‘Of course.’ Ella decided that she could happily spend the rest of her life living in this hotel suite. No insects, no cleaning. Noticing the giant plasma screen on one of the walls, she decided that a long, indulgent bath would be followed by channel flicking. ‘Is there a map or anything?’
‘Of London?’ Already in the process of unbuttoning his shirt, Nikos frowned. ‘I don’t think you should go out.’
‘I’m not going out. I wondered if there is a map of this suite.’ Ella was laughing. ‘I’m worried I might get lost finding my way around. Which of the many bedrooms am I supposed to sleep in?’
‘Mine,’ Nikos said silkily, his glance unmistakably sexual as he yanked off his shirt and exposed sleek, muscular shoulders.
Their eyes met.
Her smile faded and her heart thundered like hooves in a stampede.
The chemistry between them was hot, powerful and undeniable, and she licked her lips, wishing he wasn’t going out in twenty minutes. She stepped towards him and he lifted a hand and gave a self-deprecating laugh.
‘If I do what you want me to do, agape mou,’ he breathed, ‘I will miss my meeting and neither of us will get any sleep for the rest of the night. And you need rest. You are tired and emotional and tomorrow I want to take you shopping and have fun.’
‘Oh.’ Ella wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to calm the insistent buzz of her nerve endings.
‘Don’t look at me like that.’ His tone dry, he walked towards the far end of the suite. ‘I’m going to take a shower. An extremely cold shower.’
‘Kalimera. Good morning.’ Freshly shaved and dressed in black jeans and a casual shirt, Nikos joined Ella at the breakfast table.
He was so beautiful, she thought helplessly. What woman in her right mind would be able to resist a man like him?
For the first time in a week she’d slept soundly and she felt much better for it. No bad dreams. No bad memories.
‘Did you come to bed last night?’
‘I came in late and you were sound asleep. I didn’t want to wake you and I had work to do.’ He poured himself a coffee and glanced out of the window. ‘It’s a sunny day.’
‘No slugs climbing up the windows?’
‘You pay extra for slugs.’
‘How do you know the manager so well?’
‘This is where I lived when I was working in London. Why are you staring?’
‘Because normal people don’t live in hotels, Nikos,’ Ella said faintly. ‘They stay for a few nights.’
‘I was working long hours.’ He gave a careless shrug, as if that explained everything. ‘Are you eating?’
‘I had a croissant. So until you met me and suddenly decided that you preferred a narrow bed in the hospital, you lived here?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well…’ She glanced around her with a rueful smile. ‘Now I understand why you preferred to stay with me. Anything would be better than slumming it here. It must have been tough for you, coming back here after being squashed with me on a mattress designed for one.’
‘The nights I spent with you were infinitely more pleasurable than anything a hotel suite can offer,’ Nikos said softly, and she blushed, watching as his long fingers skilfully dissected an orange.
‘So now I know why you’re the manager’s best friend.’
‘It isn’t entirely due to my contribution to his profits.’ Nikos put the fruit on her plate. ‘He has a nephew who had an accident while I was on duty.’
‘How badly was he hurt?’
‘He lived. Do you want something else to eat?’
‘In other words, you saved him?’
Nikos shrugged. ‘I was lucky.’
‘No.’ Her stomach flipped. ‘You’re a brilliant doctor, Nikos. I’ve always known that.’
But would he be a good father?
He didn’t love her and yet he was obviously prepared to make a commitment to her and the baby.
Was it enough?
His eyes held hers for a moment. ‘Today you have a major decision to make.’
Ella’s heart thudded. He’d promised not to push the subject of marriage. ‘Nikos—’
‘You need to decide whether you want to go to the clothes, or whether you want the clothes to come to you.’