The Helen Bianchin Collection (Mills & Boon E-Book Collections) (139 page)

Her eyes widened and assumed an ethereal mistiness for an incredibly brief second, then she offered a slightly shaky smile and turned back towards Dominic, feeling completely disorientated as she launched into a conversational discourse that was unrelated to anything of particular interest.

It must have made sense, she thought vaguely, for Dominic responded with a flow of words she barely registered, let alone absorbed, and she gave a mental shake as if to clear her head.

What on earth was the matter with her?

‘Dominic—you won’t mind if I rescue my wife?’

Alyse heard Aleksi’s deep drawling voice an instant before his arm curved round her waist, and she felt all her fine body hairs lift up in silent recognition of his presence.

‘I assure you she isn’t in the slightest danger.’

Never from Dominic. Aleksi, however, was an entirely different matter!

‘Shall we leave?’ Aleksi queried, bending his head down to hers, and she shrugged.

‘If you like.’

‘It’s barely midnight!’ protested Dominic, and Aleksi responded smoothly,

‘We said before we left that we wouldn’t be late.’

‘But surely you can ring the babysitter?’

‘I think not.’

In the car Alyse sat in silence, grateful for the light music emitting from stereo speakers, and she simply let her head fall back against the seat’s headrest as the BMW purred through the darkened streets.

On reaching home Melanie reported that Georg hadn’t even stirred, and Alyse checked his sleeping form while Aleksi saw the young girl into her car and then locked up.

Slipping out of her shoes, Alyse stepped through to the en suite bathroom and set about removing her make-up. Her features looked pale, and her eyes seemed much too large, she decided broodingly. Even her mouth bore a faintly bruised fullness, and she ran the tip of her tongue along the edge of her lower lip in unconscious exploration before lifting the brush to her hair.

She had only just begun when Aleksi entered the bathroom, and her hand faltered slightly as he moved close and took the brush from her nerveless fingers.

She knew she should protest, but no words left her lips, and she stood still beneath his touch, held as if enmeshed in some elusive sensual spell.

The temptation to close her eyes was irresistible, and
when the brush strokes ceased she let her lashes flicker up as she met his gaze via mirrored reflection.

His hands moved to the zip fastening of her dress, and she made no effort to prevent its slithering folds slipping down to the floor, nor the thin scrap of satin and lace of her bra as he released the clasp.

Fingers traced the length of her spine, then spanned her waist before slipping up to cup her breasts. His breath fanned her nape, and she let her head fall forward in silent invitation, unable to suppress a shiver of sheer reaction as his lips sought a vulnerable pulsebeat and savoured it until tiny shockwaves of pleasure spiralled from deep within her central core.

It was almost as if he wanted her to see the effect of his touch on her body, and she moved back against him, arching slightly as his fingers teased the soft fullness of her breasts, then shaped them as the peaks tautened and became engorged with anticipatory pleasure. With detached fascination she glimpsed the soft smudges where hours earlier his mouth had wrought havoc as he had sought to punish, and her eyes clouded in remembered pain.

Hands slid to her shoulders and turned her round to face him, and she was powerless against the caressing softness of his lips as they brushed each bruise in turn before trailing up to settle on her trembling mouth.

His touch was an evocative supplication, teasing, tasting,
loving
in a manner that made her want to cry, and when he slid an arm beneath her knees and lifted her into his arms she could only bury her face against the hollow of his neck.

In bed she closed her eyes, grateful for the darkness as he led her with infinite slowness towards the sweet
oblivion of sexual fulfilment, and she clung to him unashamedly, adrift in a sea of her own emotions.

A week ago, even yesterday, she had been so positive her planned escape to Perth was what she desperately wanted. Now, the thought of walking away from Aleksi caused doubt and indecision, and for the first time she was filled with despair.

If she stayed, it would have to be for all the right reasons, and she doubted if love formed any part of his rationale. The most she could hope for would be an affectionate loyalty, a bond founded by Georg’s existence. Somehow it wasn’t enough.

For what seemed like an hour Alyse lay awake staring at the shadowed ceiling, a hundred differing emotions clouding her mind in kaleidoscopic confusion.

Nothing was the same;
nothing
, Alyse decided sadly as she slid carefully out of bed, each movement in seeming slow motion so as not to disturb the man sleeping silently at her side.

How could she leave? Yet how could she stay? a tiny voice taunted as she crossed to the sitting-room and paused in front of Georg’s cot. He was so dear,
everything
, she decided fiercely, unable to prevent her eyes misting with unshed tears.

