Mediterranean Tycoons: Masterful & Married: Marriage At His Convenience / Aristides' Convenient Wife / The Billionaire's Blackmailed Bride. JACQUELINE BAIRD
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up worrying, or some time after the fourth glass of champagne. ‘Where are we going or is that another surprise?’ she asked blithely.
Handing her into the back seat of a luxurious chauffeur-driven, air-conditioned car, Lucas lowered his long length in beside her, and, casually throwing his arm over her shoulders, he hauled her into his side. ‘We are going to the latest Karadines luxury hotel complex, about an hour’s drive up the coast from Athens.’ He looked down into her flushed, beautiful face and his eyes gleamed with triumph, and something else Amber was too inebriated to recognise.
‘Does that suit you?’ he asked with an indulgent smile.
Lucas Karadines could afford to be indulgent. He congratulated himself as he settled her pliant body more comfortably against him; his long fingers lightly squeezed her upper arm. He had her. Amber was here in his car, in his country, and tomorrow she would be his in every way known to man. ‘Amber?’ he queried, but her eyes had closed and she was fast asleep.
Amber’s eyelids flickered half open and closed again. She nuzzled her head into the warm human pillow, blissfully aware of Lucas’s arms enfolding her in a warm embrace.
She opened her eyes again, and let her lips brush against the strong brown column of his throat. Her tongue flicked out, and tasted the warm, smooth skin. Amber breathed in the familiar masculine scent of him and sighed with pleasure. She felt the tightening of his fingers at her waist and stirred, tilting her head back to look up into his much-loved face. ‘Lucas,’ she murmured his name, still in that no man’s land between sleep and wakefulness.
Through half-closed eyes, she saw his dark head descending, the mobile mouth with just the hint of a smile, and her tongue stroked out over her softly parted lips in sensual anticipation.
His mouth covered hers, and she sighed her acceptance as his tongue gently explored the soft dark interior, and she reciprocated. His lips were firm yet sensuous, his touch so light, she mused languidly. His strong hand closed over her breast, and she groaned, the nipple peaking in instant reaction to his touch. She snuggled closer and let her own hand drop to his thigh and gently stroke upwards. She heard his hiss of breath and felt his instant reaction. His long, hard body was savagely tense; her slender fingers traced the outline of his rampant arousal through the fabric of his trousers. His dark head bent and he muttered something violent in Greek and captured her mouth again with a raw passion, a ferocious urgency that took her by surprise. Her head swam and she could hardly breathe. Fire scorched through her veins. She heard him moan, and the blast of heat was overpowering. With a violent curse Lucas lifted his head. Amber surfaced abruptly from a whirlpool of passion.
A blast of hot air had invaded the air-conditioned interior of the car. The door was open…
‘Come on, you two, we are waiting.’ A deep masculine voice laced with laughter echoed in Amber’s head, and suddenly she was wide awake. Appalled at what she was doing, she jerked back and clasped her hands tightly together across her chest, staring into Lucas’s dark face with horrified golden eyes.
‘Christo! Don’t move,’ Lucas growled, his arms tightening around her, shielding his body with hers. ‘Give me a moment,’ he husked with one strong hand stroking slowly up and down her back, his breathing ragged. ‘You have the most damnable timing, Amber,’ he informed her, slowly withdrawing his arms from around her trembling body.
A rueful smile twisted his firm lips, but the heat in his hungry gaze as he stared into her upturned face was sent wild colour surging over her cheeks. Lucas still wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him. The realisation sent her into renewed shock.
‘I must have been drunk,’ she muttered, sliding back along the seat to her own side of the car, mortified that she had betrayed herself so publicly. For a moment she had travelled back in time to the younger Amber when she’d fallen madly in love for the first time and had believed her feelings were reciprocated. Hastily she lifted her hands and swept back the wild tumble of her hair behind her ears.
‘Then I will have to make sure I feed you champagne for the rest of our lives.’ Lucas drove raking fingers through his thick black hair, much the same as she had just done, and stared at her. Dark eyes met her bemused gold, his lips curved back over brilliant white teeth in a dazzling genuine smile, the like of which Amber had not seen in years, and her own eyes widened in wonder. ‘But if you keep looking at me like that I think the champagne may be superfluous,’ Lucas prompted softly. ‘Come on.’
It was a very subdued Amber that stepped out of the car. How had she imagined for a second that she could marry Lucas and not go to bed with him, when a simple smile had her panting? Her knees felt weak and she was actually grateful when Lucas slid a strong arm around her waist as he introduced her to the man who had so casually interrupted them.
‘This is Joe, my right-hand man, and tomorrow my best man.’
Amber looked up into the laughing grey eyes of the tall, brown-haired man. ‘How do you do?’ she said formally.
‘Great for having finally met you,’ he responded with a trace of an American accent.
‘You’re American,’ Amber said stiltedly. If she had not been feeling so embarrassed she would have immediately liked the man.
‘Greek-American and you are very English, and very beautiful, exactly as Lucas described you.’ He smiled broadly. ‘Pity he saw you first.’
‘Cut that out, Joe; the lady is mine,’ Lucas said possessively. Amber watched as the two men exchanged an expressive look, and then they were all entering the vast foyer of the hotel.
Immediately Amber’s family surrounded them, while Joe, with a few swift commands, had their luggage taken care of. Lucas confidently listed the features of the complex at Sir David’s request. Set in two hundred acres with its own golf course, shooting range, and private beach with every kind of water sport available, it was a holiday paradise. Private chalets were scattered all around the complex. But he had arranged for everyone to stay in a number of suites in the main hotel building, as it was more convenient.
Without a word Lucas took hold of Amber’s arm and led her towards a lift. The doors swung open as if waiting for his arrival and he urged her inside.
For the sake of something to say, Amber offered, ‘Joe seems a really nice man.’
The look Lucas cast her held a hint of wry acceptance and something more she did not recognise. ‘Implying I am not?’ he taunted gently.
‘I never said that.’ She tensed, suddenly feeling claustrophobic in the small enclosed lift.
‘Relax, Amber—I was joking. All the ladies like Joe. The trouble is, he likes all the ladies. All being the operative word.’ Lucas, his eyes glinting, flicked Amber a teasing glance, asking her to share his humour.
Lucas in a light-hearted mood was impossible to resist, and a reluctant smile parted her full lips. She could imagine Joe as a ladies’ man with no trouble. He had the good looks and easygoing charm, and the banter girls the world over fell for.
‘And of course you don’t,’ she mocked.
His hand reached out and caught hold of Amber’s, spreading her fingers as he threaded his own through hers. ‘No, I only want one.’ And the look he cast down was serious, his black eyes penetrating on her lovely face. ‘And I’ve got you,’ he murmured, leading her out of the lift. Amber was powerless to control the sudden acceleration in her pulse, or to deny his hand holding hers was oddly reassuring.
Twenty minutes later she stood in the centre of the elegantly furnished sitting room, and looked around in wide-eyed awe. ‘It’s magnificent, Lucas.’ She turned her beautiful face towards him and grinned. ‘It’s bigger than my cottage. I could live in here.’ He had just given her a tour of the suite. From the long balcony with magnificent views over the bay, through the stylish bedroom with a king-sized bed, from which she had hastily dashed out into the bathroom, with double shower and whirlpool bath all in the finest marble.
‘I’m glad you like it. My only regret is I cannot stop