His Majesty's Secret Passion

by Christina Hollis

  He nudged her playfully. “How will you know, if you don’t try anything for size?”

  “Everything must cost an absolute fortune, Leo. Nothing I’ve seen so far has had a price tag attached. That means trouble.”

  “Go ahead. Have what you like. I’ve got all my cards with me.” He tapped the bulge of his wallet.

  Sara was horrified. “No fear! Thanks, but I was brought up only to use credit when there’s no alternative.”

  He pulled out his leather fold and flipped through it. “That’s okay. I’ve got debit cards too, if it makes you feel better.”

  “No!” Sara brought her hand down on his, desperate to stop him embarrassing her. “Thank you, but no. Window shopping is my favourite fantasy. Once things go inside a bag, all the fun goes out of it for me.”

  “Don’t you enjoy swinging carriers with designer names on them?”

  “It all depends on what’s inside.”

  A noisy scene in a side street interrupted them. An exasperated mother was wrestling her screaming toddler out of a buggy. With the child under one arm, she was trying to scrape a fallen globe of ice cream out of the stroller, and back into its wafer.

  Sara was horrified. “She’s never going to give that back to the baby, after it fell into the seat?”

  Leo called to the woman, then disappeared up the side street and into a tiny shop. Sara guessed what he was doing, and went forward to lend a hand with mopping up the buggy. “Here—I’ve got some tissues in my bag.” She held out a packet to the flushed and anxious woman.

  Sara hoped to hear the Greek equivalent of thanks, I’ll hold my baby while you swab out the seat. No such luck. The baby was dumped into her arms. Sara braced herself for another squall of screaming. The movement set her earrings dancing. That caught the baby’s attention. It stopped crying, transfixed. She shook her head again to make the earrings bounce some more. As she looked up she caught the eye of a man in the distance. He was staring toward her, and talking into a phone. It was the same man who had dropped Krisia’s book. Sara squinted against the glare of the sun, trying to get a clearer view of him, but a noisy gaggle of tourists straggled past, distracting her. Once they’d gone, the man was nowhere to be seen.

  Leo came out of the shop, brandishing a prize and wearing the expression of a man who had everything under control. “One new ice cream.”

  Sara squeaked, and took a step back. She clutched the baby as though Leo was offering it a live snake.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Seriously, Leo? You’d give this little one chocolate, on a hot day like today? When he’s dressed all in white?” She ran the fabric of the baby’s angel top through her fingers. “And this feels like silk, too.”

  The look on Leo’s face would have melted an iron doorstop. Her heart turned over as he muttered something under his breath, then said: “I didn’t think. I just asked for the best they had.”

  She smiled. “It’s very kind, but I think you’d better hand it straight over to Mom.”

  The baby was too entranced by Sara’s earrings to have noticed the ice cream. Leo watched like an alien species. In contrast, Sara was beginning to enjoy herself. Holding the child wasn’t as difficult and scary as she expected. It felt nice to be grinned at by somebody who didn’t have an ulterior motive (or a full set of perfect white teeth) for a change.

  She tried an experiment, and jiggled the baby in the way she’d seen people do it on TV. The child gurgled, then snatched her left earring. Sara tried not to howl with pain, but Leo was there in a flash, unwinding the chubby paw. When the baby locked on to Leo’s finger instead, it was his turn to pull a face. “I’m not keen on this. It’s sticky.”

  “That’ll be the thin layer of ice cream. And this is a ‘he’ not an ‘it!’” Sara hissed.

  “Really? How can you tell?”

  “It’s obvious,” she said, airily.

  The grateful mother held out her hands for her baby and cooed her thanks on behalf of baby Calista.

  Once the little girl was belted into her buggy, Leo handed the chocolate ice cream into her mother’s protective custody.

  He kept a straight face until they were out of the mother’s earshot. Then he laughed. “Obvious, was it? I’ve never heard of a boy called Calista before!”

