After the Greek Affair Read online

  But if he made love to Belle it would not be meaningless. He stiffened as the realisation slid into his brain, and he fiercely rejected the idea. He did not want to need her. He did not want her to mean anything to him. Life had taught him that it was easier not to care, because that way you didn’t get hurt.

  Belle wondered why Loukas suddenly seemed so tense. She wished he would kiss her again, but to her intense disappointment he sat up and raked a hand through his hair. She didn’t understand what was wrong, why he would not look at her. Moments ago she had been sure he was going to make love to her, but now, as he leapt up from the bed and strode towards the door, she felt hurt that he clearly could not wait to get away from her.

  ‘You must be tired after your trip to Kea,’ he said abruptly. ‘Get some rest and I’ll see you at dinner.’

  His rejection felt like a slap in the face. He had said that their physical compatibility was not in doubt, but as far as Belle could see it was non-existent. Maybe he no longer desired her, she thought miserably. Her body was already changing shape due to her pregnancy, and perhaps he found her unattractive.

  Once again she was swamped with doubts about their forthcoming marriage. During their affair sex had been a vital part of their relationship, but if Loukas was no longer attracted to her would he look elsewhere to satisfy his high sex drive? And would she be trapped in a loveless marriage for the sake of her children like her mother had been? The future suddenly seemed frighteningly uncertain.

  CHAPTER TEN

  BELLE ended the call on her mobile phone and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the sting of tears behind her eyelids. When she opened them again she saw Loukas standing in the doorway of her room.

  ‘I came to see if you’re ready. The party starts at seven and we really should be going.’ He frowned when he saw the bright glitter in her eyes. ‘Thee mou! What’s wrong?’ he demanded urgently, walking swiftly towards her. ‘Belle, what is it?’

  ‘That call was from Jenny, my office manager. The warehouse has been sold and we’ve been given a month’s notice to vacate the studio,’ she told him in a choked voice. ‘I’ve been researching other possible premises for Wedding Belle on the internet, but so far I haven’t found anywhere that is suitable and affordable. And there are so many other things to consider. I’ll have to have stationery and business cards reprinted once I have a new address, and there are costs involved in moving and setting up somewhere else.’ She rubbed her brow wearily. ‘I’ll have to go back to London straight after the wedding to sort things out.’

  Loukas stiffened. ‘You still intend to continue running your company, then?’

  ‘Yes, of course. Nothing would make me give up Wedding Belle. You have no idea how important it is to me,’ she said as Loukas frowned. ‘Starting up my own dress design business is the one thing I’ve done that I’m really proud of. John was convinced I would fail. He told me I wasn’t talented enough to succeed. But my mother had faith in me.’ She bit her lip. ‘Mum died while I was in the process of setting up Wedding Belle, but I know she would have been proud of me.’

  She brushed her hand over her wet lashes and did not see the curious expression that crossed Loukas’s face, was unaware that her visible distress felt like a knife through his heart. ‘I guess it sounds silly, but running my own business makes me feel like I’m someone,’ she confessed. ‘I don’t know who my father is, but Wedding Belle gives me an identity.’

  The knife in Loukas’s chest gouged deeper. ‘Of course you are someone,’ he told her roughly. He slid his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her face to his, brushing away her tears with an unsteady hand. ‘You are a beautiful, talented young woman, soon to be the mother of my children, and tomorrow I will be proud to make you my wife. I did not realise how much Wedding Belle means to you,’ he continued in strained voice. ‘I’m sure your mother would be immensely proud of you.’ He hesitated. ‘Have you considered establishing your company in Greece? I could help you find a studio in Athens.’

  ‘It’s an idea,’ Belle said slowly. ‘I have been wondering how I will manage to work in London once the babies are born. But I don’t speak Greek yet, and it seems rather daunting to set up the company in a foreign country.’

  ‘Greece will be your home,’ he reminded her.

  ‘I suppose it will.’ She stared at Loukas. ‘I know you have your doubts that I can combine being a mother to the twins with running a business, but I’m sure I can do it. I’ll give serious thought to the idea of looking for a studio in Athens.’

