He was leaving. In an hour. He’d be gone as if he’d never been here at all. Exactly as her friend Claire had predicted. For one fantastical second Sofie wondered if she was in the middle of some lurid hallucination. Maybe she was the one who’d fallen down the mountain and this was all some sort of coma-induced fantasy?
After all, that was nearly easier to believe than the reality. And what she really didn’t like to acknowledge was the awful wrenching feeling in her gut. She hardly knew this man and yet she felt as if she’d never not known him.
But he was more of a stranger than ever. Gone was the teasing, sexy man of last night. This man was guarded and stern. Businesslike. Not inclined to loll in bed and tell a woman she was like a succulent food.
Sofie fought down the wave of heat accompanying that memory and forced herself to focus on practicalities. ‘Do you want to change into your original clothes? They might be more comfortable...’
‘These are fine. I’ll be able to change when I get to my house in London.’
Sofie frowned. ‘I thought you said you were based in Athens.’
‘I am, but I also have a place in London.’
He was more successful than she’d thought. But it wasn’t necessarily unusual for a businessman to have some kind of pied-à-terre in London. It was a huge hub for business after all.
Sofie felt the huge chasm of distance between them in that moment. He knew everything about himself now. She knew nothing. At least before they’d both known nothing. And then she felt churlish. It must have been awful not to know anything about himself. He deserved to have his memory back.
She forced herself to ask, ‘Are you married?’
He shook his head. ‘No. Definitely not married.’
‘You must have a girlfriend...’ But when she said that word she cringed inwardly. Even she could see that Achilles didn’t seem like a man who had girlfriends.
He shook his head again and his gaze narrowed on her. She felt the sense of self-consciousness which she’d all but lost over the last few days. When she’d been lulled into some sensual sense of complacency, basking under the sun of his all-encompassing regard.
‘What is it?’
‘I want you to come with me.’
What the hell are you thinking? The question resounded in his head as the words hung in the air. The shock on Sofie’s face should be making Achilles realise he was being ridiculously impetuous. If he said something quickly now, like, No, sorry, it’s not a good idea, she would most likely agree with him.
But his mouth stayed stubbornly closed. He knew exactly who he was, and the world he moved in, and it was a world away from here. A world away from her and the type of woman she was. He should leave and just put Sofie MacKenzie out of his mind.
But something in him was resisting fiercely. He’d never met a woman like Sofie before. She was utterly unique. He felt a delicious sense of anticipation at the prospect of taking her with him. Showing her his world. Having her in his bed.
With the benefit of the return of his memory he now knew that what he’d shared these past few brief days with her was not usual. He’d never experienced chemistry like this before. Never. Or the sex. He’d always prided himself on being a consummate lover, and he’d certainly gained a reputation for being a masterful one, but with Sofie it was different. It was raw. Mind-blowing. Unprecedented.
Dangerous, whispered a voice. He quashed it. Ridiculous. He was impermeable. It was just sex.
And there was another reason to want her by his side. He remembered now why he’d gone off-grid for a brief time. To avoid the fall-out of a salacious press story—for once not of his making. It was becoming more and more apparent that his lingering playboy reputation was damaging the Lykaios name and legacy and, as much as he hated to admit it, it was time to put an end to it.
What better way than to reappear with a woman on his arm? And not just any woman, but someone who would take everyone by surprise. Someone they wouldn’t be able to quantify or contextualise or, even better, recognise.
Sofie opened her mouth. ‘You want me to come with you...where?’
She looked totally blindsided. Achilles’s conscience pricked. Then an all-too-familiar feeling of ruthlessness reminded him of who he was. How he did things. He told himself that he wasn’t being entirely selfish or ruthless—she could gain something out of this too.
‘I want you to come to London with me, and then Athens.’
‘But... I can’t afford to just...leave. I have a job. Pluto... I...’ She looked at him, dazed. ‘Why?’
Achilles realised in that moment that there was another reason he wanted her to come. She’d been the only solid thing in his life since the moment he’d woken up and looked into her eyes. He wasn’t sure he was ready to let her go—and not just because it suited him and he wanted her.
He answered her. ‘Because the chemistry we share is very rare and I still want you.’
‘Then why can’t you stay here?’
‘Because I run a business.’
‘I have a job too.’
He arched a brow. ‘Cleaning in a hospital.’
She flushed. ‘I know it’s not as fancy as running a business.’
‘I have people depending on me for their livelihoods.’ That was a slight understatement, but Achilles wasn’t going to elaborate now. He was quite enjoying the novelty of a woman who wasn’t tripping over herself to jump at his offer.
‘I don’t even really know you.’ Her flush deepened. ‘You know...in spite of the last few days.’
He took her hand and led her into the study, which housed a computer. He let her hand go and sat down and typed in a few words. A website popped up: Lykaios Industries. There was a picture of Achilles wearing a three-piece suit, standing with folded arms in front of a massive steel and glass building in Athens. Underneath it said: Achilles Lykaios, CEO of Lykaios Industries.
He stood up and faced Sofie, who was still staring at his image on the screen. He said, ‘I am who I say I am. And we know each other intimately.’
Sofie looked at him. ‘Yes, but that’s just physical.’
He folded his arms. ‘You said you wanted to travel.’
She frowned. ‘I did?’
‘You told me that you envied your friends leaving and travelling when you never could because of your commitment to your parents. But there’s nothing stopping you now.’
Achilles could see her chest rising and falling with her breath, more rapidly. ‘I can’t afford to go to Europe.’
‘You wouldn’t have to pay for a thing.’
‘But I can’t just...’ She trailed off.
Achilles seized on her obvious indecision. ‘Why can’t you? I’m sure the hospital can replace you, and someone can take care of the dog. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When I leave here I won’t be back, Sofie. This is it.’ He closed the distance between them and tipped her chin up so she couldn’t escape his gaze. He marvelled again at her unadorned beauty. ‘It would be an awful shame to let this end here, now. Come with me and I’ll show you the world.’
She drew in a shaky breath. ‘But for how long?’
Achilles shrugged. ‘For as long as it lasts.’