CHAPTER ONE

Diona Brown sat on the small couch moaning gently as she read through the letter which she held in her small fingers. Dragging her hand over her brow, she looked in disbelief at the words on the page:

Dear Diona

Alexis and I are in love. He has asked me to marry him and I have gone to Greece to meet him. We plan on getting married as soon as possible.

I hope that you can be happy for us, and we will be in touch when we return.

All my love

Daryle

After several more seconds reading and rereading the short note, she finally slammed the paper on the table and cursing under her breath, picked up the phone. She quickly made reservations for the next available flight to Greece, her fingers gripping the phone tightly as she felt the panic which even the thought of flying always raised within her. Diona remembered the many details Daryle gave her about her latest boyfriend, Alexis Dranias, and with a grim set to her mouth she thought about her young sister. Although there were only three years between them, the two could not have been any more different. Daryle was fun-loving and always surrounded by friends and boyfriends. She worked in a high-fashion store, and partied every weekend, often giving her sister cause for concern with regard to the direction her life was heading. Diona, however, was more serious, choosing a small group of friends, preferring to work long hours as a nurse and to stay home. When their mother died when she was twelve and Daryle only nine, Diona assumed much of the burden of raising her sister and keeping house. Her father was unable to cope with the loss of his much-loved wife, and retreated into himself before his sudden death four years ago. Diona felt the familiar tears rising to her eyes, thinking again of her father, and how they had never really been able to mend the many bridges before his death. She wished that she had tried harder to understand, while knowing that at that time she had too much on her plate, looking after her sister and ensuring that they kept a roof over their heads.

Sighing wearily, she thought how she had been looking forward to her week’s holiday, now groaning with the realisation that rather than the week of long lie-ins and catching up on the many books she hoped to read, she would now have to traipse all the way to Greece to rescue her sister from herself. With a shudder, she also felt the fear gripping her knowing that there was only one way to get there.

Moving into her sister’s room, to try and quell the foreboding causing tight knots to clench her stomach, she searched through the old writing bureau, which had been her mother’s, until she found her sister’s address book. With angry fingers she thumbed through the many names and addresses in the small book, until she found the address and phone number of Alexis Dranias. With a small triumphant sound she copied down the information, before quickly moving back into her own room to throw some clothes into a case. An hour later with a weary sigh she left her small flat in the centre of Glasgow to enter the taxi she had called earlier.

“Airport”, she cried, before finally sitting back, closing her eyes tiredly. Diona Brown was a beautiful girl. While fairly small, only 5’3”, her figure had men turning wherever she went. Large blue intelligent eyes sat in her petite round face, giving her an innocent look which many found so appealing. When she would smile, her soft red lips had the power to completely transform her lovely features, giving her a glow which was breathtaking and which people responded to so warmly, a great trait to have in her job as a nurse. She sighed wearily, having just come off a double shift and having now to deal with her wayward sister. Rubbing her eyes gently, she wondered how she had missed the signs, frowning wondering how her sister had hidden this from her. Daryle was usually an open book, not able to hide her emotions or keep a secret of any kind.

With tired fingers she pulled her hair from the tight knot which she wore for work, feeling as the long blonde hair fell around her shoulders, before pulling it back from her face and securing it once more within a controlled ponytail. Her whole body sat stiffly, primly, as she looked at her watch, aware of the time to catch her flight.

Thinking back, she remembered how excited her younger sister had been. It was her first real holiday abroad with her friends, and she waved them off from the same airport with mixed feelings about her going. Daryle was gregarious, fun-loving and incredibly beautiful. A volatile mix, her older sister thought, worried at her lack of maturity and determination to get every ounce of fun from her week break. When she came home, she was sad and heartbroken at leaving Greece, and the most perfect man she had ever met: Alexis Dranias, having spent every minute of her time with him.At the time Diona wrote it off as a holiday romance, glad that she had only been there a week. However, when they started to talk on the phone every night she began to become irritated, only holding her tongue because it was not her having to pay the cost of the calls, as Alexis always called Daryle. She believed that given enough time the two would become bored with each other and everything would return to normal. However, that was before the bombshell which landed on her on her return home from work that morning.

As the plane took off, Diona held onto the armrests, her whole body stiff from the fear which clutched at her to be once more back on a plane. She felt the sweat coursing down her back as she cursed her sister. The flight was tiring and cramped and she dozed on and off, woken constantly by the excited cries of small children, their families all looking forward to a holiday in the sun. However, finally they landed as Diona breathed a sigh of relief. After clearing customs, Diona phoned her sister’s mobile, looking at her own with concern, seeing how the charge was almost gone. She frowned realising that she had not brought an adapter, hoping that her sister would have one she could use. With a small twist of her lips she thought ‘of course she would have one’, it was one of the few things that Daryle was careful about, she thought wryly to herself.

As her sister answered, Diona told her where she was, demanding that the two meet. Daryle was shocked to hear that she was in Greece and quickly gave her the name of the town she was staying in, along with the hotel and details on how to get there. She then agreed to meet with her at a restaurant later that day, to her relief informing Diona that Alexis would be there too. Ringing off, she was glad that she would have the opportunity to speak to the two of them at the same time, her mouth set determinedly that she would be bringing her sister home the following day.

At the airport she quickly exchanged money. Then, following her sister’s instructions, she took the appropriate bus, dragging her bag, which seemed to be getting heavier by the second, halfway across town to reach the named hotel. She booked herself into a room, frowning slightly as the receptionist informed her that there was no Daryle Brown staying at the hotel. As she collected her key she then took her case up so that she could change out of her warm jeans and shirt into shorts and a strappy t-shirt, which was such a welcome relief in the heat of the Greek sun.Moving out of the hotel to keep her appointment with her sister, she received many admiring looks from the Greek men who spoke gently to her as they looked over her figure with appreciative eyes, seeing her firm breasts, slim waist and flat stomach flaring out to wider hips and perfect bottom. Her long shapely legs moved fast as she ignored the many offers being thrown at her, as she did every day at work, with the many men who saw her as the perfect erotic dream date complete with nurse’s uniform. Diona felt uncomfortable with this kind of attention, stopping to buy sunglasses to hide the discomfort in her eyes.

Finally she reached the restaurant, relieved to see Daryle already there, laughing with some men at another table. As she moved to the table her sister sat at, Daryle stood, smiling warmly at her. “I can’t believe you came here…you flew?”, her sister asked with such a look of wonder in her eyes. Diona however, waved away the comment, looking sharply at her. “What did you think I would do Daryle? You left a note only saying that you were in love and getting married”

“Isn’t it marvellous?”, Daryle cried, her face shining with delight. “He loves me Diona… And I love him” Diona moved quickly to the seat opposite her. “Are you out of your mind?”, she hissed, her face clearly showing her disapproval. “You only just met this man, you’ve known him for less than a week...and you’re ready to fly to a completely different country, away from your friends and family and get married?” Her voice was full of irritation both from the absurdity of her sister’s actions and the intense tiredness filling her. “Get your things Daryle, we are on the next flight back home”

Sitting back she glared at her sister, who was smiling patiently at her. “Weren’t you listening Diona? We are in love” With a small sound of annoyance, Diona sat forward, her voice softer, knowing how best to deal with her sister. “I heard you Daryle...why the rush?… if you are in love then come home and let’s do this right…get to know this man properly…why do you need to run off?”

For the first time she saw a look of concern crossing her sister’s lovely face. “Well… There is a problem.”, she said, her liquid brown eyes suddenly serious. “And what is that?”, Diona asked. “His brother Nikias...he doesn’t approve”, Daryle said, her face frowning, as she pushed back her long copper hair from her face. With a look of annoyance Diona looked back at the woman before her. “He is not the only one Daryle…this is ridiculous, what is the big rush?” For a moment she looked at her sister, a look of horror crossing her face. “Are you pregnant?”, she asked, her voice low, her eyes wide as saucers. Daryle looked at her with shock, crying out indignantly, “No! I’m not pregnant Diona… Why does everybody think that? … We are in love…We haven’t even…you know” With another look of annoyance, but also a great sense of relief Diona raised her eyes skywards. “Then why the rush? Please Daryle, I am begging you to come home. How do you know he doesn’t just want to marry you for a British passport? How do you know he doesn’t see you as some kind of golden goose to support him?”

Daryle giggled at her. “Nikias and Alexis Dranias, you haven’t heard of them?” , she asked with disbelief as Diona shook hers impatiently. “They own some of the largest cruise ships in the world… they are super-rich Diona… he will be supporting me” Diona looked at her sister with a hard expression on her face. “All the more reason to take it slowly Daryle, guys like that play by very different rules, and you are the one who is going to get hurt.”

