas.' She managed a brief summation, witnessed the housekeeper's wordless prayer before she turned and moved quickly to the main bedroom.

She banished the overwhelming urge to cry as she thrust a few necessities into a carry-bag. Tears wouldn't achieve a thing, and she had to be strong.

She was unaware of worrying her lip with her teeth, or the faint element of pain.

All she could think of was Loukas. Diminished, filled with painkilling drugs, unconscious, maybe even close to… Dear God,
no
, a silent voice screamed.

He couldn't die. She wouldn't let him.

The agony of never saying she loved him struck her body like a physical pain, and for a moment she couldn't breathe, couldn't move.

What if she didn't have the chance to tell him? What if she was too late?

It seemed an age before she heard the increasing whap-whap sound of incoming rotors, and she watched from the house as the helicopter hovered then lowered down to land.

She was out there in a matter of seconds, climbing up into the cabin, then shutting the door and securing the harness as the pilot increased rotor speed.

The ride seemed to take for ever, and Alesha alighted the instant it was deemed safe to do so, barely remembering to thank the pilot before she moved quickly towards the woman waiting for her.

Presumably she voiced a greeting, but she retained no memory of having done so as they took the lift down to ground level to where a limousine stood stationary at the entrance.

Traffic snarls lent impatience of a kind she rarely experienced, and if sheer will power aided speed they would have reached the hospital in record time.

Eleni's cellphone beeped and she took the call, speaking rapidly in Greek before cutting the connection.

Alesha demanded, ‘That was the hospital?'

‘The injury isn't as severe as first thought. The bullet entered his upper left arm and fractured the bone. The surgeon successfully removed the bone fragments and has inserted titanium plates. Loukas is on a drip with pain relief, and he has been transferred to a private suite.'

Alesha was barely aware she traversed a maze of corridors as she demanded details of how, when and why.

‘I understand Loukas emerged from the building where he'd attended a meeting and was unable to avoid being caught up in a street demonstration. Police barricaded the area, shots were fired, people arrested. Loukas just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and one of a few who caught a stray bullet.'

She felt numb as vivid images flashed through her brain, and she automatically followed Eleni as they checked in at a nurses' station before being directed to Loukas' suite.

For a minuscule second she caught an overview of the medical set-up, but it was the man himself who garnered her total attention as her eyes moved hungrily over him, searching his chiselled features, noting a paleness beneath his natural skin colour, his ruffled hair…the sling securing his arm.

Dear heaven.

Another few inches…

Dark eyes held her own, and she felt her body sway beneath the naked emotion evident.

For a moment she couldn't move. She wanted to rush to his side, take his mouth with her own, and say the words she'd held back from gifting him.

‘Eleni,' Loukas directed in a quietly voiced drawl. ‘You will allow us some privacy, if you please. Stand guard outside the door, and allow no one—' his eyes bore the strength of his command ‘—I repeat
no one
, to enter this suite until my wife appears in the corridor.'

Within seconds they were alone, and Alesha was powerless to prevent the tears welling in her eyes. Blinking hard did nothing to dispel them, and they spilled over to roll ignominiously down each cheek.

‘Come here.'

His voice held a gentleness that almost undid her, and she moved to the side of his bed.

A faint smile curved his lips. ‘Closer.'

He lifted a hand and brushed each cheek with the soft pad of his thumb, dispersing the warm moisture that continued to flow unchecked.

‘Tears,
agape mou
?' His voice seemed deeper than usual and the slight accent it bore on occasion had become more pronounced.

‘I love you.' Saying it seemed more important than anything else.

Just getting the words out released some of the pent-up fear she'd harboured from the moment of Eleni's call. For it had acted as a catalyst, flinging her into the darkness where she was forced to think of her life without him.

Something that acted like a spear through her heart…impossibly painful, unconscionable,
impossible
.

For in that moment, she knew she'd surely die, too.

His gorgeous mouth curved, and her own trembled as he shaped her head and urged it down to within touching distance of his own.

‘You think I don't know?' His lips touched her own, sensed the faint quiver and savoured the sweetness.

‘Theos.'
The sound was a soft groan against her mouth. ‘I want more of you than this.'

‘Not going to happen,' she murmured a trifle shakily an instant before his tongue swept her mouth, seeking the sensitive tissues, staking a claim.

Evocative and incredibly sensual, she became temporarily lost in the magical chemistry they shared.

For several heart-stopping seconds she had little recognition of time or place…there was just the heat, the solid
live
feel of his mouth on hers, his hands cradling her head.

Soon, much too soon he trailed gentle fingers down her cheek, pressed a thumb-pad to the soft centre of her lower lip, then he released her.

‘You're my life,' he vowed gently. ‘Everything.'

Her lips trembled at the wealth of emotion flooding her body, and the moisture she'd so recently conquered welled in her eyes.

‘Don't cry,' Loukas groaned, and she shook her head.

‘I'm not.'

‘No?' There was a tinge of humour in his voice as she brushed shaky fingers over each cheek.

