CHAPTER FIVE
JEREMY MYALLS arrived not long after Candice had left. Maddison found his sweeping all encompassing gaze a trifle unsettling as it ran over her.
‘You look rather delectable.’ He took her hand in his and held it for a fraction too long. ‘Lucky Demetrius.’
‘Shall we go?’ she said, scooping up the single creamy rose the florist from downstairs had sent up prior to Jeremy’s arrival.
They went downstairs to where a white Mercedes was waiting. Maddison smiled shyly at the hotel staff on the way past the front reception and slipped into the plush interior of the car, wondering if every bride felt the same trapped bird flutters of panic in her stomach as she travelled towards the destination of her wedding ceremony.
The fresh spring air did a lot to settle her nerves once they arrived at the Royal Botanic Gardens. A light breeze coming off the harbour lifted her hair and gave some much needed colour to her cheeks as she walked with Jeremy towards a small knot of people standing overlooking Farm Cove.
Her eyes went immediately to the tallest amongst them. Demetrius was in a charcoal suit with a white shirt and silk tie looking every inch the proud groom. Her eyes clashed with his as she drew nearer, seeing the gleam of satisfaction reflected there as if he were congratulating himself on bringing about his particular form of revenge.
She gritted her teeth behind her small smile and took his hand as the celebrant drew the small crowd together to start the proceedings.
Maddison tried not to listen to the solemn words too much. She hated thinking about the false promises she was making, nor did she wish to think about the way she was tying herself, albeit temporarily, to such a ruthless man as Demetrius Papasakis. She kept reminding herself she was doing it to protect her brother, but as Demetrius slipped the gold band on to her finger she felt a shiver of something unrecognisable go through her as if something elemental had just passed between them in that simple act.
She vaguely registered the celebrant’s words for him to kiss the bride and her eyes fluttered closed as his head came lower, his breath caressing her up-tilted face before his firm mouth came down to press against hers. She felt the soft stroke of his tongue, its movement in her mouth holding a sensual promise she found hard to ignore. She kept reminding herself he was doing it for the crowd’s sake, but her own response had nothing whatsoever to do with the people watching and she wondered if he knew it.
‘I now present to you all, Mr and Mrs Demetrius Papasakis,’ the celebrant announced proudly as Demetrius broke the kiss.
The small crowd went wild with applause and Maddison found herself caught up in their enthusiasm, even smiling widely as several paparazzi cameras flashed in her face.
‘You look beautiful.’ Demetrius lowered his head to speak to her, his warm breath curling around her ear.
‘Did I have you worried?’ she asked with a spark of spirit in her eyes as she looked up at him.
His gaze slipped to where the neck of her dress hinted at the soft curves of her breasts, lingering there for a moment before returning to her face.
‘That dress would be wasted covering a window.’ He smiled a lazy half-smile. ‘And I’m beginning to think it’s a terrible waste covering your body as well.’
She wasn’t sure how to answer him. A part of her wished she had the sophistication to laugh off his flirtatious comment, recognising it as the sort of thing men say to women all the time, but another perverse little part of her wished he’d meant it sincerely.
‘Come.’ He took her arm in his and led her to where the photographer was waiting. ‘We have some official photographs to do before the champagne begins to flow.’
Maddison walked alongside him, very conscious of the hard length of his thigh against hers as he held her close.
She forced a smile to her lips as the photographer clicked his way through a series of shots, doing her best to look the part of the ecstatic bride while inside she was feeling increasingly apprehensive. Demetrius in this lightly flirting mood was a danger to her carefully constructed defences and she knew she’d have to keep her wits about her to avoid being drawn even further into his orbit of charm.
Once the photographer was finished with the official photographs Demetrius led the way back to where the cars were waiting outside the Opera House. Maddison walked by his side with her hand in the warm, firm grasp of his, her heart beating an erratic tattoo in her chest as she thought about what she’d just done.
She was married to him, committed in a way she hadn’t thought possible less than ten days ago.
She wondered what he was thinking as he handed her into the waiting car. Was he secretly gloating about his victory in bringing herself and Kyle to heel? Or was he busily planning his next clandestine assignation with his lover?
The reception was held in one of plush rooms of the Papasakis Park View Tower Hotel, and it was clear as soon as they entered the beautifully decorated room that no expense had been spared to ensure the occasion would be remembered as nothing short of lavish.
