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Uncapping the tube, she squeezed lotion into her palm and then, reaching for his hands, slowly massaged it into his stiff fingers. His sigh of relief made her heart melt.
‘I knew you would be perfect,’ he said, then tossed her a cheeky wink.
Odessa burst into laughter just as heavy footfalls approached.
Ares froze when he saw them. His fierce expression made her fingers tremble. Sergios glanced up too, either oblivious to or totally ignoring the tension as he smiled.
‘You’re too late. I have a new apprentice. And, ne, before you ask, she’s doing a much better job than you.’
Ares snorted at his father, but the look he pierced her with a second later was intense. Protective and probing far too deep. Odessa wasn’t surprised at all when he pulled up a chair, sat down and proceeded to scrutinise every second of her ministrations.
If it wouldn’t have risked upsetting the old man, she would have asked Ares to explain that look that seemed to say he possibly approved but was deeply wary too. She would have assured him that he had nothing to fear. That she wouldn’t let him down.
‘Efkharisto, mikros,’ Sergios said, startling her.
‘Parakalo, Sergios,’ she responded automatically, her thoughts still consumed by Ares.
Ares drew in a sharp breath, covered by his father’s pleased laughter.
‘See? She’s learning our language. Very soon she will be fluent.’
‘So I see,’ Ares responded a little gruffly. ‘We should go and get changed. Dinner will be served soon.’
Again, he didn’t coerce her towards his side of the suite when they returned upstairs, and throughout dinner he remained introspective, casting her heavy-lidded looks that slowly wound up her nerves until it was a relief to be done with coffee and dessert. To escape, despite knowing she’d still be dwelling on why Ares had seemed so eager to kiss her at the pool but didn’t want to insist on his conjugal rights.
Had he changed his mind in the short time he’d been gone?
Unable to bear the tension any longer, she rose. ‘I’m heading upstairs. Goodnight, Sergios. I’ll see you in the morning.’
Ares’s gaze bored harder into her, compelling her to look at him. When she did, his eyes raked her face, his hunger blatant.
‘I’ll be up in an hour.’
Her heart stumbled in her chest at the thick promise in his voice. Maybe he hadn’t changed his mind...
She was berating herself for how eager she was, how she couldn’t quite catch her breath because of the excitement fizzing in her veins, when he walked in.
His first words hacked that foolish excitement to pieces.
‘My father is important to me, Odessa. Hurt him and you’ll never know peace in this lifetime.’
Now her heart lurched for another reason, shrinking in her chest as she watched him prowl towards her. As much as it hurt to know he could think that of her, a part of her understood. She would have given her left arm to possess the kind of connection Ares and Sergios had with either of her parents. Would have protected it zealously with everything she had, the way he did with his father.
‘I won’t. I promise.’
Surprise flared in his eyes. His hands went to his shirt and he started to unbutton it with his gaze still fixed on her. ‘You made another promise once. You broke it,’ he drawled, almost reluctantly, his usual sharpness muffled. As if he wanted to wish it away but couldn’t.
Maybe she could help?
She licked dry lips. ‘Shall we talk about that?’
His gaze stayed on hers for a moment, before drifting down her body. ‘Maybe later. Right now I’m in need of something else. Something that will guarantee our deal stays on track.’
Her nipples tightened at the raw hunger in his voice, even as her heart squeezed at his refusal to hear her out. To let her attempt to state her case for her actions all those years ago.
But he was tossing his shirt away, closing the gap between them with savage intent in his every step. And she could only draw a long, deep breath, hoping to replenish her lungs before he snatched it away. Because his hands on her body would do just that—drive her out of her mind until she didn’t know whether she was coming or going.
He grasped her waist after discarding his loafers and trousers and picked her up as if she weighed nothing. A second later she was pinned against the bedroom wall, their faces a mere inch from one another as he speared her with his gleaming eyes.
