The Kouros Marriage Revenge

CHAPTER NINE

KALLIE loved it. The area he’d invested in had become her dream of what was possible. She turned to look at him outside one tiny gallery that had prints in the window, smiling. Alexandros had the irrational thought, If she keeps smiling at me like this, I’m not going to last…

‘You’ve done an amazing job. You must feel so proud to come here and know that you’ve helped the city in this way.’

His face was closed as he looked down at her and she could see his pulse jump at his temple. She wanted to reach up and touch it but she rapidly wiped the smile off her face. What was wrong with her? A few hours back in Greece and she was already falling back into the hole she’d dug herself seven years ago. She was beyond pathetic and hadn’t even learnt one lesson. He had blackmailed her into marriage, for God’s sake! Was planning on bedding her in a completely cold-blooded fashion. Her lips clamped together as Alexandros answered her, his eyes, as always, intent, assessing.

‘I love it, too. Like you, I always used to see this area as…more than it was.’

Among the myriad, swirling emotions that threatened to rise up and strangle her completely, Kallie had to admit uncomfortably that her first impression that he had sold out to the rat race was undergoing a bit of a bashing. For a long moment they just looked at each other and then it was broken when an amorous couple who weren’t looking where they were going bumped into them. Alexandros welcomed it.

‘There’s a restaurant around the corner. It’s owned by a friend, one of the partners who redeveloped the area.’

Only trusting herself to nod, Kallie could feel herself starting to open up, despite her best efforts. She had to fight the shifting sands around her feet, around her feelings. She knew that Alexandros had a much more powerful weapon at his disposal for revenge. She knew she could not be hurt the same way again. Because this time she wouldn’t survive.

Kallie looked around the restaurant again. Holding her back so straight, being on her guard was exhausting. Like her see-sawing emotions. One minute she’d feel herself start to open, like a flower turning towards the sun, the next she’d remember and close up. Alexandros was so much harder to handle when he was…Kallie had been about to say nice to herself, but he wasn’t even being particularly nice, he was being polite, civil and she was like a pathetic mouse, picking up crumbs.

The dinner had been exquisite, the surroundings beautiful. They’d been treated like royalty since they’d arrived. But this see-sawing wouldn’t stop. As if a force bigger than her was playing with her like a puppet on a string. What made it even harder was that their conversation hadn’t strayed into any danger areas and she’d found herself genuinely enjoying talking to him. She felt herself relaxing, ever so slightly. Laughing even, albeit briefly, at one point and it felt so good after the weeks of tension and pressure.

Dessert had just been delivered. Kallie took a spoonful of ice cream and savoured the way it slipped down her throat. For some reason she’d never felt the experience of eating ice cream before as sensual but, sitting opposite Alexandros, she had to concede that she’d never ever been so aware of everything.

He brought her back to earth and showed her how he patently wasn’t half as affected as her when he asked, ‘You mentioned that your father took your mother’s life in the crash?’

She put down her spoon and nodded warily. She had? Why had he remembered that? She looked at him for a long moment, focused on his eyes. There was no apparent malice there.

She shrugged lightly. ‘You remember what he was like…always the bon vivant.’ She avoided his eye now, playing with her spoon. ‘After ya ya died, things got worse with the company. He never had time to go back to Athens and he just starte

d drinking more and more.’

She sighed deeply, the grief not far from the surface as she remembered. ‘That day…that day he’d accepted the fact that he had to get help. But he wanted one more drink…and he wouldn’t let Mum drive…’ Her mouth thinned when she thought of her father’s typical macho Greek bluster. ‘So she went, too, not wanting him to be alone.’

She finally lifted slightly defiant eyes to Alexandros and he was surprised. What had he expected? That she’d be looking for sympathy? He found himself responding from somewhere instinctive. ‘I’m sorry, Kallie. I had no idea.’

She shrugged again, awkwardly. ‘Well, you wouldn’t would you…not after…’

‘No,’ he agreed. They both knew she didn’t need to finish that sentence.

Kallie wanted to get the focus off her. ‘What about your mother? Why wasn’t she at the wedding?’

The change was stunning and immediate. His face shuttered, his eyes black pools. Kallie thought he wasn’t going to answer until finally he said, ‘She’s never been one for travelling. She’s happy as long as she knows that Kouros Shipping is making enough money to keep her in comfort.’

His voice was so cold and detached that Kallie sucked in a breath. She wasn’t fooled. He spoke as though he didn’t care but she could sense his pain, having been through intense grief herself, and could feel it as clear as day in him. But she knew he wouldn’t appreciate her sympathy. She couldn’t believe the well of emotion that rose up within her, making her want to go and take him in her arms. When she put down the spoon her hand was trembling and it clattered against the plate, making her start.

She excused herself to go to the ladies before he could read something in her expression and only came back when she felt composed. Coffee was waiting for her. She looked over. ‘Thanks…but I didn’t order coffee…’

‘It’s on the house…a treat from my friend Theo.’

She shrugged. ‘OK…’

A silence stretched between them. Alexandros seemed to be brooding. They’d obviously used up the little conversation they had. Kallie’s thoughts strayed as she sipped the coffee. Very soon they’d be back in the villa. Alone. Would he leave the door open tonight? Would he ask her to sleep with him? Would he kiss her into submission? Force her? He wouldn’t have to…

Kallie’s heart speeded up as she took a bigger gulp of coffee. She couldn’t look across the table. She took some more coffee. Anything to distract her thoughts. It had a slightly funny taste that made her wrinkle her nose.

Half idly, belying the turmoil of her thoughts, she asked, ‘What’s in this coffee? It tastes different.’

Alexandros looked over, his hooded eyes making her pulse speed up, again.

‘Some liqueur, I think the waiter said.’