His Mistress by Blackmail Page 8

  Her heart performed another shaky somersault. ‘Well, when you put it that way...’ Still, she couldn’t keep the nerves down. Probably because he’d yet to expand on this new reality she was supposed to be getting used to.

  ‘I have a decent amount of flying hours under my belt, and I’m not interested in crashing any more than you are.’ He caught her elbow in his hand when she continued to hesitate, and urged her with firm pressure towards the helicopter. ‘Relax. You might even enjoy it.’

  It looked even more intimidating up close. ‘I seriously doubt that.’

  He shrugged, completely unaffected by her tight voice. ‘Then think of it this way—you don’t have a choice. Where I go, you go, remember?’

  Her chest tightened. ‘I haven’t forgotten. But I didn’t agree to it,’ she threw in, her last attempt to rebel against a situation that she could no longer control.

  He stopped and looked down at her, his eyes gleaming with silver fire. ‘And yet here you are. Is it a family trait to be objectionable about everything?’ he enquired with a definite bite in his tone.

  ‘I’m not a fan of the ask-how-high-when-you-say-jump club.’ She’d had more than enough of that growing up.

  He didn’t immediately reply. Instead he opened the door and held out his hand. Warily, she placed hers in it, studiously ignoring the zing of electricity when he helped her up onto the wide leather seat. ‘I look forward to discovering which clubs you’re a fan of.’

  He shut the door before she could respond. Which left her to watch him walk round to take his own seat, unable to stop herself from reluctantly appreciating the grace and power with which he moved. The whipcord strength ingrained with each step and the purposeful set of his face as he donned his headset and took control of the helicopter.

  Lift-off was smooth enough for her not to notice until they were several feet off the ground.

  ‘Relax. You might even enjoy it.’

  She wanted to silently deny that statement, except she found out that the experience wasn’t so bad. Even the slight dip in her stomach as the helicopter banked and swung away from the villa was secretly thrilling.

  In fact, in other circumstances she might have called it enjoyable. For starters, the view from above was breathtaking, the receding island even more magical from several hundred feet above. But she kept all of that to herself as they flew over several more islands and a beautiful sparkling ocean towards their unknown destination.

  ‘Where are we going?’ she asked, dragging her gaze from the strong hands controlling the cyclic stick.

  ‘To Athens. I have meetings there tonight and tomorrow.’

  ‘And I’m supposed to do what—sit around twiddling my thumbs?’

  ‘You can take the afternoon off. You’ve earned it.’

  ‘I’d much rather be on an airplane going back home.’

  He took his eyes off the horizon to stare at her. ‘The next time Ben calls, convince him that you and I are an item and, I assure you, your wish will be realised sooner.’

  ‘You’re so certain he’ll call again?’

  His smile was cynical in the extreme. ‘He thinks he knows me. Believe me, if I had a sister I wouldn’t want him to date the kind of man your brother thinks I am either.’

  ‘Is that your roundabout way of saying he’s got you wrong?’

  He moved the cyclic stick over to the right, banking the helicopter, before he answered. ‘I’m not concerned about your brother’s opinion of me.’

  She absorbed that for a moment. ‘What did he mean by saying that he worked hard for you without you knowing he existed?’

  His jaw tightened for a long moment. ‘I found out that he applied to be my personal bodyguard three times in the last year. My chief of security turned him down each time. He...took offence.’

  Her stomach dipped. She looked out of the window, biting her tongue against the question hovering there. It jumped out anyway. ‘Is it true about those thanks-for-the-good-times pieces of jewellery he mentioned?’

  He slanted her a narrow-eyed glance. ‘It’s not your concern.’

  She wasn’t aware she was holding her breath for an explanation until he deprived her of one. ‘I prefer to think I’m embroiled in this for something more worthwhile than your next lover’s goodbye present,’ she bit out, the knowledge that she’d been so certain that what Ben had taken was worth more than that to Xandro mocking her.

  He didn’t deign to answer. Instead he flew the helicopter for a couple of miles before he looked over at her. ‘Why didn’t you tell him about the situation with your parents?’

