What the Greek Wants Most

With a secretly pleased smile, she slid her arm around his waist, already feeling the drowsy lure of sleep encroaching.

* * *

She woke to moonlight streaming through the windows. The bedside lamp glowed and she judged that she’d been asleep for a few hours.

Beside her, Theo lay on his side, tufts of sleep-ruffled hair thrown over his forehead. In the soft lighting he looked younger and peaceful but still so damn sexy her breath caught just looking at him.

She suddenly needed to commit his likeness to paper. Her pad was next door in her suite. Slowly extracting herself from the arm he’d thrown over her, she pulled on his shirt and went to retrieve it.

Returning just as quietly, she settled herself cross-legged at the foot of the bed and began to draw. Every now and then she paused and took a breath, unable to fathom the circumstances she found herself in.

She was in bed with a man who was bent on destroying her family. And yet the overwhelming guilt she expected to feel was missing. Instead she yearned to save him from the demons that she’d glimpsed in his eyes when he spoke of his nightmares.

She swallowed as a well of sadness built inside her. Despite his outward show of invincibility she’d seen his battle. A battle he believed only revenge would win for him…

She froze as Theo made a sound. It was somewhere between a moan of pain and the bark of anger. His hand jerked out and then closed into a tight fist.

His whole body tensed for a breathless second before his chest started to rise and fall in agitated pants.

She dropped the sketchpad. ‘Theo?’

‘No. No! No! Thee mou, no!’ The words were hoarse pleas, soaked with naked fear.

Both hands shot out in a bracing position and his head twisted from side to side.

‘Theo!’ She rose to her knees, unsure of what to do.

‘No. Stop! Arghh!’ With a forceful lunge, he jolted upright with a blood-curdling cry. Sweat poured down his face and he sucked in huge gulping breaths.

‘Deus, are you okay?’ The question was hopelessly inadequate but it was all she could manage at that moment. Because her heart was turning over with pain for what she’d just witnessed him go through.

She reached out and he jerked back away from her. ‘Don’t touch me!’

‘Theo, it’s me. Inez.’ Tentatively, she reached out and touched his arm.

He shuddered violently and lurched away from her, staring blankly at her for several seconds before his face grew taut and haunted.

‘Inez,’ he said with a dark snarl. ‘I fell asleep?” There was self-loathing in the question, as if he hated himself for having lowered his guard enough to let the demons in.

Her stomach flipped and her fingers curled into her palm. ‘Yes. You…you had a nightmare.’

His mouth twisted with a cruel grimace. ‘No kidding. What the hell are you doing here?’ he snapped, looking around the room with unfocused eyes.

She frowned. ‘We…um, we fell asleep together after…’ She stopped as heat rushed up her face.

He turned back to her and his gaze slowly travelled over her. He brushed the hair out of his eyes and gradually the dull green lightened into golden hazel. ‘We had sex. I remember now.’

She flinched and watched him with wary eyes.

With sure, predatory moves, he lifted the tangled sheet off his body and prowled to where she was poised on her knees. He stopped a hairsbreadth from her.

‘Can I…can I touch you?’ she asked, unwilling to have him pull away from her, but a part of her longed to soothe the turbulent blackness in his eyes.

His mouth pinched and he took several steadying breaths before he spoke. ‘You want to comfort me?’

‘If you’ll let me.’

Another deep shudder and he closed his eyes. His head lowered until his forehead rested between her breasts. His arms closed around her and tightened so hard she couldn’t move. They stayed like that until his breathing steadied.

‘Theo?’

‘Hmm?’

‘Tell me about your dream.’

He tensed immediately and she bit her lip. He raised his head and stared at her.

‘Take my shirt off,’ he commanded, his voice hardly above a tortured whisper.

Concern spiked through, despite the heat his words generated. ‘Theo, you just had a nightmare—’