‘Yes,’ she could only agree. ‘But I’d love to see the artist’s studio one day...if it’s not too much trouble for you?’
‘No trouble at all,’ he insisted. ‘I can always get someone to show you around.’
Oh.
But now she didn’t want to go back to the guest house. The thought of being alone in that room when she should have been sharing a room with her husband tonight was confusing and worrying, even though Mike and Janey had swiftly packed up and left. She didn’t want to be with Mike, but she didn’t want to be alone either. After a horrible start to the day, she’d enjoyed being with Kris. She’d enjoyed the banter between them, and being able to forget. And she’d enjoyed his kisses...especially his kisses. Would he kiss her goodnight...on the cheek, on the lips? She didn’t know what she wanted. Well, actually, that wasn’t true. She did. The urge to paint complex, interesting, challenging Kris had never been greater.
She could sketch from memory, Kimmie reassured herself as Kris walked up to his sleek black SUV and opened the passenger door. And she’d choose a background to suit. It was time for both of them to return to their ivory towers: Kris here in his fabulous beach house, and Kimmie in the artist’s cave, painting.
Didn’t she want to see Kris again? Of course she did. Then she might have to make the first move. And what would he say to that? she wondered as he started the engine and released the brake. It was impossible to read his expression. As far as Kimmie was concerned, if she pushed her dreams to their ultimate conclusion it would mean this wasn’t over yet and had only just begun.
CHAPTER FIVE
BACK AT THE GUEST HOUSE, to her absolute amazement, Kimmie slept like a baby that night. She thought it incredible after the events of the previous day. Waking slowly, she turned over to stare at the ceiling, where various scenes played out. Some were good, some were bad and some were truly spectacular. Had Kristof Kaimos really kissed her? She touched her lips and traced the tender skin where his stubble had abraded her. Kristof Kaimos had definitely kissed her. She had been thoroughly kissed. Astonishing, after the way yesterday had started.
She hadn’t been able to judge his mood when he drove her home last night, other than to say he was the perfect gentleman. And of course some wicked, carnal imp inside her had taken the opportunity to make her long for Kris to introduce her to those pleasures she’d only dreamed about. That he’d do so with consummate skill wasn’t in doubt, and made her longing for him all the keener. Fears she’d had in the past were redundant where Kris was concerned. If he made love as he kissed, that was to say sensitively, tenderly and passionately, it wouldn’t be terrifying; it would be amazing. And for someone whose only knowledge of sex was hearing her mother scream when her father forced himself on her, Kimmie didn’t have any reassuring memories to cling to, and only Kris’s kisses to suggest that a mutual desire could and should be different.
This was something she should have thought more about when she’d accepted Mike’s proposal but, buoyed up on a wave of euphoria at the success of her exhibition, she hadn’t thought it through. Later, when Mike’s impatience at her being frigid, as he’d flung at her and he’d handled her rather clumsily, hurting her, she’d had to pull away and tell him that the reason she was holding back from sleeping with him was because she was saving herself for the all-important wedding night, when the truth was she was just plain scared to have sex with him.
Thank goodness Kris respected women or she’d be lying here with more than her heart bruised. Snuggling down to enjoy the other good things about the night, she relived his kisses again. She’d never be able to kiss another man without comparing him to Kris. Then she thought about him steering the SUV around the narrow, winding lanes of Kaimos. She’d had no idea hands and arms could be so sexy...and she couldn’t wait to paint them, of course, and from memory if she had to. She wouldn’t forget a single detail of a man who had entered her life so unexpectedly on what had been the worst day possible. But then, when they’d got back to the guest house, he had said nothing as he sprang down from the SUV and came around to open her door.
One perfunctory kiss on the cheek was all she’d got and then he was gone, roaring off into the distance without so much as a backward glance.
Time to get real, Kimmie thought as she slipped out of bed. Half a fun day after a morning of catastrophe did not a romance make. No doubt she’d entertained Kristof Kaimos for a while, but she was sure there wouldn’t be a second meeting.
But she’d been too tired to close the shutters last night, so it wasn’t all bad because now she felt uplifted just staring out. What an amazing view! And his mega-yacht was still out there. For some reason, that reassured her, though Kris could be anywhere. He might even have gone back to Athens by now, or left for what she was sure would be one of his many residences or offices around the world. Did that mean he wouldn’t keep his promise to show her the artist’s studio? He’d actually said he’d get someone to show her around, and that wasn’t the same thing at all.
Having taken a shower in the tiny bathroom attached to her room, Kimmie switched off the water, grabbed a towel, swaddled her body and tried not to think about Kris.
