‘So you keep away from her from now on,’ Mike added fiercely. ‘Leave her alone, or you’ll have me to reckon with.’
Andreas’ face was sardonic suddenly. He was taller than Mike, heavier, stronger, more muscular in every way. Mike’s threat was on the face of it absurd, and Gemma cringed from the crushing words she was sure would come in reply, but all Andreas said was, ‘Very well,’ before turning and walking away, leaving brother and sister together.
The inside of her lower lip felt raw. Her teeth had almost met in the soft, moist flesh.
She said in a high, strained little voice, ‘I think I’d better get dressed.’
‘Don’t you think we should talk first?’ His face was unhappy as he studied her. ‘I can see now why you wanted to get rid of me so damned quickly. You didn’t want me to catch you with your millionaire—stud.’
Gemma winced, ‘Don’t.’
He flushed. ‘I’m sorry, love.’ There was real compunction in his voice. ‘That was a lousy thing to say. But I can’t relate you to—all this. You’ve admitted yourself he didn’t have to use force, for God’s sake. And yet you’re no raver, and never have been. I—I just don’t understand any of it.’
She said wearily, ‘Nor do I, believe me. But I was not trying to chase you away because I was ashamed of anything I’d done. I was frightened for you, that’s all. You see, I didn’t know this Kemal even existed.’
For a moment he looked bewildered, then a quick frown spread. ‘You don’t mean you actually believed Maria’s ridiculous lies about me?’
‘No, I don’t think I ever did,’ she acknowledged quietly. ‘I said from the first, that you’d never have seduced anyone and left them in the lurch. But—Andreas did believe it, and so did Maria’s family. And I couldn’t take it for granted that what Andreas had done to me would be enough for them.’ She shuddered. ‘I thought in spite of everything they might—kill you.’
He muttered something awkwardly, and patted her arm, then looked past her into the kitchen. ‘There’s a kettle there, boiling its head off,’ he said with an attempt at lightness. ‘Go and get some clothes on, and I’ll make the coffee.’
She gave him a grateful smile and escaped upstairs.
Andreas was waiting in her room. He was dressed, she registered numbly, in smoothly tailored slacks, and a casual navy shirt which he was still buttoning. He looked at her grimly.
‘Have you nothing to say to me?’
‘What is there to say?’ She dragged a tan-and-white striped dress out of her case, and tossed it on to the bed. ‘Except that I realise now why you were having such pangs of conscience about me.’ She paused. ‘When did you realise this—Kemal was the one involved?’
‘When you told me your brother did not smoke, I wondered,’ he said. ‘But even so, I was only guessing at first. I knew, of course, there had been some talk of love when they were both younger, which Stavros had forbidden even then. And when his mother moved from the village, I supposed that would be the end of it.’
‘So, what will happen now?’ she asked tightly. ‘Does Kemal have a sister, or will Stavros and his men merely hunt him down in the mountains?’ ‘Neither.’ A tiny muscle jumped beside his taut mouth at her bitter words. ‘Last night, when I finally persuaded Maria to confess the truth to her family, there was much anger and sorrow, as you can suppose. But Stavros has agreed to the marriage, and Maria and one of her brothers went to the hut and brought him down to face his obligations.’ His mouth twisted. ‘He was a sight to be pitied.’
‘Please don’t ask me to try,’ she said. ‘And now will you please get out of my room? I’m waiting to get dressed.’
The dark eyes watched her. ‘Last night you were naked in my arms,’ he said. ‘So, why this sudden desire for modesty?’
‘Because that was last night.’ Gemma stared at the floor. ‘And this is today, and everything has changed.’
‘Why, yes agape
mou
,' he drawled. ‘For one thing, I have asked you to marry me.’
‘And I have refused.’ Gemma lifted her chin defiantly.
‘May I know why?’
‘I should have thought that was fairly obvious. If Mike hadn’t turned up like this, you wouldn’t have asked me. Yesterday, all you could think of was getting me off the island. Well, I prefer to stick to the original plan.’
‘You don’t understand at all,’ he said with exasperation. ‘
matia mou
, I felt I had to send you away, for your own sake, so that no word of this would ever leak out to involve us in scandal.’
‘You mean, you didn’t want your own involvement known,’ she accused angrily. ‘Everyone at the hotel yesterday was staring at me, wondering where you’d picked me up. I suppose I must be a disappointment after your usual ladies.’