Demetrius handed her a glass of champagne as the waiter passed, clinking his own glass against hers, his dark eyes mysterious as they meshed with hers.
‘To a productive union,’ he said.
The sound of his glass against hers seemed to her to be exaggeratedly loud as if all the other background noise in the room had faded into insignificance.
She drank from her glass, all the time avoiding his eyes, desperate to conceal from him her increasing vulnerability to him.
Jeremy Myalls approached with an almost finished measure of Scotch in his hand and a smile on his lips that wasn’t reflected in his cold washed-out blue gaze.
‘My congratulations to you both,’ he said, his eyes lingering on Maddison’s cleavage, before turning to Demetrius. ‘Are you planning on going on a honeymoon?’
‘No—’
‘Of course,’ Demetrius cut off her denial. ‘We’ll be leaving after the reception. I’ve left details of how I can be contacted with my secretary if anything should come up that needs my urgent attention.’
Maddison was almost certain that Jeremy looked a little put out that he hadn’t been informed previously of his boss’s arrangements. She felt a little irritated as well. How dare he take her on a honeymoon without discussing it first with her?
She waited until Jeremy had moved away to speak to another guest before confronting Demetrius.
‘I’m not sure how I’m supposed to get through a honeymoon without sufficient notice. I don’t have anything packed,’ she said in a tight undertone. ‘Anyway, I thought once today was over it was business as usual.’
‘It is business as usual,’ he replied smoothly, his eyes coming to rest on Jeremy Myalls, who was across the room.
‘But I don’t want to go on a honeymoon with you.’
After a moment he looked down at her as if he didn’t know how she’d come to be standing by his side. ‘Will you excuse me?’ He frowned. ‘I have something to see to.’
She didn’t get the chance to respond for he’d already moved away, leaving her with a half empty champagne glass and a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She turned away and smiled at one of the guests as they approached.
‘Hello, Maddison,’ an older woman said, taking her hand in hers. ‘I’m Nessa Koulos. I’ve wanted to meet you ever since Demetrius told me he’d found the woman of his dreams.’
Maddison couldn’t imagine Demetrius speaking of her in such a way; it was more likely he’d describe her as the woman of his worst nightmare if the truth were to be told.
‘I’m very pleased to meet you,’ she said, shaking the other woman’s hand, hoping her surprise wasn’t showing. ‘Have you known Demetrius long?’
‘It seems for ever.’ Nessa gave a self-effacing grin. ‘But then we more or less grew up together. We’re cousins, you see.’
‘Oh, I didn’t know…’
‘Demetrius doesn’t talk much about his family,’ Nessa went on. ‘His parents’ divorce hit him hard, he was so young. My parents and I were his second family during the worst of it.’
Maddison wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn’t want Demetrius’s cousin to think she knew nothing of her new husband’s background but she was torn with the desire to find out more about the things that had shaped his character.
‘We haven’t had much time to talk about our respective families,’ she said carefully.
Nessa gave an amused laugh. ‘Yes, it was rather a whirlwind courtship, wasn’t it? But then, your father worked for him for years, isn’t that so?’
‘Yes,’ Maddison answered without elaborating any further.
‘You have a younger brother, don’t you?’ Nessa asked, scooping up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.
‘Yes, he’s…working interstate at present.’
‘Oh? Where?’ She took a sip of the bubbling liquid, her dark eyes on Maddison’s face.
Maddison wasn’t so foolish as to fall into such a carefully laid trap. She had no idea if Demetrius had organised for his cousin to milk her for information about Kyle’s whereabouts and she wasn’t going to take the risk no matter how nice Nessa appeared to be.
‘I’m not exactly sure where he is right at this point,’ she answered with the bare minimum of truth she could comfortably get away with. ‘He moves about a bit. You know what young men are like.’
‘I do,’ Nessa agreed wryly. ‘I have two boys of my own, nineteen and twenty-one. Never a dull moment, I can assure you.’
Maddison sipped at her own champagne, hoping the conversation would soon shift to another topic.
‘I’m so glad Demetrius has come to his senses and settled down,’ Nessa said after a pause. ‘He’s been playing the field too long. It’s high time he sired a son or two to carry on the family name.’
‘We haven’t discussed children as yet,’ Maddison said, hoping her cheeks weren’t as hot as she felt inside.
‘Don’t leave it too long,’ Nessa said. ‘Demetrius is almost thirty-five; he needs a solid base to come home to. A happy home would do wonders for him.’