However, her sister was laughing at her, her eyes shining brightly as she shook her head. “You are wrong Diona...you will see when you meet Alexis” With a look of irritation, she asked, “And when will that be Daryle?…I want to meet this man who thinks that it is OK to run off with you and get married with no concern for your family. You said he would be here”

Daryle giggled, as her phone began to ring. Looking at the caller ID she smiled, rising. “One minute Diona, I need to take this outside…reception in here is shockingly bad” Diona nodded, glad for the break from her sister, annoyed at the way she seemed to be so love-struck, that she would not listen to common sense, as she moved out of sight to speak to the caller she assumed to be Alexis. With a soft sigh she realised that Daryle never could listen to sense; she chose her heart over her head every time, with little or no regard to what others said or did, and once more Diona blamed herself. She had spoiled her as she was growing up, shielded her from the hard decisions which she was required to make; perhaps she thought with a soft sigh, she had protected her too much. However, she smiled remembering how embarrassed Daryle had been when she suggested she was pregnant, and telling her that she and Alexis had not even slept together. With a warm sensation filling her tired body, she thought that perhaps she had not done such a bad job of raising her young sister as she had first thought.As she sat waiting for the return of Daryle, she became aware of somebody stopping behind her. Turning around, Diona held back the gasp as she saw the most handsome man she had ever encountered. He stood watching her with ill-concealed contempt in his eyes, her own showing the surprise at the stranger’s cold expression, seeing how his eyes flicked over her in a manner which caused her to feel uncomfortable. Her eyes met his and held them unblinkingly, before he finally spoke. “Miss Brown?”, he asked, his English perfect, but with the most sensual accent she had ever heard.

Diona could only stare at the man, as his voice sent shivers down her spine, surprised that he seemed to know her name. “Are you Miss Brown?”, he repeated, a small frown coming to his handsome face. “Yes”, she finally managed, “Can I help you?” With no invitation the man then proceeded to take the seat that Daryle had been sitting in only seconds previously, causing Diona to frown in annoyance at the stranger’s forward and arrogant manner.

“My name is Nikias Dranias”, he started, scowling to see how she smiled with relief. “Alexis’ brother”, she said, “It is so good to meet you” However, the man continued to look at her, his dark eyes full of such contempt, his voice angry but controlled. “This is not a social call Miss Brown…I want you to stop seeing my brother right now”

Diona looked at him with surprise. “No, you’ve made a mistake”, she began before he silenced her, by raising one hand, his look holding hers icily in a manner which made Diona’s eyes flash with annoyance. “How much Miss Brown?”, he queried softly, his tone low and dangerous. “For what?”, she asked in surprise, her blue eyes looking quizzically into his dark ones. “To leave and never see him again”

Diona began to get angry, losing patience with this overbearing man who, despite being so devastatingly handsome, was treating her with such disrespect, his arrogance so obvious from the way his eyes kept flicking over her, as though she was something unpleasant he was being forced to sit beside.

“Who the hell do you think you are?”, she asked, seeing the cold glint enter his dark eyes. “I am Alexis’ brother, Miss Brown”, he answered, “And I am going to make sure that no little gold digger gets her claws into him” As she gasped in shock, he paused to look over her, admiring the woman before him despite himself, surprised at what he saw. This one was different from the usual women his brother was attracted to; she was beautiful, that was true, but in a calm quiet way, not the usual loud and brash type which he had had to deal with in the past. “If you think that you are going to marry yourself a rich man, then you are mistaken…my brother works for me Miss Brown… The company is owned by me and only by me” “Mr Dranias...”, she began, a hard edge to her tone, as he once more interrupted her, making her frown even harder with irritation. “Miss Brown I am prepared to pay you to go…so given the fact that I will cut my brother off without a penny if he is stupid enough to marry such an obvious little schemer as yourself… you would be better to take my money and leave”

Diona glared at the man before her, her voice stilted at the suggestion that her sister was nothing more than a gold digger, “It is nice to know that you think so little of your own brother”, she bit back, her blue eyes flashing haughtily at him. Nikias Dranias stared back at the woman before him. For some reason he found himself watching her with more than just the contempt he felt when he had first entered the restaurant.

Her long blonde hair, which was held primly back in a ponytail, enabled her wonderful face to be seen clearly. Her complexion, slightly flushed with anger, glowed; a perfect setting for her large blue eyes, so bright with a radiance which he could not help but stare at. His voice was a little huskier than usual as he continued, “If you know what is good for you Miss Brown, you will be on the next plane home, or else I will be forced into taking further action”

Diona looked coldly at the man before her. “Don’t threaten me Mr Dranias”, she said softly, “I have never liked bullies who threaten people”, she continued, seeing the look of confusion as it entered his eyes. Standing up, Nikias dropped an envelope in front of her. “Do yourself a favour, and take what you can and leave”

Before she could speak further, he moved away from her table and out of the restaurant leaving Diona shaking with the anger which filled her. As he left, Daryle returned to the table, her eyes large and frightened. “Was that Nikias?”, she asked, her voice full of fear.

“Alexis just phoned to say that his brother found out about us. He was warning me that he was looking for me…” With a nervous giggle she looked at how angry her sister seemed. “Wow, he is gorgeous”, she added, her eyes looking warily at Diona. Diona looked back grimly. “Yes, Daryle it was Nikias and he thought I was you… What an arrogant insufferable man”, she bit out through gritted teeth. Daryle looked at her, her eyes full of questions. “What did he say?”, she whispered. “Well you are right…he is totally against your marriage... and I can’t say that I blame him”, she added angrily, before turning on Daryle, her voice hard and determined. “This has to end... get your stuff Daryle, we are leaving” “No”, her sister spoke firmly, her eyes full of pain. “I love him, and I am not leaving him…please understand Diona… I love him”

Diona saw the tears rising within her sister’s eyes. This was new. Normally she could make her sister see sense eventually, but she could see the grim determination in Daryle’s eyes, warning her that this was going to be even harder than she had first thought. However, remembering Nikias she knew that she would have to make her see how inappropriate the marriage would be, if only because of the enemy they would be making by going ahead with their plans.

With a small sigh, Diona lifted the envelope, opening it to see the contents. Inside she found a business class ticket back home dated the next day, and a cheque for 20,000 pounds. Passing it over to her sister, she watched as Daryle gasped, before ripping it up. “He thinks that he can buy us off…well he is wrong, and so are you Diona…we love each other” With a soft sigh Diona looked at her sister more softly, pausing for a few seconds, her eyes watching her impassioned face. “OK Daryle…but I want to meet your boyfriend…and to talk to you both… do you understand?”

Daryle smiled at her, her face full of warmth. “Thank you Diona”, she cried in relief, “We’ll both be in touch with you tonight, I promise” With a small frown, Diona looked at Daryle…”You told me you were staying at the hotel I booked into …but they have no record of you”, she said in confusion, “Where are you staying Daryle?”

Sighing gently, Daryle replied, “Alexis booked my room under another name so that his brother couldn’t find me” Looking sadly at the door she added ruefully, “It still didn’t stop him though” With that she stood, moving over to hug her sister lovingly. “You will see Diona… he is wonderful, and I know you will love him as much as l do”, her voice wistful, as her elder sister looked on. As Daryle left, Diona sighed deeply. She would talk to Alexis herself and persuade the two of them to slow down on their plans. She would point out to them that if they were serious then they whould involve their families in their happiness. Suddenly feeling once more so tired she ordered and drank a cup of tea, frowning as she remembered Nikias Dranias.

She had never seen such a handsome man. He was tall, over six feet, and was dressed in a suit which accentuated his broad shoulders and long lean frame. His handsome face held the darkest eyes she had ever seen, holding her transfixed as she felt the sheer power of the man. She shivered, finding it hard to forget the raw sexuality he seemed to exude with just his presence.

Diona smiled gently. If Alexis was anything like his brother then she could fully understand why her sister had been swept away, becoming so besotted with this man. However, with a concerned look crossing her eyes, she hoped again for her sister’s sake that he was less arrogant, her eyes once more flashing angrily at the way he talked to her, as if she was less than nothing, unfit for his brother. Diona had dealt with men like Nikias Dranias before, arrogant insufferable men who demanded and expected everything their own way, and she grimaced realising that it was going to be a struggle for Alexis and Daryle. She wondered if they cared enough about each other to see it through, instinctively knowing that Nikias Dranias was a force to be reckoned with.

From the restaurant Diona returned to her hotel, stopping on the way to buy a magazine, on the front page of which Nikias Dranias’ face was splashed along with the headline: “Cruise Tycoon Tells All” As she sat in her hotel room, she read the story of the 32 year old tycoon’s rise to fame and fortune, from the humble streets of Greece to multi-billionaire status. The interviewer talked to him in his home and there was a picture of him standing, looking out to sea beside a picture window, the scene outside wild and wonderful, as craggy cliffs merged into the blue of the sea. She thought for a second about the very different worlds they lived in, he on his island and she in her small flat, overlooking a main road. His face was slightly turned from the camera and he looked to be deep in thought, and once more Diona shivered gently remembering his musky scent, frowning at the realisation that she picked up that much detail of the man.

Reading on, there were several other photographs of him, all showing him with different women, some she even recognised, and with a twist of her lovely mouth she thought him to be such a hypocrite. He was clearly a man who enjoyed the good things in life, and that very much included women. How dare he look down on her sister, when he was such a playboy himself? With a sigh, she hoped that this would turn out to be nothing more than a crush for her sister, her head turned by the lifestyle which Alexis offered, and that soon she would realise just how wrong he was for her. Diona did not relish having to deal with Alexis’ brother again, remembering the contempt in his eyes when he talked to her.

The hotel room was warm, and still feeling sticky from the heat and her journey, she slipped into the tiny washroom to have a shower. Diona enjoyed the water as it moved down her slim body, her whole being looking forward to finally being able to lie on the bed which offered her the chance to sleep and to sort out her thoughts. However as she moved back into the small standard basic room, with its lumpy bed and small uncomfortable two-seater chair she saw the envelope which had been pushed under the door.

Moving over to lift it she smiled reading the letter inside: Please come and stay on the island. This would be more convenient for everybody. A car will be outside the hotel at 5:00 to bring you here, please bring your luggage with you. I look forward to welcoming you to my home.

