Page 32 of Her Greek Protector

Chapter 9

Alexi led Aimee down the balcony stairs. As they reached the bottom, the sound of the side gate opening reached their ears. Alexi moved back against the building, pulling her close against his side. Kassi came through the gate.

“What is she doing?” Aimee whispered.

Alexi wondered the same thing. He stepped out of the shadows, still holding Aimee’s hand. “Kassi?”

Kassi spun around. Her hand went to her throat and her eyes widened. “Alexi! Aimee, is that you?” Her face was blotchy and it looked like she’d been crying.

Aimee moved forward. “Yes. We were just going for a swim.”

Kassi looked up at the balcony. “Who is watching Damien?”

“One of the downstairs maids,” Aimee assured her. “I thought you had a date?”

Kassi nodded, eyeing her cousin warily. “I did.”

“And you could not arrive home via the front door?” Alexi studied her attire.Who had she been meeting to go out dressed like that?She wore a glitzy, body-hugging sheath of a dress that barely covered the curve of her ass, and impossibly tall heels. She had too much makeup on and the smell of smoke clung to her person. Most worrying of all was the fact she came in the back gate. This sneaky behavior wasn’t something the Kassi he’d known before would participate in.What’s going on with you, little cousin?

Kassi’s eyes darted to the side. Her reply was barely audible. “I wasn’t ready to turn in yet and thought I’d take a walk in the gardens.”

Alexi raised an eyebrow in question, but rather than grill her while she was obviously out of sorts, simply nodded. “Don’t let us stop you. We are, as Aimee said before, headed down to the pool. We shall see you at breakfast?”

“At breakfast. Goodnight.” Kassi skirted around them and headed for the far side of the building.

“Has she been crying?” Aimee’s frown increased as she saw Kassi’s destination. “I thought she was heading for the gardens?”

Alexi watched his cousin until she disappeared from view and then let out his breath. “That was a quick cover up. Something is going on with her.”

“She kept getting these text messages earlier today. They seemed to upset her but she wouldn’t tell me who she was talking with.”

Alexi nodded thoughtfully. “I will speak with her in the morning. Ready to swim?”I’ll also be asking Piotr to find out what’s going on with her.

Aimee looked back at the direction Kassi had gone and then turned to him. “I am.”

Alexi led her to the pool, directing her to the pool house. “Change in there while I turn the lights on.”

“Do you have to? Turn the lights on, I mean?” Aimee asked him. “I kind of like it just like this.”

Alexi looked up. There was a full moon overhead, and the pool area wasn’t completely in the shadows. He smiled indulgently at her. “I will leave the lights off, then.”

*****

Aimee ducked into the pool house, quickly putting her swimsuit on. She paused before the long mirror, wishing she’d brought her one piece down. She’d grabbed her bikini, the same one she’d been wearing since her arrival, but now she worried it was too revealing.

She made a face at her reflection. “This is as good as it’s going to get tonight. Once you’re in the water it won’t matter anyway. Besides, you might have the hots for Alexi but he’s dangerous. If you give in to the lust you feel for him, what then? How will you ever be content with another man after having someone like Alexi?”

Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of a bed. Immediately she flushed, as the thought of lying on it, wrapped in Alexi’s embrace, jumped into her mind.Was that on purpose? Did Alexi think...?Aimee swallowed. He’d made no secret of his attraction to her—or that he’d noticed the way her body responded to him...

“Remember, he’s just playing you. You’ve seen it numerous times. They say the right thing, wine and dine you, pretend to be your friend, when all they want is another notch on their bedposts.”

She pointed at her reflection for emphasis. “Take a nice friendly swim and then go to bed. Alone. You wanted to be strong and independent, here’s your chance. Show Alexi you’re not interested. Don’t blow it!” Her courage and resolve bolstered, she grabbed a towel from the stack by the door and stepped out onto the flagstone deck.

Alexi was already in the water, his muscles bunching across his shoulders as he swam across the pool. She stood transfixed for a long minute, watching as he stopped at the far edge and shook the water and hair from his eyes. When he saw her, he beckoned her forward. “Come on in. The water is very nice.”

Aimee took a deep breath, resisting the urge to adjust her bikini. She walked to the closest lounge chair. She turned her back, dropped the towel on the chair and then spun around. She was planning to dive into the pool as quickly as possible, but Alexi had moved and was now resting his forearms on the pool’s edge, watching her. The expression in his eyes sent shivers racing across her body.

“I was right before.”