The Greek Children's Doctor Page 14

  ‘Not exactly. I had some help. Katy told me she owed you a suitcase full of clothes.’

  Katy.

  Libby groaned. ‘I switched the contents of her suitcase when she went abroad with Jago. Katy always insisted on dressing really conservatively to hide her looks so Alex and I gave her a completely new wardrobe. She didn’t know until she arrived in Spain and unpacked.’

  Andreas laughed. ‘Well, it seems as though you’re not the only sister capable of being devious. And now we need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight.’

  Libby ran her tongue over dry lips. ‘Andreas, I can’t just go away with you.’

  ‘Why not?’

  Because she didn’t trust him.

  Because she was trying to put some distance between them and she couldn’t possibly do that if they were together all week.

  She opened her mouth to voice another protest but he was already striding towards the terminal building and she was forced to run to catch up with him.

  ‘All right, if you want a date, I’ll go on a date with you, but this is ridiculous.’ She was half running, half walking, but he didn’t slow his pace.

  ‘Why is it ridiculous?’ He shot her a smile and walked up to the check-in desk. ‘I always told you that my idea of a date wasn’t pizza. You just never asked what my idea of a date was. Well, this is it. We’re going to spend some time together, Libby. No more avoiding me. No more avoiding what we have together.’

  She stared at him as he handed over the passports and checked in, infuriated that he wasn’t even giving her a chance to speak.

  ‘We don’t have anything together,’ she said in a low voice, blushing slightly as the girl behind the desk glanced curiously between the two of them. ‘It was just—’

  ‘If you’re about to tell me that it was ‘‘just sex’’,’ Andreas interrupted, ‘then I’d better warn you that the next time you say that I’m going to drag you behind the nearest pillar and prove you wrong. We both know that it wasn’t ‘‘just sex’’, Libby, so stop saying things you don’t mean.’

  He tucked the passports into his jacket and walked towards the international departures area.

  Her breathing was rapid and she felt totally out of control.

  ‘At least tell me where we’re going,’ she asked a little later.

  He turned with a smile. ‘We’re going to Greece, agape mou. I’m taking you to my home.’

  Greece?

  ‘But where will we stay? What will we—?’

  ‘Stop worrying.’ He stepped up to her and covered her lips with his fingers to stop her talking. ‘You’re not in control any more. I am. This is my date, Libby.’

  With that Andreas bent his head and kissed her gently, smiling when she gave a start and backed away.

  She glared at him. ‘This isn’t a date. It’s kidnap. I could scream.’

  His smiled widened. ‘If you scream, I’m going to kiss you senseless in front of an audience. Knowing what usually happens when we touch each other, are you willing to risk that, Libby?’

  Her heart thudded against her chest. There was no way she wanted him to kiss her again. It was much too disturbing. Strange things happened when he kissed her. Her body burned and her brain ceased to be capable of logical thought.

  So instead of screaming she just sighed and pretended to look bored. ‘A week is a long time with someone you don’t really know, Andreas. What happens when you find that you don’t enjoy my company?’

  He laughed. ‘Libby, we both know that we’re crazy about each other. It’s just that you’re afraid to admit it.’

  Crazy about each other…

  Libby swallowed hard. ‘And you think I’ll admit it if I’m with you all week? Are all Greek men as arrogant as you?’

  Was he really saying he was crazy about her?

  He nodded, giving her a gentle push as they boarded the aircraft. ‘We’re an arrogant, chauvinistic race who know how to keep a woman in her place,’ he teased. ‘Now sit down and shut up. And preferably get some sleep. You’re exhausted.’

  ‘And whose fault is that?’ Libby muttered darkly, fastening her seat belt and wriggling further into her seat.

  ‘You’re saying that I’m the reason you’re tired?’

  His deep voice was right next to her ear and her body heated. He sounded so sexy. Oh, for goodness’ sake. So the guy had a sexy voice. So what? She was being utterly pathetic.

  She tried to shift further away from him but there was nowhere to go. ‘I’m tired because I’ve been working hard,’ she said sweetly, and he gave a knowing smile that infuriated her.

