Looking back over at Nikias she looked down at the phone in his pocket. “Don’t suppose you would lend that to me for a moment so I could phone my sister…find out what is going on?”, she asked in a voice which had already resigned itself to the fact that he would not let her have it. He smiled back at her. “Let me think…no”, his answer, moving over to offer his linked hands for her to remount her horse, before easily pulling himself onto his own.

For the rest of the afternoon he was in a great mood as they continued with their trip around the island. It was nearly five in the evening before they finally arrived back at the stables. As she dismounted, she smiled ruefully. “Well the one thing I don’t miss about riding is the smell” She grinned at him, as he nodded in agreement, once more flashing her one of his smiles which had her heart flip-flopping in her chest. She placed her hands on her back, stretching slightly. “That and the fact that I’ve not been in a saddle for over ten years”, she added.

With a laugh he looked at her with a sympathetic light in his eyes. “In that case you might be a little stiff in the morning”, he said, his eyes watching as she stretched her body, once more feeling the hunger rising within him as he averted his eyes. Soon this woman would be well and truly out of his hair he thought to himself; however the thought did not make him as pleased as he thought it would. The two then returned to the house before moving up to their own bedrooms. Once more Nikias told her that dinner would be at seven, this time seeing how she nodded, murmuring that she would be there.

In the shower Diona enjoyed feeling the warm water relaxing her muscles which were already starting to ache slightly. She took her time dressing, not really understanding her sudden need to make more of an effort. She pulled on the soft baby blue shirt Daryle had given her for her birthday from the exclusive boutique she worked in; she knew she looked good. The perfectly tailored top showed off her wonderful figure along with the white silky skirt which matched it so well. Leaving her hair down, she secured it at the sides with clips which stopped it falling over her face, finishing off by putting on some light makeup and lip gloss. Looking at the time she saw it was now quarter to seven, amazed at how long it had taken for her to get ready, as she moved back down the stairs.

Walking into the dining room she saw Nikias leaning against the large fireplace, talking on his mobile. He smiled briefly at her as he continued his conversation. Diona instantly recognised the language he was speaking so fluently as French, a language she herself spoke well. He was discussing problems with a shipment and was laying down the law to the man who was on the other end of the phone, his voice full of authority, clipped and masterful.

She was glad that she made a little effort with her appearance, seeing how he dressed in a light blue long-sleeved shirt and black trousers which fitted his slim waist so well. She averted her eyes to stop herself staring at his long lean body, his shoulders broad as they tapered down to his slim hips. She could see the long length of his back, the columns of which stood visibly beneath the shirt as he leant forward to write something down in a notebook. Finally he called off, the small frown still visible on his brow. “I am sorry about that”, he said, looking over at her and with admiration. “Business”, he added, his tone apologetic. “So I heard”, she replied, “Suppliers……but what are you going to do?” Diona shrugging softly “Shut them down and set up our own supply chain”, he replied grimly, before looking at her in surprise, “You speak French?” Diona nodded slightly. “Learned at school?”, he asked, watching as she shook her head. “No, while doing volunteer work with Sans Frontier”, she said, seeing the way he raised his eyebrow in surprise. “YOU worked for Sans Frontier?”, he said in disbelief, seeing the way her mouth tightened before she shrugged her small shoulders once more. “Believe what you want” she bit tartly, his tone softening “I’m sorry, it was just a bit of a surprise, that’s all”, he smiled apologetically. At that moment the housekeeper entered the room, wheeling in a tray full of plates of steaming aromatic dishes, which she placed on the table with a smile. The two then took their seats as he poured her some delicious wine, which she sipped slowly, savouring the expensive merlot, before enjoying the wonderful food which was served on the large mahogany table.

Once more Diona was surprised at what good company Nikias was as he talked to her about Greece in a manner which fascinated her, before he asked her about her work with the charity, which she talked to him about with an obvious passion. After dinner they moved into one of the many living rooms, where Diona admired the large ornate chess board which sat in pride of place on the table in the middle of the room. “Do you play?”, he asked in surprise as she nodded. “I used to play a lot”, she said ruefully, adding sadly, “Don’t seem to get much of a chance these days”

He offered to play her a game, more out of politeness, as he rarely found anybody who could beat him in chess. Of all things, Nikias was a master planner, something which stood him in good stead when playing such a game. However, he been pleasantly surprised as she played magnificently. He had to really think hard, as she outmanoeuvred him in several traps he set for her, often turning the tables on him, and he enjoyed the game tremendously. Eventually though he won, seeing how she smiled, conceding the game. “Like I said – it’s been a while”, she grinned before giving a small yawn.

“Thank you for the game Nikias, but I think I will turn in now if you don’t mind”, she said, as he stood and taking her fingers in his hand, kissed them. “Thank you, you play very well”, his voice husky from just the touch of her fingers on his lips. He could see how she flushed slightly, her eyes filling with a smouldering look, which she tried to hide from him as she moved quickly out of the room. That night in her bed Diona saw only his face, and as she fell once more to sleep she remembered the feel of his mouth on hers, moaning with such a strange feeling of pleasure which filled her whole body as she sighed gently.