About the Author

CHANTELLE SHAW enjoyed a happy childhood making up stories in her head. Always an avid reader, Chantelle discovered Mills & Boon as a teenager and during the times when her children refused to sleep, she would pace the floor with a baby in one hand and a book in the other! Twenty years later she decided to write one of her own. Writing takes up most of Chantelle’s spare time, but she also enjoys gardening and walking. She doesn’t find domestic chores so pleasurable!

After the Greek Affair

Chantelle Shaw

www.millsandboon.co.uk

The Mistresses

COLLECTION

January 2020

Mistresses: Blackmailed for His Pleasure

February 2020

Mistresses: Passionate Revenge

March 2020

Mistresses: His Unexpected Heir

April 2020

Mistresses: Seduction in the Boardroom

May 2020

Mistresses: Claimed for The Royal Bed

June 2020

Mistresses: Mistress of Convenience

ISBN: 978-1-408-92596-6

AFTER THE GREEK AFFAIR

© 2010 Harlequin Books S.A.

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Table of Contents

Cover

About the Authors

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

EPILOGUE

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

BELLE ANDERSEN extracted her mobile phone from her handbag and skimmed the text message she had received from Larissa Christakis, explaining how to reach her brother Loukas’s private Greek island.

As I’m getting married on Aura, it would be wonderful if you could come to the island to work on the designs for my dress so that you can get a feel for the setting. You can catch the ferry from the port of Lavrion in Athens to the island of Kea. Let me know what time you plan to arrive and I’ll make sure a boat is waiting to bring you to Aura.

The ferry had arrived at Kea ten minutes ago and the last of the passengers were disembarking. Further along the quay several fishing boats rocked gently on a cobalt sea that reflected the cloudless blue sky above. The little port of Korissia was a picturesque place. Square white houses with terracotta-coloured roofs lined the harbour and gleamed brilliantly in the sunshine, and behind them green hills swathed in a profusion of brightly coloured wild flowers rose in graceful curves.

Belle’s artistic eye appreciated the beauty of her surroundings, but after a four-hour flight to Athens and another hour on the ferry to Kea she was looking forward to reaching her destination. Perhaps one of the fishing boats had been sent to collect her, she thought, lifting her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she stared along the quay. A group of fishermen were standing around chatting but no one paid her any attention. The other passengers from the ferry had dispersed into the town. With a sigh she picked up her suitcases and began to walk towards the fishermen.

The May sunshine was blissfully warm after the grey, unseasonably chilly London Belle had left behind. Her lips twitched when she recalled her brother Dan’s reaction to the news that she would be spending the next week in Greece while he remained on their old houseboat on the Thames, which had sprung a leak.

‘Spare me a thought while you’re hobnobbing with a Greek billionaire on his paradise island, won’t you?’ Dan had teased. ‘While you’re topping up your tan I’ll be patching up the boat—yet again—before I head off to Wales for a photo shoot.’

‘I’ll be working, not lazing in the sun,’ Belle had pointed out. ‘And I don’t suppose I’ll have much to do with Loukas Christakis. Larissa told me her brother spends much of his time at his company’s offices in Athens, or visiting his many business projects around the world. Even the date of Larissa’s wedding was determined by Loukas’s schedule. Apparently the last week in June is the only time he has free.’

A frown wrinkled Belle’s brow as she continued along the quay. During her conversations with Larissa the Greek girl had frequently mentioned her brother, and it was clear she adored him. But Belle had gained the impression that Loukas Christakis was a man who was used to having his own way, and she suspected that Larissa was slightly in awe of him.

The very fact that she had been asked to design and make Larissa’s wedding dress, as well as dresses for her two bridesmaids, in five weeks rather than the six months she would usually expect the commission to take was due in part to Loukas, Belle mused. Of course he was not responsible for the fact that the first designer his sister had commissioned had suffered some sort of personal crisis and disappeared—Larissa had been rather vague about the details of what had happened—but Loukas’s insistence that the wedding should still go ahead at the end of June as planned must have put Larissa under enormous pressure. She had been close to tears when she had visited the Wedding Belle studio a week ago, and clearly relieved when Belle had assured her that she could make her a dress in time.

Her frown deepened as she recalled the tremor in Larissa’s voice when she had explained that she needed Belle to come to Aura and begin working on designs for the dress as quickly as possible. She hadn’t even met Loukas Christakis yet, but she instinctively disliked him, Belle thought with a grimace.

She gave herself a mental shake. It wasn’t fair to allow her dislike of domineering John Townsend—the man she had grown up believing to be her father—to colour her judgement of all other men. Larissa’s brother was probably charming. Certainly enough women seemed to think so, if the reports in the gossip columns about his energetic love-life with a bevy of beautiful mistresses were to be believed.

A flash of movement far out to sea caught her eye and she halted and watched a speedboat streaking towards the harbour, churning up twin trails of white froth in its wake. It slowed as it approached the quay, the low throb of its engine shattering the quiet. Sleek and powerful, the boat was eye-catching, but it was the man at the wheel who trapped Belle’s gaze and caused her heart to jolt beneath her ribs.

