For Love of a Pagan Read online

  He gave a slight start at her perception.

  ‘You amaze me,’ he said.

  ‘Take me back,’ she requested again.

  He pressed the starter and the car slid on to the road. ‘I’m a fool,’ he asserted. ‘I want to take you and yet something stops me. Is it your innocence, I wonder?’

  ‘More probably my ideals,’ she returned, leaning back comfortably against the upholstery. ‘Perhaps you have ideals too?’

  ‘If so, I haven’t noticed up till now,’ he replied with a sort of amused candour.

  ‘You’ve had lots of women?’ Already she had judged his age at about thirty-five or six, and it had amazed her that he was not married. But her uncle had told her that he had a reputation for being totally uninterested in marriage even to have an heir. He had cousins who could inherit, he had been heard to say casually when the question of his marrying happened to crop up in the course of conversation. However, there was one woman in whom he appeared to have shown a particular interest at one time in his youth, but she had married someone else and gone out of his life. Tina’s aunt had said that she’d heard a rumour that the woman, Dora Vassilou, was now a widow and living in Crete.

  ‘I’ve had a few,’ admitted Paul casually. ‘They come and go, and neither of us has any regrets at the time.’

  It was a wonder they all hadn’t fallen in love with him, she thought. Aloud she said,

  ‘And I was to have been another added to your list, another who would come and go.’

  He was silent, and only the purr of the lovely limousine could be heard.

  ‘I rather think,’ he mused, ‘that you would have lasted much longer than the others.’

  ‘Thank you for the compliment!’

  He laughed and her heart caught. He was far too attractive when he laughed like that!

  ‘You appear to have been immune to my compliments up till now,’ he stated with some amusement.

  ‘Not really. I’m feminine enough to lap them up just like any other girl.’

  ‘So honest. How many more virtues have you, my child? I sometimes fear I shall resort to marrying you in order to get what I want.’

  Tina laughed, but shakily.

  Marry ... Would she say yes? They were so different; she was from the West and he from the East. Women in his part of the world were nothing but slaves, subservient to their menfolk. They obeyed without argument; they knew their place and meekly kept it. She slanted Paul a glance; his profile in the darkness of the car was set and satanic. The set of the mouth was harsh and severe. He would be the master—the autocrat who would command and his wife would know better than to argue, much less to disobey. She said, injecting humour into her voice,

  ‘What an opinion you have of yourself, Paul! What makes you so sure I’d marry you?’

  ‘I have a feeling that you would, Tina—’ He swerved to avoid a cyclist without lights. ‘You’re not totally indifferent to me, are you?’

  She decided to ignore the question, and changed the subject. But once in her bedroom at the hotel, to which she went on saying goodnight to her aunt and uncle, she asked herself the question and this time she could not very well avoid an answer.

  But she had known that she was not totally indifferent to his attractions. No woman with any emotions at all could be indifferent to a man like Paul Christos. A small sigh escaped her; she crossed to the mirror and regarded herself from head to foot, seeing a slender wand of a girl in a flowing gown of peach-coloured nylon with lacy frills between the four tiers of the skirt. The bodice made a snug covering for firm, small breasts, its low neckline revealing the sloping curves of her shoulders and the beautiful lines of her throat. Her skin, smooth and sun-tinted, was enough to send any man crazy, Paul had said one evening when his long lean hands were caressing her.

  Tina slid the zip fastener and let the dress fall to the floor. Dainty underwear like this would have sent him crazier still, she reflected as she began to discard it.

  Marriage—To be made love to by a man with the

  experience of Paul Christos. She thought of all the women he must have had, thought too that there would be nothing he did not know, either about love-making or about the needs and desires of women. She blushed at the idea of a man having such intimate knowledge of what would take her to the heights of heaven. There was no mystery left if he knew everything ... no room for experiment. But then a man like Paul did not need to experiment—he had done plenty in the past, no doubt. Colour mounted even higher in Tina’s cheeks. She could not drag her thoughts from what he had said about marrying her.

