In Petrakis's Power by Maggie Cox

Author:Maggie Cox
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781472002211
Publisher: HarlequinUKLtd
Published: 2013-06-02T21:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

WITH HER INSIDES churning at the prospect of facing Ludo again after he’d stormed from the room, Natalie made herself unpack and hang up her clothes. This wasn’t the way she’d envisaged her stay in Greece starting out.

In the streamlined, beautifully accessorised marble bathroom she took a quick cooling shower and then, in a bid to lift her spirits, selected one of her favourite dresses to wear. It was a burnt orange halter-neck in a flatteringly soft fabric that trailed elegantly down to her feet, and she teamed it with some pretty Indian bangles and flat Roman-style sandals. With the timeless Mediterranean glinting in the sun behind her, wearing the dress helped her feel as though she really was on holiday … at least so long as she didn’t think about Ludo being angry with her, or the myriad of potentially difficult connotations of agreeing to pose as his fiancée.

What had he meant by his declaration that by the time she came to leave the very idea would break her heart? It had sounded as though he was furious that she would dare to deny him anything. It had already occurred to Natalie that he was probably a man who used physical gratification as a way to soothe deep private pain. Having been denied his chosen way of gaining some relief, it wasn’t hard to understand why he’d reacted so furiously. The death of his brother and his own self-imposed exile from his home had to be weighing heavily on him. But, whatever Ludo’s meaning, Natalie had heard pain and longing in his voice and that alone already had the power to break her heart.

Turning into the cavernous arched hallway that led to the dining room, kitchen and the herb garden so lovingly attended by Allena and her husband, Ludo discovered exactly where his guest had gone. She was immersed in animated conversation with Christos, and he saw with a start of pleasure that she was wearing the most beautiful burnt orange-coloured gown. Her long hair was arranged in a loose fashion on the top of her head, so that a few silken tendrils drifted free to frame her face, and the halter-necked design of the dress revealed her long slim neck and slender shoulders. The flowing material was the perfect foil for her stunning womanly form.

As if intuiting his presence Natalie turned, and the rose-tinted blush that heated her cheeks rendered her pretty as a picture. Ludo’s lips shaped a deliberately slow and appreciative smile. ‘So this is where you are. And I see that you have dressed for dinner. You look as lovely as Aphrodite herself. Come … let me look at you.’

Catching hold of her hand, he made her pivot slowly so that he could study every facet of the gown and her lovely, lissom shape. Behind them, Christos discreetly made his way out into the garden with a knowing smile.

‘You remind me of a beautiful water-nymph in that dress,’ he commented, the timbre of his voice turning unwittingly husky.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.