One Night...Nine-Month Scandal

‘Oh.’ Surprised by that revelation, Kelly realised that Alekos had rarely mentioned his grandmother. ‘I never knew her. She died before I met him. He told me that the Corfu villa was once hers.’

The doctor’s words flew into her head.

I remember you coming here to stay with your grandmother as a child. I remember one summer in particular, when you were six years old. You didn’t speak for a month. You had suffered a terrible trauma.

Corfu had been his sanctuary, she realised as she allowed Helen to apply her make-up. But he didn’t talk about it, did he? She wondered whether that was something Alekos would ever open up and discuss.

‘You look stunning,’ Helen enthused, standing back to admire the finished effect. ‘Now, the dress.’ She snapped her fingers and Nina passed it across. Slipping it deftly over Kelly’s head, Helen straightened it and stood back, eyes narrowed. ‘And now the shoes.’

Nina appeared again with something in her hand and Kelly pulled a face. ‘I’ll never be able to walk in those. I have a bit of a problem with shoes and shiny floors.’

‘That’s why God invented man. Alekos will hold your arm.’ Helen placed them on the floor in front of her. ‘They are perfect.’

As Kelly slid her feet into the shoes, Helen frowned at her. ‘We just need to decide on jewellery—the neck is too bare.’

‘Are you ready?’ Alekos strode into the room with his phone to his ear, spectacularly handsome in a white dinner-jacket, an impatient frown touching his bronzed forehead as he clearly tried to conduct a conversation and finish dressing.

A black bow-tie hung round his neck ready to be tied and cufflinks gleamed at his wrists.

When he saw her, his conversation dried up and Kelly felt her heart beat faster.

She didn’t need to look in the mirror to know that Helen had done her job well. Looking into his eyes was enough.

Impossibly excited about the celebration, and feeling incredible, Kelly turned and walked over to the mirror, treating him to a view of her bare back. The dress dipped low and she took his sudden indrawn breath to be a compliment. She needed that compliment because one glance in the mirror had told her that she looked nothing like herself. Normally she chose to wear black because it was safe. There was nothing safe about hot pink. It was bold and brave, but at the same time lighthearted and fun.

What bothered her most was that the dress was un-deniably sexy.

And she wasn’t sure it was a good idea to dress like this in front of Alekos.

They were supposed to be taking the whole sex element out of their relationship, weren’t they?

On the other hand, if they were going to be celebrating what she thought they would be celebrating, then what better way to make their relationship complete?

‘You look beautiful.’ His voice husky, he dismissed the staff with a barely discernable movement of his head. ‘I have something for you.’

Kelly’s heart accelerated.

Staring up at him dreamily, she waited, wondering why he’d bought her another ring when she already had a beautiful one on her hand—the wrong hand, admittedly, but that could be easily rectified.

Alekos drew in a deep breath. ‘But first there is something I want to say to you.’

Kelly smiled up at him mistily. ‘There’s something I want to say to you too.’ I love you. I’ve never stopped loving you.

‘I want to end this farce of sleeping in separate beds,’ he breathed. ‘It’s driving me crazy. I can’t concentrate on my work, I’m not getting any sleep.’

‘Oh.’ Slightly surprised by his approach, Kelly readjusted her expectations. It probably wasn’t altogether surprising that he’d approached it from that angle, she reasoned. He was a healthy male with a powerful sexdrive. ‘I feel the same way. It’s driving me crazy, too.’

‘I want a real relationship with you, and that includes sex.’

A real relationship.

‘That’s what I want too,’ she whispered, her heart pounding as Alekos slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her mouth to his.

‘I can’t help

myself.’ He groaned the words against her lips. ‘I have to just—’

‘Oh yes.’ The erotic slide of his tongue unleashed emotions that she thought she had well under control. After weeks of abstinence, Kelly went up in flames. She forgot that they were supposed to be going out. She even forgot that she was waiting for him to propose. Her body felt hot and tight, and everything inside her was focused on the moment.