The Kouros Marriage Revenge

Alexandros was in another universe. A place he’d never been. Entering Kallie was like entering a foreign kingdom. Yet somewhere he already knew. The way she rose up to meet him, the subtly innocent twitch of her thighs against his that rocked her against him made him press down and into her fully, deeper and deeper. Slowly, enjoying every moment of feeling himself enveloped in her lush warmth, he pulled out and then pushed back in again. And it felt like coming home.

Sweat beaded on his brow, his upper lip. Kallie’s head was thrown back and as he thrust in again she looked up, reached hands up to his shoulders, then slid them down, reaching for and finding his buttocks, urging him deeper, longer, stronger, harder. One slim shapely leg caressed up and down the back of his thigh and he was losing it. All will for patience and finesse gone. He needed to have her now. Abandoning all control, he went with her urgings, incoherent mumbles, breathy whispers and thrust in, taking her hard and fast.

Her body arched up again, her hips rocked against his and with her breasts crushed against his chest, he felt her come apart in his arms, only managing to hold on himself until the last moment with a control he’d never had to call on before. And only then did he join her in his own blissful, incandescent climax.

Kallie woke with the first tentative light of dawn streaming into the room. She was on her side, facing Alexandros. Just a hair’s breadth away from touching, they were so close that if she sucked in a deep breath, her breasts would touch his chest. She looked at his face, which looked so much younger and vulnerable in repose. None of the hard phenomenally successful businessman was in evidence and it reminded her so much of the young man she’d known that a lump formed in her throat. A completely unbidden, monumental wave of tenderness and something else washed over her and she went stiff with instant panic. No, she couldn’t—wouldn’t—allow it to rise. She knew if she did that it would be to admit something that would have the potential to devastate her life even beyond what she already knew to be possible.

She reasoned with herself that it was completely understandable that all these feelings would be emerging. How many people got to realise their dreams, long-held fantasies? And what a dream…She closed her eyes briefly as the memory of what had happened last night washed over her. He had been everything she could have ever fantasised about and then some. A lover beyond compare, a master of the art, more in tune with her body than even she had been. Eliciting a response that made her dizzy with desire all over again. He’d taken her to the brink and past it over and over again. She had been as insatiable as him.

She opened her eyes again and studiously avoided looking down that tempting body stretched alongside her. Thea’s words came back into her head like poison. In

sidious and spreading throughout her body, tainting what had happened. Things were so much worse than she could have ever imagined. What would his reaction be when he woke up? Perhaps a mocking, triumphant smile? She didn’t want to wait and find out, as myriad scenarios flooded her brain, all of them leaving her feeling exposed and far too vulnerable.

She cringed when she thought of the pitiable fight she’d put up. She may as well have just been waiting on his bed, gift-wrapped. That finally gave her the impetus to move. With stealthy grace Kallie slid from the bed and paused to pick up her strewn bits of nightwear, a blush staining her cheeks as she did so and quietly let herself out of the room.

When Alexandros woke up, he let himself lie there without opening his eyes for a few moments. He was feeling…replete, complete. For the first time in his life. The memory of Kallie’s body under his, so responsive, made a smile curve his lips. Never before had he had the experience of feeling like this afterwards. And as he woke a little more, the sated feeling was there but another feeling superseded it, which surprised him with its strength. A hunger. A craving, aching hunger of a body having tasted paradise and wanting more—now.

He smiled even wider as he thought of his instruction to his solicitor to have divorce papers ready for after the honeymoon. If he was feeling like this after one night, he anticipated the marriage lasting a little longer than a few weeks. This revenge was definitely sweet.

Where was she anyway? When they’d fallen asleep, exhausted, she’d been tucked into his chest, one lissome leg thrown over his. He stretched out an arm, the smile still on his face, expecting to find a warm, sexy body. Except he didn’t. His eyes snapped open, awake immediately. He jerked up. The bed was empty. Sunlight streamed in the window. He looked at the clock.

‘Theos!’

