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Music from the DJ’s deck began to play; a soft dance beat for everyone to tap their bare feet to, its pulse riding through his veins.
Soon Amy would be his again. And when he got her back in his bed he was never going to let her go.
CHAPTER SIX
DESPITE HER LONGING to be away from the hotel, far from the pull of Helios, Amy was enchanted by what surrounded her. The beach, under the light of the twinkling stars, was the most perfect scene imaginable. The noise of the lapping waves mingled with the dance beat playing behind them and gave her a sense of serenity that had been missing from her life since Helios had announced his intention to marry.
‘I need to use the bathroom,’ Greta murmured, rising from the table. ‘Are you coming?’
‘I don’t think you need me to hold your hand, do you?’ Amy said drily.
Greta laughed and set off into the hotel on decidedly unsteady feet.
Amy shook her head with a smile. Greta had been enjoying the steady stream of free cocktails even more than Amy had enjoyed the steady stream of free coffee.
No sooner had Greta gone than two men with matching goatee beards and dreadlocks pulled back into ponytails appeared. Both were dressed in black outfits that brought to mind samurai warriors crossed with pirates. These men were Agonites; Amy would bet her savings on it.
With interpreters translating from their Greek, the two men insisted that the table Amy was seated at be moved back ten feet. As soon as that was done they drew a line in the sand, marking a semicircle which they made clear no one should cross.
Curiosity drove everyone to their feet. Without her heels on Amy had trouble seeing anything, so she ducked out of the crowd to stand at the top of the steps leading down to the beach. The extra height and distance allowed her to see unhindered.
As the men set themselves up, removing objects she couldn’t see from two huge crates, Greta came out of the bathroom and made her way to the semicircle of people crowding around them.
The sun had long gone down and standing alone, without the shared body heat of the people below, Amy felt the slight chill in the air. Rubbing her arms for warmth, she kept her gaze on the men, pretending to herself that she hadn’t seen Helios step out from the bar with two large cocktail glasses in his hands...
‘I thought you looked thirsty,’ he said, climbing the steps to stand with her.
Her heart and throat catching, she shook her head. Deep down she’d known that separating herself from the group would be perceived as an open invitation.
His smile was knowing as he handed her one of the drinks. ‘Try this. I think you’ll like it.’
The glass was full of crushed ice, and the liquid within it was pink. Fresh strawberries had been placed around the rim, and sprigs of mint laced the cocktail. Wordlessly, she took it from him and placed the straw between her lips.
He knew her tastes too well. ‘It’s delicious. What is it?’
‘A strawberry mojito.’
‘Did you make it?’
He laughed lightly and shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t know where to begin.’
She took another sip. The combination of fresh mint and crushed strawberries played on her tongue, as did the taste of rum.
‘What are you drinking?’
‘A Long Island iced tea. Try some?’
She shouldn’t. Really, she shouldn’t.
With the moonless sky filled with twinkling stars, the scent of the sea, the background throb of music, the laughter coming from the crowd of people before them...it was a scene for romance, one she should turn and run away from.
Yet her hand disobeyed her brain, reaching out to take the glass from him, bringing the straw his own lips had wrapped around to her mouth so she could take a small sip.
Her eyes widened. ‘That packs a punch!’
He grinned and took the glass back from her, brushing his fingers against hers for a second too long.
Little darts raced through her hand and up her arm. She took another sip of her mojito, fighting desperately to stop herself from leaning forward and into him. He was so close...
‘I found out the other day that I’m an uncle,’ Helios said, making conversation before she could remember to flee again. Besides, this was something he really needed to talk about, before his head exploded with the magnitude of it all.
‘Really?’
Her shock mirrored his own initial reaction to the news. ‘Theseus. He had a one-night stand with a woman he met on his sabbatical.’
‘Wow. That was a few years ago, wasn’t it?’
‘The boy is four. His name’s Toby. Theseus only found out by accident and a quirk of fate—he lied about his identity to the mother, so she was never able to tell him. And then she turned up at the palace to work on the official biography.’
