by Andie Brock
She took a couple of steps backwards.
‘Hi.’
‘Yassou.’
His eyes moved over her like the touch of his hands, taking in the skimpy satin slip nightie, the swell of her breasts, her bare legs, the way her chest rose and fell with a sudden shortness of breath.
‘I’m sorry—I have disturbed you?’
‘No.’ Not unless you count the way every nerve in my body has pulled taut, or how my heart is slamming in my chest. ‘I wasn’t asleep.’
‘I just wanted to make sure you have everything you need.’
‘Yes.’ Kate gazed back at him. ‘Agní was very attentive.’
‘I was taking a conference call when you arrived, otherwise I would have come to meet you myself.’
‘It’s fine, Nikos. You don’t need to explain.’ Kate was drinking in the sight of him. The hard perfection of him and the fluid grace as he came towards her was holding her captive, turning her bones to rubber.
‘Thank you for coming.’
He was right in front of her now, his expression strangely uncertain. Close up, Kate could see the tension in his muscles, could sense beneath the savage beauty an edgy energy that he seemed to be struggling to contain. She felt the knot inside her tighten. She longed to reach out to him, to run her fingertips along the shadow of stubble covering his jaw, to raise them to his mouth, to part his lips and wait for him to suck her fingers, the way he had the very first time they had made love.
She drank in his dark beauty. A black sleeveless vest emphasised the hard perfection of his biceps and faded khaki shorts revealed long, bronzed legs. His hair had grown, and was now curling at the nape of his neck, tousled, as if he had been worrying at it with an impatient hand.
Kate realised he looked more like the old Nikos than at any time since he had first walked back into her life. More Greek, more Cretan—as if he had come home. Which, of course, he had. She blinked down the lump in her throat.
‘After the way we parted I wasn’t sure you would come.’ His soft statement broke the silence.
‘After the way we parted I wasn’t sure you would want me.’ Her reply revealed more than she had meant it to. Even though that photograph in the paper hadn’t been her fault, she had still worried herself senseless over the past few weeks that it might have ruined Nikos’s chances of becoming Sofia’s guardian. ‘Do you know how the court case is progressing?’
‘My lawyers seem confident.’
She waited for him to elaborate, but it seemed Nikos intended to say no more on the subject. Kate let out a pent-up breath. She would take that for now. ‘Well, that’s good.’
‘Yes.’
Nikos inched a step further towards her, his dark eyes boring into her, raising her core temperature by several degrees.
‘Congratulations on securing the deal with Rosebury’s, by the way. I heard Charles Lewis was very impressed by you.’
‘Thanks.’ Kate swallowed hard. He was so close now she that was enveloped in Nikos’s warm, male scent, all her senses caught in his spell. ‘I think it will prove to be very profitable for Kandy Kate.’
‘I’m sure...’
He lowered his head so that his breath whispered across her upturned face. He radiated a hot sexual energy that sent her core throbbing with need. But still he didn’t touch her. Outwardly they were being so formal, so polite, but inside Kate was dying with longing. And, judging by the way he was gazing at her, his pupils dilated, his features harsh with lust, Nikos was feeling it too.
‘The court hearing is at ten a.m. tomorrow.’ He continued to talk practicalities. ‘I have arranged for us to meet with the lawyers an hour beforehand to go over a few things.’
‘Sure.’
‘Thanks for doing this, Kate.’
He’d lowered his voice. The air thrummed with silent awareness at the slight shift in tone. As if she were standing on the edge of a cliff, Kate knew that one false move would be all that it took to see her fall.
‘We have a deal.’ She fought to hold her voice steady, hold herself steady. ‘I would never renege on that.’
‘No, of course not.’
Still he didn’t move. The world held its breath.
‘Well, if you’re sure there’s nothing you need I will say goodnight.’
Kate gave a small nod. Her heart thundered in her chest. It would be the easiest thing in the world to reach out to him now, thread her fingers through his hair, pull his lips down to hers and start to kiss him. To fan the smouldering embers of their desire and let it burst into flames.