  ‘And get him to go even further off the deep end?’

  He studied her for a long speculative moment. ‘You’re worried about him.’

  She frowned. ‘Of course I am. Isn’t that what you were counting on?’

  His mouth firmed. ‘Then the earlier we sort this out, the sooner you can get him the help he needs.’

  The tightening in her stomach eased a touch. Which was peculiar because every ruthless act Xandro had perpetrated so far dictated that she’d be foolish not to be extremely wary of him. ‘Where I go, you go is a gross generalisation. I’d like to know more about what you meant by that.’

  ‘Before we get to that, do I have your word that you’ll do whatever’s necessary to ensure my possession is returned to me?’ he bit out.

  When she’d believed that whatever Ben had taken held more than a fleeting sentimental value she’d been more apprehensive about the wrongs her brother had perpetrated. She still was, but the knowledge that Xandro was going to such extreme lengths to gain back jewellery he would use to appease his next few lovers opened a vein of mild repugnance.

  She didn’t agree with Ben’s assertion that Xandro could afford it and should therefore let it go. There was no excuse for stealing. Nevertheless a tiny part of her was disappointed with the truth behind Xandro’s demands.

  ‘Is there a reason why you’re reluctant to give your consent?’ he demanded after a minute had passed.

  She wanted to scoff and challenge his integrity. That he’d bought into a dance company and incurred a bill for tens of thousands of dollars to fly a whole dance group first class to his island for the sake of a handful of gems irritated her.

  But she bit her tongue. Her parents’ livelihood was hanging in the balance. Staying in the toxic environment of their cold indifference to her despair would’ve killed her spirit. Nevertheless, that wasn’t a reason to throw them to the wolves. Or one wolf in particular, whose vicious teeth could prove sharp and deadly should he not reap the results he wanted.

  ‘I need to know that you won’t go after my parents, regardless of how things turn out with Ben.’

  He remained silent. Long enough for her to hope he was considering her request. ‘No.’

  Her breath caught. ‘What?’

  ‘I won’t give any further reassurances. The terms of the deal have been laid out. Make your brother believe you’re mine so he comes out of hiding or I go after your parents with every weapon in my arsenal.’

  ‘Blackmail? Is that how you made your billions?’

  A grim shadow crossed his face, right before his jaw clenched tight. ‘No. I made my fortune through honest hard work,’ he replied stiffly. ‘But that’s not to say I’m unfamiliar with using alternative tactics to get what I want. Remember that for the future,’ he warned.

  She looked away from the eyes boring into her. But his chilling words continued to ring in her ears. Her gaze settled on the fast-approaching horizon and the landscape she recognised as Athens.

  Surrounded by everything that epitomised this powerful, ruthless man, helplessness assailed Sage, making her want to lash out against the stifling ties binding her.

  When she glanced over at him, she found his gaze still pinned on her, the hand controlling the helicopter an almost negligent extension of the sheer magnificence and autocracy of the man. Piercing grey eyes commanded her to answer.

  So she responded. ‘
Yes, you have my word.’

  He continued to watch her for a moment before his gaze returned to the landscape ahead of them. ‘Good. Your brother believes I intend to seduce you. I propose we take it a step further. Convince him that you are I are already lovers.’

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  XANDRO WATCHED A series of expressions flicker across her face. The emotion he recognised as bewilderment resonated faintly through him.

  Blackmail? He had first-hand knowledge of how close it could drive a man to the edge.

  And yet the moment he’d issued the ultimatum, he knew it was the perfect means to bring all this to a hasty conclusion. Besides, unlike when it’d been directed at him by his gang leader as a teenager, there were no sinister intentions behind his command to Sage.

  All she needed to do was remain by his side until her brother came to heel.

  Already it was working perfectly. Woods was riled enough to poke his head out of wherever he was hiding. Xandro’s only regret was that he hadn’t had the means to trace the call and pinpoint his exact location.

