Authors: Lynne Graham
âDid the book Nathan made the mistake of giving you tell you that too?'
His lean, strong face clenched. âSo I want to be with youâ¦is that a crime?'
Involuntarily, Ellie softened. âNo, I want to be with you too.'
âOnly not enough to come back to the villa.'
Ellie considered that point and sighed. âI have to admit that sometimes I really get a kick out of making you run after me.'
Dio looked startled. Then an appreciative laugh escaped him. âI have never heard a woman admit that before.'
âDon't be slow, Dio. I'm only admitting it because we're married.'
His shimmering smile turned her heart over, and Ellie finally reached a decision. Dio might not recognise Helena's capacity for malice, but men were slow to recognise female cunning and Helena was clever. More importantly, Dio seemed quite happy with the wife he had. He wasn't behaving like a male who had given up the woman he loved. Or was he simply more pragmatic than she was prepared to acknowledge?
A frown drew Dio's level dark brows together. âWhat are you thinking about?' he demanded.
Ellie gave him an innocent look. âYou,' she said with perfect truth.
A look somewhere between male pleasure and wariness formed on Dio's bronzed features, sunlight turning his eyes into reflective mirrors. âYour expression seemed rather hostileâ'
âI was just thinking that I want us to hang onto our marriage,' Ellie assured him piously.
The wary edge evaporated. Dio was now free to rejoice in the happy notion that he was at the heart of her every thought. And, yes, she noted with surprise, he liked that idea. She watched the slumbrous smile slowly curve his mouth. Only then did she acknowledge that he was indeed the very centre of her world. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to let him know that.
âThese days you need to work really hard to keep a marriage afloat,' she added.
âBut we don't
have
any problems,' Dio stated with a definite aggressive edge.
Ellie busied herself rooting about in the incredibly elaborate picnic hamper and concealed the amused glint in her gaze. He was keen to deny the possibility that they did have a problem. And, having vented her spleen in setting Ellie up
for that newspaper article, what, realistically, could Helena possibly do to hurt either her or their marriage in the future?
âMy reaction to that squalid newspaper article was unreasonable,' Dio announced with real vigour.
Ellie glanced up. âWas it?'
âThere's scandal in my background too,' Dio assured her.
âStop trying to make me feel better,' Ellie told him drily.
âMy grandfather was temporarily disinherited for marrying my grandmother.'
âPolly and Lefki's sister?' Ellie queried in surprise. âFor goodness' sake, why?'
âShe was an island girl. Her father was aâ¦' Dio hesitated. âWell, he kept goats,' he completed, rather grittily.
âHe kept
goats
?' Ellie gasped incredulously.
âDon't say itâ¦' Dio warned.
But for the next few seconds Ellie was quite incapable of saying anything. Recalling the way she had once compared Dio to a goat-herd, she started laughing so hard she flopped back on the sand. âI'm sorry, Dioâ¦I just love it!' she told him chokily.
âI knew I could rely on you to be tactful.' Leaning over her, Dio gazed down into her beautiful laughing face, black eyes flaring to smouldering gold.
Ellie trembled and raised her fingers to trace his hard jawline. âHow hungry are you?' she whispered unevenly.
And with a ragged groan of very male appreciation, Dio shifted over her. His mouth swooped down on hers in a hot, sensual invasion that spoke for itself.
Â
Having carefully explored the sauna and gym complex in the basement of the enormous London townhouse, Ellie wandered on to study the fabulous indoor swimming pool, her eyes just getting wider and wider.
âI think you like this place,' Dio murmured.
âHmmâ¦it looks even better than it looked on the videotape the agent sent out to us,' Ellie confided.
âThen all we have to do is move in.'
Ellie spun round, her eyes lighting up. âYou love it too?'
âIt seems to have everything, so we'll buy it.'
âIt'll make such a marvellous family home!' Ellie threw both arms round Dio and then she frowned. Tilting back her head, she gave him an anxious, searching scrutiny. âYou're not buying it just to please me, are you?'
âWould I do that?'
âYes,' she sighed. âBut this is where we're going to live. It's very important that you like it as much as I do. So give me your impressions.'
Dio shrugged. âIt'll make a terrific investmentâ'
Ellie groaned.
âThe location
is
excellentâ'
âDio!'
Ellie exclaimed in frustration.
He closed his arms round her, a slumbrous smile banishing his gravity. âYou rise to every bait there is, Mrs Alexiakis. I love the houseâ¦OK?'
âI'm sorry I made you go and see all the other ones, but I was scared we might be missing something,' Ellie admitted. âActually, the minute I saw this house on video I knew it was all my dreams come true, so I saved it to the last.'