Well, that went well, Kimmie concluded as she padded back to the window to stare at his yacht. Her nipples were standing to attention just thinking about him. They were far more optimistic than she was. She stared down the road but there was no sign of Kris. And it was far safer for her heart if he didn’t come back. She wasn’t ready for any more excitement.
Oh, yes, she was. Life would be dull without it. Kris had taken the discarded, muddled daub of yesterday and given it form and purpose. She definitely wasn’t ready to let go of that yet.
Turning away from the window, she rubbed her hair dry with a towel and thought about Kris. Strike that. She was thinking about her next composition, which would obviously feature Kristof Kaimos. She would start work on it as soon as she returned to London. She couldn’t waste time on regret. Whatever life threw at her, she had always fought back. This wedding farce and then the meeting with Kris were just bigger hurdles than usual. The sooner she returned to work, the faster she could set up that scholarship fund.
Kris could be a sponsor. Why not?
She wouldn’t dream of asking him, that was why not. It was just one more way of taking advantage of him because of his money.
Not if she wrote to him, together with a dozen or so more likely donors. And, in the unlikely event that she saw him again, she could ask him?
Hmm. Maybe. Maybe not.
‘You look a lot better this morning,’ Kyria Demetriou exclaimed with pleasure, advancing to give Kimmie a hug when she entered the dining room. ‘Your face is glowing.’
‘Is it?’ Kimmie touched her cheek then blushed, wondering if Kris’s stubble might have caused any redness. ‘We all want to thank you for the delicious food. We had a wonderful picnic.’ Of which she hadn’t eaten a crumb, being otherwise occupied, Kimmie remembered, blushing furiously again. ‘None of it was wasted. My friends enjoyed every crumb.’
Kyria Demetriou gave her an amused look, as if she knew more than she was saying. ‘Now you’re feeling better, I want you to know there’s a fiesta tonight in the village. It’s a traditional night, with folk music, local food and dancing, and I feel sure you’ll enjoy it.’
‘I know I will,’ Kimmie enthused.
‘We will all go,’ Kyria Demetriou informed her. ‘Everyone on the island will be there.’
Including Kris? Kimmie’s heart pounded.
‘You should take your sketch pad,’ Kyria Demetriou encouraged, distracting her momentarily.
‘That’s a good idea.’ Kimmie would be leaving the island soon, and tonight’s celebration was the best chance she was going to get to record every impression she could. Hopefully there’d be enough to fuel a new exhibition.
The day passed slowly and, as expected, there was no sign
of Kris. Kimmie’s friends tried their best to distract her, and she played along. It was time to move past everything that had happened in Kaimos, and finally accept that Kristof Kaimos had better things to do than waste his time on a jilted bride and a simple village party. There was no chance he would surprise her there tonight, she managed to convince herself.
* * *
Kris spent the day mulling over the events of the previous day. It had been an incredible encounter with Kimmie, but a chance meeting following hot on the heels of an unreasonable request from the uncle to whom he owed everything was not a guarantee of anything. If anyone had suggested Kimmie as a suitable wife before he’d met her, he would have shot them down in flames. He didn’t know her. She didn’t know him. He’d seen her at the worst time possible.
And yet she had cast a very unique spell on him.
Why? She was strong, but also emotionally vulnerable. Right now she didn’t know what she wanted. Yet, for all these reasons to step back and let her go, something nagged at him that said he shouldn’t.
He spoke to his uncle later that day and admitted that he’d met a prospect, as his uncle hopefully referred to Kris’s non-existent list of potential brides. ‘Seriously, don’t get your hopes up,’ Kris had warned, but Uncle Theo wasn’t listening.
‘You should have sealed the deal by now,’ his uncle insisted. ‘It’s not like you to hang around.’
‘I only met her yesterday,’ Kris was forced to patiently point out.
‘And?’ his uncle demanded.
‘And she’s bruised,’ he said simply.
There was silence between Athens and Kaimos for quite a while after that, and then his uncle murmured, ‘Dangerous.’ He went on to spoil this brief show of empathy by saying, ‘Sympathy can cloud a person’s judgement. It’s not like you to be so subjective, Kristof. Why are you suddenly allowing feelings to get in the way? I’ve never known you like this before.’
‘Well, don’t take it for a good sign,’ Kris advised.
‘You’ll have to change tactics,’ his uncle instructed. ‘Do whatever it takes. I need to know you have an heir, Kristof. Woo her with sweet words and expensive gifts. That should do it,’ his uncle finished with a triumphant flourish.