The Greek Tycoon's Tarnished Bride (Men of the Zodiac) (16 page)

“She does sound charming. Perhaps the police stuff was merely a coincidence. And your mother, maybe it was a case of tough love. Do you have siblings? Maybe it was the same for them.”

Tito made a guttural sound in the back of his throat. “Maybe. I was never present at my sister
’s parent’
s evenings, obviously, because they left me scrubbing dirty hotel fixtures with an old toothbrush. But she always came back with a bag of sweets or a new toy and mother would be breathless with joy. My father just went to his office to smoke until we had gone to bed and only then would he emerge.”

“Sounds like he felt pretty bad about it all.”

“Oh he did—probably still does—and that
’
s what makes it even worse. I can
’
t understand why she has such a hold on him; it
’
s intolerable. She treats him like, like, I can
’
t even say it. He should have taken her in hand years ago but didn
’
t.” He shook his head, almost as if it would clear his mind of the awful memories. “And watching my parents
’
attempt at married life was more than enough to put me off doing it myself.”

Erica wriggled down into the sofa to get comfortable. “Yes, quite, you did say marriage wasn
’
t your thing. And what does your sister think about all this?”

He shrugged and looked away. “I have no idea.”

“Perhaps you should have a chat with her. You might be surprised.”

Tito swung his legs off the sofa and leaned forward so his feet touched the floor. “
We don’
t talk. My sister was adopted. My mother arranged it because she was the blond blue-eyed little girl that she had always wanted, not the dark-haired boy that disgusted her so much. So when I was out in the yard scrubbing out the garbage cans with bleach, pretty little Astra was playing with her doll
’
s house and eating chocolate buttons. I was no longer required, apart from being the house slave, of course.”

There was genuine anger in his voice that touched a nerve with Erica. She could empathize with his indignation. His parents
’
behavior sounded unforgivable. “So why is your mother so keen to fix you up with the right kind of wife? Why would she care who you married?”

“Because everything she does is for a reason, a self-serving reason. She has an evil strategy for everything and a suitable marriage would help her up that social ladder just a little bit easier. She
’
s insane. She genuinely believes she is distantly related to royalty and she wants that status back.”

Erica made a whistling noise through her teeth and shook her head. “Mothers, huh?”

“Not you, Erica, and not all mothers, but we were both dealt a bad card in that respect. And you must know that I am fully committed to being Nick
’
s stepfather, and I will lay down my life for him if necessary. You do know that?”

She nodded. “Yes, I believe you.”

“And you also understand why I won
’
t be having children of my own?”

She edged closer to him until he could feel the heat of her thighs on his. “Theoretically I understand, yes. I know what the words mean but our hearts have a funny way of overruling us sometimes. I was never interested in having kids until Nick happened. People can change, they grow and want something different sometimes.”

“I
’
m still growing, but I
’
m also in control.”

“Are you?”

“Yes.”

Her hand rested lightly on his thigh. “Are you really? Because I think you
’
re playing lip service to the idea. I think that subconsciously you actually want to lose control for a change. It would be like jumping off a cliff and then finding you can fly.”

He puffed out a breath. “You completed how much of that psychology degree?”

“Forget the course. I
’
m not analyzing you. I
’
m only talking to you as another human, a mother, a woman…”

She moved her face closer to his in spite of him trying to lean away. “Erica, I know what you
’
re doing. I know what you want,” he said in a gruff voice.

Her hand slid further up his thigh. “And?”

“My body says yes, but the rest—”

She watched his Adam
’
s apple bob and longed to kiss it. “What about your brain? What
’
s that saying? Or even your heart because I think you should close your eyes and challenge your brain and heart and listen to what they say. I
’
m pretty sure how things will end up between us in the end.”

“Which is?”

“Which is the way it
should
end up. In a very large, comfortable bed.”

Chapter Eleven

H
er lips touched his and Tito wanted to resist, but her soft words and warm body were offering him a moment
’
s escape from years of pent up tension. The temptation was strong…his body craved escape and some form of oblivion for a change. When her fingers threaded through his hair and cradled the back of his head to deepen the kiss he didn
’
t fight her. He groaned with approval when he felt her tongue stroking his, and he knew he wanted more as she pressed her breasts against him. He also knew he had to put a stop to what was happening while he still could, before he unleashed the animal in him that was straining to take her fiercely and without restraint. She would let him and he wanted to but…

“No, Erica, I
can
’
t.
” He pulled back and snatched his gaze away from the strawberry red swell of her lips.

Her breath was coming hard and fast. “That kiss…
you can’
t possibly pretend I don
’
t turn you on after that.”

He peeled her fingers from his head and looked at her sternly. “This isn
’
t a harmless fantasy, Erica. We
’
re playing with fire, and it has to stop.”

She shook her head. “I can feel that fire in you, Tito. I can feel what
’
s happening to you, and I
’
m not going to stop because I know you want me.” She touched his bottom lip with her ring finger. “
You can
’
t be scared, not a powerful man like you. You must have had hundreds of women. Why not me?”

