Ethan dragged himself to the sand and sat there, the gentle waves caressing him like they wanted to soothe the deep pain inside his heart. He took off his socks. His shoes had been lost during his crazed swimming. He looked down at his feet and curled his toes into the sand.

Niarchos sat quietly beside him, not caring that his expensive clothes were getting wet. “Ethan.”

Ethan didn’t think he had any strength left. However, he looked up, faced his grandfather and whispered, “Why, Grandpa?”

“Because you needed it. But I didn’t want you to find out like this. You weren’t supposed to find out at all.” Niarchos felt as if he were a hundred-and-forty years old instead of seventy. He put his hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “I understand that you are angry with me. However…I don’t regret my actions, my son, and I would have done it again. I love you, Ethan. My love demands that I do everything in my power to see you happy and healthy. No matter how, no matter the cost.”

Damn you, Grandpa. Ethan rested his chin on his knees and sighed deeply.

“One day you will understand that I couldn’t stand by and see you wasting away anymore. You were hurting. I had to do something.”

Ethan didn’t answer. He knew his grandfather’s words made sense, if analyzed with cold detachment, but his deception and his hurt were too great to let him forgive so easily.

Niarchos stood up and watched as Ethan gazed at the horizon. He closed his heart to his grandson’s pain. He never doubted the correctness of his own ways. “It is hurting now and I know you don’t understand, but one day you will thank me, Ethan. One day you will learn that we have to protect those we love. No matter the cost.”

Niarchos turned and walked back to the house, reasoning that sometimes suffering forged a better man. He was powerful and rich, because life had taught him that pity and gentleness brought only betrayal.

That minor incident would teach Ethan how to be a stronger man.

And Ethan would be ready to take on his world when he gave it to him.

* * *

Sophia woke up feeling very dizzy. Gingerly, she propped herself up and groaned softly at her still hurting shoulder and throbbing head.

She slid off the bed and crossed the room unsteadily to the dressing room looking for the pills Tavish had given her. Grabbing a bottle of water from the small fridge, she gulped down two pills.

She entered the bathroom and washed her face, then scowled at her black-and-blue reflection in the mirror as she brushed her teeth and hair. God, Sophia. You look terrible.

She gingerly changed into a comfortable dress and slipped on a pair of pumps.

Sophia packed her small suitcase. She knew Alistair wanted to go back after tea and she didn’t want him to think she was an invalid. He had been treating her as if she would break at any moment. Sophia’s lips curled in amazement as she closed her carry-on.

She straightened and walked a few paces before dizziness hit her hard. Her right arm jutted out sideways and she breathed deep, waiting for the spinning sensation to pass.

Damned drugs. She cursed herself for giving in so easily and taking the sedative Alistair had gotten from Tavish in the early hours of the morning when she was feeling restless and in pain. Idiot. And you just took more codeine now. Great, Sophia. Just great.

Carefully, she released the door she’d used to steady herself and her hand brushed the key.

The old lock unfastened and it opened.

She blinked twice and approached the neatly organized shelves with numerous sex toys. She had never been to a sex shop, but she was sure she was looking at an impressive array of stock.

She picked up a box that said: Menage à trois for two.

A threesome for two? She giggled nervously. What the hell? She turned the box in her hand and gaped at the photograph illustrating the back cover. Hmm. Creative.

For once Sophia didn’t really know what to do. Should I close this door and not mention it or…or what, Sophia? She laughed. Or should I call him up here and ask him to show me what these things do?

She slowly pulled open the next door and this time her gasp was from shock.

Surely, this is some bad joke. She closed her eyes.

When she opened them the closet was still there. As were the metal handcuffs, floggers, and other things she couldn’t name. This is a…what?

She picked up her iPhone and photographed the contents.

Then Sophia carefully closed and locked both doors and went down to have her breakfast with a nasty feeling in her stomach.

* * *

What power goaded me into declaring my hand so early? I should have waited. We were practically living together. He shook his head at himself. It was sheer madness.

Yet he could feel the urge to conquer, to seize and to hold her forever, flaring even now, simply at the thought of her answer.

And what was nagging him was the cold civility she had wrapped around herself since breakfast, keeping him at bay. He was sure he would go insane before the end of the day, if she didn’t revert to her usual self.

She had pleaded a bad headache and a painful shoulder before they took off, had taken a painkiller and retreated to the stateroom.

He knew better. Sophia was not a complainer, despite Tavish telling him that she could have been feeling pain.

The conversation was flowing around him, but he was barely paying attention. He’d already given a completely idiotic answer to something Leonard had asked and received a knowing glance from his brother-in-law.

