obstetrician,’ Nikos continued. ‘He has suggested an early scan to determine the date the baby is
due.’
‘That’s not hard to work out. There is only one possible date that I could have conceived…’
Once again hot colour flooded Kitty’s cheeks and she dared not meet Nikos’s gaze as she
recalled the passion they had shared in the cave on the night of the royal ball. He could have no
idea why she had refused to consummate their marriage last night, and no comprehension of her
shyness in front of him or her insecurities about her body. But if he felt impatient he hid it well, and the unexpected warmth of his smile stole her breath.
‘So what would you like to do today? I could show you the best places to shop in Athens.
Ermou Street has some excellent boutiques.’
‘If we are going to get to know each other better, then the first thing you should understand is
that I hate shopping,’ Kitty said firmly. ‘But I would like to explore Athens. Have you always
lived in the city?’
‘Yes.’ His smile faded. ‘But the streets where I grew up are not on the tourist trail, and I’m sure
you don’t want a tour of the slums.’
Was he ashamed of his background? Kitty wondered. ‘You aren’t responsible for the
circumstances of your birth,’ she murmured. ‘And you must be proud of all you have achieved.
You are one of Greece’s most successful businessmen.’
Nikos shrugged, but her words stayed in his mind. His success was phenomenal, but he had
never stopped to consider his achievements. He had always been focused on the next deal,
planning his next move up the corporate ladder. But he supposed he was proud—the boy from
the gutter who had clawed his way to the top. He had never had anyone to share his success with
before, but Kitty made him feel good about himself, and he realised suddenly that his new wife
might appear quiet and shy, but she was deeply perceptive.
He relaxed back in his seat and smiled at her again, noting how the sun made her hair gleam like
raw silk. ‘If it’s not to be shopping, where would you like to go?’
‘The Parthenon, the Temple of Zeus, the National Gardens.’ Kitty listed the famous landmarks.
‘You are a native Athenian, so I guess you know those places well.’
‘I certainly do, agape .’ He had never thought of himself as a native Athenian; he had always felt rootless and incomplete because he had no knowledge of who had fathered him. But it came to
Nikos then that he was proud of his city and he wanted to show it to Kitty, and one day to their
child who would be born here. ‘Let’s play tourists, then,’ he said as he stood and held out his
hand to her. ‘I understand that you miss Aristo, but I will make you fall in love with Athens.’
Would Nikos also make her fall in love with him? Kitty brooded three days later as they walked
around the National Archaeological Museum. He had been an enthusiastic guide showing her
around the sights of the city, and during the days that they had spent together he had revealed#p#分页标题#e#
some of the real Nikos Angelaki. She now knew that he kept his body in shape by playing squash
and working out at the gym; that he liked sushi, and preferred to eat out with a few close friends
rather than attend the lavish parties he was regularly invited to.
Stavros, his chauffer, and Sotiri, his butler, were clearly devoted to him, and Kitty was
impressed that he engendered such loyalty from his staff. For such a wealthy and successful man,
he appreciated the simple things in life—good food, good friends—and she had discovered a
shared interest in contemporary films and authors, which had led to several long and interesting
discussions when she had forgotten her shyness and chatted to him animatedly.
Away from the apartment at least, they seemed to be developing the friendship he had
suggested, and even though she knew he was making an effort for the future, when they would
be parents to their child, she clung to the nuggets of himself that he was willing to share. But
back at the apartment the tension between them returned, brought about by the fierce sexual
awareness that smouldered like a sleeping volcano between them and seemed in danger of
erupting at any moment.
It was a situation she had brought on herself, Kitty admitted, thinking of the previous night
when yet again she had been unable to sleep and had stared at the door connecting her room to
his, wondering if she would ever have the courage to walk through it and end the deadlock. But
she could not throw off her wariness. She was not afraid of the physical intimacy of sex, but she