When Larissa had said someone would pick her up from Kea and bring her to Aura it hadn’t crossed Belle’s mind that that someone might be Loukas Christakis himself. The pictures she’d seen of him in newspapers and magazines did not do him justice, she thought dazedly. Sure, the photographs had faithfully recorded the thick jet-black hair swept back from his brow, his chiselled features, square jaw and the innately sensual curve of his mouth. But a photo could not capture his aura of raw power, the magnetism that demanded attention and made it impossible to look away from him.

‘Are you Belle Andersen?’ His accented voice was deep and gravelly and so intensely male that the tiny hairs all over Belle’s body stood on end. Heat surged through her and her skin suddenly seemed acutely sensitive, so that she was aware of the faint abrasion of her lacy bra brushing against her nipples.

‘Y…yes…’ To her embarrassment the word emerged as a strangled croak. Her heart-rate quickened as she watched him steer the boat broadside against the harbour wall, and throw a rope around a bollard before he jumped onto the quay.

‘I’m Loukas Christakis,’ he announced, striding towards her. Supremely confident and self-assured, he moved with surprising grace for such a big man. He was well over six feet tall, Belle estimated, and narrow-hipped, his long legs encased in faded denims that moulded his powerful thighs. Through his close-fitting black tee shirt she could see the delineation of his abdominal muscles, and the shirt’s vee-shaped neckline revealed an expanse of bronzed skin and wiry black chest hair.

Dear heaven, he was something else! Belle swallowed. Never in her life had she felt so overwhelmingly aware of a man. Her heart was racing and her palms felt damp. She wanted to speak, make some banal remark about the weather and break the tension that gripped her, but her mouth felt dry and her brain seemed to have stopped functioning. She wished he wasn’t wearing sunglasses. Perhaps if she could see his eyes he would seem less imposing, although somehow she doubted it.

Professionalism finally came to her rescue and she held out her hand to him, thankful that her voice sounded normal as she murmured, ‘I’m pleased to meet you, Mr Christakis. Larissa spoke of you when she visited my studio in London.’

Was it her imagination, or was there was an infinitesimal pause before he grasped her fingers in a brief handshake? His grip was firm, and once again she was conscious of his power and strength. He towered over her, his big body silhouetted against the bright sunlight, and unbidden she found herself wondering what it would be like to be crushed against his broad chest.

He released her hand, but to her surprise instead of stepping away from her he took hold of her arm. ‘I am delighted to meet you too, Ms Andersen.’ The greeting was perfunctory, and Belle detected a faint edge of impatience in his tone. ‘I need to speak to you. Shall we find somewhere to sit down?’

Without waiting for her to reply he picked up the larger of her suitcases, slid his hand beneath her elbow and steered her across the road to a bar, where tables were set beneath a striped awning. Belle struggled to keep up with his long stride in her three-inch heels. She felt like a recalcitrant child being dragged along by an impatient parent and she glared at him indignantly, but before she could say a word he pulled out a chair and she found herself guided firmly down onto it.

No doubt tourists found it a charming place to spend an idle hour watching the boats in the harbour, she thought with a frown when Loukas rounded the table and lowered himself into the seat opposite her. But she had come to Greece to work and she was eager make a start.

‘Mr Christakis—’

‘Would you like a drink?’ A waiter materialised at their table, and without waiting for her response Loukas spoke to the youth in rapid Greek. The only word Belle understood was retsina, which she knew was a Greek wine.

‘Make that a fruit juice for me, thank you,’ she said quickly.

The waiter glanced at Loukas—almost as if seeking permission to bring her the drink she had ordered, Belle thought irritably. She checked her watch and saw that it was eight hours since she had left home that morning. She felt hot, dishevelled, and in no mood to pander to a man with an oversized ego. ‘Mr Christakis, I don’t actually want a drink,’ she said crisply. ‘What I would like is to go straight to Aura. Your sister has commissioned me to design her wedding dress, and with a deadline of just over a month it is imperative that I start work immediately.’

‘Yes…’ Loukas lifted his hand to remove his sunglasses and subjected Belle to a cool appraisal. ‘That’s what I want to talk to you about.’

His eyes were the colour of flint, hard and uncompromising. Disappointment swooped inside Belle when she noted the distinct lack of welcome in his expression. What on earth had made her think that her intense awareness of him was reciprocated? she asked herself impatiently. Even more ridiculous was the notion that she wished it was. She frantically blanked out the thought and forced herself to meet his gaze, conscious of the uneven thud of her heart as she studied his heavy black brows, his strong nose and full-lipped mouth. The shadow of dark stubble on his jaw only added to his blatant sex appeal.

What would it feel like to have that sensual mouth move over hers, at first in a leisurely tasting, and then crushing her lips beneath his in hungry passion? She was shocked as much by the clarity of the image in her head as by her wayward thoughts, and felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

Loukas’s eyes narrowed and his gaze became speculative. Had he guessed what she had been thinking? Mortified, she felt her blush deepen. Everything about him—from the proud angle of his head to his relaxed, almost insolent air as he trailed his eyes over her—exuded arrogance. No doubt he was used to the effect he had on women, Belle thought dismally, wishing the ground would swallow her up.