Moonlight streamed through the opaque curtains, creating an area of shade and silvery light, while long shadowy fingers magnified everything beyond. The balustrading surrounding the pool resembled a grotesque caricature of angles that were unrelated to its original structure, and the pool itself appeared a deep, dark void.

Like her heart. Dear lord in heaven, was it too much
to expect happiness? Was she being a fool to even hope it could be achieved?

She had no idea how long she stood there, and it was acute sensory perception rather than an actual sound that alerted her to Aleksi’s presence.

‘What are you doing here?’ His voice was deep and husky, and she was unable to prevent the shiver that shook her slim frame.

Hands caught her shoulders in a light clasp, then slid down her arms, slipping beneath her elbows to curve round her waist as he pulled her gently back against him.

‘You’ll catch a chill,’ he chided softly, burying his lips against the vulnerable hollow at the edge of her neck.

I am cold, so cold there should be ice instead of blood in my veins. As long as I live, I’ll never be warm again.

‘Come back to bed.’

No! a silent voice screamed out in silent agony. That was her downfall, the place where she fought countless battles and inevitably lost. Her eyes began to ache with barely suppressed tears, and her vision shimmered as two huge crystalline drops hovered, momentarily dammed by protective lower lashes.

‘Alyse?’

Hands gently turned her towards him, and she was powerless to evade the strong fingers that took hold of her chin and tilted it upwards.

The movement released her tears, and there was nothing she could do to prevent their slow trickling descent.

It was impossible that they might escape his attention;
too much to hope for that he might choose not to comment on their existence.

She looked at him, her head caught at a proud angle, its planes sharply defined, yet his profile was indistinct viewed through a watery mist that failed to dissipate no matter how often she blinked.

I’m caught in a trap, she thought, feeling incredibly sad. Bound within a silken web whose strands hold me prisoner as surely as if they were comprised of tensile steel.

‘Tears?’

Amusement was sadly lacking, and in its place was a depth she was almost afraid to analyse.

A finger traced one rivulet, then followed the path of its twin. ‘Why?’

For all the dreams, the love I have to give; hope, eternity.

‘Alyse?’

His voice was as soft as velvet, his breath warm as it fanned her cheek, and she closed her eyes against the featherlight touch of his lips at her temples, on her eyelids, then finally her mouth.

It was seduction at its most dangerous, and she almost succumbed as he lifted her into his arms and carried her back into the bedroom. The only thing that stopped her was the degree of treachery involved; sexual pleasure without emotional commitment was no longer enough, and she couldn’t pretend any more.

Gently he let her slide down to her feet.

‘Suppose you tell me what’s bothering you?’

Where could she begin? By saying she’d fallen in love with him? A slight tremor shook her thinly clad form at the thought of his cynicism on learning that she
had joined a number of women who had fallen prey to his fatal brand of sexual sensuality.

‘I’m almost afraid to insist.’ There was an indefinable quality in his voice, a rawness that sent her lashes sweeping upward in swift disbelief.

Alyse was aware of him watching every visible flicker of emotion, and she forced herself to breathe steadily to deploy the deep thudding beat of her heart.

‘Please,’ Aleksi demanded gently, letting his hands slide up to cup her face.

Something she dared not begin to believe might be hope stirred deep within. ‘I don’t think I can.’

His lips touched hers with the lightness of a butterfly’s wing. ‘Try.’

Dared she? No matter how she voiced it, the words would sound calculatingly cold, and afterwards there could be no retraction, only expiation when mere explanation might not be enough.

‘Georg deserves to have you as his father,’ she faltered at last, unsure whether she had the courage to continue, and something she could have sworn was pain darkened his eyes.

There was a strained silence, then Aleksi drawled with dangerous silkiness, ‘You don’t consider Georg deserves to have you as his mother?’

Alyse felt as if she was treading on eggshells, yet now she’d started there was nothing else for her but to go on. ‘I love him,’ she burst out. ‘How can you doubt that?’

‘Your love for
him
isn’t in question.’

The breath caught in her throat, then escaped in a ragged expulsion as her features paled, and she actually swayed, fearing she might fall. Somehow the thought
that Aleksi might know the extent of her emotions made her feel physically ill. She had to get away from him, if only temporarily. ‘Please—let me go,’ she begged.

‘Never.’

There was an inflexibility apparent that made her feel terribly afraid.