Ellie climbed back into the limousine in a state of near bliss. They had been married for over a month now. They had spent three glorious weeks on Chindos, and Ellie had been so happy, she'd felt as if she was walking on air. She had been afraid that their return to London might take some of the magic away, yet, even though Dio was now frantically busy after taking so much time off, nothing had changed between them. They had shared so much more than a bed on the island: visits to Polly and Lefki's cosy little farmhouse, midnight swims, barbecues on the beach and so much laughter.
Now she was amazed that she had got herself in such a twist over Helena Teriakos. The brunette had taken her revenge with that newspaper article. Apart from the odd unavoidable social occasion, Ellie reckoned that the other woman was more or less out of their lives. Indeed, there was only one cloud in Ellie's world, and she knew it was a very selfish and unreasonable one.
She had a guy who would trail round a baby shop without complaint. She had a guy who acted as if the merest breathe of wind might blow her fragile little carcass away. She had a guy who
listened
when she talked, who was still sending her flowers after the wedding, and who phoned her in the mornings even if he was seeing her for lunch. A guy who was caring and supportive and absolutely incredible in bed. She was a really, really lucky woman. So wishing that Dio would fall madly in love with her as well was positively greedy.
Late that night, Dio strolled out of the bathroom in his penthouse apartment, towel loosely knotted about his lean hips, moisture still beading the curling dark tendrils of hair on his muscular chest. âEllieâ¦there's something we need to talk about.'
Blissfully engaged in appreciating him, Ellie sat up in bed and smiled before she registered that his lean, dark features had a very serious cast. âWhat's wrong?'
âThere's nothing wrong,' Dio asserted wryly. âI'm flying over to Paris to see Helena tomorrow.'
Ellie blinked in sheer shock.
âNaturally I'm hoping that this won't cause trouble between us,' Dio continued levelly. âSince her father died I have been in charge of all Helena's business interests.'
At that second revelation, an appalled look froze Ellie's fine features. âWhy didn't you tell me that before?' she demanded.
âTo be blunt,' Dio murmured steadily, black eyes chal
lenging her now, âI really don't think that a responsibility I accepted long before I met you is any real concern of yours.'
Ellie turned pale. That wasn't just blunt, that was brutal.
Dio released his breath in an impatient hiss. âI want you to be rational about the fact that I meet up with Helena on a regular basis.'
âRationalâ¦' Her husband met up with her most bitter enemy on a regular basis. That news was the equivalent of being slugged with a sandbag.
Dio came down on her side of the bed and reached for her hand.
Ellie snatched it back.
âCan't you even try to behave like a grown-up?' Dio censured with stark impatience as he sprang upright again. âI accept that you felt insecure when we
first
got marriedâ'
Ellie parted bloodless lips. âMr Sensitiveâ'
âBut now you've had time to settle downâ'
âYou think so?' Ellie breathed shakily.
âI think you've got no choice,' Dio delivered with sudden harshness, surveying her with cool dark eyes.
âThere's always a choice, Dio.'
âNot on this issue,' Dio contradicted. âI will continue to oversee Helena's business holdings for as long as she wishes me to do so. Our meetings will also continue. She's a part of my life and you have to accept that.'
âThat's not something I can accept.' Ellie lifted her head high, colour burning in her cheeks. Suddenly she was furious with herself. âWhat an idiot I've been!' she exclaimed. âAll my life I've stood up for myself, but I wanted our marriage to work and I didn't want to tear us apart.'
âWhat are you trying to say?'
âYou refused to accept that Helena threatened me and tried to bribe me into having an abortion.'
Dio raked long brown fingers through his tousled damp
black hair and groaned out loud. âOh,
please
, not that nonsense again!'
âYou don't believe me. OK. Right. That's fine,' Ellie said jerkily, punching the pillows and lying down. âNice to know where your loyalty lies, Dio. Nice to know that you married me thinking I was a liarâ'
âBut kind of cute with it,' Dio incised gently.
âDon't try to make a joke out of something this important!' Ellie condemned. âIf you go to Paris tomorrow, I'm leaving you!'
Dio stilled. âNo way would you leave meâ'
âYes, I would! You trust her more than you trust me. So you make your choice,' Ellie told him bitterly. âYou get her out of your life, where she can't hurt us any more, or I'm moving out! If you can't give me one hundred per cent loyalty, I don't want you any more!'
âNo problem,' Dio said softly.
Ellie listened to him walking out of the room, and then she leapt out of bed and hauled the door open. âI
mean
it, Dio!'
