Stavros held out his hand to her, closing his fingers around hers to draw her to his side. "I thought you were trying to leave me."
"I told you I couldn't stay," Elle reminded him. "I want to, Stavros, but I've already been gone long enough." She was careful to keep her tone light and regretful even as she deliberately opened her senses and tried to psychically read him.
Stavros was very used to getting his way, and trying to force her to comply with his will would be something he might do without thinking it was wrong. It was her first real reprimand, gentle as she could make it when she really wanted to spit fire at him. He seemed to have a natural barrier in place that prevented her from sliding into his mind the way she did everyone else.
His eyes darkened to a stormy color. "I asked you to stay with me. To go to my home with me. I told you, Sheena, I've never brought a woman there."
She took a deep breath. He was taking her to his island and she would be cut off from all aid. Did he suspect her? And if he did, did that mean he had something to hide? Already the engines were starting to rumble and she could feel the deck vibrating beneath her feet. "Stavros, maybe I should meet you there later, tomorrow or the day after."
Stavros patted her hand and led her across the deck to seat her in a plush chair. "We need time together, Sheena. I want to spend a week together, just the two of us, and perhaps you'll change your mind about me."
"I don't have enough clothes for a week," Elle said, trying to be practical.
"I'll send for them."
"I'm not sleeping with you, Stavros. I told you I can't be in a relationship right now, I'm not ready."
"You told me this man broke your heart, Sheena. Who is he?"
She shrugged, suddenly concerned by the steel in his eyes. She had the uneasy feeling that if she named anyone, he might turn up dead. Which was silly, since up until now she'd been very certain that Stavros was no criminal. But then why were all her internal radars screaming at her?
"He's of no consequence."
"He must be, if you won't consider another relationship." Stavros drummed his fingers on the table. She'd seen him do that when he was deep in thought or very agitated. "Did you live with him? How long were you with him?"
"That isn't your business," Elle said firmly.
His eyes narrowed. "I can hire someone to find out these answers for me."
Her heart jumped. He'd had her investigated. Dane had told her to be prepared for that. They had meticulously built her life and provided everything down to college pictures and records as well as a detailed past, but would it stand up to the kind of investigation a man like Stavros Gratsos would demand? Was this the reason he was taking her to his island? Because he'd discovered that she was undercover?
"Why are you pushing me?"
Stavros leaned toward her, his gaze locking with hers. "I want you. I have never wanted a woman the way I want you."
Was that the simple truth? She doubted it. Sheena was beautiful and a woman of mystery and intelligence, the type that would attract and intrigue Stavros. But he wasn't known for falling for women. He escorted them, spent time with them, but he inevitably walked away. Why was he so determined to claim Sheena for his own?
Elle sighed. "You're going to have to get over it, Stavros. I'll be as honest as possible with you. Birth control won't work on me. I have this anomaly that runs in my family. No form of birth control works. Even if you used a condom, chances are still very high that I can get pregnant. I'm not doing that to you. Or to me, for that matter."
His eyes darkened even more as he searched her face for the truth. She actually felt his mind reach out to hers and she pulled back, afraid for the first time that he might be able to read her as she did others. She allowed only the truth of her statement in her mind where he might catch her thoughts. Not only did he look intrigued, he looked pleased.
"You speak the truth."
She nodded. "I have no reason to lie. I really can't take the chance, and since I want children someday, I can't take care of the problem permanently."
"So you didn't sleep with the man who broke your heart?"
She shook her head and looked out toward sea. The shore was fading as the yacht picked up speed, heading toward his private island.
Stavros let out his breath, drawing her attention back to him. "Then I will be your first. Your only." There was deep satisfaction in his purring voice.
"I told you I can get pregnant. No, not can, Stavros. I will get pregnant."
"I want children," he said. "I have no problem with you getting pregnant."
