Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume III Read online

  But until then, Ari knew, he was on his own.

  “So why did we lease this sailboat?” The schooner was thirty feet long and was fully loaded, including a two-man crew.

  “We leased the sailboat for appearances’ sake.”

  “Ah, right. Because Philippidis doesn’t already know that our family lumber company, and by extension our town, flat-lined four years ago.”

  He watched his brother frown at a scribble in the margins on page twenty-two of the contract. Ari suppressed the desire to explain what the attorney had meant, that perhaps they should consider amending the paragraph on the penalty for forfeiture.

  Oh, sure, he knew every last detail of the ongoing business discussions between Metaxas Limited and the Manolis Philippidis conglomerate. Not that it mattered. Troy was more than capable of taking care of things.

  Which meant he had a lot of time on his hands to…

  To do what, exactly?

  He wished their cousin Bryna had come, but she was busy holding down the fort back home. Now she would have known how to enjoy her surroundings. Too bad Troy hadn’t wanted to pick up the tab to bring her. So instead Ari had picked up a bunch of books and souvenirs to make her feel as if she’d been with them…

  He found his gaze trailing back to the villa patio. Activity. He picked up the binoculars to find a maid cleaning the table. She looked in his direction and then straightened and smiled at him. Ari narrowed his eyes, wondering where the woman he’d spotted before had disappeared to. Then again, she could very well have been a dream, because he had the distinct impression that he wouldn’t be seeing her again. Which was a shame, really. Because just looking at her had filled his mind with all kinds of ideas of things he might do with his time.

  “I’m going ashore,” he said suddenly, not even realizing that’s what he was going to say until the words were out.

  Troy barely registered his comment with a wave of his hand.

  Ari went down to the cabin to change, a curious purpose to his step…

  2

  GIVEN THAT THE ANCIENT city of Imerovigli clung to the mountain of volcanic rock, most of the structures in the older area predated modern transportation, so there were no drivable roads, and no roads meant no cars. There was only a seemingly never-ending zigzagging line of steep, cement stairs that wound around whitewashed houses with painted shutters and colorful potted flowers, and tiny churches with blue-painted domes. Elena knew that if she turned right, she could negotiate a snaking series of wide stairs that would eventually lead to a small harbor and the water’s edge. But that’s not where she was interested in going this morning, especially since that’s where she’d meet the skiff that would take her to the dinner on Manolis’s yacht later that evening. Instead, dressed in a simple, lightweight white linen tank dress, and carrying a designer straw bag that matched her hat and sandals, she headed in the direction of the town’s agora—the shopping district—where the locals purchased their produce.

  Immediately she noticed a difference between the touristy area she was used to and the residential area, although not because the houses were any less quaint or neat. No, indeed, they appeared even more brilliant in the rising sunlight. Instead, the changes were a little less perceptible. Narrower walkways, white-painted stone pavement. And the people she encountered were more Greek. White-haired men sat playing backgammon at small tables, drinking their morning coffee, while older women in aprons swept in front of their doors or watered plants with a hose.She nodded at the curious onlookers, offering up a Greek good morning here and there, walking on until she spotted a tented area ahead. She could virtually smell the scent of fresh lemons and peaches as she neared the area. The market bustled with the sounds of farmers hawking their wares, and locals carrying mesh bags or pushing metal carts as they bought what they would fix for dinner that afternoon.

  Elena slowed her step, picking up a fig here, fingering grapes there. Although she had no practical use for the produce since she had a generous gift basket back at the villa, she bought a quarter of a kilo of each fruit and placed the bags in her purse, stepping farther on down with the crowd that seemed to move in unison in some sort of dance to unheard music.

  “You do know that’s an aphrodisiac, don’t you?” A male voice tickled the side of her neck.

  Elena drew in a deep breath. The stranger had no accent, and the aroma of limes came not from the stall of figs she stood in front of, but rather from the man she felt standing behind her.

  “Really? I’d heard differently,” she said in response. “They’re reputed to be a great source of fiber.”

  A soft chuckle, then, “You’re American.”

  “You were hoping for something else?”

  She turned to face him then, nearly hitting him with the edge of her wide-brimmed hat as she did. She caught her breath for the second time as she stared into eyes the color of dark coals, noticing that his grin was as white as it was sexy.

  “You’re the swimmer,” she said almost breathlessly.

  “And you’re the peeping Thomasina from the cliff…”

  3

  THINGS WERE VERY definitely looking up.

  Having traveled widely, Ari had relatable experience to back up the saying “It’s a small world.” But running into the goddess he’d glimpsed on the villa patio ranked up as one of his favorite examples, if not the number one.His grin widened.

  He supposed that all depended on how the next few minutes went.

  Damn, but she was beautiful. Not in the traditional sense. Her features were a little too irregular for that. Her eyes a little too wide. Her mouth a little too full. But her naturally tanned skin was smooth and flawless, her breasts full under the light tank dress, her body slamming.

  Exactly the distraction he needed to fill his time.

