by Abby Green
‘Well, seeing as you’re not making an effort to wear shoes,’ she clarified, ‘I don’t see why I have to go through the pain.’
Before he did something to inadvertently demonstrate how off-centre she made him feel, Alexio tugged her towards the dining area, where a table had been laid for two, complete with lit candles. It was by the window, with a view of London lit up by night beyond the river and the bridge.
The chef’s assistant was setting out their starters and Alexio said, ‘Thanks, Jonathan. I think we can take it from here. Say thank you to Michel for me.’
The young man exited swiftly.
Alexio had done this many times before—for business meals in his apartment as well as for women—but tonight it felt different. Sidonie was looking at everything with such wide eyes.
‘I presumed you were joking earlier about being a vegetarian.’
Alexio lifted the platter’s lid to reveal confit duck dumplings and saw Sidonie’s eyes gleam with anticipation. It had a direct effect on his body, and he wondered if she would have that same hungry look when they made love.
She had the grace to glance at him sheepishly. ‘I had you figured for a chest-beating carnivore who would be horrified at the thought of watching me chew a lettuce leaf for half an hour.’
Alexio held Sidonie’s chair out for her so she could sit down, and said in a low, throaty voice as she did so, ‘I had a vegetarian option lined up just in case...but don’t you know by now that nothing you could have said would have put me off?’
He was rewarded by pink cheeks when he took his own seat opposite her. He raised his glass of white wine and she took hers. ‘Yiamas.’
Sidonie repeated the Greek phrase. They both took a sip of their drinks and Alexio dished out the starter.
* * *
‘Don’t you know by now that nothing you could have said would have put me off?’ Alexio’s softly delivered words still echoed in Sidonie’s head. The steel behind them...
He had just taken their dessert plates into the kitchen and Sidonie was standing on the small terrace which hugged the side of the building, leaning on the railing, with the Thames moving beneath her feet somewhere in the dark.
In all honesty she couldn’t have recalled, if asked, what they’d just eaten except to know that it had been exquisite. She’d been too mesmerised by her charismatic dinner companion and how easily the conversation had flowed. Like on the plane, once they’d started they hadn’t stopped. Every now and then a tiny jolt of electric shock had run through her at the realisation of where she was and with whom... She’d met him only hours before... She should be back in Dublin, reorganising her life...
She still wanted to cringe when she thought of the way Alexio had looked her up and down when she’d arrived downstairs in her jeans and T-shirt, acutely conscious of how tatty she must look. The fact that he was equally dressed down had been little comfort, because she’d almost melted on the spot at seeing him in the faded hip-hugging jeans and white shirt. He epitomised cool, laid-back elegance.
To give him credit, he hadn’t made her feel uncomfortable. Just hot and bothered...
She heard a noise in the kitchen and turned round to see Alexio putting plates in a dishwasher. She shook her head wryly. Who would have believed it?
She walked back in to help. He stood up tall.
‘Coffee? An after-dinner liqueur?’
Sidonie put the last plate in the dishwasher and closed the door. She’d made a decision during dinner—a momentous one. It had been helped by the direct way he’d informed her earlier that he wasn’t ‘into relationships’. Well, neither was she. Not when she faced such a huge upheaval in her life, and not when she had responsibilities. And certainly not when the man was Alexio Christakos and so far out of her league it wasn’t funny.
During dinner Sidonie had recalled the name of a favourite perfume of her mother’s: Ce Soir ou Jamais. Tonight or never. This evening felt all too ephemeral. She wanted to seize the moment, live it fully. She wanted this man with a hunger she knew was rare. Once in a lifetime.
She turned and put her hands behind her against the counter and looked up. Was she really going to do this? Her sex spasmed in response. Yes. She wanted one night with this man, just one night of decadent escapism, and then she would walk away knowing what it was like to be truly made love to.
