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'I hate to disillusion you, Saffron, but most men prefer to be seduced by women in floaty bits of silk and lace underwear, not a wool suit reminiscent of a battle dress that will take some time to remove.'
'We could put it to the test,' she murmured throatily, approaching the bed and lowering the zip still further. Alex looked so good lying there, tanned and relaxed, and it had been almost twenty-four hours since the last time they had made love.
'Is this a none too subtle way of getting out of telling me how much money you've spent today?' Alex queried cynically, his dark eyes mocking her. 'Because if it is it is quite unnecessary. As I've told you before, I have money enough to last a hundred lifetimes; you don't have to pay for each item you buy with sex.'
Saffron stopped; she felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. Her green eyes sought Alex's; he had pulled himself up and was sitting propped up on the bed, the pillow at his back, and his expression was one of cool disdain. Was that what he truly thought?
All the colour drained from her face and she stared at him, unable to believe that he had said that, and some tiny devil inside her whispered, Is he right? Did I set out to seduce him tonight because of all the money I've spent? No! her heart cried in denial. It was not like that. She loved Alex with every fibre of her being.
She stepped forward, and stopped again. But all these weeks when she had thought they were making love Alex had never mentioned love. Did fee see it as just sex?
'The thought never entered my head,' she managed to say lightly, but it was beyond her capabilities to carry on with the seduction she had planned. 'So you don't like the blue. I must remember that,' she murmured, pulling the zip right up to the neck before turning away from his lounging figure, adding, 'I'll show you the rest some other time. I need a shower.' And she escaped into the bathroom.
Two hours later she was lying in the big bed, the sound of Alex's even breathing the only noise in the quiet room, but sleep was elusive. In her euphoria at realising that Alex was not the swine she had thought, she had rashly declared her love, and somehow assumed he felt the same, but his words this evening had burst her bright balloon of happiness.
She turned over restlessly and slid her arm around his waist to hug him. They had made love, and it had been as good as always—she was worrying unnecessarily, she tried to tell herself, but sleep when it finally came was shallow and broken.
In the morning Anna departed with Alex for Athens and Saffron was once again virtually alone and very aware of the isolation of her island home. She told herself she would soon settle down, but when Alex called a couple of hours later and told her he would not be home that night—a vital meeting—doubts about herself and him plagued her mind.
Was she really cut out for the life of a lady of leisure, waiting on a paradise island until her husband needed her, her dream of her own beauty salon just that—a dream? Strangely restless, she strolled along the beach.
The summer had gone and a cold wind blew in off the sea. In a few more weeks it would be Christmas.
Then it came to her. Why stay on the island? Alex commuted to Athens, so why couldn't she? Perhaps she could open a salon, or work in a city hospital as a clinical beau
tician; there were dozens of opportunities if she really sought them.
Fired up with enthusiasm and eager to discuss the idea with Alex, she returned to the house, packed an overnight bag and called the local bar to book the ferry for the mainland. She would surprise Alex, cook him dinner in his small pied-à-terre in Athens, and maybe tomorrow look for suitable premises. Always supposing Alex was agreeable. . . And always supposing he loved her. . . the voice of reality rang in her mind. But she refused to listen; she didn't dare because she was almost certain she had already fulfilled one part of their bargain: she needed to buy a pregnancy-test kit. But she could be a mother and a businesswoman!
Saffron walked into the glass and steel structure that was Alex's corporate headquarters, and went straight to the directors' lift. She walked out at the top floor and into the reception area. She had visited the office a couple of times with Alex and the secretary recognised her.
'Mrs Statis. This is a surprise. I'm not sure your husband is here.'
'It's not that important; I only wanted to collect the spare key for his apartment—I know he leaves one here.'
The young girl opened the top door of her desk and handed over the key. 'Well, you are his wife so it must be all right,' she said with a smile.
At that moment a door opened at the rear of the office and James strolled out. He stopped, his blond head going back as he saw Saffron. Did he hesitate before dashing across to take her hand, or was it her imagination?
'Saffron, lovely to see you, but what brings you here? I don't think Alex is expecting you.'
'No, I want to surprise him; I've had a great idea and I can't wait to tell him.'
'Well, he isn't here.'
'No, that's a shame; still, he did say he was busy and was going to be working late, but when he gets in touch can you tell him I'll be waiting at the apartment?'
'Apartment! Do you think that's a good idea?' James questioned, his blue eyes oddly intent on her smiling face. 'Why not allow me to take you for an early dinner and arrange for the helicopter to fly you home? I'm sure Alex really will be very late.'
Saffron's eager optimism was trickling away. Perhaps she had been a bit rash, but still it could do no harm to wait for Alex, even if it was midnight when he got back. 'No, James, really; it's nice of you to offer, but I'll be perfectly all right on my own until Ales arrives.'
'But I'm not sure I can get in touch with him. It is a very important meeting,' James responded with a strange urgency, and was it sympathy she saw in his blue eyes? Surely not. . .
'Look, James, don't worry,' she said over-brightly. 'I'm going to hit the shops for an hour or two. I'll be fine.'
'Here, take my card; if you need. . .' He stumbled over the words, most unlike his usual suave, very English self. 'If you change your mind call me at home.'
'Yes, OK.' She took the card from his outstretched hand and beat a hasty retreat. Somehow James's attitude worried her, and why, as Alex's PA, wasn't he with him, if it was such a vital meeting?
