The Greek Children's Doctor(19)

His eyes slid slowly over her and finally he spoke. 'You look sensational.'

Suddenly she wished she'd chosen to wear a different dress. Something  that covered her up. Something that would protect her from the way he  was looking at her. The dress she'd chosen skimmed her womanly curves  and seemed demure enough from the front, but the back was a different  matter, and she found herself wishing that she didn't have to turn  around.

He was looking at her quizzically. 'Are you ready?'

'I need to fetch my bag.' Which meant turning round.

His gaze didn't shift from hers. 'Fine.'

Swallowing hard, she backed away from him and his eyes narrowed.

'Is something wrong?'

'No.' This was utterly ridiculous! She took a deep breath and turned around, walking quickly to her room to collect her bag.

She returned in seconds. 'I'm ready.'

He didn't answer and slowly she lifted her gaze to his.

'Well, now I know why you were reluctant to turn around,' he said  hoarsely, his dark eyes holding hers. 'That dress should carry a health  warning. Shall we go?'

He placed a hand on her bare back and it was as if she'd drunk champagne  on an empty stomach. Her legs trembled and her head swam. She was  acutely conscious of every inch of him as they made their way down in  the lift and climbed into the car he had waiting.

It was a warm summer evening but suddenly Libby found herself shivering.

His gaze settled on her face. 'Are you cold?'

Libby shook her head, knowing that she'd never be able to convince him that she was cold.

She wasn't cold. She was just suffering from an acute attack of  out-of-control hormones. No man had ever affected her this way before.  She'd never experienced this stomach-curling excitement that she felt  with him.

'So why are you shivering, agape mou?'

She turned to look at him and gave a moan as his mouth descended on hers.

His kiss was slow and erotic and within seconds she was clinging to him,  wriggling closer, her whole body throbbing with a heat and desire that  was totally unfamiliar.

When he finally lifted his head, her heart was thundering in her chest.

'I've ruined your lipstick,' he said huskily, his eyes resting on her swollen mouth. 'I'm sorry.'

She swallowed hard and reached for her bag. 'J-just don't do it again,' she stammered, ignoring his low chuckle.

Who was she kidding?

Kissing Andreas was like taking a trip to heaven.

Given the choice, she'd happily spend the rest of her life doing nothing else.                       
       
           



       

They arrived at the hotel and joined the rest of the guests on the terrace where they were drinking champagne.

Libby immediately caught sight of Katy and Alex with their partners.  Anxious to be in a group as a method of self-protection, she took  Andreas by the arm and walked across to them.

Katy was looking elegant and classy in a long black dress, her blonde  hair swept up on top of her head. She had more colour in her cheeks than  the last time they'd met and Libby leaned forward to kiss her and then  turned to Jago, Katy's husband.

'Congratulations,' she whispered, as she stood on tiptoe to kiss him.



Then she shook hands with Alex's date for the night, a cool-eyed blonde who was a clone of all the women that Alex dated.

Libby smiled politely, noted that the girl's name was Eva and wondered  whether she knew that Alex would be seeing someone else within three  months. He never dated anyone for longer than that. He was more wary of  commitment than she was.

She introduced Andreas and instantly he and Jago started talking about a case they'd had in A and E the previous day.

'No talking shop,' Katy reproved mildly. 'This is supposed to be the one  night of the year when we have an evening out without discussing  medicine. Anyway, it's time to sit down. We're all on the same table.'

They moved into the ballroom, found their table and Libby seated herself between Alex and Andreas.

She was painfully conscious of how close he was, his lean, brown hand  resting on the table only inches from hers, his muscular thigh resting  alongside hers and the width of his shoulders under the jacket he wore.

Although they talked and laughed with everyone on the table, she was always aware of him next to her.

From time to time during the meal she caught him watching her and knew  that he was playing a waiting game. Andreas was well aware of the effect  he had on her and he was biding his time, knowing that the feelings  inside her were heating to dangerous levels. It was psychological  seduction, mind games designed to drive her slowly but surely to a point  of desperation.

Her insides were so churned up by the way he made her feel that Libby  lost her appetite. She pushed her food unenthusiastically around her  plate and Alex looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

'Following the Hollywood diet, Lib?'