Having no idea how to go about letting a man like Alexio know what she wanted, without declaring baldly that she wanted to have sex with him, Sidonie seized on an idea. ‘I’d like a liqueur, please...and did I mention that I’m a mean pool-player?’
Alexio went still and shook his head. ‘No, you did not. I believe we touched on many subjects over dinner, including favourite films and music, and you tried to trick me into telling you the secrets of my success, but there was no mention of your pool abilities.’
Sidonie bit back a grin. And a sigh. This man should come with a warning label: Approach with caution! You are liable to get burnt if you stand too close. It was too late for her. She would burn for ever in the tormenting hell of regret if she didn’t allow herself to indulge in this fantasy.
‘Well, I happened to be something of a local champion in college. And I would like to challenge you to a game, Mr Christakos.’
Alexio leant back against the opposite counter and crossed his arms. ‘Interesting, Miss Fitzgerald. Tell me...are there terms for this challenge?’
Sidonie crossed her arms too and tried to look mock serious—not as far out of her depth as she felt. ‘Of course. My terms are simple: whoever wins gets to decide what we do for the rest of the night.’
Sidonie’s heart was beating so hard now she felt light-headed. Alexio looked serious, but his eyes had darkened.
‘I take it that if you win your choice will be...?’
Sidonie affected an air of piety. ‘To go to bed with a good book, of course.’
His eyes flashed. ‘And if I win...and I ask you nicely to come to bed with me...?’
Sidonie shrugged minutely. ‘Then I guess I’ll have to suffer the consequences.’ She straightened up and dropped her arms. ‘But you won’t win, so maybe I should just leave now...’
She made to walk off and like lightning Alexio grabbed her hand and hauled her into him. Sidonie gasped. His body was hard all over, pressed against hers. Her legs promptly turned to jelly.
‘Not so fast.’ His voice was low, seductive. ‘I believe you challenged me to a game, and in light of the fact that I’m doomed to failure I’d like to raise the stakes a little... For every shot lost, we also lose a piece of clothing.’
Sidonie’s blood rushed to her every erogenous zone at the thought of seeing Alexio bared. ‘There’s no such game,’ she said breathlessly as Alexio pulled her in the direction of the bar and games room.
‘There is now, sweetheart.’
Alexio let Sidonie go when they got into the darkened room. After he had poured them both drinks—a liqueur for her and a whisky for him—he took out two cues and handed her one. Sidonie made a big show of chalking it up while Alexio put out the balls.
When they were laid out he flourished an arm. ‘Please, ladies first.’
Sidonie moved around the table, deliciously aware of Alexio’s eyes on her, and yet still a little terrified. She wasn’t sure what demon had made her come up with this idea—as if she thought she could make it look as if her decision wasn’t fuelled with the desperate need she really felt. As if she played these kinds of games with men all the time.
Eventually she settled on a point to start and positioned herself, drawing back the cue. She was on the opposite side of the room to Alexio and he sat with his hip was hitched against a stool, his legs long, thighs powerful underneath the denim. Distracting her already.
‘Take as long as you like,’ he said, in a patronising tone which enflamed Sido
nie enough for her to scatter the balls masterfully, potting her first one.
She stood up and smiled. ‘You were saying...?’
Alexio scowled. ‘Beginner’s luck.’
Sidonie walked around the table again, aware of the tension in the small room thickening. As she took her next shot she realised too late that her palms were sweaty and the cue slipped slightly, throwing her off and making her lose her aim. She missed.
Alexio tsked and stood up. Sidonie’s heart thumped hard. For every shot lost, we also lose a piece of clothing. Alexio smiled and it was the smile of the devil.
‘I don’t mind what goes, but I’d suggest your T-shirt or your trousers.’
Now Sidonie scowled. She’d thought she’d have a little more time. She’d also thought she’d have him almost naked before her, giving her time to get used to it. Then she thought of something and smiled sweetly, executing a nimble move so that she undid her bra, pulled its strap down one arm and then pulled it out neatly from the armhole of her T-shirt. An old boarding school trick.
