doing the duty thing with your parents?’
She took exception to his tone, and his manner. ‘I don’t regard talking to my parents as a duty.’
‘You obviously don’t suffer parental suffocation as a result of being the only child,’ he alluded cynically.
‘No,’ she responded evenly.
‘Ready to leave?’ Nikos queried smoothly as she joined Jeremy’s parents. ‘If you’ll excuse us,’ Nikos announced imperturbably to his hosts. ‘Michelle and I have some catching up to do.’ He caught hold of her hand and drew her forward, inclined his head towards a startled Jeremy, then led her from the lounge.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ she hissed as soon as they reached the foyer.
‘Providing you with a lift to your apartment.’
‘Michelle.’ Jeremy drew level with them. ‘I’ll take you home.’
She felt like hitting each of them. One for being overly possessive and childishly jealous. The Greek for his arrogance.
‘There’s no need to leave your parents’ guests,’ Nikos intoned pleasantly. ‘Michelle’s apartment building is almost opposite my own.’
How did he know that?
‘She’s my girlfriend,’ Jeremy reiterated fiercely as he turned towards her.
This was getting worse by the second.
‘Michelle?’ Nikos’ voice was silk-encased steel.
Jeremy’s hand closed over her shoulder, as if staking a claim. ‘Damn you, tell him.’
‘There’s nothing to tell,’ she assured quietly, and winced as Jeremy’s hold tightened.
‘I don’t think so, my friend,’ Nikos drawled with dangerous softness, and Jeremy turned towards him with emboldened belligerence.
‘This is none of your business!’
‘I disagree.’
‘Why would you do that?’
‘Because Michelle is with me.’
‘Damned if she is!’ Jeremy’s face contorted with fury.
‘You want proof?’ Nikos demanded silkily.
Michelle didn’t get the chance to say a word in protest as Nikos drew her into his arms and covered her mouth with his own.
Possessive and frankly sensual, he took advantage of her surprise to taste and plunder at will, then before she could protest he gathered her close and turned the kiss into something incredibly erotic.
Her heart jumped, then raced to a quickened beat as one hand slid to hold fast her nape while the other cupped her bottom and brought her into startling contact with hard male arousal.
Each and every one of her senses intensified as he sought her response.
Passion...electric, magnetic, shameless, it tore through all the conventional barriers to a primitive base that was wholly sexual.
It was as if an instinctive knowledge existed between them, she registered dimly. Something that sanctioned the way his mouth wreaked havoc with her own.
She was supremely aware of him, everything about him. The faint layers of texture and smell heightened her senses...the subtle tang of his cologne, the texture of his skin, the fine fabric of his clothing.
There was a part of her that wanted to travel with him wherever this sensual path might lead, while the sensible sane part registered alarm.
With a groan of disgust she dragged her mouth away. Her breathing was ragged, and for the space of a few seconds she had no knowledge of where she was. There was only the man, and a mesmeric helpless hunger.
‘What in hell do you think you’re doing?’
Jeremy’s voice seemed to come from a distance, and she struggled to focus on the immediate present.
‘Right now, taking Michelle home,’ Nikos declared with deceptive mildness. Without missing a beat he lifted one eyebrow in silent query. ‘Michelle?’
Dammit, his breathing was even, steady, while hers seemed as wild and ragged as her heartbeat.
‘Walk away from me,’ Jeremy warned. ‘And I won’t have you back.’
She registered Jeremy’s rage and felt vaguely sickened. ‘You never had me in the first place.’
The sound of voices and the appearance in the foyer of two other guests had a diffusing effect, and Jeremy’s expression underwent an abrupt change from anger to affability.
‘Let’s get the hell out of here,’ Nikos instructed quietly, taking hold of her arm.
He led her down the few steps to the driveway, and she made a futile effort to wrench her arm free from his grasp as they drew abreast of a large BMW.
‘Don’t,’ he warned silkily. ‘You’ll only hurt yourself.’
It was difficult to determine his expression in the dim half-light as he withdrew a set of keys, unlocked the door, then handed them to her. ‘Drive, if it will make you feel safer to be with me.’
The soft crunch of gravel as footsteps approached intruded, and she stood stiffly as they drew close.
‘Goodnight, Michelle. Nikos.’
Nikos returned the acknowledgement as the couple slid into the car immediately behind them, and in an unbidden gesture Michelle thrust the keys at him, then she unlatched the door and slid into the passenger seat.
Nikos took his position behind the wheel, fired the engine, then eased the car onto the road. Minutes later the powerful car entered the main northbound highway, traversed it for less than a kilometre, and took the next turnoff that led into suburban Main Beach.
She was supremely conscious of him, the slight flash of gold on his wrist as he handled the wheel.
‘We’ll stop at a café for coffee,’ Nikos informed as they paused at a set of traffic lights. ‘There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.’
‘The subtle “your apartment or mine?” spiel?’ Michelle mocked with light sarcasm. ‘Forget it. One-night stands aren’t my thing.’
‘I’m relieved to hear it.’
The lights changed, and within minutes the powerful engine purred down a notch as he decelerated and touched the brakes, then he eased the vehicle to a halt.
Michelle reached for the door-clasp, a word of thanks ready to emerge from her lips.
Then she froze.
The underground car park was similar