Life seemed to be doing its damnedest at the moment to be difficult, Loukas brooded irritably as he stared at the woman opposite him, watching the flush of soft colour stain her cheeks. It should have been a simple matter to inform Belle Andersen that there had been a change of plan and she was no longer required to design his sister’s wedding dress, hand her a hefty cheque to cover her expenses, and then see her onto the next ferry back to Athens. Instead he found himself transfixed by a pair of cornflower-blue eyes, fringed by long hazel lashes and shadowed by an air of vulnerability that he found intriguing.

He had not expected her to be so beautiful. Even more surprising was his reaction to her, Loukas acknowledged. He spent his life surrounded by beautiful women. He was a connoisseur who dated top models and glamorous socialites, and he preferred tall, willowy, sophisticated types. Belle was a tiny, doll-like creature, but from the moment he had seen her standing on the quay his attention had been riveted—and now he could not tear his eyes from her exquisite face.

Her features were perfect: those startling blue eyes, a neat little nose, high cheekbones, and a soft pink mouth that was undeniably tempting. Her hair was hidden from view beneath her wide-brimmed hat, but he would lay a bet that with her pale, almost Nordic skin tone she was a blonde. The cream hat with black trim was the perfect accessory for her expertly tailored skirt and jacket. Black patent stiletto heels and handbag completed her outfit.

He wondered if her elegant 1950s-inspired suit was one of her own creations. If so, then perhaps he was worrying unnecessarily about her suitability to design Larissa’s wedding dress? He entertained the thought briefly and then dismissed it. Belle Andersen was an unknown quantity. The company search he had made on the internet the previous night, after Larissa had sprung the news that she had chosen a new designer to make her wedding dress, had revealed that the bridalwear company Wedding Belle had barely made a profit in the previous financial year and had little capital. In other words Belle’s company was struggling financially—just as Demakis Designs, whom Larissa had first commissioned to make her dress, had been.

Loukas blamed himself for the fact that his sister did not have a wedding dress five weeks before her wedding. If only he had checked out Toula Demakis he would have discovered that the Greek designer had serious financial problems and that her business was on the verge of bankruptcy. But he had been abroad when Larissa had appointed Toula, and had been unaware that his trusting sister had paid the wretched woman the entire cost of her dress in advance.

That had been six months ago, and as the date of the wedding had drawn nearer Toula Demakis had made increasingly wild excuses to explain the delay in completing the dress—excuses which unfortunately Larissa had not relayed to him until the unscrupulous designer had disappeared with the money.

Perhaps he was to blame that his sister was so unworldly? Loukas thought heavily. But she meant the world to him. He had acted as a surrogate father to her for most of her life, and maybe he was a little over-protective of her. With the wedding looming, he had decided to take charge of the situation and had asked his friend, internationally acclaimed fashion designer Jacqueline Jameson, to make Larissa’s dress—unaware until last night that Larissa had already appointed a new designer.

Perhaps it was unfair to be suspicious of Ms Andersen just because Toula Demakis had turned out to be a dishonest crook, Loukas conceded. But unlike his sister he never trusted anyone—a lesson he had learned the hard way, and which had proved invaluable in both his business and private life. Maybe the English designer was totally reliable, but the wedding was fast approaching and he was not prepared to risk Larissa being let down again.

He leaned back in his seat and studied Belle’s delicate features. She was exceptionally attractive, he acknowledged. But he did not need to remind himself that his sister was his only consideration. His unexpected attraction to Belle Andersen was inconsequential, and he was confident that he would have forgotten her within minutes of escorting her onto the ferry. It was a pity, though, Loukas mused, feeling a sharp stab of desire in his groin. Under different circumstances he would not have wasted a moment seducing her into his bed…

Belle wished that Loukas Christakis would stop staring at her. She could feel herself growing increasingly flustered, and when their drinks were served she gulped down her fruit juice simply because holding the glass to her lips provided a welcome distraction from his disturbing presence.

‘You were thirsty after all,’ he commented dryly.

She flushed, remembering that she had told him she did not want a drink. ‘I’ve been travelling all day,’ she said pointedly.

Cool grey eyes trapped hers. ‘I appreciate that—just as I appreciate that the last thing you will want to hear now is that your journey has been unnecessary. But I’m afraid I have to inform you that my sister has chosen another designer to make her wedding dress and no longer requires your services.’

For a few seconds Belle stared at him in dumbstruck silence while his words sank in. ‘But…’

‘I hope this will recompense you for your travel expenses and time,’ Loukas continued smoothly, opening his wallet and handing her a slip of paper.

Numbly, Belle took the cheque. The figure scrawled in black ink covered her travel costs a hundred times over, but it did nothing to alleviate her feeling of sick disappointment. ‘I don’t understand,’ she said slowly. ‘I received a text message from Larissa only yesterday, saying how excited she was that I was going to design her dress and that she was looking forward to my arrival. Are you saying she’s changed her mind since then?’

This time she was sure she had not imagined Loukas’s slight hesitation before he spoke, but his voice was level and even politely apologetic as he murmured, ‘I’m afraid so.’