  The party was a charity fund-raising event to be held in the opulent surroundings of one of Athens’s most prestigious five star hotels, and the guest list included several government ministers and a sprinkling of celebrities.

  ‘I think you should sit down for a while,’ Loukas murmured as he steered Belle off the dance floor. ‘You’ve been on your feet all evening, and I don’t want you to get too tired.’

  ‘I’m not at all tired,’ she protested, wishing she was still in his arms, their bodies moulded together as they drifted in time to the music. She knew the sense of closeness she had felt with him while they were dancing was an illusion, but for a while she had been able to pretend that they were like a normal couple who were in love and looking forward to their wedding.

  ‘I can’t believe how much my pregnancy is showing,’ she said ruefully when she caught sight of her reflection in one of the ballroom mirrors. She knew she was showing early because she was carrying twins, but it was daunting to imagine how big she would be by the end of her pregnancy.

  Following the direction of her gaze, Loukas glimpsed Belle’s expression. ‘You look beautiful tonight,’ he assured her softly, desire flaring inside him as his eyes roamed over her. He knew the cornflower-blue ballgown was one of her own creations; its full skirt disguised the faint swell of her stomach and the strapless bodice cupped her breasts, displaying their new fullness and tempting him to free them from their silk covering and caress her soft flesh with his hands and mouth. His body stirred into urgent life and he fought to bring his libido under control as the hostess of the party approached them.

  ‘I hope you are both enjoying the evening?’ Gaea Angelis greeted them warmly. ‘Loukas, I believe Zeno wants to discuss a new project with you in the library.’

  He glanced at Belle. ‘Do you mind if I excuse myself for a few minutes? Sit down, hmm? You shouldn’t stand for too long.’

  ‘He’s very protective, isn’t he?’ Gaea commented when Loukas walked away. ‘And tomorrow is your wedding—are you excited, Belle?’

  Apprehensive was a better description of how she felt, Belle thought to herself. She did not doubt that becoming Loukas’s wife was the best thing to do for her babies, but there was no escaping the fact that it was a marriage of convenience—for Loukas. He wanted his children, and that was his only reason for marrying her.

  She forced a bright smile. ‘Yes, I can’t wait.’

  ‘It’s good to see Loukas so content. We never thought he would settle down after his relationship with Sadie ended so abruptly.’

  Belle stiffened, and queried in a carefully casual tone. ‘Was Sadie the woman he hoped to marry?’

  ‘Yes, Sadie Blaine—I expect you’ve heard of her. She’s a top Broadway star, and now her film success has made her the hottest thing in Hollywood.’

  Belle was stunned by Gaea’s revelation. Sadie Blaine was an American actress, singer and dancer—an international star who, as well as being phenomenally talented, was stunningly beautiful. The news that Loukas had been engaged to her was astounding.

  ‘Loukas was clearly devastated by the split, but he refused to talk about it,’ Gaea explained. ‘But now he is going to marry you, and I’m sure you will both be very happy together.’

  Would they be happy? Belle wondered later, as she stared out of the helicopter window at the bright lights of Athens which blazed in the night sky. Would Loukas be happy with her—or would he always secretly wish that he had m
arried the woman from his past whom Larissa had once told her had been the love of his life?

  They were both silent during the journey back to Aura. Loukas seemed lost in his thoughts, and Belle felt sick with jealousy when she pictured him with gorgeous Sadie Blaine. When the helicopter had landed and they were walking up to the villa she could not hold back the question that had dominated her mind since her conversation with Gaea Angelis.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were once engaged to Sadie Blaine?’

  He gave her a sharp look. ‘I suppose Gaea was gossiping?’ He shrugged, ‘I didn’t mention it because it isn’t important.’

  ‘But you were in love with her?’

  He was silent for so long that Belle thought he was not going to answer. ‘Yes,’ he said finally, in a voice that warned her he did not want to continue with the discussion.

