Powerful Greek, Unworldly Wife

She opened her mouth to argue with him but he walked across to her, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. The heat he created with his mouth eclipsed anything produced by the sun, and Millie felt her body melt and her mind shut down. She forgot that she wanted to cover herself. She forgot to feel self-conscious. Instead, she felt beautiful and seductive.

When he finally lifted his head, she felt dizzy. ‘How is your confidence now?’

Basking in the sexual appreciation, she gave a reluctant smile. ‘Recovering.’

‘Good. Because we are flying back to London tomorrow.’

Millie felt as though she’d been punched in the stomach. ‘Why?’

‘Because my business demands it,’ he said dryly, stroking her hair away from her face. ‘I have been absent for a long time—there are things that need my attention. And tomorrow night we have a gala evening to attend.’

‘Tomorrow?’ Millie tensed. ‘You haven’t given me any warning!’

‘I didn’t want you turning yourself into a nervous wreck.’

‘Who will be there?’

‘I will be there.’ Leandro released his hold on her and stepped onto the side of the boat. ‘And I am the only person that matters in your life.’ With that arrogant statement, he executed a perfect dive, his lean, bronzed body slicing into the water with powerful grace.

Millie stared after him in frustration, realising that the only way she was going to be able to finish the conversation was if she followed him.

Knowing that a dive would definitely part her from the tiny bikini, she opted instead to use the ladder that hung from the back of the boat.

Sliding into the cooling water, she swam over to him.

Her confidence had increased a thousand times over the past few weeks, but was she really ready to go back to their old life?

She glanced up at the sky and, instead of being a perfect blue, it was grey and overcast.

And during the night the rain came.

Twenty-four hours later, Millie was back in London, reflecting on how much life could change in a few short weeks.

She looked in the mirror and for the first time ever she didn’t wish that she could turn the lights down.

After two weeks alone with a flatteringly attentive Leandro, it was impossible not to feel beautiful.

Which was just as well because tonight they were going to be walking up the red carpet together. And there would be cameras.

To test her new confidence, Millie wore a dress of her own choosing, shoes that made her feel like a princess, and chose to leave her hair loose and curly.

Nestling against her throat was the heart-shaped diamond that Leandro had given her on their wedding day.

As she slipped her feet into her shoes, Leandro strolled into the dressing room.

He looked spectacular in a tailored dinner jacket and Millie felt a little pang as she realised that every woman in the room was going to be looking at him. For sheer visual impact there wasn’t a man who came close to him, she thought weakly, and he caught her soft sigh and frowned.

‘What are you thinking?’

‘I’m wishing you weren’t quite so attractive,’ Millie said dryly. ‘Then maybe women wouldn’t all gape at you and I wouldn’t feel so insecure.’

‘After the past ten days I have no energy left,’ he assured her in a silky tone, ‘so you have no cause for concern.’ He urged her out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the hallway. ‘You look beautiful. You know you look beautiful.’

‘I like hearing you say it.’ Oblivious to the staff hovering, Millie wound her arms around his neck and he smiled and lowered his mouth to hers.

‘Then I’ll say it again,’ Leandro murmured against her lips. ‘You look beautiful.’

And she didn’t argue because she saw it in his eyes when he looked at her.