He felt her soft breath on his lips, and she had a fragrance about her that was intoxicating, like Turkish Delight except more potent. And woman, hot aroused woman.

“Because you
’
re different, Erica, unlike any other woman I have ever known. I can
’
t.”

“I am your
wife
, Tito. You can and you must.” She grinned shamelessly. “It
’s your duty.
”

“This isn
’t fair. Our marriage isn’
t real, you can
’
t expect—”

“
You can
’
t expect me to be celibate for the next twenty years.” She touched the corner of his mouth with the tip of her tongue, and he caught his breath trying not to crumble. “Because that would be more unfair than anything I ask of you.”

He should push her away immediately, but he hesitated. He should try to explain before she humiliated herself. Or before he did. “If we
’
d met in some other way, things would be different. You are the most attractive woman I have ever met, and yes you turn me on more than I thought possible, but I can
’
t make love with you.”

“Because I
’
m not good enough for you, is that it? Because I worked in a club in my bra?” Her cheeks flushed red. “Or is it because not only am I not the vestal virgin, I
’
m a single mother who doesn
’
t believe in God, is
that
it?”

“No!”

“Then what is it? Because I
’
m going to have to slap some sense into you soon, damn it!”

“You are Yannis
’
s woman, and I
’
m struggling to forget that.” He reached out and stroked her bare shoulder tenderly. He felt as if there was a huge boulder in his chest. “He asked me to care for his son and his son
’
s mother whatever happened, and I will do everything to respect his wishes. Taking the mother of his child for myself was not part of the deal. However much I want to…”

Her head rocked back and her shoulders slumped as if some kind of demon had been exorcised. “Yannis is dead. We are alive. He would never have condemned us to a living hell in his name. You must understand that.”

“But he loved you.”

Her upper body turned roughly towards him, and her eyes shone with fierce emotion. “Did he ever say that? Was it written down anywhere? Because I sure as hell didn
’
t read it in all those documents you showed me. He never said those words to me and why? Because he didn
’
t love me
, and I didn
’
t love him.” She angrily banged her fist on the back of the sofa. “We had a drunken holiday fling that lasted a week, and when he found out I was pregnant the first thing he offered me was the money for a termination. So he wasn
’
t even that keen on Nick at that point, either. I
’
m sorry, Tito, he was your friend and you loved him more than me, but I
’
m not prepared to put my life on hold any longer. So are you with me or not? Because I can
’
t stand this.”

Tito closed his eyes with exasperation as if it would all go away if he did so, as if he would wake up and find that the full breasts brushing against his chest were just an erotic dream. “Erica, please.”

She put her hands on either side of his face and glared at him. “Making love, there, I said it, making love together would be
practical
.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“No, I
’
m appealing to that organized, infuriatingly uncooperative mind of yours. Having discreet affairs simply isn
’
t going to work. I
’
m trapped in your castle, only able to go out with you or a bodyguard, presumably, so how am I going to meet someone? Let alone someone…special.”

Erica leaned close and kissed the corner of his mouth again and he groaned, unable to fight her any longer. “You have a point,” he said.

Her mouth found his earlobe and nipped at it gently. “And the staff are out of bounds, obviously.”

“God, yes.”

He slumped back against the sofa back as she climbed onto his lap and straddled his hips. “
So
what
, Tito Makris, are we to do?”

His hands curled around her shoulders, and his grip tightened until his fingers bit into her skin. He felt her body tense and watched as her soft lips grew darker and silently parted. There were no words, they had said everything that needed to be said and now it was up to him whether he remained rigid and unmovable as granite or… Suddenly he was kissing her, in short, fierce bursts initially as he still battled with himself, with the days of frustration and resentment that had built up inside him at not being able to let go. She pressed herself eagerly against him, and he could feel the relief coursing through both of them as she sighed and wound her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. Her lips teased his, moving with sensuality, pulling him closer in, tempting him softly beyond endurance to just sink into her and give her everything she wanted, to take everything he desired too.

He shuddered and ran his hands from her shoulders, up the sides of her silky neck and threaded his fingers tightly into her hair. Holding her there like that made him feel more in control, more able to deepen his kisses, to explore her mouth with his tongue and…breathe again. Her soft fingertips traced a pattern over the edges of his jaw, and he could hear the soft rasp of his stubble beneath her fingernails.

He pushed up her dress and stood, lifting her up with him as she wrapped her strong thighs around his waist. “We
’
re going to find that bed,” he said and within seconds they were in his bedroom. Their opulent surroundings were hazy as he was totally focused on the soft pool of sunlight through the shutters that bathed the bed. The mattress gave slightly as he laid her down and knelt over her. Her eyelids flickered open and were a turquoise blaze that shot fuel onto the fire that was already blasting through his veins. Her words and her vehemence had freed him from the bond of honor he had imposed upon himself, and a feeling of triumph flashed through him because she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. This was no longer a forbidden passion that he needed to suppress.