Belle did not know what to say. She felt winded, as if someone had punched her and forced all the air from her lungs. She was stunned by the news that Larissa had had a change of heart. She stared down at the cheque, her vision suddenly blurred.

It was ridiculous to cry, she told herself fiercely. But this was to have been her big chance. Larissa’s wedding was the society wedding of the year.

Loukas Christakis was one of the richest men in Greece; recent reports suggested that he had moved up to billionaire status—which was an astounding achievement considering that he had been born into poverty. He was regarded as a national hero in his own country and a celebrity in the US, where he had started his property development empire. Everyone who was anyone had been invited to the marriage of his only sister.

‘I’ve never met half the people on the guest list,’ Larissa had confided to Belle. ‘If I’m honest I would have been happy with a smaller affair. But I know Loukas is determined to make my wedding the most memorable day of my life and so I feel I can’t complain.’

The commission to design the bride’s dress for such a high profile wedding had been guaranteed to give Wedding Belle huge media attention. Belle knew it could have been the making of her fledgling business, bringing in new orders and providing a vital lifeline when the bank was threatening to call in her loan.

But her disappointment was due to more than a lost business opportunity, she thought bleakly. She had taken an instant liking to Larissa, and had felt deeply sympathetic when she’d heard how the Greek girl had been let down by her first designer. In London, Larissa had excitedly pored over Belle’s portfolio, and had rummaged among the samples of vintage French lace, marabou feathers and other trimmings like a child in a sweetshop. Her enthusiasm had been infectious—so what had happened between then and now to cause her to choose a different designer? It didn’t make sense, Belle brooded. Something did not feel right.

She frowned as she recalled something Larissa had said when she had visited the Wedding Belle studio. ‘Loukas wants Jacqueline Jameson to make my dress.’

She’d recognised the name, of course. Jacqueline Jameson was a favourite designer of celebrities across the globe, and at least four Hollywood actresses had worn her dresses to last year’s most prestigious film awards. Belle had felt flattered when Larissa had insisted that she wanted to get married in a Belle Andersen creation, but it seemed that at the last minute she had changed her mind—or given in to her brother.

She stared suspiciously at the arrogant features of the man sitting opposite her, noting the hard line of his jaw and the glint of steel in his eyes. Had Loukas got his own way? Had he put pressure on his sister to employ the designer of his choice? From what Larissa had told her it sounded as though Loukas had hijacked the wedding and was determined to turn it into a showcase to demonstrate his wealth and success, so it followed that he would want Larissa to pick an internationally acclaimed designer to make her dress.

There was only one way to find out exactly what was going on, and that was to ask Larissa, Belle decided, opening her handbag and taking out her phone.

Across the table she was aware that Loukas no longer looked relaxed, but had tensed and was watching her intently. ‘You need to make a call right now?’ he queried, his heavy brows drawing together.

‘I had an arrangement with your sister,’ she informed him, relieved that she sounded so calm when her insides were churning. ‘I’d just like to check with Larissa that she is happy with her decision to commission another designer instead of me.’ She hesitated, and felt a little shiver run down her spine when her eyes clashed with his hard grey gaze. ‘Assuming that Larissa did actually make that decision and it wasn’t made for her.’

CHAPTER TWO

‘IT ISN’T necessary to involve my sister.’

Belle gasped as Loukas reached across the table and plucked her phone from her hand. She made a wild grab for it, but he was too quick for her and held it out of her reach, unperturbed by her furious glare.

‘How dare you? Give that back. What do you mean, it’s not necessary to involve Larissa? Surely she is the one person who should be involved? This is about what she wants, after all—or have you forgotten that fact?’ she said sharply.

Loukas’s eyes narrowed at her tone. Many years ago he had been a poor immigrant, living in one of the most deprived areas of New York, but now he was a billionaire business tycoon and he was used to being treated with deference by everyone he met. He did not appreciate having his head snapped off by a diminutive English dressmaker whose business was hanging by a thread.

‘I know what is best for my sister—and with respect, Ms Andersen, I’m pretty sure that person is not you,’ he said bluntly.

Belle blinked at him, shocked by his arrogant assumption that he knew his sister’s mind better than Larissa did herself. But why was she surprised? she wondered. Loukas Christakis had a reputation as a ruthless individual who had fought his way to the top and had no compunction about trampling on anyone who got in his way.

He was watching her with a calculating, predatory look in his slate-grey eyes that was unnerving. But Belle had spent too many years being bossed around by the man she was glad she no longer had to call her father; she had finally broken free of John Townsend and she refused to be intimidated by any man.

‘Larissa hasn’t changed her mind, has she?’ she challenged him fiercely. ‘You’ve decided you want Jacqueline Jameson to make her dress. But why? Have you ever seen any of my dresses? Why are you so certain that I can’t make Larissa the perfect wedding gown she’s hoping for?’

Loukas’s jaw tightened at Belle’s belligerent tone, but to his annoyance his conscience pricked. She had a point. ‘No, I haven’t seen any of your work,’ he admitted.

