The Mistress: The Mistress\Wanted: Mistress and Mother (12 page)

He straddled the lounger and lowered his body to hers.

“Mmmm, you’re warm.”

“Are you cold?” he asked huskily. “I wonder what I can do to
warm you.”

She pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around him. She
threaded her fingers into his wet hair and kissed him. A sound of contentment
purred from her throat as he returned her kiss with equal ardor.

His erection strained against her belly, hot, like steel.
Warmth shot through her body, leaving her flushed and aching. She wanted him.
Wanted him so badly.

“Take me upstairs,” she whispered as his lips scorched down her
neck and to the swell of her breasts.

The sound of a door closing startled them both. Chrysander let
out an oath as he rolled away from Marley and yanked up a towel to cover her.
Marley stiffened when she saw Roslyn over Chrysander’s shoulder.

Her surprise turned to anger. The woman had barged in, intruded
on their privacy without so much as a call to let them know she was coming out
to the island. They hadn’t even heard the helicopter land, but then they’d been
occupied with other matters.

“What are you doing here?” Chrysander said icily.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Anetakis,” Roslyn said, though her
expression said she was anything but. Her gaze skimmed Marley in triumph, but
the look was gone when she turned her attention back to Chrysander. “There were
several things that needed your attention, and I thought it best to see to them
personally rather than rely on the phone or e-mail.”

“They certainly haven’t failed in the past,” Chrysander said
stiffly. “If you’ll excuse us, I think perhaps it would be better for you to
wait in my office.”

“Yes, of course, Mr. Anetakis. Again, my apologies for the
disturbance.”

Marley shivered, this time the chill setting in deep. The woman
had impeccable timing.

“I’m sorry,” Chrysander said as he helped her from the lounger.
He wrapped the towel around her shivering body and tucked her against his side.
“I’ll take you upstairs so you can change into something warmer. This shouldn’t
take but a moment, and then I’ll return.”

Marley nodded, but for her, the moment was ruined. Gone was
Chrysander’s fun-loving mood. The passion that had sizzled between them just
minutes ago was now a cold blanket thrown by his trusty assistant.

He took her upstairs and ushered her into the shower. When she
stepped out, he’d already dressed and gone back downstairs. With an unhappy
sigh, she gathered the towel around her and sat down on the edge of the bed.

* * *

Chrysander entered his office, irritation replacing his
earlier good mood. He stared hard at Roslyn, who stood to the side. “I do not
appreciate this intrusion,” he said crisply. “There was no call, no warning, no
permission
asked to come out to the island.”

Roslyn paled and her eyes widened.

“This is my private living area, and as such, you do not have
free rein as you do in my business settings. Are we understood?”

“Yes, sir,” she said stiffly.

“Now, what was so important that it didn’t warrant a phone
call?” he demanded.

“I’ve discovered that another design was stolen,” she said
softly.

“What?” Curses spilled from his lips, and it took a moment for
him to realize he was speaking in Greek, and Roslyn didn’t understand a word of
it. He shook his head and put both hands down on his desk. “What design? Tell me
everything.”

Roslyn’s expression hardened. “It’s an older one, a design you
discarded. It was the original plan for the Rio de Janeiro hotel. But still, she
must have sold it to Marcelli with the others, because his hotel going up in
Rome bears a remarkable likeness. I saw the proofs myself just two days
ago.”

Rage burned like acid in Chrysander’s veins. “Do my brothers
know of this yet?”

Roslyn shook her head. “I thought you would want to tell
them.”

He nodded and closed his eyes as he turned to look out the
window to the beach. Every time he thought he had come to terms with Marley’s
betrayal, the past came back to haunt him. As much as he wanted to forget, to
move on, to put the past behind them, it always came back, insidious and
unrelenting.

He struggled to remember how Marley could have gotten access to
the hotel plans. He certainly hadn’t guarded himself at home. As careful as he
was in the office and in all other aspects of his life, he’d been relaxed and
free with her, never thinking to protect his interests from her.

How could he build a life with her when he could never trust
her? Was he a fool for building a temporary relationship when it would all come
tumbling down the minute she remembered? When she’d have to face the sins she’d
committed and reap the consequences of her betrayal?

Through it all, he could only remember one thing. The way she’d
looked the night he’d confronted her in their apartment. The absolute shock and
horror on her face. Could anyone fake such a reaction that well?