Kate trembled at the thought of it. She wanted it so badly she ached for it. Burned for it. Her whole being was consumed with hunger for him.
‘Kalinikta, Kate.’
‘Goodnight, Nikos.’ I love you.
The words appeared from nowhere, ringing loudly in her head. But no way would she speak them out loud.
Pressing the heels of her palms against her closed eyelids, she watched flashes of amber light cutting through the darkness.
When she took her hands away, he was gone.
* * *
‘We did it!’
Stepping out into the bright sunshine, Nikos pulled Kate into a fierce hug. He let himself hold her for a moment, breathing her in, relishing the soft contours of her body pressed against his. He had spent so long forbidding himself from touching her that he was going to revel in this moment of triumph.
When he’d seen her standing there in her bedroom last night, looking so unbelievably sexy in that slip of a nightie, it had taken every scrap of willpower he possessed to stop himself from kissing her. He’d wanted her so badly he had been physically shaking with the power of it.
He should never have gone in there, of course. His flimsy excuse that he needed to tell her about the time of the court hearing had been about as fake as his declaration to himself that she meant nothing to him.
Now, with her pressed against his chest, he knew he wanted her more than anything he had ever wanted in his entire life. He knew she meant everything to him. And his stocks of willpower were all used up.
‘Congratulations!’ Kate pulled back to look at him, her eyes shining brightly. ‘I can’t tell you how pleased I am!’
‘Evcharisto, Kate.’ He stared at her, giddy with relief. ‘Thank you so much for your support.’
‘You are more than welcome.’ Kate smiled into his eyes.
In the end the court hearing had been short and very sweet. With the weight of Nikos’s legal team making itself felt, and supported by a letter from Sofia stating how much she wanted Nikos to be her guardian, the only other contender—Sofia’s great-uncle—had decided to withdraw his claim.
The courts, having looked into Nikos’s background and found him to be a man of good character, had ascertained that he was in a stable marriage, to a woman Sofia liked, and had decided that he was capable of accepting the full responsibility of guardianship, and permission had been granted there and then. And a burden that Nikos hadn’t fully realised he had been carrying around with him had immediately been lifted from his shoulders.
His lawyers came out onto the steps behind them, and with many handshakes and some back-slapping, Nikos thanked them too. This was a good day.
‘We must let Sofia know.’ Kate clutched at his sleeve.
Nikos pulled out his phone and within seconds Sofia was screaming her delight. Laughing, Nikos put her on speakerphone, looking at Kate as Sofia switched to English, babbling with happiness.
‘You must go out and celebrate!’
‘And we will—as soon as you are back in Crete,’ Nikos said.
‘No, I mean you two—right away!’ Sofia’s reply was vehement. ‘I’ve got exams, so I won’t be back for weeks. But I insist that you both go and get totally drunk in honour of the occasion.’
‘Hmm... Not sur
e what the courts would make of that.’
‘It’s too late—they can’t do anything now. You’re stuck with me.’
‘And very happy I am to be stuck too.’ Nikos smiled into the phone.
‘So go on—what are you waiting for? Off you go. Get a bottle of champagne opened!’
‘We can’t celebrate properly without you,’ Kate interjected quickly.
There was a pause before Sofia replied in a very knowing tone. ‘Oh, yes, I think you can...’
* * *
Standing nervously on the edge of the cliff, Kate looked down. A long, long way down. Sea birds swooped below her and sunlight sparkled on the vast expanse of blue water. She took in a deep breath of the tangy salty air. There was a stiff breeze up here, ruffling her hair, flapping her cream silk blouse against her chest. It was exhilarating, intoxicating... It made her feel alive.
When Nikos had suggested they should have a picnic lunch to celebrate Kate had immediately agreed. With a stab to her heart, she had known it might potentially be the last time she ever saw him. Now the court case was over she served no useful purpose in his life.