Despite her anger at his attitude, Belle found her eyes drawn to his broad shoulders. He must work out, she thought, feeling a tightening sensation in the pit of her stomach when she lowered her gaze to his well-defined biceps. His skin was a deep bronze colour and his forearms were covered in fine black hairs. What would it feel like to have those strong, muscular arms around her? whispered the little voice in her head that seemed hell-bent on unsettling her.

She suddenly realised that Loukas was speaking again and hastily forced her mind away from his undeniably sexy body.

‘But you’re right; I would prefer Jacqueline to design Larissa’s dress. She is a personal friend as well as an internationally acclaimed designer. I’ve never heard of you,’ he said bluntly. ‘All I know is that Wedding Belle has only existed for three years. To be frank, I’m not sure you have the experience to design a top-quality wedding dress for my sister and complete the commission to such a tight deadline. Jacqueline has run her design company for twenty years, and I know I can trust her to produce a stunning bridal gown in time for the wedding.’

‘I can do that—if only you would give me the chance.’ Belle leaned forward, her eyes fixed on Loukas. ‘I’m prepared to work night and day to ensure that Larissa has her dream dress.’ When his harsh expression did not alter she shook her head in frustration. ‘Larissa chose me. Surely that counts for something? She’s an adult who should be free to make her own decisions. What right do you have to organise her life for her?’

‘My sister has already been let down by the first designer she chose. Having spent days trying to console her when the wedding dress she had been promised never materialised, I think I have every right to ensure she is not disappointed again,’ Loukas snapped. ‘I realise you must have hoped that this commission would benefit your business, but I have paid you a substantial fee for your wasted time today.’

Belle’s eyes dropped to the slip of paper in her hand. ‘So this cheque is actually a bribe?’ she said in an appalled voice. She hadn’t understood why Loukas had given her enough money to pay for a luxury world cruise rather than simply reimburse her for her plane ticket to Greece, but it made sense now. ‘You expect me to take the money and disappear back to England. Larissa will have no choice at this late stage but to agree to Jacqueline Jameson making her dress, and you’ll have your own way. My God!’ She stared at him disgustedly. ‘What are you? Some kind of control freak?’

The crack of Loukas’s palm onto the wooden table was as loud as a gunshot and caused Belle almost to jump out of her skin. ‘I refuse to apologise for wanting to protect my sister,’ he growled, his face taut with anger. ‘She trusted Toula Demakis, but all the damned woman was interested in was getting as much money as she could out of her. Now the wedding is five weeks away, and I am not prepared to risk Larissa being let down again.’

Belle’s heart sank when she saw the implacable expression on Loukas’s face. ‘It’s true that Wedding Belle isn’t doing as well as I’d hoped when I started out,’ she admitted honestly. ‘But many businesses are struggling because of the economic recession.’

She had been so excited three years ago when, soon after graduating from art school, she had used the small inheritance from her mother to pay the first year’s rent on the studio. Not even John’s scathing comment that she did not stand a chance in the cut-throat world of fashion design had dented her optimism. She hadn’t cared about his opinion. The revelation that he was not her father had freed her from his tyranny and she no longer had to put up with him trying to control her life.

Why did some men feel the need to exert their power? she wondered, darting a glance at Loukas’s arrogant features. He had said he wanted to protect his sister, but it seemed to Belle that—like John Townsend—Loukas had a pig-headed desire always to have his own way. There seemed little point in trying to persuade him to listen to her, she thought wearily. But the memory of Larissa’s excitement when she had visited the studio in London prompted her to try.

‘I can’t deny that a high-profile wedding could do wonders for my business. But that’s not why I want to make Larissa’s dress.’ She ignored Loukas’s sceptical expression and leaned across the table, an intent expression on her face. ‘I love what I do. Making wedding dresses isn’t just a job, it’s my passion, and even if Larissa’s wedding was going to be a small affair, with only a handful of guests and no media interest, I’d still be glad that she chose me as her designer.’

She tore the cheque in half and pushed the pieces across the table towards him. ‘I’m not interested in your money. I want to design Larissa’s dress because I like her. We clicked instantly when she came to my studio, and I’m excited about showing her my ideas.’

She met his steel-grey gaze unflinchingly, honesty and a fierce determination to convince him that she was genuine blazing in her eyes. ‘Give me a chance, Mr Christakis, and I promise I won’t let your sister down.’

Her eyes were the cerulean blue of the sky on a summer’s day, Loukas noted. His attention was locked on her lovely face, as if he was in the grip of a sorcerer’s spell and could not look away from her. He was utterly fascinated by her animated features when she spoke, the way she moved her hands in quick, darting gestures to emphasise a point. She reminded him of a beautiful, fragile butterfly—like the ones that often settled on the bougainvillaea bushes growing over the walls of his villa—and he was sure that if he tried to capture her she would fly away and evade him.

Why was he indulging in such fanciful nonsense? he asked himself irritably. He was captivated by Belle Andersen—drawn by some invisible force to lean forward across the table so that his face was inches from hers. She had spoken of passion for her work, but the word evoked an image in his head of her lying on his bed, her slender body naked, her face flushed and her incredible blue eyes darkened with desire.

