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'Keep your voice down.' She had not seen the cabin steward approaching. 'The world does not need to know of your childish grumbles.' Leo surveyed her with angry dark eyes. 'I don't find marriage any more agreeable than you do, but it is a necessity. Remember that...' The hard implacability of his tone brooked no argument, and she made none.
Leo ordered a whisky from the steward, adding, 'No alcohol for my wife. A cup of tea, perhaps?' He cast a sidelong, enquiring glance at Jacy.
'Nothing,' she snapped and, avoiding his eyes, she picked a magazine from the table in front of her and was soon deeply engrossed in an article on the European Community and the likelihood of the ECU eventually becoming the sole European currency. When she had finished she looked up and found Leo watching her, a strange expression in his eyes.
'You loved your work, didn't you?'
I still do,' Jacy said bitterly, recalling the way he had calmly walked into her managing director's office last Wednesday afternoon and informed her boss she was leaving immediately.
They had argued all the way back to her mews cottage until finally Leo had snarled, 'You are carrying my child, albeit reluctantly. There is no way I am letting you out of my sight until the birth. I don't trust you.'
Knowing he actually believed she would try to get rid of the baby at the first available opportunity hurt her more than she was prepared to admit, and his closing comment, 'Think of Tom,' shut her up completely.
Dismissing her troubled memories, she glanced briefly at Leo and caught a glimpse of something oddly like compassion in his brown eyes, but it was angry resentment that made her answer his question spitefully. 'Hopefully in twelve months' time I will return to it, if not before.'
Long fingers caught her chin. 'Dismiss that idea from your mind; as my wife, you will stay by my side.' And she sensed it wasn't his side he had in mind. His face was much too close to her own, and with only a few inches between them she was vitally aware of his raw masculine appeal...
'Chauvinist,' she flung bitterly.
'I'm Greek; where my wife and child are concerned I freely admit to being chauvinistic. But you will not find me totally unreasonable. Mine is a large company; if at some later date you wish to work I will find something for you. Failing that, your boss has assured me he will quite happily give you some consultancy work, when you are able to do it.'
She was surprised and oddly flattered that Leo had actually discussed her resuming work with her boss, but she had no intention of telling him so.
'Am I supposed to thank you?' she gibed, her eyes icy-cold. 'Well, I'm not that generous. You've got a wife and hopefully in a few months a child. But that is all you're getting from me.'
'What are you trying to do, Jacy?' he raked in an undertone, his dark eyes narrowed angrily on her pale face. 'Turn our marriage into a war of the sexes before it has even had a chance? Well, it won't work.' And with the hand at her chin forcing her head back against the seat he leaned across her, and pressed his mouth to hers; his teeth bit down on her bottom lip and her mouth opened to give him entry.
She didn't want to respond; she caught her breath, trying to fight back the flood of feeling that threatened to engulf her, but Leo, with a throaty chuckle, merely increased the pressure, while his other hand slipped the jacket of her classic cream Calvin Klein suit open to caress her breast through the fine silk of the pale peach camisole.
'Stop it,' she whispered breathlessly.
Leo released her and leant back in his own seat. 'You're right,' he agreed with a triumphant smile. 'I can wait until tonight.' And, lowering his gaze to her breasts, the nipples outlined in stark relief against the fine fabric of her blouse, he added, 'But I'm not sure you can.'
Her face flamed and, dropping her head, she quickly fastened her jacket, then turned to look sightlessly out of the cabin window.
The Kozakis villa was enormous, set within what seemed to be miles of white walls. The limousine that had collected them from Corfu airport whisked them between massive wrought-iron gates, and up a long drive to the magnificent entrance portico. Dozens of cars were parked all along the drive. It looked as if half the island had turned out for the party.
'You look a little flustered. Don't worry; it will be fine,' Leo said softly, helping her out of the car. 'Trust me.'
'It's only the heat,' she defended swiftly, trying to disguise the mounting tension she felt. On the drive from the airport she had been vividly reminded of her first visit to Corfu. She had forgotten how beautiful the place was, the rocky hillsides covered with olive trees, and, to her surprise, the ground covered in a million different colourful spring flowers. Then there were the quaint villages, perched in the most unlikely places, and overall a hot, sweet fragrance peculiar to the island. She had not realised April would be so hot, and the light wool suit that had been perfectly acceptable for London was sticking to her back with perspiration.
Meekly allowing Leo to lead her up the large white steps to the front door, she ruefully acknowledged that sitting for the best part of an hour in the back seat of the car with Leo hadn't helped. She was disturbingly aware of his every move as, with complete disregard for her presence, he had busied himself on the journey with a pile of papers from his briefcase. Now, with his hand firmly curving her elbow, he ushered her inside.
The next few hours were sheer hell. The diamond-studded gold band Leo had placed on her finger earlier was marvelled over by what seemed to Jacy to be a thousand people. She gave up trying to remember the names after the first fifty or so. She had shed her jacket, but even the brief camisole with the shoe-string straps was beginning to cling to her.
Leo's father asked her to dance and teased her unmercifully. I knew you would marry my son. It was in your eyes the last time we danced, but you denied it.' And, patting her stomach, he laughed uproariously. 'But my Leo, he is all man; he always gets what he wants.'
'What was my father saying to you, Jacy?' Leo came up behind her and, placing his arms around her waist, he turned her around to face him.
She explained indignantly, and Leo laughed with the same masculine triumph as his father.
'It's not funny,' she fumed, the heat, the music and the crowd of laughing people making her head whirl.
'Poor Jacy, you look as bewildered as the first time I met you on the beach a couple of miles from here.' And she felt it, she realised solemnly. 'You have nothing to worry about; my family adore you.'
I am surprised,' she drawled, nerves making her strike out at him sarcastically. 'I thought you Greeks only married virgins; I hardly fill the bill.'
His proud profile tautened. 'My father knows you were pure when we met. That is enough for him.'
