by Mandy Baggot
‘Your brother does not need money for his share of the business before he leaves the island, no?’
Andras’s chest tightened. How could he possibly lie to a direct question like that? He steeled himself, his lungs expanding in preparation for admitting everything.
‘He does need money to leave the island,’ Tess blurted out. ‘But I’ve covered that.’ She nodded.
‘Tess …’ Andras said.
‘And why would a business advisor do that?’ Mr Giantsiorhs asked. ‘Or, what else did you call yourself? A fake girlfriend?’
Andras wanted to drop his head into his hands now. This was a disaster.
‘I know how this must look to you,’ Tess began softly. ‘I know that I came in here and said some stupid, perhaps a little over-the-top things, but I did that because I am passionate about the taverna and I am passionate about Andras. He is the most solid, dedicated, trustworthy person I’ve ever met. More than that, he’s highly intuitive and understanding, not just of his business but of … life.’ She took a deep breath. ‘He has been putting everything and everyone ahead of his own needs for such a long time, now it’s his turn.’ She stretched forward, pushing the laptop towards Mr Giantsiorhs again. ‘You really need to look at the figures and the projections before you make a decision, and why not come and have dinner at the taverna one evening. Come and see what makes it so special for yourself.’
Andras couldn’t take his eyes off her. All those things she had just said. Was that really how she felt about him? Or was that just for the benefit of the banker? To ensure he got the loan? He swallowed, finding himself really wanting to believe the former.
‘OK,’ Mr Giantsiorhs spoke finally.
‘OK?’ Tess asked. ‘He gets the loan?’
‘No, OK I will print off the figures and I will make my consideration.’
‘You will?’ Andras asked.
‘I will need to put this all into a system and it will need to pass to the head office and … we will see,’ the banker concluded.
‘Thank you,’ Andras said, getting to his feet and extending his hand. ‘Thank you so much.’
‘I’m so happy I could kiss you!’ Tess exclaimed. ‘But I won’t,’ she said quickly. ‘But maybe we should spit.’
Mr Giantsiorhs looked a little wary of Tess’s suggestion and Andras quickly butted in. ‘Thank you so much for your time.’
Sixty-one
The sunlight hit Tess’s cheeks and the humidity swept through her body as they burst out of the doors of the bank on to the street. She turned to Andras, clasping his hands and squeezing them tightly.
‘Oh my God! I really think he’s going to give you the loan!’ Her whole body was alive, singing with this fresh, ridiculous, utter joy.
‘Because of you,’ Andras said, smiling at her, his fingers entwined with hers.
‘It almost wasn’t. Why didn’t you tell me he spoke English?’
‘Why didn’t you tell me I had warrior souls in my walls?’
She laughed then. ‘Well, perhaps that’s an angle we can work on for one of your events. Greek Ghosts and Ancient Stories.’
She stopped, her smile slipping slightly. She had said ‘we’. She had said it like she was a joint taverna owner about to spend the rest of her life event-planning by the sea. ‘Andras, I’m sorry I lied about having money to cover Spiros, but if you had told him what you needed some of the money for, then …’
‘I know,’ Andras stated. ‘I know why you did it and I also know that you know I was going to tell the truth.’
‘Sometimes you have to keep the truth from people to protect them, as well as yourself.’ She swallowed. This was all a little close to home and the fine hairs on her arms were standing to attention as they continued to hold each other’s hands.
A phone tone erupted from her bag and she broke contact to unzip it and retrieve her device.
‘It’s Sonya,’ she informed him, looking at the screen. ‘She’s on a boat to somewhere called Vidos Island. Where the hell is that?’ She looked to Andras. ‘Is it still in Greece?’
He laughed then and nodded. ‘Yes, it is just a short ferry ride away. Would you like to go?’
‘What’s there? Lots of lizards and things that are going to sting me?’
‘Some very nice beaches,’ Andras said. ‘We could take a picnic.’
‘Now it’s sounding more appealing,’ Tess admitted.
