She then withdrew a lightweight, sleeveless violet dress from the clothing someone had already hung in the wardrobe and selected silver bangle bracelets with matching hoop earrings from the jewelry bag in her overnight case. A fitting choice for a romantic evening. She suddenly slammed on the mental brakes following that ill-advised thought. She wasn’t looking for romance. She was on a fact-finding mission involving the prospective father of her child. She didn’t want moonlight and roses. She wanted to remain grounded. She didn’t need to be starry-eyed. She needed to see the real Tarek Azzmar clearly.
She also had to shower quickly in order to get something in her stomach before she became queasy, just another reminder of the baby growing inside her. Hopefully she wouldn’t give anything away by eating like she hadn’t eaten in a month.
* * *
Kira’s appetite both surprised and pleased Tarek greatly. During their dinner on the veranda, she had consumed the majority of the cheese and olive appetizers, as well as the entire Greek salad, and had left only a scarce bit of the moussaka before pushing her plate aside.
He leaned back and studied her euphoric face. “Did you save room for dessert?”
She dabbed at her mouth with the black cloth napkin and sighed. “Heavens no. If I eat anything else, I won’t be able to move.”
When the server brought out a tray of baklava, Tarek waved him away. “That will be all, Alexios. Tell Leda she has done an excellent job, as usual.”
When the man nodded and scurried away, Kira turned her attention to the sky. “It’s such a beautiful night.”
The evening had nothing on her beauty. He strayed from decorum to glimpse her breasts, which were enhanced by the low neckline of her dress. He had not remembered them being so full, but on that evening when they’d made love, he had not taken enough time to inspect them. Perhaps he would have the opportunity to remedy that. Perhaps he would be fortunate enough to use his mouth on them, the tip of his tongue to...
“My eyes are up here, Tarek.”
He had been caught red-handed stealing a questionable look. “My apologies. I was simply admiring your neck. I did not notice how delicate it is until you cut your hair.”
“And you are an incredibly bad liar.”
Luckily she had chastised him with a smile—a cynical one. “As you have pointed out in the past, I am a man with normal desires.”
“Obviously you’re a breast man.”
Breasts, legs, buttocks. “I admire all aspects of the female body. I consider it a work of art.” And if he could capture on canvas the way she looked now—her hair ruffling in the breeze, her slender hand supporting her cheek, her mesmerizing eyes—he would be a renowned artist, not a businessman.
“Speaking of art, do you think we could visit a museum while we’re here? Or maybe make a trip to see the Tombs of the Kings?”
She was a master at changing the subject. Almost as good as he. “If time allows. I have much to do to ready the resort for its grand opening before summer’s end. I hope that you will assist me in the endeavor.”
Her frown did not take away from her beauty. “Surely you’re not all work and no play.”
He would gladly carve out time to play with her. “When it involves business, I am single-minded.”
She leaned back and picked up her glass. “So you hang out in this house when you’re not working? Not that there would be anything wrong with hanging out here. I mean, it’s a beautiful place. How long have you owned it?”
“I do not own it. I have been leasing it the past eighteen months.”
“That must be costly.”
“Twenty thousand euros per month.”
She sputtered on the water before quickly recovering. “You might as well buy it at that cost.”
“If that is what you wish, consider it done.”
Now she looked perplexed. “Why would you make such a large purchase based on my opinion?”
He had actually made an offer to the owner not long ago. “I would like to believe you might return with me in the future. Solely a pleasure trip of course, with ample time to play.”
Kira rimmed her fingertip around the edge of the glass, inadvertently causing a tightening in his groin. “You’re getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you? We’re not certain how well we will get along in the next two weeks.”
He had no doubt they would get along well, at least from a physical standpoint. “If my memory serves me correctly, we spent quite a bit of time together since our first meeting. We have engaged in several enlightening conversations.”
“Yet during those times, we talked about world politics and the weather, but not once did you mention anything about your upbringing.”