After the Greek Affair

by Chantelle Shaw

  She had been on his mind all day—a distraction he hadn’t been able to ignore. For the first time in his life he had been bored during a business meeting to discuss his next big deal. He had found his thoughts straying to a beautiful blue-eyed blonde, and his impatience to have her again had intensified with every hour. Now he was back on Aura, and soon he would take Belle to bed, he thought with satisfaction, feeling his body harden in anticipation of sinking between her soft thighs.

  Alerted by a slight movement, Belle lifted her head, and as her eyes locked with Loukas’s enigmatic grey gaze she felt herself blush. So much for her decision to play it cool with him, she thought ruefully, hurriedly looking down at her sketch while she struggled for composure. She had been sure she could play the role of sophisticated mistress and indulge in a casual affair with him, but her desperate awareness of him as he strolled towards her made her feel like a naïve teenager rather than a femme fatale.

  ‘How are you getting on?’ he queried, coming to stand next to her so that he could study her drawings. ‘I’ve just spoken to Larissa and she says you’ve almost finished the design for her dress.’

  ‘Yes, we’ve done well today.’ Belle’s heart was thudding so hard she was sure Loukas must hear it. Unable to bring herself to look at him, she busied herself with tidying the work table, which was strewn with material samples and sheets of sketches. ‘Tomorrow we’ll start thinking about the bridesmaids’ dresses, and then I’ll take measurements and make paper patterns—’

  She broke off when he slid his finger beneath her chin and tilted her face to his, and another wave of heat flooded her cheeks when she saw the sensual gleam in his eyes.

  ‘Hey,’ Loukas said softly. ‘You don’t have to give me a progress report. I have faith that you know what you’re doing.’

  He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen a woman blush. After the explosive passion they had shared last night he had not expected Belle to be shy with him. He was used to mistresses who played the coquette and employed all their feminine wiles to keep him interested. But Belle had admitted that she had only had one other brief sexual encounter. Compared to the glossy, hard-as-nails socialites he usually dated, she seemed painfully innocent, and her vulnerability tugged on his insides.

  ‘Lissa told me you went to see the church this morning,’ he said, determinedly stifling the hormones that demanded he make love to Belle immediately.

  Belle nodded. ‘Yes, it’s very picturesque,’ she murmured, thinking of the tiny whitewashed chapel with its blue-domed roof, which had been built in the thirteenth century, according to the plaque on the wall. Set against a stunning backdrop of the sea, the ancient building had fired her imagination for the design for Larissa’s dress.

  ‘I was wondering if you would like me to give you a tour of the rest of Aura? I’ll ask Maria to make up a picnic and we can stop off somewhere to eat.’

  She gave him a startled glance and slowly released the breath that had been trapped in her lungs. She had never had an affair before, and had no idea of the rules, but it had occurred to her that all Loukas might want from her was sex. Her heart lifted at the realisation that he wanted to spend time with her outside of the bedroom. ‘That would be great.’ She smiled at him, unaware that the tentative gesture caused his gut to clench. ‘I’d love to see your island.’

  ‘Good.’ Loukas tore his eyes from the rounded contours of her breasts, moulded so enticingly by her tight-fitting tee shirt, and resisted the temptation to lift her onto the table and ravish her. ‘I’ll see you downstairs in fifteen minutes,’ he said as he strode over to the door, ruefully aware that he would spend most of that time taking a cold shower.

  ‘Have you never ridden pillion on a motorbike before?’ he asked a little later, when Belle walked out of the villa and eyed the bike doubtfully. ‘There’s nothing to it—just put your arms around my waist and hold on tight. I can see there are a lot of new things I’m going to have to teach you,’ he added softly, his eyes glinting with amusement when she blushed again.

  This relaxed, teasing side to Loukas was unexpected, Belle thought as she climbed onto the motorbike behind him. It would be very easy to fall for his lazy charm. But forewarned was forearmed, and she had no intention of allowing their affair to mean anything to her. There seemed to be nothing else to hold onto on the bike, and after a moment’s hesitation she did wrap her arms around his waist, feeling the solid ridges of his abdominal muscles beneath her fingertips.

