Pretending with the Greek Billionaire (15 page)

Constance’s laughter rang out and Luca gave her a delighted grin and continued on with his checklist. “I’ve worn clean clothes to dinner every night and even washed my hands before sitting at the table, and I haven’t been to a proper party in more weeks than I can count. You’ve turned my life upside down, madam.”

“That sounds like quite an ordeal, Mr. Vasilakis. My profound apologies.”

“No need to apologize at all, my dear Stanzia. Despite my better judgment, I’ve enjoyed every moment. Well…maybe not
every
moment. But close.”

She smiled, happiness bubbling up from deep within. “I am very glad to hear that my presence hasn’t been an undue hardship.”

“I didn’t say that. It’s been downright brutal at times,” he said, laughing. “But I think I might be the better for it.”

Was it possible to die from happiness? Could she really believe what was coming out of his mouth? She wanted to, desperately. She gazed into his eyes, searched for any sign of subterfuge, for the fake Luca that was on display for the public, but there was no one else there. Just the two of them, no one to put on a show for.

She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

In answer, he just smiled and walked backward, gently pulling on her hands. She squinted at him. “Luca, where are we going?”

“It’s hot, don’t you think? We could use a refreshing swim after our escape from the evil vultures.”

She giggled and followed him down the rocky path to the shore, but resisted when he tried to pull her closer to the water. “A swim sounds lovely, but we didn’t pack anything. I don’t have a bathing suit.”

He yanked hard on her hands and she fell against him with a surprised yelp.

“Who says you need a suit?” he said, leering at her.

“I am not skinny-dipping.”

“Why not?” he asked, pushing the straps of her dress off her shoulders. “You have beautiful skin, and I want to see all of it.” He kissed her collarbone and she stopped trying to pull her straps back up, frozen at the sensations his lips created. “Have you ever been skinny-dipping before?”

“Of course not!” she said, horrified at the thought.

He laughed. “Well, it’s far overdue then. You can’t imagine how good it feels. With the water touching every inch of you.” He pushed her dress farther down. She clasped her arms around her breasts, glancing around in panic.

“There’s no one here but us, Stanzia. Just you and me and our own little piece of heaven.”

She looked into his eyes, searching him for any hint that he might be teasing her. “You promise me no one can see? There is absolutely no way anyone might stumble on us?”

“I swear to you, my word of honor. I bought this place years ago under a fake name. Like I said, even Joe doesn’t know about it. I’ve never brought anyone else here, ever. I have no neighbors. We’re surrounded on all sides by cliffs. No one will see you but me. And I am dying for the sight of you.”

He brushed his lips across her shoulders, trailing down to the top of her breasts. She sucked in a breath, her head thrown back to give him better access.

“Come swim with me, Stanzia.”

Chapter Seventeen

Constance looked at Luca, her eyes turned dark with desire. He wanted to see her bathing in the crystal waters of the sea, his own personal Aphrodite. His loins ached with the need for her. But first he wanted to see all of her, touch every inch, worship her from head to toe.

He gave her dress another little tug. This time, she let her arms drop. She kept her gaze on him as he slowly pulled the garment from her and let it drop to the ground. Her panties quickly followed and she was left standing on the shoreline in nothing but the gold sandals he’d bought her.

“You are a goddess, Stanzia,” he said, her beauty taking his breath away.

Her cheeks flushed under his scrutiny but she didn’t turn or try to hide herself. She stood tall and proud and he wanted to drop at her feet and worship her like they’d done in the olden days.

She kicked off her sandals. “Your turn,” she said, a smile tugging at her lips.

He grinned, only too happy to oblige. He whipped his shirt off and tossed it to the ground, his jeans quickly following. Luca walked backward into the sea, crooking his finger at her to beckon her along. She didn’t take her eyes off his, not even when the water lapped over her toes. She shivered a little at the cool touch of the water as it rose up her legs. When it reached the juncture of her thighs, she paused, her mouth dropping open in a little
O
of surprise. He could imagine how the cool water felt hitting her surely overheated sex.

He couldn’t resist her anymore. Luca closed the distance between them with one step. He grabbed her around the waist with one hand while the other buried deep in her hair. Her arms wrapped around him and her mouth met his in a desperate kiss. His blood roared, desire for the woman in his arms burning through him. But he wasn’t done worshipping her yet.

He dropped to his knees in the surf, the water still gently splashing her. His hands moved up her thighs and slowly spread them apart, giving the sea, and himself, better access. She gripped his shoulders, her body already trembling just from the waves moving against her.

Oh, baby. You haven’t felt anything yet.

He leaned forward and licked her, his tongue lapping at her heated center in the same gentle motion as the waves. The saltiness from the ocean mixed with her own special taste and Luca delved in deeper. He wanted her to come screaming, so he could feel her quaking against his tongue. His hands gripped her waist even as hers tangled in his hair, imprisoning him against her hungry body. He licked and sucked, gently nibbling at her swollen clit until she arched against him, rocking against his mouth as she sought release. Every few moments he’d retreat, letting the cool waves of the sea wash against her, only to instantly replace it with the heat of his mouth.

