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But it was almost time for Callie to have her evening meal, and Ella cherished her bedtime routine with the toddler. She hauled herself off the bed and groaned out loud when she saw her swollen eyes and ruined make-up. No longer having access to the beautician’s tools, and in possession of very few cosmetics of her own, Ella did her best to conceal the ravages of her uncontrolled crying-jag.
Callie was a delight and a consolation that evening. Ella played with her in her bath, dried her little wriggling body and cuddled the little girl while she read her a story.
Callie was happily making quacking sounds when Aristandros appeared on the nursery threshold. ‘I fancy eating out tonight,’ he announced.
‘I don’t care if I never eat again,’ Ella lied, for in truth she was starving, but could not have borne letting him get away with pretending that nothing had happened—even if she did suspect that that might be a wiser approach than running the risk of a post mortem about the row.
Callie slid off her knee and padded barefoot over to him, holding her arms up and demanding to be lifted. Possibly relieved that someone appeared to appreciate his presence, Aristandros crouched down and swept her up into his arms as if he’d been doing it for years. But in fact he had never done it before, and Ella watched slyly from beneath her lashes as Callie explored his hair, smothered him in wet kisses and yanked at his tie before settling down happily, trying to steal one of his shiny gold cuff-links.
‘Quack,’ Callie told him importantly, and then she stuck out a foot. ‘Socks,’ she added.
‘You’re not wearing any,’ Aristandros pointed out.
Callie pouted. ‘Shoos.’
‘You’re not wearing shoes either.’
‘She’s trying to dazzle you with her new words, not have a conversation,’ Ella explained.
‘It’s more appealing than conversation,’ Aristandros remarked, shrewd dark eyes skimming from Callie’s smiling little face to Ella’s frozen expression. ‘You’re sulking again.’
‘I’m not sulking,’ Ella pronounced through gritted teeth. ‘I’m just can’t think of anything to say to you.’
‘Is there a difference?’ Aristandros strolled across the room to lower Callie gently back down on to Ella’s lap. As their eyes connected in an unexpected encounter, she was shockingly aware of the raw charge of his masculinity, and her mouth ran dry.
‘I’m going out,’ he said casually.
Ella almost called him back to say that she would go out after all. Watching him go out alone had no appeal whatsoever. Her contentment at her relaxing session with Callie ebbed fast. No woman in their right mind would encourage Aristandros to go out by himself—but no woman with any pride would accompany him after the day that had just passed and the words that had been exchanged, Ella reasoned with spirit. When Callie was safely asleep she went downstairs and ate a light meal without appetite, while she watched the clock and wondered how long he would stay out and who he was with. Athens was a lively, cosmopolitan city with many clubs.
Having decided on an early night, she went for a bath, then phoned Lily and finally told her friend everything she had previously withheld.
‘He’s a total bastard!’ Lily hissed in disgust.
Ella winced, finding that opinion not as much to her taste as she might have hoped. ‘Occasionally he’s…very challenging.’
‘I don’t believe what I’m hearing. You’re making excuses for him?’
‘That wasn’t an excuse,’ Ella protested uncomfortably.
‘Ella…in all the years of our friendship I have never understood your essential indifference to men. Now, finally, I do. You’re insanely in love with Ari Xenakis—and I do mean insane, because by the sound of it he’s already running rings round you!’
‘Of course I’m not in love with him,’ Ella retorted crisply. ‘We have absolutely nothing in common. He’s cold, selfish and arrogant, and I could never care about a man like that!’
‘On the other hand,’ Aristandros added lazily, striding into the bedroom without warning and startling her into dropping the phone, ‘I’m very rich, very clever and very good in bed—a combination of traits which seems to keep you very well entertained, khriso mou.’
Ella fumbled clumsily for the phone again.
‘It’s okay…I heard,’ Lily admitted. ‘I think you’ve just met your match, Ella.’
Ella replaced the phone and stared at Aristandros. Her nipples stirred and peaked below her nightdress, becoming uncomfortably sensitive. His scrutiny burned like molten gold over her upturned face, and pink colour warmed her cheeks while her tummy performed a wicked little somersault of response. The atmosphere sizzled. She closed her eyes tight and snuggled down beneath the sheet, awesomely conscious of his presence, and tensing to the rigidity of an iron bar when the mattress gave under his weight