With a soft sigh, she smiled, before dressing in a silky baby blue halter neck summer dress which swished around her knees, showing off her lovely figure in a manner which Diona was not even aware of, before repacking her suitcase as she waited for the car. Looking at the time, which read 4:30 she sighed again, knowing that sleep would have to wait. At exactly 5:00, a large limousine arrived at the door of the hotel and the driver opened the door to help her in before ensuring that her case was put in the large trunk.

They drove about half an hour before she found herself at a small pier where a luxury boat was waiting for her. The polite and smiling skipper took her luggage and helped her on board before moving from the picturesque Greek pier towards a small island only just visible from the mainland. As she watched it become bigger the closer they got, she could not help but gasp at how beautiful it looked. The lush green vegetation against the golden sand which contrasted with the aqua waters took her breath away. With a soft frown Diona thought about just how rich the Dranias' were, uncomfortable with the level of wealth she was seeing. Daryle was in many ways an innocent, trusting people far more than she should. She wondered how seriously a man like Alexis could take her 21 year old sister, not wanting to see her hurt, knowing just how far out of her own sphere of wealth Daryle was. As they docked at the pier, the skipper once more lifted her bag before politely helping her down onto the wooden jetty. He walked with her to the waiting car, which then took her the short distance to the large modern building she could see at the top of the island. The back of the building seemed to be built into the cliff which it perched onto as though it belonged there, blending into the rocky wall seamlessly. Diona held her breath, completely awe-struck at the beauty and wildness of it. She admired the wall-to-wall windows looking out, which she found herself thinking must be a perfect canvas for the sea below. As they turned the bend bringing them around to the front of the house she could see the softer side. Here the building was grand, with pillars beside the large entrance, which was surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens. Diona moaned gently, once more feeling so out of place, thinking of her small two-bedroom flat which she and Daryle shared.

The driver opened her door, helping her out of the large car before smiling politely at her and driving away, leaving Diona to ring the large doorbell on the very impressive wooden door. Very quickly it was opened by an older woman who looked at her politely and proceeded to beckon her to come in with a warm smile.

Smiling back, Diona moved into the wonderful area. The large foyer was luxurious from the ground up, from its opulent marble floor which echoed as her small heels moved on it, to the large chandelier which hung from the ceiling high above her. She could see the ornate stairs which led to the second story and she sighed softly in wonder, her eyes wide in awe.

The housekeeper was smiling at her, directing her to one of the many wooden doors off the foyer. “Mr Dranias”, she said, her head nodding as she repeated his name. Diona smiled warmly back, quickly realising that the woman spoke no English. With a nod of her own head, she moved over to the door, knocking on it gently before she moved inside.

As she moved into the large room she gasped with shock. Nikias stood looking out of the large window, leaning against the wall, still wearing the suit she saw him wear earlier that day; his jacket now thrown over one of the many leather seats which covered the large area. His hands were pushed into his trousers and his tie was pulled down with his top button undone giving him a sensual look, which caused her to swallow a small lump in her throat, not understanding the sharp jolt she felt in the pit of her stomach. “Mr Dranias, I...I didn’t expect you here”, she said, with a look of surprise on her face, “Where is Alexis?” Hearing her voice, he stood up straight, turning to face her. He looked over at the small woman before him, now fully able to appreciate her lovely figure as she stood looking back at him with such confusion in her beautiful blue eyes. His eyes flicked over her, admiring what he saw, as he kept his face expressionless.

“Now why would you assume that Alexis is here Miss Brown?”, he asked, a small smile playing on his lips. Diona frowned. “I received a letter from him”, she said slowly, a sinking feeling rising within her, “He said that I should stay here” Diona watched the smile on Nikias’ face widen slightly as she dropped her bag onto the floor, her features becoming angry. “The letter wasn’t from Alexis was it?”, she said, her tone low as she glared at the man before her.

Nikias moved forward towards her. “Very good Miss Brown”, he drawled. “I had a phone call from my brother not long after I left you … he told me that you ripped up the cheque, he had a lot to say about that, along with a few other things, none of which I will bore you with… Not a smart move Miss Brown”

“And why is that Mr Dranias?”, she bit back, her eyes angry daggers. “Because you forced my hand…I told you there was no way that I was letting you get your greedy little hooks into my brother... so welcome to my island” Diona looked at him, the confusion on her face so clear. “Wh…what do you mean?”, she stuttered.

By now Nikias moved so close to her that there was only about a foot between them, and she could see his dark eyes as they looked down on her with triumph on his face. “I mean Miss Brown that you will be staying here, until you’re due to return back to the UK, when I personally will put you back on the damn plane and out of our lives. My brother has a very short attention span, and I’m sure that once you are out of the way, he will quickly find other little playmates with which to fill his day”

Diona looked at him with shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You can’t do that!”, she cried out. He smiled back, his eyebrow lifting. “I think you will find I already have”, he replied, his voice soft, enjoying seeing the confusion on her lovely face, before her expression became harder and more determined. “There is a law against kidnapping Mr Dranias…even for people like you” He continued to smile at her. “I don’t know why you would think you were being kidnapped… you are free to leave anytime you like” Diona looked at him suspiciously. “Well I think I would like to leave right now”, she said with determination, lifting her bag and turning to go. With a note of complete triumph he spoke so softly behind her. “And how do you propose to get off this island Miss Brown?” Turning back quickly, she looked at him with horror on her face as the full enormity of her situation dawned on her.

“The boat isn’t coming back is it?”, she said slowly, a contained anger in her voice, as he shook his head. “Nope, I gave them instructions not to come back for another week.” Her eyes narrowed on seeing how his laughed at her. “Isn’t that when you need to be heading back to the UK?”, he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Diona looked around the room; spotting the telephone she moved over to it to call for help. Lifting the receiver she heard nothing, not even a dial tone. Nikias sauntered over to a nearby table, his tall frame so relaxed, as he calmly poured himself a whisky, putting ice cubes into it and lifting it to his lips. Diona however could feel the panic rising within her, holding her body stiff as her eyes moved around the room looking for some other way out.

“Every phone in the whole building has been disconnected for the week. The only phone which works is mine… and I am afraid that you won’t get access to that because it is in my room… not a room you will be visiting”, he added looking down at her with no attempt to conceal the disdain on his handsome face.

Diona threw the phone back onto its cradle, as he saw the look of panic cross her eyes before she closed them. He watched as she willed her whole body to become more calm, and when she reopened those wonderful blue eyes, the colour of a summer’s day, he could see in them only grim determination, along with a hint of anger, the sudden change in her surprising him.

“While I find that thought very comforting Mr Dranias”, she said, biting out his name contemptuously, “it doesn’t take away from the fact that you can’t do this...I have evidence… the letter” Nikias smiled again. “And what exactly does that say? I believe that you were invited to come here, very nicely if I say so myself, and it was completely your choice …just as it was your choice to get into the car and boat.”With another triumphant look he added, “So before you start screaming foul play, Miss Brown, remember you chose to come here, every step of the way” Diona looked at him with complete disbelief. “You set me up”, she said, her voice hardly audible. “Yes, now can I get you a drink Miss Brown?”, he asked, pouring her a glass of red wine and moving forward to offer it to her.

Diona fought the overpowering temptation to scream at him and knock the drink from his oh-so-calm fingers as she moved away, ignoring the glass which he placed on the table beside where she stood. Stopping, she placed her hands on her hips lifting her head to look skywards before with a soft sigh she lifted her hands and gently clapped.

“Bravo, Mr Dranias”, she said, a small laugh rising to her lips, her eyes lowering to meet his, causing him to frown slightly. “Perfectly planned and executed”, she smiled, “Except for one little thing…you got the wrong sister”

He looked at her with confusion. “What are you talking about?”, he asked, his brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of what she was now telling him. “My name is Diona Brown…not Daryle Brown”, she said, a mocking look coming into her eyes. “You got the wrong sister”

Diona’s look of victory was short-lived however, as he started to laugh. “I have to give you marks for originality Diona. D Brown - that was the only information I had to go on…that plus where he was planning on meeting you today. It’s a very interesting little story, however, I think you are forgetting this afternoon, when you didn’t deny being my brother’s mistress”, a cold glint in his eyes. “Possibly because you didn’t give me a chance”, she retorted quickly, “You sat down and started threatening me before I could even explain who I was” Nikias Dranias smiled, an irritating self-assured smile as he sat down on one of the leather couches, crossing one long leg over the other, watching her with amused interest.

Suddenly realising what he had actually said she looked coldly at him, her eyes narrowing with anger. “And my sister is not your brother’s mistress… According to her they are in love and plan on getting married” He looked back at her evenly. “Now we seem to have come back full circle Miss Brown… and like I said before there is no way that you are marrying my brother” With a look of irritation she lifted the wine taking a large drink, before sitting down on one of the couches opposite him. “I came here to stop the wedding”, she said as patiently as possible. “But now thanks to you…the two of them are out there with nobody to make them see sense”

Sitting back, she clenched her hands in anger seeing how he sat silently watching her, his eyes not believing a word she was saying. His whole countenance was calm and controlled as his eyes watched her with mild interest while she felt her whole insides churning with so many different emotions. Sheer exhaustion was causing her to start to feel disembodied, lending the situation a surreal quality.

“You are the most arrogant, insufferable man I have ever met”, she bit out glaring at him, as he laughed back at her. “I’ll take that as a compliment”, he responded, his voice full of mockery as he took another mouthful of the golden liquid as the ice clinked in his hand.

