Page 28 of The Tycoon's Affair: Tempted By Desire
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 heshouldget 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 getsomecolour!’ Sidonie had protested earlier.
Alexio had held her down easily on the lounger and proceeded to slather her with cream, saying sternly, ‘You arenotdamaging 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.
