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His eyes glinted and even before he spoke her skin was tingling, her belly flipping over with nervous energy at the brooding expression filling his features.
‘I see only one beautiful woman in front of me,eros mou. One who is wearing my ring and carrying my name. I am confident there is a cogent reason for making that choice, and that reason is not a titivating mystery as your tone implies.’
Not ready for the twist in conversation, she blurted out unguardedly, ‘What do you want me to tell you? That we fell in love at first sight?’
His nostrils flared and that glint turned almost brooding, almost contemplative before he shook his head. ‘At first sight? Perhaps not. But I’m willing to bet a few substantial assets that it was lust at first sight.’
She couldn’t help the gasp that erupted from between her lips. She tried to hide it with a scoff. ‘That is just your libido talking—’
‘I most certainly hope so or I’d have to see the doctor for far more worrying reasons than the gaps in my memories,’ he quipped briskly.
It took her a stunned moment to realise he was cracking a joke. A fraction more of that time for the laughter to spurt out of her. Then she was laughing hysterically.
And Zeph...
Something caught and tightened excitedly in her midriff as he too threw back his head and laughed. Free, unfettered humour, wrapping them in a cocoon so warm, so cosy, so thrilling, that her heart swelled with yearning.
An uncontrollable two minutes later, she realised the look on his face had changed, yet again. His gaze was sharper on her face, a fierce intensity that drilled into her as his scrutiny continued. ‘You have an amazing laugh, Imogen,’ he announced thickly.
Her own died away under the charges snapping between them. Charges that made her skin dance for entirely different reasons. Heat scorched between her legs, making her squirm in her seat.
He saw it, acknowledged it with a smugly masculine look as his gaze dropped to her chest. She didn’t need to look down to know her nipples were at attention. She could feel them every time she took her suddenly erratic breaths.
‘And you look even more spectacular when you’re aroused.’
She shook her head, adamant not to let those seductive words seem beneath her guard. ‘We’re straying away from the subject.’
His lips quirked. ‘Or I’d say we’re exactly on point.’
And she was still mired in that state of stunned shock and awe when they landed on the rooftop of their exclusive apartment building near Kifisia in Athens. As with the crew on the yacht, she’d briefed the staff about their employer’s return and requested discretion, so only the housekeeper and two butlers were waiting when Imogen and Zeph entered the stunningly appointed apartment.
Despina, the housekeeper in her sixties and one of the few women who’d known Zeph since birth, rushed forward, tears in her eyes.
A torrent of Greek was unleashed and, again, Imogen stood stunned when Zeph smiled and even allowed the older woman to kiss him on the cheeks. When she departed with an enthusiastic promise of his favourite refreshments, the older of the two butlers said quietly, ‘The doctor has arrived, Kyrios Diamandis. He’s waiting downstairs.’
Zeph nodded, his features settling into the kind of sharp focus she was used to seeing on the old Zeph. So much so, she felt a shiver rush through her.
Whether he sensed it or had actually seen her shiver, his gaze swung to her as they proceeded down several dove-grey-wallpapered hallways and into the vast living room decorated in tones of white and grey.
She watched him, breath held, as he looked around the room, then pinned his eyes on her.
‘Something wrong?’ he intoned, his deep voice rumbling through her.
‘Just wondering if anything in here rings a bell?’ she asked.
He looked around again, his hands popped in his pockets in that calmly assured way that left her stunned at the way he was taking all this.
‘No, it doesn’t,’ he rasped finally. ‘But that’s not what’s bothering you, is it?’ he added.
Since she could hardly say that the brief glimpse of his old self had sent a frisson of alarm through her, she touched on one of the many subjects seeking dominance in her mind.
‘As much as I trust the staff and employees, we won’t be able to keep the news of your return under wraps for long. I give it a week at the very least.’
His lips thinned and midnight-blue eyes narrowed for a moment. ‘I have a PR team, I suspect?’
‘Of course.’
He nodded. ‘Arrange a meeting with them. I’ll let them know how I want this handled.’