Her skin was as smooth as porcelain, her soft pink lips—slightly parted, he noted—a temptation he was struggling to resist. The atmosphere between them simmered with sexual tension, and the voices of the other customers in the bar faded and did not impinge on his ferocious awareness of her.

‘Are you married, Ms Andersen?’

Belle blinked, the sound of Loukas’s voice releasing her from the enchantment of his mesmerising sensuality so that she was once more aware of her surroundings. She heard the clink of glasses as a waiter passed by their table, the cry of a gull strutting along the quay.

Dear heaven! She closed her eyes briefly and dragged oxygen into her lungs, her heart hammering. For a few heart-stopping seconds she had thought that Loukas was going to kiss her. His face was so close to hers that when he spoke his breath whispered across her lips, and she imagined him closing the gap between them and slanting his mouth over hers. She felt almost bereft that he had not.

‘No…no, I’m not,’ she mumbled, finding herself reluctant to sit back in her seat and break the tangible, indefinable something that quivered in the air between them. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘I wondered whether your passion…’ he hesitated fractionally, his eyes lingering on her mouth ‘…for designing wedding gowns stems from your own experience as a bride.’

Belle shook her head firmly. ‘My passion is for art and creativity. I am inspired by history. At the moment I’m especially influenced by the sumptuous extravagance of the Palace of Versailles at the time of Louis XIV. The château is renowned as one of the most stunning examples of eighteenth-century French art. I’ve visited several times and come away with ideas that I’ve incorporated into my designs. My aspiration is to transform the images in my head and make dresses that are incredibly beautiful, yet wearable. I think a bride needs to feel comfortable on her big day and confident that her dress works on a practical level—’

She broke off and gave a rueful smile when she realised that she had been talking non-stop. ‘There you are,’ she said sheepishly, embarrassed by a display of enthusiasm that she was sure made her sound like a gauche teenager rather than a professional businesswoman. ‘I’m afraid I tend to get carried away by my passion.’

In the silence that followed her words she was aware of the tension that smouldered like glowing embers between her and Loukas, ready to catch light at any moment. Her senses seemed to be attuned to him, so that she was conscious of the faint acceleration of his breathing and the subtle scent of his cologne. Her heart-rate quickened and she could feel her cheeks grow warm, as if molten heat was coursing through her veins. What was the matter with her? she asked herself angrily. She had met attractive men before. But none had ever made such an impact on her as Loukas Christakis.

Belle’s passion for her designing was undeniable, Loukas brooded, unable to tear his eyes from her lovely face. Maybe he should he forget his reservations about employing an unknown designer and trust Larissa’s judgement?

‘How did my sister come to hear of you?’ he asked abruptly.

‘She saw some of my dresses featured in the fashion magazine Style Icon.’

Loukas’s brows rose in surprise. ‘You must be more well-known than I thought if your work caught the attention of the editor of Style Icon. The magazine is reputed to be the world’s top-selling fashion bible.’

‘Well, it was a bit of luck, really,’ Belle explained honestly. ‘My brother was working on a wedding shoot for the magazine. You might have heard of him? Dan Townsend? He’s making quite a name for himself as a fashion photographer. When one of the designers dropped out at the last minute, Dan persuaded the editor of Style Icon to use some dresses from my collection.’

Against his will Loukas found himself intrigued by Belle. Her personal life was of no interest to him, he reminded himself, yet for some inexplicable reason he wanted to know more about her. ‘Why do you and your brother have different names?’

Belle hesitated. There was no shame in admitting the truth, she reminded herself. The fact that she was illegitimate was not her fault. It had been her choice to change her surname by deed poll from Townsend to her mother’s maiden name of Andersen when she had discovered the truth of her identity.

‘We have different fathers.’

It was the one thing that had saddened her when she had learned that John was not her biological father. But Dan had insisted it did not matter. ‘You’re still my sister, even if technically we’re only half-siblings,’ he had told her gently. ‘And look on the bright side—at least you’re not related to the most unpleasant man on the planet. I have to live with the knowledge that because Mum chose to remain married to my father you never knew your father.’

Nor would she ever know now. Her mother had died and taken the identity of the man she had had an affair with to her grave, Belle thought sadly. She had no way of finding out who her real father was, although she had thought about him endlessly during the past three years—since John had made his stunning revelation on the day of her mother’s funeral that she was not his daughter.

If only Gudrun had told her the truth… She quickly blocked off that pathway of thought. It was pointless to feel angry with her mother, ridiculous to feel betrayed by the woman she had adored. Gudrun had obviously believed she was doing the right thing when she had allowed Belle to grow up believing that John Townsend was her father.

But her mother had been forced to make a stark choice, Belle acknowledged. She knew now that John had threatened to deny Gudrun any contact with Dan if she broke up their marriage. He had agreed to bring up the child she had conceived with her lover as his own if she stayed with him.

No woman should ever be faced with the prospect of losing her child, Belle brooded. Gudrun had put her love for her son before her personal happiness, but because of that Belle had endured a miserable childhood, wondering why the man she believed was her father seemed to despise her. What a tangled mess it had been, she thought sadly. All brought about because her mother had married the wrong man. Gudrun’s diary had revealed that she had known within a few months of the wedding that her marriage to John had been a mistake, but by then she had been pregnant with Dan and so had been trapped in a loveless relationship.