Alexio’s face darkened ominously. ‘That’s cheating.’
Sidonie grinned. ‘Not at all. I took your suggestion on board and ignored it.’
She tossed her bright pink bra onto the seat beside her and saw Alexio’s eyes follow the movement and then come back to linger on her braless chest. Her breasts felt tight and heavy, their tips pushing against the cotton of her top. Alexio’s cheeks flushed and it had a direct effect on the pulse in her groin.
Slowly he put down his drink and stood up. Sidonie crossed her arms and then quickly thought better of it when Alexio’s eyes widened and she realised she was only making things worse.
He took his eyes off her with visible effort. Despite all their play, Sidonie’s blood was infused with a heady feminine energy at having this man look at her with such naked desire. But she got distracted when he came close and bent over the pool table right in front of her, and her eye was drawn helplessly to his taut, muscular buttocks.
She couldn’t see exactly what he was doing, but he’d hit the ball and nothing was pocketed.
He turned around and said, ‘Whoops...’ and started undoing his shirt.
Sidonie’s mouth went dry at seeing his torso revealed bit by bit. And when he shrugged the shirt off completely she went weak at the knees.
He was stunning. Beautifully muscled. Not an ounce of fat. Broad and powerful. Very masculine whorls of hair dusted his chest, leading down to that tantalising line which disappeared into his jeans. They clung precariously to his hips and Sidonie had to clench her hands to fists to stop herself reaching out to undo that top button. She gulped when she saw the bulge pushing insistently against the denim.
His rough voice cut through the heat in her brain. ‘Your turn, I think.’
He turned to walk away and Sidonie felt as if someone had just hit her. His back was as beautiful as his front. Wide and smooth. He turned around at the bar and leant on it nonchalantly, arched a brow.
Sidonie forced herself to move and looked at the table. She couldn’t seem to compute what to do any more. She hadn’t been boasting—she knew she could play and quite possibly beat Alexio on a good day. But right now...she was useless. Eventually she saw the shot she needed to take. But she couldn’t get that torso out of her mind, those muscles rippling under silken flesh. Hard.
Predictably, Sidonie missed the shot—because just as she moved so did Alexio. She stood up and glared across at him, feeling hot. ‘Now, that’s cheating.’
He arched a brow, all innocence wrapped up in the devil—again. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about...’
And then his look changed to one so carnal her toes curled.
‘Shirt or trousers, Sidonie—unless you’ve got some very cute way to take off your panties from under your jeans without removing them.’
Of course she didn’t. Sidonie huffed. She only had one choice, really. She wasn’t about to bare herself completely to the sexiest man she’d ever met. So off came the jeans. She wriggled out of them, deliberately avoiding his gaze, self-conscious in her very plain white panties decorated with flowers.
* * *
Alexio watched with a heavy-lidded gaze as Sidonie carefully folded her jeans and put them to the side, near the bright pink splash of her bra. The same pink bra that had been tantalising him all day. The way she folded her jeans made him feel weak inside. There was something curiously vulnerable about it.
Now she looked at him, and her chin was up. Brave. She wasn’t half as confident as she was letting on. Alexio hid the way that made him feel by focusing on her gently swaying breasts beneath her T-shirt. They were beautifully rounded and pert. Their tips hard. His mouth watered. His erection got harder. He had to shift on the stool.
Her hips were slim, but womanly. Her panties looked positively virginal with their cute flowers. Yet the way she was looking at him now as he caught her gaze again was anything but virginal. Good. Because when they came together Alexio knew he wouldn’t have the patience to go slowly.
Aware that he couldn’t actually stand up without revealing how turned on he was, Alexio said, ‘I’m feeling generous. You can have another shot.’
Sidonie looked determined this time. ‘That’s the last piece of clothing I’ll be removing.’
She picked up the cue and moved around the table again, clad only in her T-shirt and panties. The soft white cotton hugged her bottom, revealed in all its lushness now.
