Chapter Seven
Archimedes had a full schedule. First, he had a project to check in on at his New York office, then he had meetings in Washington, Tokyo and Shanghai, so staying on Kythea was definitely not what he’d intended.
Yet he found himself waking up the next morning, his body aching, his cock hard, and the urge to find Zoe burning like a fire in his blood.
He’d run himself ragged on the treadmill the night before, then had lifted more weights than he should have, so no wonder his body ached. But there was nothing else to explain his desperate physical desire except her.
Perhaps if he’d decided to have Celeste visit, things would have been better, but after he’d had Zoe on the dinner table, the thought hadn’t even occurred to him.
It occurred to him now, though, as he stalked downstairs in search of coffee, except sadly the moment had passed and the thought of her now no longer interested him. Just as the thought of boarding his Gulfstream and flying to the US no longer interested him.
It was ludicrous and it had never happened before that something could, or even would, distract him from work, but apparently ludicrous things happening had entered his life and were causing havoc.
The ludicrous things being Zoe.
A breakfast table had been laid on the upper terrace, so he went out to grab a cup of coffee, part of him tightening at the thought of seeing her there.
Only for that part to twist with what he refused to acknowledge was disappointment when he found she wasn’t.
Perhaps she was upstairs still asleep. Perhaps she’d had as bad a night’s sleep as he had.
Not that you can blame her after the way you left things.
A muscle twitched in Archimedes’s jaw as he poured himself some of the thick black Greek coffee he preferred.
He didn’t want to think about his behaviour the night before after his spectacular loss of control, or the shock in her darkening silver eyes.
He didn’t want to admit that he’d treated her appallingly, with far less care and understanding than he’d treat one of his other lovers, and he certainly didn’t want to admit that he felt bad about it.
He didn’t want to admit to, or to feel, anything at all.
That way lay destruction, as he well knew, so really, the only option for him was to get on his bloody jet and get the hell back to work.
Except he didn’t. He sipped moodily at his coffee, staring out at the ocean instead. At least until he heard a footstep behind him. He turned to see Zoe step out onto the terrace and everything in him tightened.
Her black hair was loose down her back and glossy in the morning sun, and she was wearing a very sheer kaftan of white cotton that did nothing at all to hide the fact that she was wearing a very small red bikini underneath it.
He remembered that bikini. He’d ordered it in along with the gowns, though, like the red gown, he’d assumed she’d never wear it. Except she was very definitely wearing it now and the sight of her in it turned his blood to liquid fire.
It was a string bikini, with nothing but small triangles cradling her breasts and another hiding the soft, dark curls he’d felt the night before, leaving the rest of her delicious curves utterly bare.
‘Good morning,’ she said cheerfully as she came over to the table, not even looking at him as she reached for the coffee pot, too. ‘I hope you slept well.’
Archimedes gritted his teeth, fighting the very real desire to go to her, rip aside that kaftan along with her bikini, sweep all the breakfast dishes away and have her on this table, too.
‘Yes,’ he bit out, trying to dredge up some politeness from somewhere. ‘Did you?’
She finally looked at him, her silver eyes glinting with something he didn’t recognise. ‘Very well, thank you.’
‘Good.’ The word came out sounding wooden, so he shut his mouth on anything else he was going to say, and continued to sip at his coffee.
He shouldn’t look at her, that was the issue.
He should finish his coffee, say goodbye, then get in his jet and go to his bloody meetings, not stand there staring at her.
But he didn’t.
A very small, very faint smile turned one corner of her mouth, and he found himself staring it.
How long had it been since he’d got a smile from her?
Not since he’d left. But now, here she was, giving him a ghost of a smile, and he could feel the effect of it echo throughout his entire body.
He wanted more, he wanted the real Zoe smile he remembered, open and generous and only for him, not this…
whatever it was. Because this wasn’t her usual smile, not with that look of calculation in her eyes.
A flicker of anger caught him. The one thing Zoe had never been was calculating. She’d always been honest and clear about what she wanted and what she thought, and the look in her eyes was unfamiliar to him. Or no, it was familiar. He’d seen it in Banks’s eyes, too.
‘See something funny?’ he asked, unable to keep the temper from his voice.
‘Yes.’ The ghost of a smile continued to play around her mouth, her eyes glinting. ‘Or rather, I’m amused.’
The muscle in the side of his jaw twitched again. ‘What about?’
