His Mistress by Blackmail Read online

  But it was when she found herself swaying with him among the vines, wishing the night would never end and hoping for more like it, that she realised how far she’d strayed from where this had all started.

  He was blackmailing her, keeping her prisoner until her brother came to heel.

  But even then, knowing she was just a pawn, she couldn’t find the words to take back the control she felt slipping from her.

  That disturbed her sleep enough to find her awake and at the living room window come the dawn hours halfway through the next week.

  Again, she was there barely half an hour before Xandro tracked her down. ‘Once again I wake to find you gone from my bed,’ he murmured, his voice sleep-rough and more than a little irritated. And, as she’d begun to notice in the last few days, there was a new watchfulness about him, as if he was probing the heart of the feelings she was desperately keeping under wraps.

  Her heart performed a crazy somersault when he reached her, staring down at her for several seconds before turning her around to pull her back into his body. Then, slowly, he undid the ties of her robe.

  ‘Before you assume so, it wasn’t a challenge.’

  ‘But it’s still an unsatisfactory situation. When I go to sleep with you in my arms, I expect to wake up with you still there,’ he replied.

  ‘Xandro...’ Whatever she’d been about to say evaporated when he tugged off the robe and dropped it at her feet.

  ‘Yes, pethi mou. I want you to say my name like that as I remind you how I like to wake up.’

  Before she could respond, he’d thrust his hand in her hair and directed her head back to meet the relentless onslaught of his kiss. Ferocious desire was tinged with an edge of frustration, the demanding eroticism of his tongue in her mouth and his hands moulding her breasts setting off blazes that spread like brush fire through her body. She was breathless and weak-kneed when he lifted his head.

  ‘Put your hands on the glass and don’t move.’

  She gasped. ‘What?’

  ‘Do as I say,’ he instructed gruffly, his gaze almost challenging.

  Her stomach dipped with wild excitement as she complied.

  His hand stayed on her breast, fondling and teasing her nipple as his other traced her body from arm to waist to thigh and back up again.

  ‘Your skin feels like silk,’ he murmured, almost in wonder. ‘And your hair is like the purest flame.’

  Trembling seized her, once again the sensation of plummeting towards an emotionally devastating destination growing inside her as her heart unfurled at his words.

  ‘I want to kiss every inch of you.’

  ‘Xandro...’

  ‘Yes, pedhaki mou. I’m going to.’

  He put word to deed, starting with her nape and trailing kisses down her spine, all the while caressing her with his expert hands. She pried open eyes she didn’t remember shutting when she felt his breath on her sex.

  To see such a powerful, dynamic man on his knees before her threatened her very sanity. And then that sanity was lost when he parted her thighs and worshipped her with his mouth.

  Bliss pummelled her with the force of a thousand drumbeats, drawing cries and then screams from her as she shattered under his touch. And still he didn’t relent.

  With one powerful lunge he was back on his feet, positioning himself behind her. She heard the rip of a condom foil and then, a moment later, strong hands gripped her waist.

  ‘I’ve wanted to take you like this since that first morning we watched the sunrise together,’ he rasped in her ear.

  Her fierce blush brought a husky laugh. Which abruptly cut off the second he thrust, hot and hard, inside her.

  The power of his possession lifted her to her toes. ‘Oh!’

  With a not quite steady hand, he swept her hair out of the way, planted kisses along her jaw before resting his cheek alongside hers. ‘You feel exquisite, Sage mou.’ His voice was barely coherent.

  And she had lost the power of speech. So they stayed like that, cheek to cheek, as he completely took her over, the tempo of his thrusts and the magnificent power of the body curled around hers dragging them towards mind-altering nirvana.

  ‘Xandro!’

  ‘Ne, glikia mou. Give it up for me,’ he commanded hoarsely.

  With another cry, she flung herself over the edge. He followed a minute later, shouting his release as his chest pressed into her back and his arms banded tight around her waist. She was glad he was holding her up because her legs weren’t in the mood to heed her brain.