Her legs trembled and tensed beneath his hands and he increased his tempo, mimicking with his tongue what he so longed to do with his body. Her fingers tightened, pulling his hair until he grunted in pain, and she came with a warm rush against his tongue. He caressed her a few more times as the aftershocks swept through her. When she released his hair with a tremulous sigh, he kissed his way up her belly, his lips dancing over her breasts until she quivered against him. “We need to go back to the cottage. I don’t have any condoms out here,” he said with a gruff laugh.

“I’m still on the pill.” She captured his mouth, kissing him greedily.

The thought of being with her with nothing between them nearly brought him to his knees.

She tangled her hands in his hair. “What I want is for you to be inside me.
Now
.” Her voice broke off as her breath hitched in her throat.

“Up,” he commanded, his voice rough with need.

She didn’t hesitate but gripped his shoulders and jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist. He drove into her, groaning as she sheathed him in silken heat one slow inch at a time. When he was fully buried inside her, he waded farther out into the water, deep enough that the water splashed against her tightened nipples as they moved.

He let the waves set their rhythm, pulling back to let the cool water rush between them as they sucked back into the sea and then plunging into her heat as the waves rushed toward the shore. With the desperate edge taken off their lovemaking, he took his time, his gaze burning into hers. They moved together and he captured every moment, every gasp, every delicate flutter of her eyes, every moan. Every detail burned its way into his memory and he knew he’d never be able to be with another woman without remembering this moment. He wasn’t all that sure he’d ever be able to be with another woman at all.

Their connection burned with intensity, breaking all the barriers he’d tried to erect, destroying his defenses. She hadn’t just gotten under his skin—she’d invaded his heart, his mind. His soul. He’d never be free of her, and he never wanted to be.

With one final thrust, he brought her to climax, screaming his name, her body convulsing around his. Her muscles stroked him, owned him, pushed him over the edge until her name on his lips echoed off the cliffs surrounding their paradise.

She collapsed against him, her body trembling, curling into him. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and wrapped his arms tighter about her, then carried her out of the water to the waiting bed suspended on the porch. They dropped onto it, their movement setting the bed swinging. Constance giggled, a sweet, lighthearted sound that she didn’t make nearly often enough. He sat up long enough to pull the mosquito netting closed. He grabbed one of the soft, furry throws that draped the bed and pulled it up over them.

He kissed her softly, murmuring words in Greek that she probably didn’t understand and he didn’t want to dwell on. Between their escapades and the gentle swaying of the bed, she was asleep in moments, but Luca remained awake, cradling the woman he loved.

He loved her.

The words seemed alien to him. Impossible. Inevitable.

He’d known the moment he’d walked into his backyard and seen her standing in that storm of childish chaos that she was unlike anyone he’d ever met, and the first time he’d kissed her, he’d known she would change his life. But not even he could have predicted just how much. The fading sunlight glinted off the sapphire ring on her finger and Luca found himself wondering how she’d feel about making their little arrangement permanent, for real.

She’d probably laugh, tell him he was crazy, that it made no sense. They were too different. It was only supposed to be a sham, temporary, that anything more was insane.

The children…that thought still filled him with terror. He wasn’t even remotely father material, but maybe with Constance there to help make sure he didn’t do any permanent damage, maybe they could make it work. It hadn’t been so bad with the kids there these past few weeks. They’d seemed happy. And he…he’d been happy, too.

He brushed her hair from her face and a faint smile crossed her lips, even in sleep. He wrapped himself around her, breathed in her cherry blossom scent.

Yes, it was crazy. But if he was very lucky, she might just say she loved him, too. There was only one way to find out.

But it could wait. For that moment, he was content to hold her. For the rest, he’d suck it up and do what terrified him the most. He’d bare his soul and hope she didn’t reject it.

Tomorrow.

…

Constance woke early, the morning sun gently stealing across the beach to reach them in their swinging nest. She sighed happily, reaching out for Luca only to find he was no longer beside her. Her movements set the bed swinging when she sat up, so she took care when she climbed down. She wrapped a blanket around her, following the sound of Luca’s voice.

He stood outside the front door, already dressed, speaking on the phone. She couldn’t hear his words but by his tone he was obviously displeased about something. He must have heard her step because he turned to glance at her. He frowned, not aiming it at her but at something he must be hearing, then he turned back around.

A deep unease settled in her gut. This was not the way she expected the morning to go. After the night before…he’d been so loving. That hadn’t just been lust and sex; it had meant something. To her at least. And to him, she’d been sure of it.

He put his phone back in his pocket and came inside.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

Luca frowned again. “Nothing that can’t be handled.”

He gave her a strained smile that did little to ease the ache settling in her heart. “We’re going to have to cut our morning short. There are a few things I need to take care of. I’d like to leave in a few minutes if possible.”

