Seducing His Convenient Innocent. Rachael Thomas

at Xena, sleeping peacefully, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing around her. She’d promised Xena her secret would be exactly that until she was ready to tell anyone. With a clarity and determination she’d never felt before, Rio knew she would do whatever she had to for Xena. That was what friends did and she knew without a doubt that Xena would do the same for her.

      She looked at Lysandros and refused to quake at the power that radiated from him, refused to bow to his superior command. This wasn’t a business transaction—this was his sister’s life. Xena’s future. All Rio wanted was to be there for her.

      ‘Even without the amnesia, the injuries Xena has sustained will require time to heal. She may not even be able to play when the new season starts in the autumn.’

      Rio calmly laid the foundations, which, although true, was not the reason why Xena wouldn’t want to rejoin the orchestra. Ricardo was part of the stage crew and amidst a torrent of tears Xena had clung to Rio before they’d fallen out, saying there was no way she could be part of the orchestra now. Rio’s heart still broke to remember the pain in her friend’s voice, knowing it came from losing the man she loved. A pain she also knew—because if she was truthful with herself, she had loved Lysandros.

      ‘Then the best option is for Xena to return to Greece.’ Lysandros looked at his sister, then back at her. The firm tone of his voice left her in no doubt that he did not expect his decision to be challenged—by anyone.

      Rio had no intention of challenging him or his superiority. Relief flooded through her. If Xena left London and went to her island villa to recover, then any chances of gossip about her and Ricardo would be lessened. Ricardo certainly wouldn’t be the one to say anything. He was a married man and stood to lose everything. Xena would be able to recover in peace, and although the thought of saying goodbye to her friend at such a time hurt, it was the best solution.

      ‘Yes, I think that would be exactly what she needs in the circumstances.’ Rio’s voice had lost that determined edge, but she was acutely aware of Lysandros’s scrutiny.

      He moved back to the window, looking out over London for a moment before turning to face her. Like an animal trapped in the beams of car headlights at night, she froze to the spot. Was he going to demand an explanation? From her? Was he now about to demand to know why she’d stood him up that night?

      ‘And what about you?’ He spoke gently and she swallowed down her guilt. She didn’t deserve his concern. She might not have been directly involved in the accident, but she blamed herself. ‘I can see this is affecting you too.’

      He moved closer to her, his handsome face softened by the kind of concern she guessed those he did business with rarely saw. She wanted to back away, wanted to keep as much distance between herself and this man as possible. But she couldn’t. He mesmerised her, made her want things she couldn’t have now.

      ‘I will stay in London.’ Her voice was barely more than a whisper. He reached out and pushed the stray strands of her hair back from her face, just as he’d done the last time he’d seen her. Before he’d kissed her.

      She caught her breath. Her pulse raced so fast she couldn’t say anything. All she could do was look into his hypnotically sexy black eyes.

      ‘You have had a shock too. You shouldn’t be alone.’ His words were heavy with his Greek accent, making her body’s reaction to him, to his nearness, even more intense.

      She stepped back from him, away from the strange power he had over her. ‘I will be fine here.’

      ‘I am sure Xena wouldn’t want that,’ he insisted, his eyes dark and watchful, as if he was trying to tell her he wanted her there.

      ‘No, I should stay here.’

      * * *

      Lysandros took in Rio’s face, unusually bare of make-up, and along with the casual jeans she wore with a sweater, she had an air of complete innocence. What was it about this woman? Why did she affect him like this? Why did he want to take on the challenge she’d unwittingly issued when she’d stood him up and then told him it was over? Her response to his kiss after the piano recital had promised him so much. So what had changed that?

      Xena stirred and he forced his mind from those questions. Instantly Rio was at his sister’s side, her attention focused completely on her friend. He should be giving Xena the same attention, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off Rio. Her hair, loosely pulled back, looked tousled, giving away the haste in which she’d obviously left her bed early this morning. She might well have been here for hours, but she looked beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful. His heart wrenched.

      ‘Lysandros is here,’ Rio said softly as Xena opened her eyes, a look of bewilderment on her pale face.

      Xena winced as she tried to slide up the partially elevated bed. Rio fussed with her pillows, going to great lengths to make them right. Anything, it seemed, to avoid looking at him. Anything to avoid that sizzle of attraction that still sparked between them, despite the current situation.

      ‘Lysandros?’ Xena asked shakily as she turned to look up at him.

      ‘I came as soon as I heard,’ he said, taking her hand in his. He knew Rio was watching him. Every nerve in his body was tuned in to her.

      ‘But you only just returned to Greece,’ Xena said weakly as she looked at him, then at Rio. Lysandros’s heart sank. He’d been in Athens for the past six weeks. Xena obviously didn’t remember much at all.

      ‘Do you think I would stay there when I had just been told by Mother that you had been involved in an accident?’ He glanced up at Rio.

      ‘I was in an accident?’ The panic-laced question confirmed all Rio had just told him about Xena’s memory loss.

      ‘Yes,’ Rio added gently, and Xena looked at her. ‘A car accident.’

      ‘I don’t remember.’ Xena shook her head. Then her eyes widened. ‘I don’t remember anything.’

      ‘Don’t panic,’ Rio soothed, and Lysandros marvelled at her command in the face of Xena’s fear. ‘You’ve had a bump on the head. I’m sure it’s perfectly normal not to remember things straight away. I’ll go and find the doctor now, get him to come and reassure you.’

      ‘Don’t go yet,’ Xena pleaded, and Rio hesitated. ‘There is something else wrong, isn’t there? Something is wrong between you two. I can feel it.’

      ‘Don’t worry about us,’ Rio said soothingly, again fussing with the bedsheets.

      Xena laughed softly. It was such an unexpected sound that Lysandros looked at his sister, not sure what was coming next. Tears maybe, as the shock of the accident set in.

      ‘Well, I hope you two haven’t fallen out.’ Xena rested her head back against the pillow, her face as pale as the white sheets. ‘Because you do realise you were meant for each other?’

      Lysandros didn’t dare look at Rio. It wasn’t just the accident Xena didn’t remember; she didn’t remember he and Rio were no longer dating. ‘Of course we haven’t fallen out. Far from it.’

      He looked at Rio across the bed, shocked to find how near they now were. Their concern for Xena had drawn them physically so close he only needed to lean forward a little to kiss Rio. And he wanted to. She still had that effect on him, still raised the desire in his blood until it almost boiled.

      ‘Fallen out?’ Rio frowned, her gaze locked with his, and he saw the moment she realised what he was doing, that he didn’t want to panic Xena or worry her by explaining they had done exactly that six weeks ago. He let out a breath of relief when she laughed softly, looking at Xena, apparently happy to conspire with him. ‘Of course we haven’t.’

      Lysandros straightened away from the temptation of kissing Rio once more and looked at her. ‘You will, of course, come to Greece with Xena. I’m sure it’s what she will need to aid her recovery.’

      Rio’s eyes snapped to his. ‘I don’t think