‘It would be a mistake for me to underestimate you, wouldn’t it?’
‘Definitely.’
Briefly she thought, if only he were always like this, charming and open to her. But she smothered the thought at once. A man who was always charming was like a musician who could only play one note. Eventually it became tedious. Lysandros was fascinating because she never knew who he was going to be from one moment to the next. And nor did he know with her, which kept them both on alert. Could anything be more delightful?
‘I’m sorry about last night,’ he said.
‘I’m not.’
‘I mean I’m sorry I didn’t wait until you were better.’
‘Listen, if you’d had the self-control to wait I’d have taken it as a personal insult. And then I
He gave her a curious look. ‘I think you will one day, in any case,’ he said.
‘Perhaps we should both look forward to that.’
She rose, reaching out to take some plates to the sink, but he forestalled her. ‘Leave it to me.’
‘There’s no need to fuss me like an invalid.’ She laughed. ‘I really can do things for myself.’
His reply was a look of sadness. ‘All right,’ he said after a moment.
‘Lysandros, honestly-’
‘I just wish you’d let me give you something-do things for you-’
Heart-stricken, she touched his face, blaming herself for being insensitive.
‘I didn’t want to be a nuisance,’ she whispered. ‘You have so many really important things to do.’
He put his arms right around her and drew her close against him.
‘There’s nothing more important than you,’ he said simply.
Later she was to remember the way he’d held her and wonder at it. It hadn’t been the embrace of a lover, more the clasp of a refugee clinging onto safety for dear life. He couldn’t have told her more clearly that she’d brought something into his life that was more than passion-more life-enhancing while he had it, more soul- destroying if he lost it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
WHEN the washing-up was done Petra asked, ‘What are we going to do today?’
‘You’re going to rest.’
‘I think a little gentle exercise will be better for me. I could continue exploring the cellar-’
‘No!’ This time there was no doubt that he meant it. ‘We can have a short outing, an hour on the beach, and lunch, then back here for you to rest.’
‘Anything you say.’
Lysandros regarded her cynically.
There was a small car in the garage and he drove them the short distance to the shore, where they found a tiny beach, cut off from the main one and deserted.
‘It’s private,’ Lysandros explained. ‘It belongs to a friend of mine. Don’t stretch out in this burning sun, not with your fair skin. Do you want to get ill?’
He led her to the rocks, where there was some shade and a small cave that she used for changing. Now she was glad she’d had the forethought to bring a bathing costume when she came to Corfu, meaning to enjoy some swimming while she investigated his house. No chance had occured, but now she changed gladly, longing to feel the sun on her skin, and emerged to find that he’d laid out a large towel for her to lie on. There was even a pillow, making it blissful to lie down, although she hadn’t been awake long.
He’d brought some sun lotion to rub in, but was doubtful.
‘You shouldn’t have this as well as liniment,’ he explained. ‘We’ll leave it for a while, but you stay in the shade. No, don’t try to move the towel. Leave it where I put it.’
‘Yes, sir. Three bags full, sir.’
He frowned. ‘This is something I sometimes hear English people say, but I don’t understand it.’
She explained that the words occurred in a nursery rhyme, but he only looked worried.
‘You say it to make fun of someone?’ he ventured.
‘Only of myself,’ she said tenderly. ‘The mockery is aimed at me, and the way I’m tamely letting you give me orders.’
This genuinely puzzled him. ‘But why shouldn’t I-?’
‘Hush.’ She laid a finger over his lips. He immediately kissed it.
‘It’s for your own good,’ he protested. ‘To care for you.’
‘I know. The joke is that part of me is as much of a sergeant major as you are. I give orders too. But I let you say, “Do this, do that” without kicking your shins as I would with any other man. It’s like discovering that inside me is someone else that I’ve never met before.’
He nodded. ‘Yes, that’s how it is.’
To complete her protection he’d hired a large parasol. Now he put it up and made sure that she was well covered.
‘What about you?’ she said. ‘You might catch the sun, unless I rub some of that lotion into you.’
Unlike her, he was dark and at less danger from sunburn, but the thought of caressing him under the guise of sun care was irresistible.
‘You think I need it?’ he asked.
‘Definitely.’
He gave her a brief look and lay back beside her so that she could begin work on his chest. He said nothing for a while, just lay still while her fingers worked across his skin, curving to shape the muscles, enjoying herself.
‘How did we get here?’ he murmured.
‘I don’t know. We seem to have missed each other so many times. You’d come just so far towards me, then clam up. Everything would be fine between us, then you’d act as though I was an enemy you had to fight off. That night in Athens-’
‘I know. I’m sorry about that. I hated myself at the time, but I couldn’t stop. You were right to reject me.’
He wasn’t fighting her any more and suddenly there was a vulnerable look on his face that she couldn’t bear to see. He was powerful and belligerent, but this was her territory where her skills were greater than his, and it was dangerously easy to hurt him.
‘We’ve never understood each other well,’ she said gently. ‘Perhaps now we have a chance to do that.’
His brow darkened. ‘Are you sure you want to try? It might be better not to. I’m bad news. I hurt people. I don’t mean to, but often I’m so cut off that I don’t realise I’m doing it.’
‘You wouldn’t be trying to scare me, would you?’
‘Warn you. I doubt I could scare you.’
‘I’m glad you realise that.’
‘So listen to me. Be wise and go now. I’m bad for you.’
‘That’s all right; I’ll just retaliate in kind. When it comes to being bad, you are dealing with an expert.’ He started to reply but she silenced him. ‘No, I talk, you listen. I’ve heard what you have to say and I’m not impressed by it. I’m a match for you any day. If we fight, we fight, and you’ll come off worst.’
‘Oh, will I?’ Now his interest was aroused.
‘You’d better believe it,’ she chuckled. ‘Won’t that be a new experience for you?’
‘A man should be prepared for new experiences. That’s how he gets strong and able to achieve victory every time.’
‘Every time, hmm?’
‘Every time,’ he assured her.
‘We’ll put that to the test. Right now-’ she drew back and got to her feet ‘-I’m going for a swim.’
She was off down the beach before he could get to his feet. By the time he caught her she’d reached the water and hurled herself in. He followed, keeping up with her as she swam out to sea, then getting ahead and stretching
