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He didn’t answer, only continued to hold her gaze a moment longer with that same quizzical, amused look in his eye which she was making herself meet in a determinedly unaffected fashion. Then he broke contact, reaching for the bottle of wine and moving to refill her glass.
She covered it with her hand. ‘I’d better not. I’m starting to yawn already,’ she said.
She didn’t want any more discussion about the nature of their marriage. It didn’t need to be discussed. Let alone questioned. It was useful to both of them. Nothing more than useful. End of, she told herself firmly.
He accepted her decision. ‘Well, it’s been quite a day,’ he said.
‘It certainly has,’ she said lightly.
Light—that’s the way I have to be. Keeping everything nice and light. Or composed and businesslike. And friendly. Easy-going. Bright and cheerful. Or—
She ran out of adjectives that described the kind of behaviour that she needed to demonstrate for the next two years of marriage with Nikos.
A yawn started in her throat and she was unable to prevent it. She made another face. ‘That’s it, I’m calling it a day,’ she said, and started to get to her feet. ‘I’m off to bed.’
He stood up, helping her with her chair. He seemed very tall beside her suddenly.
‘Goodnight, then,’ he said. There was still that lazy note in his voice. ‘Enjoy your bridal bed.’
There was nothing but amusement in his voice, Diana was sure, because obviously there couldn’t be anything else. Not in a marriage like theirs.
So she answered in the same vein. ‘Indeed I shall,’ she agreed. ‘I wonder if it’s been deluged in rose petals again?’
An eyebrow tilted. ‘Shall I come and check for you?’
‘Thank you, no. I’m sure I can sweep them away with my own fair hand,’ she said, lightly but firmly.
Then she beat a retreat. Any banter, however light-hearted, about bridal beds and rose petals was best shut down swiftly. Any banter at all between her and Nikos about anything that could have the slightest sexual connotation should not even be acknowledged. It had no place in their marriage. None at all.
And she had to make sure it stayed that way. Absolutely sure.
* * *
The following day passed very pleasantly for Diana. Nikos went off to his business appointments and she went browsing in the tourist souks, lunched at the hotel, then had a lazy afternoon poolside.
Nikos returned early evening, just as she got back up to their suite, his mood excellent.
‘Good meetings?’ she enquired.
‘Highly satisfactory,’ he said.
He disappeared down to the pool to cool off, and by the time he came back up Diana was ready. They’d agreed to try out one of the other restaurants at the hotel, less formal than where they’d dined their first night. Tonight she wore a cocktail dress in pale blue had used minimum make-up and wore low-heeled shoes. Nikos looked relaxed and casual in an open-neck shirt, turned-back cuffs and no tie.
He looked devastatingly attractive, but she refused to pay attention to that fact. Instead she chattered on about her adventures in the souks as they tucked into the Italian-style dishes.
‘Buy any gold?’ he asked, with a lift of his eyebrow.
‘A few bits and pieces,’ she conceded. ‘I know it’s not hallmarked, but I couldn’t resist. And,’ she added, ‘I bought a carpet! I saw it and thought it would be perfect for the library at Greymont—the one there is very moth-eaten now. I’m having it shipped home directly.’ She made a moue. ‘I probably got diddled over the price, because I’m not much good at haggling, but it seemed good value to me all the same. Cheaper than a dealer in London, at any rate.’
‘A good morning’s work,’ he said, and smiled.
His mood was excellent, and not just because he’d had a very productive meeting with one of the Sheikh’s key people, but also because Diana was clearly considerably more relaxed with him this evening. His careful strategy was working—get her comfortable with him, let her lower her guard, so she would be ready to accept what was inevitable between them. Ready to accept her own desire for him and his her for her.
The ice maiden melted in passion. Made mine at last...
And now, thanks to the Prince and Princess, he was going to be presented with the absolutely perfect setting in which to do so.
‘Oh, desperately strenuous!’ she laughed. ‘So I rewarded myself with lazing by the pool all afternoon.’