Alexio had to admit that his jaded palate was well and truly unjaded now. He’d never been so turned on in his life. He’d never been brought so close to the edge without even touching a woman before.
And then Sidonie stopped right in front of him, her back to him. He saw a sliver of pale skin, the gentle curve of her lower back just over the band of her panties. He saw the two dimples of Venus above her buttocks and nearly groaned out loud.
When she bent over the table and widened her legs to get a better aim the tiny thread holding his control together snapped completely. With a feral sound Alexio wrapped an arm around her bare midriff and deftly scooped Sidonie back against him, ignoring her soft squeal of surprise. He took the cue out of her hands, throwing it to one side.
She was breathing heavily. ‘That’s not fair. That’s blatantly against the rules. Obstruction.’
‘Damn the rules,’ Alexio growled, turning Sidonie around to face him. Her eyes were dark blue now, the pupils huge.
‘You win. I forfeit the game,’ he said.
Sidonie couldn’t hide the crestfallen expression on her face as she obviously considered for a second that she had been hoist by her own petard. Alexio wanted to howl in triumph, but he played it out.
‘So I guess this means you’re going to bed with a book then?’
Sidonie looked sheepish. ‘I don’t have one with me apart from my textbook.’
Alexio made a face. ‘Too bad...maybe I can change your mind?’
‘How are you going to do that?’
Sidonie’s breath was getting choppier. Her breasts under their thin cotton covering were teasing his bare skin now, making him harder.
‘Like this...’
Alexio picked her up and sat her on the edge of the pool table, then came to stand between her spread legs. He cupped her face and her jaw in his hands and did what he’d been aching to do all evening: he covered her mouth with his and sank into dark, sweet, urgent oblivion.
* * *
Sidonie clutched Alexio’s wide shoulders, her fingers digging into smooth hot skin. The question had been asked and answered. He knew she wanted this.
He felt so good between her legs—so big. Instinctively her bare thighs tightened around him, and the friction of her skin against the tough denim was exquisite. Their tongues met and duelled fiercely, stroking, sucking. Between Sido
nie’s legs she spasmed and squirmed, seeking more contact with Alexio.
She was barely aware of one of his big hands leaving her face and going to the bottom of her T-shirt, tugging it up, urging her to lift her arms so he could lift it off completely, breaking the contact between their mouths to do so.
She opened her eyes and felt dizzy. Her T-shirt was a blur of grey behind Alexio, hanging precariously on the stool. Now she only wore her panties.
He looked down between their bodies and his hot gaze rested on her bared breasts. Sidonie had been naked in front of a man before...but it had never felt like this. As if she was on fire from the inside out. Her breasts literally throbbed for his touch. Aching...
He cupped them, making her flesh tingle. His thumbs rubbed back and forth across her tight, sensitised nipples and Sidonie dragged in a painful breath. Her heart was beating so loudly she thought it had to be audible.
‘You’re beautiful...’
Sidonie shook her head, about to deny his compliment, but he took the words out of her mouth as he pushed her back slightly and bent to take one straining peak into his mouth, sucking hard. Sidonie gasped. One hand went to his head, fingers tangling in short silky hair, the other moved behind her, balancing.
It was as if a wire of need was linked directly to the pulse between her legs, tightening the tension inside her, making her arch her back towards him. She felt desperate, wanton. When he moved to her other breast his hand cupped her intimately between her legs, and Sidonie moaned as he pressed against her where every nerve seemed to be screaming out for release.
One of Alexio’s fingers slipped behind her underwear and stroked her where she ached most. Sidonie’s breath stopped completely. His mouth was on her breast and that wicked finger was circling, exploring...
She was approaching her peak... She could sense it... The rhythmic pulsations of her body were gathering force—and then Alexio abruptly pulled back and stood up. Sidonie had to put her hands on his hips to stay upright. Everything had turned molten inside her.
