The Greek Tycoon's Lover (13 page)

She woke up angry for some reason. Showering and dressing, she stomped up the stairs to the breakfast room, a scowl on her face. Already, the other four members of the party were gathered, sipping their coffee and chatting. Helen said good morning, then walked over to the buffet. Piling the food onto her plate, she surveyed the fresh fruit, eggs, sausage and biscuits without interest, then piled more food onto her plate for some reason.

Turning to sit down at the table with the others, her breath caught in her throat as she watched Dimitri walk toward her, his steps determined and the look in his eyes showed her that she was already in trouble, but for what, she had no idea. Dimitri paused only long enough to take her plate of food out of her hand and put it on a nearby table before lifting her into his arms and carrying her out of the breakfast room. Helen heard the chuckles behind her, but was so transfixed by Dimitri’s intent she couldn’t react.

He walked only far enough so they were out of sight of the others, then he leaned her against the wall and ravished her mouth, his hands underneath her bottom holding her steady. Helen couldn’t help herself, she was caught up in the mindless passion once again, her legs wrapping around his waist and her arms around his neck as she kissed him back with everything she had in her, everything she was feeling and had dreamed during the previous restless night. Her tongue was just as hungry, her mouth just as ravenous and she didn’t allow him any quarter, giving as good as he did, both of them taking it all.

When he finally lifted his head, he was smiling at her. “Good morning,” he said, his voice husky and his eyes showing her the passion that was obviously not satisfied.

“Good morning,” she breathed, her face flushed and her hands still roving over his broad shoulders and down his arms, tracing the muscles that were so well defined. She wasn’t sure why, but she didn’t have the ability to stop touching him.

He let her legs drop to the floor but he wouldn’t allow any space between their bodies. In fact, his hips pinned hers against the wall behind her. “Did you sleep well?” he asked, his voice deep and husky and his eyes roving over her features.

She shook her head. “No. I didn’t and I think it’s all your fault!”

He chuckled and she could feel the vibrations in his chest where her hands were laying. “Why do you say that?”

“Because I was thinking about you and what…” she cleared her throat and looked at his neck, unable to hold his gaze as she continued, “what you and I did last night before you walked away.”

He sighed as he pulled her hips more firmly against his erection, showing her how much she affected him. “Good. Neither did I,” he replied, then bent down to nibble on her lower lip. “Are you wearing your bathing suit?” he asked.

Helen could only laugh at his preoccupation with her wearing one of those bikinis. “No.” She was thrilled that he wanted to see her in it so much. It gave her confidence like nothing else could.

“But you will, won’t you?” he asked, telling her, more than asking as he moved to her other ear lobe, nibbling there and making her shiver in excitement.

“Maybe,” she laughed harder.

“Witch,” he growled before stepping back and grabbing her hand. He led her back into the breakfast salon to the applause of the other four people. Kevin and Martin whistled and Dimitri didn’t even blush although Helen hid behind his massive shoulders, completely embarrassed.

Dimitri only bowed mockingly before picking up her plate, raising one eyebrow as he looked down at the massive amount of food piled onto it.

“It won’t work,” he said and handed the plate to her, pulling out a chair and waiting until she was settled before bending over and kissing her bare shoulder.

“What?” she asked, not even interested in the food now that he was here. Looking at him, she completely lost her appetite. For food at least.

He winked at her as he glanced down at her plate, referring to the pile of food that was stacked there, now being ignored. “The food. It won’t quench the need. Only I can fix that for you.”

Chapter 8

Helen bit her lower lip as she contemplated her figure in the skimpy bikini. She couldn’t do it, she told herself. Reaching behind her back, she was just about to untie the strings when a knock sounded on the door. “Just a moment,” she called out. Grabbing her shirt and shorts, she quickly pulled them over her bathing suit and hurried to the door.

“Ready?” Dimitri asked, looking down into her worried expression. “What’s wrong?” he instantly asked, pushing his way into the room and looking around. “Is someone bothering you?” His hands were on her hips and Helen was flattered that he was instantly protecting her from some unknown villain. Wouldn’t it amuse him to know that the villain was a few scraps of material?

She quickly shook her head and placed a calming hand on his chest to reassure him. “No, it isn’t anything like that,” Helen replied, stepping back to give him more room, feeling cornered and short of breath with his presence.

He obviously wasn’t convinced and looked like he was about to start searching the room. “Then why are you upset?” he asked.

“I’m not upset,” she replied, looking down at the cream carpeting. At his disbelieving look, she relented. She had no idea how the man could gauge her reactions so accurately. “Well, I guess I’m a little concerned,” she clarified. “It’s just that, well, this bathing suit is a little more revealing than I’m used to,” she admitted.

“Ah,” he replied. Dimitri smothered a smile and reached out to pull her closer, keeping his mind off of what she was going to look like when she took off those shorts. “Don’t worry about it. I guarantee that others will be much more revealing. You’ll feel completely conservative,” he said.

His hands rubbed her back absently and he sighed deeply. “We need to get moving and we definitely have to get out of this room. Especially now that I know what you’re wearing underneath those clothes. I’ve been dreaming about the moment I get to see you in nothing but that bathing suit.” He looked a little smug before he said, “Actually, I’ve been thinking about what you look like in nothing at all but I’ll take anything I can.” Taking her hand, he pulled her behind him, guiding her out to the launch that was waiting to take them to shore.

She suddenly remembered the bag she had been packing with all of her beach paraphernalia. When he’d walked into her room, she’d forgotten everything but his presence. “I don’t have a towel or anything else,” she said, pulling back slightly.

“No need, everything has been taken care of,” he said, patting a large bag that was filled with sunscreen, towels and a large hat. “I even thought of a pair of sunglasses for you,” he said, pulling out a pair and placing them firmly on her nose. “There, anything else you might need?” he asked.

