Bought For Marriage

Dione nodded faintly, her lips clamped together. When it was put to her like that she realised it was probably true. The love she felt for Chris wasn’t like the stuff you read about, but she had been happy enough—until she heard that he’d been seen with his ex-girlfriend!

‘Oh, Dione, is that really the answer? I don’t want you to be unhappy like I was with my first husband, like your mother was.’

‘I’d be happier with Chris than Theo Tsardikos,’ said Dione quietly.

‘Theo’s a good man. His offer is a lifeline to your father. In fact it might save his life. The doctors are very fearful today.’ There were tears in Phrosini’s eyes. ‘And if he doesn’t recover…well, your father’s always wanted me to carry on the business if anything should happen to him.’

Meaning she would be letting them both down. Put like that, how could she refuse? Dione breathed in deeply, closed her eyes, then took the plunge, hating herself for it but knowing it was something she had to do.

‘OK—I’ll—marry him.’ Her words floated in the air like a storm cloud threatening to bear down and drown her in a black deluge of unhappiness.

Phrosini hugged her tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks. ‘My precious child.’

There was nothing precious about it, thought Dione, but she made up her mind there and then that Theo Tsardikos would not get it all his own way. This marriage would be on her terms.

He was savagely handsome, quite the best-looking man she’d ever seen—tall, with a perfectly honed body and long-fingered, well-manicured hands. It was one of the first things she’d noticed about him. But it didn’t mean that she would eagerly jump into his bed. Quite the opposite! She would be a good and dutiful wife in every other respect. She would cook for him, entertain for him, accompany him whenever necessary, but nothing more.

Maybe this was what he wanted her to be—a good hostess? A man in his position would need someone at his side on special occasions.

And who was she trying to kid?

She had seen the way he looked at her, the way his eyes had raked insolently over her body, and she had known what he was thinking, even though she’d done her very best to ignore it.

Already she was beginning to lament her decision but her father was overjoyed when they went back to tell him, his eyes brightening and becoming alert and interested. ‘My darling daughter! You won’t regret this, I promise you.’

Dione wasn’t so sure.

She spent a sleepless night worrying about it, telling herself there was still time to back out, but then recalling her father’s pleasure. How could she deny him his dying wish?

As Dione sat outside Theo Tsardikos’ office for the second time in the same number of days her heart leapt with alarming violence. This was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done. Giving herself to a man she didn’t know was crazy. She had to be insane to do it.

And the man in question was taking great delight in keeping her waiting!

And the longer Dione waited the more irritated she became, until at last she jumped to her feet and prepared to leave. She couldn’t do this, not even for her father’s sake. No one knew the courage it had taken her to come here this morning; courage that was fast deserting her.

‘Leaving, are we?’

Dione spun round at the sound of a deep, gravelly voice and looked into a pair of amused dark eyes. ‘I’d begun to think you didn’t want to see me. I’ve sat here for twenty minutes.’

‘I’m a busy man, Dione. And you did arrive without an appointment. But now I’m all yours. Do come in.’ And he touched a hand to her arm as he led her into his office.

It was a large, airy room with a wooden floor and pale grey walls hung with photographs of his various hotels. His desk was in front of the massive window with its views over Athens, and in one corner was a trio of armchairs. Against another wall was a series of bookcases. It was clean and clinical and efficient. Like the man himself.

She headed towards the desk, prepared to sit in the seat opposite him, as she had before, but instead he steered her towards the armchairs. ‘We’ll be more comfortable here.’

Dione did not want to be comfortable; she wanted to say what she had to say and get out quickly. Not the right sort of thought when Theo was her prospective husband—though actually she was hoping that he’d had a change of heart. A hope that was quickly dashed when he flashed his wolfish teeth.

‘Can I presume that the reason you’re here is to declare that you’ll marry me after all?’

Two pairs of brown eyes met and warred, and Dione was the first to look away. ‘I’d like to be able to say no,’ she snapped, ignoring the stammer of her heart. This man was lethal. Deadly attractive but a danger all the same.

‘You’re a free agent.’ The words were tossed lightly and dismissively into the air and Dione gained the impression that he couldn’t care less. That this was all some sort of game to him.

