‘I promised you a trip on the yacht. We’ll sail this evening and spend tomorrow aboard. Would you like that?’
At times like these, when he was being a courteous host, she found it hard to believe he was the same man who was hell-bent on seeking revenge on her father for past wrongs.
She’d given in to her gnawing curiosity after his revelations on the beach and searched the Internet for a clue as to what had happened to him. All she’d come up with were scant snippets of his late father’s dirty dealings before Alexandrou Pantelides had died in prison. As far as she knew, there was no connection between Theo’s family and hers. The Pantelides brothers, one of whom was married and recently a parent, and the other engaged to be married, were a huge success in the oil, shipping and luxury hotel world. Theo’s job as a troubleshooter extraordinaire for the billion-dollar conglomerate meant he never settled in one place for very long. An ideal job for a man whose personal relationships were fleeting at best.
And a man tormented by a horde of demons.
She looked closer at him, tried to see the man behind the wall, the man who’d bared his soul for a brief moment when he’d spoken of his mother’s abandonment.
But that man was closed off.
‘What does it matter what I want? Frankly, I’m surprised my father hasn’t been in touch about this.’
‘He has. I refused to take his calls.’
‘I didn’t mean you. Since I was also the subject in these photos, I’m surprised he hasn’t called me to vent his anger.’
His eyelids swept down and shielded his gaze from her. Apprehension struck a jagged path through her. ‘He has, hasn’t he?’
‘He tried. I suggested that perhaps he refrain from contacting you and concentrate on kissing babies and convincing little old ladies to cast their ballot in his favour.’
Shock rooted her to the ground. ‘How dare you take control of my life like this?’
‘Would you rather I gave him access so he airs his disappointment?’
‘What do you care? It’s a little late to protect me, don’t you think?’
His jaw tightened. ‘For as long as you remain under my roof, you’re under my protection.’
‘Meu deus, please don’t pretend you care!’
She realised how close she was to tears and swallowed hard. Fearing she would break down in front of him, she whirled round, intent on heading for her room. She made it two steps before he stopped her.
Flinging away the towel, he cupped her cheeks with both hands. ‘Stop getting yourself distressed about this.’
‘Is that another command?’
His eyes narrowed. ‘You’re angry.’
‘Damn right I am. I wish I’d never set eyes on you. In fact I wish—’
His mouth slanted over hers, hot, hungry and all consuming. Her groan of protest was less than heartfelt and devoured within a millisecond.
A part of her was furious that he’d resorted to kissing her to shut her up. But it was only a minuscule part. The rest of her body was too busy revelling in the feel of his warm bare back and the fine definition of muscles that rippled beneath her caress.
His hands speared into her hair, imprisoning her for the invasion of his tongue as he took the kiss to another level.
His first kiss over two weeks ago had been a pure threat and the two that followed a show of mastery. This kiss was different. There was hunger and passion behind it, but also a gentleness that calmed her roiling emotions and slowly replaced them with a different sensation. Need clamoured inside her; a need to be closer still to his magnificent body; a need to dig her hands into his back and feel him shudder in reaction.
His groan was smothered between their melded lips as she dug her fingers even deeper. Power surged through her when he jerked again.
One hand dropped to her bottom and yanked her lower body into his groin. His erection was unmistakable. Bold, thick and hot, it pressed against her belly with insistent power that made her heartbeat skitter out of control.
She wanted him. Above and beyond all sense, she wanted this man. Her willpower, when it came to the chemistry between them, was laughably negligible.
But she couldn’t give in. Couldn’t…