Ruthless Revenge: Sinful Seduction: Demetriou Demands His Child / Olivero's Outrageous Proposal / Rafael's Contract Bride

‘Maybe you could market them,’ Iolanthe suggested. ‘Sell them through Petra Innovation.’

Niko hunched his shoulders, shooting her a dark look before looking away. ‘Father wasn’t interested in them.’

A lump rose in her throat, which she swallowed down. ‘I’m interested in them, Niko.’ Except she might not have a Petra Innovation to help develop her son’s interests and ambitions. ‘Alekos might be interested in them,’ she added. ‘Why don’t you show them to him?’

Niko shot one look at Alekos, still standing at the rail, and shook his head. ‘No.’

Iolanthe decided not to press. She knew that Niko was afraid of rejection, just as she was. Alekos might be whisking them away to his private island, but Iolanthe still didn’t trust what he wanted from them in the long term. What if, after a few days, he grew tired of them? Impatient with Niko’s quirks and bored of her? He’d certainly bored of her quickly the last time they’d spent any time together.

Trying to ignore the nerves now churning in her stomach, Iolanthe smiled at Niko and left him to his laptop. She’d brought a book but she didn’t feel as if she could concentrate to read. She closed her eyes instead, trying to enjoy the sun on her face and simply be.

She must have dozed off without realising because the next thing she knew Alekos was standing in front of her, blocking the sun, a hand on her shoulder. ‘You’ll get sunburned.’

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at him dazedly. With the sun behind him he looked dark and tall, forbidding and sexy. She pressed one hand to her cheek, shaking her head to try to clear the cobwebs. ‘I’m under the awning.’

‘The sun’s moved.’ Alekos cocked his head. ‘You’re going to have a red stripe down your face if you’re not careful.’

‘I put sun cream on,’ Iolanthe said as she moved farther under the awning. She didn’t relish the thought of sporting a ridiculous-looking sunburn.

‘Lunch will be ready in a few minutes,’ Alekos said as he slid onto the bench next to hers. His thigh nudged hers and Iolanthe felt her senses see-saw crazily from just that brief contact. She froze, unsure whether to inch away from him or act as if she hadn’t noticed.

‘When will we arrive at the island?’

‘Another hour or so.’ He turned a smiling glance on his son. ‘Still surfing the Internet, Niko?’ He spoke lightly but Iolanthe could see the worry in his eyes, feel it in the taut length of muscle next to her leg. He wanted to bond with Niko.

‘Yeah.’ Niko ducked his head, not looking at Alekos, and Iolanthe knew he didn’t want to tell Alekos about the apps because he didn’t want to risk scorn or derision. Lukas’s silent rejection of her child ran deep.

The member of Alekos’s staff who had been discreetly seeing to their needs on the yacht now called them to the aft deck where a table and chairs had been brought out, set for what looked like a lavish lunch.

‘This is amazing,’ Iolanthe murmured as Alekos pulled out her chair. She surveyed the spread of different pitas and dips, several fresh salads and a tray of roasted meat with appreciation.

‘Dig in,’ Alekos said lightly as he popped the cork on a bottle of sparkling wine and poured Iolanthe a very full glass.

She gave an uncertain laugh. ‘It’s the middle of the afternoon...’

‘We’re celebrating.’ Alekos’s eyes met hers, and she saw both heat and expectation in their tawny depths. The knowledge that he still desired her, that something might actually happen between them again, sent alarm bells jangling in her head and heat pooling low in her belly.

‘Why not?’ she murmured, and took the glass of bubbly from him.

Alekos sat opposite and served everyone from the different dishes, asking Niko what he preferred, keeping the conversation light and easy. Iolanthe watched out of the corner of her eye as the tension that had kept her son’s slight body rigid slowly eased. He didn’t talk much and he only picked at his food, but it was progress.

After they’d eaten Niko went to sit farther on the aft deck, facing the sea, watching the water churn and foam as the yacht cut smoothly through the water.

Iolanthe watched him with wry pleasure. ‘You’ve managed to pry him off his laptop.’

