felt backed into a corner.
Stavros felt his pulse pounding in his neck, all of his blood rushing south of his belt. He’d been fighting to urge to go and pull Jessica into his arms and kiss her lips, kiss the swells of her breasts where they rose up over that gown. That ridiculous gown that made her look like every man’s midnight fantasy.
He’d tried to focus on the women, the bridal candidates. But they’d seemed … insipid. Young. They hadn’t interested him. They certainly hadn’t stirred his body. Not in the way Jessica did. And that was not part of tonight’s plan.
But when she’d walked into the ballroom tonight, it was as though a switch had flipped inside of him.
Lust had ignited in him like fire, the need to see her curves, those gorgeous curves, without a dress covering them. It made him want to press her against the wall and push all that frilly netting aside. To make her scream with the kind of desire that seemed to be actively trying to eat him alive every time she was around.
He was better than this. He mastered his desires. He directed them where he wanted, when he wanted to express them.
“Has anyone ever told you that you are very stubborn?” he growled.
“It’s probably been said to me as many times as it’s been said to you. Actually, I imagine I’ve heard it more, since people probably don’t stand up to you very often.”
That much was true. But she stood up to him, and she did it without compunction. Yes, she had a reputation for being this bullheaded, but he hadn’t expected she would truly treat him in the same way she did every other client.
His expectation had been wrong.
“Fair enough then,” he said. “But I do expect you to do as I ask.”
“Then I expect you might find yourself disappointed.”
“You are supposed to be working for me,” he said, not sure where this urge to push her was coming from. But that was what he was doing. Pushing her. Daring her.
“If that’s how you feel, you can hunt for your own wife. But we both know you don’t want that.”
“I’m not sure I want this.” The closest he’d ever come to voicing the truth to anyone.
“But you will.” She was so certain. And she was right. Emotion had no place in this. It had no place in him.
He crossed his arms. “You have other candidates?”
“You still haven’t met Victoria. And there are others.”
She shifted and so did her cleavage. A flame licked at his body, igniting desire. Arousal.
“We can discuss it further later. Shall we go back to the wedding?”
“Yes.”
She pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow. “And will you be civilized?”
A loaded question, and one he was certain applied to more than just tonight. An answer he wasn’t certain of. “I suppose you’ll have to take your chances. Are you willing to do that?”
He extended his arm and she didn’t move for a beat. Then she took a step to him and looped her arm through his. “You don’t worry me too much, Stavros.”
He felt a kick in his gut, a purely masculine part of himself taking her words as a challenge. He stopped, turning to face her. Her green eyes widened, lips parting.
“You trust me?” he asked, his heart thundering.
Her eyes drifted to his mouth before raising up to meet his. “Yes.”
“Ah, but, Ms. Carter, I’m not certain I trust myself. You certainly shouldn’t be putting any trust in me.”
It was nothing. Just a little lust. Nothing deeper than any other attraction he’d felt. It was a direct result of his long bout of celibacy. He would meet more women. Find the one he was supposed to marry, and then he could focus all of his desire on her.
But Theos help him if he could think of marriage without feeling like he was choking. The attraction to Jessica at least made him feel … well, he could breathe.
“I’m going to be in Greece for the next few weeks and I want you to arrange my meetings with prospective brides there. I have business to attend to.” Flexible business, but he needed to get out of Kyonos. Now.
Jessica blinked. “I … I can do that. But I have other clients and I …”
“Not right now you don’t. I need you to put everything else on hold. I need you with me, organizing meetings and whatever else I might need so we can simply get this done.”
“What will people think if we just up and go to Greece the day after your sister’s wedding?”
“Perhaps that we’re embarking on a wild affair?” The idea made his body harden. The idea certainly had merit. Merit he might have to seriously consider. Just the idea of lowering her dress, revealing those luscious breasts …
She laughed. “Oh, I doubt that. More than likely they’ll wonder if you’re looking for a Greek wife.”
“I’m not opposed.” Not any more opposed than he was to the whole idea.
“I guess it doesn’t matter if we operate from Greece or Kyonos.”
“Good. Then we’ll leave for Greece first thing tomorrow.” He opened his office door and held it for her. Tomorrow he would get out of Kyonos, get his head on straight.
For now, he was determined to go back to the reception and enjoy the happiest day of his sister’s life.
WHAT did one wear on a private jet headed to Greece? With a prince as cabin-mate. That last part was important.
That had been the first question in her mind that morning, and it was still plaguing her even as she boarded the private jet, decked out in a yellow halter-top sundress and a matching wide-brimmed hat.
Because seriously, dwelling on anything more important than that might make her head explode. And she didn’t want to risk it. Aside from the fact that the interior was far too swanky to chance getting brain matter on it, she had too much work to do and she couldn’t function without said organ.
Stavros was already on the plane, lounging in one of the spacious leather seats, hands behind his head. It was like his go-to mess-with-her-composure position. Exposed bulge at the apex of his thighs? Check. Hard, muscular chest on display? Check. Washboard abs on show? Double check.
He was going to drive her insane.
And what would you do about it? Even if you could act on your attraction to him?
Nothing. The answer was an absolutely nothing, because while attraction, flirtation and sexual desire were all fine and fun, going any