‘Meaning you’ve changed your mind?’ she enquired sharply, mentally crossing her fingers that this was so.

‘Not at all.’ It was a simple, matter-of-fact answer; he was giving her no help whatsoever. In fact he was enjoying her discomfort.

‘In that case,’ she said in a voice not much above a whisper, ‘I’ll do as you ask.’

‘I’m sorry, I can’t hear you.’

Damn the man! A satisfied smile played about his sculpted lips and his eyes were filled with amusement. She felt pretty sure that he had heard. He just wanted to hear her say it again. He liked seeing her squirm.

‘I said, I’ll do as you ask.’ There, was that loud enough for him? She’d projected the words as though she was throwing a missile, hoping they’d smash into his face and wipe some of the pleasure off it.

No such luck! His smile widened and deepened and he leaned forward and took her hands into his. ‘There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?’

Dione huffed and said nothing.

‘You’re not happy?’

‘No, I’m not.’

‘But I’m guessing your father’s delirious?’

‘He was pleased, yes.’

‘He must really have hit rock-bottom.’

Dione flashed furious dark eyes at him. ‘He has, and he’s in hospital fighting for his life because of it.’

Theo frowned. ‘I didn’t know that.’

‘There’s a lot about my father you don’t know.’

‘And a lot I do,’ he growled. ‘He’s unscrupulous. I bet he had no hesitation in saying you should marry me. How he could have produced a daughter like you I don’t know.’

‘How do you know I’m not unscrupulous too?’ she riposted, wishing she could jump up and run. This was the most humiliating experience of her life.

‘I’m good at reading people.’

‘How do you know that if I marry you I won’t take you for every penny you’ve got?’ she slammed at him.

‘Because I’ve already had a contract drawn up. I—’

‘You’ve what?’ interjected Dione in horror. ‘You were that sure I’d say yes?’

‘Absolutely,’ he agreed, stretching out his long legs and linking his hands behind his head.

He looked so relaxed she wanted to take a swipe at him, knock some of that pleasure off his damnably handsome face. ‘You bastard!’

Theo’s well-shaped brows rose. ‘Tut, tut, Dione! Here was I, thinking you were a lady.’

‘You bring out the worst in me,’ she savaged.

‘It’s not all I plan to bring out in you,’ he said with a cruel smile. ‘Let’s get down to business. You are here to say that you will marry me in return for me bailing your father out of trouble?’

Dione swallowed hard, ignored the little voice inside her head that told her to get up and run, ignored the thought of a nice, safe English marriage to Chris Donovan, and nodded.

His lips curved in satisfaction. ‘I never thought I’d say this, but your father’s a very lucky man, do you know that? Not many girls would do this for their father. Pray tell me, why do you love him so much? Or is it perhaps because you fear him?’ He saw the flicker in her eyes and nodded. ‘He has you in the same stranglehold as everyone else. I pity you, Dione, having a father like that, though I applaud what you are doing.’

‘Only because it’s in your favour,’ she snorted, deeply annoyed that he had summed up the situation so correctly. Did everyone know that her father was a control freak?

‘As I said, I’ve had a contract drawn up; all you have to do is sign it.’ He rose from the chair and strode across to his desk.

Dione watched, her heart aching with a pain she had never felt before. Sorrow, anger, despair. Not that she let Theo see any of this. When he returned to his seat she lifted her chin and sat that little bit straighter. ‘I have a few stipulations of my own before I sign anything.’

Dark brows rose. ‘Are you in any position?’

‘I think I am.’

He lifted broad shoulders. ‘I beg to differ on that point, but go ahead. Unless, of course, you’d like to read my contract first? You might be pleasantly surprised.’

Dione privately doubted it, but maybe she ought to take a look before she jumped in with her own criteria.

It wasn’t a long document, but in essence it gave him full power to treat her as he liked in return for helping her father out of his financial troubles. ‘To become my wife in every sense for as long as I desire,’ were the words that sprang out from the page.

Not on his life!

She thrust it back at him. ‘No! Absolutely no!’

‘To what exactly?’ he enquired insouciantly. He had clearly expected her denial and was now going to take great pleasure in having her spell it out to him.

