Chapter 6
Emma placed her boots and socks by the door and turned to watch Nikos rummaging around in the fridge. She admired the lines of his back that were clearly visible through the light cotton shirt he wore. Her gaze traveled downward and appreciated his very fine, firm ass that fit just right in his blue jeans. She thought about how he would feel under her hands. Oh God, she thought, this has to stop. Otherwise, I am going to be the one ravaging him on the table. With a supreme effort, she pulled her mind away from the pleasant images in her mind and noticed that he was looking at her with a smirk on his face- like he knew what she had just been thinking.
Brushing at the roots of her dyed hair, she asked, “What can I do to help?”
“Peel the carrots,” he said and nudged the vegetable peeler toward her. They worked together talking about food.
“What kind of cheese do you want,” he had asked looking into the fridge. “There’s some feta and goat cheese or a hard cheddar.”
“Definitely the cheddar. The harder, the better,” Emma replied without thinking. He looked at her over his shoulder, and she knew that he was thinking about other things best served hard. She licked her lips and winked before turning away to carry the sandwiches to the table. Stop flirting, she told herself sternly, but she could tell it was a lost cause.
Emma found herself scarfing down an excellent turkey sandwich on flakey homemade white bread and forced herself to eat slowly. She worked on her salad while she complimented the bread and the meal in general.
“Gretchen makes the bread. The woman is amazing in the kitchen.”
“You aren’t so bad yourself,” Emma replied with a grin and gesturing at their meal.
“Yeah, salad and sandwich. Iron Chef, watch out,” he replied giving her another heart-stopping grin.
They finished the meal with light chatter about small things. Emma knew that it was time to go, but she put it off by insisting that she help clean up. Too soon, there was nothing left to do.
“I guess you’ll want to get back on the road. I can take you into town if you want,” Nikos said though he didn’t want to take her anywhere except maybe to his bedroom. The evening had been easy and comfortable. The longer he was with her, the more he was attracted. The thought of putting her out on the side of the road in the middle of the night was reprehensible.
“To town would be great. Maybe I can find a room,” she said as she sat cross-legged on the floor to pull on her socks and boots. Suddenly he was there, squatting across from her and placed his hands over hers.
“Don’t go. Just stay tonight. I will take you to town in the morning. Going in the middle of the night is stupid. Besides,” he added with a shrug, “I’ve got a room.”
Emma looked up at him with those deep chocolate eyes. Why did he have to have brown eyes, she thought as she stopped putting on her boots. She decided that she was a lost cause when she replied, “Ok. Just for tonight. Can a grab a shower?”
Nikos stood and held out his hand to her. She hesitated a heartbeat and then let him help her up. He dropped her hand reluctantly once she was on her feet. Her hand was small but strong. She seemed to be made of stone under her creamy white skin. Everything about her was hard and angular, but so beautiful. He wanted to hold her and smooth away the edges. He must go carefully, though. He sensed that she was made of a brittle steel that would shatter under the slightest pressure.
“Sure. Let me show you your room, and then when you get refreshed, we can have a drink on the patio.”
He led the way after insisting on carrying her bag. She felt strange letting someone else carry it. When he had opened the door to a brightly colored bedroom with a set of French doors that led out onto a small private balcony, she just stopped and stared.
He set her backpack at the foot of the bed and turned to look at her. Nikos smiled as she looked around the room. It was one of his favorite rooms beside his own. The balcony overlooked the west section of the vineyard and offered spectacular sunset views. Tonight, there wasn’t much to see, but he pushed open the French doors to let in the warm evening air.
“The bathroom is through there,” he said with a gesture. “I’ll be downstairs. Take your time.” He stepped around her and left her alone.
Emma walked around the room admiring the plush furniture and enormous bed. The rose and cream décor on the same dark wood floors was pleasing and made her feel instantly comfortable. The bathroom could only be described as luxurious with its double-headed walk-in shower, and a tub that looked like you could swim laps in it. Under glorious streams of hot water, she scrubbed herself clean. A rummage through her pack produced a long t-shirt that came down to mid-thigh and a clean pair of panties. She was tempted to slip into the huge bed, but Nikos had mentioned a drink. When was the last time she had been invited for a drink by a drop dead gorgeous gazillionaire? Try never, she thought. Then she quit thinking at all. Tonight was her night to live just a little.