For the first time, he took a long, hard look at the woman
she’d been during their time together before her abduction and the woman she’d
been since. There was no marked difference. The only inconsistency was her
betrayal.

“Chrysander.” Roslyn spoke up in a soft voice.

His eyes narrowed at her use of his name. It was not something
he ever tolerated from his employees, though he wasn’t sure why it bothered him
coming from someone he had worked closely with for some time.

“You won’t allow her to do it again, will you?”

He turned around to face her. “No, it won’t happen again,” he
said tightly, anger creeping up his spine. His anger wasn’t totally at Marley.
For some reason, it rankled that Roslyn would think to warn him away from
Marley.

Roslyn looked uncomfortable. “I just hope she doesn’t ruin
things for you with this hotel deal. Not again. It’s too important.”

“I don’t think that’s any of your concern. I will handle
Marley.”

She flinched at his tone. “I apologize. This company, this job,
is very important to me. I’ve worked hard for you, sir. I worked hard on the
Paris deal.”

Chrysander let go of some of his anger and blew out a sigh. She
had worked hard, and he could see why she would harbor some anger toward Marley
even if he wouldn’t tolerate it. Even if he didn’t feel she was justified in
that anger. That thought struck him hard, because it meant on some level he
didn’t believe Marley capable of her crime.

“I appreciate your concern, Roslyn. However, it is not your
business. If that is all you wanted, then I’ll call for the helicopter to return
you to the mainland.”

She looked as though she would protest, but then she
nodded.

Thirty minutes later, Chrysander escorted her out to the
helipad, and as soon as the helicopter lifted off, he turned and strode back
into the house.

His anger and uncertainty evaporated when he entered the
bedroom and found Marley sitting on the bed, wrapped only in a towel, her
expression sad and distant.

He knelt in front of her and touched her cheek. “What is it,
agape mou?
Are you all right?”

She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. Her beautiful blue
eyes that had sparkled just a short time ago with laughter. He wanted them to
sparkle again. He wanted that stolen moment at the pool back. Before Roslyn had
arrived and given him news that could very well change everything between him
and Marley. Again.

“I’m in an impossible situation,” she confessed.

His brow wrinkled in confusion. He didn’t like the sadness in
her tone. The resignation.

“What do you mean?” he asked softly as he trailed a finger down
the silken curve of her cheek.

She looked into his eyes. “I don’t like the way she has free
rein in our lives. This is our home. We should be able to make love, have fun
together, without fear of being caught in a compromising situation by a
stranger. But if I voice this, if I say I don’t like her and I don’t want her
here, it makes me a catty bitch. There is no way for me to come out the winner
and every way for me to be the loser in this.”

She looked down for a moment then stared back up at him,
emotion shimmering in her eyes. “I don’t like the way you back away from me
every time she appears. She sweeps in on some pretext of business, then she
leaves and you become distant. The last weeks have been so utterly wonderful,
and now she barges in and I can already feel you pulling away from me. I don’t
know that I can bear it.”

Tears pooled in her eyes, and he was struck speechless, for
what she said, all of it, was completely true. He hadn’t realized how it would
look to her, had thought he’d hidden the conflicting emotions he experienced
when reminded of the fact she’d stolen from him, lied to him, betrayed him.

He raised one of her hands to his mouth and pressed it firmly
to his lips. “I’m sorry,
agape mou.
I’m sorry her
presence has bothered you and that I’ve ignored it. It won’t happen again. I’ve
already informed her that under no condition is she to just arrive here without
at least phoning.”

“I could stand her presence. I won’t lie and say I like the
woman, but I could tolerate her. What I cannot bear is the way you pull away
from me every time she appears. Without any memories to bolster my confidence, I
have nothing to point to and say, Marley, you’re being ridiculous. Of course
there’s nothing going on between him and his assistant.”

His mouth fell open in surprise. “You think I’m having an
affair with her?” He couldn’t control the shudder of distaste that rolled down
his spine.

She shook her head emphatically. “Oh, I’ve made a mess of this.
I’m only trying to say that for me, this is all new. Our relationship is new. I
can’t remember our time together before, so in essence, we’re building new,
starting all over. I can’t help the insecurity I feel when I look at her and
know she’s trying to undermine our relationship.”