There were several things that popped into her mind at that moment, but of course, she didn’t have the courage to ask for them. Dimitri looked so confident, she wished she could absorb some of his courage.

Everyone else was already in the launch, couples sitting close to each other and Helen felt like the odd one out for some reason. She hurried onto the launch, allowing Dimitri to enter before her and was thrilled when he reached up to the decking and effortlessly picked her up, holding her firmly around the waist and placing her onto the floor of the launch. He then led her over to the other two available seats, pulling her just as closely to him as the others were sitting.

The six of them started off in the launch, Dimitri at the controls as he maneuvered the boat along the water toward an unknown destination.

Dimitri directed the boat to a secluded spot that Helen hadn’t even realized was there until he turned the corner. It was protected by a reef that Dimitri maneuvered around carefully, then anchored in the middle of the small cove.

Everyone immediately pulled on their snorkeling gear, then dove into the crystal blue waters, all four of them laughing and teasing one another. All except Dimitri and Helen, leaving them alone while Dimitri explained how to work the flippers and snorkel. “Okay, lesson’s over,” he said, pulling his shirt over his head. “Let’s get into the water.”

Helen’s mouth was painfully dry as she watched him strip down to just his bathing suit. The man was built, she remembered from two nights ago when she’d seen him in just a towel. She’d also felt those muscles last night as her fingers ran over them, caressing them. Goodness, even after all that she’d forgotten how amazing he was. Maybe she just wasn’t sure her mind was remembering things correctly. In her mind’s eye, she chided herself on thinking a mere man could be that incredibly, perfectly put together. But here he was, confirming that her imagination hadn’t exaggerated.

“Okay, get ready,” he encouraged and turned to pull the gear together from a storage container on the motor boat.

Helen just stood there, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. She didn’t have the courage to take off her clothes.

Dimitri turned around, two pairs of flippers in his hand and simply looked down at her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Helen had no idea how to tell him but as she looked over at him, he seemed to understand. He smiled gently and placed the flippers and mask on one of the motor boat’s chairs.

He walked over to stand only inches from her and bent down. Taking the edge of her top, he slowly pulled up. “Don’t worry, Helen. I can guarantee that you…’ he stopped when he had pulled the fabric over her head and dropped it behind him. His eyes were transfixed on her breasts, traveling down across her flat stomach. When his eyes reached the fabric of her shorts, he reached out and unsnapped them. Helen was too mesmerized by his gaze to do anything other than let him take off her shorts.

“I was going to say that I can guarantee there’s nothing you have that I haven’t seen. You know, in a doctorly kind of manner. But the truth is,” he said, his eyes hot and passionate as he looked down at her body, “you’re more beautiful than I’d even imagined.”

Helen felt a glow start to warm her so she was hotter than what the sun could possibly heat her.

As his hands moved onto her waist, she allowed him to unzip the shorts, baring her long, slender legs. She was standing in front of him in just the skimpy bikini he’d taken out yesterday, although it was the less revealing of the two. She still felt completely vulnerable.

Dimitri cleared his throat and the next thing Helen knew, he was handing her flippers, a mask and a snorkel with business-like efficiency. “We’ll dive here. Just follow me and you’ll be okay.”

Helen was confused that he wasn’t still looking at her. For a long moment, she thought he’d considered her pretty, feminine and attractive. But now, when he just turned away from her, she wasn’t sure anymore. As soon as the thoughts formed, she pushed them away. He wanted her. He’d just said she was beautiful and she needed to stop questioning her value in his eyes. She was worth more than this kind of insecurity.

Sighing heavily, Helen took the offered gear and put them on as he instructed her although she felt rather gauche and awkward. Flippers and snorkel, she realized, were not the sexiest gear around.

As soon as they entered the water, all thoughts of her figure and his perception of her fled her mind. The under water world was glorious and mysterious. She loved the fish that darted in and out of the reef, nibbling at the plants and the colorful coral that swayed with the flow of the water. It was rhythmic and magical and possibly one of the most amazing experiences of her life. And the fact that she was sharing it with Dimitri only made it so much better for her.

They swam for hours, Dimitri showing her all the different fish that were swimming around the reef as well as a couple of sea turtles who quickly swam out of sight when they saw the two of them under the water.

After several hours, the six of them gathered on the soft sandy shore and had a delicious picnic lunch. All of them spoke about the various fish and underwater life they’d seen, and all laughed at the antics of those fish and each other. It was a wonderful, relaxing afternoon, filled with camaraderie and wonder.

Once everyone else wandered off to be alone, Dimitri took Helen’s hand and pulled her along the shore line, leaving the others behind as they relaxed in the sunshine or waded in the shores of the water hand in hand.

“Where are we going?” Helen asked, loving the way his callused hands felt against her softer skin. She wondered about those calluses, since she knew he spent just as much time behind a desk or in a board room as she did. Even more so, since he worked longer hours than she ever did. There had been many nights he’d told her to go home while he continued with whatever report or document he’d been reviewing.

Dimitri didn’t bother to respond to her question but his eyes looked mysteriously down at her own. “Trust me?” he asked.

Helen laughed and contemplated her situation. “Let me see. I’m out here in an isolated cove with a man who probably wants to ravish me, I have no idea if there are other inhabitants of this island or, if there are, if they are close enough to help if I called out. So do you think I should trust you?”

“Yes,” he said, but his eyes contradicted that assertion. She could see the mischief he was planning in his eyes but this time, it didn’t scare her. Now she wanted more and she was his willing pupil.

Helen laughed, her stomach hurting from the amount of laughter she’d experienced already today. “You’re horrible,” she said.