Her heart jumped. There it was. Stavros was handsome, charming, wealthy, and he wanted children. She was certain he was psychic. Why couldn't the Drake house choose him? Maybe there was more than one man who would fit with her, and fate had intervened to give her another choice. Stavros Gratsos who was forcing her to accompany him home.
"Stavros," she said gently, "you are the sweetest man, but you're way out of my league. Half your guests wonder what you're doing with me."
"Let them wonder."
Sid approached in his silent way and leaned down to whisper in Stavros's ear. Stavros immediately patted her hand. "We'll be home soon. I have to take this call." He dropped a kiss on top of her head as if they had already settled everything and walked away.
Elle stayed by herself as they moved across the water, but either Sid or one of the other bodyguards hovered close to her, as if Stavros was afraid she might fling herself overboard. She fought with herself, trying to figure out whether she should try to reach out to Jackson. She knew it would take a trauma to reach her sisters across the distance, but Jackson--the worm--could find her just about anywhere. And why was that? Why did it have to be him when he didn't want her? They weren't that far from their destination--Stavros's island was only a few miles off the mainland--and they were rapidly getting closer.
Elle took a breath and let it out. As the yacht approached the island, she could feel a faint buzzing in her head. At first it was annoying, but it began to swell in volume almost to the point of pain. Pressing her fingers to her temples in an effort to relieve the ache, she caught Stavros watching her. There was a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes, as if he knew of the pressure in her head. She glanced at Sid. Whatever she was feeling, so was he, but he hid it better. He kept walking with Stavros, his face turned away from his boss, but she knew that same pressure was in his head as well.
She closed her eyes. She needed to reach her sisters and let them know where she was, but the distance was too great. They were back in the United States, and unless the psychic link between them was shattered, they wouldn't feel her. But . . . There was the worm. Jackson Deveau. His psychic connection to her was strong, and if she reached out to him, she might be able to connect and let him know she where she was being taken. Did pride count when one's life might be in danger? Was she really that stupid?
Elle took a deep breath and let it out. The island was getting closer, and the pressure in her head increasing. It was now or never. She closed her eyes and blocked out everything but Jackson. The way he looked. Remote. Broad shoulders. Scars. Thick chest. Piercing eyes filled with shadows. Jackson. She whispered his name in her mind, sent it out into the universe.
There was a brief moment of silence, as if the world around her held its breath. A dolphin leapt from the sea and somersaulted back under the glassy waves. Elle nearly screamed when Stavros jerked her from her seat. She hadn't even sensed him coming up behind her.
"What are you doing?" he bit out, his white teeth snapping together. Fury etched the lines in his face.
He knew. Elle glanced toward his bodyguard. Sid knew too. They not only had natural barriers, but they were sensitive to telepathy. Both of them. She was in way over her head.
"Sheena! Answer me."
"Let go of me." Elle jerked her body away from him. "I don't understand why you're behaving this way." Even Sheena, as calm and collected as she was, wouldn't put up with being manhandled
. Elle glared at him. "I've had enough, Stavros. I want to go home."
She was never going home again. The thought came unbidden but settled into her churning stomach. Once she set foot on that island, her life as she knew it would be over.
Elle? Where are you? Stay alive, baby, any way you have to. Stay alive for me. I'll come to you. I'll find you. Do whatever you have to do.
Jackson's voice was warm, a soft, intimate slide into her mind--into her body. He felt like home. Like comfort. She wanted to fling herself inside him and shelter there. He must have heard or felt the despair in her--the fear.
Stavros caught both of her arms and yanked her against him, giving her a little shake as he brought her up onto her toes. "You will stop this moment unless you wish Sid to put you to sleep. I know what you're doing."
Elle. Answer me. There was a hard command in his voice, almost a compulsion to answer. She gasped when Stavros's fingers tightened hard on her upper arms.
"Don't!" he warned.
Had he heard? She doubted it. But he'd felt the energy vibrating and knew she'd received a response.
Damn it, baby. Just fucking stay alive. Whatever it takes.
