Powerful Greek, Housekeeper Wife by Robyn Donald

Author:Robyn Donald [Robyn Donald ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408919354
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Chapter Seven

HEAT burned across Iona’s cheekbones, replaced by the chill of humiliation. ‘Face it,’ she said aloud. ‘You responded like a wanton, and he recognised it and stepped back before things got out of hand.’

She gripped the edge of the sill, knuckles whitening. Perhaps she should give in, let things take their course. Her breath quickened in time with her heartbeat. But even as temptation filled her mind with dazzling, seductive images, with memories that still had the power to corrode her will, she rejected it.

It might work—if only she hadn’t fallen in love with him.

Torn between stunned joy at this unexpected love and a shadowy fear that made a coward of her, she turned away, letting the curtains fall to close out the night.

Cravenly, she made sure she went to bed well before the time Luke was likely to return. She even managed to fall asleep—although she woke when she thought she heard him go past her door, and it took her quite a while afterwards to settle.

Later—much later—she woke in a rush, her heart thudding unpleasantly, unable to place herself. The chilly grey light of dawn was sifting through the curtains, and she stared round the room, fragmented snippets of a dream playing through her thoughts.

Gavin, she thought incredulously, and shivered in the warm room, because since the last night in Tahiti the dreams had stopped. She no longer relived over and over again the moment when he’d used the last of his strength to push her up onto the safety of the rocks, then surrendered to the waves that dragged him relentlessly under.

This time it hadn’t been the nightmare; he’d been sailing on a blue sea, a lazy sun washing the beloved lines of his face with soft gold, and he’d been smiling…

No, she thought with a reminiscent little smile of her own, he’d been grinning—the way he always had when the wind and the sea and his yacht had been in perfect tune together. He’d looked completely happy.

Wish fulfilment on her part? Or a final relinquishment brought about by her new-found love for Luke?

Restlessly she got out of bed and paced across to the window, pushing back the curtains.

The scene outside drove away the already fading images from her dream; probably the last snowfall before summer had drifted down overnight, covering the mountain in a soft white cloak and almost hiding the jagged rocks formed by old eruptions.

In the distance, high above the lodge, the irregular peak emitted a faint white plume of steam, white against the brightening sky, ethereal and gauzily sinister. Although beautiful and sacred to local Maori, Ruapehu was an active volcano. It had killed before; it would probably do so again.

Shivering, Iona checked the time; she’d better shower and get ready for the day.

They were having breakfast when Luke emerged from the study. After dropping a kiss on Chloe’s cheek, he said, ‘Good morning, Iona,’ as he straightened, and fixed her with a cool look. ‘I trust you don’t plan to wear jeans on the mountain?’

‘No.

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