His father waved a finger. ‘It isn’t natural for a woman to be thin. A thin woman—’
‘—has her priorities all wrong,’ Angelos finished, watching transfixed as Chantal licked her fingers of the last of the juice. Her lips were soft and pink, and as they closed round her fingers he felt the immediate and predictable response of his body. ‘My father thinks a woman should enjoy her food.’
‘When it tastes as good as this, it would be hard not to.’ She reached for another segment of orange and then met his gaze. Her hand stilled.
Aware of the effect he’d had on her, Angelos smiled.
The anticipation was burning him up inside and clearly she felt the same way.
Driven by the demands of his libido, he was tempted once again to ignore the mounting pressures of his business—but then he reminded himself that the wait would be good for both of them. It would make the conclusion all the more satisfying.
By the time the sun set, both of them would be so desperate that the night ahead would prove to be doubly satisfying.
* * *
It was the perfect solution.
Why hadn’t she thought of it immediately he’d suggested that she might like to go shopping?
As the boat sped across the bay, Chantal kept a close eye on the coastline.
When they arrived at the harbour, she leaned forward and spoke to Jannis. ‘This is perfect. Can we stop here?’
He moored the boat. ‘There are no expensive shops here. I will drive you to Athens.’
‘I don’t want expensive shops.’ She stepped out of the boat and scanned the restaurants that were strung along the beach. ‘This will do fine.’
‘You wish to spend half an hour here?’
‘No, I want to spend the day here.’ Grabbing her bag, she smiled at him. ‘Thank you so much for the lift. Is there a water taxi or anything that would take me back to the island?’
Jannis looked startled. ‘No taxi—’ He cleared his throat. ‘If you give me a time, I would be honoured to collect you.’
Chantal wrinkled her nose and thought for a moment. She didn’t really want him to collect her, but what alternative did she have? ‘All right. If you’re sure. Shal
l we say five o’clock?’
That should give her plenty of time to do what needed to be done.
* * *
Never had Angelos found so little in his working day to interest him.
After just one phone call he found himself staring at the door of his office, wondering what Chantal was doing.
Was she lying in the sun? Swimming?
The memory of her body outlined by a tight swimming costume sent the heat surging through his body and he ran a hand over the back of his neck, struggling against the impulse to go outside and check that she had everything she needed.
Concentration eluded him, and by the time Maria came to tell him that lunch was served on the terrace he’d already decided to take the rest of the day off and take Chantal back to bed. So it came as a shock to discover that she wasn’t there.
‘Jannis took her in the boat to the mainland,’ Maria told him as she placed several dishes on the table. ‘He’s picking her up at five o’clock.’
She was planning to be out all day?
Angelos’s expression didn’t alter. So much for her protests about not wanting or needing anything.
Obviously that had all been for his benefit, he thought cynically as he picked an olive out of a bowl and silently examined its dark, glossy skin. As soon as he was out of the way she’d vanished on a shopping trip.