‘Come,’ Andras said. ‘We will pick up some food and head to the port.’
Sixty-two
Vidos Island
Just a ten-minute trip across the water and the small ferry had docked at the island of Vidos. Already, just from observing the greenery and rocks, Tess knew this was some sort of Sonya haven. She could practically smell the animals ready to pounce as she stepped off the boat on to concrete land.
Andras passed her a bottle of water. ‘You should drink,’ he said. ‘It is very hot today.’
She accepted the bottle and took a welcome swig as, around them, the rest of the ferry passengers disembarked, bags of summer sun paraphernalia swinging from their arms. She passed the bottle back and grabbed her phone as another text came in.
‘Sonya says she’s had lunch with a German couple and they’re going to see the bird and wildlife sanctuary.’
‘You would like to go there too?’ Andras asked.
‘To be honest, I would really rather find a nice beach and eat the picnic,’ Tess admitted.
He smiled. ‘Then we will go this way.’
Andras knew exactly where he was going. At the far side of the island was the best beach. It was tranquil, not a place where there were sunloungers or facilities, just the rustic simplicity of the sand and pine trees all around. When he and Spiros were children they had gone camping on Vidos Island, spending a few weeks in the summer with their school friends, enjoying what had felt like endless days where the sun always shone and nothing bad could ever touch them. It all seemed so long ago, but the memories were good ones and he wanted to share that place with Tess.
‘Spiros and I used to come here when we were children,’ he said as he led the way down the winding track they were travelling on. ‘Sometimes with our parents. Sometimes with summer camp.’
‘And what did you boys get up to?’ she asked.
‘Swimming, making camp fires, fishing.’
‘I don’t want to fish,’ Tess said.
‘No? Why not?’ Andras asked.
‘I love eating fish, I just don’t really like how they feel.’
He smiled. ‘No lizards, no bees, no fish … are there any animals that you do like?’
‘I picked up Hector all by myself and I’m not opposed to the odd cat or dog or—’
‘Beetle?’ Andras asked as one scurried across the dirt in front of them.
Tess let out a shriek and jumped so her feet were nowhere near the insect, perhaps worried a trail of its family would follow.
He laughed. ‘Come, the beach isn’t far.’
Within a few minutes the track opened out, the trees and brush fanning out to reveal a taupe-coloured beach, a turquoise ocean bubbling in front of it. It wasn’t like any of the other beaches she had seen on the island. There was nothing but the sand, the sea, towering palms and pines and flowers all the colours of the rainbow. Across the water, Tess could see Corfu Town and, even from this distance, was able to clearly see a docking cruise ship and pick out lemon-hued bell towers.
‘It is a good beach, no?’ Andras said.
His low timbre so close to her ear set off that internal merry-go-round of feelings again. Feelings she had spent all night re-conjuring up only to attempt to dismiss them again.
‘It’s a great beach,’ she answered.
‘Let’s find somewhere to sit and eat,’ he replied.
There was no one else around and they had their pick of spots. Andras led them to the far edge, away from the main path they had taken, a space half in sunlight, half in shade, the trees making dappled marks
across the sand.
Tess dropped to the ground, eager to rest and stretch out, the walk in the heat having sapped her. She closed her eyes and stilled her mind, focusing on the warmth and relaxation that had become such a part of this holiday in Corfu. Right now she was so grateful for Tony and her second scallop-clad proposal. If she hadn’t been in the very middle of that crisis, she would never have been open to going away with Sonya. And that would have meant she would never have even thought of going to Greece. To have not experienced every happy, completely crazy moment of this trip was completely unthinkable now.
Something tickled her face and she snapped open her eyes and let out a screech.
‘Relax,’ Andras said. ‘It is only a butterfly. See.’ He indicated a pair of yellow and white wings fluttering off into the distance, away from the noisy, mad Englishwoman who had disturbed its peace.
‘It’s not natural to like insects like Sonya does, you know,’ Tess spoke. ‘My sister Rachel has to fly-spray anything with more than four legs in her house.’
