Page 16 of The Tycoon’s Affair: Tempted By Desire

That control was about to be shot to pieces, though, as he heard a sound and turned around. Sidonie had emerged onto the terrace and for a long second Alexio literally lost his breath. All he could feel was his heart pounding as it struggled without oxygen.

The dress was a burnt orange colour and silk.

Looped over one shoulder, and strapless on the other side, It had a big hole cut out over one hip, showing off the naked indentation of Sidonie’s waist. A hint of one breast was visible just above the top of the dress as it swooped over her chest, hugging the delicious curve.

The silk fell to her knees, but one leg peeped out of a thigh-high slit.

She was wearing nothing that he hadn’t already seen on other lovers.

He’d seen far less. But Alexio had to battle the very strong urge to tell her to go back and change, like an over-protective father.

Or a mindlessly jealous lover, imagining the effect she’d have on other men.

That thought alone made him stop and take in a breath. His chest swelled painfully.

‘Is it okay?’

Sidonie was frowning, plucking at the dress. She looked at Alexio and this was one of those moments when she looked endearingly exposed, reminding him of the woman he’d met on the plane—all at once spiky and yet vulnerable.

‘Come here,’ he husked.

Sidonie moved towards him and Alexio had to bite back a groan of need. One long, slender leg was displayed in all its provocative glory as she walked towards him, her dainty feet encased in gold peeptoe heels.

She stopped before him and looked up. Her hair lay loose and long around her shoulders, glinting like golden fire in the dusky light.

Her skin had already taken on a golden glow from the sun, despite the copious amounts of factor fifty he’d insisted she keep putting on—much to her disgust. Her freckles had exploded and magnified across her nose and cheeks. And her shoulders.

When Alexio finally felt able to touch her without tipping her over his shoulder and taking her back inside, he slid a hand around the back of her neck. That silky fall of hair against his hand made his body throb.

‘You look...stunning.’

The vulnerability he’d seen dissipated and Sidonie smiled. ‘Thank you...so do you.’

Alexio was used to compliments and they always felt empty.

Except when she said it. He took his hand away, because he knew if he did something like kiss her now he’d never stop.

Instead he took her hand and led her out of the villa to a nearby hidden garage which housed a sports car—one of his brother’s new models.

It was a convertible, and Sidonie whistled in appreciation as she got in. Alexio held the door open for her, trying his best not to look at her exposed leg. Dammit, maybe he should get her to change?

Gritting his jaw, and wondering why on earth he’d thought taking her out would be a good idea, he got in the other side and soon they were driving along the coast, towards the bustling night-life of Fira.

As Alexio’s car swept them along the coast of the island, and the sky became darker over the expanse of the sea, the lights of the houses and dwellings and the approaching town of Fira made everything look like a fairytale.

Alexio was driving relatively slowly on the narrow roads and the cool evening air was delicious on Sidonie’s sun-heated skin.

She shivered when she thought about how gorgeous Alexio had looked on the terrace against the setting sun, dressed in a dark suit with a dark shirt.

The more time she spent with him, the more gorgeous he seemed to get.

She felt weak inside when she thought of how protective he was, too, making sure she wore a high-factor cream in the sun.

‘But I want to get some colour!’ Sidonie had protested earlier.

Alexio had held her down easily on the lounger and proceeded to slather her with cream, saying sternly, ‘You are not damaging your skin.’

Then she’d got so distracted by where his hands were going that she hadn’t had the strength to fight him...

‘Are you cold?’

Sidonie blushed in the darkening light and shook her head. ‘No, I’m fine. I like the freshness.’

Alexio looked back to the road. ‘I should have made you bring a jacket. It still gets cool at night this time of year.’

Sidonie smiled. ‘You can’t help yourself, can you?’

‘Can’t help what?’

‘Being protective. I bet you were like that with your mother.’

Alexio made a noise then. It sounded like something between a snort and a cough and Sidonie looked at him. After a minute he glanced at her and she could see that his jaw was tense. The air was definitely cooler now.

‘Believe me...’ his tone was icy ‘...my mother did not need a protector. Anything but.’

Sidonie frowned, ‘Why do you say that? What was she like?’

Alexio’s jaw got even tighter. Sidonie could see it reflected in the lights of the dashboard.

‘She was self-contained. Aloof. And she didn’t need anyone.’

Sidonie held in a gasp at his stark words. ‘Everyone needs someone—even if they don’t want to admit it. You make her sound lonely.’

Eventually Alexio responded, just as the town of Fira came into view. ‘Maybe she was... But I don’t really want to discuss my mother when we have far more exciting things to talk about—like where I’m going to take you clubbing.’

Sidonie felt the door slam in her face with his terse delivery. His personal life was obviously a no-go area. She thought of the darkness in her own past, and how she’d hate for Alexio to know about it, and figured maybe it was for the best that he wasn’t inviting this kind of intimacy.

She turned and faced the front and saw the stunning cavalcade of lights in the town as it seemed to drop precipitously to the gaping black of the sea. Momentarily distracted, Sidonie breathed, ‘This is beautiful.’

Alexio was parking the car outside an upmarket-looking hotel and a young man was rushing out. ‘We have to walk from here; the streets are pedestrianised,’ Alexio explained as he got out.

He threw the keys to the young man, who was all but drooling at the sight of the stunning car, then came around to Sidonie’s door and opened it for her, giving her his hand to help her out. Sidonie felt shaky and insecure at the thought of being seen in public with Alexio.

He kept her hand in his and said a few words in Greek to the man, whose face went pale. Then they walked away.

‘What did you say to him?’ Sidonie asked curiously.

Alexio smiled. ‘I told him that if I came back to find one mark on the car I’d break his legs.’

‘Oh...’ Sidonie held in a giggle when she thought of the man paling so dramatically. ‘Well, that makes things clear for him.’ Her fingers tightened around his hand and she looked up. ‘You wouldn’t, though, would you? Break his legs?’

Alexio stopped and looked down, horrified, ‘Of course not—what do you take me for? I just told him he’d be paying me out of his wages for the rest of his life.’

Sidonie tucked her other arm around Alexio’s and said with mock relief, ‘Okay—that’s so much better than broken legs.’

Alexio looked down. He could see the smile playing around Sidonie’s mouth, and that tantalising glimpse of long and slender leg. He could feel her breast against his arm and had to grit his jaw. It still felt tight after her questions about his mother... ‘You make her sound lonely.’

The truth was that Alexio had always had the impression that his mother had been lonely, and he didn’t like the way Sidonie’s innocent comments had brought him back to a time when it had been all too apparent that he couldn’t protect his mother simply because she would not allow it. Not even when she needed it.

He forced his train of thought away from that unwelcome memory. They were approaching a narrow street with a glittering array of jewellery shops and Sidonie had stopped, enthralled, outside the first one.

She sighed deeply and sent a quick rueful glance to Alexio.

‘I have to admit to a deeply unattractive trait: a love for glittery objects. My father used to say I was like a magpie, obsessed with shiny things. I used to collect the most random objects and put them in a box in my room and then take them out to look at them.’

Sidonie looked at the display again and Alexio couldn’t stop the prickle of something across the back of his neck.

The sensation of exposure was strong, along with something like disappointment.

A feeling of inevitability. This was what he was used to.

Women cajoling, seeking something. And even though Sidonie wasn’t going about it in a way he was used to wasn’t it the same thing?

She was hinting that she loved jewellery and that she expected him to spoil her with some.

She looked up at him then and must have seen something in his expression. She frowned. ‘What is it?’

Quickly he schooled his features. ‘Nothing.’ His voice was tight. ‘The club is just down here.’