The Greek Children's Doctor(27)

It was the most idyllic spot she'd ever seen and she turned to Andreas in amazement.

'This is your home?'

'I was brought up here,' he told her, nodding to the driver as he  retrieved the bags from the boot of the car. 'But we spent a great deal  of time in Athens, too. My father had business interests there. He hated  leaving his family behind so we had a home there as well.'

'You're lucky,' Libby said wistfully, and he looked at her keenly.

'Did your father travel a lot?'

Libby tensed. 'Yes, but we were all very grateful for that. Things weren't too great when he was around.'

Wanting to escape from the memories that he'd aroused, she slipped off  her shoes and sprinted down to the sand, sighing with pleasure as she  felt the warm softness ooze between her toes.



'You're a child, Elizabeth,' Andreas said with a laugh from behind her,  and she shrugged, staring out across the sparkling sea to the orange sun  that was starting to dip behind the mountains.

'I don't know about that,' she said softly, 'but I do know that if you were brought up here then you were very lucky.'

She'd heard the affection in his voice when he'd spoken of his parents  and suddenly she envied him his childhood. Her own had been full of rows  and totally lacking in parental affection.

Would she have been different if she'd had his family background?

Would she have found it easier to trust people?

'I was lucky,' he agreed. 'I had a secure, loving family around me when I  was a child and I suppose that's why I don't find it hard to trust  people. Unlike you. I know that you've been surrounded by faithless men  all your life, but it's time to realise that they aren't the only sort.'

Her breathing quickened.

It would have been so easy to believe him. So easy …

And so foolish.

She gave a wry smile and kicked at the sand with her bare feet. 'So … '  she lifted her head and gave him a bright smile ' … are you going to show  me your house?'

He lifted a hand and touched her face gently. 'You are the mistress of avoidance, do you know that?'

She gave a careless shrug. 'I don't see the point in dwelling on the past.'

'If it's affecting the future, there's a point,' he said quietly, taking  her hand and pulling her back towards the villa. 'But we'll talk about  that another time. Come on. Let's get settled in.'

She followed him inside, almost drooling with pleasure as she saw the  interior. It was decorated in a mixture of white and cool blues so that  the overall impression was that it was just a continuation of the ocean.

'I know you're tired so I'll show you straight to your bedroom,' Andreas said roughly, and she looked at him cautiously.

She hadn't given any thought to the sleeping arrangements. 'Andreas-'

'Sleep, Libby,' he said gently, 'and then we'll talk.'                       
       
           



       

Suddenly realising just how exhausted she was, she followed him into a  bedroom, smiling with pleasure when she saw the bathroom. It was the  last word in luxury.

'I can't believe you brought me here. I ought to be fighting with you,'  she murmured, reaching forward and flicking on the taps, 'but frankly  I'm too exhausted.'

'Thank goodness for that.' Andreas gave a wry smile and deposited her  suitcase on the floor. 'I'll leave you to it. My bedroom is directly  opposite if you need anything.'

She stiffened. 'I won't need anything.'

His smile widened and she sucked in a breath, uncomfortably aware that  they seemed to be alone in this villa. Alone for the first time in their  relationship.

But he didn't seem inclined to take advantage of that fact. Instead, he  flicked her cheek gently with a strong finger and left the room without a  backward glance, closing the door behind him.

She stared after him, telling herself firmly that she wasn't disappointed.

He'd left her to have a bath and sleep alone in that gorgeous huge bed with the gauzy cream drapes.

And that was exactly what she wanted.

Wasn't it?

Two days later Libby wondered how she was ever going to bring herself to leave the island.

She'd spent most of her time cooling down in the sea or in the fantastic  azure blue pool that overlooked the beach. When she wasn't swimming she  slept, and every time she awoke there seemed to be more food waiting  for her. Greek salads, dips, plump olives and regional specialities that  made her mouth water.