  ‘Of course you are. So, sleep, Libby.’

  Libby closed her eyes tightly. She had absolutely no hope of sleeping, but at least if she closed her eyes she couldn’t see those dark eyes and that sexy mouth. She needed some rest if she was going to resist him.

  And she was going to resist him.

  No problem.

  Andreas shook his head as the stewardess offered him more coffee. They’d been flying for three and a half hours and Libby had been asleep the whole time. At some point her head had flopped onto his shoulder and he’d turned slightly so that he could cuddle her closer and make her comfortable.

  He was worried about how tired she looked.

  Her cheeks were pale and there were shadows visible beneath her closed lashes. He vowed to make sure that she had plenty of rest when they reached their destination.

  He still couldn’t quite believe that he’d managed to pull it off. He’d hoped that by picking her up straight from work with no warning she wouldn’t have time to think up excuses. And it had worked. With a great deal of help from Katy and Bev.

  So now he had a week alone with her. One week to try and persuade her how right they were for each other.

  Libby woke feeling warm and safe and then she realised that the person she was cuddling was Andreas and she sat bolt upright, pink with embarrassment.

  Bother.

  Andreas made no comment. Instead, he shifted his shoulder slightly and reached across to look out of the window.

  ‘Look at that,’ he said softly. ‘Isn’t it fantastic?’

  Still foggy-headed from sleep, Libby turned her head to look out of the tiny window and gave a gasp of delight.

  Beneath them stretched perfect blue sea, twinkling in the sunlight as though someone had casually tossed a handful of diamonds into the waves. Tiny boats were just visible and she could see several pretty islands with sandy coves

  ‘It’s beautiful.’

  ‘It’s Greece.’ Andreas smiled with satisfaction as he settled back in his seat. ‘Still angry that I kidnapped you?’

  Libby couldn’t take her eyes off the sea. She wanted to dive straight in and feel the cool water on her exhausted body. ‘I can think of worse places to be held hostage.’

  ‘The only thing holding you hostage is your inability to trust anyone,’ Andreas replied calmly. ‘I’m glad you slept. Our journey isn’t finished yet.’

  Despite her qualms about spending the week with him, she felt suddenly excited.

  Why shouldn’t she enjoy a holiday?

  She could keep Andreas at a distance here as easily as she could on the ward.

  ‘Where exactly are we going?’

  ‘Crete. My home.’

  A car was waiting for them when they landed and Libby stared in awe at the scenery that flashed passed.

  ‘It’s beautiful. How can you bear to leave it?’

  He smiled. ‘The lure of British and American healthcare.’

  ‘Well, I think you’re mad. If this was my home I’d never leave it.’ Libby gave an enormous yawn and settled back in her seat. ‘Are we staying in your house?’

  Andreas grabbed the bags and shook his head. ‘Yes. Although none of the rest of the family will be there. My mother is visiting my cousin who’s just had a baby and my uncles spend most of their time in Athens now.’

  Libby shot him a wary glance. Would it be just the two of the
m?

  Her heart lurched slightly but before she had a chance to question him further the driver had turned off the road and was driving down what was little more than a dusty track that led towards the beach.

  Libby craned her neck curiously, wondering where they were going. Surely there couldn’t be a house here? Nothing was visible from the road.

  And then the car turned a corner and she gasped.

  A beautiful whitewashed villa nestled at one end of a beautiful bay, the sand stretching away from it to form a perfect crescent.

  It was the most idyllic spot she’d ever seen and she turned to Andreas in amazement.

  ‘This is your home?’

  ‘I was brought up here,’ he told her, nodding to the driver as he retrieved the bags from the boot of the car. ‘But we spent a great deal of time in Athens, too. My father had business interests there. He hated leaving his family behind so we had a home there as well.’

  ‘You’re lucky,’ Libby said wistfully, and he looked at her keenly.

  ‘Did your father travel a lot?’

  Libby tensed. ‘Yes, but we were all very grateful for that. Things weren’t too great when he was around.’