‘I’ll do my best.’ Maddison avoided the other woman’s eye.
‘I know you’ve probably heard all about his relationship with Elena Tsoulis,’ Nessa said after a small pause. ‘I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. Elena knows which side her bread is buttered; her ex-husband, Mikolas, is watching her every move. I’m sure she’s only been playing with Demetrius to get Mikolas’s attention; she should never have divorced him in the first place. Greek men can be very territorial about their women, as I’m sure you’ve heard.’
‘Yes, I had heard something to that effect.’
‘Don’t look so frightened.’ Nessa smiled reassuringly. ‘I’m sure Demetrius won’t be too hard on you.’
‘I’ll have to do my very best to behave.’
‘How terribly boring, my dear,’ Nessa said. ‘You keep him guessing for as long as you can; men like Demetrius just love a challenge.’
‘Yes, I have noticed.’
‘Underneath that high-powered exterior a real man’s heart is beating,’ Nessa added. ‘Don’t lose sight of that no matter what happens.’
Maddison was almost relieved when someone attracted Nessa’s attention and she excused herself to go over to speak with them. The reprieve gave her time to absorb Demetrius’s cousin’s revelations, which had shown a side of him previously unknown to her. She wondered about his family background, how his parents’ divorce had affected him. Nessa hadn’t indicated his exact age at the time but somehow she assumed he hadn’t been all that old. She also wondered if either of his parents was still alive and whether he had any contact with them. She backtracked over the various conversations they’d had but couldn’t recall a single mention of anything to do with his family. It seemed strange now she’d had time to reflect on it. Maybe Nessa was right, there was more to Demetrius than met the eye; the only trouble was, did she want to see what it was?
Demetrius came back to her side to farewell the departing guests prior to their own departure. Maddison stood by his side, his arm around her waist, smiling at the various friends and associates as if she couldn’t be happier, when in fact she wished no one was leaving yet so that she would have a little more time to prepare herself for whatever he had planned in terms of a honeymoon. It still annoyed her that he hadn’t mentioned his intention of carrying the charade of their marriage that far. It made her feel as if she were acting in a play without seeing the script first.
The last of the guests had left when he turned to her, dropping his arm from about her waist.
‘I’ll meet you upstairs shortly,’ he said. ‘Pack a few things for a weekend in the country. I won’t be long.’
She watched as he disappeared through the double doors of the reception room, her brow furrowing at his curt dismissal.
She turned on her heel and, giving the waiting staff a defiant look, picked up a fresh glass of champagne from the nearest table and took it with her towards the lifts.
She stabbed at the call button and while she waited sipped agitatedly at her drink, anger curling like a serpent in her belly. She wondered if he’d slipped out for a quick liaison with Elena before returning to act out the role of besotted husband.
When the lift arrived she decided on impulse to get off on the fifth floor where a cocktail bar was situated. If Demetrius was going to think she would be ready and waiting when he returned he could think again.
The young cocktail host came over with the drinks menu and an appreciative male smile.
‘Good evening, Mrs Papasakis, what can I get you to drink?’
Maddison hadn’t expected to be recognised and wondered if it had been wise to try to get the upper hand when the playing field was now so unbalanced. She wondered if Demetrius had sent out a brief on her, informing his staff of her arrival at the hotel.
She gave an answering smile and after the briefest glance at the menu chose the first item that caught her eye.
‘I’ll have a Mai Tai, thank you.’
‘Won’t be a moment,’ he said and bowed away.
Maddison sat somewhat self-consciously as he went away to fetch her drink. She wasn’t all that comfortable in bars at the best of times; to be sitting in one owned by the man who was now her husband made it even more unusual. But he wasn’t just her husband, she reminded herself, he was the man responsible for her brother’s exile and her father’s early death. She had to keep that at the forefront of her mind at all times, especially now as his ruthless machinations had brought about their marriage.
For that alone she hated him with a passion. She was nothing more than a toy he’d decided to play with for a short while. He’d used her vulnerability over Kyle’s behaviour to achieve his own ends. She wasn’t all that sure she believed his story about needing a cover-up relationship; it didn’t make sense that he would need to go to such lengths. He was unbelievably wealthy and used to taking control. It seemed unthinkable that he would allow himself to bow to public pressure in such a way. He was a man who was quite clearly used to getting his own way no matter who or what obstructed him. With a click of those long masculine fingers he could remove any obstacles without a single flicker of conscience if indeed he even had one.