Shorn of his towel and magnificently nude, Dio swung round and gazed back at her with outraged dark eyes. âYou do as you like, but I'm going to Paris and I won't be hurrying back.'
All the pain inside Ellie mushroomed. âDioâ¦I'm
not
lying. Listen to meâ'
Dio stabbed a powerful hand in the air. âNo,
you
listen to me! You don't own me. You don't tell me what I can do, where I can go or who I can be with. Is that understood?'
âThatâ'
âAnd when you've got this jealousy jag under control, call me. But don't leave it too long. After all, Helena is a lot of things you're not,' Dio murmured in derisive retaliation.
The angry colour drained from Ellie's complexion.
Dio said something vicious in Greek and strode back towards her.
Ellie slammed the bedroom door in his face and depressed the lock.
âEllie!' Dio thundered. âOpen that door!'
Tears running down her face, Ellie crawled into bed again and curled up in a tight ball. âA lot of things you're not.' Well, trust Dio to state the obvious. Only it wasn't a matter of that, was it? In temper, he had revealed his true feelings, and the horribly wounding comparisons he obviously continued to make. Ellie shivered, acknowledging that the furious row that had blown up had drawn more blood than she had bargained on. Her
own
.
Helena was rich, educated, classy, cool, controlled, clever. Her background was identical to his own. Of course, Dio admired and respected her. Unlike Ellie, Helena would have been a bride he could have been really proud of possessing.
âThe English rely on love⦠It's more important to pick a life partner with intelligence,' he had told her that very first night on the beach. But what had intelligence had to do with their shotgun wedding? Ellie muffled sobs in a pillow. For the past few weeks Dio had been
very
good at pretending to be happy. All those years of smoothie womanising, she supposed wretchedly. In his heart, Dio knew she was a very poor but pregnant second best. And Ellie knew that
she
couldn't live with him knowing thatâ¦
S
ALLY
P
ARKES'
anxious face lit up with a hugely relieved smile the instant she saw Ellie walking across the park towards her.
âThank goodness you didn't stand me up!' she gasped as she flew off the bench.
Ellie dug her hands into the pockets of her jacket. âI really didn't want to meet up with you like this, Sally. I only phoned you because I need you to pass on a message to Dio. I appreciate now that that was wrong of meâ'
âNo! No way was it wrong!'
âIt was,' Ellie sighed. âI didn't want to write to Dio because I didn't know what to sayâ¦and I didn't want to speak to him personally. But I never should've involved youâ'
Sally groaned. âEllieâ¦Dio is frantic!'
Ellie frowned. âDidn't you pass on my message?'
Sally gave her a wide-eyed look of wonder. âLike telling Dio you were safe and happy and planning on a divorce was going to make him
less
frantic?'
Ellie flushed. âIt's for the best. Did you remember to tell him that I'll let him see the baby as much as he likes?'
âIt wasn't quite the consolation you seemed to think it would be,' Sally responded. âI mean the baby's not due for another six months.'
âWell, I can't help that,' Ellie muttered flatly. âIs he still in Paris?'
âNo, according to Nathan he spent that week looking for you. Then he went off on the most dreadful drinking binge. Nathan dragged him home to sleep it off in our spare roomâ'
Ellie stopped dead. âThe most dreadfulâ¦
what
? Say that again?'
âOK. Sequence of events: Dio wakes up and finds your noteâ¦right?'
âI don't know. I'd gone by then. I thought he would have gone on to Paris.'
That very same night Ellie had thrown a few things in a bag and had crept out of the apartment, determined to avoid another harrowing confrontation with Dio. She had lost enough face in that earlier scene. All she'd had left was her pride. And she would only keep her pride by staying at a safe distance from Dio until she'd got her emotions under better control.
âWell, if you'll excuse me for saying so, most husbands wouldn't get dumped and just go on like it was an ordinary day,' Sally said rather drily. âEven stubborn, macho ones like Dio have
some
feelings.'
âLook, you're on his side because you don't understand and you know him better than you know meâ'
âNo, to be honest, I've just been totally gobsmacked by the way Dio's been carrying on,' Sally shared helplessly. âI never, ever thought Dio would be sleeping off a hangover in our spare room.'
âSo he spent the first week looking for meâ¦' Ellie was hopelessly hungry for every tiny detail she could glean.
âHow do you think we found out you'd gone? He phoned Nathan. He was in a real rage at that point. You were lucky to stay lost,' Sally confided.
âI don't understand him drinkingâ¦'
âHe just went to pieces the second week. He sat in that apartment just drinking himself into a stupor, and Nathan was worried sick about him. Dio doesn't
do
things like that. You've really gutted him, Ellieâ¦and I think that if you'd decided you wanted out, you could have been a lot more
considerate about the way you did it.' Sally gave her a challenging glance.
