'I'm not sure I should be leaving my innocent niece in the hands of that man,' Andreas muttered darkly, following her across the road to a café.
Libby laughed. 'Mario's great. But you had a narrow escape.' She shot him a wicked look. 'He really, really fancied you.'
Andreas shook his head disapprovingly and sat down at one of the tables on the pavement.
The sun shone down on them and the air smelt of fresh baking and garlic as the many restaurants prepared for their lunchtime trade.
Libby ordered cappuccinos. 'You look really tense. Come on, what's wrong? You're not seriously worrying about Mario, are you? Because you shouldn't. He really is the best hairdresser in London. People wait an average of four months to get an appointment with him.'
'Unless your name is Libby,' Andreas observed dryly. 'No, it isn't that. I'm worried that Adrienne will think that fitting in is all about the way you look,' he confessed, reaching into his pocket for sunglasses.
Libby sucked in a breath. Normally she found it impossible to look away from his sexy eyes, but now they were covered she suddenly found herself focusing on his dark jaw. He was staggeringly handsome and she could hardly help to notice the way that every woman who passed stared at him.
'Appearances matter,' she said, leaning back in her chair as their drinks arrived. She smiled at the waiter. 'Could I have a chocolate brownie, please?'
'Chocolate brownie?' Andreas lifted an eyebrow and she shrugged carelessly.
'A girl's got to have a vice. Mine's chocolate.'
Andreas gave a slow, sexy smile, his expression concealed by the sunglasses. 'And is that your only vice, Miss Westerling?'
'Yes,' Libby replied firmly, wishing that he would remove the sunglasses. It was unsettling not being able to see his eyes. 'But it's a serious one. Now, back to the subject of appearances. You're right that appearances shouldn't matter, but they do, I'm afraid. You know that as well as I do. People form an opinion about you within about thirty seconds of meeting you. And when you're a teenager, the way you look is part of being accepted. Teenagers have a uniform.'
Andreas lifted his cup. 'And you really think a new haircut will help her make friends?'
'I think it will be a start. The rest is up to Adrienne. Mmm. Yummy.' Libby licked her lips as her chocolate brownie arrived and Andreas tensed.
Feeling his gaze on her, Libby felt suddenly hot, every inch of her quivering, female body helplessly aware of the tension that simmered between them.
'D-don't look at me like that,' she muttered, and he lifted an eyebrow.
'Like what?'
His voice was husky and very male and she knew he was teasing her. Suddenly she found she couldn't breathe properly.
Being this close to him affected her so badly.
He leaned forward in his chair, his voice soft. 'How do I look at you, Libby?'
His Greek accent seemed very pronounced and she dropped her eyes, concentrating hard on her cappuccino. It didn't really help. Even though she wasn't looking at him, she could feel him. 'You look at me as though you-you wish I was the chocolate brownie,' she said finally, and he laughed.
'My vice definitely isn't chocolate brownies,' he drawled. 'And we both know how I look at you. I want you, Libby. I've never pretended otherwise. And you want me.'
Her gaze flew to his. 'I don't.'
He shrugged carelessly. 'Yes, you do. You want me every bit as much as I want you. But you're afraid to admit it.'
Libby bit her lip. It was absolutely true. She was afraid.
She was afraid of what he could do to her. Of what he could make her feel.
'You are absolutely the last man in the world I'd have a relationship with,' she said flatly, glaring as yet another nubile female passed and cast a lustful glance at Andreas. 'Do you realise that every single woman who passes this table looks at you?'
Andreas removed his sunglasses and looked at her thoughtfully. 'But I'm not looking at them,' he pointed out quietly, his eyes dropping to her mouth. 'I'm looking at you, Libby.'
Her heart hammered against her ribs and she was consumed by a sexual excitement so powerful that she squirmed in her seat. She looked at him helplessly, thinking that perhaps it had been easier to control her feelings when he'd had the sunglasses on. He had the sexiest eyes she'd ever seen. What was it about him?
