Husband By Request

A few minutes later Leon brought her a sandwich and drink without having asked her if she was hungry. She thanked him for his kindness and proceeded to devour everything.

The seconds passed like seasons while she waited for Andreas. Though the sun finally dropped into the ocean she stayed where she was, not wanting to miss his arrival.

Leon brought her a lemonade and some magazines. He knew her preferences and couldn’t have been nicer. Again she thanked him, then turned over on her stomach to read while there was still enough light. But it was fading fast.

Severely disappointed that Andreas hadn’t come yet, she finally got up from the sunbed and went downstairs to shower. On the way she felt drowsy, whether from jet lag or heightened emotions or both, so she lay down on the bed for just a minute to get back her energy.

The next thing she knew, she heard a door close. Then a light went on. Slowly she rolled over to get her bearings.

There was Andreas, standing at the side of the queen-sized bed in a light blue linen business suit. He stared down at her from piercing black eyes set beneath brows as black as raven’s wings.

The breath left her body at seeing him in the flesh after all these months.

His dark, handsome face looked leaner, hungrier. She glimpsed shadows in the hollows of his hard-planed cheeks. The cleft in his chin was more pronounced because of his five o’clock shadow, but his sensual mouth was still the same. She thought he’d lost a little weight, but if anything that just made him look more attractive.

Andreas.

She’d missed his arrival—that precious moment she’d been waiting for.

Instead of her catching him off guard on deck, he’d found her crashed on the bed sound asleep, still wearing her bikini. It was embarrassing. She felt foolish.

Her hair was disheveled, and her cheek and legs probably had wrinkles from the quilted comforter. She smelled of sunscreen. Her white skin had picked up too much sun. It felt warm and sticky.

“If you wanted to surprise me, you’ve succeeded,” his deep voice grated, with just a trace of accent.

Dominique slid off the bed and stood up. “No one told you I was here?”

His eyes wandered over her body, but she didn’t see so much as a flicker in them to tell her what he was thinking.

“Not until Olympia told me you were down the hall.”

Olympia. He’d gone to her first, of course.

Wherever Andreas was, the other woman was never far behind. It had always been thus.

“Where’s Paul?”

“Probably in his cabin asleep. It’s close to

midnight.”

“I had no idea it was so late.”

“Obviously not.” His veiled gaze took in her hair and face. He put his hands on his hips. “Why did you bother to come, Dominique? You’re a free woman now. I would have thought you’d never want to step on Greek soil again.”

She eyed him frankly. “I didn’t sign the papers.”

He cocked his dark head. “You want more money? Paul was authorized to give you any sum you requested.”

Dominique rubbed her damp palms against her legs. “Money isn’t what I’m after.”

His body stilled. “What, then? The penthouse in Athens? My villa at Zakynthos? Or do you have an eye on some property I don’t know about? Perhaps the Cygnus? Name it, and it’s yours.”

Hearing those words twisted her insides, bringing on excruciating pain. “You know me better than that,” she said in a tortured whisper.

There was a chilling twist to his lips. “I thought I did.”

“Look, Andreas—” She spread her hands unconsciously. “I can imagine how angry you must have been when I walked out on you—”