Andreas had explained on the first day that one of the families from the  neighbouring village looked after the villa and kept an eye on his  mother when she was staying there. They were also responsible for  delivering vast quantities of delicious food every day.

'You're trying to fatten me up,' she groaned, leaning back in her chair  after a spectacular lunch during which she'd eaten far too much for  comfort.

Andreas poured her some more water and she tried not to notice how good  he looked in his polo shirt. The fabric hugged the powerful muscles of  his shoulders and his arms were tanned and strong.

He was an incredibly good-looking man and she didn't really understand why he was bothering with her.

'It's good to see you eating, rather than picking at your food the way you did the night of the ball.'

As usual, any reference to the ball brought a sudden rush of colour to  Libby's cheeks. She couldn't prevent herself from glancing across at  him, and instantly regretted it. His dark eyes locked onto hers and she  felt heat flare deep in her pelvis.

Terrified of the strength of her reaction, she stood up abruptly, her  chair scraping on the ground. 'It's hot. I'm going to cool off in the  pool-'

Strong fingers closed around her wrist and anchored her to the spot.  'You shouldn't exercise when you've just eaten, agape mou. And it's time  to stop avoiding me. You've rested and the colour has returned to your  cheeks. No more running.'

'I'm not running.' She stood, breathing rapidly, trapped by his relentless grip and by the look in his eyes.

'Libby, you've been running since the night I bought you at that  auction.' He pulled her closer and she couldn't have resisted even if  she'd wanted to. 'It's time you and I communicated.'

She watched, breathless, as his head lowered, transfixed by the  inevitability of that kiss. For endless, infuriating seconds his mouth  hovered above hers, close enough to set her whole body on fire with  anticipation but not close enough to satisfy the raging hunger building  inside her.

His eyes were half-closed as he looked down at her, and a hint of a  smile hovered on his incredibly sexy mouth. Finally he lowered his head  and his mouth brushed against hers, sending shock waves of excitement  through her quivering body.

His hands slid up to her face, cradling it firmly, while his tongue  traced the seam of her lips and dipped inside. Her lips parted under the  pressure of his and she kissed him back, her tongue responding to the  demands of his, her body arching against the solid muscle of his  powerful body.

He kissed her until her entire body was throbbing with sensation and  when he finally lifted his head she stared up at him, dazed.

With considerable effort she found her voice. 'I-I thought you wanted to talk.'

He gave a slow smile and touched her damp, swollen lips with the tips of  his fingers. 'I didn't say talk, agape mou. I said communicate.'

She gazed at him, heart thumping, hypnotised by the raw passion she saw in his eyes. 'But-'                       
       
           



       

'We're using body language,' he said huskily, his mouth lowering to hers again.

She gave a tiny sob as he licked her lips suggestively. 'Body language?'

He gave a slow smile that ignited a burning heat deep inside her. 'It's  the only way I can be sure that you're telling the truth. When you use  words, you say things you don't mean.'

His mouth was still so close to hers she couldn't concentrate. 'Such as?'

'Such as ''I'm not interested, Andreas'', or ''It was just sex,  Andreas''. Your mouth says one thing and your body says another,' he  murmured. 'So for now speaking is banned.'



Libby discovered that she actually didn't want to speak. The gentle,  relentless kissing was driving her slowly crazy. She lifted her arms and  wrapped them round the strong column of his neck, dragging his head  down to hers again.

This time his kiss was hard and demanding, his mouth possessing every  inch of hers and his arms hauling her against him. She felt the solid  thrust of his erection pressing through her thin shorts and tried to get  closer still, frustrated by the barrier created by the clothes they  were wearing.

She lifted her hands and slid them under his shirt, groaning as she felt  the warmth of his skin and the smooth swell of his muscles under her  searching fingers.

His hands followed suit, lifting her tiny strap top, breaking their kiss  for only a fraction of a second as he slid it over her head and let it  fall onto the sun-baked terrace. Her shorts followed, and then her bra  and soon she was standing in only the tiny bikini bottom that she'd worn  on the beach earlier.