Kallie. Now.’
Fuelled by something bigger than her—the wine, the sense of finality about everything—Kallie moved forward as if in a dream, through the crowd in the room, out the door that Alexandros had disappeared through and onto the patio. The warm air washed over her, bringing her to her senses somewhat. She almost turned around and went back inside, but saw Eleni at the door. No going back.
She didn’t see Alexandros at first—he was hidden by an overhanging tree that trailed its leaves along the stones of the grand patio. Then she saw him, his tall lean body, jacket off, leaning against the wall, and it made something inside her flutter to life. She moved forward. Thoughts swirled around her head, like a drumbeat…a mantra…as she approached him.
It’s now or never. If I don’t do it then I’ll never know, he’ll never know how I feel…
She held her breath and stepped into the space where the tree formed a kind of hidden clearing. The faint sounds of the party drifted out on the breeze but Kallie was oblivious to that. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest it was beating so hard. Alexandros had his back to her but she could see that he had a bottle in his hand and was lifting it up, drinking from it. She must have made a noise because he whirled around, the bottle clenched in one hand.
‘Who’s that?’ He peered into the gloom and Kallie stepped forward slightly. ‘Kallie? Is that you?’
She stepped forward. ‘It’s me.’
He turned away. ‘You should go back inside to the others.’
She was stung at his obvious desire to be alone. His dismissal. She realised a little belatedly that he’d been in a strange mood all evening, dark, brooding, as if a black cloud clung to him. And it seemed even more apparent now.
Having come this far, she ignored him and kept walking till she was almost beside him, the twinkling vista of Athens laid out below them at the end of the garden. Her heart was beating so rapidly she felt light-headed.
‘I’d like to stay, if that’s all right.’
He shrugged and took another swig from the bottle. Kallie grabbed it from him, taking him off guard, and took a drink herself before he could stop her. She coughed and spluttered as the liquid burnt her throat. He stood up straight and clapped her back, sitting her back on the low wall beside him. A wry grin on his face.
‘What were you expecting? Wine?’
Tears streamed down Kallie’s face, shocking her out of her nerves for a moment. ‘What was that?’
‘Ouzo.’
She shivered suddenly when she realised that they were close together, his muscular thigh burningly close to hers.
He reached for his coat and draped it over her shoulders. She had to fight not to give in to the sensation, not to close her eyes and breathe his scent deeply. They sat in silence for long minutes, neither one moving. That brooding energy emanated from Alexandros. The air seemed to grow thick around them, tension mounting, and Kallie wondered feverishly what to say, how to break it. But Alexandros turned to her suddenly.
‘Kallie…why did you come out here? You should go back, it’s getting dark.’
She looked at him, hurt in her eyes. ‘I just…I don’t mind just sitting here with you…’
He groaned softly and ran hands through his hair. ‘Sorry. I’m just…not the best company tonight.’
She laid a hand on his arm, and looked at him. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’
He looked at her for a long time with an intensity that made something coil deep in Kallie’s abdomen, something alien and tight…hot. He seemed to be fighting some inner battle, struggling with something. Then it passed. She held her breath as he reached out a hand and caught a lock of her hair, letting it slide through his fingers.
‘Your colouring is amazing, do you know that?’
Kallie grimaced, felt like squirming under his gaze. ‘It’s horrible. I burn too easily. I blush too easily.’
And I’m too fat…
Every insecurity rose up all too easily.
He shook his head. ‘No, you’ve got your mother’s colouring. A typical English rose…’
‘That’s why my father says he fell in love with her.’
Something dark crossed his face and he let her hair go. The moment was gone. And in that same moment she knew she didn’t have the guts to do this. She should leave Alexandros alone. To fight whatever demons were chasing him.
‘I’ll go…’
She got up to leave and promptly stumbled when the ground swayed as she stood up. Alexandros’s arms came out automatically, swinging her into his chest to regain balance. Her wish to leave dissolved in a flash of heat. His chest was against her hands, strong and broad and warm, his heart beating steadily. His scent surrounded her. She looked up into those dark, fathomless depths and was lost, no more capable of moving than hiding the blatant desire in her expressive eyes. She was in a bubble of sensation so acute that she’d lost all sense of reality, space and time.
She lifted a tentative hand and with one trembling finger traced the outline of Alexandros’s mouth, the hard sensual contours. She could feel his breath against her palm.
‘Kallie…what are you doing?’
Her eyes jumped up to his and for the first time in her life she felt bold, filled with some unknown, unexplored feminine power. Not knowing how she had the nerve, she just said simply, ‘This…’
And she reached up, closed her eyes and pressed soft, warm lips against his.
For a long moment he didn’t do anything. Kallie felt something move through her, an aching wanting. It stunned her with its intensity. And then hope sprang in her breast. He wasn’t pushing her away. Would he kiss her back? She wanted him to, so much. Her lips moved tentatively against his…and then abruptly her world erupted and tilted. Alexandros stood and pushed her away from him with two harsh hands so quickly that Kallie was dizzy and would have staggered back except for his unwitting support. His jacket fell to the ground behind her.
‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’
He let go and somehow Kallie managed to keep standing. She could feel a tide of red heat climb her chest, her body throbbing painfully with all the newly discovered sensations clamouring for release.
The way Alexandros was looking at her, with such disdain, disbelief and horror, made her turn to jelly.
Her voice was hesitant. ‘I…I was kissing you.’
He was scathing. ‘I know that, Kallie, I’m not stupid.’
Mortification twisted her insides. ‘I’m sorry…I don’t know what…’ She shook her head and stumbled away a little.
He caught her back with his hands on her shoulders. ‘No, Kallie, what the hell was that? Why would you try and kiss me?’
‘Because…’