The more she thought about it the more she began to recognise the devious way his mind worked. He was obviously using her as an insurance policy to make her pay for the loss of his boat, knowing she would never reveal her brother’s whereabouts to him even under threat. And he’d certainly threatened her. She still got the shivers when she thought about that kiss.
Her drink arrived and she took a tentative sip before setting it down again.
Several people had drifted into the bar and before she could shrink back to avoid being noticed a blond head turned in her direction and a cold blue gaze singled her out.
She had no choice but to acknowledge Jeremy Myalls as he sauntered over, a drink in his hand and a smile lifting one edge of his mouth as his eyes ran over her.
‘Don’t tell me Demetrius has deserted you already?’
‘Not at all.’ She reached for her cocktail. ‘I’m just about to go upstairs to pack for our honeymoon.’
She hoped she was giving a convincing picture of the happy bride anticipating her first night of marriage but somehow something in Jeremy’s expression informed her she hadn’t been all that successful.
‘I would’ve thought that a superfluous task,’ he commented lazily. ‘The last thing one needs on one’s honeymoon is clothes.’
She felt her cheeks grow warm as a vision of Demetrius without clothing flitted into her mind. She could almost see the ripple of toned muscles, the long hard flanks of his thighs and what lay potently between them…
She tossed back the rest of her drink and got to her feet with a wavering smile. ‘I’d better be going. Have a nice evening, Mr Myalls.’
‘Jeremy,’ he insisted, touching her arm for a second or two longer than necessary.
‘Jeremy,’ she repeated.
‘Have a great honeymoon,’ he added as she went past.
‘Thank you.’
She got to the lifts and stabbed at the call button. The doors sprang open and she pressed the button for the penthouse floor, leaning back against the mirrored panels as a sweeping tiredness overcame her. A combination of emotional distress and an unfamiliar amount of alcohol had finally taken its toll. All she wanted to do was find a quiet room and fall into a dreamless sleep.
The lift opened with a soft mechanical hiss and she stepped out. She reached for her key card but before she could swipe it the door of the penthouse opened and Demetrius stood there, his dark eyes noting the suddenly guilty look in her blue gaze.
‘What took you so long? Did you take the stairs?’
‘The lift was slow.’ She avoided his eyes. ‘It stopped at every floor.’ She brushed past him to enter the penthouse but before she could get by he reached out a hand and stalled her, swinging her around to face him.
‘Something you’d do very well to take note of before this marriage is much older is that I won’t tolerate being lied to. Is that clear?’
She lifted her chin to meet his dark gaze. ‘There’s something you need to take note of as well; I won’t be manhandled by you whenever you feel like it.’ She wrenched her arm from his grasp and glared up at him.
‘Who were you with just then?’ he growled at her.
She took offence at his proprietorial manner even while part of her insisted she tell him what had taken place in the bar with Jeremy Myalls. Her concerns about Kyle, however, overruled her conscience; she owed Demetrius nothing, she reminded herself. He’d blackmailed her into this arrangement and she didn’t have to answer to him about her movements.
‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’ she taunted. ‘I could, of course, ask you the very same question.’
‘But you already know the answer, don’t you, Maddison?’
She did and it sickened her to be reminded of it. ‘I have no interest in your affair with Elena Tsoulis. It’s nothing to me.’
‘Not the least bit jealous?’
‘Why should I be jealous?’ She met his dark satirical gaze with defiance. ‘I don’t care what you do with other women as long as you don’t expect me to join the throng.’
‘Are you worried I might insist on my conjugal rights?’
‘Not the least bit worried,’ she lied.
‘You trust me that far?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘I don’t trust you at all, but I can assure you if you try to coerce me I’m sure I’ll have the willpower to withstand any of your paltry attempts to seduce me.’
‘Paltry attempts?’ He tasted the words as a smile played at his lips. ‘Is that your assessment thus far?’
She gave him a fulminating look. ‘You’ll have to try much harder, Demetrius Papasakis, if you want me to capitulate to your particular version of charm. I like my men honest and up front, not conniving and calculating.’
‘Conniving and calculating am I now? What a deplorable opinion you have of me. I see I shall have to work extra hard to change your mind then.’
‘Even if you sprouted wings and a halo I wouldn’t be all that impressed.’