Though he was starting to get an inkling, oh, yes, he was getting there. Zoe wouldn’t normally wear a bikini like that, which meant she was wearing it for a reason. And that reason was likely to torture him, especially after last night.
She shrugged and sipped at her own coffee. ‘Oh, nothing in particular.’
‘If you want an apology for last night, just say it,’ he snapped, losing patience.
‘I don’t want an apology,’ she said. ‘Do you?’
His anger spat and crackled like a live wire. ‘Stop playing games, Zoe. We both know why you’re wearing that bikini.’
‘Do we?’ She raised a brow. ‘I thought I was wearing it because I wanted to go for a swim, but clearly you have other ideas.’
Archimedes took a breath, struggling to keep hold of his temper.
The scales had tipped in an indefinable way and he didn’t like it one bit.
He was used to being in charge of his life and everything in it, and yet one day and a night since Zoe had returned and he was somehow losing his grip on his command.
That couldn’t happen, he refused to allow it.
‘I’m flying to the States today,’ he said crisply, trying to take control of the conversation. ‘I’ll be away a few weeks. If you need anything, please ask Lydia and she’ll assist you.’
‘Fine,’ she said, as if him leaving was no big deal. ‘You do get very formal when you’re angry, did you know that?’
His jaw was tight. Every part of him was tight.
‘I’m not angry,’ he said through his teeth. ‘Whatever gave you that idea?’
‘Oh, nothing. Except you look like you’re ready to chew your way through a stone wall.’
A hot spark glowed in her silver eyes, a glint that made him take an unconscious step towards her as his patience gradually slipped through his fingers, along with the rest of his temper. And she noticed, of course she did, because she put her cup down and turned away.
‘Have a nice few weeks,’ she said over her shoulder. ‘Don’t miss me too much.’ Then she walked back down the stone steps that led to the pool area without looking back, the warm breeze making her kaftan billow and wrap around her luscious figure.
Archimedes couldn’t stand it, and he couldn’t stand still any longer, so he started walking.
He really did mean to go back into the villa to prepare for his trip, except he found himself following her down the steps to the pool area instead, watching as she stopped by one of the sun loungers and pulled her kaftan over her head.
Her body was pale as porcelain, her skin silky and smooth as milk.
She must have heard him coming because she tossed a glance over her shoulder, her gaze meeting his. ‘I thought you were going to the States,’ she said.
‘I am.’ He continued walking, going over to the sun lounger where she stood. ‘In a minute.’
One of her dark brows rose, the glint in her eyes making him burn to show her exactly how dangerous playing these kinds of games with him was. Especially when he was this on edge.
‘And what are you going to do for that minute? Have a quick swim? Because if so, you’re not dressed for it.’
‘That can easily be remedied.’ He held her gaze. ‘Don’t play with me, Zoe.’ His voice had dropped and he was unable to stop a growl from entering it. ‘You wouldn’t like the consequences.’
‘I’m not playing any game,’ she said, her chin lifting. ‘I’m just going for a swim.’
No, she wasn’t. She was doing this deliberately and it had nothing to do with swimming. But while she might have an idea of what kind of game she thought she was playing, he knew without a doubt, and it was not a game she should play with him.
So? Turn around. Go back to the villa and get on that fucking jet.
He should, he really should. But she was looking at him, daring him, and so instead, he casually lifted his hands to the buttons of his crisp white shirt and began undoing them. Zoe’s gaze wavered, a fleeting look of surprise crossing her face.
Good. Two could play that game, and he was a master at it. As she would soon find out. He wasn’t going to do anything more, of course. He was only going to tease her a little before leaving for his trip.
He didn’t rush. He undid the buttons of his shirt slowly before pulling it off, leaving his chest bare. Her gaze drifted over his shoulders and chest, down to his abs and, satisfyingly, colour rose in her cheeks.
‘What are you doing?’ she asked, her voice husky.
‘You said I wasn’t dressed for swimming.’ He tossed the shirt down on the sun lounger before getting rid of his shoes. ‘And you were right.’ He dropped his hands to his belt. ‘So I’m solving the issue.’
She blinked. Rapidly. ‘You’ve got swimming trunks on though, haven’t you?’
Archimedes unzipped his trousers then pulled them down, along with his boxers.
‘No.’ He tossed the rest of his clothing down on the lounger along with his shirt. ‘When I swim, I swim naked.’