Ellie tilted her chin, although her colour had risen. âI told him I was leaving.'
âHe didn't think you
meant
it!'
âIt just wasn't working for me.'
Sally slowly shook her head with a bemused frown. âThe day of your wedding, I honestly thought you were crazy about him, and when we had lunch the week after you got back from Chindos it seemed even more pronounced. It was “Dio
this
â¦Dio
that
⦔'
âI am crazy about him,' Ellie mumbled ruefully.
Sally fell still. âThen why the heck are you doing this to him?' she demanded.
âI suppose you've told her absolutely everything, Sally,' Dio's dark growl intervened with sardonic grittiness. âThe big search, the unmanly despair, the buckets of booze and self-pityâ¦'
Both women whipped around. Sally hot-cheeked, Ellie pale as death.
But Dio had eyes only for his estranged wife. As Sally backed away with a guilty grimace, his dark, deep-set gaze welded to Ellie's pinched and shaken face and stayed there. âI've really messed up, haven't I?'
âDioâ¦can I give you just a little hint that that is not the right attitude to take?' Sally prompted with a wince.
âNoâ¦you don't know what's going on here and you're not going to,' Dio informed the redhead with bleak satisfaction. âIsn't it fortunate that when I'm drunk I talk in Greek? No, Sally. What this is all about will be one mystery you never manage to solve.'
âHelenaâ¦' The redhead murmured with measured female superiority before she drifted off.
Dio flinched, and his bronzed skin lost colour.
âConsidering that Sally set me up for you, you weren't
very polite,' Ellie said unevenly. âI'd never have come to meet her if I'd known you were planning to show up.'
âSally tortured me with questions when I was at my lowest ebb. And even the worst sinners get their moment to speak on judgement day,' Dio breathed with an attempted lightness that was laced with strain.
Ellie stared back at him, her heart thumping like a hammer behind her ribs, her eyes full of pain.
âDon't look at me like thatâ¦it makes it so much worse,' Dio groaned.
Instantly Ellie looked away. Yes, of course he would see how she felt. He always had been able to see inside her. Crushed by the awareness that even her love was obvious to him, she made no demur when he curved a surprisingly tentative arm round her and walked her away. The limousine was collecting a parking ticket beyond the park gates. Dio felt guilty. Obviously he felt guilty. He knew how much he had hurt her. And what was to be gained in trying to avoid a meeting that he was determined to force on her?
In the silence, Ellie stole a glance at him as the opulent car purred through the slow-moving traffic. In two and a half weeks he had contrived to lose quite a bit of weight, she noted. And now it was as if a divide the width of an immeasurable abyss separated them. She had never dreamt that Dio could look as downright sombre as he did now. The end of a marriage. Well, he wasn't so superficial that he was about to celebrate, particularly when she would be giving birth to their child in a few months' time.
âIt's OK,' she said flatly.
âNothing's OK,' Dio countered harshly. âWhere have you been staying?'
âA B&B out in the suburbs. I didn't feel like the hassle of looking for somewhere more permanent yet,' she admitted stiltedly.
âDidn't it occur to you that I'd be going out of my mind with worry?' he demanded with sudden force.
âWhy should it have?' Ellie sighed. âI've been looking after myself for a heck of a long time. I'm not the helpless type.'
The silence seemed to thunder.
âNo,' Dio conceded gruffly. âBut you can make
me
feel helpless.'
Her brow furrowed. âOh, you mean you looking for me and not being able to find me?' she gathered. âThere was no need for that. I wasn't planning to vanish for ever, or anything stupid like that. I made that clear in my noteâ'
â
Ne
â¦yes: “Dio, I'm sorry, but I had to empty your wallet to get some cash.”' Dio quoted the opening line of her note flatly. “âMarrying you was a mistake. I'll be in touch. Don't look for meâ¦but then I don't suppose you will, will you?”'
âI don't see why you have to quote the whole thing,' Ellie protested, feeling even more foolish and exposed by that verbatim delivery. âI was upset and I didn't have much time. You're lucky you
got
a note!'
Instead of exploding at that rather unjust stab, Dio froze in his distant corner of the back seat. âI guess you're right about that.'
Ellie sent him a slightly bewildered glance, registering the raw tension etched into his bold, dark profile. âI honestly didn't think you might get worried until laterâ'
âMuch later. It took you eleven days to phone Sally,' Dio reminded her tautly.
âI had some stuff to work out.'