He was sitting on the other side of the table, for goodness' sake.
He hadn't even touched her and yet she could feel him with every inch of her body.
She swallowed hard and dragged her gaze away from his face. 'Well, I don't want you to look at me,' she said, stabbing her brownie with more force than was necessary. 'Do you want some?'
'What I want is for you to relax with me,' Andreas said, his tone amused. 'You are behaving as though I'm a lethal predator and there is absolutely no need. I want you and I refuse to pretend that I don't, but I have no intention of pouncing on you in the middle of the West End. I'll wait until you're ready.'
Awareness warmed her insides. 'You're awfully sure of yourself, Dr Christakos.' Her hands shook slightly and she placed the cup back down on the saucer. 'What if I'm never ready?'
He gave a slow smile. 'You will be. And in the meantime I'm enjoying the wait. It serves to intensify the satisfaction when we finally get together.'
His words hung between them and she stared at him wordlessly, wanting to say something cutting but totally mesmerised by the look in his dark eyes.
What woman in her right mind would say no to a man like Andreas?
He leaned across and helped himself to a piece of brownie. 'So, after this, are we shopping?'
He was so cool and relaxed, so totally sure of himself that she merely nodded.
'Yes.'
'For you or Adrienne?'
'Both.'
'Are you buying something for tonight?'
Suddenly unable to eat another mouthful, Libby pushed the remains of the brownie to one side. 'Just shoes. I already have enough dresses.'
He lifted a dark eyebrow. 'And you don't have enough shoes?'
'A girl can never have enough shoes,' Libby advised him solemnly, standing up and dropping a note on the table to cover the bill. 'Come on. Mario should be just about finishing by now.'
And she needed a third person to stop her having indecent thoughts about Andreas.
Chapter 6
As Libby got ready for the ball that evening, she reflected on what a successful day it had been.
Mario had worked wonders with Adrienne and she chuckled as she remembered the stunned look on Andreas's face when he'd first caught sight of his niece.
Mario had shaped and textured her thick dark hair so that it no longer swamped her delicate features. The new hair-style cleverly emphasised the shape of her face and made her look exactly what she was. A child on the verge of womanhood.
Thrilled by her own reflection, Adrienne had spent the rest of the trip gazing at her reflection in shop windows.
Libby had dragged her into several of her favourite shops and bought a selection of strap tops and trendy cotton separates that complemented Adrienne's slim figure without making her seem older than she was.
By the time they'd returned her to school, she'd been bubbling with excitement and confidence.
And now it was her turn, Libby thought, reaching into her wardrobe for the dress she wanted.
It was made of pale gold silk and it fell from tiny straps right down to the floor.
And she loved it.
With a smile of satisfaction she slipped into the dress and slid her feet into the gold shoes that she'd found in a tiny shop in one of London's most exclusive shopping areas. They matched the dress perfectly.
She pinned her blonde curls on top of her head, leaving a few tendrils hanging loose around her face, and carefully applied her lipstick.
Satisfied with the result, she reached for her wrap and glanced at her watch as the doorbell went.
Alex had left to collect his date half an hour earlier so she knew it had to be Andreas.
She walked to the door on shaking legs and paused for a moment. Her heart rate accelerated dramatically and excitement curled in the pit of her stomach.
She closed her eyes briefly, wondering why on earth she'd invited the man. She was playing with fire.
Andreas Christakos could hurt her badly.
Taking a steadying breath, she opened the door, trying to control her reaction as she saw him.
Damn.
She should have known that the man would have looked spectacular in formal dress.
She bit back a groan. The truth was Andreas would look spectacular whatever he wore.
He lounged in her doorway, confident, sexy and so masculine that it took her breath away.
He was all temptation and trouble and she'd elected to spend the evening with him.
Great.
'Hi, there.' She sounded breathless and hated herself for it. She hoped he wasn't any good at reading body language but her instincts said that he would be. This man knew everything there was to know about women.