  Wanting to escape from the memories that he’d aroused, she slipped off her shoes and sprinted down to the sand, sighing with pleasure as she felt the warm softness ooze between her toes.

  ‘You’re a child, Elizabeth,’ Andreas said with a laugh from behind her, and she shrugged, staring out across the sparkling sea to the orange sun that was starting to dip behind the mountains.

  ‘I don’t know about that,’ she said softly, ‘but I do know that if you were brought up here then you were very lucky.’

  She’d heard the affection in his voice when he’d spoken of his parents and suddenly she envied him his childhood. Her own had been full of rows and totally lacking in parental affection.

  Would she have been different if she’d had his family background?

  Would she have found it easier to trust people?

  ‘I was lucky,’ he agreed. ‘I had a secure, loving family around me when I was a child and I suppose that’s why I don’t find it hard to trust people. Unlike you. I know that you’ve been surrounded by faithless men all your life, but it’s time to realise that they aren’t the only sort.’

  Her breathing quickened.

  It would have been so easy to believe him. So easy…

  And so foolish.

  She gave a wry smile and kicked at the sand with her bare feet. ‘So…’ she lifted her head and gave him a bright smile ‘…are you going to show me your house?’

  He lifted a hand and touched her face gently. ‘You are the mistress of avoidance, do you know that?’

  She gave a careless shrug. ‘I don’t see the point in dwelling on the past.’

  ‘If it’s affecting the future, there’s a point,’ he said quietly, taking her hand and pulling her back towards the villa. ‘But we’ll talk about that another time. Come on. Let’s get settled in.’

  She followed him inside, almost drooling with pleasure as she saw the interior. It was decorated in a mixture of white and cool blues so that the overall impression was that it was just a continuation of the ocean.

  ‘I know you’re tired so I’ll show you straight to your bedroom,’ Andreas said roughly, and she looked at him cautiously.

  She hadn’t given any thought to the sleeping arrangements. ‘Andreas—’

  ‘Sleep, Libby,’ he said gently, ‘and then we’ll talk.’

  Suddenly realising just how exhausted she was, she followed him into a bedroom, smiling with pleasure when she saw the bathroom. It was the last word in luxury.

  ‘I can’t believe you brought me here. I ought to be fighting with you,’ she murmured, reaching forward and flicking on the taps, ‘but frankly I’m too exhausted.’

  ‘Thank goodness for that.’ Andreas gave a wry smile and deposited her suitcase on the floor. ‘I’ll leave you to it. My bedroom is directly opposite if you need anything.’

  She stiffened. ‘I won’t need anything.’

  His smile widened and she sucked in a breath, uncomfortably aware that they seemed to be alone in this villa. Alone for the first time in their relationship.

  But he didn’t seem inclined to take advantage of that fact. Instead, he flicked her cheek gently with a strong finger and left the room without a backward glance, closing the door behind him.

  She stared after him, telling herself firmly that she wasn’t disappointed.

  He’d left her to have a bath and sleep alone in that gorgeous huge bed with the gauzy cream drapes.

  And that was exactly what she wanted.

  Wasn’t it?

  Two days later Libby wondered how she was ever going to bring herself to leave the island.

  She’d spent most of her time cooling down in the sea or in the fantastic azure blue pool that overlooked the beach. When she wasn’t swimming she slept, and every time she awoke there seemed to be more food waiting for her. Greek salads, dips, plump olives and regional specialities that made her mouth water.

  Andreas had explained on the first day that one of the families from the neighbouring village looked after the villa and kept an eye on his mother when she was staying there. They were also responsible for delivering vast quantities of delicious food every day.

  ‘You’re trying to fatten me up,’ she groaned, leaning back in her chair after a spectacular lunch during which she’d eaten far too much for comfort.

  Andreas poured her some more water and she tried not to notice how good he looked in his polo shirt. The fabric hugged the powerful muscles of his shoulders and his arms were tanned and strong.

  He was an incredibly good-looking man and she didn’t really understand why he was bothering with her.