  Sage’s expression settled into stubborn acceptance. Had he not found this situation intensely unsatisfactory, he would’ve found it amusing. He didn’t want to acknowledge the part of him that was curiously offended that she clearly felt mild abhorrence at his suggestion that they pretend to be lovers.

  Without conceit, he knew countless women who would’ve expressed delight at being given the role of playing his lover. Many more who would yearn for that role to be real. And yes, it stuck in his craw that the woman whose integrity he’d questioned only last night seemed to have a problem with him in return.

  He refocused on the horizon, specifically the sprawling magnificence of the Acropolis, and beyond that to the Xei Athens Hotel rooftop, where his helipad waited. The Vegas hotel and casino were his crowning glory, but coming back to the country where his family had experienced such hardship that they’d been forced to flee and stamping his authority beneath one of its most revered monuments had been extremely satisfying.

  These days the Christofides name was no longer spoken of with contempt but with the respect he’d clawed from blood and dirt, from literally fighting his way out of a vicious gang that would’ve sent him down a path of chaos. He’d taken on the system that could so easily have chewed him up and spat him out, and beaten it. He’d seized his second chance because of a piece of jewellery, and he’d won.

  Every member of his family had paid dearly, bearing the stigma of being labelled a thief. Until he’d redeemed the Christofides name.

  He smothered the churning memories.

  Beside him, Sage was rubbing her wrist. He frowned. He opened his mouth to question her, then closed it again. He didn’t want to know about her vulnerabilities or her strengths. She was just a means to an end. Even though her continued silence threatened to escalate his irritation.

  Conversely, the slightly agitated sounds of her breathing coming through the headset started a small blaze inside him. His hand tightened on the stick, her effect on his libido startling him as much now as it had last night. Except this time it was more potent. More visceral.

  He didn’t speak until he’d set the chopper down and powered off the instruments.

  ‘You have a problem with my plan?’ he demanded as he removed his headset.

  She followed suit, avoiding his gaze as she handed the headset over. ‘How long will I have to pretend I’m your lover? I have to practise my routines.’

  ‘You need to work it into your schedule or you won’t have a schedule at all.’ At her soft gasp, he gritted his teeth, dimly aware that he was growing increasingly annoyed with her resistance. Dammit, he was fed up to the back teeth of pussyfooting around her.

  ‘So we’ve progressed to outright threats?’ she asked, one eyebrow lifted at him.

  He sighed. ‘I’ve laid everything out for you and yet you seem to want to keep pushing my buttons.’

  ‘You’re a master manipulator—and no, that’s not a compliment—so pardon me if I want things laid out in the open and less...nebulous.’

  A reluctant smile tugged at his mouth. He killed it dead, unwilling to add amusement to the unsettling mix of arousal and frustration churning through him. ‘We’re only here for tonight. After my meeting in the morning, we’ll leave for the States. You can return to your routine within the next twenty-four hours, with a few adjustments, of course.’

  Relief tinged her features. Again he experienced a bite of irritation. He was the wronged party here and yet she made him feel as if she was with him under sufferance. Which, he told himself, she was. He needed to stop being irrational!

  By the time he walked round to her side, she was halfway out of the chopper. He caught her hand and helped her the rest of the way, acutely aware of the blaze inside him intensifying at her touch. He also became aware a moment later that he didn’t want to let her go. But he forced himself to release her when she tugged at his hand.

  In the late afternoon sunlight, her hair gleamed with the fire of a Greek sunset. When Xandro found himself wondering, yet again, how long the silky tresses were, he scowled and strode across the roof towards the lift.

  She didn’t speak until they were cocooned in the small space, on their way down to his suite. A ride that was long enough for him to inhale her heady perfume, but too short to count the freckles on her pert nose. ‘What adjustments?’

  It took a precious few seconds for him to recall what he’d said to her. He exited the lift and took his time to find the key card to his suite as he regrouped.

  ‘Geographical adjustments,’ he answered, holding the door open for her.

  Curious eyes met his as she slid past him into the suite. ‘You’re going to relocate to DC?’

  Xandro gave a stiff smile as he nudged the door shut with his foot. ‘No, Sage. You’re going to relocate to Vegas.’