  “You’re staring,” she murmured, hiding under her silly, wide-brimmed hat.

  “So are you.” He moved to her other side when she turned, pretending an interest in the figs even though he’d watched her buy a bag earlier. “First time in Greece?”

  “Actually, no.”

  “Do you live here?”

  “No.”

  “Same here. On both counts.”

  She turned toward him and he ducked around to her other side. They were coming up toward the end of the booths and he didn’t want to give her an easy escape. Not yet. Not until he’d taken his best shot and either scored…or died trying.

  For reasons he couldn’t quite fathom, the thought of letting her disappear into the ever-winding streets bothered him. It could be because of the somewhat fated way in which they’d come to each other’s attention. Or because, frankly, the thought of returning to the sailboat and watching his brother go over papers he’d long since memorized appealed to Ari about as much as the thought of watching paint dry. So he wasn’t going to let the opportunity in front of him slip through his fingers.

  “Have coffee with me,” he said.

  She blinked as if surprised by his invitation. The darkening of her lush olive-green eyes also indicated she was intrigued.

  “Listen, I’m not a guy who preys on tourists. And no, I’m not looking for a meaningless hookup.” Liar. “I just have some free time on my hands and I can’t think of anything I’d like better than to share coffee with a beautiful woman.”

  True enough.

  “I’d like that.”

  SHE WASN’T DOING ANYTHING wrong, Elena silently reasoned. She was merely resting her feet after walking longer than she’d anticipated in sandals designed more for looks than comfort. She could have just as easily been seated at the romantic cliff top café by herself.

  She tried to force a sip of strong Greek coffee down her throat, but it refused passage. Her body was reminding her that she wasn’t by herself. She sat opposite one of the hottest men she’d ever laid eyes on.God, she hadn’t even been aware that men came in size Ari. That is what he said his name was, wasn’t it? Ari? No last name. And he hadn’t asked for hers.

>   “Let’s just enjoy each other’s company. Nothing more, nothing less.” He’d leaned forward, meeting her halfway across the table. “You know, in case you were under the impression that I wanted to take advantage and ravish you at the first opportunity.”

  Elena felt her entire body go hot as she sat back in her chair. Still, she reminded herself that she wasn’t doing anything to be worried about. Still, she did worry. She looked at her tiny cup, telling herself she was not disappointed that the Greeks took their coffee in small doses.

  “Where else have you been in Greece?” he asked.

  Elena looked up as if surprised to hear him speak. He had a nice, deep baritone voice. “Athens. Rhodes. Olympia.”

  “Olympia? I’ve never been there. I’d like to go.”

  The way he said it made it sound as if he’d like to go with her. Which was ridiculous. She didn’t even know the man. Still, she seemed aware of him on a heightened level that was almost scary. She couldn’t seem to drag her gaze away, allowing it to travel freely from his longish dark hair that her fingers itched to touch, to his generous mouth that compelled her to lick her own lips, and his wide, tanned hands that he kept visible on the table between them, the backs of his fingers peppered with dark hair that looked soft.

  She cleared her throat. “You should. Visit Olympia, I mean.”

  His half smile seemed to indicate that he’d known what she’d been thinking…or rather, feeling. Only that was impossible.

  Unless he was experiencing the same almost electric connection she was.

  “Are you a swimmer?” he asked.

  Elena regarded him from under her lashes. “Why do you ask?”

  “You have the body of a swimmer. Long, sleek, toned.”

  His gaze skimmed over her body as he spoke. Elena’s reaction couldn’t have been more intense if he’d actually touched her. Her nipples tightened under the thin fabric of her dress, the crotch of her panties grew damp. “Um, no. I don’t get much chance to swim.”

  “So you’re from the northern States, then.”

  They’d agreed not to say what they were doing in Greece, or where they had come from. “Let’s stick to the here and now,” he’d said. She was amused that he seemed to be breaking his own rule.

  “Maybe,” she said.

  “It wasn’t a question.”

  “No. It wasn’t.”

  “And you didn’t ask where I was from.”

  She shook her head. “And I won’t be asking.”

  Although the banter between them was tame, her reaction to it was anything but. She liked the light, playful tone of their exchange. Especially since it seemed to disguise a deeper desire to know more.

  Do more.

  She nervously looked at her watch. Had they already been there for twenty minutes? It seemed incredible to think the time had gone so quickly.

  “Thank you for the coffee,” she said, reluctant to bring the interlude to an end but knowing she didn’t dare stay a minute longer.

  She began to get up. He rose to his feet as if used to rising as a woman entered or exited a room. Only they weren’t in a room. They were at an outdoor café.

  “My pleasure,” he said. “May I walk with you for a while?”

  Elena’s smile originated from someplace deep inside her chest. To be sure, there had been a few men in her past who had pursued her. But she’d never encouraged it. She’d never been tempted to.

  But with Ari…Okay, she fully admitted that she was enjoying their harmless flirtation.

