―So you think.‖ He said seriously causing Nikos to laugh.
―Ah, speaking of Lily.‖ Nikos stood up followed by Max as Lily came out onto the back patio.
If the Grecian sun was bright, Lily entering the picture just made it seem dim. She was beautiful. Max couldn‘t take his eyes off her.She wore a dress with a simple style but it was perfect showing her luscious curves to the point of make a man want to discover more.
Immediately Max left the table, went to her, and without warning gave her a long genuine kiss.Lily knew he was acting because of what he told her about Nikos but she still responded to him. It was easy to play a part when she was taking it seriously. Finally he lifted his head.
She looked tired. He already knew that she lay awake like he did last night although he was better at feigning sleep than she was.It didn‘t help to know that he‘d seen the thin satin nightgown she‘d brought with her and knew she was wearing it.
Images of her scantily clad body kept him awake until four in the 77
L. R. Wards
morning.She had fallen asleep a few hours before.It would have been easy to remove his pyjama bottoms and undershirt then move his body next to hers. Just thinking about it started the aching in his groin that kept him up most of the night. As it was he reached over and caressed the smooth skin of her face and fingered a lock of her hair. She didn‘t wake up with that, but she released a soft moan that turned him hard as a rock.
When she came out in the light of the bright Grecian sun, he couldn‘t help himself and had to kiss her. He craved the feel of her mouth and her taste. He was keeping up the pretence of the engagement just so she would play along.The more she played along, the more he had an excuse to touch her. ―How did you sleep?‖
She glanced shyly up at him, ―Well enough.‖
His thumb caressed a darkened area under one of her eyes, ―Liar.‖ He murmured.
―Nikos is watching us.‖ She said feeling her rising blush.
―So?‖ he smiled slowly, ―I told you I was going to be all over you.‖ What he didn‘t tell her and he wouldn‘t tell her is that Nikos had resigned his pursuit of Lily. Any moment to touch her and kiss her would be taken advantage of.Unfortunately now that he started, he doubted he could stop touching her even when they returned to Chicago.
Her heart jumped at his deeply voice statement, ―I heard you last night.‖
―Did you honey?‖He said pulling up one corner of his mouth.
―I did.‖ She said tersely embarrassed at her reaction to him and equally embarrassed that she was jealous of Helene.
―Once you told me that you dealt with your stalker.‖
He chuckled, ―Was that what she was?‖He took her hands and squeezed them while studying her flushed cheeks,
―You sure play the part well. You acted like a jealous lover.‖
78
The Billionaire‘s Secret Desire I wasn’t playing, she thought, I wanted to scratch her eyes out. She was actually going to tell him that when Nikos interrupted.
―If you can unhand your fiancé for a minute or two,‖ he said with amusement, ―She should eat something before we leave for Aquinas.‖
Max agreed and took her hand to lead her back toward the table. After he pulled out a chair for her and sat next to her, several servants were at her side with platters of food.
She wasn‘t used to such attention and started to get uncomfortable. It didn‘t help that Max had moved his arm to the back of her chair and his hand absently rubbed her shoulder while he spoke to Nikos. The constant caressing was unnerving her. Not that she didn‘t want it, she wanted more. She wanted to feel his body on hers again and to have him kiss her that way.
She lay awake last night for awhile after he‘d fallen asleep hoping that he‘d do just that.However he didn‘t and she was devastatingly disappointed. She was wondering if it was because he didn‘t desire her like she did him. In all her inexperience she didn‘t know if he was serious about all of this or maybe he was just playing the part and getting