Tomorrow she was flying to London for a meeting with Rosebury’s, then back to New York. The thought of leaving Nikos, being parted from him for ever, filled her with a dread so heavy that it was simply too horrendous to contemplate. So Kate was going to live for the moment. If this was their last chance to spend some time together, she was going to grab it. Maybe the scars of their past were too deep, too painful ever to be overcome. But on a beautiful day like this, with the sun high in the sky and Nikos’s mood equally soaring, there was no way she was going to turn him down.
Although his choice of venue wasn’t for the faint-hearted...
Driving on the twisty coast road back towards the villa, which boasted a series of hairpin bends that had her hanging onto the edge of her seat, Nikos had suddenly pulled the car off the road in a spray of dust and told her that they were here. He had arranged for a picnic to be delivered to a cove at the foot of these cliffs. They just had to climb down to get there.
Neither of them was exactly dressed for rock-climbing—Nikos wearing tailored suit trousers and Kate equally formal in a smart navy skirt. But now, as Nikos stretched out his hand, promising to see her safely down to the bottom, Kate took it confidently, knowing he would do just that. Her faith in him was absolute.
Suddenly she realised he was the one man in the world she would trust with her life. But trusting him with her love...? That was a very different prospect.
Following a steep, overgrown pathway strewn with boulders, they picked their way down, Nikos a couple of steps ahead, frequently turning to stop and help Kate, his grip strong and warm as he took her hand or her arm, his eyes twinkling mischievously as he smiled at her. With the wind tossing his dark curls, Kate didn’t think she had ever seen him look more devastatingly handsome.
Near the bottom of the cliffs the rocks were wet and slippery, where a mountain stream trickled over them, so Nikos instructed her to put her arms around his neck. Sliding one hand under her thighs, he used the other to steady himself against the cliff-face. Pressed against his hot, muscled torso, her face buried into his neck, Kate breathed in his manly scent, her eyes closing with dizzy pleasure. She wished she could bottle this moment to keep for ever.
Their destination was a perfect little cove of fine white sand, encircled by cliffs that made it completely private. Miraculously, the picnic was already there, waiting for them. A white awning had been erected to give them some shade, with cotton rugs spread underneath and a neat row of cool boxes lined up in readiness.
Laughing at Kate’s naïve question about how his staff had managed to get all this stuff down the cliff, Nikos explained that it had come by boat. Shielding his eyes against the sun, he pointed out the direction of his villa and the launch boat, quietly anchored a few metres from the shore, that had been left for their return. He had clearly thought of everything.
Even, Kate discovered, a neatly packed bag especially for her, containing sunscreen, a wide-brimmed straw hat and a pretty white bikini that fitted perfectly when Kate nervously slipped it on. When she expressed her surprise, Nikos matter-of-factly informed her that Agní had chosen it.
With the contents of the cool boxes spread out on the rugs before them, they ate lunch at a leisurely pace, sharing morsels of the delicious food between them, savouring it with quiet groans of appreciation.
Refilling their glasses with chilled champagne, Nikos handed Kate’s to her. ‘Yamas.’
‘Cheers.’
Raising herself onto one elbow, Kate accepted it with a smile. She would definitely have to make this one her last, though. Already the combination of sun, sea and champagne had gone to her head. And that was before she factored in the lethal presence of Nikos, who lounged beside her in a pair of brief trunks, his olive-skinned, super-toned body on full display.
‘I might go for a swim.’ Setting down his glass, Nikos rose to his feet, his figure so tall that it blocked out the sun.
Kate gazed up at him. Bronzed and muscled, he looked like some sort of Greek god. A perfect specimen of manhood in every respect—as his brief black trunks attested.
‘Will you join me?’
‘No.’ Kate tore her eyes away. ‘I’m going to wait a little after all that wonderful food. You go, though.’