He gathered her in his arms, having no idea what to say to her.
He couldn’t very well deny that Roslyn probably did want to keep him from
Marley. She knew Marley had stolen from the company, a company that Roslyn was
devoted to and had put in a lot of long hours for in preparing the deal that had
disappeared along with the plans for the Paris hotel. And now he’d learned that
yet another of the Anetakis designs would be going up under the Marcelli name.
No matter it was one he’d discarded. Marley couldn’t have known that at the
time.

What an impossible situation. Surprising to him was the anger
that Roslyn’s words had caused. His first reaction had been to defend Marley and
to chastise Roslyn for speaking out against Marley. But how could he when Roslyn
was right?

All he knew was that he didn’t want Marley to hurt. As stupid
as that sounded given the hurt she’d caused him, he wanted to wipe away the
sadness in her eyes. While he couldn’t do anything to erase the past, what he
could do was make sure that Roslyn wasn’t a source of contention between them.
He would honor Marley’s wishes in this, for they mirrored his own. He didn’t
want anything to come between them here on the island. Roslyn wouldn’t
return.

Chapter 11

C
hrysander hung up the phone with a grimace
and leaned back in his leather chair. He put his hands behind his head and
stared up at the ceiling.

He had to return to New York. Piers had called him with the
news just moments ago, and Chrysander greeted the fact with a discomfort that
was alien to him. Worse, he’d had to inform Piers and Theron that another of
their designs had been stolen. They were understandably furious. With Marley.
How would they react when they learned he had every intention of marrying her as
soon as possible?

He was torn between wanting Marley to go with him and wanting
to keep her sheltered here on the island. Away from any chance she might
remember. Away from the judgment and animosity of his brothers.

The beginnings of a headache plagued him as he considered the
selfishness of that particular thought. He knew, though, that when she
remembered, and the doctors had assured him she would, things would irrevocably
change between them.

He should still be furious with her, and he should be working
to maintain distance between them, but she’d chipped away his resistance during
their time on the island. As much as it shamed him, it no longer mattered to him
that she’d lied, that she’d stolen from him and his brothers. He wanted things
to remain as they were, and if she remembered, then they would be forced to face
the events of the past.

And he’d likely lose her.

It bothered him more than it should. She was pregnant with his
child, he told himself, and that should be reason enough not to want things to
sour between them.

His time here with Marley had brought him back to the times
they’d spent together before the night he’d discovered her betrayal. He hadn’t
really appreciated her before. He’d taken her and her presence in his life for
granted, but now he knew how much he’d liked having her there when he returned
from business.

She was fun and carefree. Gentle and loving. All the things
he’d wish for in the mother of his child.

But she’d betrayed him. It always came back to that even as he
wanted to forget it.

“Chrysander?”

He looked up on hearing his softly spoken name to see Marley
standing in the doorway, her hand resting on the frame as she peered in. He
shook himself from his grim thoughts and hoped his expression wasn’t as brooding
as he felt. Things had been strained and tense between them since Roslyn had
come to the island. A fact he regretted but was unable to fully remedy when he
still carried his own doubts and uncertainties where Marley was concerned.

“What is it,
pedhaki mou?
”

“Are you all right?” She let her hand fall and started forward,
her steps hesitant.

He guessed he did look brooding.

“Come here,” he said, holding out his hand to her as she
neared. He pulled her down onto his lap, suddenly wanting her close. “I have to
return to New York.”

A shadow crossed over her face. “When?”

“In the morning. My brother called, and a dignitary we are
courting for a hotel project is going to be at a reception at our New York
hotel. Piers and Theron thought to handle it, but the man wished to meet with
all three of us. It’s something I cannot miss, I’m afraid.”

She looked disappointed, and even as the uneasiness over her
going back to New York lingered in his mind, he found himself saying, “You could
go with me.”

Her eyes lightened. “I wouldn’t be in the way?”

He frowned. “You are never in the way,
agape mou.
This would be good, I think. We could announce our
wedding plans. My brothers will want to meet you,” he said, warming to the
subject. “We could even be married in New York with my family around us and then
return here.”

In his mind, the sooner they married, the better.

“I’ll arrange for Dr. Karounis to return to Athens. I don’t
think we need him any longer.”

Her smile broadened. “And Patrice? Not that I don’t love her,
but she and Dr. Karounis seem to have gotten along extremely well. Maybe she’d
like to take a trip to Athens.”

