The Innocent's Surrender (26 page)

One glorious sun-filled day seamlessly became another. Turned into a week that slipped into a second, then a third.

I am going nowhere
?

He?d said that, and it seemed he?d meant it.

When they were not aboard
Mariam
they were often beside the pool, Alex taking full advantage of its seclusion to swim and sunbathe naked, and to encourage her to do the same.

They?d been in the water together the first time he?d swiftly stripped her of her bikini before discarding his own trunks, and tossing them onto the tiled rim.

?Alex?no,? she?d protested desperately, trying unsuccessfully to hold him off. ?Someone might see us.?

?No,
agapi mou
,? he whispered. ?I promise that we will not be disturbed.? And pulled her close.

Much later, she said breathlessly, ?I thought you didn?t approve of naked girls in swimming pools.?

He laughed, kissing her softly. ?I approve of you naked anywhere and at any time, Natasha
mou
,? he told her.

His behaviour on the beach below the villa was rather more decorous, however, and, to her own astonishment, Natasha found herself being swiftly initiated into the thrills and spills of waterskiing and windsurfing, at both of which Alex was effortlessly expert, and, more unexpectedly, a remarkably patient teacher, and as her fledgling skills developed and improved under his careful tuition she felt almost triumphant.

Iorgos was at the wheel of the speedboat when she attained sufficient prowess to ski beside Alex and, while he remained taciturn, there were times when he bestowed on Natasha a faint smile that was almost approving.

She realised she was learning other lessons too. Making discoveries all the time about the man she loved, seeing a younger and altogether more carefree side to the powerful controller of his business empire.

Someone, she thought, who sang softly under his breath, and held her hand as she walked beside him. Someone who seemed to know intuitively the occasions when she was tired enough to wish just to sleep in his arms.

Someone who talked to her, argued with her, teased her. Who encouraged her to revive the Greek language skills of her younger years. Who challenged her in the evenings to play the wickedly fast Greek form of backgammon that she?d learned with Thio Basilis, and sometimes allowed her to win. Who was teaching her chess.

Someone who fulfilled every dream she?d ever had. Except for the most important one?

He spoke of his desire for her so frankly that it still had the power to make her blush, but he never spoke of love.

Sometimes, when she lay drifting in the exquisite euphoria of her climax, she imagined him whispering, ?
M?agapas?
? ?Do you love me??

And was thankful she was not forced to lie?to deny her most secret, most precious feelings, and have to suffer the subsequent pain.

Because Alyssos was such a small island, it was hardly worth using the Jeep, so she and Alex spent a lot of time walking, and she guessed that quite often they were visiting places that had been his favourites in childhood.

He didn?t say much at these times, just looked around him with hooded, reflective eyes.

She remembered that Mac Whitaker had hinted that Alex and his father had more or less given up on the island, just as Thia Theodosia had done, and wondered why this should have been, as it clearly meant so much to him.

But when she asked him, he merely shrugged and drawled, ?Things change,
matia mou
.? Which left her none the wiser, and reluctant to put the real question hovering in her mind?to ask him how the feud between their families had begun.

Because it never, she thought ruefully, seemed to be the right moment. And now the opportunity might have gone altogether.

?The world at a distance.? At the time that had sounded like a promise, but suddenly it was nudging closer again, working its way insidiously back into their lives, like a latter-day snake in Eden, and it seemed to Natasha that Alex?s words had been more of a warning.

Very much like??Things change??

Because they had already done so, almost before she was aware.

And the major change was in Alex himself. The light-hearted lover was becoming unsmiling and introspective, his movements and manner almost abrupt. Sometimes when she woke in the night, it was to find him standing at the window, his face brooding as he stared into the darkness.

She longed to ask what the matter was?if she could help in any way?then reminded herself just in time that she was there solely to share his bed for a while, not his thoughts.

He was once again spending part of each day in his study, and their mealtimes together were often interrupted for phone calls which needed to be taken in private. Nor was there any more relaxed and sensuous nudity beside the pool in case a member of staff brought down a message for him, while the lingering, breathless siestas in her bedroom with the shutters closed were also becoming a thing of the past.

As, it occurred to her, she might well be herself.

And when, for the first time, he did not come to her room at night, she knew with aching certainty that it was the beginning of the end, and that she must prepare for it.

Her heart was thudding when he joined her for breakfast the following morning. Waiting, she realised, for the axe to fall.

He said without preamble, ?Natasha, I have to go away later today. There are matters I must attend to that can be put off no longer.? He looked up frowningly at the hazy sky. ?Would you like to go out on the boat this morning?before the weather breaks??

She did not think she could bear the boat, where she?d spent so many happy hours with him. Not when it could be the last time?

She steadied her voice. ?That would be nice, but you did promise once that you?d show me where Thia Theodosia used to live.?

He hesitated, his frown deepening. ?Very well,? he said quietly. ?If you are sure that is what you want.?

This time they took the Jeep, Natasha realising at once that they were heading to a part of the island they had not visited before. For a while they followed the main highway, then Alex turned off abruptly onto a much narrower road, its surface scarred and pitted, showing how little it was used.

The new owners clearly didn?t mind being jolted, Natasha thought breathlessly as the Jeep made another turn onto a steep and rocky track down into the promised shade of the olive trees with their silver, shivering leaves, and, as they finally emerged into the open, directly ahead of them was the subdued glimmer of the sea.

But that was all.

Natasha turned in her seat, staring round her. She said half to herself, ?But this can?t be the place. There?s nothing here.?

?As I told you.? His confirmation was harsh.