  Riding pillion, with the warm air rushing past her face and her hair whipping out behind her, was terrifying and exhilarating. At first she squeezed her eyes shut, but it was clear that Loukas was in full control of the bike, and after a while she grew brave enough to look at the scenery flashing past. The narrow track which was the only road on Aura wound past olive groves and dense woodland, and skirted several tiny coves where white sand ran down to meet the turquoise-blue sea.

  ‘This is the site of an ancient Greek temple,’ Loukas explained when he stopped the bike by some stone ruins that were obviously centuries old. ‘Possibly it was built to honour a goddess from Greek mythology. Aura was the goddess of the breeze and the fresh cool morning air. Presumably the island was named after her.’

  ‘I’m fascinated by Greek mythology,’ Belle admitted. ‘The stories are so wonderful.’

  ‘I’ll lend you some books, if you like. I have dozens of them. My father knew many of the old tales and used to tell them to me when I was a boy.’ A shadow crossed Loukas’s face and Belle sensed his sadness.

  ‘You must miss him, she said softly. She bit her lip, compelled to confide her own heartbreak. ‘I know how it feels to lose a parent. My mother died three years ago and I miss her every day.’

  His eyes met hers, compassion in his gaze. ‘I’m sorry.’

  The gentleness in his voice brought tears to Belle’s eyes. ‘Mum would have loved it here. There’s a strange timelessness about the island.’

  ‘Archaeologists from a museum in Athens believe there was a settlement here on Aura as long ago as the third millennium BC.’

  ‘It’s amazing to think people were here that long ago.’ Belle stared around at the wild landscape. ‘I love the fact that Aura is so natural and unspoilt.’ She gave him a rueful look, remembering that his business was property development. ‘I suppose you’re going to tell me you have plans to build a huge hotel here, complete with golf course and amusement park?’

  Loukas laughed. ‘Not on your life. I love Aura’s unspoilt beauty too, and I intend for it to remain that way.’ He stared curiously at Belle. ‘Most women I know would only want to visit Aura if it had a five-star hotel with a spa, beauty salon and boutiques.’

  Did that mean he thought she was unsophisticated? Belle glanced around the deserted beach they had reached via a narrow path leading down from the ruins, appreciating the rugged beauty of her surroundings. ‘I guess I’m not like your other women,’ she said cheerfully. ‘Being alone here in this lovely place is my idea of heaven.’

  ‘You’re not completely alone,’ Loukas reminded her. The sudden huskiness in his voice sent a quiver of anticipation down Belle’s spine, and her heart leapt when he drew her towards him and ran his fingers through her hair. ‘Do you want to swim in the sea?’

  ‘I didn’t bring my bikini,’ she said regretfully. Her eyes widened when he grasped the hem of her shirt.

  ‘You don’t need it. As you pointed out, we’re all alone. Have you never swum naked before?’ he murmured, his breath whispering across her bare skin as he drew her tee shirt over her head and unclipped her bra. When she shook her head he grinned. ‘I told you there were a lot of new experiences I was going to enjoy teaching you, my beautiful Belle.’

  When he laughed he seemed younger, almost boyish, and his eyes were no longer like cold steel but gleaming with teasing amusement that turned to sensual heat as he dropped her bra on the sand and cupped her breasts. He lowered his hands to the zip of his jeans. ‘Last one in the water i
s chicken.’

  ‘Hey—that’s not fair!’ She had never seen a man strip out of his clothes so fast. She’d never seen a man strip, full stop, Belle acknowledged, struggling to drag her tight-fitting jeans down her legs. Loukas was already halfway down the beach, gloriously naked, his skin gleaming like polished bronze beneath the hot Greek sun. The sight of his taut buttocks and powerful thighs made Belle feel weak, and after a quick glance around the beach to make sure they really were alone she pulled off her panties and ran to join him.

  The water was deliciously cool on her heated skin. ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this,’ she said, gasping when strong arms closed around her waist and Loukas hauled her against his unashamedly aroused body.