  “I don’t know how I could possibly stop you.” She pushed the strap of her bag up to rest on her shoulder. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea to do it for long.”

  Not that she was worried about being seen with him. They were a couple of tourists taking in the magnificent sights. Nothing more. Nothing less.

  She felt a pang of what she could only identity as regret. If only that was what they truly were. A couple of carefree tourists indulging in simple conversation.

  But they weren’t, were they? She felt anything but casual. The combination of forbidden attraction and hunger for adventure swirled together within her, prompting her to look at Ari a little more than she might have otherwise as they slowly strolled back the way they’d come, past the outdoor vegetable market, down the narrow streets.

  “I wonder what this place was like a thousand years ago,” Ari said as if to himself, taking in the even narrower alleyways that led off the main path.

  Another time…another place…

  The words echoed in Elena’s mind.

  “I should think it wasn’t that much different,” she whispered, noticing the quickening of her pulse. “Minus electricity and cell phones, that is.”

  He slowed his steps, forcing her to do the same as they came to another shadowy passageway. Her palms grew damp along with other more delicate areas of her anatomy. “Do you think, back then, a man who wanted to kiss a woman would do so?”

  Elena’s mouth seemed to fill with sand as she glanced at an old woman sitting nearby knitting, and then the other way where a man walked up the lane with a cane. But it wasn’t truly their surroundings she was exploring, it was her own reaction to his suggestive question.

  She wanted him to kiss her, she realized with growing anticipation and near panic.

  “Right here in the open?” she whispered.

  She looked to see his gaze on her, his eyes tantalizingly dark and watchful. He was pure temptation personified. “Mmm. Perhaps he might have stolen a kiss in one of these shadowy passageways.”

  Elena looked down the alley in question, prepared, yet unprepared when he grasped her hand and tugged her into the dark cove with him. She gasped, only to have the sound muffled by Ari’s hot kiss…

  ARI WAS KISSING HER. Much as he’d been longing to do for the past half hour as he sat across from her, mesmerized by her pink lips, her bedroom eyes, her supple skin, her soft curves. And the reality of pressing his mouth against hers far surpassed his fantasies.

  He’d planned nothing more than a teasing peck. To pull her into the cove and sample a brief taste of her mouth. Feel the texture of his tongue against hers for a stolen moment. But as she opened up to him like a fragrant island gardenia, stretching her slender neck up so she could match his height, breathing in a labored way that found her breasts brushing against his chest every other second, his plan shattered, replaced by one far more ambitious…far more erotic.What was it about this one woman that made him want to forget his name? Erase the reason why he was in Greece and create a completely different scenario? Forget that, although they were momentarily concealed from public view, they were still very much out in the open. But, damn it, he couldn’t help himself.

  He backed her against a cool wall, pressing his knee between hers until he could feel her heat against his thigh. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. He feared that he’d gone too far and prepared to move away from her. Had he pushed too hard? Taken things too fast?

  Then her bag dropped to the pavement with a dull thud and she was pulling him to her, as caught up in the moment of reckless passion as he was.

  Christ, she was beautiful. And she felt so very good pressed against him. Ari restlessly moved his hands over her, from her neck to her chest, down her outer thigh and then her inner. She deepened their kiss, the licks of her tongue growing more urgent, hungrier as she moved her head back and forth, causing her hat to fall off, her hair to tumble around her bare shoulders like silken cords.

  Ari worked his fingers under the hem of her dress, pushing the fabric up, drinking in the hot, silky feel of her inner thigh with his thumb until the backs of his fingers met with the soft cotton of her panties.

  He groaned at the intense need that filled him inside and out at the thought that if he wanted, he could bury his hard length in her right here, right now.

  “Please,” she whispered against his mouth. “I…this…”

  Ari kissed her harder. Although she might be forming an objec
tion with her words, he took comfort in the fact that her body was putty in his roving hands.

  He flicked his thumb against her panties, finding the material damp from her juices, her clit stiff and swollen.

  Damn…

  Her fingers dug into his shoulders as if holding on for dear life, even though he had her braced against the wall with his body. One strap of her dress drooped over her shoulder and he leaned down to kiss the stretch of skin there.

  She tasted like sunshine and need. And Ari couldn’t get enough of her.

  He urgently pushed the material of her panties aside, delving his fingers into her wet, shallow channel. She gasped and went limp in his arms, her entire body seeming to shiver with desire.

  Had he ever known a woman to be so responsive? So uninhibitedly open to his advances? He couldn’t have said through the fog that crowded his mind. All he could concentrate on was her and his growing need to be deep inside her.

  “Please…please,” she said again, shaking her head weakly. “I…can’t.”

  Against his own wishes, Ari removed his hands from the lush garden between her legs. Her skirt instantly fell down to cover her as he cupped her face in his hands, the succulent scent of her sex filling his senses.

  “Why?” he whispered, kissing her deeply.

  Confusion and another emotion he couldn’t immediately identify mingled with the passion on her face.

  “I’m spoken for.”