“I’ll extend the offer,” he said with a smile.

“Then yes, I’d love to go.” She threw her arms around him and
kissed him exuberantly on the lips. Before he could deepen the kiss, she
scrambled off his lap. “I have to go pack!”

He chuckled and caught her hand. “You have plenty of time.”

But still she hurried away, and he stared after her, long after
she’d disappeared through the doorway. He should feel relieved that soon they’d
be married, and she’d be bound to him, but he couldn’t dispel the uneasy feeling
that gripped him.

* * *

Chrysander’s jet touched down in New York in the late
afternoon, and a limousine was waiting for them when they stepped off the plane.
A tall, formidable-looking man stood by the car, and as they drew closer, Marley
could see a strong resemblance between him and Chrysander.

“Theron,” Chrysander called out. “I did not expect you to meet
us. This is a surprise.”

Theron gave a half smile. “Can I not greet my brother?”

Chrysander put an arm around Marley’s waist and drew her
forward. “Theron, this is Marley. Marley, this is my younger brother
Theron.”

She smiled. “I’m very glad to meet you.”

His gaze flickered impassively over her, and he didn’t return
her smile. Slowly hers faded as she read the unwelcoming look on his face.
Instinctively, she shrank into Chrysander.

Then Theron’s gaze dropped to the hand on which she wore the
engagement ring, and he outright frowned. He stared back up at Chrysander, his
jaw tight.

“You will be courteous,” Chrysander said in a very low tone.
Even so, she could hear the bite in his voice.

“I’m pleased to meet you,” Theron said stiffly, though his body
language said just the opposite. He turned on his heel and walked toward another
car parked a short distance away.

Marley looked up at Chrysander in bewilderment. “What was that
all about?”

“It is nothing,
pedhaki mou.
I am
sorry he was rude. It won’t happen again.”

“But
why
was he rude?” His behavior
baffled Marley. And then another thought occurred to her. “Have we met before?
Of course we would have. He’s your brother. Did I do something to offend him in
the past? Has he always disliked me?”

Chrysander ushered her into the car and slid in beside her.
“No, you haven’t met before. You needn’t worry that you’ve done anything. It’s
just Theron’s way.” He sounded a bit strangled, and her gaze narrowed at what
she thought must be a lie.

When his cell phone rang, he lunged for it in his haste to
answer. She put her lips together and seethed in silence. Something didn’t add
up. Why would his brother dislike her so intensely on sight? And for that
matter, why had she never met him before? It couldn’t be normal for her not to
have met the family of the man she was going to marry, the father of her
child.

She leaned back against the seat and blew out her breath in
frustration. While in New York, she fully intended to seek answers and maybe try
to dislodge the block that seemed permanently embedded in her mind. There had to
be some way to break her memories free. And if there was, she was going to find
it. Preferably before she got married.

Yet more was in store when they reached the penthouse. She very
nearly growled her frustration when the elevator opened and she caught sight of
Roslyn. Was she doomed to find this woman in her home at every turn?

Roslyn smiled warmly in greeting, and Marley did not miss that
it extended only to Chrysander. She stood beside him while his assistant
outlined the schedule of meetings, phone calls he needed to return and contracts
that needed his attention. She wouldn’t retreat this time and allow Roslyn any
victory, implied or otherwise.

Roslyn spoke in low, sultry tones and touched Chrysander’s arm
frequently. She laughed huskily at something he said, all the while overtly
ignoring Marley’s presence. The woman had brass. Marley had to admit that. If
she weren’t pregnant, she’d give serious consideration to throwing the woman out
of the penthouse on her ear.

It was good as fantasies went, but Chrysander would be
horrified. She sighed even as the image of the beautifully coiffed woman banned
from the apartment cheered her considerably.

Finally, Roslyn made to leave, and Marley’s shoulders sagged in
relief. But as the elevator opened to admit her, another man, also bearing a
strong resemblance to Chrysander strode off.

She wanted to ask Chrysander just how many people had access to
their private quarters but bit her lip.

“It would seem our apartment is a revolving door today,”
Chrysander said dryly, and Marley wondered if he’d read her mind.

While Theron’s disapproval of her might have been more subtle,
there was nothing left to imagine about this man’s opinion of her. He scowled
openly even as Chrysander introduced him to her as his brother Piers.