?But there was a house once.? She pointed. ?Some of the foundations are still there?see?? She scrambled out of the Jeep and went over to examine the remains of the concrete platform.

?So, what happened?? Alex had followed her, and she turned to him, spreading her hands in bewilderment. ?Was there an earthquake? If so, it must have been pretty selective.?

?No earthquake,? he said. ?The house was demolished in another way.?

She stared at him, her throat tightening. ?Tell me how.?

?With explosives first,? he said. ?Then the rubble itself was removed.? He shrugged, his mouth hard. ?Until everything had gone. As you see.?

?Yes,? she said thickly. ?I?see. Only too well.?

She shook her head. ?How could you do this?? Her eyes searched his, trying and failing to find some trace of the warmth and tenderness of the past weeks. ?Does Thia Theodosia know about this??

?Yes,? he said. ?She has always known.?

?That?s awful,? Natasha whispered. ?Because she?s so kind, so lovely. She wouldn?t deliberately hurt a living soul. So how could you destroy an innocent woman?s home?something which meant so much to her? What kind of people are you??

?Human beings,? he said harshly. ?With all the faults and failings of that condition. Capable of hatred, jealousy and vengeance. Did I ever pretend otherwise??

?But why this? It makes no sense.?

?That is something I am not qualified to answer,? he said, after a pause. ?Nor, Natasha, did I light the fuse or move the stones. I was too young. Now, shall we go? If you have seen enough??

There were tears in her throat, burning, acrid. She could only nod, then sit beside him, staring at nothing as they returned to the villa in silence.

As she made to leave the Jeep, he said quietly, ?Natasha?it was an empty building. Worse things have happened since this feud began, believe me.?

?You?ll never convince me of that,? she said shakily.

This was more than two proud and arrogant men locking horns in enmity over their commercial dealings. It went far beyond cruel and spiteful, or a desire to win?to beat a rival a down, she thought. There?d been real hatred in this act of destruction.

She swung back to face him. ?Oh, God, how long will this vile thing be allowed to go on?poisoning people?s lives? Why can?t you do something to make it stop??

He said slowly, ?Perhaps I can. But it might be something you would hate even more.?

?No,? she said. ?Never in this world.? She looked past him. ?I?I can?t stay here any longer.?

?In this house?? he said. ?Or anywhere on the island??

?Anywhere.? She shuddered. ?I thought it was so peaceful here. So beautiful.?

You made it beautiful, and now it seems uglier than any nightmare
.

She said, ?But?knowing about this mindless violence?I can?t think of it in the same way ever again.?
Or of you?your father?s son
??And I want to leave. You have to let me go.?

?Go where?? he demanded roughly.

?To England,? she said. ?To London. Back to road rage, muggings and football hooligans. They?ll all seem like a walk in the park compared with Alyssos.?

She swallowed. ?There?ll be a helicopter coming for you, won?t there? Will you let me go with you to Athens? My plane ticket might still be valid.?

?I regret that I am not going to Athens,? he said. ?Not immediately. But I will send the
Selene
for you, and instruct Mac to take you wherever you wish.?

?Thank you,? she said. ?How soon can he get here??

?I will tell him it is a matter of urgency.?

They were talking like strangers, she thought. As if they had not spent all these past nights in total intimacy, drowning in pleasure in each other?s arms. She had given herself to him utterly?heart, mind, body and soul. Given herself to a man she did not know.

?Urgency,? she said. ?Yes.?

He was beside her as she walked into the house. He said, ?Natasha
mou
,? and put a hand on her arm, which she shook off.

?Don?t touch me.? She heard the note of panic in her voice, and took a deep, calming breath. ?You said once you liked to part from your?women?as friends. But that can?t happen with us. Not now. Probably it never could.?

?No,? he said, quietly and bleakly. ?I think you are right.? He paused. ?Has it really been so bad,
matia mou
, being with me??

She did not look at him. Her voice was stifled. ?No,? she said. ?Not?bad. Unbearable.?

And walked away from him to her room without looking back.

It was the sound of the helicopter that woke her, and she sat bolt upright, clothes sticking to her and her eyelashes gummed together with weeping as she listened to it fading into the distance.

Too late now, she realised, to run to Alex and say, I love you. Nothing matters but that, so please?please take me with you.

Which was one humiliation at least that she?d been spared, she thought, catching sight of herself in the mirror across the room, her face streaky, her eyes swollen and her hair plastered to her damp face. No man in his right mind would have taken her to the end of the street looking as she did.

Even a man who still desired her?.

As Alex no longer did. And who had also warned he did not require love.

I knew I would only be with him for a little while, she thought. That he has a low boredom threshold with women. But I fell into the trap of being happy.

But even if their brief affair had not come to its end, she would have wanted to leave.

Because what Alex had done did matter. As a boy, he could not have been responsible for the destruction of Thia Theodosia?s beloved house, but as a man he?d kept the feud going, totally and relentlessly, until he?d achieved a different kind of ruin for the Papadimos clan. Herself, included.

And now she at least had to put herself back together again?and survive.

Starting, she decided wearily, with a shower and a change of clothes. But as she swung herself off the bed she saw her passport lying on the night table beside her, and knew that he must have put it there, and seen her asleep, flushed and worn out with heartbreak.

So she?d been spared nothing after all, she thought bitterly, wrapping her arms round her body and bending her head in total defeat, because she had no more secrets to hide.

The next forty-eight hours were a living nightmare, made infinitely worse by the attitude of the rest of the household, who were universally and hideously kind to her.