‘I will not go to bed with you.’ When all her friends had been sleeping around Dione had kept her virginity, saving it for the man she would eventually marry—someone she loved and respected. She had thought Chris that man until very recently. But she was definitely not giving herself to Theo Tsardikos. Not ever! ‘Nor will I remain married to you for longer than one year,’ she added stormily. ‘In all other respects I will be your wife.’

‘There are no other respects,’ he growled. ‘A wife is a wife. A wife spends time in her husband’s bed. A wife pleasures her man.’

‘A wife also cooks and cleans and entertains.’

‘I have people to do that sort of thing,’ he answered dismissively. ‘It’s a bed companion I want and I think you’ll fit the bill admirably. You’re beautiful, you’re spirited, you’re caring. What more could a man ask for? But—maybe I can agree to your condition.’

Theo smiled to himself. It had never been his intention for them to sleep in separate beds. On the other hand it would be interesting trying to change her mind. In fact, the chase could be as enjoyable as the kill.

He had wanted her from the first second he saw her. She was quite the most striking and intriguing woman he’d ever met. He had dreamed about her last night, and what an exciting lover she had been! If dream became actuality, however…His gut twisted at the very thought.

In one respect he felt sorry for Dione, and the pressure Keristari had put on her. He wanted to make their sham of a marriage reality; he wanted her to learn to love him as a woman should love a man, not to marry him under duress and out of loyalty to her father. Keristari was a man whom no one liked except for his very loyal wife. Phrosini deserved a medal for putting up with his bullying ways.

What had happened, he wondered, between him and Dione’s mother? Clearly she hadn’t tolerated his dictatorial manner; she had got out while she could. And good for her! Maybe Dione would tell him the story one day.

‘So do you intend drawing up another contract?’ she asked him now, her chin determinedly high, her lovely, liquid brown eyes revealing her distaste of what was about to happen.

Lord, he wanted to take her into his arms and assure her that everything would be all right. That he wasn’t an ogre, that he wouldn’t hurt her. And that he admired what she was doing. But that wasn’t part of the game.

He was frankly appalled that she would marry him simply to please her father and drag him out of the mire he’d got himself into. It was misplaced loyalty as far as he was concerned.

Naturally he was sympathetic towards Keristari’s illness, but that didn’t change him from the bullying tyrant he’d always been. And even in his illness he was controlling all those around him. It was no way to behave towards your loved ones. He did not deserve their devotion.

He was so angry with the man that his tone was sharply aggressive when he answered her question. ‘Naturally. I will have it ready for your signature this afternoon.’

Dione’s head jerked as she stared at him wild-eyed. ‘So soon?’

‘Why wait?’ he asked smoothly. ‘I don’t imagine your father will want to drag this thing out. If he’s in as much trouble as you say he’ll want the money now. But no marriage, no funding! Shall we set the wedding for Sunday? Is two days enough for you to get your head round it?’

CHAPTER THREE

THEO almost laughed when he saw the consternation on Dione’s face.

‘Two days?’ she choked. ‘You can’t wait to get your hands on me, is that it? Damn you, Theo Tsardikos! Damn you to hell.’

Lord, wasn’t she gorgeous when she was angry? He felt his testosterone levels rising and it was all he could do not to drag her into his arms and kiss her senseless. ‘I was thinking of your father’s money,’ he answered, amazing himself at his coolness when inside he was on fire.

‘I bet you were,’ she snapped. ‘I’ve seen the way you look at me. But don’t forget, we shall have a piece of paper forbidding you to touch. And heaven help you if you renege.’

What a spirited person she was. What an exciting woman. His male hormones danced all over the place. ‘I wouldn’t dream of it,’ he said slowly, levelly. ‘Anything in that direction will have to come from you.’

‘Then you’ll wait till hell freezes over,’ she tossed cruelly.

He folded his arms across his chest, dropped his head to one side and studied her. ‘You’re amazing, do you know that?’

‘Amazing?’ she scoffed. ‘I’m simply telling you how it is. This is a business contract. Nothing more, nothing less, and you’d best remember it.’

