He smiled, tightening his arms. ‘How clever of you to notice. So, the men in your life have always come to heel, yes?’
‘I refuse to discuss this with you.’ It was angry and hissed through gritted teeth, and suddenly—to Sophy’s astonishment—Andreas threw back his head on a roar of la
ughter.
‘Defiant to the last,’ he murmured when he’d finished laughing. ‘What is this myth about English women being so cucumber-cool, eh? You are more fiery than any Greek girl I know.’
Sophy gave him a dry look that made him grin again. ‘Is that supposed to be some kind of compliment?’ she said with a primness that made his smile widen. ‘Greek style?’
‘You don’t like compliments?’ he murmured silkily.
‘Not when they can’t be trusted.’
‘What a suspicious little cat you are, my sweet.’ He fitted her into him again and Sophy gave up trying to argue. She would never win in a war of words with Andreas; he was a man with all the answers. Which was another reason to keep him at arm’s length.
Nevertheless she couldn’t deny that she felt more alive than she’d felt for a long time, perhaps ever. But that wasn’t just Andreas, she tried to reassure herself silently. It was the holiday magic of foreign parts; the warmth, the atmosphere, the sheer exoticness of it all. It got into your blood.
Sophy had expected they would leave shortly after they finished eating, but as the time continued to roll by she found the large group of people who were left were what Iona and Nick called their regulars—friends and patrons who regularly stayed until the early hours. And she didn’t want to leave, not really. She was having too good a time.
The wine and ouzo was flowing freely and there was an earthier flavour to the mood inside the restaurant now. Iona and Nick sat with them at a table close to the dance floor when the four of them weren’t dancing, and they were wonderful company. Nick was funny and Iona was droll and Sophy had never laughed so much in her life. She felt as if she’d known them for ever.
At one point all the men in the place linked arms and began a line of Greek dancing as the music got wilder and wilder, the women clapping and calling as the men stamped and whirled.
Sophy’s eyes were fixed on Andreas. He was so different from how he appeared normally. Usually the aura of hard authority and command sat on him like cold armour, radiating ruthlessness along with the virile force that was at the essence of him. But like this, with his friends, he seemed open and relaxed, the cutting edges of his arrogance smoothed to silky softness.
But he was the same man, she reminded herself quickly, wrenching her gaze away from the dark, laughing figure and sipping somewhat frantically at the soft drink she had asked for earlier. He had a life force that was pure vital dangerous energy, an intensity of spirit that would always subdue and subjugate those around him.
Her fingers tightened on the glass and her heart began to thud. Why was she here? Why hadn’t she made some excuse at the last minute? A headache or something along those lines?’
Because she had been curious. The answer was very clear in her head and suddenly there was no trace of the faint muzziness the wine had caused earlier. He fascinated her, like some dark alien being from another world, and she had wanted to be with him, wanted to learn more about him. It was almost a relief to acknowledge her weakness now she had let it out of her subconscious.
She had thought the more she learnt, the more she would be able to control this strange feeling she had for him; that in some way he would… What, exactly? Put her off him? Say or do something crass or gross? Maybe she had just hoped that would happen without really believing it.
The thoughts were terribly disturbing, and as a roar of laughter and shouting from the men finished the dance to the calls and claps from the women, she forced herself to come out of the deep void she’d sunk into. She would think of all this tomorrow, not now. For now she just had to be on her guard and sensible.
Sensible, level-headed Sophy. All her life these attributes had been tattooed across her forehead, put there by those who knew her best. ‘Sophy will see to it.’ How often had she heard her mother say that from when she was a tiny child? ‘Sophy is my right-hand man.’ And she hadn’t minded, oh, she hadn’t. Her poor mother had had enough to cope with; but now, when she thought about it, the pressure had always been there to take charge and supervise. To behave far older than her years.
‘Bossy’ had always been written on her school reports somewhere or other, along with ‘Sophy has a mind of her own’. But those teachers hadn’t known she had gone home to organise tea for herself and Jill from the age of five or six, often doing what housework she could and making it into a game for Jill who was disinclined to work unless she had to.
Oh, what was she doing, thinking all this now? She had never had thoughts like this before, so why now, in the most inappropriate of places? It must be the wine and the rich food.
‘What’s the matter?’ She hadn’t been aware Andreas had returned so quickly, but now he bent down and tilted her chin with his finger, his eyes serious. ‘What’s happened?’
‘Nothing has happened.’ She forced herself not to react badly.
‘You’ve gone into Spartan mode again,’ he said with quiet flatness. ‘I can see it in your eyes. For a little while you forgot you mustn’t enjoy yourself, didn’t you?’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she said too emphatically. ‘I often enjoy myself.’
‘No, you don’t, not really.’ He bent closer and kissed her lightly on the lips. ‘But you will if I have anything to do with it. Oh, yes, you will. And that is a promise, Sophy.’
And then he turned and spoke to Nick, leaving her sitting in stunned silence at the quiet intensity with which he had murmured the last words.
Why should she be keeping herself in a constant state of frayed nerves over this man? she asked herself silently. She hadn’t known a moment’s peace since she had first set eyes on him, not really. And she could hardly believe she hadn’t known of his existence until a few days ago. She had to get this whole affair into perspective, and once she had done that… She bit down on her lip hard. Then she would know some peace again.
CHAPTER SEVEN
WHEN Sophy awoke to the sunlight streaming in to her room through the balcony windows she had left open the night before, she was surprised she had slept so well.