Diona pushed herself back in her seat angrily, before putting her hand up to her brow, as her head began to pound. “This is crazy. My name is Diona Brown. I am a nurse from the UK and the only reason I am in this country at all is to stop my sister from making the biggest mistake of her life” Looking over at the man who still sat watching her with a mocking look in his eyes she sighed in surrender. “And you don’t believe a word I am saying”, she added with another sigh, as every limb felt so heavy from the tiredness which pervaded her whole body, as he smiled, shaking his head. “Finally something we can agree on Miss Brown”

Lifting her drink in her hands she looked over at him. “So how does this work Mr Dranias?”, she asked with resignation. With a small smile he looked over at her. “I am a civilized man Miss Brown, and hope that you will make full use of the many resources on the island... I hope that you enjoy your holiday… just not perhaps as rewarding a one as you were hoping for” “Fine”, Diona sighed, “Let’s just the two of us sit back on this beautiful island of yours and let our siblings destroy their lives”

With a small chuckle of triumph he stood up. “Come with me Diona, let me show you your room for the duration of your visit”. Reaching over he pulled her case into his hand, lifting it effortlessly as though it weighed nothing, mocking Diona’s struggle with it earlier. She watched him, before finally with a soft sigh she stood, realising that he was not going to listen to anything she had to tell him and knowing that she was too tired to make any sense anyway. “Lead on mien jailor”, she spoke lightly, seeing the small twist of amusement on his lips. He then strode over to the magnificent marble staircase, moving up it quickly before leading her to a large doorway. Following closely behind him, Diona gasped at the room she found herself in. Decorated in white and creams it was elegant and opulent, and despite herself, she stared in admiration.

“I hope you will not find your jail too difficult to live in”, he said, his voice mocking her earlier comment. However, Diona moved to one of the two other doors in the beautiful room. In the first she found a large walk-in closet and in the other a luxurious en-suite bathroom stocked with everything she could ever need. With a mocking look at him she had not even tried to hide the disdain in her voice. “Let me guess - you kidnap lots of women and force them to stay here”, her eyes contemptuous as he laughed back at her. “Not at all Miss Brown, the women who stay here usually stay in my room”, he replied, a wicked smile on his lips. Diona looked over, her eyes flicking over him, trying not to show how his dark good looks and sheer presence was affecting her, despite how tired she felt, her bones suddenly feeling so heavy with the fatigue which filled her whole being.

“I bet”, she replied with a weary sigh, her look still full of contempt , “I suppose given the large amount of traffic, it saves changing too many beds”, she added icily, before she turned away to move towards the large balcony, missing the look of anger which crossed his dark eyes.

As she moved onto the balcony, she realised that she was in one of the rooms facing the back of the property, overlooking the sea from the top of the rugged cliff below them. Diona gasped in wonder at the wild beauty of it all, her eyes shining in awe, as she remembered the picture from the magazine. Nikias watched as her eyes half closed as her whole body seemed to embrace the smells and sensations of being so close to the cliff. As he watched her, he felt a strange need to touch this woman, to reach out and run his hand down her body, that body which was causing him to react in a very personal way. Frowning with the realisation of his own thoughts, he looked away.

Diona Brown was not what he had expected. She was smart, funny and quick, most definitely not the kind of woman he expected Alexis to become involved with. With another frown, he worried more. This was just the kind of woman who could actually get his younger brother down the aisle. She was different and even he could feel how he reacted to her, feeling the stirring within him, as she stood so statuesquely against the outline of the sea. That wonderful body, so young and supple, was calling to a very primitive part of him. With a small shake he moved off the balcony, as she followed him. “We will serve dinner at seven”, he said in a more business-like tone, before looking at his watch. “Make that thirty minutes” Diona looked at him wearily. “If you don’t mind Mr Dranias, I will skip it thanks” “That’s up to you”, he said, his tone a little harsh at her deliberate snub, “I suppose I could have something sent up to you if you would rather play the martyr and stay in your room”

Diona threw him a derisory look as she wearily rubbed her head. “Actually, as much as I have no real interest in spending any more time in your presence than I have to, the fact of the matter is that I pulled a double shift, before having to fly over here to save my sister, only to be kidnapped by her boyfriend’s arrogant brother”, she said, her eyes flashing angrily, “And on top of that I have a headache, which will only really go if I get some sleep, so if you don’t mind, please leave”, her voice suddenly so tired. As Nikias was about to speak he saw just how pale and tired she did in fact look, and with a small nod he put down her case and left the room. When he left, Diona again sighed wearily, as her whole body cried out for rest. Pulling out her nightdress and toothbrush she prepared for bed, too tired to unpack that night. Crawling under the sheets and feeling as she moulded into the softness of the mattress she sighed with pleasure, relaxing as sleep quickly took over, her last thought before she lost consciousness being that she would sort this whole mess out in the morning.

As Nikias ate his dinner that evening, his thoughts kept returning to the young woman he had so neatly trapped on his island. His intentions had been to have as little contact with her as possible, not liking the giggly young women his brother associated with, but she was a surprise. He expected tears and tantrums when he sprung his trap, but instead she was calm and controlled, countering all his comments with those of her own. He found himself enjoying her company, even if she was so obviously lying with her unbelievable story with regard to not being involved with his brother. She was D Brown and had been at the restaurant as expected. When his detective followed her to her hotel, there had only been one Miss D Brown resident, and it was the same hotel that Alexis often booked his lady friends into. Her story was preposterous, but he frowned at her insistence that it was the truth. With a small sigh, he wondered whether to check it out anyway, just to be on the safe side. For the rest of the night he tried to contact Alexis, frowning when he was unable to reach him. He expected Alexis to have been in touch by now, complaining about his missing love, and he grew worried that he could not contact his young brother who when upset had a tendency of doing stupid things.

Sighing, he knew that the loss of such a woman would upset any man, his mind returning to her wonderful face and body which had his own reacting so quickly. He lifted the phone once more, pushing the thoughts of her to the back of his mind as he again tried calling Alexis’ mobile number, by now becoming really concerned. Looking at the time he could see that it was after midnight and with a scowl, he rose. There was one person who would know exactly where his brother was, and he was going to make her tell him, before he had to read about it in the papers.

Opening the door to her room, Nikias could see her sleeping on the large bed. He remembered how tired she had been as he saw her lying so peacefully on her back, her head turned to the side, long golden hair framing her soft features. One hand was laid under her gently rising perfect breasts, the nipples visible through the skimpy material of the nightdress she wore, and the other was thrown level with her head, palm side up. Nikias looked down on her, a desire for the young woman before him rising strongly within him as he resisted the overwhelming temptation to reach down and stroke her cheek, running his fingers through the golden hair surrounding her face. He closed his eyes momentarily seeing her wonderful body, knowing how much he wanted her at that point.

Running his hand over his mouth, he moved back out of the room. No matter what his brother might do that night, waking her up would be a very bad idea. The way he could feel himself reacting to her sleeping form, God only knew what would happen if she were to look at him with those wonderful blue eyes of hers, and with a frown he chastised himself for desiring such an obvious devious little gold digger.

CHAPTER TWO

The next morning, Diona awoke feeling refreshed, her eyes looking around with confusion, frowning as she took in the opulence of her surroundings, before the memory of the previous day came crashing down on her. With a small groan, she threw back the sheet before moving into the luxurious en-suite bathroom. Stood under the largest shower she had ever seen she enjoyed the feel of the water as it moved down her, sighing with pleasure as the power shower gently massaged her body. Once showered and dried, she quickly dressed, pulling her hair into a neat prim knot before moving back down the stairs. Once there Diona stood at the foot of the staircase looking around, not sure where to go next as she bit nervously on her bottom lip. As she had refused the offer of dinner the previous night, she had not had a chance to familiarise herself with the layout of the house, and she could feel her stomach complain at not having eaten much in over a day.

Standing unsure of what to do next, she heard the sound of footsteps moving down the stairs towards her. Looking back, she felt her whole stomach give a lurch as she saw the unmistakable figure of Nikias Dranias moving towards her, his eyes looking surprised to see her up so early. “Good morning Diona”, he said pleasantly, as he came level with her, making her once more so aware of his physique as he looked down upon her. “Sleep well?” His voice was sensual as it washed over her, making her shiver slightly with the strange sensations it caused to ripple up and then back down her spine.

With a frown on her lovely face she looked up at him, as he towered at least a head above her. “Fine”, she answered primly, struggling to keep her voice steady at his closeness and the way it was inexplicably interfering with her entire being. “Is there something I can get for you?”, he asked politely, looking down on her with a strange look in his eyes.

Smiling sweetly Diona looked back at him. “A phone or a boat would be nice”, she said quickly as he chuckled. “Hmm maybe not, how about some breakfast instead?”, he returned, flashing her one of the most dazzling smiles she had ever seen, causing her to hold in the sudden gasp which jumped to her lips.

About to refuse anything from him, her stomach rumbled painfully, reminding her that she had not eaten for so long, and with a sigh she conceded, “Thank you” He then led her into a large kitchen, with a honey pine table in the centre of the room. Nikias began looking through the fridge, much to Diona’s surprise, as she expected to find breakfast being served in the large dining room by the housekeeper she briefly met the night before.