  And she had a strong suspicion her heart was headed in a direction of its own too. She was still grappling with that knowledge when she felt the sensation of warmth on her face. She didn’t need to open her eyes to know the sun had risen.

  ‘Against your beauty, this view has lost its power,’ he murmured between kisses on her shoulder.

  The fear that she was falling deeper into the unknown tightened a knot in her belly and made her stiffen.

  ‘What is it?’ he demanded immediately.

  ‘I don’t need false odes, Xandro.’

  He paused for a long, silent minute. Then he pulled away, leaving a chasm deep inside her even as he turned her in his arms.

  She kept her gaze down against his intense scrutiny. ‘Is there something we need to talk about, Sage?’

  Yes! Everything! For a start, they hadn’t spoken about Ben in ages. Her queries as to whether he’d found her brother had been met with a curt, ‘No,’ before he changed the subject.

  Now was the perfect opportunity to ask about the hunt for her brother. But the frighteningly large part of her that didn’t want this to be over just yet kept the words from forming, and instead proffered different ones. ‘I prefer to leave the hearts and flowers for my performances, that’s all.’

  His eyes narrowed. Then he gave a brisk nod. ‘Understood.’ He leaned forward and planted a hard kiss on her lips. ‘If it’s not too much to ask, will you join me in the shower?’

  Say no. Take back the control you’re losing.

  ‘Yes.’

  One corner of his mouth lifted, then he took her hand and led her from the room. A long leisurely shower and another bout of lovemaking later, Xandro emerged from his dressing room wearing a dark grey suit, pristine white shirt and statement-making tie. Every inch of him screamed powerful tycoon. But she’d seen under the suit. Knew he wasn’t all hard edges and ruthless dominance.

  But what did that matter? As soon as Ben turned up, she would be history. The knot in her belly replicated around her heart. The heart she suspected was no longer completely hers.

  ‘Sorry...what did you say?’

  He straightened to send her a wry look. ‘I said I’ll see you tonight before the party.’

  She tensed. ‘What party?’

  ‘The one I promised Hunter Dance Company. Did you forget?’

  She had. Completely.

  ‘I have a progress meeting with Melissa at six. Be ready to leave at seven.’

  With that he leaned down, kissing her thoroughly before walking out. And leaving her with a new set of uncomfortable problems.

  Melissa. The choreographers. Her fellow dancers. They would all know by now that she and Xandro were more than acquaintances. With time and distance she’d put it out of her mind. But she couldn’t hide from it, or from her life, for ever.

  It was time to take back control before she risked her career, too. She feared her heart was already on the line. It took an hour to summon up the courage to accept her decision. As she rose from the bed, she swayed. The temptation to sink back into bed was huge. She didn’t want to confront her feelings.

  Sage straightened her spine. She’d let this go too far...

  But no more.

  She repeated those three words to herself through the morning, and in the afternoon when James informed her that the stylist had arrived with a selection of clothes for the party, as per Mr Christofides’s instructions.

  No more.

  �
�Tell her thank you, but no thanks,’ she replied. And then, because she needed to cement the foundations of her decision, she grabbed her purse, took the lift downstairs and headed for the less expensive boutiques she’d seen on The Strip.

  Within half an hour, she had an outfit for the party.

  At a quarter to seven she grabbed her new clutch and ran a slightly damp palm down her new sleeveless green sequined cocktail dress before raising her chin in the mirror. The vice around her heart had tightened in gradual increments throughout the day, causing that organ to scream loudly at her decision. But she was doing the right thing.

  ‘James, please tell Mr Christofides when he arrives that I’ll see him at the party,’ she said when she reached the living room.

  He hid his surprise and nodded.

  Nerves shredding her, she made her way downstairs to the stunning Sofia Ballroom, where the party was being held.

  The quiet entrance she’d hoped for never happened. Michael spotted her immediately and bellowed a welcome, drawing dozens of eyes to her.

