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Lysander paled and drew in a stark swift breath If your e ends in divorce, I’ll blame myself That assurance in tandem with that word, ‘fainia er for him to settle doith one woman Respect for his privacy had kept her silent until illness had concentrated her thoughts on a future that she feared she uessed that his randchild Even though he was an adult, hened than inia continued to worry incessantly about his happiness rather than her own Moreup and walked over to the

‘Cherish Ophelia—don’t let business becoinia els feared to tread ‘I pro word’

But though Virginia e him to tell her about how her childhood home had fared in Gladys Stewart’s hands, Lysander remained disconcerted by what she had said to him Such interference in his private life was unprecedented and tapped into the concern he contrived to suppress most of the time Now that concern resurfaced and a hollow sensation filled hi about her h her treat well, did she have reason to suspect that her long-ternosis was poor?

Her first glimpse of Lysander’s island took Ophelia’s breath away; Kastros was very lush and beautiful

A colourful fishing village lay at one end of the island while Lysander’s stunning contemporary house sat in splendid isolation at the other, the two joined by a winding single ribbon of road His holorious bay bounded by pine forests and a shi white crescent of eh the front door, she was greeted by a sh for her She was offered an i in tery and comfort A delicious dinner was served on a shaded terrace The chef even came out to check that she had enjoyed the food She was impressed to death—she couldn’t help it

But as the night hours advanced and there was no further word fros had a rather different effect on her The master bedroom suite was built on palatial lines She was astonished when she discovered that the closets in the dressing rooarerie and accessories—all in a selection of sizes The adjoining bathrooills with a wide selection of exclusive perfume and cosmetics Slowly it dawned on Ophelia that the house was a playboy’s paradise where Lysander must have entertained many different women

She rested neare and censorious eyes on theHis bedroouessing how Lysander liked to relax between business deals! With lots of sex and the sort of women who expected to be richly reht of the necklace he had given her and shuddered with distaste

By uest room at the far end of the house She had to make boundaries and stick to theoal was to becoood behaviour had not advanced her cause at the airport hotel or during the flight to Greece Lysander was accusto treated like the wallpaper She should haveto hi on such an act in front of his staff

Her pride revolted at the suspicion that she was already allowing Lysander to ride roughshod over her He had torn her fro life and dumped her on a private island where she had neither company nor occupation And where was he? That hat Ophelia wanted to know While she was iant house in the roo? After all, hadn’t he insisted that they pretend that theirs was a norle sacrifice to be hers?

Mid- the next day, she was infor before she actually saw the helicopter flying in over the bay The staff rushed around Anticipation hung heavy in the air Everywhere Lysander went, the red carpet was rolled out to welcome him and awe-inspired ordinarydispleased hinore the fuss and the expectation that she behave in a similar fashion

Lysander was annoyed that Ophelia wasn’t in the front hall when he arrived He discovered that he had a surprisingly clear concept of hoife should behave Ophelia should have been eager to see hireet hi at all about what pleased a man? Well, not in the bedroom, he conceded, but he didn’t have a probleinia’s strictures nudged to the forefront of his mind and his sleek black brows pleated Of course, if he didn’t tell Ophelia what he expected from her hoas she to know? Perhaps he should write it all down in clear, concise language that could not be uidelines would soon sort out the problem

‘Where is my wife?’ he demanded of his staff

Lysander could not credit the answer Broad shoulders straight as axe handles, the carriage of his big powerful frah his house and knocked on the relevant guest room door A man spoiled by too ht not have knocked, ht even have raised his voice from the foot of the corridor But he was not such aconviction

On the other side of the door, Ophelia tensed and braced herself for a shon

CHAPTER EIGHT

‘YES?’ Ophelia enquired frostily as the door spread back in an ever-widening arc It was a challenge not to react physically to her sudden view of Lysander, for the minute she saw him she becaeous and intensely, unashay that attracted her most It was the powerful buzz of his presence that excited her to the point that she literally held her breath

Dense black lashes seaze and a wicked smile of aht not have been poised by the front door, but she hadfor hilimmered like stars in her heart-shaped face Her tension and unease were so palpable in the delicate contours of her face and the tautness of her slight figure that his exasperation evaporated He strode forward and snatched her up into his arms with raw masculine enthusiasm

‘Sta diavolo…I thought I was never going to get here, yineka mou!’

‘Lysander!’ she squeaked and it wasn’t supposed to be a squeak, it was supposed to be a freezing reproof But once again he had taken her totally by surprise and had steamrollered over her defences before she couldstance

‘I haven’t tasted you since the day before yesterday,’ Lysander declared thickly against the treht into him, he strode with her out of the room, both arms wrapped round her in a potent e time, hara mou’

His deep accented drawl shimmied down her taut spine like a velvet caress

‘P-put me down,’ Ophelia stammered in a hoarse undertone

‘You don’t mean that, not now that you finally have ain,’ Lysander husked, letting his white teeth nibble at her lower lip and taking advantage of her strangled gasp to dip his tongue into the moist tender interior of her mouth, which she had attempted to deny him

Her sliers clenched the

springy depths of his black hair He used his tongue to dart and thrust with erotic mastery and she shivered violently in his hold Her body akening in a feverish burst of response that was so powerful it almost hurt She tried to think, to reason, at virtually the sa surface Her heart was pounding fit to burst He thrust her green cotton top out of his way and dealt even more expeditiously with the wisp of silk and lace that covered the pouting mounds of her breasts as they rose and fell with the rapidity of her breathing

Stunned by the speed hich events were unfolding and the hu body, Ophelia froze Her brainof her skin for Lysander’s touch sent herand she whipped up her hands to cover herself ‘I mustn’t…’ she told him

‘And I ant dark head to taste her full pink mouth with slow, delicious intensity

The shireedy surge that centred on the pulse at the da her hips into the mattress in an unconscious need to ease that ache while her palms dropped away from her chest

‘Do that again,’ she heard herself whisper

And he did Sonised the faint heady arorance that was familiar to her Her bewildered senses and preoccupied brain atte didn’t fit He closed his hands over hers to lift her back against the pillows

Eyes brilliant with hunger, he paused to ad fullness of her bare breasts ‘Delectable,’ he purred, skiid rosy nipple so that her teeth clenched together in helpless reaction

Her eyes were shut tight He lowered his head and captured the lush, tender peak with his ers In the same instant that she clutched at his shoulder to steady herself and her wanton body was racked by an explosion of excruciating pleasure, she recognised the ed at her memory and al It was a wone

‘You’ve been with someone else…’ Ophelia framed, sick and empty with shock as she made that obvious deduction

Lysander straightened with a frown ‘What did you say?’