When Christakos Meets His Match(40)

                ‘Get changed and let’s go for a swim.’

                Sidonie burned at the thought of seeing Alexio’s semi-naked body just for her private pleasure.

                She managed a rough-sounding, ‘Okay.’

                And when he gently turned her around and pushed her in the direction of that wall of clothes again Sidonie tried in vain to stem the flood of emotions that made her hands shake as she searched for the relevant garments.

                * * *

                Sidonie wrapped her legs around Alexio’s waist and her arms around his neck. His back was broad, strong and smooth between her legs and against her chest. They were both wet and salty after swimming in the sea at the bottom of a precipitious set of stone steps leading directly down from the villa. His arms were looped under her thighs as he carried her piggyback-style back up.

                The sun was hot on Sidonie’s back and Alexio grumbled good-naturedly, ‘I’m not a mule, you know.’

                She grinned and pressed a kiss to Alexio’s neck, feeling his arms tighten under her legs. ‘I know. You’re much, much better-looking than a mule, and far more comfortable.’

                She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment, squinting her eyes at the glittering endless azure blue of the sea. Three days had passed since they’d arrived at his villa. Three days of sun, sea and... She blushed at the thought of all the mind-blowing sex.

                They’d only left the villa once. Yesterday evening Alexio had taken her out on a small boat into the Caldera where he’d surprised her with a light supper complete with wine. They’d had prime position for watching the famous Santorini sunset and Sidonie had never seen anything so stunning or special.

                She’d felt absurdly emotional at the beauty of everything...at the experience that this man was unwittingly giving her when her life was about to change so dramatically. She was storing up every moment—morsels she would take out at a later date and comfort herself with.

                An all but invisible housekeeper at the villa left out food at strategic times, so she and Alexio had done little but eat and sleep and make love. Sidonie felt sated on a level she’d never known before. Sated...but curiously unfulfilled too.

                Conversation with Alexio never went beyond the superficial. It felt almost as if the level of closeness and intimacy she’d experienced when they’d first met had been closed off.

                But then what had she expected? This was transient. Alexio didn’t do relationships, and neither was she in any position to cleave herself to a man.

                Sidonie had realised that the only way she could get through this and remain in any way protected was to try and fool Alexio into believing that this wasn’t half as special for her as it really was. So she was doing her best to project an air of vague nonchalance. Every time her mouth wanted to drop open in awe, or she wanted to squeal with excitement, she reined it in.

                Because if she let her guard slip for a second Sidonie was terrified he would read the depth of her emotions—and as she wasn’t even prepared to inspect them herself she certainly wasn’t ready for his laser-like gaze to see them.

                * * *

                ‘I want to take you out tonight.’

                Sidonie murmured something indistinct. Her cheek rested on Alexio’s chest and one of her legs was thrown over his thighs. He could feel his body stir against her and despite the sated languor of his body he could have groaned. When would it end? This ever-present hunger?