‘I think it’s most likely the surroundings rather than me,’ Alekos answered, topping up both of their glasses and leaning back in his chair.

Iolanthe already felt pleasantly relaxed and slightly muddle-headed from the wine. After the near-constant levels of stress of the last few months—or years, if she was honest—it felt rather wonderful.

And the surroundings Niko was currently enjoying were incredible—azure sky, lemon-yellow sun, and sparkling aquamarine water in every direction. ‘Still, it’s a blessing,’ she said as she took a sip of the sparkling wine. It was crisp and bubbly on her tongue. ‘And I’ve learned not to take those for granted.’ She spoke the words unthinkingly, too relaxed to guard her tongue, and Alekos swept her with a considering gaze.

‘How have you learned that, Iolanthe?’

Something about the way he said her name, taking his time with the syllables, made a tremor go through her. Just seeing him there sprawled in his chair, the T-shirt moulded to his chest and the board shorts emphasising his long, muscular legs, the wind ruffling his dark hair, caused another tremor. He was so beautiful, with his bronze skin and topaz eyes and air of utter masculine authority. Her gaze fell to his fingers cradling his wine glass and she remembered what those fingers had felt like on her body, touching her in secret places. Quickly she looked away.

‘I suppose it’s called growing up,’ she said with a wry smile. ‘Happens to everybody.’

‘Maybe,’ Alekos allowed. ‘But some people have to grow up more quickly than others.’

‘Like you did?’ She’d rather talk about him than herself, and in truth she was curious about his past and the few references he’d made to it.

‘Yes, I suppose I had to grow up fast,’ Alekos said. His voice was measured, a little wary.

‘Tell me,’ Iolanthe said. ‘Considering our...situation, we should get to know more about one another.’

Alekos looked as if he was about to resist but then he caught sight of Niko gazing out at the water and he said, reluctance audible in his voice, ‘What do you want to know?’

‘You said you lost both your parents when you were young.’

A terse nod. ‘My father left when I was four years old.’

‘You mean...he just walked out?’

‘That’s exactly what I mean.’ Alekos shrugged, rotating his glass between his fingers as he gazed down into its swirling depths. ‘Plenty of men shirk their responsibilities to their families. I never intend to be one of them.’

Guilt assailed her then, as piercing and accurate as an arrow. ‘That’s what you said...’ she began, and Alekos’s gaze narrowed.

‘When?’

‘Then. That night.’ And just like that the memory of that evening seemed to shimmer in the air between them, and Iolanthe felt her limbs tremble with weakness as desire flooded through her. How could it still be so strong, after all these years? After all the sadness? But maybe her reaction to Alekos was simply because she hadn’t felt desire or experienced male attention for a long, long time. For the entire length of her marriage.

‘Yes, I did say that then,’ Alekos said. His gaze was trained on hers, seeking, burning. ‘And I meant it.’

‘I’m sorry,’ she said quietly. ‘I hadn’t realised about your past...’

He shook his head. ‘I didn’t tell you. And the truth is...’ He glanced down at his glass again, his expression shadowed. ‘I didn’t act charitably towards you then. That night or after.’

Iolanthe could feel her heart bumping in her chest. She’d never expected Alekos, so cold and arrogant and unyielding, to admit even that much. Deciding the mood needed to be lightened, she gave him a small, wry smile. ‘Wait, was that actually an apology?’

He smiled back, slow and sensual, making her senses somersault. ‘Something like it.’

‘I’ll take it. Thank you.’ She took a deep breath. ‘And I didn’t act charitably towards you in keeping my pregnancy from you. I’m sorry.’

‘Apology accepted.’

Was it that easy? They’d said their apologies, they could draw a line across the past, and start afresh? Did she even want that? Confused by her own muddled feelings, Iolanthe took another sip of wine, gazing out at the horizon to keep from looking at Alekos with what she feared might be hunger in her eyes.

Being here with him like this, when he seemed warm and approachable and sexy, brought back too many memories. Wonderful memories, and other, awful ones corroded by confusion and hurt. Tangled together, they made her more uncertain than ever, not knowing how to feel.