She gave a wan smile. 'I'm just not that hungry.'

'Or, at least, not for food,' Alex murmured softly, his eyes flickering  past her to Andreas who was engaged in conversation with Katy, seated to  his right. 'I've never seen you like this before. It must be love.'

Love?

Libby's eyes widened and she looked at him in horror. Of course it  wasn't love! She'd never be so foolish as to fall in love with a man  like Andreas. He was every woman's fantasy and she had no doubt that she  was just a temporary interest.

'It's not love,' she said in a strangled voice. 'I've never been in love.'

Alex shrugged. 'Well, something's wrong. That's chocolate mousse sitting  in front of you and you're not showing any interest in it.'

Libby looked at her plate and realised that she hadn't even seen the  chocolate mousse arrive. Normally she would have devoured it, but  tonight she just couldn't face food of any sort.

Not even chocolate.

'If you're off chocolate, it must be serious,' Alex said dryly, glancing  from her to the untouched mousse. 'It's either love or gastroenteritis.  Trust me, I'm a doctor. I know about these things.'

Thoroughly unsettled, Libby glared at him. 'You're a troublemaker and  can we, please, change the subject?' Her eyes flickered past him to Eva  who was talking to a colleague of Alex's from A and E. 'Anyway, you're a  fine one to talk. She hasn't stopped drooling over you all night.'

'She'll get over it,' Alex drawled lightly, reaching for his wine.

Libby shook her head slightly, wondering what sort of female it would take to shake her brother out of his customary cool.

'Don't you feel guilty about going through life breaking hearts?' Libby  muttered in an undertone. 'It's men like you that have made me the woman  I am today.'

Alex lifted a dark eyebrow. 'A crazy, shoe-mad chocoholic?'

'You can joke,' Libby said loftily, 'but you know it's true.'



Alex frowned. 'It's not true. I've never deceived a woman in my life.'  His tone was maddeningly cool. 'I'm always totally honest with them. And  I'm completely faithful when I'm with a woman.'

'Which is for a maximum of three months,' Libby reminded him tartly.                       
       
           



       

Alex shrugged his broad shoulders dismissively. 'So? I've never met a  woman I wanted to wake up next to every day for the rest of my life.'

Libby rolled her eyes. 'Well, I'm just glad I'm your sister.'

Alex smiled the smile that stopped women in their tracks. 'What you're  saying is that I'm so irresistible that if you weren't my sister you'd  be in love with me.' His blue eyes gleamed with amusement. 'Go on, admit  it.'

Libby's mouth fell open and she was about to deliver a suitable retort when Katy intervened.

'I can't hear what the pair of you are talking about, but I know you're  quarrelling, so stop it,' she admonished gently from across the table.  'Alex, stop teasing Libby!'

'Me?' Alex lifted a hand to his broad chest, his expression hurt. 'I  would never tease my sister. I have the utmost respect for my sister.'

'Alex … ' Libby's tone was sugar sweet and she lifted a hand to her plate,  her eyes sparkling with mischief as she looked thoughtfully at her  brother's pristine white dress shirt. 'I've just thought of a use for  this chocolate mousse.'

'Will you two stop it?' Katy stared at them, aghast, and then shot an  embarrassed look towards Andreas. 'I'm so sorry. What must you be  thinking? They love each other really, it's just that they can't seem to  help winding each other up. They're always the same.'

Andreas laughed, totally relaxed. 'Don't apologise. Their conversation  is very entertaining.' His eyes rested on Libby thoughtfully. 'And  illuminating.'

Libby forgot about the chocolate mousse and Alex's shirt and looked at  him in horror. Just how much of the conversation had he overheard? Had  he heard Alex suggesting that she was in love? She sincerely hoped not.

The chat started up again but Libby found herself staring at Andreas,  trapped by the look in his stunning dark eyes. His gaze was intense and  focused and there was no way he was letting her look away.

'So why haven't you eaten anything tonight, Libby?' His firm mouth  shifted slightly at the corners. 'Is it the Hollywood diet-or is it  something else?'