  Sara flushed. The smell of baby powder was still fresh on her skin, and it was having a strange effect. She’d never been one for babies before. Now she was wondering why not. That uncertainty made her feel uncomfortable, and she snapped. “I’m a businesswoman, not a nursery maid.”

  “Although I’d say you were handling the work wonderfully then, right up until the point when you called that woman’s daughter a son.”

  “I am very good at my job!” she told him through gritted teeth.

  He stopped laughing. “Of course you are. I can see that. You’re calm and capable in a crisis, with a cheerful disregard for any little inconsistencies in your argument. I’m sure you’ll make someone a wonderful husband.”

  She refused to let him make fun of her. “I can take care of myself. You’re the one who ought to look out, Leo Gregoryan. It’s one thing to be at home in the mountains or on the sea, but any child of yours will need to be looked after by someone who knows what they’re doing.” She tutted. “To think—giving chocolate to a baby dressed in white!”

  “You’re beginning to sound like Krisia.”

  That was a low blow. “Where is your PA these days, anyway?”

  Leo turned the loose change over in his pockets. Sara knew what that meant. “So you two have fallen out?”

  “I don’t need a PA in attendance while I’m on holiday.”

  “I thought she was on holiday too?”

  “Krisia is welded to her job. So am I. Let’s just say we had a professional difference of opinion,” Leo said in a diplomatic tone of voice, “so I’ve learned from the callous way ACS treated you. Rather than disappoint her, I’ve promoted her out of my life.”

  “Congratulations to Krisia!” Sara said, with real feeling. “But I thought you were at the top of your family heap? How much higher could she go?”

  “That’s why we fell out.” Leo took his hands out of his pockets and strolled on. “Krisia’s serious, studious, and steady. She’s everything my brother isn’t. But she loves a challenge, so I’ve given her to Athan, as his PA. They’ll both go far. If they can avoid killing each other in the process.”

  “So where does this leave you? Without a PA, but with potential trouble at home?”

  Leo kicked a pebble out of his way. “There’s always trouble at home. But Athan’s the one to sort it out. And as for my PA...her perfect replacement is standing right in front of me. You and I have got on well together over the past few days, Sara. I want you to be Krisia’s stand-in while you’re here.”

  Sara’s heart sank. She knew what Leo thought about mixing business with pleasure, although her own boundaries were getting blurry. She wanted a safe, pain-free life. Hanging out with Leo was a wonderful distraction, but that wouldn’t last. Taking him up on his offer would mean she could work beside him, but that would be all there was to their relationship. Work. The idea of a holiday romance with him was tempting her more and more, but she had never been interested in one-night stands. If there was no future for them, why risk the pain of having to part?

  Trying to hide her confusion, she laughed. “If there’s anything I can do to help you while I’m here, fine. But I’m more concerned about what happens when you get back home to find a mountain of paperwork, and with no PA.”

  “You don’t need to worry about that. When I’m not on holiday, I have more people fawning around me than I can handle. In fact in the words of Abraham Lincoln, there are too many pigs for the—” He stopped, and looked uncomfortable.

  “What?”

  “No. There are limits to what a man can say in front of a woman, even if that woman is you, Sara.”

  That puzzled her. “I don’t know whether to be offended
or flattered.”

  “When you’re so allergic to compliments, it hardly matters, does it? Never mind. We’re here to enjoy ourselves, not bicker over details.”

  When they returned to Paradise Island, they strolled through the village rather than go straight back to the hotel. To escape the sunshine they dodged into the shade between the sparkling white houses. The heat wasn’t so easy to avoid. Taking a sharp left turn past a small tower that looked like the decoration from a giant wedding cake, they followed a warren of lanes that opened into a tiny courtyard. It was complete with a burbling fountain, and a little old lady bundled up from head to foot in black. Her gnarled fingers were working a spider web of fine white lace. She smiled at them, and said a few words in Greek. Leo chatted to her, while they admired her work. Sara couldn’t understand what he was saying, but she knew it wasn’t the same language she’d heard him use with Krisia. “It never occurred to me people could still live like this,” she said.

