She had to work doubly hard to maintain her perspective when it felt like Ariston was doing everything in his power to undermine her careful intentions.
“What has you thinking so seriously?” he asked as warm, muscular arms came around her.
“Nothing, really. Just watching the ocean.”
“Yes?”
“I’m really enjoying this cruise, Ariston. Thank you for taking the time to make it happen.”
“You are welcome. It does not bother you that I spend a couple of hours each morning keeping track of my business?”
Truthfully? She relished it. She needed a break from him to shore up her defenses every day. They were close enough to crumbling as it was.
“No, of course not. SSE will not run itself.”
“No.” There was a quality to his voice she did not understand.
“How is the takeover of Dioletis Industries coming?”
“I prefer merger. And it is going according to plan. Your sister seems quite pleased.”
“She has no reason not to be.”
He turned Chloe in his arms so their eyes met. “And you? Do you have any reasons to be less than pleased?”
“No.”
“You are certain.” His gaze was far too penetrating for comfort.
She looked away. “Yes, of course.”
“That is the classic indication one is telling a lie.”
Her gaze flew back to his. “What?”
“To look away before or during speech.”
“Well, I’m not lying.” Just uncomfortable discussing how very happy with her circumstances she was.
She shouldn’t be this happy, but there was no denying that she was.
“So, you would not undo our marriage if you could?”
“What?” Had he lost his mind? “No!”
“You were coerced.”
“That didn’t seem to matter to you when you were doing it.” And now was a very odd time for him to be having second thoughts on his tactics.
“I have come to appreciate that it would be more pleasant for both of us if you were as content to be married to me as I am to be married to you.”
Content? What a weak word, though something loosened in her chest at his claim to it.
“I’m more than content,” she said with more honesty than maybe he deserved. “I’m happy.”
“Yes?”
“Yes,” she said firmly.
“You are not a clingy woman.”
Where was this coming from? “No.”
“You are more than happy to spend time away from me, even on our honeymoon?”
Oh, for heaven’s sake. Was this about his ego? “You are spending no more than a couple of hours on your computer, maybe another on the phone. Considering the work hours you normally keep, I’ve felt very privileged you give so little time to SSE each day. It would be really churlish of me to complain about it.”
“Oh. I see. That is good. I am glad you are not feeling neglected.”
She moved closer, until their bodies touched. “I wouldn’t say no if you wanted to show how very much you aren’t neglecting me again.”
“In this, we are very compatible, are we not?” he asked with the air of a man trying to work something out in his head.
“Unbelievably so, really, when you consider how we came to be together.”
Instead of kissing her like she hoped and pretty much expected, he stepped back. “It bothers you that our marriage is the result of a business arrangement.”
“We already had this discussion.”
“And I explained to you that it is a better basis for marriage than so-called love.”
“In your opinion.”
“But not yours.”
She saw the trap almost too late. If she said no, he’d wonder why she’d been willing to marry him despite her beliefs. It was only one step farther for him to realize she was in love with him, always had been, and always would be.
“I agreed to this marriage and I don’t regret it.”
“That is not an answer.”
“It certainly is, even if it’s not the one you wanted. Even you, Ariston Spiridakou, cannot always get what you want.”
His gorgeous blue eyes narrowed. “Do not be too certain of that, yineka mou. I am very good at getting what I desire.”
A shiver of apprehension ran down her spine, but he gave her no chance to regroup, sweeping her into the mind-numbing kiss she’d expected moments ago.
They walked into Rhodes from the cruise ship docks just like everyone else.
Chloe was amazed by the sight of the city before they even got beyond the ancient outer wall. “This is incredible. The wall goes all around the city?” she asked Ariston.
“The old town, yes. You will enjoy the marketplace, especially the artist in you.”