  Belle bit her lip, self-doubt surging through her. ‘I’m nothing like Sadie. I mean, she’s stunningly beautiful and a world-famous star. I saw her in a show at the London Palladium last year and she was electrifying. She’s every man’s fantasy woman.’ While in a few months from now she would be fat and ungainly, her stomach swollen with the babies and her ankles swollen from water retention, Belle thought miserably.

  ‘I agree you are nothing like Sadie.’ Loukas’s harsh voice scraped across her raw emotions. ‘But she is in the past. You are the woman I am going to marry.’

  But only because she was pregnant. The painful truth swirled inside Belle’s head. No doubt he would eventually have married some beautiful, cultured socialite who would have made him a far more suitable wife than her.

  She trailed into the villa behind him, haunted by the same feeling of inadequacy that she had so often felt during her childhood. John had made her feel as though she was not good enough to deserve his love, and now she was convinced that Loukas regarded her as second best compared to the famous star he had wanted to marry. Was that the reason he had walked away from her last night? she wondered bleakly. Had he not made love to her because he still desired his beautiful ex?

  ‘Shall we go up to the roof terrace for a while?’ Loukas suggested. It was a routine they had fallen into since Belle had returned to Aura, and she had come to treasure the evenings they spent beneath the stars, chatting, or simply sitting in companionable silence. But tonight her emotions felt too raw for her to risk being alone with him.

  ‘I’m going to bed,’ she said shortly. ‘It’s going to be a busy day tomorrow.’ She hurried up the stairs, but he followed her and caught up with her outside her bedroom door.

  ‘What’s wrong, agape?’

  The gentle endearment tugged at her heart. ‘Nothing,’ she muttered. She tried to move away from him, but he slid his hand beneath her chin, his eyes darkening when he saw the shimmer of tears she could not hold back. ‘My life was all mapped out, but now everything has changed,’ she burst out. ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen to Wedding Belle now that I’ve lost the studio. I’m scared that I’m not going to be a good mother—I don’t know anything about babies.’ She stared at him, feeling the familiar weakness in her limbs when she studied his handsome face. ‘And tonight I’ve discovered that you probably wish you were marrying someone else,’ she finished bleakly.

  ‘That’s not true,’ Loukas said fiercely, feeling his insides turn over as a tear slipped down her cheek. ‘You are the woman I want to marry, Belle.’ He swallowed, aware that there were so many things he needed to tell her. He could no longer fight the feelings inside him—could no longer deny his need for her. Her vulnerability tugged at his soul, and he wanted to kiss away the hurt he could see in her eyes.

  He pulled her against him, and as their bodies met his tenuous hold on his self-control shattered and he wrapped his arms around her, his big body shaking with an intensity of longing that overwhelmed him. He knew they should talk, but right now all he wanted to do was lose himself in the sweetness of her body and forget everything but the pleasure of making love to her.

  He lowered his head and captured her mouth, feeling the little tremor that shook her as she hesitantly parted her lips and kissed him back. He could never have enough of her, and he tasted her again and again, until his desire for her spiralled out of control and he swept her up into his arms, shouldering open the door and carrying her across her bedroom to set her down by the bed.

  Belle caught her breath as Loukas trailed fierce kisses down her throat and over the slopes of her breasts. His urgency thrilled her and dismissed her doubts that he did not find her attractive. His hands were clumsy as he tugged the zip of her dress down her spine, and he gave a harsh groan when her breasts spilled into his hands. With feverish haste he pushed her dress over her hips, so that it pooled at her feet, but the sudden exposure of her body evoked her uncertainty once more and she tried to cover her stomach.

  ‘My body is changing,’ she whispered, catching her lower lip with her teeth.

  ‘Of course it is—and pregnancy makes you lovelier than ever.’ His eyes glittered with feral hunger, but tenderness made his voice shake as he gently tugged her hands down. ‘Do you have any idea what it does to me to know that my babies are inside you?’ he said thickly. He stroked the rounded fullness of her breasts with a reverence that made Belle tremble, and then sank to his knees and pressed his lips to the soft swell of her stomach.