Elle glanced at Sid. He held a syringe in his hand. She forced her body to relax, not wanting to go to his island unconscious. "You know about me." She kept her voice even. Very calm.
"That you are telepathic? Yes, of course. I felt it immediately."
"Well, at least I don't have to try to explain that to you," Elle said, spilling relief into her voice. "I hate hiding who I am from the world, but people think I'm crazy."
His fingers relaxed their hold on her, although she knew she'd have bruises. "You don't ever have to hide from me Sheena. I'm very much like you are."
Elle studied his face. Stavros was just a little too okay with kidnapping her to be as clean as she'd first believed him.
"We'll talk at my home," Stavros said, effectively stopping her questions.
Elle remained silent, determined not to allow him to see that she was afraid. She let Sid help her from the yacht to the pier and then into the waiting car. The island was beautiful, lush and green under the late morning sun. She noted the way as they drove along the road up toward the villa.
Once there, Elle turned gracefully on the rich leather seats of the chauffeur-driven car and extended her high-heeled foot out the door, allowing the slit along her glittering gown to slip open and reveal her shapely leg just for a brief flash as she exited the vehicle. Beside her, Stavros tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and guided her up the walkway to the enormous house that overlooked the sea. He stroked her fingers and she glanced up at him, sending him a faint smile before turning her attention to his masterpiece of a house.
The structure was long and sprawling with multiple levels, nearly all of which appeared to have glass walls so the views could be seen from any direction. Since it was reachable only by small plane, helicopter or boat, the island afforded Stavros as much privacy as he wanted. She knew he was trying to impress her, that she had intrigued him, because so far nothing of his world had impressed her. He was used to women throwing themselves at him, and she was different enough to be a challenge. Well . . . that and he somehow had a built-in radar when it came to psychic abilities. It must have been how he'd found his bodyguard and why he had been so drawn to her.
At least she knew why he was so interested in her now, or it might have been difficult not to be flattered by his attentions. Stavros was a handsome, intelligent man, and he knew how to pull out every stop to seduce a woman. He was charming about it, but there was an aura of danger surrounding him, and she never discounted reading auras. He wasn't going to let her go, his black eyes piercing and cunning, a predator unsheathing his claws. She was in trouble and she knew it. Stavros didn't like taking no for an answer.
Her heart beat a little too fast, and she took a couple of deep breaths to calm the flood of adrenaline. She knew she would be out of range of communication here, completely cut off from all help, especially with that bothersome pain growing stronger in her head. The current felt electrical, interfering with her ability to reach out psychically. There had to be a transmission of some kind to block psychic energy. She wasn't certain it was even possible, but the moment she was alone, she was going to test her theory.
"Sheena?" Stavros rubbed the back of her hand again. "I wanted you to see my home." His voice purred. "Say you're not you upset with me for kidnapping you and bringing you home with me," He paused on the intricate walkway leading to his magnificent home, tipping up her face to stare intently into her eyes.
Elle could imagine that his intent look would make most women feel a little faint. She just felt sick. Whatever Stavros's intentions were, he didn't much care if she agreed or not.
"Does telepathy run in your family?" She wanted him to think only of that ability and no other. She kept herself strictly under control, not giving in to fear when she wanted to raise her arms to the wind and use the force of it to gain freedom.
"Don't talk about that in front of anyone," he hissed, still smiling. "This is for us alone.
Another bid to join them together. She recognized manipulation when she saw it. At least he was still trying to be charming to gain compliance rather than forcing it. She nodded her head, unwilling to try to fight a losing battle. She'd much rather wait and see what Stavros wanted from her. Maybe she could collect information that Dane would find helpful--if she managed to make it out alive.
The door was opened by a matronly woman who managed to look right through Elle as if she wasn't there. "This is Drusilla. She's our housekeeper," Stavros introduced. "Without her we'd all be lost."