She would never make the same mistake, Belle vowed. She loved designing beautiful, romantic wedding gowns, but the idea of giving up her independence for a man held no appeal whatsoever. Especially a man like Loukas Christakis. The thought slid into her head as she glanced across the table and felt her stomach dip at the sight of his hard-boned features. He was the most breathtakingly handsome man she had ever laid eyes on, and she was sure he could be charming and charismatic when it suited him, but he was too forceful for her liking—too controlling—too much of a reminder of the man she had grown up believing to be her father.

She was wasting her time here. The rigid set of Loukas’s square jaw told her that. Disappointment settled like a lead weight in the pit of her stomach and she suddenly felt desperate to escape his brooding presence. She drank the rest of her juice, set the glass down on the table and picked up her bag. ‘All right, Mr Christakis. You win. If I take the next ferry back to Athens I may be able to catch a flight to London this evening.’ She paused and then asked huskily, ‘Can we make up an excuse for Larissa to explain why I’m not available to make her dress—a family emergency or something? I don’t want her to think that I simply didn’t turn up—which I’m sure you would allow her to believe,’ she added accusingly.

Loukas did not reply immediately, and in the silence that stretched between them his slate-grey gaze gave no clue to his thoughts. ‘It matters to you what Larissa thinks?’ he queried at last.

‘Of course it does.’ Belle gave him an impatient look. ‘Your sister is a lovely person, and I’d hate her to think I’d let her down like her first designer did. I know you’ll tell me it’s none of my business, but I think you’re wrong to interfere in her life—even if you have the best intentions for doing so,’ she continued firmly when Loukas gave her a dark glare. ‘There’s a fine line between wanting to protect her and being too controlling, and you could find that Larissa will start to resent you for preventing her from making her own decisions.’

‘You’re right. My relationship with my sister is absolutely none of your business,’ Loukas growled, irritated that her words had struck a nerve. He did not want to control Larissa; it was a ridiculous suggestion. He simply wanted to do what was best for her and take care of her—as he had promised his parents he would.

His mind turned to the past—to memories that still tugged on his soul. ‘You have to be a man now, son, and look after your mother and sister,’ his father had choked while the life had slipped from his body as fast as the blood had gushed from the gunshot wound to his stomach—courtesy of a couple of young punks high on crack. Loukas had been sixteen then, terrified of the responsibility that had been thrust upon him and ravaged with grief for his beloved Papa.

Two years later his mother had clutched his arm with a hand that was so thin he had been able to see every vein beneath her papery skin. Her cancer had been diagnosed too late for her to have a chance, and without health insurance or money to pay for the drugs that might have prolonged her life a little the end had come quickly. ‘Take care of Larissa,’ had been the last words she had whispered. And standing by her bed, watching helplessly as she left the world, Loukas had given her his word.

How dared Belle Andersen criticise him? he thought furiously. She could have no idea what he had felt like at eighteen, knowing that he was totally responsible for his six-year-old sister. Life had been tough, and there had been many nights when he had been unable to sleep, scared that he wasn’t strong enough to cope.

Of course he was over-protective of Lissa, he thought savagely. He’d had first-hand experience of how dangerous the world could be when he had witnessed his father’s murder. But Belle’s warning that Larissa might resent what she had termed his interference played on his mind. He recalled his sister’s excitement when she had told him that Belle was coming to Aura to design her wedding dress.

Gamoto! he cursed silently. Maybe Belle had a point when she had said that Lissa should be free to make her own decisions. Maybe it was time he learned to take a step back and accept that his sister was no longer a child. Besides, what could go wrong? Belle would be on Aura, under his watchful gaze. She had said she was prepared to work night and day to complete Larissa’s dress, and he would make sure she fulfilled her promise.

Once again his eyes were drawn to Belle’s mouth, and he felt his body tighten with desire as he imagined plundering those soft pink lips. He could not deny his sizzling sexual attraction to her—and, more intriguingly, his instincts told him that she was as aware as he was of the white-hot chemistry between them.

Belle stood up from the table and held out her hand to Loukas. ‘I’d like my phone back, please,’ she said briskly. ‘I need to ring the airport and see if I can change my return flight.’

He donned his sunglasses and got to his feet before he dropped her phone into her palm. His fingers only brushed against her hand for a few seconds but the contact of his skin against hers sent a tingling sensation up her arm. Belle jerked her hand back so quickly that she almost dropped her phone. She felt hot all over, every nerve ending quivering with her fierce awareness of him. Get a grip, she told herself impatiently, infuriated that he dominated her senses.

He was so tall. Now that they were both standing once more, Belle was struck anew by his size, his undoubted strength and his sheer, virile masculinity. Maybe it was a good thing she was going home, she thought shakily. She seemed incapable of controlling her body’s response to Loukas—a fact that became shamefully obvious when she glanced down and saw the outline of her nipples jutting beneath the silky material of her jacket.

Face flaming, she crossed her arms defensively over her chest and began to scroll through the contacts in her phone’s memory, searching for the number for Athens airport.