His hands shook as he slid the thin straps of her dress over her shoulders, and she responded by shrugging the whole thing off over her head. He took a sharp breath as she unfastened her lacy bra and threw it on the floor. A wash of color flared on her chest and neck as he touched her breasts and teased her nipples. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered and felt the strain in his trousers become almost unbearable. He could forget everything when he was with her; she had something magical about her that was unlike anything he had ever experienced. She was an extraordinary woman, and he was about to have sex with her. Correction: he was going to make love with his wife…

S
tars swam before Erica
’
s eyes as Tito
’
s strong hands cupped both her breasts and razed his thumbs across her pebbled nipples. He smiled at her sudden and sharp intake of breath and that tiny movement of his skin and muscle told her he knew just how acute her need for him truly was. She heard herself cry out with a choked kind of sound as he bent his head to kiss her breasts, dark shards of his hair brushing like stiff feathers against her tantalized flesh. He moved from nipple to nipple in languid sweeps until she felt so tormented with pleasure that it was almost unbearable. His erection was unmistakable, pressing against her thigh with intent. There was no way he wasn
’
t going to take her now, and her excitement was incendiary as he primitively jerked his trousers over his hips. His need, matching hers, was too urgent to undress with any grace or propriety.

She ran her fingers over the buttons of his shirt and knew instantly she didn
’
t have the patience to deal with them, so she wrenched the silk roughly open, relishing the sound of the mother of pearl scattering like seeds all around them. Her hands spread wide over the soft skin and thick muscle of his chest, the fine hair that covered it like gossamer on her fingertips. Her neck arched back instinctively as she felt him drag her panties down to her ankles, twist them off, and then return to the hot juncture of her thighs. Then she was in a world of swirling purple and red as she felt him part her and slide a finger inside her eager heat. It was exquisite and the second finger made it even more so, but she needed more and she needed it soon.

Her hand curled around his thickness and as she felt it pulse in her palm she opened her eyes and let out a deep moan that signaled she was more than ready for him. She let go and tilted her body up and into him. “Tito…”

“We need to—” he whispered into the crook of her neck. “We need to be careful.”

“It
’
s okay,” she said and slipped her tongue into the corner of his mouth. “It
’
s my safe time.”

“No such thing,” he groaned as she felt the tip of him nudge her entrance and then pull back. “It
’
s too much of a risk.”

She pulled his mouth down onto hers and stroked her tongue over his, loving the feeling of his dark body hair against the soft yielding flesh of her lower belly. “Then just pull out when you get close…”

She felt his body tense and his voice became a low growl. “No.”

Erica slipped her hand down between their bodies and slid her fingernails over his tight balls. “Yes,” she whispered, enjoying every second of the frustration he must be feeling while tempering her own, enjoying the game.

“
Just wait here, I
’
ll get some protection.” He raised himself up onto his elbows. “I
’
ll be as quick as I can, wait for me. It will be worth it, I promise.”

She tutted playfully and held tight onto his biceps, her fingers making white indentations with the pressure of her grip. “You never thought to stock up in case you wanted to make love with your legally wedded wife?”

His body was shaking. “This wasn
’
t supposed to happen.”

“It was always going to happen,” she said and released one hand to slide it underneath a pillow. She pulled out a foil condom wrapper. “Look what I found,” she whispered and tore it open with her teeth.

He let out a long breath and closed his eyes for a second. “
Thank God,
” he muttered and took it from her. Her hands were in his hair as he sheathed himself, and she pulled his mouth hard down on hers as his fingers parted her and slipped inside her wet heat. “Are you ready for me?”

“Can
’
t you feel how ready I am? I
’
ve been ready for you since the moment we met.”

His lips found her nipples and the heat of him on her sensitized skin felt beyond erotic. He groaned deeply as he eased himself into her, and she cried out with insane pleasure. He had looked large, and had felt incredibly potent in her greedy hands, but actually having him inside her, filling her was like nothing she had ever experienced, and she was afraid she might come straight away. His voice was rough with arousal. “God, Erica…”

He sucked hard on her breast, and one hand lifted her leg and hooked it around his hip to gain deeper penetration. His mouth left her as his head kicked back and he pounded into her as if his life depended on it. Harder and faster as if he had lost complete control, a thumb twirling frenetic circles around her clitoris until she could hold back no longer. Wave after wave of screaming orgasm consumed her, and he closely followed her over the edge calling out her name, over and over again until he was spent and their bodies fell limply into a quiet peace.

Erica woke an hour later wrapped in the warmth of Tito
’
s arms, and she had never felt so safe and cared for. She had also never felt so satisfied but hungry for more. She looked up to find him watching her and her tummy flipped as she remembered what they had done. She had finally broken down the wall that was stopping them from having a normal relationship, even if the marriage was a front.

“So tell me, what do you do on a normal day when you
’
re not rescuing small children and their harlot mothers?”

He kissed the top of her head. “Besides breaking up women who are fighting over me?”