  ‘It’s good, isn’t it? To feel free and uninhibited?’ He laughed and stroked her pink cheeks. ‘I can’t believe you’re blushing again.’ Their eyes held, and his laughter faded as he lowered his head and captured her mouth in a sensual kiss that tugged on Belle’s soul.

  It would be frighteningly easy to fall for him, she admitted when he carried her back up the beach and laid her on the rug he had spread out. But then he knelt over her, his big body blocking the sun, and as she pulled him down and wrapped her legs around his thighs conscious thought faded and she was swept away on a tide of sensation.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  ‘THAT’S the last crystal in place, thank goodness.’ Belle straightened up and flexed her aching shoulders. ‘I thought I was never going to finish sewing them on, but it was worth the hours it’s taken. The beaded bodice really adds a sparkle to the dress, don’t you think?’ She glanced at Larissa, eager to gain her reaction to the wedding dress now that it was finally completed, and was startled to see tears in the Greek girl’s eyes.

  ‘It’s beyond words,’ Larissa said huskily. ‘Oh, Belle, it’s so beautiful. It’s so much more than I imagined from the sketches. It truly is my dream dress, and I can’t thank you enough for all the work you’ve put into making it.’

  ‘I’m glad you’re happy with it.’ Belle felt a sense of quiet pride. It was probably the best wedding gown she had ever created, she acknowledged as she studied the strapless dress of pure white silk tulle over a lace underskirt. The bodice and the edge of the full skirt were embellished with hundreds of crystals and tiny pearls. She had yet to sew crystals onto the veil, and with a week to go until the wedding she still had hours of work ahead to finish the bridesmaids’ dresses.

  ‘Loukas is home,’ Larissa said, hearing the sound of the helicopter. ‘The pilot is going to take me back to Athens because Georgios’s mother is holding a special dinner to celebrate Constantine being discharged from hospital. I’ll send Loukas up to see my dress.’ She gave Belle a speculative look. ‘But I expect he’ll come straight up to the studio anyway. He seems to enjoy spending time with you.’

  Belle leaned down to flick an imaginary speck from the skirt of the dress, hoping Larissa would not notice her suddenly warm face. ‘He’s interested in how the dresses are progressing,’ she mumbled.

  ‘I have a feeling my brother is more interested in the designer than the dresses,’ Larissa said dryly. ‘For one thing, I’ve never known him to come home from work as early as he’s been doing lately.’

  ‘Perhaps he’s not very busy at the moment.’ The flush on Belle’s cheeks suffused her whole body when she thought of how Loukas filled the hours that he was not at his office in Athens with making love to her. They had been discreet in front of Larissa—Belle had no more desire than Loukas to evoke his sister’s matchmaking tendencies—but Larissa was clearly suspicious.

  A fact that was confirmed when she said, ‘Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way Loukas looks at you, or the way you look at him.’ She grinned. ‘I know something is going on between the two of you, and I think it’s great. I’d love to have you as my sister-in-law, Belle. Maybe you will be designing your own wedding dress next?’

  This had to stop right now. Belle shook her head firmly. ‘No, that definitely won’t happen.’ She sighed when Larissa looked disappointed. ‘I don’t want to get married to anyone,’ she explained. ‘I’m far too busy running Wedding Belle. My career is more important to me than anything.’ She hesitated. ‘There’s nothing between me and your brother.’ At least that was a partial truth. Much easier than trying to explain that her involvement with Loukas was a purely sexual affair.

  But then that wasn’t strictly true either, she brooded, after Larissa had gone and she was left alone in the studio. Since she and Loukas had become lovers they had shared more than their fierce sexual desire for each other. Her mind drifted back over the long candlelit dinners and the lazy hours by the pool—after he had ignored her protests that she had to work and insisted she needed some relaxation time. They had explored the ancient ruins on Aura, and Loukas had taken her to Athens so see the Acropolis and other famous landmarks there after discovering that they shared an interest in ancient Greek history.

