with a shrug of indifferent assent Sofia Leotokos let her take her arm and guide her up to her bedroom, separate from Miles's. Ariana helped her mother undress, plumped her pillows and pulled the covers over her as if she were a sickly child.
Regret pulled at her as she knelt by the side of the bed and took her mother's cold hands in hers. "Mama..." She hesitated, because as much as she loved her mother, she did not trust her to be strong enough to keep a secret.
Sofia looked up, her faded gaze taking in her daughter's. "You don't need to say anything, Ariana," she said softly and with an icy flash of realization Ariana knew her mother already knew what she planned.
How...?
"You could come with me," she whispered, her voice so low she didn't know if her mother had heard those dangerous words.
Sofia shook her head. "I do not have the strength. And I would not keep you back, not for anything." She leaned back against the pillows. "You were always stronger than I, Ariana. I pray you will remain so."
Ariana blinked back sudden tears. She nodded, her throat tight, everything in her aching. "Goodnight, Mama," she said, and with one last squeeze of her mother's hands she left the room.
The villa stretched silently all around her, although Ariana knew her father possessed far too many spies. No servant could be trusted, no secret kept. Her heart thundered in her chest when she considered what she would have to do tonight, how much she would risk by setting her plan in motion.
Yet her life--her very soul--depended on it, for she could not remain here and marry Dion Paranoussis. She would, Ariana acknowledged bleakly, rather die.
The hours passed slowly. A maid came into her bedroom to turn down the bed and Ariana changed into her nightgown, slid under the cool sheets as if this were a night like any other. The maid left, and she waited. One hour, then another. Midnight was not late enough; her father could still be working. She strained to hear the creak of a stair, the sound of footsteps as her father finally retired. A door clicked shut in the distance, and she finally relaxed, if only a little.
It was nearing two o'clock in the morning when she finally stole from her room, her dressing gown wrapped around her, her hair streaming down her back--and her heart thudding so loudly she feared it might wake the house. Blood roared in her ears as she crept down the hall towards the wing of the villa that housed the guest bedrooms... that housed Theo Atrikes.
She'd gone there earlier today to see which room was being prepared and knew it was the third door on the left, the one facing the sea. It seemed to take an age to make her way down that corridor, the slap of her bare feet on the tiled floor uncommonly loud. Finally her hand curled around the door knob and she held her breath, everything in her straining, as she turned it.
In the next moment someone's hand curled around her wrist and she was yanked inside the room, pressed against a wall. Theo Atrikes's eyes glittered inches from her own.
"We meet again, Miss Leotokos."
CHAPTER THREE
Theo stared down at the pale, shocked face of Ariana Leotokos. Her eyes were wide, her pupils dilated, her mouth slightly parted. He could feel her lush curves pressed enticingly against him, and his libido stirred.
Quickly he dropped her arm and stepped away.
"I don't think your father would be pleased to see you prowling into my bedroom."
She straightened, her eyes flashing and her mouth pursing. "No, he wouldn't. And if you are inclined to apprise him of the fact, then you are not half the man I thought you were."
Theo chuckled softly. "I would hate to garner such a low opinion. What are you doing here, Ariana?"
He saw her react to the use of her name; she didn't move but he felt the shiver of awareness ripple through her. So she felt it too; this attraction, as inconvenient as it might be, was mutual.
"I want to talk to you."
"So talk."
She glanced down at him, taking in
Regret pulled at her as she knelt by the side of the bed and took her mother's cold hands in hers. "Mama..." She hesitated, because as much as she loved her mother, she did not trust her to be strong enough to keep a secret.
Sofia looked up, her faded gaze taking in her daughter's. "You don't need to say anything, Ariana," she said softly and with an icy flash of realization Ariana knew her mother already knew what she planned.
How...?
"You could come with me," she whispered, her voice so low she didn't know if her mother had heard those dangerous words.
Sofia shook her head. "I do not have the strength. And I would not keep you back, not for anything." She leaned back against the pillows. "You were always stronger than I, Ariana. I pray you will remain so."
Ariana blinked back sudden tears. She nodded, her throat tight, everything in her aching. "Goodnight, Mama," she said, and with one last squeeze of her mother's hands she left the room.
The villa stretched silently all around her, although Ariana knew her father possessed far too many spies. No servant could be trusted, no secret kept. Her heart thundered in her chest when she considered what she would have to do tonight, how much she would risk by setting her plan in motion.
Yet her life--her very soul--depended on it, for she could not remain here and marry Dion Paranoussis. She would, Ariana acknowledged bleakly, rather die.
The hours passed slowly. A maid came into her bedroom to turn down the bed and Ariana changed into her nightgown, slid under the cool sheets as if this were a night like any other. The maid left, and she waited. One hour, then another. Midnight was not late enough; her father could still be working. She strained to hear the creak of a stair, the sound of footsteps as her father finally retired. A door clicked shut in the distance, and she finally relaxed, if only a little.
It was nearing two o'clock in the morning when she finally stole from her room, her dressing gown wrapped around her, her hair streaming down her back--and her heart thudding so loudly she feared it might wake the house. Blood roared in her ears as she crept down the hall towards the wing of the villa that housed the guest bedrooms... that housed Theo Atrikes.
She'd gone there earlier today to see which room was being prepared and knew it was the third door on the left, the one facing the sea. It seemed to take an age to make her way down that corridor, the slap of her bare feet on the tiled floor uncommonly loud. Finally her hand curled around the door knob and she held her breath, everything in her straining, as she turned it.
In the next moment someone's hand curled around her wrist and she was yanked inside the room, pressed against a wall. Theo Atrikes's eyes glittered inches from her own.
"We meet again, Miss Leotokos."
CHAPTER THREE
Theo stared down at the pale, shocked face of Ariana Leotokos. Her eyes were wide, her pupils dilated, her mouth slightly parted. He could feel her lush curves pressed enticingly against him, and his libido stirred.
Quickly he dropped her arm and stepped away.
"I don't think your father would be pleased to see you prowling into my bedroom."
She straightened, her eyes flashing and her mouth pursing. "No, he wouldn't. And if you are inclined to apprise him of the fact, then you are not half the man I thought you were."
Theo chuckled softly. "I would hate to garner such a low opinion. What are you doing here, Ariana?"
He saw her react to the use of her name; she didn't move but he felt the shiver of awareness ripple through her. So she felt it too; this attraction, as inconvenient as it might be, was mutual.
"I want to talk to you."
"So talk."
She glanced down at him, taking in
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