Page 43 of Suzie's Santorini Summer

‘And then you were finally able to move to Devon to set up your own business?’

‘Yes, that’s right.’

Suzie avoided Christos’ eyes. She’d already told him far more than she had intended, and more than she had shared with her fellow glamping site residents back in Blossomwood Bay. She had long suspected though that Jules, at least, knew more than he let on. Having previously lived with his brother in Pimlico, he had no doubt seen the reporting at the time. Holly knew what had happened, and so did Freya and Chloe, but even they didn’t knowallthe details.

‘Okay, so do you want to show me how to make a bracelet with these beads? Or what about a necklace, or maybe I’d look good in a toe ring?’

Suzie smiled, her spirits lifting at Christos’ enthusiasm.

‘Actually, if it’s okay with you, I thought we could do something different.’

‘What do you have in mind?’ asked Christos, his lips twitching at the corners.

To Suzie’s surprise, a wave of sexual attraction rolled through her body, and she quickly turned her back on Christos for fear he might notice the reaction his question had caused. It had been a long time since she’d experience a similar response, and when her eyes strayed to the potter’s wheel, she wondered whether it had been a good idea to invite Christos to join her at the studio – especially when she remembered what Amber had said about recreating the scene fromGhost!

However, when she saw the clay sitting on the shelf next to the wheel, she realised that she might not get another chance to have a go at throwing a pot, so, with some difficulty, she pushed the thought of Christos playing the male lead in the movie’s re-make from her mind and pointed to the area behind the bamboo screen.

‘If it’s okay with you, I thought we could have a go at throwing a pot.’

‘Sounds like fun. Is this the clay?’

Christos stretched across Suzie to liberate the chunk of clay from its plastic wrapping, his shirt riding up to reveal an expanse of naked torso. To her consternation, she realised that he had seen her admiring his muscular, bronzed abdomen and heat rushed into her cheeks as she took a seat on the narrow wooden plank behind the wheel and slammed the clay that Christos had handed to her onto the turntable, making sure it was dead centre.

She started the wheel, dipped her hands into a bowl of water and, with her forearm resting on the wheel’s tray, she anchored the clay using the side of her left hand, then wrapped her fingers around it, squeezing it gently from the side and above, relishing the feel of the wet, slippery clay sliding across the palm of her hand. Using her left thumb and right index finger, she pushed deep into the centre of the clay, then pulled the walls out horizontally in one smooth motion, before drawing them gently upwards using her knuckle until she’d created a tall, cylindrical vase of which she was inordinately proud.

When she finally looked up from her work of art, she was surprised to see Christos standing in front of her, watching her every move, his eyes dark and sultry. She had been so consumed in the intense creative process that she had completely forgotten he was there; it was just her and the chunk of well-lubricated clay that responded so obediently to her touch. Flustered by the emotions swirling through her body, she quickly washed and dried her hands, then drew a taut wire across the bottom of her vase and removed it from the wheel, setting it carefully onto a wooden board Katerina had placed on an adjacent table for just that purpose.

‘Okay, now it’s your turn.’

Christos didn’t have to be asked twice. He quickly cocked his leg over the narrow plank she had just vacated, and she helped him set a second piece of clay on the turntable, making sure it was in the middle, but as soon as the wheel started to rotate, the clay migrated to one side.

Suzie laughed. ‘You have to hold your hand like this.’

Without thinking, she straddled the seat behind him, threading her arms around his waist and taking hold of his hands with hers, guiding them around the clay, speaking softly and calmly as she helped him to ease his first pot into a wide-rimmed bowl shape. Naively, perhaps, she hadn’t expected it to be such a sensual experience; their bodies pressed tightly together, their hands entwined as they caressed the silky smooth surface of the wet clay, the smell of rich earthiness floating through the air between them.

As the wheel slowed, Christos turned slightly in his seat so he could meet Suzie’s gaze, causing a sharp flash of electricity to blaze through her veins. For a few delicious seconds, she felt as though time stood still as Christos waited for her to make the next move, his warm breath tickling her left earlobe and sending spasms of desire cascading down her spine. She smiled and a moment later his lips were on hers. Soft, gentle, it was a mere brush of a kiss, but then he drew her closer, this time kissing her properly, deeply, ardently, his embrace sending her emotions into a tantalising tailspin.

When they finally pulled apart, Suzie felt breathless and slightly disorientated, and she could see from the expression on Christos’ face that he felt the same. The strength of their reactions had clearly taken them both by surprise, but there was no awkwardness between them. In fact, Suzie had never felt more at ease than she did at that moment, and she wished she could bottle the feeling and take it with her out into the world so she could use it whenever she needed a boost of confidence.

‘So, what do you say we decorate our masterpieces?’ asked Suzie, getting up from the potter’s wheel seat so she could remove Christos’ bowl with the wire and place it next to her tall narrow vase on the wooden board.

‘Great idea. Let’s use these beads.’

Christos grabbed the jar, picked out a handful of blue and green glass pebbles, and handed them to Suzie. She studied them for a moment, then pressed them into the top of her vase, creating an attractive pattern that glinted in the shafts of sunshine slicing through the window. Unfortunately, the weight of the glass caused the rim to sink inwards, so that the aperture was the width of a coin and creating an undeniably phallic shape. Her lips twitched slightly, but she managed to quash the whip of amusement for fear of having to explain her reaction to Christos.

‘What are you going to do?’

‘Something simple; a sunflower, I think.’

Suzie watched Christos create a skilfully executed sunflower using yellow beads for the petals and a row of smaller green beads for a single leaf that climbed the side of the bowl.

‘Have you done this before?’ She laughed.

‘Actually, one of the reasons I came to Santorini was so I could explore my creative side. I’ve dabbled a little in oils and watercolours, and photography, but it’s harder than I thought to create something that truly speaks straight from the heart. I don’t seem to have found my niche yet, but maybe I should consider expressing my innermost emotions through the medium of clay? Thanks for being such a patient teacher, Suzie. Did you offer jewellery-making classes at your beach hut studio?’

‘No, I didn’t.’

‘You should think about it; you’d be good at it.’

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