‘I think you’ll reconsider when you realise the only reason I entered into marriage was the prospect of obtaining a divorce and legal custody of Georg,’ she began shakily, glimpsing a muscle tense along the edge of his jaw as she fought for the strength to continue. ‘Almost right from the beginning I plotted the ultimate revenge,’ she continued unsteadily, struggling to find the right words, aware that now she’d started, she couldn’t stop. ‘Two years, that’s all I figured it would take before I could return with Georg to Perth.’

His silence was enervating, and after what seemed an interminable length of time she willed him to say something—anything.

‘And now?’

‘What would you have me say?’ she queried in anguish.

‘Try—honesty.’

She was weeping inside, drenched by her own silent tears. ‘So you can have
your
revenge, Aleksi?’

‘Is that what you think?’

‘Oh, why do you have to answer every question with another?’ she beseeched, sorely tried.

‘Because I want it all.’

It was too soon to bare her soul. Much too soon. Love was supposed to happen gradually, not all at once. How was it possible to know if it
was
love in only a matter of weeks?

‘I
can’t
,’ she denied in a tortured whisper.

Aleksi was silent for so long she felt almost afraid, then when he spoke his voice was edged with quiet determination.

‘As soon as Rachel and Alexandros return to the Coast, we’ll fly to Athens.’

A startled gasp left her lips, and he pressed a finger against them to still the words in protest.

‘My parents will delight in having Georg to themselves for a while.’

‘Do you always arrange things on the spur of the moment?’ she questioned weakly, unable to argue.

‘Are you saying you don’t want to go?’

She stood hesitantly unsure for a few timeless seconds. ‘No,’ she whispered at last, aware with frightening certainty that her fate had been irreversibly sealed.

T
HE DAYS THAT
followed assumed a dreamlike quality. There was a gentleness apparent, a sense of almost secret anticipation that was fuelled by the touch of the hand, the exquisiteness of their lovemaking.

They accepted few invitations, although when they did venture out Alyse was conscious of the overt, barely concealed glances, the thinly disguised speculative gossip as Aleksi rarely let her out of his sight. At home she took delight in arranging gourmet dinners, with candlelight and wine, loving the long, leisurely conversation shared as they talked about anything and everything.

Two days after Rachel and Alexandros arrived back from Sydney Alyse and Aleksi flew out to Athens, spending two days in that ancient city before chartering a helicopter to a small remote island set like a shimmering jewel in the midst of a translucent emerald sea.

There were grapevines, orange trees, olive groves, a few goats, a dog, all lovingly tended by an elderly couple who greeted Aleksi fondly before boarding the waiting helicopter that would take them to visit relatives on another island.

‘It’s beautiful,’ Alyse breathed as Aleksi led her towards
an old, concrete-plastered, whitewashed house set on high ground.

Built around an inner courtyard, the rooms were large and airy and filled with antique furniture. Rich Persian rugs covered highly polished floors, and there were several soft-cushioned sofas in the lounge.

‘As a child, I spent most of my holidays here,’ Aleksi revealed.

‘Did you ever return to the island after you emigrated to Australia?’ Alyse asked, wandering around the large lounge at will, pausing slightly now and then to study one of the several framed family photographs resting atop items of furniture.

‘Several times.’

She turned to look at him, seeing the inherent strength apparent, the sheer physical attraction, and a shadow fleetingly darkened her eyes at the number of women who had surely formed part of his life.

‘To join Rachel and Alexandros, and Georgiou,’ he added softly. ‘This island has always been a family retreat.’

She summoned a bright smile that hid a slight degree of pain. ‘It’s so warm. Shall we swim before dinner?’

He was silent for a brief second, then he crossed to where she stood and caught hold of her hand. ‘Why not?’

The water was crystal-clear and deliciously cool. Alyse challenged Aleksi to a race across the width of the tiny bay, and he merely gave a tigerish laugh as he deliberately let her win. In retaliation she scooped up handfuls of water and threw them at his chest, then shrieked when he pulled her into his arms.

For a moment she struggled, caught up in a playful
game, then she slowly stilled, her expression hesitantly serious.

There were so many things she wanted to say, words she needed to hear, yet she was strangely afraid to begin.

A faint edge of tension was evident beneath the surface of Aleksi’s control, and she looked at him in silence, her eyes wide and unblinking.

Remembering his lovemaking, the tenderness, the passion … She was tired of fighting, and stubborn pride no longer seemed to matter any more.

‘Please help me,’ she implored in a husky whisper.

He lifted a hand to her lips and traced a finger across the generous lower curve. ‘Why not start at the beginning?’

