‘I never have a problem sleeping in a strange bed,’ Andreas said huskily, the gentle teasing in his deep voice causing her further problems with her coordination.
She just bet he didn’t, Sophy thought hotly as they went their separate ways again. A woman in every port, if she knew anything about it. Several women in every port, in fact.
‘Don’t overdo it on your first session.’
‘What?’ This time she did actually swallow a mouthful of water and spluttered a bit before she could say, ‘I was just thinking about getting out, actually.’ Away from his disturbing presence.
‘So was I,’ Andreas said immediately.
‘Oh, right.’ Brilliant. She had been hoping to exit fairly gracefully and hurry back to the house whilst he was still in the pool. She had noticed this swimming costume, which was quite proper and respectable when dry, seemed to have taken on the effect of a second skin when wet, clinging to every curve and contour with a determination that was positively wanton. And she knew exactly what would happen when her breasts met the cool night air; her nipples were already hardening and stretching the silk still more.
She scrambled out of the pool with more haste than aplomb, conscious of Andreas in the water behind her, but once she had grabbed her towel and wrapped it round her sarong-fashion, she found the nerve to turn and face him. She was surprised to see he was still in the pool with something of a winsome expression on his hard handsome face. ‘What’s the matter?’ she asked cautiously. Why wasn’t he getting out?
‘A slight problem.’ He sounded quite cheerful as though it wasn’t really a problem at all. ‘I thought I would be alone down here, you see.’ He smiled innocently.
‘So?’ She stared at him, puzzled. What was he saying?
‘So…no trunks,’ he said with magnificent matter of factness.
‘No trunks?’ She had been swimming with a naked man—and not just any old man, either, but Andreas Karydis! ‘What do you mean, no trunks?’ And then, as he went to get out of the pool she added hastily, ‘No, stay where you are. I know what you mean. I just don’t know why! Why you didn’t tell me at first, that is.’
‘Because you would not have come into the pool and you have enjoyed your swim, yes?’ he answered silkily. ‘Have you not ever…how do you English say, skinny-dipped?’
‘No, I have not,’ she answered a trifle indignantly. What did he take her for, anyway? ‘It’s not exactly encouraged in the local baths in London,’ she added caustically.
‘But when you have been abroad?’ he persisted softly. ‘Not then?’
‘On a beach with hundreds of other people? I think not,’ she said hotly.
‘Ah, yes, I see your point,’ he agreed thoughtfully. ‘Then you must indulge whilst you are here, Sophy. It will be quite safe late at night down here. No one comes.’
‘You came tonight,’ she reminded him tightly.
‘Ah, yes.’
‘Where’s your towel?’ she asked feverishly, glancing round as though it was going to come hopping towards her of its own accord. What a ridiculous situation to be in!
‘I didn’t bring one.’ And, at her slight groan, ‘Do not worry, I was wearing a robe. It is somewhere down there.’ He pointed to the shadowy tables and chairs at the far end of the pool. ‘I can look for it, if you like?’
‘I’ll get it.’ She leant over the pool and handed him her towel as she added, ‘Dry yourself off with this while I get the robe and wrap it round yourself.’ Please. Please.
She didn’t stop to see if he obeyed her or not, she simply scuttled off into the shadows, her eyes searching for the robe. She found it almost immediately lying on a chair but waited for a good couple of minutes before she turned round and retraced her steps. A football team could have dried themselves in the time.
Andreas was sitting on a chair by the pool, the towel wrapped low around his lean hips and his long muscled legs stretched out in front of him. He was the epitome of the relaxed male, his face open and innocent as she approached. ‘Great, you’ve found it,’ he said approvingly, and then, as she shivered, added, ‘You’re cold, Sophy. Put it on; I don’t need it.’
Put it on? His robe? The robe that had his very definite male smell all about it and seemed an extension of the man himself? Was he mad? And her shiver hadn’t been due to cold—far from it. She caught
his eyes wandering over her breasts, their tips hard and pointed as they thrust against the wet black silk, and she folded her arms as casually as she could as she said, ‘I’m fine, thanks. Keep the towel and leave it outside my door in the morning. I’m just going back to the—’
‘Sit down, Sophy. We need to talk,’ he interrupted her easily.
‘Andreas, it’s the middle of the night.’
‘All the better for what I need to say,’ he returned coolly.
‘I don’t think—’
‘For crying out loud, woman!’ He rose in one swift movement that made her fear for the towel, taking the robe from her suddenly numb fingers and wrapping it round her before she could protest. ‘Now sit down and listen, will you?’ he said a trifle irritably. ‘I need to talk to you about Theodore. That is one of the reasons—the main reason—I stayed on tonight. My father feels it is only fair to acquaint Jill with the full facts but he and my mother find it difficult to talk about this, for reasons which will become clear to you. He has therefore asked me to explain. I was going to ask to see you both tomorrow morning before I left for the office, but perhaps it is better to tell you informally like this and then you can explain in your own words to Jill.’