  A familiar sound echoed through the little courtyard. The old lady dipped her head in apology, reached into the pocket of her skirt and drew out a phone. Sara and Leo wandered away to give her some privacy. “Well, who’d have thought someone like that would have a mobile?” Sara said. “Although I suppose it’s the obvious answer to looking after elderly relatives. They can call her up to make sure she’s okay. It must be easy for old people to overdo things in this heat.”

  “There you go—jumping to conclusions again. I can tell you don’t speak Greek.”

  “I suspect it’s why my PA was so pleased I agreed to come here at last,” Sara laughed. “I can’t ask for directions to the nearest cyber café.”

  “That woman is talking to her accountant about a series of lacemaking lectures she’s been giving. She told me she was expecting his call.”

  Sara gave him a poke. “You’re making it up!”

  “Maybe, maybe not. You have to admit it sounds less condescending than your version,” he teased, catching at her hand.

  She nodded. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have assumed anything. My working life is so well researched, I never normally do that.” She looked embarrassed. “This holiday’s making me impetuous.”

  Leo stopped. When she did the same and turned to face him, he put his hand up to her face. With the ball of his thumb he gently smoothed out the crease between her brows. “That’s no bad thing. You were sent here to rest and relax. Don’t let your prejudices get in the way of that.”

  Sara closed her eyes, trying to tell herself it was a reflex action at the movement of his hand so close to her face. The feel of his skin against hers had nothing to do with it. The woodland notes of his cologne were a far more powerful temptation. “Especially when I do things like this,” he said, and kissed her.

  It was what Sara had wanted it all along. She’d managed to deflect him often enough to think she was safe from temptation. When he held her and savored her kisses like vintage champagne, she knew she’d been wrong to resist. He filled her mind and tantalized her body until she could think of nothing else. When their lips parted, she rested her head against his chest, closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath. “That shouldn’t have happened,” he said, although his arms were still wound tight around her body, holding her close.

  Sara’s eyes flew open. “I’m the one who’s supposed to say things like that.”

  “I’ve saved you the effort,” he said, without letting her go. “In the same way I’m never going to give you the chance to offend my sense of honor again. Let me take you out to dinner this evening.”

  Sara pulled away from him. His kiss was so intoxicating she knew dinner wouldn’t be the main thing on his menu. Or hers. “No. One thing will lead to another, and I’m supposed to be relaxing, not setting myself up for another personal drama. You shouldn’t distract me like this.”

  “It’s called helping you to unwind, and make the most of your stay here. And speaking of which, I’m living on borrowed time, don’t forget,” he said with a roguish twinkle.

  “That,” she said, “Is nothing short of emotional blackmail, Mr. Gregoryan.”

  “I know.”

  Sara pressed her lips together and tried to disapprove. She couldn’t. Her whole body ached to take a risk with Leo. “Meeting a man who’s open about his motives is so unusual, I’m tempted to give you a try, Mr. Gregoryan.”

  “Does this mean I’ve lost my air of mystery?” He squeezed her playfully.

  “It means I’ll agree to a short trial.” Sara said—but she didn’t tell him it was her willpower she would be putting to the test.

  As she dressed for her night out with Leo, Sara wondered if she could persuade him to open up about his unwanted career change. He’d worked such miracles on her; he would have made a brilliant doctor.

  He’s pretty well qualified in a lot of other areas, too, she thought, strolling barefoot through the dressing room of her suite. It was lovely to take her time getting ready for once. In London, her life—her working life—moved at ninety miles an hour. There was no time left for socializing outside of work. She was always at the office.

  This short break had shown her a whole new way of life. She hadn’t realized how much pleasure there could be in dawdling. At first, she’d resented being pushed off the daily treadmill. Now she was learning all over again the simple pleasure of taking her time. She could idle over selecting her outfit, instead of grabbing the first thing to hand.