“Are you going to cook?”, she asked, her voice full of surprise as he looked over at her with a small almost boyish grin. “I’m going to try”, he answered with a smile. “My housekeeper has the morning off, and the alternate doesn’t start for another half hour, so it’s help yourself or starve till she arrives” Looking nervously at him, Diona moved forward to pluck the eggs and bacon from his fingers before moving to the large cooker and placing things under the grill and gently poaching the eggs. Nikias watched her, a mocking look in his eyes. “Don’t you trust me Diona?”, he asked with a small chuckle in his voice, as she flashed him a disbelieving look. “About as far as I could throw you”, she replied.

He once more laughed, the sound of the deeply masculine rumbling causing Diona to feel her knees shake. He moved over to another cupboard to pull out plates and cutlery, setting the table in time for her to serve up the food and place hot steaming mugs of coffee before them both.

“If you don’t like coffee then tough”, she said as she sat down opposite him. He looked over at her with a grin. “Thank you Diona”, rolling her name on his tongue. “Diona…do you know that that is a Greek name?”, watching her as she nodded her head gently. “My grandmother was Greek and I was named after her”, she said softly, seeing the face of the woman who had been one of the few people she could turn to while growing up, before her death five years previously.

As she watched him intently, eating the delicious food she prepared, he suddenly looked over at her, catching her staring at him and smiling with an almost knowing mocking look. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with Alexis, care to tell me where he is?”, he asked her softly, his eyes holding hers, now with a purposeful look in them.

“Probably running off to marry my poor misguided sister”, she bit back, seeing a look of irritation move over his face. “So you are still holding onto your ridiculous story?”, he said softly, an icy note coming to his voice. “It would be better for you Diona if you were to tell me, because Alexis is like a child, and without you he is very likely to do something stupid”

Diona laughed softly, causing him to frown, a look of annoyance on his face, “Without me?”, she mocked him gently, “You think a little gold digger like me could control your oh-so-perfect brother?”, she asked, a small thoughtful look coming to her eyes. “Well maybe they are perfect for each other after all”, she laughed, sitting back in her seat. “Now why don’t you let me go Nikias so I can call my sister and put an end to all this nonsense?” She heard him sighing angrily as he finished his breakfast, lifting their plates and placing them into the dishwasher, partly to hide the strange sensation he felt from first hearing her speak his name. However, her words also irritated him; Nikias moved over to her. “So you continue to stick to this story of yours?”, he asked as she stood up beside him, nodding her head.

“Well in that case you won’t mind if I do this”, he said, his arms moving forward so quickly, taking Diona by surprise to pull her in hard against him, his mouth moving down to take hers. For a split second Diona stood perfectly still in shock, before she started to push against him feeling his whole body hard against her, until with a sigh and a shudder moving through her whole being, she stopped struggling, her mouth moving against his, her arms moving around his neck to deepen their embrace. As she felt his hands move up her body, she gave a small whimper, her entire body erupting in a passion she had never before felt.

He pulled his lips from hers in stunned surprise. Looking down into her impassioned face, he groaned gently, moving once more to kiss her wonderful soft mouth, lifting her onto the table so that he could lay her down as he half covered her, his mouth travelling down the slender column of her throat as her fingers moved through his hair, her soft mouth moaning gently at his actions. Nikias could feel the raw need for the women beneath him as he unbuttoned the summer shirt she wore, revealing her slender body and the hardness of her nipples as they strained against the fine lacy material containing her. With a masculine groan which resonated from the back of his throat, his teeth gently nipped her, causing her to arch her back gasping loudly as strange sensations ran through her to ache between her legs as she took his face into her hands, pulling his mouth back to hers.

His mouth continued to control her before pulling back, his eyes travelling to the golden hair knotted tightly against the nape of her neck. Pulling the pins free, he watched the tresses tumble down, falling down her back and face like a silken golden cloud. He held his breath with the gut-wrenching flash of heat which filled him, Diona so wild and sensual. Once more taking her lips, he felt himself move beyond the ability to stop himself from his need to possess this woman. The need to satiate himself in the softness of her body, in the fire in her eyes which held his. It was only the sound of footsteps, Nikias cursing the timing of the part-time housekeeper, moving along the marble hallway which finally broke the spell between them as she gasped ripping her mouth from his. She pushed him from her as he stepped away, turning his back on her so she would not see the desire still so evident in his eyes. Diona stood in complete shock fixing her shirt, her shaky fingers struggling to do even this small task. As he finally turned back to look at her, he found her staring at him, her eyes haunted and wild, like a trapped animal, her long wavy golden hair framing her perfect body making him yearn to move forward once more to finish what they had started. However, she moved behind the table to put distance between them, those wonderful blue eyes wide as they looked at him with such mortification in them. “You shouldn’t have done that”, she moaned, her voice so unsteady.

With a last look at her, he turned. “I just wanted to know how much my brother would be missing you”, he threw back in his need to put as much distance between them as possible, his voice steadier than he felt. “Feel free to use as many of the facilities as you want”, he added before moving out of the kitchen to his office, shutting the door with a resounding bang.

Sitting in his office, Nikias ran his fingers angrily through his hair. He meant to shake her up, make her admit she was lying, but it had backfired on him with a vengeance. Now he groaned, feeling the need for her burning deeply within him. Once more he thought Diona Brown was not the same as the other women his brother dated and with a need to put her as far out of his mind as possible he switched on his computer to begin working through the many emails which awaited him.

In the kitchen, Diona watched as Nikias moved from the room, his whole body calm and controlled as he seemed to triumph over her weakness. He had meant to show her how little he thought of her, how cheap he thought she was and he succeeded. As her legs felt suddenly so weak she sank down onto one of the chairs, her eyes closing painfully remembering how he laid her on the table she now leant against. She remembered how he dominated her, causing her to react so dramatically to him, to feel such a need to have him do so much more to her. Raising still-shaky hands, she tried to pull her hair back into the knot, giving up as her fingers refused to work. His kiss was wonderful, his tongue pulling such a response from her, and she felt another jolt just remembering how he nipped her, feeling a flush rising to her cheeks, as she dropped her head into her arms with a soft moan. She had to get off this island, not only to save her sister, but she thought warily, to save herself.

Rising from the table with purpose, she moved up to the second floor of the lovely building, moving in and out of the different rooms. In each she picked up the phone, grimacing as each and every one was, as he already told her, dead. However, one of these rooms would be his, and right now he was downstairs somewhere in his office leaving her free to search. As she reached one door she found it to be locked, and she cursed gently, realising that he had outmanoeuvred her once more.

Diona spent nearly a half an hour on her fruitless search, amazed at the size of the home. Finally she decided to search the island for other outbuildings he might have missed, perhaps she could even get one of the people she had spotted earlier to give her a lift off or even just to let her use their mobile phone.

As she moved quietly back down the stairs she dropped down, as she saw him exiting a room at the end of the hall where, unaware of her presence, he headed into another room. Hardly believing her luck, Diona silently ran down the rest of the stairs slipping into the room he just left, realising that it was indeed as she suspected: his office. A large wooden desk which probably cost as much as her whole flat took up a prime position close to a picture window looking out over the cliff, and she was once more reminded of the wildness of the house setting, the thought that it suited its owner so well fleeting through her mind. Rushing over to the phone she picked it up, hearing the dial tone, much to her relief. As she began to dial her sister’s mobile number, the tone died as a message requested she enter the three digit security number. Looking in disbelief at the phone, she cursed it, placing it back onto its cradle, her eyes scanning the room for some other means with which to contact her sister. Spotting the computer on the desk she quickly moved over, pressing the keys in the hope that he left it connected - a hope which was quickly dashed as she had been requested to enter a password. Closing her eyes in defeat she stared at the screen. “Give up”, a voice from the other end of the room spoke softly, causing her to lift her head quickly to see Nikias watching her from the door, which she had not heard open. “And just so you know, I have banned all mobile phones for the week and threatened anybody who agrees to take you across to the mainland with immediate dismissal”, he added, almost as though he had read her mind. Clenching her hands angrily by her side and gritting her teeth, she glared at the man on the other side of the room. “You have to let me off this island… I need to save my sister from your damn brother”, she bit out, her tone low and angry.

“While you are here, as far as I am concerned my brother is safe… at least from you”, he retorted, his tone just as controlled as hers, as the two glared at each other, both feeling the way the very air between them was charged. As Nikias moved towards her, Diona panicked, suddenly so aware of the handsome tall man before her, and she moved around him nimbly, reaching the door and fleeing from the room, moving out of the house in a sudden need to feel fresh air on her body.

Standing in his office, Nikias watched her leave, seeing how she fled, her eyes full of panic. He frowned gently, feeling once again the need for her made more acute by the fact that she had not tied up her hair, and it still hung around her body giving her a sensual look, which caused the blood in his veins to boil so alarmingly. God she was good, he thought, even her hard-to-get innocent act was better than any other he had come across, and he knew that she was trouble with a capital T. However, lifting up the phone he quickly barked out commands in Greek before moving out of the room to find her.