‘So, it is an inherited condition? This hatred of creatures.’
‘I don’t hate them. I just don’t want to share my private, up-close personal space with them,’ Tess stated. ‘It’s all about boundaries. They stick to their habitat and I’ll stick to mine.’
‘And if your habitats collide?’ Andras asked. ‘You are, after all, in a land that is a little foreign to you.’
‘If they promise just to exist and not to attack then I can give them that same assurance.’
‘But what if they get too close? Perhaps almost unintentionally?’
He was blurring the boundaries now. Was this conversation about to turn into something other than wildlife? A sliver of heat wound through her spine just at the idea of it.
‘Are we still talking about animals?’ Tess breathed.
‘I do not know,’ he admitted. ‘Are we?’
She was hot. She was on fire with desire as she looked into those chestnut-coloured eyes. She couldn’t reply. She was afraid anything she did say would be as pornographic as the Blackberry Boudoir branding.
He smiled. ‘I am sorry. Here.’ He offered out a plastic container to her. ‘Feta cheese?’
She swallowed. She didn’t want him to be sorry. She wanted him to kiss her again. Why couldn’t she just say that? Tell him. Show him. Like she had started to last night?
‘Andras …’ Shit, now she had said his name she had to follow it up with something else. But what?
‘It is OK,’ he said. ‘I know what you are thinking.’
‘You do?’
He nodded, putting a piece of the white, crumbly, rich cheese into his own mouth. God, she couldn’t watch him eat. He ate like he had a degree in sexy.
‘You are thinking that there is no one but us on the beach …’ he began.
Did he have wine in that bag of supermarket goodies he had shopped for? Anything alcoholic at all? Didn’t Sonya’s Marco Polo mention some really good aperitif made out of kumquats?
‘We are celebrating a small breakthrough with the bank …’
He needed to stop talking now, because with each accented word, her nether regions were beginning to warm up like Louie Spence before some high-kicking.
‘You are thinking about sex,’ Andras stated finally.
‘Fuck!’ Tess said as her wedge of feta cheese fell out of her hand and down her front.
‘Yes,’ Andras said. ‘That.’
‘No, I mean, yes. Perhaps …’ She breathed out. ‘Maybe?’
He edged closer to her then, until he was by her side, a little facing her, just close enough that her libido woke up. She wanted to feel those lips dance all over her …
‘I told you before that I do not want to have sex with you, Tess.’
Immediately crushed, she bit on her bottom lip. She knew that. He had always been so honest with her. He was being a gentleman. He had never treated her like she was incidental. That was why their fake relationship had worked so easily.
‘I know,’ she answered with a resigned nod.
‘I cannot have sex with you,’ he repeated. He reached out a hand, his fingers touching the underside of her wrist, tips moving delicately in a figure-of-eight motion that was causing all sorts of eruptions inside her.
‘I know.’ She swallowed again. ‘You said.’
His fingers began a slow walk up her arm to her elbow. Right now she was considering making a mental erogenous zone map because ‘inside of elbow’ had never been on her radar before.
‘Tess,’ he breathed, his head moving closer to hers. Getting closer was an odd way to give someone the sexual brush-off.
‘Yes,’ she answered.
‘I don’t want to have sex with you,’ he said. ‘I want to make love with you.’
If it was possible for your heart to explode yet still be beating, then that was what had just happened. Feelings began to cascade like a thunderstorm of hot summer rain, soaking her, drowning her, forcing her under and then swimming her back up again.
‘Say something,’ he begged.
His beautiful voice was laced with both fear and thrill and it hit her all at once. This was real. For him and for her. Here, in this moment, they were in love. She was in love. Tess Parks was meant to be staying single for the summer but Tess Parks was in love.
She placed the flat of her palm against his cheek and rubbed the Cupid’s bow of his top lip with her thumb.
‘Say something, please, Tess.’ He kissed the pad of her thumb.