  After a long deliberation, she chose silk underwear in pale peach, edged with cream lace. As usual, it was a decision she made to please herself, and no one else. She twirled in front of a full-length mirror, loving the sensation of fine fabric moving over her skin. It made her feel good, and she smiled at her reflection. Standing in a patch of sunlight dressed in silk underwear and high heels, she tried to decide between a full-length dress in green satin, or a little cocktail-length number in blue moiré. This was the kind of heaven she had never experienced before. She reveled in the sensation as time slipped away. With minutes to go before Leo was supposed to be calling for her, she decided on the body-skimming emerald dress with its shimmer of gold threads. It complemented her mane of auburn hair, and shimmered in the low rays of the sun. A dusting of blusher and a quick slick of lipstick, and she checked the mirror again. Then she nodded. Leo was worth dressing up for—but then, so was she.

  She was fastening a pair of gold droplets into her ears when there was a knock at the door.

  “It’s me. Leo.”

  “I’m impressed. You’re right on time.” She crossed the room.

  “Naturally,” he called through the door. “To be early is needy. To be late is unforgivable.”

  She opened the door, and enjoyed seeing him startle.

  “You’re ready too?”

  “Of course. I agree with you. You said you’d be here at eight, so I got ready in the faint hope you’d be as good as your word. It turns out you’re the first man I’ve met who not only owned a watch, but knew how to use it.”

  “You sound surprised.”

  “I am—and you look it!”

  He ran an appreciative gaze over her sleek green dress. It concealed more than it revealed, but its cut slicked across her hips to show off her figure. “You look good.”

  Sara feigned disappointment. “Is that it? I was aiming for a breathless ’wow!’”

  “Then actions should speak louder than words.” He scooped her into his arms for a kiss. Moving fast, Sara put her hands against his chest and resisted.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  He released her slowly, and with regret. “You’re right. I can’t deny everyone at The Philomela the chance to see you looking like this.”

  “Wow...I mean, so that’s where we’re going? I’ve heard their chef is hoping for a second Michelin star. Thank goodness I made a bit of an effort,” she said, to prove she hadn’t done it just for him.

  “You’ll make that chef see a few stars while he’s waiting. It makes me glad
I’ve put on my second-best suit.”

  Sara hadn’t expected him to play her at her own game. He was wearing an immaculate tuxedo, complete with crisp white shirt and black velvet bow tie, and looked perfect. That didn’t stop her rising to his bait. “Are you saying an evening out with me only deserves second best?”

  Leo gave her the smile of a man making fine distinctions. “Our unplanned swim together made sure my best one is unwearable. My tailor is hard at work on the replacement. While he’s a genius, he’s not a miracle worker.”

  “Of course.” Grabbing her bag and key card, Sara swung out of the suite and headed for the lift.

  “What happened to your pedometer?”

  “You noticed I’m not wearing it?”

  “Call it professional interest.”

  “I was beginning to take my exercising a bit too seriously. If I couldn’t make my twelve thousand steps per day because you and I had been lazing on the deck of Neroli, I got so stressed it was worse than doing no exercise at all. So I binned it.”

  “Swimming and taking it easy are a better bet when you’re supposed to be on holiday. It’s all I do,” Leo said.

  And you’re looking pretty good on it, she thought. “Then I’m very happy to take that sort of medical advice.”

  He gestured her into the elevator.

  A valet was parking Leo’s car in front of the hotel as they stepped outside.

  “What’s it like to drive one of these?” Sara asked as he opened the passenger door for her.

  “Try it.”

  She recoiled. “No. No, I can’t...”

  “Sara? What’s up? I’ve never offered anyone else the chance before, but I’m pretty sure that’s an unusual reaction.”

  “I had a bad accident, and I haven’t driven since,” she said, diving into the car and pulling the door out of his hands to slam it shut. Revealing her lapse to Leo made her feel terrible. As he walked round the back of the car, her mind went into overdrive. He was bound to tease her about this so she braced herself, ready to laugh it all off.

  He opened the door, and got in. Sara held her breath. He started the car and sent it down the myrtle-lined drive like an arrow. “Aren’t you going to tell me not to be so stupid?” she asked, when he said nothing.