Nikos nodded, and as he turned to stride towards the sea Kate allowed her eyes to feast upon him again, taking in the play of muscles across his shoulders, the narrow waist, the gorgeous tight butt. She hugged her knees tight, trying hard to stem the tide of longing inside her. But it was hopeless. She loved Nikos with all her heart and with every fibre of her being. And it would always be that way.
She watched as he waded powerfully into the water, then dived under the surface, reappearing further out. With a sigh Kate lay back, putting her straw hat over her face and staring up at the pinpricks of light. Within minutes she was asleep.
* * *
Nikos walked back up the beach towards where Kate lay so peacefully on the rug. When she didn’t stir at his approach he realised she was asleep under her sun hat, and quietly he settled himself down beside her.
His eyes travelled the length of her body from the painted toenails on her pretty feet to her long legs, one bent so that it rested against the other, and on to the hollow of her tummy, her ribcage rising and falling with each soft breath, and the swell of her small breasts beneath the flimsy bikini top.
Nikos swallowed hard. His craving for Kate had reached dangerous proportions, slamming into him with hot hard waves, each one more powerful than the last. So all-consuming it made it difficult to breathe, rang in his ears like a warning, blurred his vision. A long, cool dip in the sea had done nothing to cool his fervour—as the painful swell in his trunks made all too clear.
He leant over her, watching the way his shadow fell across her torso. His physical reaction to her needed no explanation—it was obvious: she was completely gorgeous. Far more complex were the other emotions she stirred in him. Affection, tenderness, and the primal urge to protect her from harm, to keep her safe.
She gave him comfort too. Waiting for the court to announce its decision that morning, he had realised that having Kate by his side mattered. Not because they were keeping up appearances, but because she made him strong, made him feel better—about the court case, Sofia, Philippos, about life in general. When she had lightly laid her hand on top of his, giving it an encouraging squeeze, he had been deeply touched. Far more than the modest act had warranted. Far more than he wanted to examine.
But recently he had been forced to examine a lot of things about Kate that he would have preferred to ignore. Her empathy, for example, and the respectful way she treated everyone from the staff at the hotels they’d stayed in to the self-important businessmen they’d dined with. Then there was her kindness towards Sofia—how
she had gone out of her way to try and make her birthday special, even if that particular venture had backfired. And her loyalty...
Nikos could see now that Kate’s loyalty to her family was at the heart of everything she did. By saving Kandy Kate she was resurrecting her father’s name, preserving it for posterity. He could even see now why she had sided with her mother when he had turned up in New York. Fiona O’Connor obviously had problems that ran more deeply than he’d realised. And today he’d had a little bit of that loyalty directed at him and it had warmed his soul. Not only that, but it had left him wanting more.
Unable to stand the temptation a minute longer, Nikos dipped his head, planting the lightest of kisses on Kate’s tummy button. Kate stirred, very slightly, and then went still again. Using the tip of his tongue, he circled her navel, then trailed his tongue upwards, its touch feather-light. She smelled of suntan lotion and she tasted of sunshine.
With his heart thundering in his chest, Nikos edged closer. Her face was hidden beneath the hat, so he couldn’t see her expression, but he knew she was awake now—he could tell by the quickening of her breath, the way her hands lying at her sides had begun to twitch.
His trembling fingers found the ties at the side of her bikini top and pulled the knots free. He lifted the triangles of fabric to expose her breasts. Ruby nipples peaked hard and he took one in his hot, wet mouth, closing his eyes as sucked strongly, encouraged by a moan of pleasure from Kate. By the time he had turned his attention to the second breast Kate was squirming, arching her back, her hands clawing into the mat beneath her.
So nearly there. There was only one thing Nikos wanted more than to plunge the hard length of himself into the silky wet softness of Kate, and that was for her to command him to do it. He needed to see her face, to see what was going on behind those beautiful deep green eyes.
Reaching forward, Nikos lifted the hat from her face and tossed it to one side. Kate’s eyes were tightly shut, her cheeks flushed, her mouth open.