He spotted her moving down the path towards the beach and with a grin he knew that she was still searching for a way off the island, admiring her perseverance in spite of himself, as he quickly caught up with her. Moving as quickly as she was able down the uneven path, Diona heard him calling her name, stopping in her tracks as she looked back, watching intently as he strode towards her. “Will you promise to give up trying to escape?”, he asked, his eyes holding hers. “Absolutely not”, she threw back defiantly, with such determination that he looked heavenwards, muttering something she could not understand, in Greek. “In that case I will have to make sure that you don’t get yourself into any trouble”, he finally said, his expression grim as she glared back at him. “Do you ride Diona?”, he asked more softly, as she frowned at him in surprise. “A little”, she replied, her voice confused as he placed a hand on her back, instantly causing sensations to travel up and down her body, as he directed her to a path to the side of where she was currently walking. “Then at least let me show you the island, and prove that there is no way off”

With that he led her to an area which opened up into a stable block, where a man already stood with two horses saddled and ready to go. Offering her a hat, which she took and secured on her head, he moved over to talk to the man holding the beautiful animals. Taking the largest, a black thorough-bred stallion, he swung easily onto the animal, sitting so well, controlling the magnificent beast. Shaking her head in thanks at the offer of help, Diona placed her foot into the stirrup of the smaller mare, a magnificent chestnut, quickly pulling herself into the saddle, as she fixed the stirrup to the right length.

“So you ride”, he stated with approval. “Not for years”, she responded, despite herself feeling a sense of exhilaration at once more being on the back of such a wonderful animal. “Daryle and I used to ride before my mother...” Diona stopped, looking away for a moment as he looked at her in surprise, seeing the way her face became suddenly so sad before she once more regained her composure looking at him with her chin raised defiantly. “I can manage”, her tone more in control. With a smile he then led her down towards the beach.

They spent the morning riding around the beautiful lush island. Nikias proved to be an excellent guide as he pointed out different points of interest to her, and she found herself enjoying his company, laughing with him as he seemed to relax in her presence, making small jokes and laughing back at hers. As they galloped across one of the beaches, she held her breath at how perfectly he controlled the large animal which fought so hard to go faster while he kept it level with her. She quickly found everything she learnt as a child came rushing back to her, and she smiled back at him with real joy on her face. She enjoyed the feel of the graceful animal under her and the wind whipping her hair which fell down her back, blowing it around her shoulders as she laughed happily, forgetting for a time why she was there. At lunchtime they were met on one of the beaches by a young woman holding the hand of a small girl. The two talked to Nikias, who had lithely dismounted. They handed him a basket with food, which he laid down as he lifted the small girl, tickling her. Diona watched how his handsome face once more broke into that heart-stopping dazzling smile at the small child who laughed back at him, before he put her once more onto her feet, waving as the two moved back up to the house. He then moved to help her dismount from the tall animal, his hands on her waist instantly causing her body to jump alarmingly.

“Your child?”, she questioned, as he grinned back at her. “No, my housekeeper’s grand-daughter, her daughter is staying here for a few days holiday”, he smiled, a mocking look entering his eyes. “To my knowledge I don’t have any children” Diona looked over at him. “It must be so hard to keep up”, she bit out, a small edge coming to her voice as he once more looked at her, a smile on his lips.

“You seem to have a very low opinion of me, Diona”, he murmured, his voice soft as he looked over at her, passing over packs of sandwiches and drinks which she accepted hungrily. “And yet it is probably better than the one you have of me, or my sister”, she countered, seeing the smile play on his lips. “And what have I done to gain your censure?”, he asked softly, as she looked at him with disbelief. “You mean other than kidnapping me and keeping me a prisoner on this island?”, her voice incredulous. “Yes apart from that”, he replied smoothly, his lips twitching seeing how she looked away, her eyes watching the waves before returning to him.

“After our little run-in at the restaurant, and before you had me spirited away, I read an article about you”, her voice accusing. “There seemed to be a lot of different women in the pictures, which makes me think that you like to play the field Nikias, so I have to wonder how you can be so hard on your brother when you are little better yourself”

Nikias frowned, remembering the article she was referring to. It had been the board’s idea to do the interview, something which he usually shied away from, liking his privacy. He remembered the attractive interviewer, her name escaping him, and how she flirted with him the whole morning, before he took her to his bed, spending a very forgettable afternoon with her. Looking over at Diona, he felt the feelings rising within him again. Why did this woman disrupt him so much when women like the reporter, and if he was honest with himself all his other recent lovers, left him lukewarm? As he watched her thoughtfully, his mobile began to vibrate, as a text was delivered. Pulling it from his jeans he looked at the caller ID, seeing his brother’s name and reading the short message with a frown on his face. Am ok. Will phone later need to sort something out. With a small smile, he looked over at Diona. “Seems your boyfriend is managing without you”, he said, reading out the message to her as she frowned back at him. “Why is it so hard to get through to you that Alexis is not my boyfriend? Sort something out... what does that mean? And what about my sister?”, she asked with annoyance. With a grin, he once more rose to his feet, having eaten his fill.

“Well he won’t be your boyfriend for very much longer”, he smiled, elated that his plan to split up Diona and Alexis was working so well. Although he wondered if there was another reason for now wanting to see the two apart, once more looking down on her wonderful features as she sat looking out to sea, her teeth biting softly on her lip in concentration.

Diona sighed gently. The text did not exactly sound as though the two were married yet, in fact she wondered if they had a fight. Part of her hoped that this was indeed the case, while at the same time she was concerned for her little sister, knowing how badly she took breakups, not that there had been many in her young life.

Looking back over at Nikias she looked down at the phone in his pocket. “Don’t suppose you would lend that to me for a moment so I could phone my sister…find out what is going on?”, she asked in a voice which had already resigned itself to the fact that he would not let her have it. He smiled back at her. “Let me think…no”, his answer, moving over to offer his linked hands for her to remount her horse, before easily pulling himself onto his own.

For the rest of the afternoon he was in a great mood as they continued with their trip around the island. It was nearly five in the evening before they finally arrived back at the stables. As she dismounted, she smiled ruefully. “Well the one thing I don’t miss about riding is the smell” She grinned at him, as he nodded in agreement, once more flashing her one of his smiles which had her heart flip-flopping in her chest. She placed her hands on her back, stretching slightly. “That and the fact that I’ve not been in a saddle for over ten years”, she added.

With a laugh he looked at her with a sympathetic light in his eyes. “In that case you might be a little stiff in the morning”, he said, his eyes watching as she stretched her body, once more feeling the hunger rising within him as he averted his eyes. Soon this woman would be well and truly out of his hair he thought to himself; however the thought did not make him as pleased as he thought it would. The two then returned to the house before moving up to their own bedrooms. Once more Nikias told her that dinner would be at seven, this time seeing how she nodded, murmuring that she would be there.

In the shower Diona enjoyed feeling the warm water relaxing her muscles which were already starting to ache slightly. She took her time dressing, not really understanding her sudden need to make more of an effort. She pulled on the soft baby blue shirt Daryle had given her for her birthday from the exclusive boutique she worked in; she knew she looked good. The perfectly tailored top showed off her wonderful figure along with the white silky skirt which matched it so well. Leaving her hair down, she secured it at the sides with clips which stopped it falling over her face, finishing off by putting on some light makeup and lip gloss. Looking at the time she saw it was now quarter to seven, amazed at how long it had taken for her to get ready, as she moved back down the stairs.

Walking into the dining room she saw Nikias leaning against the large fireplace, talking on his mobile. He smiled briefly at her as he continued his conversation. Diona instantly recognised the language he was speaking so fluently as French, a language she herself spoke well. He was discussing problems with a shipment and was laying down the law to the man who was on the other end of the phone, his voice full of authority, clipped and masterful.

She was glad that she made a little effort with her appearance, seeing how he dressed in a light blue long-sleeved shirt and black trousers which fitted his slim waist so well. She averted her eyes to stop herself staring at his long lean body, his shoulders broad as they tapered down to his slim hips. She could see the long length of his back, the columns of which stood visibly beneath the shirt as he leant forward to write something down in a notebook. Finally he called off, the small frown still visible on his brow. “I am sorry about that”, he said, looking over at her and with admiration. “Business”, he added, his tone apologetic. “So I heard”, she replied, “Suppliers……but what are you going to do?” Diona shrugging softly “Shut them down and set up our own supply chain”, he replied grimly, before looking at her in surprise, “You speak French?” Diona nodded slightly. “Learned at school?”, he asked, watching as she shook her head. “No, while doing volunteer work with Sans Frontier”, she said, seeing the way he raised his eyebrow in surprise. “YOU worked for Sans Frontier?”, he said in disbelief, seeing the way her mouth tightened before she shrugged her small shoulders once more. “Believe what you want” she bit tartly, his tone softening “I’m sorry, it was just a bit of a surprise, that’s all”, he smiled apologetically. At that moment the housekeeper entered the room, wheeling in a tray full of plates of steaming aromatic dishes, which she placed on the table with a smile. The two then took their seats as he poured her some delicious wine, which she sipped slowly, savouring the expensive merlot, before enjoying the wonderful food which was served on the large mahogany table.

Once more Diona was surprised at what good company Nikias was as he talked to her about Greece in a manner which fascinated her, before he asked her about her work with the charity, which she talked to him about with an obvious passion. After dinner they moved into one of the many living rooms, where Diona admired the large ornate chess board which sat in pride of place on the table in the middle of the room. “Do you play?”, he asked in surprise as she nodded. “I used to play a lot”, she said ruefully, adding sadly, “Don’t seem to get much of a chance these days”

He offered to play her a game, more out of politeness, as he rarely found anybody who could beat him in chess. Of all things, Nikias was a master planner, something which stood him in good stead when playing such a game. However, he been pleasantly surprised as she played magnificently. He had to really think hard, as she outmanoeuvred him in several traps he set for her, often turning the tables on him, and he enjoyed the game tremendously. Eventually though he won, seeing how she smiled, conceding the game. “Like I said - it’s been a while”, she grinned before giving a small yawn.