  Her worry that she might have fallen pregnant that first time they had made love on the roof terrace had been dismissed when her period had started a few days later. Since then she had spent every night with Loukas, and their desire for each other, far from diminishing, seemed to grow ever more intense. Now there was only one week left until Larissa’s wedding—one week before the end of their affair. For end it undoubtedly would. She knew that Loukas was flying to South Africa immediately after Larissa and Georgios departed on their honeymoon, and she needed to return to London—hopefully to a flood of new orders following the media coverage of Larissa’s wedding.

  Expelling a heavy sigh, she wandered over to the window and stared out over the vast expanse of the sea as blue as a sapphire, reflecting the cloudless sky above. She would miss the tranquil beauty of Aura. She bit her lip. Who was she kidding? She would miss Loukas. Much as she did not want to acknowledge the thought, it was the truth, and it settled like a lead weight in her chest. She hadn’t fallen for him, of course, she assured herself. But all the same she hoped that the final week she spent on Aura would pass slowly.

  ‘You look very pensive. What are you thinking about?’

  Loukas had entered the studio silently and, seeing that Belle was lost in her thoughts, had paused for a few moments to study her. If possible she was even more beautiful than when she had arrived on Aura, he mused. Her long hair, hanging in a braid down her back today, had turned even blonder from the Greek sunshine, and she had gained a light golden tan which made her eyes seem even bluer. Desire ripped through him, but something about her solitary stance tugged on his insides. Sometimes she seemed to close in on herself, and not for the first time he sensed an air of sadness about her that made him want to take her in his arms and simply hold her close.

  She turned at the sound of his voice and flashed him a breezy smile that he noticed did not reach her eyes. ‘I was thinking about how many crystals I still have to sew onto Larissa’s veil. Her dress is finished, thankfully. Would you like to see it?’

  He pushed away the thought that what he would like to do was break down the barriers she hid behind and discover the real Belle Andersen. Why was he curious? he asked himself irritably. She was his temporary mistress and a week from now he would probably never see her again. He frowned, wondering why the prospect seemed so unappealing.

  ‘Of course I want to see the result of your long hours of hard work.’ She was often in the studio before he left for his office every morning, and some evenings he had to frogmarch her downstairs and insist that she eat her dinner. She wasn’t so much hard-working as obsessive. He tensed at the thought. Who did that remind him of?

  In his mind he pictured Sadie, when they had both been eighteen and living in the same tenement block in New York. He had been scraping a living running the grocery store, and Sadie had been a student at a performing arts college, long before her ascent to fame.

  ‘I can’t see you any more, Loukas. I have to spend every minute of my free time practising. Dancing is my life, and one day my name
is going to be in bright lights on Broadway.’

  His mind fast-forwarded twelve years. The venue was his luxurious Manhattan penthouse. Sadie was the darling of Broadway and an international star, and they had been having an affair for a year.

  ‘I can’t have a baby, Loukas. It would be the end of my career. Performing is my life, and I can’t take months off and risk losing my figure.’

  He had given his heart to Sadie, and she had ripped out his soul, he thought savagely. Now his heart was as impenetrable as a lump of granite, and he had no intention of falling in love again. His relationship with Belle was just another enjoyable but ultimately meaningless affair, he assured himself as he strolled across the studio.

  Belle removed the dust sheet covering Larissa’s dress. ‘Well, what do you think?’ she asked anxiously, after several seconds had ticked past and Loukas remained silent.

  ‘I did you a serious injustice when I doubted your skill as a designer,’ he said quietly. ‘The dress is exquisite. Lissa has told me how delighted she is with it. There is no doubt in my mind that Wedding Belle has a great future.’

  Belle flushed with pleasure at his praise. Loukas’s words were like a healing balm after the scorn with which John Townsend had greeted her early design work.

  ‘You’re wasting your time applying to art school. You don’t have any talent.’

  He had seemed to take pleasure in mocking her dreams, she remembered painfully. For years she had wondered why he did not love her, and had concluded that it must somehow be her fault. Now she knew otherwise. She would never know her true identity, Belle accepted, but running her own company gave her a sense of identity. Wedding Belle was more than a business: it was the most important thing in her life.