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That low-frequency purr intensified Became irresistible

His mouth dipped to hers

It was the lightest of kisses—the softest brushing of hissensationthe merest sip of the honey of her silken lips The kind of kiss any reet any woman with in public

And yet he had to use every ounce of his self-control to draw back from her, to smile down at her and release her hand, her waist, help her to take a seat He could see that her face had flushed, her colour heightened and the low purring inside hilad of this visible evidence of her response to him

Of his to her he needed no second proof Desire rushed through him And an absolute certainty that the half-crazy idea he had blurted out to her that afternoon to stop her fleeing back to London, to the grim, bleak life she lived there—the iinal deterlish daughter, had see to ed to make happen He wanted to make her his

He resuaze had dipped and she was busying herself s from her flushed cheeks Xandros knew he needed to put her at ease with hih to make clear to her just how he felt

‘I thought it best to dine here at the hotel,’ he opened ‘The food is excellent and I thought you ht like the view’

He gestured to the picture hich opened on to a terrace beyond He heard her breath catch with delight as she looked past hi: the ultiht

‘The Acropolis!’ she breathed, onder in her voice, leaning forward to maximise her view

‘And the Parthenon on top of it,’ he supplied

Her face had lit up, enhancing her beauty, and as she gazed at the vista Xandros gazed at her face One thought only blazed in him: whatever it took to convince her to accept his proposal, he must do it

He could tell that her presence here with hi with a beautiful woman—Athens society ell used to that—but because up until recently the wo with had been Ariadne Coustakis

And that, he realised, thinking it through rapidly, was yet another bonus to be gained frolish daughter that afternoon

It will give hly acceptable explanation for why my relationship with Ariadne is no more A totally unexpected coup de foudre when I ement

The tale would play well, and it would silence any speculation arising froe to another woossip