  ‘It’s good to see you eating, rather than picking at your food the way you did the night of the ball.’

  As usual, any reference to the ball brought a sudden rush of colour to Libby’s cheeks. She couldn’t prevent herself from glancing across at him, and instantly regretted it. His dark eyes locked onto hers and she felt heat flare deep in her pelvis.

  Terrified of the strength of her reaction, she stood up abruptly, her chair scraping on the ground. ‘It’s hot. I’m going to cool off in the pool—’

  Strong fingers closed around her wrist and anchored her to the spot. ‘You shouldn’t exercise when you’ve just eaten, agape mou. And it’s time to stop avoiding me. You’ve rested and the colour has returned to your cheeks. No more running.’

  ‘I’m not running.’ She stood, breathing rapidly, trapped by his relentless grip and by the look in his eyes.

  ‘Libby, you’ve been running since the night I bought you at that auction.’ He pulled her closer and she couldn’t have resisted even if she’d wanted to. ‘It’s time you and I communicated.’

  She watched, breathless, as his head lowered, transfixed by the inevitability of that kiss. For endless, infuriating seconds his mouth hovered above hers, close enough to set her whole body on fire with anticipation but not close enough to satisfy the raging hunger building inside her.

  His eyes were half-closed as he looked down at her, and a hint of a smile hovered on his incredibly sexy mouth. Finally he lowered his head and his mouth brushed against hers, sending shock waves of excitement through her quivering body.

  His hands slid up to her face, cradling it firmly, while his tongue traced the seam of her lips and dipped inside. Her lips parted under the pressure of his and she kissed him back, her tongue responding to the demands of his, her body arching against the solid muscle of his powerful body.

  He kissed her until her entire body was throbbing with sensation and when he finally lifted his head she stared up at him, dazed.

  With considerable effort she found her voice. ‘I—I thought you wanted to talk.’

  He gave a slow smile and touched her damp, swollen lips with the tips of his fingers. ‘I didn’t say talk, agape mou. I said communic
ate.’

  She gazed at him, heart thumping, hypnotised by the raw passion she saw in his eyes. ‘But—’

  ‘We’re using body language,’ he said huskily, his mouth lowering to hers again.

  She gave a tiny sob as he licked her lips suggestively. ‘Body language?’

  He gave a slow smile that ignited a burning heat deep inside her. ‘It’s the only way I can be sure that you’re telling the truth. When you use words, you say things you don’t mean.’

  His mouth was still so close to hers she couldn’t concentrate. ‘Such as?’

  ‘Such as ‘‘I’m not interested, Andreas’’, or ‘‘It was just sex, Andreas’’. Your mouth says one thing and your body says another,’ he murmured. ‘So for now speaking is banned.’

  Libby discovered that she actually didn’t want to speak. The gentle, relentless kissing was driving her slowly crazy. She lifted her arms and wrapped them round the strong column of his neck, dragging his head down to hers again.

  This time his kiss was hard and demanding, his mouth possessing every inch of hers and his arms hauling her against him. She felt the solid thrust of his erection pressing through her thin shorts and tried to get closer still, frustrated by the barrier created by the clothes they were wearing.

  She lifted her hands and slid them under his shirt, groaning as she felt the warmth of his skin and the smooth swell of his muscles under her searching fingers.

  His hands followed suit, lifting her tiny strap top, breaking their kiss for only a fraction of a second as he slid it over her head and let it fall onto the sun-baked terrace. Her shorts followed, and then her bra and soon she was standing in only the tiny bikini bottom that she’d worn on the beach earlier.

  The slide of his hands over her bare flesh made her shiver in anticipation and she forgot her plans to resist him. Resistance just wasn’t an option.

  Without lifting his mouth from hers, he lifted her easily in his arms and walked the short distance to the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him and laying her down on the middle of the bed.

  Breathing rapidly, his dark eyes blazing with a sexual need that thrilled her, he yanked off his shirt and came down on top of her, kissing her again until she was writhing and sobbing beneath him.