Page 35 of Greek's Temporary "I Do"

Helena shook off the sad thought. What point was it yearning after things that could never be?

Throwing on a pair of loose trousers and a short shirt-top, she went to have breakfast, to find Leo wheeling a cabin bag into the living space.

He was leaving? Now?

‘What—’ She stopped herself midsentence because she didn’t even know what to say. She’d thought that yesterday had brought them closer. At least to a point of understanding. And now he was leaving?

Leo looked up and must have seen the shock pass over her face.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, concern stark on his features.

‘Why do you have that?’

He looked down, said, ‘Oh...’ and grimaced.

‘Look, if you have to leave—’ Helena said, trying to sound nonchalant rather than panic stricken.

‘Leave? Why would I leave?’ he replied, confused.

‘You have a packed case!’

‘Yes,’ he answered as if she were missing something.

‘Why?’ she nearly cried.

He smiled then and the sight was so at odds with the entire exchange she wanted to throw something at him.

Oh, this man!

‘We’re going on a trip,’ he announced.

‘What trip? We’re having lunch at Thentroliváno.’

‘Leander wanted to have lunch at Thentroliváno, but us? Not so much.’

‘We don’t?’ Helena asked, feeling, against all odds, the tug of Leo’s good humour working on her.

‘Nope,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘We do not.’

‘So, what is it that we want to do today?’ she asked, playing along.

‘We are going on a boat trip,’ Leo announced with an uncharacteristic flourish. ‘So go pack a bag,’ he commanded.

Helena’s mind completely blanked. ‘What am I packing for?’

‘Swimming, sun, sea and an overnight stay.’

‘O-overnight?’ Helena stuttered, never once having suffered from the affliction before in her life.

Leo looked away, hoping that Helena didn’t see his body’s reaction to her simple question.

‘Yes, just a change of clothes,’ he confirmed as he fiddled unnecessarily with the handle of the case.

Gamóto, he was behaving like a schoolboy.

He glanced up at Helena, who was staring at him, an unfathomable look on her features. He paused, fearing that he’d done the wrong thing, that he’d made a terrible mistake. All he’d wanted to do was to throw Leander’s damn agenda out of the window. They’d been playing by the rules of a games master who wasn’t even here. And if they only had three days left, then Leo didn’t want to waste them doing things that would only benefit his brother.

Yesterday had been a breath of fresh air for him and he was surprised to find he wanted more. It had nothing to do with the fierce arousal which was banked, as much as was humanly possible, by what couldn’t be. He had enjoyed spending time with her. Talking to her. Hearing about her life. And, masochist that he was, he wanted more. If this was all they could have, he would take it all.

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