Her mouth quivered uncontrollably, and she hesitated, unsure now that she had instigated the moment of truth if she possessed the courage to continue. It would be terrible if he was merely amused by a confession of her emotions. Impossible, if he didn’t return them to quite the same degree.

‘You were everything I disliked in a man,’ she ventured unsteadily, her eyes silently beseeching him to understand. ‘Overbearing, demanding, and far too self-assured. I told myself I hated you, and at first I did. Then I began to hate myself for being caught up in the maelstrom of physical sensation you were able to arouse.’ She drew a deep breath and released it shakily. ‘I didn’t want to
feel
like that, and I had to fight very hard not to fall in love with you.’ A soft, tremulous smile parted her lips. ‘It wasn’t a very successful battle, for I lost miserably.’

The tension left him in one long shuddering sigh as he gathered her close, then his mouth possessed hers,
gently and with such an incredibly sweet hunger she thought she might actually die from sheer sensation, and when at last he lifted his head she could only stand in silent bemusement.

‘Repeat those last few words again,’ he commanded quietly.

Her beautiful blue eyes misted, and her lips trembled fractionally as she whispered, ‘I love you.’

‘I had begun to despair that you’d ever admit it,’ Aleksi said huskily as he bent low to bestow a lingering kiss to her mouth, then he caught her close, holding her as if he never intended to let her go.

‘Can’t you feel what you do to me?’ His smile held a certain wryness he made no attempt to hide. ‘I travelled to Perth with one plan firmly in mind,’ he revealed slowly. ‘To get Georg at whatever cost. Yet there you were; so fiercely protective of the baby I’d vowed to adopt as my son, adamantly refusing to give him up when I was so sure you would be only too eager to hand over responsibility and get on with your own life.’ He brushed his lips across her cheek, then pressed each eyelid closed in turn before trailing a slow evocative path down to the edge of her mouth. ‘There was no woman of my acquaintance that I could envisage assuming a motherly role to an orphan child, and faced with your blatant animosity it seemed almost poetic justice to take you as my wife and tame your splendid pride. What I didn’t bargain for was the involvement of my emotions.’ His smile held such incredible warmth, she felt treacherously weak. ‘You were a pocket spitfire, opposing me at every turn. Yet you were so angelic with Rachel and my father, charming to my friends, and I found myself
deliberately using every ploy I could engineer in an attempt to break down your defences.’

He paused, taking time to bestow a long, lingering kiss that melted her very bones. His arms held her close, yet she stood strangely still, waiting, wanting so desperately for him to say the words she longed to hear.

‘There were times when I was tempted to kill you for being so blind. I love you.
Love
,’ he reassured her with a gentle shake.

Joy unfurled itself and spread with tumultuous speed through her veins, and she reached up to lock her hands behind his neck, pulling his head down to hers as she initiated a kiss so incredibly sweet it took only seconds before he deepened it with passionate intensity.

When at last he lifted his head, she could only press her cheek into the curve of his shoulder as he slid an arm beneath her knees and lifted her high against his chest.

‘Where are you taking me?’ she whispered.

‘Indoors.’ Aleksi’s eyes were warm. ‘To bed.’

A soft laugh bubbled from her throat as he carried her into the bedroom, and her eyes sparkled with witching promise as he let her slide down to stand on her feet.

Unable to resist teasing him a little, she protested softly, ‘I’m not in the least tired.’ Linking her hands together at his nape, she reached up and touched her lips against the corner of his mouth.

He lifted a hand and brushed a stray tendril of hair back behind her ear with incredible gentleness. His smile was warm and infinitely seductive, and she stood looking at him, seeing the strength of purpose etched on those dark arresting features, the passion evident in the depth of his eyes.

A slight tremor shook her slender frame as she
reached out and slowly removed his briefs, then her own before unfastening the clip of her bikini bra. Collecting a towel, she carefully blotted every trace of sea-water from his body, then she stood still as he took the towel from her hand and gently returned the favour before letting the towel fall to the floor.

Without a word she reached up and pulled his head down to hers, and her lips brushed across his own, trembling a little as she instigated a hesitant exploration, then she drew him towards the bed and pulled him down beside her.

‘Please make love to me.’ The plea left her lips as scarcely more than a whisper, and her mouth parted in welcome to his as he wrought a devastating assault on her senses, plundering until she clung to him unashamedly.

It seemed an age before he broke the kiss, and she almost died at the wealth of deep slumbrous passion evident.

‘I intend to,’ he told her gently. ‘For the rest of my life.’