She paused but her reply was as definite as it ever could be. ‘I want to make love with you, too.’
Sixty-three
Andras took his time, just to look at her after she had said the words, the words that had made every part of him ache with a longing he had never admitted to owning before.
She parted her lips to speak and he tensed, scared that she would suddenly take back what she had said, that all this would sift through his fingers like the fine sand they were sitting on.
‘Andras,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t know how this has happened … it shouldn’t be …’
‘I know,’ he replied. ‘I feel it too. That the circumstance of us meeting was so …’
‘Ridiculous,’ she offered. ‘Crazy.’
‘Beautiful,’ he added, his fingers reaching up into her hair.
He couldn’t wait a moment longer. His whole body was so wired, desperate to express exactly what she had grown to mean to him so quickly. He drew her towards him, lips seeking hers, longing to feel the heat of her mouth on his and, as they connected, a sound came from her that had his arousal deepening further still.
Their lips together, mouths entwined, he lowered her down on to the sand, his body resting over, until finally he withdrew, making a distance to just look and admire her.
‘Don’t stop kissing me now,’ she begged.
He smiled down at her. ‘Do not worry,’ he said. ‘I have only just begun.’
Despite the sizzling temperatures, Tess was shivering, every centimetre of her on the highest of alerts. Her back flat against the heat of the beach, her nipples grazing the inside of her sundress, she had never felt so utterly in the moment and it was both ecstasy and agony because of how unfamiliar it felt.
She drew her arms up off the sand, her fingers reaching for the buttons of Andras’s shirt. She wanted to see him, feel him. She slid back one plastic button, releasing it from the white cotton, until he caught her hand in his, aligning their fingers together but stopping her from performing the task she wanted to perform.
‘Arga,’ he whispered.
‘What does that mean?’
‘Slowly,’ he replied.
She closed her eyes, letting him guide her hand to each button in turn, helping her pop them loose. She felt her fingertips touch his skin and she couldn’t do it blind any more. She wanted to look. Opening her eyes, she took in every sinew of that magnificent body she had seen at close quarters since she arrived on the island. Fi
rm pecs moved to tight abs, honed olive skin covering each defined muscle. She put her hands on him, smoothing up from his stomach to his shoulders, pulling him closer to her, wanting to engage with his mouth again.
Then, as he kissed her, she felt his hand moving against her skin and the straps of her sundress. So gently, he edged each spaghetti strand down until she had no choice but to move her arm up and out. As soon as she was free she re-found his hair, diving her fingers into it and pulling him closer, strengthening their kiss.
She writhed as his fingers traced down her arms, over her ribs, before brushing teasingly close to her now bare breasts. She just wanted him to touch her now the passion and intensity was welling up so thick and fast …
His ripped his mouth away from hers, breathing hard and heavy, as those deep brown eyes gazed at her. She had never been looked at like that before, like she was the only woman in existence, like he was having difficulty with the ‘slowly’ he had suggested.
And then his mouth found one of her now olive-sized nipples and she was taken to a whole different level of turned-on. His luscious mouth licked and teased and delivered perfect strokes of heaven to her already aroused skin as she both gave in and fought over it, bare back shifting in the sand, fingers whirling in the hair at his nape.
She couldn’t wait any longer. If she knew the Greek word for ‘fast’ she would have been shouting it for the whole of Vidos Island to hear. She sat up, shifting him away from her, her fingers reaching for the waistband of his trousers, wanting to tear the things right off him.
‘Tess,’ he said, palming her hands.
‘No,’ she answered, feeling for the zip.
‘Tess,’ he repeated, an undisguisable edge of heat to his voice.
‘Take them off,’ she ordered. ‘I want to see you.’
Her words stung Andras in the sweetest, most sensual way and it was all he could do to stop himself from doing exactly what she asked. But he had to. He needed to commit to this with everything he had, with his heart and soul. Because, despite them living in different countries, this was not like anything he had had before. He wanted to savour every moment.