Kay Thorpe – The Thirty-Day Seduction (страница 7)

“Having already told Nikos there’s nothing between us, isn’t it going to make you appear more than a bit of a liar if we start putting on an act for this girl’s benefit?” she said cautiously, thinking it wasn’t going to do her credibility much good either.

“We don’t have to put on an act,” he assured her. “It will be enough for Elini to see us together.”

Enough for what? Chelsea wondered. “I suppose I owe you something for not being honest with you from the start,” she said with some reluctance.

“If you do this for me, I’ll do everything I can to help you get what you want,” Dion promised. An innate decency prompted him to add, “Although I should warn you that there’s very little possibility of success. Nikos despises those who put themselves on public display. Nor would I advise attempting to publish anything without permission.”

“I wouldn’t do that anyway.” Chelsea could make that promise in all honesty. “I knew the odds were against me when I took this on, but it was worth a try. Still is,” she added, stiffening her resolve. “There has to be a first time for everything.”

Dion came to his feet along with her, a certain regret in his eyes as he scanned her face. “Must you really sleep alone tonight?”

“Really,” she said. She kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Kalinichta, friend.”

He made no effort to stop her as she turned to go indoors, but she could sense frustration in him. Nikos was probably right, she thought drily: there was no such thing as a purely platonic relationship between a man and a woman-certainly not where the man was concerned, at any rate.

In bed, but unable to sleep, she found her thoughts dwelling on Nikos again, seeing him in her mind’s eye, features sculpted from solid rock, body taut with muscle, remembering the feel of his lips on hers, the power to crush in his hands. She hadn’t known what it was to desire a man until now, because she had never before met a man who aroused her to such an extent. For the first time she could understand that love didn’t have to be a part of the equation.

Taking account both of what he had said to her in the gardens and the expression in his eyes every time she had met his gaze during the rest of the evening, there was every reason to believe that he found her equally desirable. If she couldn’t find fulfilment in one direction, she might at least…

She broke off her thoughts at that point, shocked that she could even contemplate such a move. There was such a thing as moral fibre.

Morning brought no change in Florina’s attitude. Chelsea gave up trying after receiving monosyllabic replies to all her overtures.

The skies were clear of any vestige of cloud, the rising heat tempered by a gentle breeze blowing in from the sea. Despite enjoying a lazy morning alongside Dion on the terrace, she knew it wouldn’t take long to become bored with the easy life. She needed to be up and doing-to have something to keep both body and mind active.

The party was due to begin at four. Dion’s father still hadn’t put in an appearance when they left the house on the hour. Dion was driving, with his mother occupying the front passenger seat, leaving Chelsea to share the rear with his sister. The latter spoke not a single word during the journey, gazing steadfastly out of the window, her face set in lines that warned off any attempt to start a conversation.

Compared with the haute couture outfits both the Pandrossos women were wearing, the silky black trousers and sleeveless top Chelsea had on were definitely second-rate, but they were the only things she had with her that were even remotely suitable to the occasion. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, she told herself stoutly. Who was going to be taking any notice, anyway? This was Dimitris’s day.

Their destination lay barely a couple of miles away around the other side of the headland. Reached through olive groves, the house drew a breath of delight. Creeper-covered white walls nestled beneath a faded red roof, each tall and graceful window flanked by dark blue shutters. Big enough to house several families, Chelsea judged, but still looking like a home rather than a showplace.

They were not the first arrivals. Several cars were already parked around the gravelled area fronting the house. Dion slid an arm around Chelsea’s waist as they entered a spacious hall which appeared to go all the way through to the rear of the building, where tall double doors were folded back to reveal a magnificent, uninterrupted view of the sea.

“I thought we didn’t have to pretend anything,” she said out of the corner of her mouth.

“No more we do,” he confirmed, but he made no attempt to remove the arm, steering her in the direction of the rear exit with his mother and sister following on behind.

The doorway gave on to an iron-railed terrace, from which a flight of stone steps led down to a wide, paved courtyard brilliant with spilling plant life. There were several umbrella-shaded tables, but the majority of people gathered down there were standing around in small groups. The shouts and screams associated with young people enjoying themselves could clearly be heard, although they were nowhere to be seen.

“They’ll be down on the lower level,” Dion supplied, anticipating the question. He indicated the stone archway at the far end of the courtyard. “Through there. The gardens are built on several levels down to the shore. Nikos will have organised entertainment on one of the lawns so that they don’t injure themselves.”

He scrutinised the groups below, his grasp tensing a little as he found what he sought. “There’s Elini. The one in red.”

Chelsea followed his gaze, coming to rest on a curvaceous young figure in a bright red dress that showed off the cloud of black hair to its best advantage. No more than eighteen, she judged, studying the captivating face; something of a flirt too, if the way she was smiling up at the young man next to her was anything to go by.

Kiria Pandrossos and Florina had already descended to greet friends and neighbours. Chelsea allowed herself to be drawn down the steps, fixing a smile on her face as Dion proceeded to introduce her to people. The response appeared genial enough on the surface, though she sensed a certain reticence in some. It was only to be expected, she supposed, that not everyone would welcome a foreigner in their midst on a purely Greek occasion.

The group Elini was with Dion left till the last. Chelsea attempted to weigh up the girl’s reaction when they were introduced, but saw little sign that her presence was arousing any jealousy-assuming that was what Dion was after.

She stiffened involuntarily as someone came up behind her, knowing who it was even before he spoke.

“Come and meet my son,” said Nikos, making it sound as much like a command as an invitation. “He’ll be delighted to practise his English on you.” His smile encompassed the rest of the group, Dion included. “Signomi, parakalo.”

They were halfway across the patio before Chelsea drew breath. Nikos wasn’t touching her in any waywasn’t even all that close-yet she could feel the sunstoked heat of his body radiating through the white slacks and shirt he was wearing. Only the women had bothered to dress up, she had already noted, the men opting for comfort rather than style.

“It’s a lovely day for it,” she remarked, driven once more to say something-anything.

“For what?” Nikos queried without particular inflexion.

“A child’s birthday party. So much better if it can be held outdoors, where they can let off steam without creating havoc. I mean, no matter how good they are normally, kids tend to get over-excited on occasions like this. I can remember my mother going spare over the mess my guests used to create!” She was babbling and she knew it, but she couldn’t seem to stop. “Of course, you don’t have to cater for weather variations to quite the same extent we do back home. People even take out insurance against having an event rained off.”

“With very short odds, I imagine,” Nikos commented drily. He glanced her way, eyebrow lifting. “Do you have anything more to say on the subject?”

Chelsea pulled a rueful face. “I’m not always so garrulous.”

“But with me you have to talk in an effort to conceal what I make you feel.”

They had reached the archway. Down another flight of steps lay a walled and grassed area where what appeared at first glance to be several dozen children were whooping it up with a whole troupe of clowns. Nikos made no immediate move to descend, studying her face with unconcealed amusement.

“So assured on the surface, so timorous beneath,” he taunted. “Would you deny your response to me?”

Several suitably flippant replies raced through Chelsea’s mind, all of them discarded. The only way to deal with this situation was to answer in like vein.

“Not for a moment,” she said. “I’m sure there’s no woman alive whose heart fails to palpitate when you’re around.”

“Ah, but not all women stir me the way you do.” His voice had lowered, infinitely seductive in its caressing intonation.

“Tough!” she shot back at him, determined to keep her end up. “As I told you last night, I’m not on the market.”