‘Stop messing about and come with me now if you want a lift to Aura.’

She snapped her head up to find that Loukas was already holding the larger of her suitcases, and while she gaped at him he rounded the table, picked up her other case, and walked out of the bar.

‘Wait…’ His long stride had already taken him across the road. Belle teetered after him, cursing her vertiginous heels and the uneven cobbled surface of the quay. ‘I don’t understand.’

She finally caught up with him, and her heart lurched when he glanced down and subjected her to a cool stare. He was so incredibly good-looking, she thought helplessly. She was embarrassed by her reaction to him, but could not tear her eyes from the sculpted perfection of his hard-boned features.

‘Do you mean I can make Larissa’s dress?’ She was confused by his sudden about-face, but why else would he have offered to take her to his island? ‘Aren’t you worried that I’ll dupe your sister out of a fortune—like that Toula woman did—and then disappear, leaving her without a wedding dress?’ she demanded bitterly, still fuming at his treatment of her.

‘No, I’m not worried about that.’ They had reached the edge of the quay and Loukas dropped her cases into his boat before turning to face her. ‘I have every confidence that you will design the wedding gown of Larissa’s dreams and make her very happy. Because if you don’t—’ his hard smile sent a shiver down Belle’s spine ‘—you will answer to me.’

Belle finally lost control of her temper. Loukas Christakis wasn’t just insulting and arrogant, he was a bully who clearly enjoyed bossing people around. But she’d been pushed around by John Townsend all her childhood—sometimes literally, she remembered grimly. She wasn’t going to put up with it again from any man.

‘Are you threatening me, Mr Christakis?’ she demanded, placing her hands on her hips and wishing fervently that she was taller and did not have to tilt her head to meet his gaze.

‘Merely warning you,’ he said silkily. ‘Disappoint me, and more importantly Larissa, and I promise you will find it impossible to gain financial backing for Wedding Belle anywhere in the world.’

She believed him. His wealth and his status as one of the most brilliant and ruthless businessmen of the decade gave him that kind of power. She had no doubt that he could destroy her little company as easily as he could crush an ant beneath his shoe.

‘Well? Are you coming? I haven’t got all day for you to make up your mind.’

She gave a start at the sound of his faintly mocking tone and realised that he had jumped into the boat and was holding out his hand to help her step on board. She would love to tell him to take a running jump, Belle thought viciously, preferably over the edge of a high cliff. But the stark truth was that she needed this job. If she could not start to pay back her business loan to the bank Wedding Belle would collapse without any help from Loukas.

In her high heels and pencil skirt there was no way she could climb into the boat without his help. Reluctantly she leaned forward to take his hand, and gave a startled cry when, having lost patience with her dithering, Loukas gripped her waist and swung her down from the quay.

The few seconds that he held her against him scrambled her brain, and the feel of his muscular torso and rock-hard thighs pressed so intimately close to her body was causing a coiling sensation deep in her pelvis. She snatched a breath when he set her down and gave him a fulminating glare, desperate to hide her awareness of him. ‘Thank you,’ she said icily, ‘but I could have managed perfectly well, Mr Christakis—’

‘Nonsense.’ He cut her off mid-tirade. ‘You’re as wobbly as a newborn foal in those ridiculous shoes. And you’d better make it Loukas. My sister was keen that I should welcome you to Aura, and she’ll expect us to be on first-name terms—Belle.’

Something about the way he said her name sent a little quiver through Belle, and his amused smile stole her breath. Already devastatingly sexy, the sudden upward curve of his sensual mouth caused her knees to sag, and she could feel her heart thundering as if she’d run a marathon.

‘You’d better hold on to this before the wind whips it away.’ Loukas lifted the elegant cream and black hat from Belle’s head, and stiffened when pale gold hair unfurled and fell almost to her waist in a silken stream. He had been right about her being a blonde. In the sunlight her hair was the colour of platinum. It seemed unlikely that the shade was natural, but she was so tiny compared to his six-foot-four frame that her head only came halfway up his chest, and he could see no telltale sign of darker roots on her scalp.

The breeze blew a few fair strands across her face and, unable to stop himself, Loukas reached out and brushed the hair back from her cheek. Time was suspended. Belle’s heart stopped beating as she stared into dark grey eyes that were no longer cold and hard as tensile steel, but glinting with a blatant sexual heat that evoked a shameful longing inside her for him to pull her into his arms and plunder her mouth with the savage passion she sensed he was capable of.

How could she be attracted to him when he was everything she hated? It was just a physical thing, she assured herself frantically—a chemical reaction that she had no control over. But somehow she would have to ignore her sexual attraction to Loukas if she was not going to spend the next week embarrassing herself by ogling him like a teenager with a severe crush.

The throb of the boat’s engine seemed to reverberate through her, and she gripped the edge of her seat as he opened the throttle and sped out of the harbour, heading towards the small island of Aura—a green haven set amid the sparkling blue sea. Her hair whipping across her face, Belle glanced back at Kea, already far behind them. Sudden panic flooded through her and she felt an impending sense of unease that her life would never be the same again once she had set foot on Loukas Christakis’s private domain.

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