Marriage at His Convenience

‘Never,’ he said adamantly. ‘Christina was a city girl through and through. Nothing would persuade her to visit the island. But it’s good to know you are jealous.’

Whatever she might have said was lost, as Lucas turned to introduce her to a plump lady waiting in the cool of the interior.

‘This is Anna, she keeps the place running. If you want anything you just ask. She does speak a little English.’

Anna shook hands with Amber enthusiastically. ‘Welcome, welcome. It is hot for you. You like a cool drink? Lemon?’

‘Yes, thank you.’ Amber looked around her. The impressive reception hall with its central marble staircase looked different, but she could not immediately think why. She turned enquiring eyes up at Lucas. ‘It is different,’ she said. ‘But why?’

‘Let me show you.’ Grasping her hand in his again, he gestured with his free hand to ornate double doors set in one wall. ‘Remember the sitting room? It has been extended into what was the study. The dining room, the terrace and everything else is the same. But I’ve had the opposite side extended by about thirty feet.’ Then she realised the one wall of the hall that had been blank now had two doors set into it. He led her through one of them.

Amber stared around her in amazement. Pride of place went to a custom-made oak desk fitted with all the latest computer equipment. A long low cream hide sofa overlooked a large window that opened onto a vast expanse of lawn, and in the distance there was what looked like a stone patio area. She turned to look up at Lucas. ‘This is your new study,’ she surmised.

‘No.’ He folded his arms around her waist, his black eyes holding hers. ‘This is your study. I know how much your work means to you and this study has everything you need to keep in touch with the world markets, and your office in London. Mine is next door. I did think of having one big study, but I realised if we shared one neither of us would get much work done. Do you like it?’

Like it! She loved it. Lowering her eyes from his, she swallowed the lump of emotion lodged in her throat. More importantly, she loved what it represented. Years ago he had objected to her work, and now he had done this for her. He was not quite the male chauvinist pig she had thought him to be. He understood her need to work, to be her own woman. Hope grew in her heart for their marriage. Building a study for her was not the act of a man who expected to be rid of her a few months later.

‘Well?’ he prompted when she took too long to answer.

‘I love it,’ she said simply. She could feel the threatening prickle of moisture in her eyes, and to hide her emotions she eased out of his embrace and walked back to the window and stared out.

‘I knew you would.’ Lucas followed, slipping a casual arm around her waist.

Amber leant into him, revelling in the hard heat of his body. ‘And of course you are always right,’ she teased.

‘Not always.’ He moved to her side, his eyes catching hers again. ‘But I am trying, I want you to be happy here…’ he lifted one hand, so he could gently comb his fingers through her long loose hair ‘…with me,’ he husked and she trembled, her breasts swelling against her top.

‘I think I will be,’ she murmured, wallowing in the wonderful heady sense of elation she was experiencing as she stroked a hand up over his broad chest and felt his muscles ripple with pleasure.

‘Good.’ His black eyes moved lazily over her small face, the expression in the darkening depths anything but good; wickedly sexual, more like.

‘Anna will be here any second,’ Amber said, reading his mind.

‘You’re right.’ Lucas grinned, stepping back. ‘But I shall continue the guided tour until we reach the bedroom.’ Looking out of the window, he added, ‘There is no sea view, which is a plus for a study, as it would only be a distraction.’ He indicated with his hand the patio area. ‘But you do have a view of the heliport so you will know the moment I arrive home.’

Amber couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Trust Lucas! He had given her a high-tech study so she could continue to work, but made absolutely sure she would know the second he was home. He hadn’t changed that much after all…

‘What’s so funny?’ One dark brow arched in genuine puzzlement.

‘Nothing—nothing at all,’ Amber said, shaking her head, her long golden hair shimmering over her shoulders.

Anna entered the room carrying a tray with the jug of lemonade and two glasses and, thanking the housekeeper, Amber filled the glasses and handed one to Lucas. ‘Drink your lemonade and show me the bedrooms.’

His black eyes flared and he drank down the lemonade in one go. Reaching out to flick her hair back over her shoulder, he implored her to hurry up. Five minutes later he was lowering her down onto an enormous bed, and joining her.

‘Nice bedroom,’ Amber commented, running her fingers up into his hair, and then his mouth covered hers.

Clothes were ripped off, and with eager hands and hot and urgent mouths they explored and gloried in each other, until finally once more they reached the ultimate pinnacle of passion and then slid languidly into the heated comfort of the aftermath.

‘All right, Amber?’ Lucas’s husky demand vibrated against her smooth cheek, as she lay sprawled on top of him.

‘Better than all right,’ she breathed against his chest, and, pushing herself up, she looked around. She spied her skirt, her torn skirt, and, glancing back down at Lucas, she added, ‘But we have to stop doing this or I will very soon have no clothes left!’

‘I have to go to Milan next week. Come with me and you can shop till you drop.’

She went to Milan with him, and Lucas bought her a complete new wardrobe, and on returning to the island she modelled the whole lot for him, including the lingerie, with countless interruptions.

It was lucky she had because over the ensuing weeks Lucas spent only three days a week in Athens, but numerous business colleagues arrived on the island. Though she had told herself she would not socialise, she did, and she was too much of a professional to greet smart-suited businessmen in cut-off jeans. She contacted her own office and discovered quite a few of her clients had insisted on dealing only with her. With the compliance of her boss, and the state-of-the-art equipment Lucas had provided, she quickly slipped back into work mode and when Lucas was in Athens she spent the time as hard at work.