Like how to live without him, how to exist with a ceaseless craving that got more agonising with every passing hour, how to close out the flawed memory of good times that could only have been utterly superficial on his terms. Great sex, she had assumed on their honeymoon, but dared she assume even that now? For her, making love with Dio had been earth-
shattering sensational perfection. But how did she
really
know what it had been like for him? He had been flatteringly insatiable, but maybe he was just rampantly oversexed, she reflected grimly.
âSo what have you been doing with yourself?'
âI've been making plans.' Actually, she had done nothing but walk around all day, sit in the public library when she got tired, eat for the baby's sake and use up boxes of tissues at night. However, it would have taken torture to force an admission like that from her.
She had climbed out of the limo before she realised that they had not arrived at Dio's apartment building. Her bewildered gaze absorbed the tall, imposing Georgian townhouse they had viewed the same day they'd parted. âWhat on earth are we doing
here
?'
âI went ahead and bought it.'
âYou did say it would be a good investment,' Ellie recalled as she opened the front door.
âI was joking.'
Had he been? Ellie had spent two and a half wretched weeks picking apart everything Dio had ever said or done, seeking evidence with which to bolster up her resistance level. Waste of time, she now conceded gloomily. One look at him, even in this strange, muted mode he appeared to be in, and she was back where she had been that first night on Chindos. Mesmerised. Poised there in his exquisitely tailored charcoal-grey suit, he was so gorgeous he still took her breath away.
âWhat did you do with the rest of my things?' Ellie asked to fill the simmering silence.
Dio frowned. âThey're here.'
âWhere?'
âIn the main bedroom.'
âOh, right. You didn't tell the staff that I wasn't coming back.' Ellie started up the grand staircase.
âWhere are you going?'
Ellie barely glanced over her shoulder. âI might as well get my stuff packed up while I'm here,' she said briskly. âIt'll save me another trip.'
âEllieâ¦' Dio began heavily. âI know I've acted like a total four-letter wordâ'
âDio, I don't need to hear that sort of stuff.' Ellie marched on up the staircase at an even faster rate of knots. âThis is nobody's fault. We only got married because I was pregnant, which was just plain stupidâ¦OK? It's no big deal, is it?'
âNo big deal?' Dio repeated thickly.
Ellie could not resist the urge to turn and peer down at him from the landing, but he had swung away. âLook, all I'm trying to say is I don't want to talk about it. There's no need.'
Dio appeared in the dressing room doorway while Ellie was frantically trailing clothes off hangers. Her hands were all thumbs. What on earth had possessed her? In another minute she would either crumple into humiliating hysterical tears or she would seize him by the throat and ask him how he could possibly prefer Arctic Woman to her.
âHelena
was
behind that disgusting tabloid attack on youâ¦'
Ellie stilled, and then suddenly jerked round, eyes very wide.
Dio stared back at her with tormented dark eyes shimmering with strain, his hands clenched into powerful fists by his side. His vibrant skin had a greyish cast.
âI suppose she came off that pedestal you had her on with a real shocking crashâ¦' Ellie's heart felt as if it was cracking right down the middle, and she felt that if she didn't keep on talking she might be at serious risk of starting to sob. Everything she had never wanted to see was etched in Dio's face. His appalled reaction to Helena's true nature.
âI didn't have her on aâ'
âI'm sorry, Dio. But you know a woman would have spotted her for what she was a mile off! But thenâ¦' Ellie altered direction hurriedly, not wishing to come across as spiteful âIsn't it comforting to know that she was that determined to get you back?'
âOnly becauseâ¦only because of who I am and what I have.'
âYeah, well,' Ellie managed with a sickly smile. âBe honest. You valued those same things in her. All that background and breeding and money.'
Dio just closed his eyes and bowed his proud head. âI don't expect you to forgive me for refusing to believe you.'
âGood. I wasn't going to make the offer.' Ellie turned back to the built-in units which blurred in front of her eyes. âI understand that you thought that she was above all that kind of thing, and that you're feeling pretty bad now you know the truthâ¦how
do
you, by the way?' she prompted with sudden curiosity.
âA journalist sang like a canary bird. Helena had had you investigated.'
âI could have told you that.'
âShe set up a meeting with a reporter and handed over the file. She gave it on the understanding that the article would vilify and humiliate you.' Dio's dark, deep drawl roughened tellingly. âShe was too arrogant to even
try
to cover her tracks.'
âMaybe she thought it would be more of a risk to trust somebody else with that file.' Tears were inching down Ellie's cheeks, but she kept on hauling garments blindly off hangers as she struggled to get a grip on herself.
âDid you see the interview I gave about you?'
Ellie's wet eyes widened with bemusement. âNoâ¦'