He gave a soft laugh as he looked down at her infuriated features.
‘No, I can see it’s going to take a whole lot more to convince you I’m not quite the devil you think I am. But we have a few months, so who knows what will happen between now and then?’
‘I can make a fair guess. I’m going to hate you even more than I do now.’
‘Those are fighting words.’ He touched a long finger down the curve of her cheek as his eyes burned into hers. ‘And I for one just love a fight.’
Maddison opened her mouth to speak but before the words could come out his head came down and his firm mouth covered hers.
As much as she fought against it she felt desire tug at her insides as his tongue unfolded inside her mouth, drawing from her the sort of response she’d had no intention of giving. She felt as if he had taken control of her will, turning her to mouldable putty in his hands as soon as he touched her. His lips were warm and coercive, his tongue commanding and alluring as it duelled with hers in a battle to conquer. She was losing ground fast, her legs softening beneath her until she was sure she was going to slip to a pool of feeling at his feet. His arms tightened around her, drawing her closer. She felt the hard thrust of his aroused length against her, its implacable presence a reminder of his superior strength and her capitulating weakness.
She wanted him.
She wanted him as she had wanted no one before. Her untutored body was clamouring for a release she knew instinctively he would give unreservedly, powerfully, unforgettably.
He pressed her back against the wall as he continued his assault on her senses. His teeth took her bottom lip in a grazing hold, only to release it for his tongue to salve its swollen surface in a sensuous glide that sent arrows of hot need to her very core, his body grinding into hers, leaving her in no doubt of his pulsing need.
He lifted his mouth off hers to look down at her, his breathing uneven, his eyes aflame with desire.
‘Still hate me?’
She sent her tongue out to her lips before answering. ‘As much as ever, if not more so.’
‘Good.’ His smile was mocking. ‘I wouldn’t want the war to be over just yet. I have a few more battles to win first.’
‘This is all a game to you, isn’t it?’ she tossed at him crossly. ‘A game where only you can win because you keep changing the rules.’
‘The rules are the same as arranged.’
‘Oh, really?’ She gave him a cynical look. ‘What about the hands-off bit of our arrangement?’
‘I won’t force you to do anything you’re not prepared to do.’
‘How absolutely typical! No, you won’t force me but you’ll make it damn near impossible to resist!’
He quirked a dark brow expressively. ‘So you do admit to being tempted?’
‘No!’ she denied hotly. ‘I admit nothing.’
His smile deepened as he watched the colour fire in her cheeks. ‘Come now, Maddison; let’s not start our honeymoon on the wrong foot. Pack; we’ll be leaving in ten minutes.’
‘I don’t want to go on a honeymoon. I don’t want to go anywhere with you.’
‘Ten minutes, Maddison or I’ll carry you down to the car in what you’re wearing.’
His eyes challenged her to defy him and she lost a whole minute trying to win that round.
‘Nine minutes,’ he said. ‘And still counting.’
She swung away on a furious breath and, stalking to the spare bedroom, slammed the door behind her.
Throwing her wedding dress to one side, she dressed in casual clothes before stuffing a few items of clothing in a weekend bag as well as her toiletries from the bathroom, all the while fuming at his overbearing manner, he treated her as if she were a particularly recalcitrant child who needed a firm hand.
She had to learn how to resist him! What was wrong with her? She hated him more than anyone she could think of, so why couldn’t she resist his mouth and hands? It didn’t make sense.
She’d always imagined desire and love to be inextricably linked, for women at least, if not for men. And Demetrius Papasakis was the worst kind of man with whom to get involved—a wealthy playboy with a sexual history that probably read longer than War and Peace .
She had no business feeling attracted to him, especially when he could so easily destroy her brother’s future with a single phone call to the police. She had to stop herself from responding to him!
She joined him in the spacious lounge, her features still set in mutinous lines, her anger at him pulsing inside her so heavily it took everything she possessed to contain it.
Anger was good. She had to keep angry at him no matter what.
Demetrius took her bag without a word and she snatched her hand away as his fingers touched hers.
‘I’ve asked for my car to be brought around to the front of the hotel,’ he said. ‘I hope I don’t need to remind you we will be in the presence of other people for a few minutes.’
‘I’m surprised you don’t carry around a clipboard and scene cutting card,’ she threw at him scornfully. ‘Just so I don’t miss my cue.’