‘That is nonsense.’ He was angry now.
‘Is it?’ Gemma pushed her hair back wearily. ‘Not that it matters. So, please don’t feel guilty on my account. As we’ve established already, it wasn’t rape, and I—wanted everything that happened last night, so please don’t worry about me—about anything, in fact.’
‘What are you saying?’ He sounded incredulous. ‘That we should pretend all this never happened— that we never met, perhaps?’ He walked over to her, cupping her unwilling face between his hands, staring down at her. ‘Gemma
mou
, you know that is impossible. Too much has happened. We can never be free of each other, even if that is what we wanted—which I do not believe,’ he added flatly. ‘So, why will you not marry me?’
‘For all kinds of reasons.’ The gentleness of his hands against her soft skin made her want to weep, but she controlled the impulse rigidly. ‘Because I have a life of my own—a career back in England, and—and I don’t need you.’
‘And what of my needs?’ The smile curving his lips and gleaming in his eyes was a seduction in itself.
Gemma looked away hastily. ‘I’m sure Fraulein Gretz will be only too happy to take care of them,’ she said tonelessly.
He made a sound that was suspiciously like a choked back laugh. ‘Perhaps she would, agape
mou
, if I gave her the opportunity, which I promise you I do not intend to do.’
‘Not even at the cosy dinner you were suggesting next week?’ As soon as the words were out, she regretted them, knowing that she had given him the chance to taunt her with being jealous.
‘Not at any time. Gemma
mou
, I may not have lived like a saint, but I do not seduce women guests in my hotels. Besides, at this cosy dinner you speak of, I had planned to announce our marriage.’
‘Is that why you suddenly want a wife?’ she asked huskily. ‘As protection against predatory blondes?’
He groaned. ‘No, wildcat, it is not.’ His eyes flicked restlessly past her to the bed, and his mouth curled wryly. ‘Damn your brother. If he was not here, I would take you to bed and make love to you until you pleaded with me to marry you.’
‘Then I can only be thankful he is here,’ she said inimically. ‘And you should be grateful, too, because marriage between us would be a disaster. We’re strangers from two different worlds, who’ve just happened to—collide for a brief while, that’s all.’ She paused, struggling to control the faint quiver in her voice. ‘Now, please leave me alone,’ she added with desperation.
He gave her a hard, searching look, and she had to force herself to stand her ground and look back at him, as if she meant every word, as if she didn’t care.
Then suddenly, starkly, he let her go, and she watched him cross the room, and go out, closing the door behind him.
She said under her breath, ‘Oh God,’ then her legs gave way, and she sank down, trembling, on to the floor, and stayed there, her arms wrapped round her body, rocking slightly like an unhappy child, while scalding tears emptied down her face.
* * *
A shower helped, later, and the tan-and-white dress, which was crisp and pretty, gave her courage too.
But when she got downstairs, only Mike was there, sitting on the terrace drinking coffee. ‘He’s gone down to the village to make sure the wedding truce is still holding up,’ he said, passing her a cup of coffee. ‘He’s a dynamic bastard when he gets going. I’ll say that for him,’ he added with grudging admiration. ‘I can’t altogether blame you for having a little fling with him, Gem, no matter what the original reason. I shouldn’t think he often has to ask twice, if ever.’
She said levelly, ‘I suppose not.’ She paused. ‘Mike, can you drive the jeep?’
‘Probably,’ he said. ‘Why?’
‘I need to get to Heraklion to catch this plane.’
‘Isn’t Nikolaides driving you there?’ He sounded surprised. ‘He mentioned something about it.
‘Perhaps so,’ she said. ‘But I’d rather it was you, Mike. I don’t really want to be alone with him again.’
‘You can’t get up to much in a jeep,’ he said. ‘But I’ll mention it to him, certainly. I can’t see why he should object. Under the circumstances he must be as keen to be rid of you, as you are to leave.’ He frowned a little. ‘I was hoping I’d be able to stay here again, but if he’s in residence, I shall have to look elsewhere. Maybe someone in the village will put me up.’
‘I’m sure they will,’ she said drily. ‘They’ll probably be anxious to “make amends” too. But I don’t think Andreas will be staying on here. He has an apartment in his hotel at Aghios Nikolaos. I expect he’ll be returning there.’
