Page 43 of Virgin's Night with the Greek

‘Coffee?’ he asked with a nod in the direction of the stove.

‘No, thank you.’

‘How are you feeling?’

‘Much better.’

‘I’m glad to hear it.’

‘Thank you for all your support.’

The smile he gave her was brief. Humourless. ‘No problem.’

A horribly wintry silence fell, during which all she could hear was the thundering of her heart. Then Leo opened his mouth to speak and Willow immediately focused, needing to get in first, before she lost her nerve. ‘So I’d like to go home now,’ she blurted, the words exiting her mouth with a rush.

He started, the porcelain of his cup hitting the marble tabletop with a clatter, his eyebrows shooting up. ‘What?’

She took a deep breath to calm down, and braced herself. ‘This has been a lot of fun,’ she began before amending, ‘well, not the last few days, of course, but before that. It’s been great. However, real life calls. I need to check on my father. I have things to sort things out before starting work on my next commission and roots to touch up.’

‘Seriously?’

‘Yes.’

He frowned. Then gave a short nod. ‘OK.’

And now the surprise was all hers. He agreed? Just like that? Without a fight? ‘Really?’ she said, totally confused by his acquiescence when not all that long ago he’d resolutely thwarted her attempts to go.

‘I should be heading back to work too,’ he said, pushing back his chair and getting to his feet. ‘I’ve neglected the business for longer than I intended. Too long, in hindsight.’

At the trace of irritation she could hear in his voice, Willow flushed with embarrassment and flooded with awkwardness. ‘That’s my fault,’ she said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, the regret that she hadn’t been strong enough to overcome temptation and leave as planned abject. ‘I’m sorry.’

He put the cup in the sink. ‘Don’t be. It’s not your fault.’

‘You stayed because of me.’

‘I gave you little choice.’

‘Are you going because of me, too?’

He spun round. His gaze collided with hers, sharp, questioning, and she wished she hadn’t said anything because this was not the time to show weakness even if she did, for some reason, badly need to know. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Do you really have to return to Athens?’

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Zander messaged me last night. The merger’s been causing problems.’

‘So it’s not because the last few days were a bit too... I don’t know...visceral?’

‘Absolutely not,’ he said, his eyes suddenly blazing with such conviction that she had to believe him. ‘Never think that. If anything, know that I am blown away by your strength and resilience.’

‘OK, then,’ she said, the relief oddly overwhelming.

‘When do you want to leave?’

She resisted the urge to tell him she’d changed her mind and she didn’t want to leave ever, because she couldn’t change her mind. She had to be strong. So she ignored the odd ache in her chest and the tightness of her throat, nodded once, and said, firmly, ‘I’m ready to go now.’

The journey back to Athens could not have been more different to the one out. The tension that filled the car was stony not sizzling, and there was no champagne on the plane. They did not exchange long smouldering looks filled with the promise of passion and adventure. They barely looked at each other.

The minute they boarded, Leo attached himself to his phone while Willow sat back and stared out of the window, stifling the dangerous emotions that were clamouring to be acknowledged. Her heart beat fast and her head buzzed beneath the pressure, but she counted down the minutes and kept her mouth shut.

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