He gave her a hard look as he opened the door. ‘Behave yourself, Maddison,’ he warned. ‘Remember your brother’s continued freedom depends on it.’
She followed him to the lift, relieved that no one was in it so she had a little more time to prepare herself. The thought of pretending to be in love with him was anathema to her in her current state of heightened rage. She couldn’t help feeling he’d deliberately goaded her to make the task even more difficult for her.
The lift doors opened and she fixed a smile on her face as they made their way to the front doors of the hotel.
‘Good evening, Mr and Mrs Papasakis,’ the evening duty manager said as they moved past reception.
‘Thank you, Eric,’ Demetrius responded. ‘Have a good one yourself.’
Instead of his usual black Jaguar, a large four-wheel drive vehicle was waiting for him, growling like a predatory animal in the driveway.
Maddison sent him another fake smile as he held her door for her, conscious of the baggage boy loading their things into the car.
‘Thank you…darling.’
His eyes sent her a warning that caused a flicker of sensation to settle between her thighs. She snapped her knees together as he closed the door, trying not to watch as he strode around to the driver’s side but unable to stop herself. He had such a commanding presence, his height and stance so compelling she had to forcibly drag her gaze away to stare at her hands in her lap instead.
The car prowled out of the driveway with a low pitched roar, leaving the city behind within a few short minutes.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked in a stiff voice.
She felt his sideways glance but didn’t turn his way.
‘I have a little place in the country,’ he informed her. ‘At Black Rock Mountain.’
She’d never heard of Black Rock Mountain but she could just imagine his little place; it was no doubt huge, with every mod con and a team of obsequious staff to satisfy his every need.
‘Another one of your hotels?’ Disdain coloured her tone.
‘No, strange as it may seem to you, I don’t spend all of my time in my hotels.’
‘No, of course not.’ She sent him a scathing look. ‘You spend a great deal of your time in your many lovers’ bedrooms. How silly of me to forget.’
His eyes met hers in the intimate darkness of the car as he stopped at traffic lights.
A strange tension began to build in the stretching silence as the powerful car thrummed beneath his control. She couldn’t help thinking that somehow he was communicating something through the way he drove it to warn her about him—the tightly leashed power straining underneath his hands, waiting for the command to let go, with no doubt devastating results for anything or anyone who stood in its way.
Yes, the powerful vehicle was definitely an extension of him and she’d do very well to be mindful of it. He could strike without warning, pounce on her, and consume her totally.
The lights changed and the car surged forward with a screech of tyres, the g force sending her backwards in her seat.
He didn’t say a word but his silence spoke a thousand for him.
He overtook six cars at a stretch once they hit the motorway, one hand on the wheel, the other resting idly on the arm rest, his dark features set in stone, his expression unreadable.
Maddison found the experience of sitting beside him unnerving to say the least. The silence was intimidating, and even though she speculated on what he was thinking beneath that implacable mask he was impossible to read, which intensified her disquiet.
She stared out at the dark shapes of trees as they flashed past, the rhythmic motion finally completing the work her earlier cocktail and emotional rollercoaster of a day hadn’t quite managed to do. Her eyelids dropped, her shoulders relaxed and her head shifted sideways until it rested against the leather upholstery.
The car came to a stop and she jerked awake. ‘Where are we?’
He killed the engine and the sudden encroaching darkness as the headlights snapped off felt instantly menacing.
‘We’re at my retreat.’
She peered out into the impenetrable darkness of the moonless night. She couldn’t see any sign of a plush hotel, nor indeed any sort of high life mansion. All she could make out in the darkness was a small hut like structure that looked as if it badly needed a coat of paint.
‘This is it?’ She gave him an incredulous look.
He opened the car door and the interior light came on. ‘This is it.’
She watched as he unfolded his long length from the car and went around to the back to take something from the boot.
A torch snapped on and in its arc of light she could see the hut more clearly.
It wasn’t all that encouraging.
It was hardly the place one would expect to spend a honeymoon, even a pretend one, she decided as she got out of the car.
Demetrius had taken the torch with him to unlock the door of the hut, but privately Maddison wondered why he’d felt the need to lock it in the first place. The thick bush surrounding them acted as a screen for absolute privacy; it was quite clear no one would accidentally stumble upon the place unless they’d been given specific directions.
She stood back as he opened the weathered timber door, hoping no scurrying critters had taken up residence in his absence.
