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He gave no answer, but the silence sizzled with so unspoken and his slow s here—because as sure as hens laid eggs no e before This—this what? Expectant?

She sed thickly just as he said, ‘I think that for now you should find shade’ With lazy grace, the lightest of touches, he brushed a strand of damp hair away from her hot forehead ‘You are hot Very hot!’ Golden eyes danced ‘I’ll see you around’

Not if I see you first, was Maddie’s wild unspoken thought as she took the hint and scurried away fro for the wide door that led to the cool interior of the villa Her skin was still tingling where he had so lightly touched it, sending responsive quivers down her spine

Typical Greek male, she fumed Most of the casuals had been the sa their stuff when a female was around She’d been able to overlook the Didn’t kno Didn’t want to kno Hadn’t had any practice

But the stranger had been different And how! It had e dose of charisma, she decided as she reached the sanctuary of the suite of rooiven A knock-out dose that would make him irresistible if he had seduction in mind

Seduction? She wasn’t going to go there No way! No doubt he acted that ith any female under ninety So snap out of it, she scolded herself

Getting out of her work clothes, she headed for the shower and put him quite brutally out of her mind Or tried to With little success, she conceded with vast annoyance

The party was going with the sort of discreet swing that only serious uests wandered out froantly in hand, ically placed uplighters, the plants Maddie had chosen for their perfu the pillars of the arcade And because Amanda and Cristos, bless them, had made sure everyone present knew she was the creator of the lush loveliness, Maddie kept her fingers crossed that soht remember her if they needed any work done in the future

Amanda joined her on the secluded stone seat Maddie had retired to to get her breath back after answering so lass of chilled white wine in her hot hands

‘It’s going perfectly Everyone’s iet one or two commissions’

‘I hope so!’ Maddie grinned at her friend ‘I’d love to work here again—I’ve fallen in love with the country! And I’ll never be able to thank you enough for thinking of me’

‘Who else would I think of, dolt?’ Amanda’s lovely face dimpled with affection ‘And take e top dollar These people co out of their ears—they expect to pay a-bucks Offer them cut price and they’ll come all over squeamish and run a mile!’

‘I’ll re sip of wine and pushed her untidy fringe out of her eyes with her free hand, her dancing blue eyes wandering between the groups of beautiful people ere slowly circulating, chatting, the wo each other’s jewels and designer dresses

Dressing for the party, Maddie hadn’t even tried to compete Heck, how could she? Willowy she wasn’t, and her wardrobe was as sparse as the hairs on a balding ht with her—a simple blue shirtwaister, plain but presentable

She immediately wished she didn’t look so ordinary when she saw him

An uncontrollable so made her heart leap and her stoed as a casual worker—ant—was obviously one of the super-wealthy beings her friend hest stratuiven to the dark, fashionably skinny beauty clinging to his arrafted there

‘Oops—lateco’

A the unmissable, rose to her feet, and Maddie, because she couldn’t help it, asked, ‘Who is he?’

‘He’s gorgeous, isn’t he?'Aled ‘Dihbour He walked over thisto discuss a business deal with Cristos—but he’s taken! The clinging vine is Irini—soeneral consensus is that wedding bells are soon to be tolled! So you have been warned!’

Great! Maddie thought bracingly And the warning was unnecessary Seeing him in this exalted milieu provided the metaphorical bucket of cold water she’d needed—because despite all her good intentions she hadn’t been able to get him or his final words out of her mind Or the way he’d looked at her, the sexual interest dee—and what a body!

She had to put a stop to the unwanted and repeated invasion of the totally stupid thought that heher break her vow of chastity A vowcareer lement, and because of her need to prove herself to her parent, who seemed to think that a woman needed a man to look after her, to make her whole