  Had he seriously thought, about such a step? It wasn’t feasible that he would, not at his age and still a bachelor. Why should he change now, just because she had come along?

  She washed her face and hands, slipped into a nightgown and got into bed, savouring the coolness of the white linen sheets, for the temperature in Athens that day had reached a hundred degrees.

  The following morning she wakened to the sun streaming through her window. It was not yet six o’clock, but it might have been midday, so thick were the crowds down there, in the Square. The Greeks started work early, then stopped in the heat of the day to take a siesta. At four in the afternoon the shops and offices opened again until about seven. Tina’s uncle said that the rest revitalised you and that you found you were ready for an active evening.

  Tina herself liked the idea, since she was always tired at lunch time, the heat being overpowering at this time of the year. She rested for no more than a couple of hours, though, as Paul was always eager to take her to one of the lovely beaches, where they would cool off in the clear blue waters, then have refreshments at a cafe under the palms. Glyphada was one of their favourite beaches. Lovely summer villas of rich businessmen lay snuggling beneath the pine trees. It had an air of sophistication, with many luxurious restaurants specialising in seafood.

  After breakfast, which she always had with her aunt and uncle, Tina waited in the hotel lounge for Paul to come for her. He was taking her to Marathon, then they would have lunch and spend the afternoon at Cape Sounion. She was keenly looking forward to it despite the conviction that there could be a little awkwardness after what happened yesterday afternoon. Last evening had passed better than Tina expected, though a little thread of coolness crept in when once again Paul asked her to be his pillow-friend.

  He arrived promptly, his eyes roving her slender figure to take in with undisguised admiration the cool, leaf-green dress that suited her so well, the white collar and matching belt, the white sandals and matching beach-bag made of linen.

  ‘You look adorable,’ he whispered as, tucking his arm beneath hers, he escorted her to his car. She glanced back, to see her aunt at the window of the lounge. Her aunt had warned her to be careful; Paul Christos had a reputation, and he was, in her aunt’s words, ‘dangerously and devastatingly attractive’. Have a good time, her aunt had advised, but make sure of how far to go.

  The car slid away, into the maze of traffic in the Square. Then they were leaving Athens through Vassilissis Sophias Avenue and soon the road to Marathon was signposted after leaving the road to the small town of Laurium to the right. They passed through regions of vineyards, and areas dotted with ancient tombs where excavations had brought to light many treasures which were now in the museum at Athens. The journey continued, with the road running alongside the eastern side of Mount Pentelicon, noted for its beautiful marble that was used for the lovely temples on the Acropolis at Athens. Paul pointed out the road leading to the Tumulus of Marathon, erected at the beginning of the fifth century B.C. as a tomb of the Athenians who fell in the battle. Paul told her about the battle and she listened, fascinated, actually able to imagine more than ten thousand Persians and six thousand Athenians facing each other for several days without either side ready to attack, the Persians by the shores where their fleet was moored, the Athenians on the higher slopes.

  ‘The Persians decided to attack at last,’ Paul continued, his finely-toned, accented voice most attractive to his eager listener’s ears. ‘And at first it seemed that the Athenians were losing, but of course everyone knows the result of that famous battle. The invading army was defeated and many of the Persians were drowned when they retreated into the marshes. The Tumulus stands—or is supposed to stand—right in the centre of the battlefield.’

  ‘Isn’t it interesting? I think Greece has the most fascinating history of anywhere in the world.’

  Her enthusiasm pleased him; she saw his lips curve in a smile and her heart was very light. Tomorrow did not matter even though tomorrow might be the day they would say goodbye. Today the sun was shining, the fertile plain through which they were passing was lush with vines and olives; there were many happy hours ahead before she and he said their goodnights. In Marathon village they had coffee at a cafe in a garden, at a table shaded by a huge carob tree. Paul’s eyes seemed scarcely to leave Tina’s face. She could not help wondering if marriage to her was in his mind, in spite of her conviction earlier that it was not possible that he could be thinking of marriage just because she happened to come along and he was so greatly attracted to her.