Drusilla beamed and smiled a welcome to Stavros while she nodded a little warily at Elle. Elle stepped inside the enormous multilevel glass-walled room. "This is beautiful, Stavros."
"I'm glad you like it, as it will be your home."
Elle heard Drusilla's swift intake of breath and Stavros immediately sent her a glaring reprimand. Elle forced herself to step farther into the room, looking around her. The view was breathtaking, the most incredible she'd ever seen. The bedroom was enormous, with the bed on a platform close to the glass wall overlooking the sea. Several steps down took her to a sitting area with plush, comfortable chairs and a table off to the side, but she noticed that there seemed to a pulley system of some sort overhead. Her heart began to pound. It was an amazing silken cage, a prison beyond her wildest dreams.
She allowed Stavros to lead her through the long, starkly beautiful room and up the wide staircase to a large bedroom. He pushed open the door and gestured toward the four-poster bed. "This will be your room. Mine is just down the hall."
Someone had already placed Elle's small overnight bag on the bed. It looked ridiculous in the rich opulence of the room.
"Stavros, wait." Elle caught his arm. "I really can't stay. I have an appointment this afternoon and I can't be late."
"You're going to stay, Sheena, and you're going to have my babies. I've been looking for a woman like you for years. I'm not about to let you slip away now." He pushed her farther into the room and glanced at his watch. "You are to stay here in this room until I come for you. The door will be locked, Sheena, and you are to stay."
There was no missing the iron in his voice, or the warning. Elle stood very still in the center of the room. He was showing his hand now, blatantly letting her know that not only had he kidnapped her, but that he expected total cooperation. She said nothing as he closed the door, waited to move until she heard the lock snick into place.
Elle opened her bag only to find it empty. Someone had already unpacked her things and put them away. After a brief search, she found her clothes neatly hanging in the spacious, walk-in closet. Elle stripped off her gown and changed into a pair of slim cotton pants and a snug cotton tee. She only took minutes to braid her waist-length hair and pull on her climbing shoes before going to the window.
Below her room, large boulders and rocks for
med the cliffs that led to the dazzling sea. Ordinarily the sight would have soothed her, but the way the house hung out over the ocean made climbing dangerous. The window was wired for security, which was interesting to her. She could open the window but an alarm would trigger if she so much as stuck her arm out. With the way the house was built, it was nearly impossible for anyone to break in. So was he keeping women prisoner here at his whim? Had he brought others here?
Elle studied the room carefully, gliding her palm over the walls and bed, seeking psychic energy left behind by any others. She felt nothing at all but that faint, annoying buzzing in her head. As far as she could tell, only the housekeeper had been in her room. Now that she was alone, she needed to send a message home and let them know where she was.
She opened the window and inhaled the sea and salt. The moment the salty mist touched her face she felt better, lighter, more hopeful. Elle lifted her arms and called the wind. Pain crashed through her head. She barely managed to suppress the cry welling up as stars burst behind her eyes and everything around her swirled black. She bent, retching, gagging, staggering toward the bed, pressing both hands to her pounding head.
Stavros was psychic and he had somehow managed to deploy some kind of energy field to prevent psychic energy from being used. Feeling weak, she slid her back down the wall and put her head between her legs, breathing deep to keep from fainting. She wasn't going to be able to summon help until she was off the island or could find the source of the energy field.
Once she could breathe again, she rose unsteadily and dealt with the security, a small beam she redirected so she could slip through the window and cling like a spider to the side of the glass villa. And spiders were much better at clinging to glass than she was. She had to find tiny indentations on each panel with fingers and toes, much like climbing the seemingly sheer cliff faces she often practiced on.
Elle clung to the edge, reaching with her toes, wishing she was at least another inch taller as she tried to gain the roof. For several heart-stopping moments she found herself staring down at the rocks and sea a good hundred feet below her, afraid she couldn't reach and would fall. She studied the distance above her. She would have to lever her body up, using the power of her legs to catch the edge. One chance. That was all she'd have--and she was going to take it.