Gypsy bit out, ‘I’m naked.’
He said with a mock-lascivious leer, ‘I know.’ And then more seriously, when she didn’t move, ‘Are you telling me that after last night you feel modest?’
Gypsy all but groaned, and went even redder. Her hands clenched on the sheet and she looked around desperately for something to cover up. Taking pity on her, Rico got off the bed and went to the bathroom, coming back with a robe. He wouldn’t turn around, though, and watched mockingly as Gypsy contorted herself to get into the robe without revealing anything of her body.
Her body upon which she could already see the marks of having been made love to. Eventually she stood up, but gasped when Rico grabbed the lapels of the robe and pulled her into him.
She looked up, her belly spasming treacherously. ‘Rico, we can’t—not here, now…’
‘As much as I’m looking forward to making love to you again, Gypsy, I won’t right now. What I am going to say is this: I don’t want to hear one word of regret or recrimination. You’ll be moved into my rooms as of today, and Lola will be set up in the suite adjoining mine.’
Gypsy went to speak, but Rico cut off whatever she was about to say when his mouth slanted over hers and he took advantage of her open mouth. Within seconds the flames of passion rose around them, and before Gypsy knew it Rico had stopped kissing her and she was clinging helplessly to his T-shirt. She saw the burning intent in his eyes and it made her tremble in response. How could she deny that she wanted this too, after last night? She’d be the worst kind of liar.
Amidst the desire heating her blood trickled something cold, though—Rico was just controlling her, dominating her exactly as he’d been doing all along. It made her say now, as she stepped back and willed her legs to hold her up, ‘I won’t say anything about regret or recrimination, but I want to keep my own room. We have a baby monitor. If I go to you we can still hear if Lola wakes up.’
Rico trailed one finger down over her flushed cheek and spoke musingly. ‘Still so sure that you have something to be afraid of?’
Gypsy bit back the words trembling on her lips. She did have something to be very afraid of—and it had to do with the fact that the thought of inviting such intimacy with Rico was terrifying to her equilibrium. What was left of it.
Rico said now, ‘Fine—have it your way. As long as you’re in my bed every night…or I’m in yours…the geographics aren’t important.’
And over the next two weeks Rico proved that Gypsy’s independent stance was really just a mockery. If he went to her bed he didn’t leave till the morning, and then usually only to stroll provocatively naked across the hall to his own room. And if she woke in his bed he wouldn’t let her leave easily. So invariably all they were doing was using their own rooms to change and wash.
Even more disturbing, when she saw Rico return from work in the evenings on the days he went to Athens, she was aware of a spreading warmth she couldn’t dampen down, no matter how much she tried.
It emanated right from her heart outwards, and it encompassed Rico now, as he strolled out to the terrace where she played with Lola as the sun set over the sea in the background.
‘Kalispera, mi pequeña,’ he said, before plucking Lola up and planting a kiss to both cheeks, which had her giggling delightedly.
‘You’ll confuse her with two different languages,’ Gypsy mock-scolded, slightly breathless at the way her body responded to the hot look Rico gave her. In that moment a part of her yearned for him to come and kiss her too, and she hated that she did. Wanting that kind of intimate display of affection was dangerous, because it meant she wanted more.
‘Nonsense,’ Rico dismissed arrogantly. ‘She’s my daughter therefore she is of above average intelligence and will be bilingual by the time she’s three.’
Gypsy’s heart thumped so hard for a moment that she put her hand up to her chest, afraid Rico might hear it. This easy banter made her feel weak with longing. Forcing herself to push down the treacherous and confusing desires of her heart, she got up abruptly, brushing grit off her jeans.
With Lola still in his arms, happily trying to pull his tie apart with chubby hands, Rico said, ‘There’s a function in Athens tomorrow night. I’d like you to accompany me.’
Gypsy stifled a grimace. ‘A charity event?’
Rico smiled. ‘No, it’s a party to celebrate the opening of a friend’s new hotel.’
‘Oh…’ Gypsy faltered. What could she say? She couldn’t hide here on the island for ever, but
the thought of going out in public with Rico when her feelings for him were see-sawing all over the place was very dangerous. But of course she couldn’t explain that—and he’d wonder what was wrong if she gave an excuse. She shrugged, ‘OK…’
‘Good. I’ll have Demi come pick you up around four and bring you over in the helicopter. I’ll meet you at the hotel.’
Still breathless, Gypsy followed Rico as he strode back into the villa with Lola. ‘Wait—what about Lola?’
He halted and turned back. ‘Agneta will be here. She can watch her overnight.’
Gypsy gasped. ‘We’ll be gone all night? But I’ve never left her alone for a night.’
That familiar implacability came back into the lines of Rico’s face. ‘Which is why it seems to me that it’s a good idea to start now. I get invited to things all the time, and it’s more practical to stay in Athens. We could bring her with us if we had a nanny, but as we don’t…’
Gypsy felt the wrench of being parted from Lola already. ‘We don’t need a nanny. I can take care of her—’
‘Not all the time.’ Rico’s tone brooked no argument, and he turned to stride inside again, throwing back over his shoulder, ‘Now that you’ve brought it up, I’ll arrange to have some nannies sent to the villa for interview in the next few days.’