  They left the cafe and strolled for over an hour; he took her hand in his, curling his strong lean fingers around hers; she thrilled to the pressure, to the contact of flesh with flesh, to the comfort which the secure grip seemed to give her. She knew now that she had never yet found any small degree of fulfilment, that her life, though pleasant, lacked that vital relationship which only love can bring.

  Love ... She had not asked herself if she cared. An analysis of her feelings for this aristocratic Greek had been avoided, shirked in fact. And even now she determinedly switched her thoughts and considered her position when she returned to England. Jobs were n
o longer there for the taking; it was becoming more and more difficult to get one simply because those who had them made sure they held on to them. Well, she was practical enough to know she would get some kind of a job if she determinedly went out of her way to find one.

  ‘Penny for them, my child ...’The murmuring tones of Paul’s voice were like a caress. ‘I can see that they are not very happy thoughts.’ He paused, but when she did not speak his tone became imperious. ‘Come, tell me what brings that frown to those beautiful eyes.’

  She glanced sideways at him.

  ‘I was thinking of home,’ she answered truthfully, ‘and the job I have to get.’

  He drew an impatient breath which she had half expected he would.

  ‘You’re stupid,’ he told her bluntly. ‘Here am I, offering you every luxury, every opportunity to build yourself up a nice fat bank balance, and you talk about getting a job!’

  She smiled, though a trifle wanly.

  ‘You don’t understand, Paul,’ she said gently. ‘I hope to marry one day, and I couldn’t go to a man without confessing to what I’d done—’

  ‘Then you’re a fool,’ he broke in exasperatedly. ‘What the eye doesn’t see the heart doesn’t grieve over. In any case, what has it to do with your future husband if you have enjoyed a love affair before marriage?’

  She sighed with impatience and shook her head. ‘You only talk like that because it suits your own ends for me to become your—your—pillow-friend. If I were your sister you’d not be adopting this attitude.’ She saw his mouth tighten; it shocked her to see it so thin that it was frighteningly ruthless. The man’s veneer was attractive ... but what lay beneath its suave sociability?

  ‘As I don’t happen to have a sister,’ he said curtly at last, ‘there is no point in talking about it.’

  ‘If you did have a sister?’ she persisted, watching his profile as he turned his head, looking straight before him to where a man in baggy vraga was sitting astride a donkey, his wife trudging along just a few paces behind him. Tina frowned and withdrew her gaze; she did not like Paul’s fixed and formidable expression any more than she liked the picture of that couple down there, the husband taking it easy on the animal’s back while his wife, obviously fatigued by the broiling heat, dragged herself along. Through the filter of her own reactions Tina felt she could never become used to such sights ... and she would have to become used to them if she were to accept Paul’s offer, or even if she should—by some miracle—become his wife. Well, as neither was a possibility she dismissed the thought, but Paul’s next words immediately brought it back again.

  ‘If I had a sister she would remain chaste. However, we were talking about you, Tina, and this ridiculous obsession you have of going to your husband as lily-white as the day you were born. Forget your outdated scruples and take what life has to offer. I promise you, my dear, that I’ll be a kind and generous lover.’ He stopped, by the roadside just in the shade and privacy of some olive trees. Myrtle and erica caught the sunbeams, oleanders by a dry stream bed gleamed white, and away to the east spread the lush green vineyards. ‘Kiss me,’ commanded Paul, standing above her, towering so that she was forced to tilt her head right back in order to meet his gaze, a gaze that was metal-dark, commanding, masterful.