“Thank you for the game Nikias, but I think I will turn in now if you don’t mind”, she said, as he stood and taking her fingers in his hand, kissed them. “Thank you, you play very well”, his voice husky from just the touch of her fingers on his lips. He could see how she flushed slightly, her eyes filling with a smouldering look, which she tried to hide from him as she moved quickly out of the room. That night in her bed Diona saw only his face, and as she fell once more to sleep she remembered the feel of his mouth on hers, moaning with such a strange feeling of pleasure which filled her whole body as she sighed gently.

CHAPTER THREE

Waking up the following morning, Diona grimaced, her body stiff after the previous day’s exercise. With a small grin she chided herself on her state of fitness, wondering if Nikias was suffering, while instinctively knowing that he would not be, given how toned his body looked. Flushing slightly at this thought Diona threw the covers off, moving to the shower.

After she dressed, she moved slowly down the stairs, wincing every now and then before suddenly seeing Nikias at the bottom of the stairs. He looked up at her, a knowing sympathetic smile coming to his lips. “Good morning”, he said brightly as she gave him a small weak return smile.

“You will be glad to know that you don’t have to suffer the threat of my cooking this morning”, he joked, as he moved through to the dining room. Following him, she smelled the delicious aroma of sausages, eggs, bacon and a host of other tempting delights. Taking some toast and cereal, she sat opposite him, watching with a disbelieving smile on her lips as he piled his plate with food.

“How on earth do you keep yourself so trim eating all that?”, she asked before she could stop the words from leaving her mouth. He looked up at her with a small grin. “Well I appreciate the compliment Diona”, he said, his eyes full of mockery, as she flushed at what she just said. “I...I mean, don’t you know that is very bad for you?”, she added as primly as possible, while he just carried on smiling at her.

“So what are your plans for today?”, he asked her, seeing those lovely blue eyes look back at him as she raised her chin defiantly once more. “Same as they have always been”, she said, “To find a way off this island and find my sister” He chuckled gently. “I will give you marks for perseverance Diona”, he murmured softly, his smile widening as she scowled at him.

“I know a lovely beach where you can swim. We could take some snorkelling equipment and see if that helps with your stiffness”, he offered gently, seeing how she grimaced as she moved. For a second Diona felt like telling him to go to hell, part of her panicking at spending so much time with him, not fully understanding why herself. However, with a small sigh she nodded, part of her wanting to have him with her as she told herself it would give her a chance to perhaps get to the phone he kept in his pocket. However another part of her laughed at such a flimsy justification. After breakfast she moved back upstairs, moaning gently as her body complained. She put on the bikini she brought with her, realising it was the one which Daryle gave to her when she found out that her sister only possessed one-piece swimsuits, frowning slightly thinking that it was perhaps a little more sexy than she would have liked. However, when she had been packing she was more pre-occupied with her sister’s predicament than on selecting the correct clothes. She put on her shorts and a summer blouse over the top which complimented the golden tones of her hair, which was once more securely fastened in a ponytail at the back of her head. Grabbing her sunglasses and a summer hat, she left the bedroom.

Returning to the large foyer, she found Nikias already waiting for her; he too was dressed in shorts, which she assumed were swimming trunks, and a t-shirt which clung to his lean body. He looked up at her as she came down, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses as he smiled at her. “Don’t we need towels or snorkels?”, she asked, seeing how he carried nothing. He grinned again. “All sorted”, he simply said, opening the door to let her pass.

He then directed her to a path following the cliff side, which quickly became steps moving down to the beach below. When they reached the bottom, Diona could already feel her stiff muscles start to relax as she took a few moments to catch her breath. Here she saw a small shed which he opened pulling out towels, masks and snorkels. “Made more sense to leave everything down here rather than lugging everything up and down those stairs”, he said with a small laugh in his voice.

Diona gave a small agreeing nod as she helped him move everything near the water’s edge. As he pulled off his t-shirt she held back the small gasp, seeing his contoured torso which caused a sudden jolt of want to course through her own body. He was magnificent; his wide broad shoulders tapered down to such a finely toned stomach. She followed the V at his midriff as it disappeared beneath his shorts, her throat feeling suddenly very dry at the sight of how beautiful he looked, with his long back arching in such a way as to have her wondering what it would be like to run her fingers down him.

Dropping her eyes in total confusion as to the feelings he was evoking within her, Diona turned away, slowly pulling off her shorts and shirt, knowing how little she wore underneath. As she turned back, she could see the way his eyes were sliding over her, a look of desire in them as he took in her ripe breasts and long flat stomach, her bottom flaring out so temptingly, before he put back on his glasses to hide the embers of desire that burned within him. His voice was a little husky as he asked if she had ever used a face mask before. “I did some scuba diving when I was younger”, she told him much to his surprise, as he watched her gently spit into the mask to stop it from steaming up, before washing it in the clear water. As she stepped into the aqua depths, she gasped with a small giggle. “It’s cold”, she laughed, as she gingerly moved forward. “Now you will never get in that way”, he laughed, splashing past her before diving cleanly into the refreshing water.

As he stood, his whole body glistened as he pushed his hair back from his face before splashing her, making her gasp at the sudden feel of the cold water on her warm skin, laughing despite herself. Finally she laid back in the water feeling herself panting briefly at the sudden change of temperature before it became so pleasant, cooling her down.

Looking over, she could see that he had already put on his mask and was waiting for her, as she followed suit. He led the way as they swam together, watching the schools of small brightly coloured fish as they dove under them. Diona felt herself becoming completely relaxed, suddenly realising how much fun she was having. A small jolt of guilt passed over her as she realised that she should be looking for a way off the island, not enjoying floating in the clear waters with the very man who trapped her there. However, glancing over at him she felt annoyance at her sister at having put her in this predicament in the first place, along with such a strange sensation seeing how he flashed her yet another of those dazzling smiles, while pointing below. As he dove down, she followed him as they shadowed a small octopus through the crystal-clear water.

As they once more returned to the shallows, she stood up to her waist and Diona pulled off her mask, catching it in the bobble holding back her wet hair. With a small action of annoyance she pulled the hair free, dropping her head backwards into the water to smooth out the long hair so that it laid flat against her back. Looking over at Nikias she held her breath seeing the smouldering look in his eyes as he followed her actions. As their eyes met, the electric signal which passed between them was almost tangible, both their faces showing the sudden desire which flared between them. Moving forward he took her hips, pulling her closer in against him, his mouth once more dropping to take hers, as with a groan she allowed him, her mouth meeting his hungrily. Winding her arms around his neck, she felt his moving around her waist, pulling her closely against him so that she could feel the hardness of his arousal against her stomach. With a groan, he lifted her slightly off her feet, holding her to him so tightly, as his lips continued to hold hers, his tongue exploring her soft mouth as he moved forward.

Reaching the shore, he laid her on one of the towels, the water still lapping over their feet as he began to kiss down her neck, his mouth finding and holding the lobe of her ear. She exploded below him, her hands moving along his chest, feeling the rough hairs below her fingers, as her hands flattened to caress him.

He lifted his head to look down into her face, their eyes meeting, causing such electric signals to pass through them again, as he once more dropped his head, this time his mouth moving to the bikini top and the hardened nipples which strained against the thin material. As his teeth grazed the hardness she moaned under him, her body moving so sensually against him, as his hand found the clip under her breast and released it, freeing her from the top to allow him to finally look down on her wonderful body, which was causing such disruption in his.

With a masculine sound at the back of his throat he once more dropped his head to fully cover one of her lovely nipples, his mouth and tongue sucking and licking her so erotically that she was writhing below him with such a need of her own. He moved his mouth to run it along the line of her stomach, his tongue following the contour as she groaned, her whole body on fire with such a desire for him. He wanted this woman like no other, and he knew that he had to have her, feeling the strength of his arousal for her, knowing that he needed to feel himself within her.

As her hand brushed against the hardness of him, it took all his effort not to explode there and then, as with determination he pulled away from her to remove his trunks. The sound of his mobile phone broke the spell between the two as she gasped, sitting up and pulling her arms around her legs, covering her breasts. With a tortured groan he moved over to where his phone was carefully placed under a towel, and with shaky fingers he looked at the caller ID, quickly answering as he recognised his brother’s number. “Where the hell are you?”, he bit out, making Diona, who still sat in total confusion at what just happened, look over quickly. As she pulled the bikini top back together, she once more hugged herself, her hands trembling as she watched him, seeing his face become angry and harder. Looking over at her, he quickly changed to speak in Greek, a deliberate action so that she would not be able to understand him she knew, as she looked down, still trying to calm her breathing, which was so ragged at what had just passed between them.

Diona stood on unsteady feet, seeing how his eyes followed her, as she pulled on her shorts and shirt over her wet bikini, suddenly feeling the need to have more protection from him. She dropped her head to hide her expressive eyes from him as he followed her every action, his face now frowning.

As the call finished, Nikias looked down at the phone, his expression full of anger. “Well it seems that Alexis is still not prepared to come home”, he said glaring. “Where is he Diona?”, he asked, his voice suddenly icy as she shook her head. “I don’t know…did he say anything about my sister?”, she asked him softly, a tone of concern in her voice. She jumped as he angrily turned on her. “Enough!”, he bit out, his eyes blazing down. “Your little game is getting very weary, Diona” He moved over and grabbed her by the shoulders, releasing her instantly as the overwhelming desire once more filled him.