‘When Eleni rang,' she began, unable to control the way her body trembled, ‘it killed me to think you could die without me saying you mean more to me than life itself.' Her eyes held his, beseeching him to understand. ‘That without you—' She faltered, and held up a hand, palm outwards, when he sought to pull her close. ‘Don't—please. I need to say this.'

Mere words didn't seem to cover what she wanted,
needed
to convey.

‘My experience with Seth destroyed any faith I had in men,' she owned with a watery smile. ‘Karsouli became my life. Every waking hour was devoted to the family firm. When Dimitri brought up the question of a suitable heir for the next generation, I offered to have a child via a sperm donor and artificial insemination…which he refused to countenance at any cost.'

Her eyes held his, steady, unblinking. ‘When I was acquainted with the marriage clause in his will, I wanted to run, but I
lived
for Karsouli, and I refused to give it up, even if it meant I had to marry you.'

She swallowed the sudden lump that rose in her throat.

‘I tried to convince myself I could set the terms…to maintain control. Except it didn't work.' She used her teeth to worry her lower lip. ‘You were
there
, a constant I steadily accepted.
Wanted
on a level I had difficulty attempting to comprehend.' Her eyes clouded a little. ‘I thought I could sleep…have sex with you,' she amended. ‘Only to baulk at the last moment.'

Loukas reached out and tucked her hand within his own.

‘You were patient, understanding,' Alesha expounded softly. Her fingers threaded through his own. ‘And what I imagined was merely sexual chemistry became more. Something so much deeper, I was reluctant to give it the name it deserved.'

‘Do you have any idea of my anger when I discovered what your ex had subjected you to?' Loukas queried with dangerous quietness. ‘If I could have put my hands on him…' His eyes darkened with barely controlled rage.

She lifted their linked hands and lightly brushed her lips to his knuckles.

‘It annihilated me at the time,' she admitted with painful honesty. ‘But I survived.' She managed a winsome smile. ‘The experience eventually led me to
you
…and the kind of happiness I never thought I would ever find.'

He tugged her in and cupped her nape, brought her head down to his own and took possession of her mouth in a kiss that sent the blood fizzing through her veins.

When at last he released her, she could only look at him with her heart, her love there for him to see.

‘
Agape mou
,' he began in a voice husky with emotion. ‘You crept beneath my skin, affected me as no other woman did, or ever will, and you invaded my heart, my soul. Until you became the very air I breathe.
You.
Only you.'

Her mouth shook a little, and she struggled to contain the ache of emotional tears. ‘You complete me…in every way there is.' She took a moment to find her voice. ‘Losing you would be more than I could bear.' She closed her eyes in an effort to still the well of tears threatening to spill…and lost as two overflowed to roll slowly down each cheek. Somehow it no longer mattered if he witnessed her emotional meltdown and she lifted her eyelids without any sense of shame. ‘Today I had to face how close it came to being a reality.'

A sound emerged from Loukas' throat as he traced each rivulet and gently dispensed the moisture.

A distinct double-knock sounded, and the door was
pushed open to reveal a stern-faced nursing sister who barrelled into the suite.

Alesha failed to comprehend the rapid flow of Greek, but the severe tone was sufficient to convey the nurse's disapproval!

Loukas' silky response did little to appease as the woman checked the saline drip, and took note of his vital signs, then she directed Alesha a stern look before exiting the suite.

‘You need to rest,' Alesha said quietly, noting the faint weariness etching his features. He had to be feeling the aftereffects of anaesthetic, combined with pain. ‘I'll go get some coffee and check back in an hour.'

Loukas' dark eyes seared her own. ‘Soon.'

A slight smile curved her lips. ‘Rest.' The admonishment held humour, then she turned and walked from the suite, discovered Eleni waiting in the corridor, and by mutual consent they shared coffee.

‘The driver is on call and will take you to Loukas' home in Kifissia whenever you're ready to leave the hospital,' Loukas' PA informed her as she handed over a card. ‘Just ring this number and he'll wait for you outside the main entrance. I've also added my own number in case you need help of any kind.'

‘Thanks.' Alesha's gratitude was genuine as she bade Eleni goodnight.

It wasn't difficult to elicit details regarding Loukas' ongoing treatment, his stay in hospital and the expected length of his recovery.

There was a need to alert the Sydney office the sojourn in Greece would necessarily be extended by at least a week or two…and why.

Loukas was asleep when she re-entered his suite, and she slid quietly into a chair facing his bed, exulting in the opportunity to examine his beloved features unobserved.

Strong facial bone structure, the fine lines bracketing each cheek, more deeply etched in repose. The shaped fullness of his mouth stirred emotions deep inside in memory of how it felt to have him possess her own. A firm jaw, denoting a strength of purpose and a certain ruthlessness.

Integrity, honesty…qualities he possessed in spades.

He was her saviour, her warrior, her protector, her love…everything.

As she was
his
. Mind, body and soul.

No more misgivings or doubts. No more pretending to hide beneath a veil of indifference or pretence.

The important factor, the major one…he
cared
.

The world suddenly became a brighter place as she hugged the knowledge close.

‘Alesha,' a soft masculine voice drawled with amusement, and she sent him a stunningly sweet smile.

‘Hi.'

‘Where were you? Sydney?' Loukas teased. ‘The island?'