‘You seem very sure of that.’
‘I am, because you’ll be dancing with me.’
She felt a shiver of excitement, excitement that grew as they drew up outside the imposing main entrance. The villa was situated on the far side of the island, out of sight of the mainland. ‘This is a mansion, not a villa. Normal people don’t live like this.’
‘You think I’m not a normal person?’
‘I know you’re not.’ She took his arm as they walked past a large fountain to the floodlit entrance of the villa. ‘Normal people don’t own five homes and a private jet.’
‘The jet is owned by the company.’
‘And you own the company.’ It was hard not to feel overwhelmed as she walked through the door into the palatial entrance of his father’s home. Towering ceilings gave a feeling of space and light and through open doors she caught a glimpse of rooms tastefully furnished with antiques and fine art. ‘Tell me again what your father does?’
Nik smiled. ‘He ran a very successful company, which he sold for a large sum of money.’
‘But not to you.’
‘Our interests are different.’
There was no opportunity for him to elaborate because Diandra was hovering and Lily noticed the nervous look she gave Nik.
To break the ice, she enthused over the other woman’s dress and hair and then asked after Chloe.
‘She’s sleeping. My niece is watching her while we greet everyone, then I’m going to check on her. It’s been a very unsettling time.’ Diandra kept her voice low. ‘I wanted to postpone the wedding but Kostas won’t hear of it.’
‘You’re right, I won’t.’ Kostas took Diandra’s hand. ‘Nothing is going to stop me marrying you. You worry too much. She will soon settle and in the meantime we have an army of staff to attend to her happiness.’
‘She doesn’t need an army,’ Diandra murmured. ‘She needs the security of a few people she knows and trusts.’
‘We’ll discuss this later.’ Kostas drew her closer. ‘Our guests are arriving. Lily, you look beautiful. You will stand with us and greet everyone.’
‘Oh, but I—’
‘I insist.’
Lily quickly discovered that Nik’s father was as skilled at getting his own way as his son.
Unable to extract herself, she stood and greeted the guests, feeling as if she were on a movie set as a wave of shimmering, glittering guests flowed past her.
‘This isn’t my life,’ she whispered to Nik but he simply smiled and exchanged a few words with each guest, somehow managing to make everyone feel as if they’d had his full attention.
She discovered that even among this group of influential people everyone wanted a piece of him, especially the women.
It gave her a brief but illuminating insight into his life and she saw how it must be for him, surrounded by people whose motives in wanting to know him were as mixed up and murky as the bottom of the ocean.
She was beginning to understand both his reserve and his cynicism.
The evening was like something out of a dream, except that none of her dreams had ever featured an evening as glittering and extravagant as this.
What would it be like, she wondered, if this really were her life?
She pushed that thought aside quickly, preferring not to linger in fantasyland. Wanting a family was one thing, this was something else altogether.
Candles flickered, silverware gleamed and the air was filled with the heady scent of expensive perfume and fresh flowers. The food, a celebration of all things Greek, was served on the terrace so that the guests could enjoy the magnificent sight of the sun setting over the Aegean.
By the time Nik finally swung her onto the dance floor Lily was dizzy with it.
‘I talked to a few people while you were in conversation with those men in suits. I didn’t mention the fact I’m a penniless archaeologist.’