She made her way to her bedroom, more confused than ever.
Instead of the smoldering sexual tension between them cooling off, it had only thickened once he had straightened his clothes and then hers last night.
She had just stood there on shaking legs, the aftershock of her orgasm still rocking through her, her body still quivering at the assault of unbearable pleasure. It was as though her brain circuits had gone haywire from so much pleasure. Only Nikos’s gentle movements, as he’d held her in his arms for what seemed like an eternity had punctured the sensual haze.
The raucous gaiety of the nightclub, the quick ride to the private airstrip, she remembered nothing of it.
Her memories of last night were all of him—how he had felt inside her, how he had held her after and how he had her carried her to the waiting limo when her knees had threatened to buckle under her.
She had been glad that he hadn’t commented on her silence, because she’d had no idea what she would have said. All she knew was that she had been buried under an avalanche of sensations and feelings. None of which she had wanted to examine or give voice to.
The next thing she knew, she had woken up in the vast bed in the Demakis mansion, a strange lethargy in her blood. Which meant she had fallen asleep on the flight to the island.
She walked back to the foyer and followed the sounds of the chopper. Clad in another pair of jeans and white T-shirt that fitted snugly against the breadth of his chest, he was waiting for her. She settled down in the helicopter, too absorbed in her own thoughts to complain about his silence.
His pants molded the hard length of his thighs. Those thighs, they had been like solid rock, clenching her tight, supporting her, cradling her.
A twang went through her belly at remembered pleasure.
She fisted her hands, a hint of regret swarming through her. She had been so lost in the sensations when he moved inside her, so lost in everything he had done to her, she had been nothing but a passive participant. The urge to touch the hot slide of his skin, to feel his muscles tighten under her was fierce.
The ride to the other side of the island didn’t take more than ten minutes. Blue water and golden sand stretched in every direction she looked. It was as close to paradise as she had ever seen. And a hotel would ruin the tranquility of it, bring tourists, puncture the peace.
But she kept her thoughts to herself as they landed and stepped out.
She stared around her with mounting wonder as Nikos had a word with the pilot.
The new hotel was nothing like she’d imagined. For one thing, it was, maybe one tenth of the size of the Demakis mansion. It was a simple, clean design with pristine whitewashed walls, designed to reflect the Greek architecture.
She smiled at Nikos as he joined her. “It’s not what I expected.”
“Do you like it?”
She nodded eagerly. “I was worried that it would ruin the peaceful atmosphere, that it would be a noisy, touristy place.”
“It’s a new kind of approach to a hotel, really more of an authentic experience than just a place to stay. There are no televisions in any suite and the guests are guaranteed the utmost privacy. Even the meals are local Greek specialties. Every material that is used is environmentally conscious, and even the furniture and pieces inside are all one-of-a-kind specially made by local craftsmen using simple, organic materials. Kind of back to—”
“Basics,” she finished, smiling widely.
She trailed after Nikos while he checked a few things, loving the idea more and more. There were no more than three suites in the whole building. Again, whitewashed walls created a cocoonlike environment. Each suite was open plan, divided into sleeping and living areas. Handcrafted accessories and bleached wood furniture was everywhere. A large veranda offered a beautiful view of the Cycladic landscape.
A hammock made of the softest cotton hung in the veranda.
She went back down the steps and found the pool. Having finished his phone call, Nikos’s gaze was back on her.
“I don’t know the standard procedure for the morning after,” she said, finding his silence unbearable. It weighed on her, poking holes in every comforting thought she came up with. “Do we shake hands and pat each other on the back for a job well done? Or is it beyond crass to mention it at all? Did I break the code by falling asleep on you in the car? I swear, I didn’t see it coming. I mean, the only thing I can think of is that my body caved in at the influx of pheromones. You know, because what we did was...fantastic.”
She grimaced at how idiotic she sounded as soon as the words left her mouth.
He turned toward her in the blink of an eye and clasped her cheek. “This is as new to me as it is to you,” he said in a quiet growl.