He looked at the beautiful sunset and sighed,

Excusing himself, Alistair made a cup of tea at the bar and went to the back, knocking softly on the stateroom door. As no answer came, he pushed the door and quietly entered the shaded room, placing the cup in the round indentation of the table by the sofa. Many thoughts crossed his mind as he sat on the bed and studied Sophia’s sleeping face. Maybe she doesn’t like that I’ve been acting like a tyrant since she fainted.

His fingers toyed with her long raven locks. Sophia stirred and started to stretch her body and her neck, only to stop abruptly at the pain in her shoulder when she moved her left arm.

“Careful…” he murmured and helped her up to a sitting position. “How are you feeling?”

She didn’t look at his face and her smile was contained. “Better. Thank you.”

Alistair’s heart clenched. His selfishness now was limited to just one point: he wanted her to need him, want him, love him.

No woman in his life had ever cared for him just because he was Alistair Connor. They wanted his position, his beauty, his sex-drive, and his money.

But not Sophia.

He knew she liked and cared for him. He didn’t understand what had changed so suddenly.

Alistair was a very proud man, but not enough to pretend that Sophia loved him the way he needed her to. He tried a joke to soften the tension. “Were you planning to ignore me the entire flight, you stubborn woman?”

“Sorry,” Sophia murmured, realizing she had no will to ignore him. Not at all. But something inside her was insisting that she needed to understand what she had discovered.

“Do you feel better? Can I open the shades?” He touched the button to open them as she nodded. He pointed to the table by the sofa. “I brought you some tea.”

“Thank you.” When she started to sit, Alistair’s arms immediately went around her to help her out of bed. She smiled at his mindful embrace. “I’m not going to break, you know? I’m a tough gal.”

“I know. But I like to take care of you,” he said softly, almost sadly, helping her onto the sofa and handing her the teacup.

Oh, Alistair Connor. You are breaking my heart with this sadness. What am I going to do with you? Sophia forgot about drinking her tea.

Absentminded, she put the cup back on the table, staring deep into his beautiful eyes, struggling to piece this complex man together with what she had seen in his dressing room.

She inhaled and his sweet vanilla scent and his familiar face clouded her senses, taking away the cold she was feeling inside since the morning.

“You are beautiful.” He also hadn’t taken his eyes off her face and didn’t resist her parted lips, kissing her tenderly.

She almost felt like crying with the sweet tenderness of his kiss.

He cupped her face in his big hands as he rested his forehead on hers, whispering, “I love you, Sophia.” Please, don’t make me wait too long.

* * *

Alistair laid down a sleeping Gabriela on her bed and gently batted Sophia’s hand away from the coverlet. “Leave this to me.” He tugged it around the child’s small body and bent to kiss her blonde head, murmuring, “Sweet dreams, Fairy.”

They walked quietly out of the room.

Alistair hesitated in the TV room. A gut feeling told him he was not going to be invited to sleep over. “I will see myself out,” he said. “There is no need to go down with me.”

Sophia’s hand shot out to hold his.

He stopped and a light illuminated his face.

“Have dinner with me. A quick snack. I mean…if you feel—”

He stepped in her direction and rested her head on his chest, burying his nose in her hair. “Thank you.”

Sophia was startled at the intensity of the feelings he put in those two words. Oh, God. What am I doing to this fierce man?

* * *

Good night, then.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave a little peck on his lips.

Alistair paused a moment on the threshold. “Sophia…take your time. Think about it—”

She put a finger on his lips. “I will. Good night. Sleep well, my dear.”

She waved him good-bye and walked inside the house as Zareb closed the double doors.

* * *

Alistair closed the car door and touched the intercom, “Garrick, my place. Then pick up Tavish Uilleam at Alice’s house and take him home.”

“Yes, sir.” Garrick didn’t like his boss’s dispirited voice. Not at all. He was going to make sure that his brother knew what was happening. He decided he was not going to take Alistair home. Instead, without Alistair noticing, Garrick texted Tavish and drove over to Alice’s first.

* * *

Sophia turned to Zareb as he closed the doors. “I’ll be going out in the Mercedes in…ten minutes, I believe.”

Zareb’s eyes widened and he looked at her shoulder and back to her face. “Mrs. Leibowitz, you are not fit to drive—”

“Then, please call me a taxi. Steven is probably sleeping by now. I’m not going far.”

Zareb stiffened, clearly offended, and towered over her, his usual smiling face stern. “Mrs. Leibowitz, I’m sorry. You are not going anywhere, driving or in a taxi. It’s not safe. You shouldn’t be alone. I will call Steven and we are taking you wherever you need.”

Sophia bit her lip. She knew Zareb was right.

However, she doubted she had the courage to ask her driver and bodyguard to take her to a sex shop.