He could see her now with their children. The mere thought of it made the blood pump faster through his body.
It was a perfect fit. Tessa was a perfect fit for his life and he could give her precisely what she wanted.
He ignored the urgent voice reminding him that Tessa was perfect in all sorts of much more personal ways.
And they were already married. No need for delay. No requirement for long negotiations or for tedious courtship.
His pulse quickened. No need for contraception. He guessed she’d be eager to try for a family. The thought of making long, slow, heart-pounding love to her, with no barrier between them, sent the blood pooling low in his body.
Instinctively he knew his decision was right. Not just right—it was perfect.
He’d cancel the divorce.
Instead he’d make Tessa an offer she couldn’t refuse. A place here. As his wife.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
WAS she a fool?
Tessa stared into the massive bathroom mirror, wondering if she’d lost her mind or whether, for the first time in her life, reality was better than her dreams.
Was she right to fight for what she wanted, despite the enormous odds against her?
Logic told her this was a big mistake. She should have confronted Stavros weeks ago about where he thought their relationship might lead. For despite his attentiveness, his concern for her wellbeing, his tender amusement and his unquenchable passion, he never spoke about the future.
Surely this was merely a short-term affair, fun and convenient for him. Something different from his usual liaisons with women of his own set.
Yet in her heart Tessa clung to the belief that there might be more to it. That in time he might realise how truly wonderful they were together.
Surely only a fool would hold out that hope.
Or a woman in love.
She stared into the overbright green eyes in the mirror before her, unblinking. Facing the truth.
That was why she’d stayed. Why she’d gambled her self-respect and pride and emotional security by remaining in Greece. Because she’d fallen in love with Stavros Denakis.
He embodied every quality she’d dreamed of in a partner, husband and lover: strength, caring, integrity and so much more besides. The idea of being without him was a cold, hard knot of dread in her stomach.
Yet she shied away from anything that might prompt him to discuss the future. She’d clung to the here and now with a desperation that barely concealed her fear of rejection.
Tessa squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. She’d come this far. She’d see it through. She owed it to herself to fight for her future.
Her gaze dipped to the reflection of her shoulders, almost bare in this dress, to the neckline that plunged between her breasts. The cut of the bodice meant she couldn’t wear a bra and the sensation of the slinky fabric against her skin made her aware of her body in a way that was completely new. The fact that she wore only the tiniest wisp of sheer lace as underpants only heightened the excitement that hummed through her body.
Stavros had wanted to see her in this green dress. Despite her initial alarm at how much flesh the outfit revealed, now she was grateful. She knew the effect it would have on him. His libido was strong and constant. So perhaps he wouldn’t notice her nervousness when she appeared in a designer dress, her fear that instead of a sexy, confident woman she’d look like a sparrow masquerading as a swan.
Maybe if she could carry this off then Stavros might look at her and see…what? A woman who wouldn’t look out of place among his jet-set friends? A woman who could hold her own in sophisticated company?
She doubted it. But perhaps, just perhaps it might open his eyes to possibilities he hadn’t considered.
Like staying married to his inconvenient wife.
She turned and pushed open the door, entering the bedroom with the slow, hip-swaying walk imposed by the high-heeled satin evening shoes that went with the dress. Across the room Stavros looked up as he closed his laptop. Eyes like burning ice held hers. Her pace slowed, faltered, as her heart beat out of rhythm then accelerated, thumping hard and urgent against her rib-cage.
‘Turn around.’ His voice skated across her bare flesh like warm satin, and she flushed as she stopped and pivoted on one foot. Around her hips and thighs the dress flared and shifted, a caress against her skin.
His gaze trawled down her almost-naked back. In her heightened state of awareness Tessa could swear she felt it slide centimetre by centimetre down her spine. She shivered, imagining him tracing that line, arousing her with the touch of his lips.
When she turned to face him again he’d stepped closer. His eyes had darkened to blazing charcoal brightness. Her nipples tightened and pebbled as his gaze swept over her and she read the wanting in his taut features.