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CHAPTER THREE
THEDRIVEWAYGATES opened as soon as she keyed in the security code he’d given her, and when she pulled up in front of the stunning house she noted the door was open. It was one of the best areas of Athens, and he clearly felt confident with the security arrangements in place. A quick study of the façade showed several discreet cameras, which she suspected held a live feed to some data cloud somewhere, if not a real-time monitoring service.
She stepped out of the car with innate elegance, smoothing a hand over her dress, wincing a little as the late-afternoon sun cut through her like a blade. She shielded her eyes, scanning the house with interest, noting the mid-century modern architecture that put her in mind of a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, with carved balconies overlapping one another, part stone, part timber. The garden was breathtakingly lovely too. Formal and wild at the same time, the juxtaposition of conscious design elements was perfectly offset by rambling flowers and a canopy of trees that sheltered the drive. Grabbing her leather document wallet from the back seat, Tessa moved away from the car with an effort to keep her breathing steady.
She knew it might have seemed like overkill, but, having been married once before, Tessa could only go through with this if she knew she had complete control. It needed to be on her terms, and so she’d brought a sense of armour with her: a prenuptial agreement that would guarantee they could keep this marriage rational, despite the terms he’d stipulated.
This wasn’t going to be anything like her marriage to Jonathan, she reminded herself, poking her head through the doorway and looking around. Besides a pair of polished brown shoes, there was no sign of Alex.
‘Hello?’ she called out, clearing her throat and trying again, louder this time.
There was no reply. Clutching her phone in one hand, she moved deeper into his home, the click-clacking of her sandals on the tiles making her feel reassured and in command.
If it was possible, the interior of his home exceeded the exterior. The mid-century modern features continued internally, with tall ceilings, timber beams and glass everywhere, as well as a sunken lounge conversation pit, grey carpets meeting slate floors and light fittings that were like something out of The Jetsons.
She wove past an Eames armchair, black leather with moulded walnut wood, and then, through large timber-framed glass sliding doors, onto a pool area that was perfectly placed to take advantage of the views of Athens. But apart from a brief glimpse of buildings and the most stunning late-evening sky she’d seen in a long time, Tessa wasn’t capable of taking any further note of the details of his property, because Alexandros Zacharidis was swimming in said infinity pool, his powerful arms pulling him through the water as though swimming were as easy for him as walking was for her. Arms that had been shielded from her view that afternoon were now on full display, rippling, rounded biceps covered in rivulets of adoring water, glowing beneath the early evening sun, his skin golden—no, bronzed, like any of the sculptures of ancient Gods she’d admired at the museums. Her mouth was drier than the desert at full sun and her feet were planted to the ground, her heels no longer offering a reassuring clickety-clack as if they too were struck dumb by the sight of him like this.
As he reached the end of the pool he came to a halt, standing so his ridged pectoral muscles were on full display, his dark hair a pelt against his head until he shook it vigorously from one direction to the next, flicking droplets over the tiles, so Tessa instinctively stepped back rather than getting splashed. Her involuntary movement drew his attention and he turned to face her, a wolfish smile spreading slowly over his features.
‘You came.’ Was she imagining the mocking amusement beneath the benign words? Was she the only one who heard the double entendre?
He could have swum to the edge of the pool, where there was a perfectly good set of steps available, but instead Alex pulled himself out of the water right where he was, giving that magnificent body a chance to tighten as she watched, each muscle taut as he moved with easy athleticism from the water, towards a sunbed that was perilously close to her. She took several more steps backwards, eyes on him warily, tongue too thick to enable her to speak, so she simply nodded as he approached, one hand gripping her briefcase more tightly, the other almost strangling her phone.
‘I’m glad.’ Up close, she could see the fascinating glitter of water droplets against his even more fascinating face.
Oh, good heavens.
This was, perhaps, her worst idea ever. How could she possibly have a businesslike marriage with someone she was clearly still attracted to? What had she been thinking?
‘Nice house,’ she murmured, her voice strangled, as he reached for a towel and wrapped it around his neck. She tried, she really tried, to keep her eyes on his face, but standing there like that, dripping and basically naked, how could she not look? Just quickly. Of its own volition, her gaze slipped lower, to his chest, lower still to his narrow hips, and disastrously to the black shorts which were clinging to him like a second skin. Their dark colour hid most of the detail but that didn’t stop her cheeks from flaming red as memories of his possession steamed through her.
‘Care to join me?’ He gestured to the pool, so her attention jerked back to his face, and then beyond Alex to the turquoise water. Despite her being paralysed by the strength of her attraction, the pool was tempting. The afternoon had been hot, and the water looked so inviting. But was it the water, or the idea of being close to him, barely dressed, that had her desperate to accept his suggestion?
‘No,’ she said quickly, frowning as she returned her attention to his face. ‘We had a meeting scheduled, didn’t we?’
‘We did,’ he agreed, his expression giving nothing away. ‘But I don’t think we decided firmly on the venue.’
‘Not the swimming pool,’ she clarified.
‘Right, because heaven forbid we have fun while we discuss—’
‘This isn’t fun for me,’ she cut in quickly. ‘In fact, it’s something of an emergency.’
Speculation darkened his eyes and she swallowed, aware she was showing more than she wanted to, hating the panic that curdled her voice.
‘Come inside then,’ he invited with a firm nod, gesturing to the sliding glass doors.
‘Thank you.’ She followed behind him, aware she should have more willpower than to stare at his bottom as he walked ahead of her, turning left and moving into a large, open-plan kitchen. More architectural features drew her eyes here, and she tried to focus on them rather than Alex, because she needed the momentary reprieve.
‘The house is beautiful,’ she repeated.
‘Yes.’ He withdrew a bottle of champagne from the fridge, the famous label speaking immediately of exclusivity and expense, then filled two stemless glasses before retrieving a bowl of fruit—grapes, strawberries and peeled citrus—and placing it between them. ‘Help yourself.’ He gestured to the fruit. ‘Give me a moment to get changed.’
‘Fine.’ The word couldn’t have come across any more curtly, and she flinched inwardly. Why the hell was he agreeing to this? He could find any number of women to bear his children. But not without emotional complications, she reminded herself after a beat. Alex didn’t want a ‘real’ marriage, any more than she did.
And what about having his child, or children? The idea sat in her throat like gravel. All afternoon, she’d gone over that requirement of his, remembering how sure she’d been, once upon a time, that she wanted children. But day after day of marriage to Jonathan had killed that dream for her, and Tessa wasn’t sure she could revive it.
She placed her briefcase on one of the barstools and reached for the champagne, taking a single sip before replacing the glass on the counter.
