When Christakos Meets His Match(70)

                Sidonie let out a half-choked laugh at that understatement and said bitterly, ‘No, you’d obviously made up your mind and couldn’t wait to see the back of me.’

                She heard him sigh. The shadows outside were lengthening into dusk. His voice was gruffer now. ‘The chef has left some food for us. Let’s eat and then we can talk...okay?’

                Like a coward, she felt herself wanting to make up some excuse, say that she was too tired, but in truth she felt fine. She turned round, arms still crossed, and faced him. His eyes were intense and her skin prickled. She couldn’t keep putting off the conversation.

                ‘Okay, fine.’

                Within minutes Alexio was serving them both a light chicken casserole in the dining room off the kitchen area. They ate in silence, but tension was mounting inside Sidonie as she tried to avoid looking at Alexio’s large hands and remembering how they’d felt on her skin.

                Sitting here eating like this was bringing back memories of that first night in London. The sheer fizzing exhilaration of anticipation. And as if her body was some dumb appendage—an assortment of limbs that wasn’t attached to her brain—that same fizzing anticipation was rushing through her right now. Gathering force.

                She was uncomfortably aware of every erogenous zone. Her breasts felt tender, sensitive. Swollen. She couldn’t stop imagining Alexio’s mouth lowering towards one thrusting, naked peak...

                With a spurt of agitation, Sidonie let her knife drop with a clatter to the plate. Alexio looked up, that gaze narrowed on her flushed face.

                Sidonie stood up, feeling feverish. ‘I’ve had enough. Food.’ God. She couldn’t even articulate a sentence.

                Alexio looked as cool as a cucumber while Sidonie felt a bead of sweat trickle between her breasts.

                He wiped his mouth with his napkin and said, ‘Coffee?’

                Sidonie seized on the chance to escape that incisive gaze and nodded her head. ‘Some herbal tea, maybe...the housekeeper brought some today.’

                Alexio got up and left the room. Cursing herself for this very unwelcome resurgence of desire, Sidonie went back into the drawing room to stand at the window. Praying for control. Praying that the butterflies in her belly would cease.

                She put her hand on her belly and was half frowning at how strong the sensation was when she suddenly realised something. She gasped out loud.

                A voice came from behind her, concerned. ‘What is it?’

                Sidonie whirled around, alight with her discovery for a moment, forgetting everything else. ‘For a few days I’ve been feeling butterflies, but I thought it was—’

                She stopped dead, because she’d been about to blurt out just your effect on me.

                She blushed and said, ‘It’s the baby. I can feel the baby moving...’

                Alexio was holding out a cup towards her and she grabbed it before she could see the effect of her words on his face.

                She had a sudden image of one of his hands splayed across her belly and said quickly, ‘It’s not strong enough yet for anyone else to feel...’

                Sidonie took the cup and moved away, taking a sip to hide her burning face.

                * * *

                Alexio gritted his jaw at how Sidonie moved so skittishly away from him, that golden hair looking so much shinier and thicker now, down and shielding her face from him. In the space of only a few days of rest and being well fed she was already looking so much better. The hollows of her cheeks were filling out.