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Some things never change, Jodie told herself. She flashed a friendly smile at one of the older Antoniou women. The curmudgeon in unrelieved black didn’t reciprocate as she drew the lovely heiress away to the other side of the garden. It was as if this family believed Jodie could corrupt the young woman with just her presence.
She strolled along the garden, sipping from her water glass as if she didn’t feel all eyes on her. Jodie knew she was being paranoid. Many of the relatives had been indifferent to her when she had lived in Athens. Yet no one seemed happy that she had returned.
Jodie sensed a strange undercurrent that hung in the late summer breeze. These people were convinced she was going to make a mistake or cause a scandal. It was as if the Antoniou family was waiting for disaster and bracing themselves for impact.
They were in for a long wait. Jodie locked her smile into place. That was the old Jodie. She was wiser now, and more in control of her emotions. This time she was determined to fit in. She straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrant garden flowers. This time she would belong.
“Jodie?”
She gave a start when she recognized the male voice. She whirled around and saw her cousin Dimos Antoniou. Jodie instinctively took a step back and wished she hadn’t shown any sign of weakness. She corrected herself and welcomed him with a smile before he embraced her with a strong hug.
“It has been so long,” Dimos said as he kissed both her cheeks.
“It has,” she agreed, not allowing his touch to linger. He looked exactly as she remembered, with his long face, lanky build and black hair that flopped over his forehead. “Thank you for inviting me to your new home. It’s beautiful.”
“Zoi’s family gave it to us as a wedding present.”
“I think you and your fiancée will be very happy here.”
He thrust his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his feet. “Can you imagine me getting married?” he asked.
She silently shook her head. Dimos was three years older and she had been grateful for his friendship, but he had always seemed immature for his age. “And you’re a vice president with the Antoniou Group.”
He ducked his head. “That won’t be official until I come back from my honeymoon.”
“Your family is very proud of you and they want you to have the best of everything. You deserve it,” she said huskily as the words caught in her throat. Dimos had understood the rules very early on and, more importantly, had followed them. In return, he was rewarded handsomely.
She wondered what it was like to be loved and accepted by family. She wanted that now more than ever. Jodie had yearned for a wisp of connection with her parents but she had waited for them to make the first move. She now regretted her lack of action when her mother had died suddenly of a heart attack several months ago. Jodie knew she had to do something immediately if she wanted to have a relationship with her father, her only living relative. She would have to be the first to apologize, to yield, to change.
But what kind of sacrifices would she have to make to have her father accept her? How much would she have to hide about herself to be considered lovable?
Dimos’s smile dipped as the light dimmed from his eyes. “That’s very kind of you, Jodie. Especially after what happened between us.”
Shock washed over her and she fought for a mildly interested expression. She hadn’t been prepared for Dimos—for any Antoniou—to mention that night. Jodie wanted to cross her arms and back away but she was immobile. The only thing she felt was the pressure of her fingertips as they pressed against the cool surface of her water glass.
Dimos shoved his hand in his hair and looked away. “I did not handle the situation well,” he confessed in a low tone.
She fought the urge to find a quick getaway. “No one did,” she mumbled. She had been branded a Jezebel, a woman determined to snag an Antoniou man for a husband and ruin any potential marriages that had been carefully orchestrated. After that night she had been considered extremely dangerous to the Antoniou family’s future.
“I didn’t know that one of the maids had seen us.”
Jodie blinked. That was what he was apologizing for? That they had been caught? Interrupted? She pressed her lips together before she said anything. It was tempting to give a scathing reply but she had to be on her best behavior.
“I couldn’t believe that maid went and told Stergios.” Bitter anger bloomed in Dimos’s voice. “What had she been thinking?”
Jodie wondered if she might bite her tongue off as she fought back the words. The maid had known exactly what Dimos’s intentions had been. Jodie wished she had figured it out earlier. She had seen Dimos as a cousin who helped her navigate a big family, not as a viable lover.
“And I know this is years too late, but I should have spoken up.” Dimos splayed out his hands. “I didn’t realize you would have been severely punished.”
She was wrong, Jodie decided. Dimos was still immature for his age. Her jaw hurt as she fought to remain silent and took a small sip from her water glass. She wanted to point out that she had never encouraged him, or that it was never too late to right a wrong. He could have protected her from the fallout at any time. But that wouldn’t have served him.
And if there was something she had learned over the years, especially after that infamous night, it was that men didn’t understand the meaning of honor, respect or protection. They pursued, they took what they could get and they got out fast.
“So, how long are you planning to stay in Greece?” Dimos asked with a puzzled expression when she didn’t respond.
She darted a glance at her father standing among the older Antoniou men. Her first goal was to ask for forgiveness for her past behavior but she didn’t know if her father would give her the chance. “I’m not sure,” she murmured. “My plans aren’t set in stone.”
“Then you must come to my wedding,” he said, his eyes widening with enthusiasm.
Jodie raised her hand to halt that line of thinking. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“Intrude?” Dimos laughed. “That’s not possible. You’re family.”