“A word if you don’t mind, Chrysander,” Piers said, his jaw
clenched tight.

“Don’t let me interrupt,” Marley said. She turned and walked
toward the bedroom, having had enough of the chilly reception she’d
received.

Even as she closed the door, she could hear raised voices and
Chrysander’s angry tone. She hesitated a moment, wondering if she should listen
to their conversation. Would she want to hear what they were saying? With a
sigh, she turned to survey the room that Chrysander had given her upon her
release from the hospital.

Not knowing what else to do, she slipped out of her shoes and
sat down on the bed. The trip hadn’t been tiring, but sliding under the covers
and hiding appealed to her. Her head was beginning to ache from tension, and if
she could just get away for a few minutes, she might feel better. And maybe when
she woke, there wouldn’t be anyone in their apartment anymore.

* * *

When she did wake, she was in a different bed. She
blinked the sleep-induced fog away and realized that she was in Chrysander’s
bedroom. She stretched and was glad not to feel the pressure in her head any
longer.

She sat up and saw Chrysander standing across the room looking
at her. For some reason, she felt unsure of herself in that moment.

“I must have been more tired than I realized,” she said
lightly. “I didn’t even wake when you moved me.”

“You will sleep in our room, in our bed.”

She blinked. “Well, okay. I just didn’t think. That was the
room I had before.”

He closed the distance between them and sat down on the bed
next to her. “Your place is here. With me.”

She cocked her head. She had the distinct impression he wasn’t
just speaking to the fact that she’d gone to bed in another room. It was almost
as though he was convincing himself, and others, that she belonged with him.

“Your brothers don’t approve of me,” she said quietly.

His face became a stone. “My brothers have no say in our
relationship. I will announce our forthcoming marriage at the reception two
nights from now, and we’ll marry in a week.”

And that was that, she thought. The law laid down by Chrysander
Anetakis.

He leaned down to kiss her. “Why don’t you dress? We’ll go out
for a nice dinner.”

“Lobster?” she asked hopefully then realized what she’d said.
Her eyes widened in excitement. “Lobster! Chrysander, I remember that lobster is
my favorite.”

He smiled tightly and kissed her again. “So it is,
pedhaki mou.
I used to have it delivered here, and
we’d sit naked on the bed to eat it.”

She flushed to the roots of her hair but had to admit the image
was appealing. Chrysander helped her up, and she went into the bathroom to
shower and change. Thirty minutes later, Chrysander escorted her down the
elevator and out to the waiting car.

He took her to an elegant restaurant, and they sat in an
intimate corner set away from the main dining area. The lighting was low, and it
reminded her of Christmas. A warm feeling of nostalgia took hold as she recalled
how very much she loved the holiday season.

In another month, decorations would be going up, and many of
the shops and restaurants would twinkle with lights and holly. She smiled
dreamily as she imagined spending Christmas with Chrysander.

“You look lost in thought,
agape
mou.
With such a sweet smile on your face, I can only hope that I am
what is occupying your thoughts.”

She looked across the table to see Chrysander studying her, his
bronze skin illuminated by soft candlelight. “I was imagining spending Christmas
with you. I was remembering how much I love the holidays.”

“Your memories seem to be coming back,” he said, though there
was no joy in his tone.

Her lips twisted into a rueful smile. “Not very quickly, I’m
afraid. Just a snippet here and there, and it’s more of an awareness, not a true
memory.”

“It will come. You must be patient.”

She nodded, but she could feel the frustration creeping over
her. Determined not to let the evening go the way the rest of the day had, she
forced herself to relax and enjoy the wonderful meal and being with Chrysander.
With no interruptions from family members or personal assistants.

“Would you like to go shopping tomorrow?” Chrysander asked.

She blinked in surprise at the sudden change in topic.

“I have a meeting first thing, but then we could eat lunch
together and shop for the things you will need for the reception we will be
attending. You could also look for a wedding dress.”

She couldn’t wrap her brain around the image of Chrysander
shopping, and she was sure no amount of searching her memory would find one. He
simply wasn’t a man to do such a thing.

“Are you sure you want me there?”

He cocked one eyebrow. “As I plan to announce our upcoming
wedding, it would be strange if you weren’t. Unless you have no wish to go.”