He brightened. ‘You think so? Well, here’s hoping. I like this place.’ He yawned. ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. I think I’ll go down to the bakery and get some bread.’
‘Maria usually brings it.’
‘I expect Maria has other things on her mind today,’ he said cheerfully, demonstrating, his sister thought wryly, yet again his unparalleled capacity for detachment. He went off whistling.
Gemma finished her coffee, then went upstairs to finish her packing. She put the lace tablecloth in on top of everything else and closed the case. She wanted to leave now, although it was far too early for her plane. She would rather drag round Heraklion, toting her case, than stay at the villa, listening to the moments pass, waiting for the time when she would never see Andreas again, she told herself wretchedly.
When she went downstairs, they had both returned, Mike with bread, and Andreas with a bundle wrapped in paper, which he handed to her.
‘What is it?’ She made a poor attempt at a smile. ‘Another present from a wellwisher?’
He said coldly and briefly, ‘Your bag. You could hardly leave without it.’
She bit her lip. ‘Well, now I do have it, I’d like to leave right away please.’
He shrugged. ‘If it is convenient for your brother, then I have no objections. Besides, I have other plans for the rest of the day,’ he added softly.
In spite of what he had said earlier, she had an image of Helga displaying her golden body beside the pool, and winced inwardly.
Mike carried her case out and stowed it in the jeep, grumbling cheerfully at the weight of it.
Gemma faced Andreas. She felt helpless, totally lost for words, and the dark cool face gave her no help whatsoever.
In the end, she managed a tom ‘Goodbye,’ then turned and hurried down the terrace steps and through the garden to where the jeep was waiting outside the gate. Mike was already in the driving seat, but as she took her place beside him, he uttered an impatient exclamation.
‘I’ve left my wallet in the rucksack. Hang on, Gem. I won’t be long.’
She hoped with all her heart that he wouldn’t be. The pain was beginning already, cramping her throat, making breathing difficult. She put her folded arms on the dashboard, and rested her forehead on them, closing her eyes wearily.
Life went on, she told herself, and no one had ever died of a broken heart, or any similar self-inflicted wound.
But it would be easier once she was on her way.
She was aware of his return, aware of the jeep starting up, and she sat up slowly, pushing her tumbled hair back from her face as the vehicle began to lurch down the rough track towards the village.
She froze, her lips parting in a soundless gasp. She said, ‘You! But Mike was driving me.’
‘A last minute change of plan.’
‘Like hell there is.’ She wrenched at the door handle, almost breaking a nail. ‘Let me out of here.’ And as the jeep gathered speed. ‘I said—let me out.’
‘I heard you,’ he hurled back at her. ‘I should imagine the whole village heard you also. Now, be quiet.’
‘I won’t be quiet.’ Her voice shook. ‘Where is Mike? What have you done with him?’
‘He is finishing his breakfast,’ he said coolly. ‘We talked on our way back from the village, he and I, and arrived at an understanding.’
‘How nice for you,’ she said wildly. ‘Now, stop this bloody jeep. I am not going to Heraklion with you.’
‘No, you are not,’ he agreed. ‘That is another change of plan. We are going to Rethymnon instead.’
She said dangerously, ‘And why should we do any such thing?’
‘Because my mother has a house there, and I am taking you to stay with her.’
The news struck her dumb, but not for long. ‘You’ll do no such thing,’ she raged at him. ‘I don’t want to meet your mother, and I’m damned sure she won’t have the slightest desire to meet me.’
‘Don’t be a fool.’ He clashed the gears and swore. ‘Every mother wishes to meet the girl her son intends to marry.’
‘For the last time.’ Gemma’s voice rose. ‘I am not going to marry you.’
She saw him grin. ‘I am glad you say that for the last time, agape
mou
. I confess I would prefer you to take a more positive view of our relationship, because you, my wild dove, are going to be my wife just as soon as it can be arranged.’
Tears threatened perilously. She said in a low voice, ‘You can’t marry me, and you know it. We—we’re totally different.’
He shot her a smiling glance. ‘Why, yes. You are a woman, and I am a man. That seems to be the usual arrangement.’
‘Don’t make jokes.’ She shook her head helplessly. ‘I’m trying to be serious.’