‘I will remember,’ he told her. Whatever happened between him and this intriguing young lady, whether they made a success of the marriage—wishful thinking—or it failed abysmally—more like it—it would stay in his memory for the rest of his life.

‘Good,’ she snapped, standing up, and with another flash of her lovely dark eyes she headed for the door.

He did not want to let her go yet—he wanted her to stay, to talk some more; he wanted to get to know this gorgeous creature better. But sanity told him to take things easy. In any case, she had to come back to sign the new contract. His lips quirked at the pleasure of seeing her again so soon. Perhaps at his home rather than here, where they could talk longer, get to know each other better.

And then on Sunday—she would be his!

He had a lot to organise, a lot of arrangements to make. No time to detain her. He walked to the door and bade her goodbye. ‘Till later, Dione. I’ll ring you when the contract’s ready. Will you be home?’

Dione glared into his face. ‘I have no idea.’

‘Then give me your mobile number.’ He half expected her to refuse; was surprised when she wrote it down without argument. He tucked the slip of paper into his pocket and held out his hand. She ignored it, spinning on her heel and rushing out of the office as though all the hounds in hell were chasing her.

Theo smiled to himself. He was rarely short of female company but no woman had appealed to him as Dione Keristari did now. She had turned up under the most distressing of situations; she’d been forced to approach him by her demanding father, but beneath her hostility, beneath the fear she had felt when confronting him, was a beautiful woman simply waiting to be loved.

Dione marched out of the office building with her mind in torment. Theo wanted from her exactly what she’d feared. A wife in every sense of the word! Thank goodness she’d been able to talk him around; though in actual fact she wasn’t totally convinced that he would keep his word. He was the sort of guy who if you gave him an inch would take a mile.

Not wanting to go back to the hospital yet, she took herself into the village where they lived near Athens, sat outside a café and ordered coffee.

It was hard to believe that Theo Tsardikos had expected her to become his wife in every sense of the word right from the moment the ring was put on her finger. Had he no idea what it would be like to let a complete stranger make love to her? She couldn’t even visualise letting it happen.

No, if he didn’t stick to his side of the bargain, she would walk away from the marriage regardless. And if Tsardikos demanded his money back then her father would have to find someone else to dig him out of the mire he’d got himself into. It was as simple as that.

Or so she told herself. In fact it wasn’t. She couldn’t let her father down. She had let herself down by agreeing to this marriage, but if Theo drew up the contract in accordance with her request then she couldn’t see anything going wrong. He was a man of his word, she felt sure, and, although he might enjoy goading her, he wouldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to do.

How long she sat there drinking coffee Dione wasn’t sure. A few people she knew paused to pass the time of day but by and large she sat there alone and tried to digest the very big step that she was going to take.

She had to phone her mother, of course. And Chris. But it wasn’t something she was looking forward to. Procrastination would be the name of the game here. Maybe after the marriage? When it was a fait accompli and they could do nothing about it. Was that too awful of her? But how could she tell them right at this very minute, when she had never felt so vulnerable in her life?

She had been driven into a corner by two scheming men, both of them as bad as the other. Twelve months was a lifetime when you weren’t happy. It was a prison sentence. Her head spun and she sat there for hours until Spiros, the owner, came to ask whether she was all right.

‘Dione, you sit here so long. You look very troubled.’

She had known him virtually all her life and smiled wanly. ‘My father’s ill,’ she declared. ‘I’m worried about him.’ If only it were that simple.

‘I am sorry. Please—give him my best wishes. I hope he is better soon.’

‘Me too, Spiros. Me too.’

The phone call came sooner than she expected and her heart jerked into overdrive at the sound of Theo’s deep, warm voice.

‘Dione, it is time. I will pick you up. Where are you?’

‘No!’ She almost spat the word. ‘There’s no need. I will come to your office.’

‘I’m at home,’ he told her, and Dione’s heart sank.

‘You—you want me to come to your house?’ How awful would that be!

‘I thought you would be more relaxed.’

‘If you think I’ll ever be relaxed marrying an arrogant beast like you then you’re very much mistaken,’ she told him boldly.

Theo laughed. ‘What a charming vocabulary you have.’ And then his voice hardened. ‘I repeat, where are you?’