  Her heart jerked; her pulses were beating a shade too quickly. He ordered her again to kiss him and she found herself going up on tiptoe to obey him. But she was caught within the steel hawser of his arms, brought to his hard and virile body and as he bent his dark head she parted her lips, eagerly, sacrificially, yearning for his kiss. It was gentle, then possessive, then hurtfully passionate. ‘You will become my pillow-friend!’ he told her masterfully. ‘I shall break down this absurd and profitless aversion you have!’

  Tina shook her head ... but for the first time she was afraid ... afraid of herself and her desires, afraid of Paul and his attractions which, mingled with his mastery, presented something that could very well prove invincible.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Her decision was reached the following morning. She must curtail her holiday, must escape while there was still time. Last night, after the meal and the dancing, Paul had taken her into the garden and used all his expertise to break down her resistance, and he had come very close to succeeding. His hands had caressed where they shouldn’t have—had touched her breasts, her back below the end of the zip fastener which he had so deftly brought down without her even being aware of it. His kisses had made her swoon, firing her with longing, with the desperate urge to abandon all her ideals and allow him to make love to her. But somehow, strength had come to her and she fought him off, turning away, too embarrassed to do anything but run from him, without even saying goodnight. She had not turned her head, but she had his low laugh ringing in her ears even after she had reached her bedroom ... his laugh of sheer triumph.

  ‘Going?’ echoed her aunt when at breakfast time she had declared her intention of going home just as soon as she could get a flight. ‘What’s happened, love?’

  Tina coloured, and knew that her aunt would instantly guess what had happened.

  ‘It’s Paul, Auntie Doris. I feel the time has come for me to put an end to our friendship.’

  ‘I see ...’ Her aunt was frowning slightly. ‘Well, I

  must admit I saw it coming. Paul has this reputation, I know. He thinks every woman he meets can be bought. He’s not alone in that; all wealthy Greeks have this inflated ego. It’s probably a legacy from the ancient times when Greece was the all-powerful in the known World—’ She broke off and frowned. ‘Here’s your uncle to join us, so we can’t talk.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter if he knows, Auntie. We’ve never had any secrets from one another.’

  Her uncle sat down, a big man of fifty-eight years, grey-haired, blue-eyed and jovial for the most part but with the ability to be serious when the occasion required him to be so.

  His wife was eating her toast; she glanced at Tina and then at her husband. She said at last,

  ‘Tina wants to leave us—today if possible.’

  He gaped, putting down the knife he had picked up. ‘Leave us, girlie? What have we done to cause you to make a decision like that?’

  She smiled affectionately and assured him that it was nothing he and her aunt had done. She then went on unhesitatingly to explain, blushing a little as she saw his eyes narrow perceptively.

  ‘He didn’t ask you to be his pillow-friend, though?’ her uncle began, then nodded as her colour deepened.

  ‘You didn’t tell me that!’ exclaimed her aunt angrily. ‘Just wait until I see him! He’ll get a piece of my mind—wealthy ship-owner or not!’

  ‘You’re afraid of yourself?’

  ‘Yes, Uncle Frank, I am afraid of myself. Paul’s far too attractive, just as Auntie said.’

  ‘Are you in love with him?’ her aunt wanted to know.

  ‘Not madly,’ answered Tina, surprised that she was able to inject a touch of humour into her voice. ‘I’m escaping while I’m still able to.’

  ‘Good girl! His kind are not for your kind, Tina. You have high ideals and it would be a shame if some damned Greek robbed you of them.’

  ‘Now if it were marriage....’ Aunt Doris was thoughtful, toying unconsciously with the butter on her plate. ‘Would you ...?’

  ‘It isn’t marriage he wants, Auntie, but even if it was I don’t think I’d be interested. He’s so different from me—his background, his pagan ancestry—’ Tina shrugged and changed the subject. ‘Will you get the airport for me, Uncle, and see if there’s a seat on any flight today?’

  ‘I will if that’s really what you want, love.’ He shook his head regretfully. ‘There’s no need to go, you know; I can soon tell him to keep away from you.’