What the Greek's Money Can't Buy(89)

                ‘Then I wish you well, brother.’ Deep emotion and gratitude shifted through him when Ari clasped his shoulder. Before he could swallow the lump in his throat and respond, Ari was moving towards the crowd. Within seconds, the junior executive had been banished to the water fountain to sober up and the blonde was blushing under Ari’s dry-witted charm.

                Sakis looked towards the beach just as Brianna reappeared at the top of the steps.

                The sight of her made his breath catch. It was the first time he’d seen her in such an outfit. Her dress was made of light cotton in a red-and-gold material and stopped just above her knees. The sleeveless, cinched-in waist and flared design moved with her seductive sway as she re-entered the crowd and smiled at a greeting.

                He was striding towards her before he could stop himself, not that he wanted to stop.

                Her head swung towards him and Sakis’s jaw clenched when he saw the momentary wariness that clouded her eyes before she blinked it away. By the time he reached her, she had her game face on.

                ‘It’s almost time for your speech,’ she said.

                ‘I wish to hell I hadn’t agreed to make one.’ He wanted to take her face in his hands and kiss away whatever was bothering her, office gossip be damned. But she wouldn’t welcome that, so he kept his hands to himself.

                Soon, he promised himself.

                ‘But you have to. They’re expecting it.’

                ‘Right...fine.’

                He started to turn away.

                ‘Wait.’ She stopped him with a hand on his arm, which she dropped quickly, much to his escalating frustration. ‘I...I need to talk to you. Tonight, after the party.’

                Real trepidation had darkened her eyes. The unease he’d banked but which had never left him since he’d seen that first text roared to life.

                He forced a nod and went to give his speech, then for the next hour he mingled with his employees, the volunteers and salvage crew. But he made sure Brianna was glued to his side. Whatever it was that needed to be aired, he wouldn’t let it get in the way of what they had.

                He breathed a sigh of relief once the boats arrived to ferry his guests to Argostoli, where the chartered flight waited to take them back to London.

                Once the last guest had boarded the boat, he headed towards where Brianna was dismissing the catering staff.

                Finally...

                The need to touch her made his fingers tingle as he came within a few feet of her. She looked up and her desolate expression made his insides clench hard.

                ‘Brianna? What the hell is it?’

                She shook her head and looked around. ‘Not here. Can we...can we go inside?’

                Breaching the gap between them, he caught her hand and kissed the back of it as he steered her towards the villa. ‘Sure, but whatever this is let’s make it quick. I’ve been waiting since the crack of dawn to make love to you again. I’m not sure how much longer I can last.’

                Her sideways glance was ragged and pain-filled, and he felt his heart stutter then triple its beat as trepidation ramped up higher.

                He passed Theo and Ari in the hallway and barely noticed their exchanged glances.