She wished it were true. She wished she didn’t have this need to belong somewhere. To belong with someone. She had always been the outsider. The burden. She was used to it, and at times wore the label like a badge of honor, but everything changed after her mother’s death. She wanted to be loved, accepted and part of a family.
“You must agree,” Dimos insisted.
“Jodie must agree to what?”
She went still when she heard the low, masculine voice. Stergios Antoniou was here. She swallowed hard. He was standing next to her. Her pulse began to gallop as her stomach made a sickening turn. Her skin went hot and then cold but she refused to look in his direction.
“I invited her to my wedding,” Dimos said with a touch of defiance.
“I doubt there’s space,” Stergios responded.
“I can make space,” Dimos promised Jodie. “It’s going to be on an island that Zoi’s family owns. It’s small, but not that small.”
She nervously licked her lips as the panic swelled inside her. It pressed against her skin, ready to burst free. Every instinct told her to run but she stood as still as a statue. “I wouldn’t want to cause any inconvenience for you or your bride,” she explained huskily.
“You won’t,” Dimos said with a lopsided smile. “I’ll go ask Zoi right now.”
She watched helplessly as Dimos strode toward his fiancée. She wanted to run and hide but knew she had to be brave. At least appear fearless. From the corner of her eye, she saw Stergios’s crisp white linen suit. She forced herself to turn. Jodie looked straight ahead at his pale blue shirt. She tried to ignore how it emphasized the breadth of his powerful chest before she jerked her gaze to his face.
Her breath snagged in her throat as her heartbeat roared in her ears. She stared at Stergios’s luxuriant black hair that fell past his chin. The shadow of a dark beard almost diminished the whitened scar on his upper lip.
This was not the Stergios she’d known. She blinked several times, noting the bold lines of his cheekbones and nose, the slash of his mouth and his warm golden skin. She recalled how he’d once kept his hair ruthlessly short and had shaved twice a day. Now it looked as if he could no longer contain the wildness that rumbled through him.
His dark brown eyes were cold as he callously assessed her and immediately found her lacking. “I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve—”
“I wasn’t asking for an invite,” she bit out. “He offered and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Perhaps he didn’t understand what you were saying.” His gaze drifted to her mouth. “You’re not good at saying no to any man.”
She swallowed the gasp of outrage and fought the driving need to fling the contents of her glass into his face. Damn it, her new and improved image was already slipping. She was never in control when she was around her stepbrother. She had to get away from Stergios or risk making a scene. That wouldn’t help her gain forgiveness from her father.
“Don’t confuse me with the women you associate with.” Jodie turned on her heel.
“Running away already?”
She whipped around, wobbling to a standstill as she glared at him. Stergios had sounded disinterested and bored while she was a jittery mass of nerves. It wasn’t fair. “I don’t run away. That’s your signature move, stepbrother dear.”
The muscle bunching in his cheek was the only indication that her barb had hit its target. “You know how to create a disaster and leave without a trace while everyone else deals with the aftermath. The merger had fallen apart after that night because Dimos suddenly didn’t want to get married. It has taken me years just to get the Antoniou-Volakis wedding to this point.”
“I was banished.” She wanted to stamp her feet. This was bad. It was as if her hard-earned poise had disintegrated into nothing. “There’s a difference.”
“Banished?” Stergios repeated with skepticism. “You’ve always been dramatic.”
And you’ve always been cold and hateful. No, she realized that wasn’t true. Stergios had been tolerant the first time she’d moved in with the Antoniou family. He had been her only companion, her one true confidant. But gradually he had become distant.
The more he was around her, the more he knew and learned about her, the more hostile he became. It had been a relief and yet agony when he missed her eighteenth birthday to work overseas on a project. He had returned a few months later but her joy had been brief and misplaced. It had become obvious that Stergios couldn’t stand being in the same room with her.
“If you were banished, why are you working so hard to return to the family fold?” His tone was casual but he watched her with open suspicion. “You’re not the type to forgive.”
Stergios knew her too well. Having one person understand her should bring comfort, but this man would use that knowledge against her. “I am here,” she said slowly, emphasizing each word, “to repair my relationship with my father.”
“And that’s all?”
No, this time she wanted Gregory Little’s concern and interest. She wanted to be a priority. She’d always wanted that from her father but she had tried to gain it the wrong way when she had been a teenager.
Jodie lifted her head when she suddenly understood Stergios’s question. “Oh...you think I’m here to get revenge or to cause trouble. To stop this merger that you need so badly. I hate to disappoint you, but the Antoniou family isn’t worth my time.”
One winged eyebrow arched at her statement. As if he couldn’t believe his family wasn’t everyone’s top interest. “You returned just when Dimos and Zoi are about to marry.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get the family newsletter,” she said with exaggerated sweetness, “or I would have timed my visit better.”
She was about to flounce away but Stergios easily read her next move. He grabbed her arm, his large fingers biting into her pale flesh as he held her still. Her skin went hot as she remembered the last time he touched her. She knew better than to look at him or she would betray her conflicted emotions.
“I don’t trust you.” His voice was low against her ear.
She shivered from his nearness. “I don’t care.”
Stergios’s grasp tightened. “Stay away from Dimos.”