“I’m telling you the truth”, she cried back at him, a small look of fear crossing her lovely eyes. Nikias stepped back, grabbing his t-shirt while pulling it over his head in frustration as he muttered in Greek. “I have work to do…I’ll see you at dinner…maybe then you will feel more like talking”, his voice clipped, the anger still evident, as he turned and started to move up the steps built into the cliff side. Diona sank back down onto the sand, her eyes watching him disappearing out of sight, before she sunk her head back into her hands, feeling tears prickling at her eyes.

Once more she wondered what happened. She had encouraged him, wanted him in a way that she could still feel beating within her. What the hell was she playing at - he was using her, she knew that. He saw her as a way to find his brother, nothing more, nothing less, but she could feel the way his whole image seemed burnt into her very mind. His love-making, she told herself, was just another way for him to ensure that his brother’s romance would be over, and she groaned with pain, standing up with a renewed need to find her way off this damned island. For the rest of the day, she wandered aimlessly; stopping to speak to the few other people she met. As none of them spoke English, she mimed at them, asking if they had phones. However, nobody did and she smiled kindly at them as she continued on her way not prepared to ask about a boat, remembering how he told her that if anybody helped her off the island they would be fired. Diona did not want to be the cause of anybody losing their job, and she felt sure that Nikias was not a man who made idle threats.

As she returned to the house, she felt hungry, suddenly realising that she had not eaten lunch that day, and she briefly considered going into the kitchen to find something to eat. However, the thought of bumping into Nikias made her shiver with sensations she was trying so hard to ignore. Better to stay in her room, she finally told herself, than to risk coming across him again. Looking at her watch, she sighed seeing that she had plenty of time until dinner as it was still only four in the afternoon. However, as she entered her room, her whole body suddenly felt heavy. Diona was not used to the intense heat, or the long hours walking in it, and she felt tired as she dropped onto the bed, almost instantly falling into a deep sleep, her body draped across the cool cream sheets as her hair streamed across the covers like a halo.

Nikias heard her enter the house and sat for a while thinking about this woman who was causing such disruption to his orderly world. Closing his eyes, he could still see her wonderful body, and he knew that he wanted her with a need which he had not felt for any woman for such a long time. His wealth, along with his good looks and charismatic presence, made him a big attraction to women. They threw themselves at him, and he found himself bored with them after a very short time. True, as she said, he played the field, but he found that he had little interest in them once he bedded them, finding most women to be shallow and of little substance and he quickly came to view them as disposable. However, this little witch was getting to him, this woman whom his brother had decided to marry, this woman who was an obvious little gold digger. Nikias scowled thinking about Diona, yes she was the worst kind of woman, yet she was also smart, funny, and full of surprises. She had not pursued him as most did, in fact while she so obviously returned his desire, she seemed to fight the attraction she felt towards him, making him want her all the more. His brother’s phone call not only angered him, it made him feel so guilty. Alexis told him on the phone that he had a problem that he had to sort out before he could come home. Nikias heard the pain in his voice, knowing that he was looking for the woman he had so nearly made love to; the woman he still yearned to make love to, her face coming to his mind. He stood with determination, and for one of the few times in his life he decided that he was going to put his needs before those of his brother. He wanted the women upstairs, and with certainty he knew that he had to have her, no matter how much it might upset Alexis.

Moving up the stairs he gently tapped on her door. Hearing no sound he moved inside, seeing her asleep on the bed. As he stood over her, watching her sleeping form, he held in the groan as he thought how child-like she looked as she lay so innocently. He frowned at this thought, knowing what she was, but still feeling the need for her invading his whole being. With a small sigh, he left the room, needing to think carefully about how he approached Diona Brown.

After several hours of blissful peace, Diona awoke, feeling refreshed from her sleep. Looking at her watch, she gasped, seeing that it was nearly 6:30 and feeling the telling pangs of hunger in her stomach. Moving into the shower, she washed before dressing. As she started to pull her hair into its usual knot, she stilled her hands before pulling her hair around her shoulders, seeing how it softened her lovely features. Not fully understanding her own feelings at that moment, she let it hang down around her as she dressed in a red shirt and black skirt, seeing in the mirror how lovely she looked.

Diona never really bothered about her looks before, leaving that to her sister, who was beautiful and knew it. She preferred to slip quietly into the background, although given that she was every bit as attractive as her sister, this had not always been possible. Many men tried to get to know her better, but she never encouraged them and most gave up fairly quickly. However, Nikias had completely breached her usual defences and she was confused and more than a little shaken with her reaction to him.

She had been a little late going downstairs, and moving into the dining room, she frowned seeing no food or Nikias in evidence. As she looked around and was about to go into the kitchen, she backed into him as he at that moment walked into the room. Off-balance, he caught her by the waist, steadying her. She quickly moved forward away from him, her senses once more in turmoil at the feel of his hands on her. “It’s a nice night, I thought we could have dinner on the veranda”, he said, his voice a little husky, as she turned to look at him, her eyes bright, her face a little flushed. Diona nodded, dropping her head so that he would not see the smouldering look in her eyes. “Thanks”, she said raggedly, as he turned to lead her to the veranda which was lit with candles and small fairy lights. Diona looked over at him suspiciously, seeing the romantic trappings everywhere as the soft music began to play. With wariness she took her seat, as he poured her a large glass of wine.

“Good sleep?”, he asked, as her eyes flew up to meet his. “How did you know that I was asleep?”, she asked sharply, as he looked over at her with no change to his easy expression. “I went up to talk to you… you were asleep” Diona caught her breath, her eyes full of shock. “I would appreciate it Mr Dranias”, she said haughtily, “if you would not just wander into my room when the whim takes you, you told me the first day we met that you were a civilised man, please behave that way”

He looked back at her with a mocking look in his eyes which made her feel even angrier. “I’ll bear that in mind Miss Brown” He laughed gently at her prickly expression. “It can be very tiring walking around this island”, he said softly, “And the heat can get to you when you are not used to it”, he added gently.

“You must be hungry - from what I hear you didn’t have any lunch”, Nikias suddenly feeling a little guilty at not ensuring that somebody had provided her with food. Diona shrugged her shoulders, feeling a little flustered at his consideration, as she dug into the moussaka in the centre of the small table.

As the two ate, he talked easily, not once mentioning the incident that morning or the phone call from his brother. Diona, however, was not able to fully relax, still feeling the way his closeness affected her. As they finished their meal, she made to leave. “I think I’ll have an early night...read something”, she added, planning to visit his library which she noticed on her first day which seemed to be well stocked.

However, he stopped her. “There is something I would very much like to talk to you about”, he said gently as he rose, taking her hand in his, causing Diona’s whole body to jump to attention. “What?”, she asked. “I have no idea where your brother is”, she added warily. Looking at her with a thoughtful expression on his face, he shook his head. “It’s not that … Although it does involve my brother”, he said with a small frown.

Still holding her hand, he began to walk through the gardens at the front of the house, before reaching a small seat shielded within a lovely secluded area in which the moonlight shone down on them. Looking at him as he sat down beside her, she waited to hear what he had to say. “Why are you with my brother Diona?”, he asked looking intently at her. “You have nothing in common…you are not his usual type”

Diona looked back at him with annoyance on her face. “I have told you countless times that I am not with your brother”, she replied impatiently. Nikias looked stonily on her, before looking away sighing, ignoring her comment. “You see, I know that you see my brother as a good catch. Rich, young, he must be very tempting”

He raised his hand for her to let him finish, seeing how she opened her mouth to protest. “But as I told you the first day we met, he has no money of his own. I own everything. I control all of the money” With a small pause he looked deeply into her confused eyes. “So it seems to me that you would be far better off if you switched brothers”, he said looking intently at her. Diona gasped in shock. “Are you asking me to stop seeing your brother and start seeing you?”, she asked wide-eyed. He smiled. “Obviously not on the same terms…I have no desire for a wife, but as my mistress”

Diona jumped to her feet, her fists clenched at her side, her whole body shaking with the angry indignation which arose within her. “I have no wish to become your mistress”, she cried at him, her tone full of contempt. “What kind of man are you? My God - you would do that to your own brother?”

He stood up to tower over her. “Let’s not play games Diona, I will make it financially worth your while”, he said softly, as she gasped again. “So now you see me as some kind of prostitute?”, she cried, as she stepped back from him, the shock clearly showing on her lovely face.

Nikias frowned down on her knowing this was not going the way he had planned. “You cannot tell me that you love my brother, Diona”, he said. “You and he are totally incompatible which tells me that you are after his money. I am telling you that he has no money, but that I am willing to make sure that you are well taken care of in a deal which will be more honest for everybody” Diona took another step back, glaring at the man before her. “Stay away from me Nikias”, she cried at him as she saw how he made to come closer to her. With another frown he continued, “Name your price Diona; I will pay it to have you in my bed” Lifting her chin proudly, Diona stared back at the man before her. “I am not for sale Nikias”, she declared through trembling lips, feeling the tears rising in her eyes, as she turned to run from him.

Standing totally still, Nikias stared after her disappearing form, totally confused. She had not even given his offer consideration, and were those real tears in her eyes? He could even now feel the way his body yearned for her, cursing her for making him feel that way, and with a small angry sigh he made to follow her into the house, knowing that she would have fled to her room and also knowing that he could not follow her there.

 

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 30.01.2014

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I really liked this book so i thought it would be a great book to share. The Author's dedication: To Julie. Chance made us sisters, love made us friends. Thanks for everything