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She had reassured the old man, and apologised for lying to him in London when she had told him she had never seen Luke before, explaining away the lie by touching on Luke's attachment to Jan at the time. Theo had appeared to accept the story, but Jemma was convinced he saw a lot more than Luke gave him credit for.
'Excuse me?' Jemma glanced up and saw a strikingly attractive older man with a mane of white hair standing in front of her. 'I wonder if I may have a few words with you?'
'Yes of course. Mr Karadis, isn't it?' She remembered his name because when he had been in the receiving line earlier he had looked startled when he saw her. He had been accompanied by his wife and daughter, and a son about Luke's age in a wheelchair.
'You are—or were—Jemma Sutherland. No?'
'Yes, why?' His brown eyes darkened with some deep emotion, and Jemma wondered if it was wise to talk to a man she didn't know, but suddenly he smiled and his handsome face came alive.
'You are my beautiful Mary's…how do you say… niece, yes?'
Five minutes later there were tears in Jemma's eyes and she was clutching the man's hand with her own. He had been her aunt's lover for thirty years, and the son in the wheelchair was the reason why Mr Karadis had never left his wife. Jemma told him about her aunt's will, and the house on Zante, and his eyes filled with tears.
'Excuse a foolish old man, but meeting you and knowing you will keep her memory alive for me, and keep our secret, I am content.' And, leaning forward, he kissed her cheek. 'I can see her in your eyes, and if you ever, ever need anything at all, call on me.'
Where on earth was she? Luke walked towards the house and stopped. His bride of a few hours was lounging back against a marble pillar, holding hands with Karadis the banker and allowing him to kiss her cheek. A man she had only just met, and probably the only man in Greece who was as wealthy as Luke. What was it with Jemma and old men? Theo had taken one look at her and been smitten, and Karadis, renowned as a model of propriety, was obviously bowled over by her charm.
'So this is where you're hiding.' Jemma's head jerked up at the sound of Luke's voice, and saw his eyes narrow on the older man. He said something in Greek. Mr Karadis said something back, and then laughed before turning to Jemma.
'It has been a pleasure to meet you, Jemma, and now I must go. But I hope we meet again.'
Jemma smiled. 'So do I,' she said softly, and watched him walk away.
'Very touching. But do you have to hide away and flirt with every old man you meet?' Luke growled.
'I was not flirting, and nor was I hiding. I was trying to cool off.' Seeing Luke with sweat beading his forehead and his broad chest revealed by the open neck of his shirt
did nothing to lower her temperature—quite the reverse. But if the past few days with Luke had taught her anything, it was a much better understanding of her aunt Mary. And now she and her aunt had a passion for handsome Greeks males in common, as well as their passion for plants, she thought, with a secretive smile curling her lips.
'If you say so.' He shrugged, but she could sense his underlying anger. 'You can cool off in the helicopter; it's time we said goodbye to our guests and left for Zante.' And, grasping her hand firmly, he led her back into the crowd of guests.
A short time later Jemma stepped out of the helicopter and glanced around. They had landed on a helipad on the roof of a building. 'Where are we?' she asked.
Ice took her arm and slanted her a sidelong glance. 'Our hotel.'
CHAPTER NINE
A tingling sensation the length of her spine woke Jemma from a deep sleep. It was a finger tracing her backbone, and slowly she opened her eyes to the view of a broad, hair-roughened chest. Stretching, she sighed and rolled onto her back.
'At last you are awake.' Luke followed her over, his amused grey eyes gleaming down into hers. 'I was beginning to wonder if I would have to start without you.'
With the rock-hard length of him pressed against her thigh there was no mistaking his aroused state. 'You are insatiable,' Jemma murmured, smiling languorously up at him.
'Mmm, but morning arousal in the male is a fact of life—one we poor men have to deal with,' Luke said drolly, one hand reaching out to cup her breast.
'Is it really? I didn't know that' Jemma sighed at the delicious sensations seeping through her.
'Then you must have been singularly unobservant of the men in your life. Which reminds me…' He paused, his hand now gently stoking over both her breasts in a figure eight. 'I had a word with Liz about your five a.m. starts, and we agreed it makes much more sense for the guy you employ to take the early-morning shifts.'
'You did what?' Jemma stiffened in outrage, no longer languorous but livid. 'You had no right to discuss my business behind my back. I'm perfectly happy with my hours as they are, and so was Liz until you put your oar in.'
Luke's hand stilled on her breasts. 'If I truly believed for a second that you and Liz were happy with the present arrangement I would not have interfered, but I know for a fact that Liz isn't mad about it. She only alternates the early start with you because of your friendship.'
Jemma stared at him in astonishment. 'She told you that? She's never said anything to me.'
'As I've told you before, Jemma, you have a great ability for burying your head in the sand and seeing only what you want to see.'
'But I asked her dozens of times if she minded.' Jemma muttered, all the fight draining out of her. 'And she always said no.'
