Easy? How could this kind of intimacy be easy when she’d never indulged in it before?
Especially when the man was Loukas … who steadily with every day and night that passed seemed to extend the boundaries in their marriage.
Worse, she found herself increasingly in a state of ambivalence … alternating longing for his tenderness, the promise of something more, yet nervously reluctant to accept it.
The nerves in her stomach tightened into a painful ball as memory provided vivid recall of Seth’s unfeeling cruelty, both verbal and physical.
Don’t … the word screamed silently inside her head. Don’t bring your ex into the equation. There’s no comparison between Seth and Loukas.
Focus on the now. You can do this.
Slowly, in gradual increments, the stroking of soap combined with the hiss of hot water cascading from the dual shower heads began to have a soothing effect, and there was a sense of pleasure verging on eroticism evident in washing a man’s body.
Not any man. Loukas, she admitted with a degree of surprise.
Alesha avoided meeting his gaze as sensation flared deep within and began to pulse through her veins as fascination combined with reluctant admiration for his superb musculature, defined and sculpted by physical fitness. The slender waist, the lean hips … dear God, the size of him in a state of semi-arousal.
Surely he wouldn’t take the soap there … except he did, much to her embarrassment, although to be fair he kept it clinical and he released his hand from her own as he turned to present his back.
Not that it made much difference, and for a brief few seconds she was strongly tempted to throw down the soap and escape.
Instead, she began smoothing the soap across the expanse of his shoulders, noting the flex of powerful muscle tone as she swept long strokes down to his waist and back to his shoulders until she’d covered every inch.
He possessed a tightly shaped butt … cute, she accorded, then she stilled in shock at the thought she might actually be deriving a degree of enjoyment in washing him.
When she was done he turned to face her, and colour flooded her cheeks as she saw he was fully aroused.
Ohmigod … Chill, she bade silently as she endeavoured to keep her breathing steady. It’s just a normal male reaction.
Didn’t his ministrations with the soap have a similar effect on you?
Had that been the object of the exercise?
She needed to get out of here now.
One wrong move …
‘I’m sure you can manage the rest.’
With that, she stepped around him and pushed open the glass door, filched a folded towel from one of many stacked on a nearby rack and wrapped it round her slender form before collecting another to deal with her hair.
Alesha was dressed when he emerged, and she spared his impressive frame a quick glance. A white towel hitched at his hips accentuated his olive-toned skin, and her pulse quickened as he discarded it and pulled on briefs.
‘I’ll go check on dinner.’
They enjoyed a pleasant meal, sipped wine, and indulged in easy conversation. Loukas was a skilled raconteur, and she began to relax … until he mentioned the need to return to Athens for a short period of time.
‘Business,’ he relayed.
‘How long will you be away?’
‘We,’ Loukas corrected, and saw her lips part in disbelief.
‘You want me to go with you?’
‘It’s an opportunity to reconnect with the family.’
Alesha had met his parents and his younger sister several years ago when she’d accompanied her parents to Greece. Then she’d been a carefree young woman of twenty, in love with life, establishing her career with Karsouli and studying for an honours degree in business management.
A lot had happened in the intervening years. Now she was Loukas’ wife, an equal partner in Karsouli, and all too aware Loukas’ parents knew the facts surrounding their son’s marriage.
How could she refuse … and on what grounds?
‘We’ll take an evening flight out tomorrow evening.’
So soon?
Athens. At this time of year the temperatures would be similar, with autumn in one country and spring in another.
There was a part of her that looked forward to visiting the city again. The ancient and the new, the sense of history.
Playing the newly-wed wife beneath the keen eyes of Loukas’ family was something else.
‘I’ll take these through to the kitchen and load the dishwasher.’
Loukas joined her, and set up the coffee-maker, then when it was ready he filled two cups, placed one on the servery and leaned a hip against its marble edge and spared her a discerning look.
‘We’ll stay at my home in suburban Kifissia, then spend a few days on the island.’
Okay, she could do this. Like she had an option?
‘Pack light. My mother and sister will undoubtedly plan at least one shopping expedition.’ He shifted to his full height and indicated his coffee. ‘I’ll take this with me and work for a few hours.’
A full day at the office and packing with lightning speed ensured Alesha didn’t have time to think … which had to be a bonus.
Loukas, on the other hand, juggled everything with admirable expertise, filled a carry-on bag with essentials, and offered a musing smile as she queried, ‘Is that all you’re taking?’
‘I have clothes in each of my homes.’
Of course. ‘You lead a charmed life.’ Not exactly fair, when he worked long hours between office and home, and achieved more in a day than most men accomplished in a week. What was more, he managed to do so with exemplary ease.
He crossed to her side, slid a hand to her nape and kissed her briefly, but with a thoroughness that left her catching her breath.
‘Relax.’
Like she could do that when he invaded her senses and melted her bones?
He made her think of the impossible … only to dismiss it out of hand. They had a marriage. The beginnings of affection … maybe. It was enough. More than she’d expected. So why did she feel as if her emotions were spinning out of control?
Ridiculous, she chided silently as she tossed cosmetics and perfume into a bag and slotted it into a suitcase.
She caught up her shoulder bag. ‘Shall we leave?’
A chartered Lear jet awaited them at Sydney airport, and, once airborne, Loukas opened his laptop and focused on work, while Alesha did likewise.
Although her father had preferred to travel via a commercial flight, she admired the advantage of a chartered jet whose interior held luxurious recliner sleep chairs, together with designer office accessories enabling a corporate high-flier to work in comfort.
For the duration of the flight they both spent large slices of time on their laptops, ate, slept and took the occasional break.
Alesha found it stimulating to discuss Karsouli on a one-to-one basis; to present a few of her ideas for its future … proposals Dimitri had listened to, but not implemented due to lack of capital—something she hadn’t known at the time.
The strategies Loukas intended—some of which were already in place—had her approval, and she could only applaud his long-term plan to return Karsouli to its former power amongst a global