Australia: Gorgeous Grooms: The Andreou Marriage Arrangement / His Prisoner in Paradise / Wedding Night with a Stranger. HELEN BIANCHIN
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NINE
LOUKAS’ words ‘have fun’ echoed in Alesha’s mind as Cristos drove to Voula, collected Angelina, Daria and Lexi, and headed towards one of several elite shopping areas in the city where designerwear graced exclusive boutiques.
Angelina and Daria quibbled and clicked their tongues as one gown after another was submitted for their approval … or not. Mostly it was not.
‘Don’t despair,’ Lexi encouraged quietly. ‘They both have excellent taste.’
And no regard whatsoever to cost, Alesha perceived, and gave up figuring the exchange conversion.
By comparison, it made shopping for the dress in Sydney with Lacey seem like a breeze.
‘Lunch,’ Daria announced. ‘After which Cristos will take us on a tour of the city until the shops reopen.’
Although Alesha had explored some of the tourist sights with her parents during her last visit to Athens, it proved interesting to revisit familiar places and hear a different perspective of the history. Tales passed by word of mouth through the generations, doubtlessly distorted by the passage of time, but there was a sense of admiration that some of the buildings had been painstakingly assembled without benefit of machinery so long ago.
To pass over ground trodden by an ancient civilization, where the blood of her ancestors had been spilt, and heretics were put to death.
Modern roads, homes, industry now covered ground that had once been barren. If one possessed an overly vivid imagination, it was almost possible to hear the thunder of galloping horses, the roar of men as they went into battle, the clash of swords.
A return to the city streets where some of the most famous shops were located ensured forays into a few, where recognition of the Andreou name resulted in almost obsequious attention.
‘Today we look, we compare,’ Angelina confided. ‘Anything of particular interest we request a twenty-four-hour reserved hold. Tomorrow we return and decide.’
It was late when Cristos departed from the Andreou home in Voula and headed north to Kifissia.
All Alesha had to show for the day was one glossy designer-emblazoned bag.
She thanked Cristos when he deposited her outside the front door of Loukas’ home, greeted Hera on entering the foyer, then she ran lightly upstairs to their suite, toed off her shoes, undressed and ran a bath where she luxuriated in a leisurely scented soaking before emerging to dry off and don a towelling robe.
Loukas entered the room as she caught the length of her hair and twisted it into a loose knot, which she fixed in place with a large clip.
‘Hi, you’re home,’ she offered as he crossed the room to her side. The mere sight of him, his presence, invaded her senses, and her insides felt in serious danger of melting into an ignominious puddle as he framed her face and took her mouth with his own in a lingering kiss.
‘You shared an enjoyable day?’
Alesha rolled her eyes. ‘Do you have any idea how the female members of your family shop?’
‘That bad, huh?’
‘Don’t you dare laugh,’ she threatened.
‘I wouldn’t dream of it.’ He rested light hands on her shoulders. ‘Which ache the most … feet or shoulders?’
‘Both,’ she said succinctly, and almost groaned as his fingers sought out the kinks and knots and began to ease them with an expertise for which she could only thank him.
Heaven … he could have been a masseur in another life.
‘Should I ask how many purchases have been made?’
‘Shoes,’ she offered. ‘Even though I have a perfectly suitable pair of my own.’ She lifted a hand, then let it fall to her side. ‘Your mother has offered me her lace wedding veil.’
‘I believe it’s exquisite.’
‘I thought this would be simple.’
‘Shopping to my mother, Daria and Lexi is an art form,’ Loukas assured her solemnly. ‘And accorded due reverence.’
‘Tomorrow we take up where we left off.’ She turned slightly to look at him. ‘There’s no chance I can take a rain check and spend the day with you in the city office?’
‘It would be more than my life is worth.’
‘You’re kidding me? The powerful omnipotent Loukas Andreou bows down to the three women in his life?’
‘Four,’ he corrected with an amused smile. ‘You neglected to include yourself. And shopping, in this instance, is of the utmost importance.’
‘I shall think of ways to make you pay,’ she threatened with dire emphasis, and heard his husky laugh.
‘Sounds interesting.’
‘Is this second wedding, for want of a better word, scheduled to happen soon?’
‘Early next week, I believe.’
‘You mean, you don’t know for sure?’
‘Tuesday has been mentioned.’
She could do this. The trick was to be more assertive and not allow the Andreou women to make all the decisions.
‘Is there any social engagement I should be aware of?’
‘A fundraiser on Saturday evening for a worthy charity Andreou has sponsored for a number of years.’
Consequently attendance would be expected together with the gift of a sizable donation. Which meant an Andreou bride would garner considerable interest.
But then, hadn’t Loukas also drawn attention as her husband at a similar charitable event Karsouli supported in Sydney?
Wealthy tycoons were known to donate generously to worthy charitable causes. Most chose to give something back, with time and money for those genuinely in need. Committees organized events, provided entertainment and a three-course meal including alcoholic beverages … and charged accordingly.
It gave the social elite an opportunity to select designer gowns, wear their jewellery, be seen and the chosen few to appear in the media social pages.
‘How was your day?’ She hadn’t thought to ask, and he removed his hands as she turned to face him.
‘Busy. Constantine is considering semi-retirement. It means reshuffling a few executive staff, selecting suitable replacements and aligning a technical infrastructure I can oversee from Sydney.’
‘And you’re okay with his decision?’ It would mean a heavier workload, possibly a reasonably regular commute between Sydney and Athens.
Would she accompany him? Somehow the thought of remaining in Sydney alone didn’t hold much appeal. She’d miss his presence … sharing her bed, the pleasure of his touch through the night. Dammit … she’d feel as if a part of her were lost.
For a moment she couldn’t think. Where had that come from? It meant she cared … when she’d silently sworn not to become emotionally involved.
A hollow laugh rose and died in her throat.
Sure, like that isn’t the joke of the year!
‘It’s inevitable, given he’s reached his early sixties.’
For a moment she looked at him blankly, for she’d lost the thread of their conversation.
She glimpsed the faint gleam in his dark eyes as he lifted a hand and traced light fingers down the vee of her robe, loosened the ties at her waist, then he shaped the slight weight of her breasts.
‘Beautiful,’ he complimented gently. He lowered his head and brushed his lips to each in turn, then he