She nodded, her throat suddenly tight. “Probably best,” she managed to say. “I’m sure Mrs. Ballas could use a break by now.”

He caught her hand before she could turn around and pulled her to him.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, leaning down to press a sweet kiss to her lips. “This isn’t how I wanted our morning to go.”

“Me, either,” she said with a small smile.

He wrapped her in his arms, hugging her close for a few moments. Then he kissed the top of her head and sent her toward the bathroom with a playful slap to her rear. He was trying. Too hard, maybe. Something was definitely wrong.

She dressed as quickly as she could, the mood of their idyllic getaway tarnished with whatever he was keeping from her. When she came out, he was pacing the room, running his hands through his hair.

“Hey,” he said, grabbing her hands and drawing her in for a kiss. “What do you say to a trip?”

“A trip? Where? I mean…I’d love to, but I can’t leave the kids…”

“For all of us. You, me, and the kids. Mrs. Ballas can come along to help wrangle.”

Constance still sensed an underlying tension to him, but he did seem genuinely excited about his plan.

“Where would we go?”

“I’ve told Joe to get the yacht ready. We can cruise around the islands, get away from everything for a while, all the craziness. It can just be us.”

“That sounds wonderful. Can you do that? I mean, aren’t you supposed to meet with your dad again soon?”

“Don’t worry about him. This isn’t about him anymore. This is about us.” He cupped her face and drew her in for a kiss.

She sank into him, letting the last of her anxiety drift away. Whatever had upset him earlier didn’t seem to be an issue. She’d probably blown it out of proportion.

“Let’s go home and get packed,” he said, breaking away long enough to gather up the rest of the things they’d brought.

“What, you mean we’re leaving today?”

“Why not? You didn’t have any other plans, did you?”

“Well, no.” Constance laughed. “I guess I’m not used to having someone say
hey let’s go on a cruise in my yacht
and have it be an actual possibility.”

He grinned. “Well, get used to it.” He gave her a quick kiss and then pulled her out the door to the motorcycle.

She wrapped her arms around him again but tried not to get too carried away. They’d be walking into a house with six kids this time, not a private bungalow. They might not be able to rush straight to the bedroom upon arrival.

When they pulled up to the house, however, the kids were nowhere to be seen. The house was almost eerily quiet.

“I wonder where everyone is,” Constance said.

Joseph came out of Luca’s office. Constance gave him her usual bright smile but his expression was tight, subdued. What was going on?

Luca frowned at Joseph and wrapped his arm around Constance’s waist. “Is everything ready?”

Joseph nodded. “She’ll be ready to leave within the hour.”

“Excellent.” Luca turned to Constance. “As soon as you can get packed we’ll head over.”

“So quickly?”

“Why wait?” he said, though the smile he gave her seemed forced.

“Luca, what’s going on?”

“Can’t a man want to take his fiancée and a parcel of kids on a trip without something being wrong?” he asked with a spark of his usual humor.

She relaxed a little. “I suppose.”

“Then go pack your bags so we can get this show on the road.”

“Yes, sir,” she murmured, leaning in for a kiss that was so sweet and gentle it raised red flags all on its own.

She pulled away with a slight frown. “Luca…”

He cupped her face in his hands. “There are several things we need to talk about, Stanzia, but I don’t want to do it here. I want to get you and the kids on my boat and get underway so we can relax and take our time.”

“Am I going to like what you have to say?” she asked, not sure if she should be excited or terrified. Surely he wouldn’t be planning a trip with her if he were going to break things off. She couldn’t imagine anything more awkward than being stuck on a boat with someone you’d dumped, with six kids you had no real tie to tossed in for fun.

“I hope so,” he said, pulling her closer for another kiss that curled her toes and melted her heart. “Now go get packed.”

She grinned and hurried off to their room to grab her things.

She had her bag nearly ready to go when Mrs. Ballas came in.

“Oh, Mrs. Ballas, good. I was wondering where you and the children had gotten to. Are they packed and ready to go?”

“They’re all ready, but I wanted to make sure you really wanted to go before I told them where we were going. No sense in getting them excited if they weren’t going to get to go after all.”

Constance frowned. “Of course we’re really going. Why wouldn’t we?”

“I thought you might be upset over what was in the papers this morning. I suppose that’s why Mr. Vasilakis is taking you on a trip. It’s a good idea, actually, get away from it all until those jackals find some other bones to chew on.”

The knot reformed in Constance’s stomach. She didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to know. There shouldn’t be anything in the papers. Nothing new, anyway. Nothing Luca would feel the need to take her away from. They hadn’t been anywhere but his bungalow. Maybe they’d gotten some unflattering pictures of her on the beach earlier?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mrs. Ballas. What’s in the papers this morning?”

The old woman’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh. I’m sorry. I thought Mr. Vasilakis would have told you. I shouldn’t have said anything.”