  Sage kept a smile pinned on her face as he drew her into the group. That smile threatened to waver when she caught two dancers whispering about the fact that she was alone. She heard the speculation repeated several times as she drifted through the party.

  But all through catching up with her colleagues and skirting personal questions that came her way, her senses remained attuned to Xandro’s arrival.

  And when he walked through the doors, with Melissa directly beside him, he brought with him an earth-shattering revelation that froze Sage where she stood.

  She was indeed too late.

  In direct opposition to the hush that settled over the room, her heart was shrieking its new discovery. She was in love with Xandro Christofides. From the crown of his gleaming hair to the polished black shoes he wore with his superb black tuxedo, every atom of him was what her foolish heart wanted.

  What her stupid heart couldn’t have.

  Her heart and stomach lurched hard, but she was too stunned, too pulverised by what she’d let happen, to look away from where he stood at the top of the stairs.

  The champagne glass in her hand wobbled as it struck home that she would never kiss those lips again, never touch that body again. Never feel the power and glory of him inside her.

  She watched his gaze sweep the room, piercing silver-grey searching. For her. At the last moment, simply because she couldn’t let him see what she’d just discovered, she dropped her own gaze, desperately struggling to compose her face when she felt him pause, stop and probe her with those incisive eyes.

  The rise of conversation told her they’d fully entered the room. Thankfully there were many people in the two-hundred-strong gathering who wanted a piece of Xandro and it was easy to keep the width of the room between them.

  When it was time for speeches, Melissa gave a lengthy one, managing to mention Xandro’s name many times, each with a look at the man himself.

  When it was his turn, he gave a shorter one, punctuated with purpose and his vision for the company. Applause was followed by endless champagne toasts. Then the middle of the ballroom was cleared for dancing. The last dance she’d shared with Xandro in Napa Valley rose sharp and piercing in her mind, and relief spiralled through her when she saw that he was nowhere near Melissa. In fact, she’d lost sight of him.

  When a firm hand grasped her arm she knew immediately who it was. Heart in her throat, her gaze rose to meet storm-chilled grey ones.

  ‘We can do this here or we can do it over there.’ He jerked his head towards the open French windows.

  ‘Or we don’t have to do anything at all?’ she suggested shakily.

  The flattening of his mouth was her answer. ‘Choose, Sage.’

  She did so only because they were drawing the attention she wanted to avoid. Turning on her heel, she walked through the French windows.

  Her newly love-shot heart jumped again as she heard him shut the doors behind them and then turn her to face him.

  ‘Is there a reason you chose to come downstairs without me and have been actively avoiding me?’ he bit out.

  Because I feared I was falling in love with you. Now I know.

  Clawing every ounce of composure she could find, she affected a careless shrug. ‘I wanted to avoid the attention you’re attracting right now by dragging me out here.’

  A trace of bewildered fury pleated his brow. ‘You think keeping the width of the room between us will hide the fact that we’re lovers?’

  ‘Please keep your voice down,’ she hissed.

  He stepped closer, his eyes telling her he had no intention of complying. ‘Every single one of them knows you’re mine, Sage.’

  She couldn’t stop her shiver of longing, but she had to train her heart to accept what it couldn’t have. ‘No—’

  ‘Yes, don’t insult their intelligence.’

  ‘Okay, maybe they know, but after tonight they’ll also know that it’s over.’

  He stiffened, his lips thinning. ‘What are you talking about?’

  Her insides shook as she averted her gaze and tried to form the words. ‘You know perfectly well. It’s time to end this.’

  Maybe it was the semi-darkness that made her think he paled a little. Because the next instant his face was rigid and harsh. ‘Say that again, and look at me when you do.’

  Her throat worked as she forced herself to swallow. To look him in the eyes. ‘It’s over. I think we both know this shouldn’t have started in the first place.’

