'Oh.' Willow stared back at Theo, feeling a fool. But with his hand on her breast it was a second or two before she could form any thoughts and get her vocal cords to work again. 'But you still married her,' she shot back. She wasn't that much of a fool. . .
'Yes, and do you know why?' Theo prompted, his eyes swirling for a moment with dark resentment. 'Because of you. Did it never cross your mind to wonder how I felt after you gave yourself to me, and then ran? I woke up the next morning to discover the woman I had asked to stay with me had gone. Then I had to discover from my sister you were only just eighteen and had in fact just left school that day.'
He was right—it had never once entered her head to think how he'd felt. 'I did wonder why you followed me to the airport,' she murmured.
'I followed you because I was mortified by what I had done, and I wanted to put it right. I wanted to see you again.' His long lashes lowered, masking his expression from her. 'I was twenty-eight and a bachelor at heart, but I had the mad idea that I migh
t court you. But you soon put me right,' Theo drawled with dry self-mockery. 'Instead I spent the next three months drinking a bit too much and swinging between incredible anger that you could give away your innocence so lightly, and self-disgust that I had seduced someone so young.'
'I was eighteen, Theo, and you were right. It was only because I thought you were an unfaithful swine, a playboy who had women all over the place as well as a poor, long- suffering fiancée that I said what I did.'
'That is some impression I made on you,' he mocked, his eyes searching her expressive face, and he knew she was telling the truth. 'Not that it matters now.' He shrugged. 'But when you left, my ego took a serious knock. In fact you damn near unmanned me,' he said wryly. 'And let me assure you there was nothing long-suffering about Dianne—she was all over me like a rash. My ego duly restored, I married her.'
'That is terrible.' Willow stretched out an unsteady hand and placed it on his arm, her blue eyes full of sympathy gazing up into his. 'I had no idea.'
'Forget it,' Theo said bluntly. 'Your sympathy is misplaced. Dianne was a partner in the legal firm in New York that takes care of our business there, and the marriage was simply an extension of that partnership. It could have worked except, as I said, I returned home early from a trip abroad and caught her in bed with another man. We had been married for four years at the time, and with no sign of any children the divorce was no big deal,' he concluded dismissively.
At his reference to children Willow tensed, realising that she had discovered more about Theo in the last few minutes than he had ever told her before, but also that he had simply reaffirmed the real reason for their marriage: Stephen. She would be wise not to hope for too much, she reminded herself, but, looking up into his austerely handsome face, she felt the familiar twist of heat in her stomach that made her breath catch in her throat, and she could not tear her gaze away. She wanted his firm, sensuous mouth on her own again so badly, her mouth went dry, and her tongue flicked out to moisten her full bottom lip.
Theo studied her with brooding eyes. He saw the flick of her tongue, and the shimmer in her incredible blue eyes, and his darkening gaze dropped to the proud thrust of her exquisitely shaped breasts and the straining deep rose nipples. He wondered what the hell he was doing lying naked with his bride on his wedding night discussing a past disaster, when all he wanted to do was. . .
One hand looped around her neck, tangling in the tumbled mass of her hair, and he brought her head up, his mouth claiming hers with a driving hunger that made her moan in helpless pleasure. 'No more talking,' Theo rasped. 'I want you again now.'
Willow was more than happy to oblige, and helped him as he worked his erotic magic on every inch of her body. She eagerly returned the favour by teasing him, tasting him, shuddering on top of him, until a shattering climax caught her and all she could do was cry out and cling to him, lost in the realms of ecstasy she had never thought her body capable of.
In a hot, damp tangle of arms and legs she vaguely heard Theo mumble something in Greek, and then she was asleep.
'I've got to disguise this mark,' Willow said. 'A scarf, maybe.'
Theo was drinking a glass of champagne as she walked into the sitting room of their suite. He turned to face her, a look of amusement in his dark eyes, and studied her, his gaze narrowing on the hand she held to her neck.
'If you really want to go down to the dining room for lunch,' he commented, 'a scarf is not going to make much difference. All the staff are perfectly well aware we have not left the suite in three days. It does not take an Einstein to work out what we have been doing.'
Willow blushed scarlet and cursed her pale complexion. 'I know that, but we are leaving this afternoon and I haven't even seen the place yet. What will I say if Stephen or your mother asks me about the hotel?'
Theo laughed. 'My sweet, sexy wife, you worry too much.' Placing his glass down on the table, he reached for her and drew her into the circle of his arm. 'I own the place and I will fill you in on all the details on the way home tonight.' He took in the perfection of her pale features, the slight frown between her beautiful eyes. 'Now, where were we?' he murmured.
Willow gave him a luminous smile. 'You're insatiable.' She chuckled.
'And you love it,' Theo rasped, and dipped his head to capture the soft, sensual lips with his own.
Willow didn't see the rest of the hotel or the grounds, but as the manager escorted them to the helipad later that afternoon she glanced back at the long white building and knew she would remember it for the rest of her life.
It had been three days of sheer magic. She had seen a completely different side of Theo: the incredible lover, the amusing, attentive companion who had fed her every whim. They had taken their meals on the balcony and shared the huge spa bath. They had laughed, and talked about books, music and Stephen. And of course they had loved. . .
She glanced up at him, a faint reminiscent smile on her mouth as he said goodbye to the manager, her blue eyes wide and brilliant. Maybe their marriage was not the perfect storybook love match, but to her mind the past few days had come pretty close. . .
Sensing her gaze, Theo looked down at her, his smile quizzical. 'You look very pleased with yourself,' he said softly, and her beatific smile rocked him back on his heels. Yes. He had definitely made the right decision in marrying her. He had never had such incredible sex in his life. She was everything a woman should be.
It secretly thrilled him to watch her so coolly polite as she said her goodbye to the manager. She was a perfect lady, and only he knew she was an avid sensualist in bed, the perfect mate, in fact. As if that weren't enough for any man, the icing on the cake was Stephanos.
Slipping an arm around her slender shoulders, he led her to the waiting helicopter. Willow had given him a wonderful son, and he hoped for one or two more. The future looked rosy, except for one unpleasant duty he had yet to perform. . .
CHAPTER ELEVEN
'Do you really have to go to work so early?' Willow asked, watching Theo as he donned the garb of a successful tycoon.
'Yes, I do.' Theo slipped on the jacket of the slate-grey suit and glanced across at Willow lying on the bed. The sheet that was draped across her slender hips did not reach her navel. He let his eyes roam over the smooth sweep of her elegant body, enjoying the sexy picture she presented. 'Tempting as you are, lover, the unexpected break in my schedule has left me with a lot of work to catch up on, but later in the year I promise we will have a proper honeymoon.'