‘Aren’t you going to switch the lights on?’ she asked once he got inside.
He came back out and shone the torch in her face. ‘There are no lights.’
She held up her hand against the glare of the torchlight. ‘What do you mean there aren’t any lights?’
He shifted the torch beam so she could open her eyes. ‘There’s no power here.’
‘No power?’ She gaped at him. ‘Hello? This is the twenty-first century. Everyone this side of Bourke has power!’
‘Not this place.’
‘Why the hell not?’
He stepped down the timber steps and the torch hit her in the face again.
‘Will you stop waving that thing in my face all the time?’
‘Sorry.’ He snapped it off.
‘No!’ She clutched at him in the darkness. ‘Turn it back on!’
‘What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re frightened of the dark.’
She was twenty-four years old. How the hell could she admit to anyone, least of all him, that she was absolutely terrified of the dark?
‘No, of course not!’ She forced herself to step back from him. ‘I just don’t want to lose my footing on this rough ground.’ She was pleased with her explanation; it sounded reasonable enough to be convincing.
‘You go inside,’ he said. ‘I’ll bring in the things from the car.’
She stood uncertainly, staring through the inky darkness at the black hole of the door.
‘I’ll help you.’ She swung around to follow him, her feet almost tripping over themselves in her haste.
‘Careful,’ he warned as he shone the torch across the ground at her feet. ‘You don’t want to break a leg out here.’
‘I should have thought of that earlier,’ she muttered under her breath as she hovered around the edges of his torch beam like a tiny ineffectual moth that had nothing better to do.
‘What was that?’ The torch hit her in the eyes again.
‘Nothing.’ She shielded her face.
She heard him gather their belongings and crept closer, trying to stay somewhere within the soft beam of light under his command.
‘Here, you take the torch.’ He handed it to her. ‘I’ll take the bags.’
She clutched at the cylindrical tube like a drowning person did a lifeboat.
‘Watch out for spiders,’ he said as they entered the hut.
She almost dropped the torch as she swung it around to his face.‘Spiders?’
He pushed her arm down so the light was out of his eyes. ‘There’s not a single spider in here, I can assure you.’
Relief sent her breath out in a rush. ‘Phew!’
‘They’re all married with large families,’ he added with a teasing smile.
Cold fear trickled along her spine. In fact she couldn’t help thinking a hundred spiders were making their way up to the back of her neck with tiny feathering steps.
‘Oh, my God!’
‘You are scared.’
‘No!’ She denied it with sinking courage. ‘I can handle a few harmless spiders.’ She disguised her shudder well, she thought, glad of the cloak of darkness for probably the very first time in her life.
‘I have matches and candles somewhere.’ He began searching along what appeared to be a mantle shelf.
She watched as he lit a spindly candle, the tiny flame highlighting his dark satirical features as he turned to face her.
‘Do you have a fireplace?’ Hope crept into her tone.
‘Sure I do.’ He struck another match along the side of the box and bent down to light the set fire in the hearth behind him.
‘I love fires,’ she said. ‘No one has fires any more.’
‘Central heating certainly has a lot to answer for,’ he agreed.
Maddison couldn’t believe the sense of relief she felt as the flames started to dart about and take hold. She had to stop herself moving even closer to hold her hands to its warmth, even though by early spring standards the night wasn’t all that cold.
‘Keep your eye on that while I get us something to drink,’ he said, moving away.
She was nothing short of assiduous in her attempts to keep the fire blazing, piling on wood until the towering pyre threatened to topple over and spill out on to the floor.
‘Careful,’ Demetrius cautioned as he handed her a glass of wine. ‘That’s all the wood we have until morning.’
She stared at the leaping flames and wondered if she should take off the piece she’d just balanced on top.
‘Don’t you have a wood-pile outside?’
‘I chop it as I need it. I like the exercise.’
It was certainly a side to him she hadn’t expected. Never had she imagined he would step outside his billionaire comfort zone to light his own fires and chop his own wood.
It made her wonder if she had missed something somewhere. She was usually so good at reading people, working out who was genuine, who was not, but somehow he’d slipped past her usually meticulous assessment.
‘Is it safe to assume this rustic paradise of yours stretches itself to beds?’ she asked.
His eyes met hers across the flickering glow of the fireplace.
‘It has one bed,’ he said. ‘Mine.
’
09-11-07, 04:45 PM
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