  Green eyes widened. ‘What? No, that’s impossible.’

  ‘You packed a bag and got on a plane to Greece with very little notice. The process is even easier to repeat the second time around.’

  Her lips pursed. ‘I know how air travel works. I meant I can’t uproot my whole life for the sake of this charade. I thought that we would just—’

  ‘Go for coffee a couple of times, maybe a stroll in the park while holding hands? You really think that will convince your brother?’

  A small frown gathered between her brows. ‘Well, I’m not as well-versed in the act of subterfuge as you seem to be so, by all means, enlighten me.’

  He realised he was moving towards her when she began to back away. ‘For starters, you need to not shrink away when I come near you.’

  She stopped immediately, her chin rising in challenge as she attempted to stare him down. ‘I don’t like my personal space invaded.’

  ‘Brace yourself then, glikia mou, because I intend to do more than just invade your personal space.’ Deliberately, he took another step closer. She exhaled in a little rush but, to her credit, she stood her ground.

  Xandro wasn’t sure the need to get closer to her was a completely sound one, especially when her alluring scent wrapped itself around him again.

  He breathed her in, noting with each second that passed he wanted more. He wanted to press his nose to that sweet curve where her shoulder met her neck. He wanted to trail his fingers over that pulse racing at her throat, feel for himself whether her skin was as silky and warm as it looked.

  She took another heavier breath, drawing his gaze to the full curves of her breasts. The insistent yearning grew, the blaze gathering strength as it built.

  Her hold tightened on her purse. ‘Could you...not look at me like that?’ she demanded in a low, fierce voice.

  Xandro noted the wash of pink in her cheeks. His fingers tingled with the need to touch the colour. ‘Like what?’

  A faint fluttering of her nostrils as she inhaled. ‘So...intensely.’

  ‘Like a lover would look at the woman he can’t wait to be alone with?’ h
e asked provocatively.

  He’d meant to mock her out of her prudishness. Instead his words backfired by conjuring up images his overeager libido latched onto with alarming eagerness. ‘I’m a red-blooded male, glikia mou. When I hold your hand in public there will be no doubt that I’ve known what it feels like to have it on my body. When I stroke your skin like this—’ he gave in and trailed the back of his hand across her cheek and, thee mou, it was as smooth as he’d imagined ‘—it’ll be clear that I do it with the familiarity of having known every inch of it.’

  ‘Even if you don’t?’ Her breathlessness only fed the hunger inside him. So did the faint quivering of her skin beneath his touch.

  He told himself he was merely demonstrating the importance of her role. It was why he slid his hand slowly up her arm, over the silken landscape of her bare shoulder, to rest his fingers against her pulse. ‘Now I know how your skin feels,’ he murmured, then, because he simply couldn’t resist, he trailed his forefinger up her throat to caress her jawline. ‘And I know how fast your pulse races when I touch you.’

  She made the faintest sound as a tremble rippled through her body. But she didn’t step away, and he didn’t withdraw. They remained like that, caught in a moment Xandro didn’t want to admit was perplexing the hell out of him. Her lips parted on another unsteady breath. And, with a magnetic pull he couldn’t resist, his eyes dropped to her plump lips. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and arousal punched him hard in the gut.

  And then, because his hunger in that moment overruled everything else in his life, he speared his fingers into her hair and slanted his mouth over hers.

  Her lips remained closed against his for challenging seconds, but Xandro didn’t care. He was busy sampling the velvety smoothness of her bottom lip, following the sensual curve with his tongue over and over before nipping it with his teeth.

  Her tiny jerk was a clarion call to his groin, the puff of breath that washed over his cheek an invitation to repeat the little act. He nipped again, firmer, and earned a gasp that parted her lips perfectly for the insistent slide of his tongue. Angling her head, he breached the sweet barrier of her lips, felt her tongue dart out against his. There was an innocence in the act that, cultivated or not, intensified his hunger. He chased after more of it, flicked his tongue against hers and felt another shiver move through her.