'So is Adrienne.' Andreas surveyed her under lowered lids, his expression difficult to read. 'It's very kind of you to do it and I appreciate it.'
Did he think that was why she was doing it? To wriggle into his favour?
'I'm doing it for Adrienne, not you.' She looked him in the eye and then wished she hadn't. Head on he was dangerously irresistible.
Andreas smiled. 'Of course,' he said smoothly. 'Can anyone come or is it girls only? I could treat you both to lunch in the middle of what sounds like an exhausting day.'
Libby hesitated, knowing that Adrienne would like to have him there. It was clear that she was very fond of her uncle.
'You're very welcome as long as you promise not to give your opinion.'
He lifted an eyebrow. 'My opinion isn't valued?'
'Not by a twelve-year-old girl at boarding school,' Libby said dryly. 'I know what she needs.'
'And I don't?'
'You're a man,' Libby drawled, and Andreas gave her a smile so sexy that it melted her bones.
'I am indeed, Libby. And I'm glad you've noticed.'
Libby swallowed. Oh, she'd definitely noticed. It was hard not to.
The next three weeks passed so quickly that Libby barely had time to think. The ward was incredibly busy and Andreas was working so hard that she often went several days without seeing him, which was a relief because it made it easier to keep her mind on the job and not start dreaming about things she couldn't have.
They picked Adrienne up from school on the Saturday of the ball and drove into the centre of London.
'We're going to start by sorting out your hair,' Libby said, turning in her seat so that she could look at the child. 'I'm taking you to the best hairdresser in town.'
Adrienne's eyes widened and she lifted a hand to her unruly mop. 'I've never really had it cut before. I've just been growing it long.'
And it was badly out of condition and desperately needed shaping, Libby reflected, although she kept those thoughts to herself.
'We won't cut it short,' Libby assured her. 'Trust me. It'll look great.'
She directed Andreas through some back streets and then showed him where to park.
'I'm amazed that there's somewhere to park this close to the centre,' Andreas observed, and Libby grinned.
'It's only for very valued customers. And I am a very, very valued customer.'
Andreas ran his eyes over her gleaming blonde curls and gave a wry smile. 'I'll bet you are.'
'A girl has to look after her crowning glory,' Libby said airily, pushing open the door of the exclusive salon.
She walked confidently across the marble floor and approached the reception desk.
'Morning, Francesca. Is Mario around?'
The girl glanced up and her face brightened as she recognised Libby. 'Well, hi, there!' A puzzled look crossed her face and she checked her computer screen. 'We weren't expecting you today, were we?'
'Not exactly.' Libby dealt her a winning smile. 'I'm after a favour.'
An extremely slim man wearing a pair of skin-tight, imitation crocodile-skin trousers minced across the salon towards her.
'Elizabeth Westerling, please tell me that this favour isn't happening on a Saturday.'
'Hi, Mario.' Libby followed and kissed him on both cheeks. 'You'll have fun, trust me.'
The man gave a dramatic groan and wiped a hand across his brow. 'It's Saturday, Libby. My busiest day. Everyone is clamouring for my attention-'
'But I'm not everyone,' Libby reminded him with a sunny smile that drew a wistful sigh from the salon owner.
'How can I refuse you?' He spread his hands in a gesture of surrender and then froze as he noticed Andreas for the first time. His hands dropped to his sides and he took a step backwards, his eyes raking appreciatively over the other man's broad shoulders and powerful physique. 'Introduce me to your friend, Libby. Immediately.'
Libby laughed. 'Hands off.'
Mario's gaze lingered regretfully on Andreas whose expression was comical.
'Relax,' Libby said, still laughing. 'He's a brilliant hairdresser. The best.'
Mario was pacing the floor of his salon. 'Already I have your sister Katherine booked in and you know how fussy she is. Her hair has to look exactly so.'
'You've been doing Katy's hair for years,' Libby pointed out patiently. 'It won't take you any time at all. Now, listen.' She grabbed Adrienne's hand and pulled her forward. 'Mario, do you remember when I was thirteen?'
Mario shuddered at the recollection. 'You were all pouts and teenage rebellion and your hair never behaved itself. Not like your sister's.'
'Absolutely.' Libby smiled happily. 'Well, I've got another ripe case of teenage rebellion for you here. She's having trouble at school, Mario. I want you to transform her. She's going to be cool and a trendsetter by the time she leaves your salon.'
Andreas sucked in a breath and started to protest but Libby placed a hand on his chest.
'You promised not to interfere, remember? What do you say, Mario? Will you do it?'
Mario rolled his eyes dramatically and gave an exaggerated sigh but he stepped forward, loosening Adrienne's hair from the childish band she wore. He pulled a face as he pushed and pulled, feeling the hair and placing it in different positions, his eyes narrowed as he experimented with different effects.
'It is too heavy,' he murmured. 'It's concealing her face. And she has a very beautiful face. It needs layers and texture.'
Libby beamed. 'My point exactly.'
Mario pushed, twisted and lifted for a few minutes and then sighed and looked at his receptionist. 'Rearrange my morning, Francesca. I'm going to be busy.'
He took Adrienne by the hand and led her through to the basins. 'We'll start with some serious conditioning.'
Libby followed and kissed him on the cheek. 'Thanks, Mario. You're a star. We'll go and grab a coffee and be back in an hour. And remember. She's not quite thirteen. I don't want lamb dressed as mutton.'
Mario looked affronted. 'You are trying to tell me how to do my job?' He clicked his fingers at one of the salon juniors who hurried across to shampoo Adrienne's hair.
'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.