  Molten heat flooded between Belle’s thighs when he pulled down her knickers and trailed his mouth over the triangle of blonde curls and finally to the moist heart of her femininity, his tongue exploring her with delicate precision so that pleasure rippled through her and her knees sagged. He caught her to him and laid her on the bed, ripping off his clothes with frantic haste before he stretched out next to her.

  ‘Belle mou.’ His breath whispered across the rosy tips of her breasts, and she gasped when he anointed each one in turn, the flick of his tongue over her acutely sensitive nipples causing her to arch her hips in mute supplication.

  Desire pounded in Loukas’s veins, but the need to be gentle made him temper his passion, and he eased her thighs apart and aroused her with his fingers until she cried out. Only then did he enter her with exquisite care, groaning when her muscles enveloped him in velvet, tightening around him so that each thrust drove him closer to the brink. But he forced himself to wait, to slow his pace so that she caught his rhythm. Only when he saw her eyes darken and heard the soft gasps that told him she was hovering on the edge did he allow his control to splinter, and he drove into her and felt her convulse around him at the same moment that he spilled into her.

  Afterwards he held her close, her head resting on his chest while their breathing slowed. Through the open window Belle could hear the gentle lap of the waves on the shore, as rhythmic and comforting as the steady beat of Loukas’s heart beneath her ear, and she fell asleep feeling safe and secure in his arms.

  The first thing Belle saw when she opened her eyes was a single red rose on the pillow beside her. She smiled, a tremulous feeling of happiness unfurling inside her like the petals of a rosebud coming into bloom. It was going to be all right.

  Nothing had really changed, she reminded herself. Loukas was still marrying her because she was carrying his babies, but last night he had proved that he desired her, and he had made love to her with such tender passion that she felt sure they could make their marriage work. He might not love her, but friendship and respect were a good basis for their relationship, and maybe, in time, he would come to care for her.

  The wedding was only to be a small affair, and Loukas had managed to rush through the paperwork necessary for them to marry. Larissa and Georgios were to attend, as well as the household staff, but Dan was on a photoshoot in New Zealand and had promised to visit Aura as soon as he could.

  ‘Ise panemorfi—very beautiful,’ Maria proclaimed after she had helped Belle into her wedding dress.

  ‘I hope Loukas thinks so,’ Belle murmured, as she stared at the reflection of her ivory silk dress with its fitted b
odice and full skirt. She had never expected that she would make her own bridal gown—had never planned to get married—and now that it was almost time for the wedding she could not help feeling nervous. Loukas was not a bully like John Townsend, she reassured herself. His gentle lovemaking last night had convinced her that she would not be trapped in an unhappy relationship like her mother had been.

  Her mobile rang and she answered it, smiling when her office manager explained that she was calling to wish her luck. ‘Where are you going for your honeymoon?’ Jenny asked.

  ‘I’m not. I’m hoping to come back to London as soon as possible to sort out new premises for Wedding Belle. I don’t suppose you were able to persuade the new owners of the warehouse to give us more time before we have to move out?’

  ‘I’m afraid not. The executive I spoke to from Poseidon Developments said that plans are already underway to convert the warehouse into luxury flats.’

  ‘Poseidon Developments—are you sure that’s the name of the new owners?’ Belle said slowly.

  ‘Yes—funny name for a company, isn’t it?’ Jenny laughed. ‘Wasn’t Poseidon a Greek god?’

  ‘He certainly was.’

  A cold feeling settled in the pit of Belle’s stomach as she said goodbye to Jenny. Loukas owned a subsidiary company called Poseidon. During one of her conversations with Chip while Loukas was at work, he had mentioned that Christakis Holdings was made up of a number of different companies which Loukas had called after Greek gods. ‘Poseidon Developments, Apollo Group, Zeus Financial—but not Eros,’ Chip had laughed. ‘The boss balked at calling one of his businesses after the god of love.’

  It must be a coincidence, she told herself. After all, why would Loukas want to buy an old warehouse in London? Admittedly it was probably a good site for development, but he knew that she had her studio there, and he had been unexpectedly sympathetic when she had learned that the warehouse had been sold. If he had bought it he would have told her, wouldn’t he?