“With pleasure,” she said in a hiss and forced herself to look into his dark eyes. “Now let go of me.”
Jodie saw the turbulent emotions chasing across his face before he abruptly released her. She was uncomfortably aware how her skin tingled from his touch. “I have no interest in Dimos,” she continued. “I didn’t seduce him back then and I’m not pursuing him now.”
“Why should I believe you? You’re a liar.”
Her anger flashed wildly. Yes, she had lied in the past, but it had been a stupid and instinctual attempt to protect Stergios that night. She had made a sacrifice for him and he couldn’t see it, couldn’t appreciate it. The hurt and the injustice of it all rolled inside her. “And if I wanted to seduce Dimos, there is nothing you could do about it,” she slung at him.
“I’m warning you, Jodie.” His voice was low and menacing.
She pressed her lips together. Why did she say that? Why was she provoking Stergios? She knew better but she was unable to stop. “I could have had him in my bed like that.” She gave a satisfying snap with her fingers. “I certainly wouldn’t have picked a cold wall in a dark wine cellar.”
They stared at each other, instantly trapped in the inconvenient memories. She shifted, her spine aching as she remembered the rough brick against her back. Jodie swallowed as she recalled how she had laved her tongue against Stergios’s warm skin. She felt her cheeks flush as the echoes of their mingled gasps and incoherent words reverberated in her mind.
She couldn’t think about that. Not now, not here, not ever. “I could have contacted Dimos any time over the years,” she declared in a rush. “And he would have dropped everything for the chance to have sex with me.”
Stergios sneered with disgust. “So you know the power you have over him.”
She did now, not when she had been eighteen. “I know the power I have over all men,” she said loftily. “Dimos is more susceptible than most.”
“And why do you think that is?”
No doubt he saw it as her fault. “I haven’t encouraged him at all, but warn me off again,” she said in a growl as she glared at him, “and all bets are off.”
Stergios braced his legs as if he was preparing for battle. “You dare to threaten me?”
“There is very little I wouldn’t dare,” she told him boldly as her legs shook. “I am here to be with my father. If you block that in any way, I will do everything in my power to stop the Antoniou-Volakis merger.”
His expression went blank. There was no anger or repulsion. It was like a mask and that unsettled Jodie more than his cold fury.
“It wouldn’t take much.” She knew she had to stop talking and yet she pursed her lips and made a show of looking around the party. “All I have to do is crook my finger and Dimos will—”
“You have always been a destructive force.” His voice was just a rasp. “But I won’t allow you to destroy this family.”
“I don’t care about the Antonious.” The family was simply an obstacle to her goal. She had to play nice with them if she wanted even a tenuous bond with her father.
Stergios set his hands on his lean hips. “You need to leave and never return.”
Jodie regretted saying anything to Stergios. He could prevent her from getting what she wanted. She wished she had planned a better strategy to meet with her father. She had been too impulsive, too impatient and too scared of getting rejected again. But she couldn’t show her uncertainty or Stergios would use it against her. She lifted her chin and met his gaze. “That is out of your control.”
His smile chilled her to the bone. “It’s foolish of you to think that.”
Dread trickled down Jodie’s spine. It was foolish for her to go toe to toe with Stergios. He was a dangerous animal who lashed out if he felt threatened or cornered. “I have every right to be here.”
“And I have a right—a duty—to protect my family at all cost.”
She’d always known that. It was one of his traits she had admired and it used to hurt that his protection hadn’t included her. “According to Dimos, I am family.”
Stergios’s eyes narrowed into slits. “I have never considered you family.”
Those words would have slayed her when she was fifteen but now they slid right off her. “It’s easier for you to think that, isn’t it?” Jodie leaned closer, refusing to show how his words, his presence, had shaken her. “Helps you sleep better at night.”
The mask fell away and exposed Stergios’s wrath. A ruddy color seeped beneath his golden skin. His eyes glittered as he hunched his shoulders, ready to pounce. Jodie’s chest seized as she watched his upper lip curl, pulling tightly at his scar.
“After all—” her voice trembled “—the great and virtuous Stergios Antoniou is supposed to be trustworthy and do what is right. He strives for excellence and discipline. Why, he would never have sex with a virgin without marrying her.”
His jaw clenched and she knew his restraint was slipping. She had just made her most dangerous enemy very angry. She knew she should retreat and hide—no, she should beg for mercy, but the words kept spilling from her mouth.
“He would never have sex with his eighteen-year-old stepsister, right? And then walk away without a backward glance.” The rejection had swamped her that night but she didn’t stumble over the words now. “Discard her and throw her to the wolves.”
She saw the pure hate glowing from his eyes and she wanted to recoil. Did he hate her for reminding him of his moment of weakness? Or was it something more? Did he hate her because she continued to show him what kind of man he truly was?
“But I know the real Stergios Antoniou,” she confessed, driven to finish what she’d started. “I saw it that night four years ago. You’re like every other man I’ve met. Threaten me all you want, stepbrother dear, but I’ll take my chances.”
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_e1a52b1a-58a2-503b-9f15-e6bde5936af7)