He never slept this late. Hadn’t slept this late in years. And he’d never woken up after a night spent with a woman in his bed to find her gone. He was always the one who woke first, left first. The one in control. He leapt out of the bed and pulled on jeans and a T-shirt. It was only at the door, as he opened it, that he thought of something. A dark scowl marring his face, he quickly checked Kallie’s room but it too was empty. His scowl got worse.

With his irritation growing and not really sure why he felt so annoyed, Alexandros came to the kitchen last. Sun was streaming in through the open door that led out to Thea’s small patio, where she had her herb garden and a tiny olive grove. He could hear muted voices and the sound of laughter.

Was that Kallie?

He walked to the door and stood stunned at the sight, as a whole other host of reactions settled into his bloodstream on seeing Kallie again. She was dressed in long shorts, a peasant-style vest top, her hair tied back and a bright scarf protecting it from the sun. Bare feet. She and Thea had their heads close together over some pots they were replanting. Since when had Thea and Kallie become friends again? He’d seen the way Thea had frozen Kallie out and had even felt a little sorry for her. But now…it reminded him so painfully of another time, so long ago that an inarticulate sound made both women start and turn around.

Kallie reacted quickly, her smile fading fast as she took in the dark mood that clung to Alexandros. He looked livid as he glared at her. Thankfully Thea provided a diversion, declaring in a flurry of movement that she would make him some breakfast. Alexandros never took his eyes off Kallie and stopped Thea going back inside with a curt ‘No!’

To Kallie he seemed to wrestle with something and then he suddenly smiled at Thea, the mood gone. His smile took her breath away and he looked years younger. Like the young man she’d envisaged while lying beside him that morning. Her heart clenched painfully. She knew she was in serious trouble. He directed his words to Thea but looked at Kallie. ‘I’m going to take Kallie out for a drive…would you prepare a picnic, please?’

Thea nodded enthusiastically and chattered on about where they should go. When she went back inside, Alexandros came close to Kallie. She had to tilt her head to look up, the sun harsh in her eyes. The look on his face, his whole demeanour screamed, You aren’t going to escape that easily.

Kallie gulped. He saw the movement and touched a finger to her throat. ‘We’ll leave in an hour…’

And he turned and went back inside.

CHAPTER TWELVE

ALEXANDROS said nothing for a while on the drive to wherever he was taking her. Kallie was wary. She’d made her getaway from the bedroom that morning as an act of self-protection. Could he be angry because she hadn’t been there when he’d woken up? But surely that’s all he’d wanted? Sex. She wouldn’t be surprised if he’d expected her to go back to her own room afterwards, to come to him only as some kind of concubine. And then she coloured as she remembered how tired she’d been afterwards, how she hadn’t been able to move another muscle…

She looked over. His profile was grim. His jaw stern. She felt like reaching across and kissing that jaw, making him relax, teasing him to a smile. Like the one she’d seen earlier, which had been for Thea, not her. He hated her. She knew he did. Despite what he’d said, he had to. She represented such an awful time in his life, when everything had conspired against him and he’d been totally alone, against them all. She had to turn and look away again, feeling a sudden ache in her throat. She flipped her sunglasses down over her eyes so he wouldn’t see the brightness.

‘I thought we’d go to Kaisariani on Mt. Hymmetos.’

Kallie just nodded, couldn’t trust herself to speak.

He flicked her a look because she didn’t answer him. ‘Kallie, did you hear me?’

It suddenly became too much, she couldn’t hold it in any more, not after being so intimate with him last night. She turned in her seat as if galvanised by a bigger force—guilt. It rose up and threatened to strangle her unless she said something.

Tears made her voice distorted. ‘Alexandros, I had no idea…I swear, I didn’t do it…and I didn’t know…about the other stuff…the merger…’

She gulped in a heaving breath, the tears running down her cheeks unchecked now. Self-protective arms coming around her belly. Alexandros cursed and swung the vehicle over into a layby. He had to indicate to the bodyguards following that everything was OK.