Best not get on the wrong side of him, at least not until the money was safely in her father’s bank account, thought Dione. ‘I’m at Spiros’ Café. Do you know it?’

‘No.’

She hadn’t thought he would. It was not the sort of place he would use. ‘Give me your address and I’ll find my way there,’ she suggested coolly.

Theo made some sort of disagreeable grunting noise. ‘Take a taxi. I’ll see you soon.’

His villa was as large and impressive as she had imagined it would be, with the usual white stucco walls and red roofs but approached by a long drive and guarded like a fortress. She let the taxi drop her off at the gates and didn’t buzz to announce her arrival until the vehicle had gone. Then she walked up the drive, lined on each side by olive trees, and saw Theo waiting for her.

He had changed from his business suit into a pair of casual trousers and a white shirt that stretched across a broad, powerful chest previously hidden to her enquiring eyes. His arms were muscular and tanned and he looked like a man who wasn’t afraid of hard work. He also looked younger and less formidable but Dione knew that she must still be wary of him. This wasn’t a social visit; this was business with a capital B.

Never had Dione felt more like turning and running. In two days’ time this would be her home. She would live here with Theo; she would be his wife in the eyes of the law and every one of his acquaintances. But not in her eyes; never in her eyes! The marriage would never be consummated.

It was too embarrassing by far to ever tell anyone the real reason she was marrying Theo. For twelve months she would act as she’d never acted before, she would carry out her father’s wishes, but she would walk away at the end of it with her head held high, confident in the knowledge that Theo Tsardikos had not had his evil way with her.

The villa was spacious and airy and expensive—and beautifully furnished. She fell in love with it straight away. Although it was large it was not pretentious. Theo, she hated to admit, had excellent taste. ‘Why, this is lovely,’ she said, unable to help herself.

‘Wait until you see outside,’ he answered, leading her through the villa and looking pleased by her enthusiasm.

And there in front of them was the ocean. Tiered down to it was a series of swimming pools and sun decks, some sheltered by palms and other plants, others bearing the full brunt of the hot summer sun. It was paradise.

‘You have a perfect home,’ she told him reluctantly.

‘And it’s going to be your home as well,’ he said, turning to face her. ‘Do you still think you’re getting a bad deal?’

‘As far as my emotions go, yes,’ she told him truthfully. ‘But as far as my senses are concerned, this is sheer heaven.’ Her own home with her father was very beautiful but it would never match up to this. They had a pool, yes, but quite a small one in comparison, and they certainly didn’t have a sea view. Her father would be as jealous as hell if he only knew.

And she must remember that it was for her father that she was doing this. He was the one forcing her to live in this idyllic spot. Maybe it was wise if she didn’t tell him.

‘I’m glad you approve; it’s half the battle. Let’s get down to business, shall we?’

They returned indoors and in his study, a cool, air-conditioned room with very little in the way of furniture apart from a hugely functional desk and a couple of chairs, he handed her a sheet of paper.

Dione sat and read it and she was satisfied. He was demanding nothing from her that she was not prepared to give, apart from her time. The contract was to run for twelve months from the day they married, and after that she was free to leave. He would divorce her without question and he would deposit into her father’s bank account, the day after their marriage, whatever sum of money Yannis needed to build up his business again.

It was a very generous agreement under the circumstances, thought Dione. Theo was getting nothing out of it and it was costing him dear. There had to be a catch in it somewhere. But she read it through three times and it was all very straightforward. She took the pen he offered and signed. Theo countersigned.

And it was all done.

On Sunday she would become his wife.

All she hoped was that her father appreciated exactly what she was doing for him.

The day dawned with a cloudless blue sky and a hot sun powering down on them. Dione had still not telephoned her mother. She wanted to protect her parent, not let her worry and fear that in some incalculable way Yannis still had a hold over her. Jeannie never said much about him but Dione knew that she sometimes feared that her past would come back to haunt her.

And Dione had not seen Theo again either. A special delivery had revealed a stunning wedding dress in ivory silk and every accessory she would need to go with it. Dione guessed there had been some collusion with Phrosini because how could he have possibly known her size?