Free The Passionate Greek by Catherine Dane

‘I’ll just pretend he’s not here.’ She gave
Electra her lunch and Leaving Maria singing the baby to sleep she
grabbed a towel and slipping a sarong over her bikini headed for
her favorite beach. Cutting through the cool, clear waters
invigorated her. Some way out Nicos had erected a bathing platform.
She headed for it, slicing easily through the waves and climbing
the ladder threw herself on to its comfortably padded surface.
    She was drifting off to sleep when she felt
drops of water splashing on her prone body. She gasped and opened
startled eyes. Nicos, hanging with one hand on to the edge of the
bathing platform was flicking seawater at her with his other
hand.
    Ignoring the ladder and hauling himself
aboard he threw himself down next to her and closed his eyes.
Melanie was acutely conscious of his nearness, the golden glisten
of his wet skin and the sheer animal aroma of him. Her dismayed
realisation of the affect he was having on her made her snap, ‘I
came out here for some peace and quiet.’
    ‘Mmm, me, too,’ was all he said,
contentedly.
    Melanie sat up and looked at him. His eyes
remained closed and a small smile played across his features. ‘What
were you doing following me out here,’ she demanded. His response
was a lazy, ‘Didn’t. Didn’t know you were out here.’
    ‘Well, sorry to disturb your peace
and quiet. In that case I’ll leave.’ She scrambled to her feet and
was about to dive into the sea when his hand shot out and grabbed
her ankle.
    ‘No, you don’t. You’re not going
anywhere.’
    She tried to twist out of his grasp but he
held her firmly. ‘Let me go,’ she protested.
    ‘I will if you sit down and behave.’
    ‘Behave?’ she gasped. ‘You’re’ the one
misbehaving.’
    ‘Sit down,’ he ordered her. ‘Now we’re both
out here we might as well talk.’
    ‘What about?’ she asked suspiciously,
    ‘Let me see,’ he said reflectively. ‘You
could start by explaining how you managed to bamboozle the staff at
my London office, not once but twice.’
    ‘I thought you weren’t interested in my
version of events. You certainly weren’t last time we met.’ The
minute the words were out Melanie regretted them. Whatever
possessed her to remind him of their last meeting? Shame shot
through her as she remembered the way she had lain beneath him on
the beach, urging him on, bringing him deeper and deeper into
herself unto they had exploded together into ecstasy. She didn’t
want to direct Nicos's thoughts in that direction. She hurried on,
tripping over her words.
    ‘Your staff are not to blame. And nor is
Gabby,’ she added quickly.
    Gabby? You know Gabby.’ He sounded
surprised.
    Melanie sighed. ‘I suppose I’d better tell
you the whole story.’
    She launched into an account of how she had
assumed Stephanie’s identity, at first to gain an interview with
Nicos and then to pass herself off as the replacement nanny. He sat
up as she was speaking, alert now and listening intently. ‘Weren’t
you afraid that the real Stephanie would get in touch with the
agency and blow your cover?’
    ‘I did have a couple of bad moments,’ she
admitted. ‘Stephanie telephoned the agency from the States asking
about a tax form. Luckily it was me that answered the
telephone.’
    ‘And the second bad moment?’ he asked.
    ‘Your office in London,’ she said. ‘They
sent an airline ticket to Athens by courier to the agency in
Stephanie’s name. ‘Which of course you couldn’t use,’ he commented.
‘What did you think was going to happen when you arrived here? You
could hardly pass yourself off as Stephanie. The islanders know
you.’
    ‘I figured that once I was here at least I
would have some time with Electra. Anna might have sent me packing
but I just hoped she wouldn’t.’
    A thoughtful look crossed his face. ‘Ah,
Anna,’ was all he said. ‘A law unto herself. And how does Gabby fit
into this scenario?
    Melanie looked uncomfortable. ‘She thinks
I’m