  His eyes darkened. ‘Do we? Why not, Sage? And tell me the truth. Tell me why I left you sated and happy in bed this morning but have returned to find...this?’ he sliced at her.

  She shook her head. ‘It’s very simple. I have a life to get on with. I can’t stay here playing your fake lover for ever.’

  His expression hardened even more. ‘We moved from fake to very real weeks ago. And call me egotistical if you wish but you loved every minute of it,’ he claimed arrogantly.

  The truth of it was too visceral to deny. ‘Be that as it may, it’s time for me to face reality. You won’t even tell me whether you’ve located Ben or not—’

  ‘I haven’t. And we had an agreement.’

  Frustrated anger mingled with despair. ‘Our agreement wasn’t for me to give up my life for ever. I’m drawing the line here, Xandro.’ She had to or risk him witnessing her heartache.

  He remained silent for an eternity, his gaze analysing her every micro-expression. ‘Are you sure this is how you want to play it?’

  She straightened her shoulders. ‘I know you can take all sorts of actions against my parents. Against Ben too, when you find him. But yes, I’m done.’

  Just like in the alley in Washington, DC, when he’d seemed to loom large and fearful even while he was frozen, Xandro was statue-still. Only his eyes moved, boring into her from head to toe in a merciless scrutiny.

  Then he nodded abruptly. ‘Very well. I want you gone by morning,’ he said icily.

  Sage knew that enduring the newfound heartache that had arrived with her admitting her love for Xandro would be hellish. She experienced a whole new level of anguish as she watched him walk away, his tall, powerful body cutting a swathe through the guests. The pain was so acute she wondered how she was able to remain standing when everything inside her wanted to curl into a ball of agonising despair.

  ‘I want you gone by morning.’

  The finality of it whipped at her vulnerable heart. Tore it to shreds. It was all she could do to re-enter the ballroom fifteen minutes later, and slowly make her way towards the door without drawing more attention to herself than was necessary.

  From the corner of her eye, she caught Melissa leaning up to Xandro, her hand on his arm as they conversed. Sage whipped her gaze away, focused on blinking back shocked tears as she headed for the door.

  The hallway leading to the lifts was relatively empty and she made it to the penthouse without succumbing to the threatening tears. In
the bedroom, she avoided looking at the bed as she hurriedly gathered her things and threw them into her suitcase. At her insistence, Nina had located her own clothes from where Xandro had had them stashed. She changed into jeans and a T-shirt and was slipping on her ballerina flats when she heard the door open behind her.

  She whirled around, her heart banging itself against her ribs as she stared at Xandro.

  His hard gaze went from her to the suitcase and back again. ‘It’s the middle of the night. Are you in that much of a hurry to leave me?’ he demanded coldly.

  The thought of spending another night under the same roof as him was too much to bear. ‘I don’t see the point in prolonging this.’

  His jaw clenched tight, as if he was stemming his words, before he exhaled. ‘Before you do, you might want to hear the latest news on your brother.’

  Sage froze. ‘You’ve found him?’

  He nodded abruptly. ‘Yes. I’ve just heard he’s in a hospital in Nice.’

  Ice drenched her body. ‘What happened?’

  Face set in stone, Xandro walked further into the room. ‘Apparently, he got into a brawl in a backroom gambling den last night.’

  ‘Is he all right?’

  ‘Two broken ribs, a possible fractured jaw and a black eye,’ he relayed in a clipped voice.

  Her fingers tightened around the suitcase handle as a wave of despair washed over her. Through the loud buzzing in her ears she heard Xandro issue terse instructions to someone at the end of the phone.

  It triggered her own need to act. Frantically, she dug through her clutch to retrieve her phone. She hit the number for the first travel agent her search threw up.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Xandro demanded.

  ‘Booking the first flight out to Nice.’

  ‘Hang up the phone, Sage.’

  ‘What? No, I’m—’

  ‘Perhaps you didn’t hear me just now instructing my pilot to ready my plane?’

  Her hand dropped. ‘You’re going to France?’