‘Of course there is a need. You saved my life.’
‘Hardly.’
He pulled her in even closer.
‘Don’t be modest. You were very brave.’
The heat between them was undeniable. Even Maddie could remember what chemistry looked like. Or more importantly felt like. And it had been a while. The bare skin at the vee of his open linen shirt touched her shoulder a moment as he moved against her, and she held in a sigh.
Around them, outside their little bubble, she became aware that people had started to murmur, and the noise was increasing by the second. Over Thanassis’s shoulder, she glimpsed the disapproving face of his daughter in the crowd, her set mouth saying more than words ever could.
She pulled back out of his arms.
‘What is it?’
Thanassis looked around him.
‘Ah, I see, people have put two and two together. They know it is you, my saviour.’
A slow clap reverberated around the space, taken up table by table, which sent a shiver down Maddie’s spine.
‘I’m really not comfortable with this.’
‘No, I understand. I will take you back to your friends.’ He leaned into her one last time, his breath soft in her ear this time. ‘But before I do, my daughter goes back to her own home tomorrow, thank goodness, and I am a free man again. Will you let me take you out, just the two of us?’
Her head was all over the place, never mind her body.
‘I’m not sure that would be a good idea.’
His bright blue eyes fixed her to the spot.
‘Do you trust me?’
Without thinking too hard, she nodded.
‘Then I will call at the hotel for you tomorrow afternoon around five. Wear your swimming stuff.’
As he handed her back to her friends, a huge cheer broke out, ringing in the night air. Maddie acknowledged the crowd with a bow, but her head swam as she sat down hard on the bench.
Sofia put her hand out to steady her friend. They needed to get out of there. Maddie had been pushed to her limits already and Charlotte wasn’t going to get her dance tonight.
‘The taxi is waiting at the bottom of the hill. Let’s go.’
Chapter Seventeen
Sofia decided not to mention Thanassis and the smoochy dance straightaway at breakfast. Maddie had only just arrived. She and Charlotte would let her have something to eat first. Her friend hated having her hand forced, and she’d tell them what had happened in her own time. Obviously, they needed– and deserved– a full debrief, but the direct approach wasn’t the right one here.
A slightly jaded-looking Maddie joined them both by the cake of the day and moved a big slice onto her plate.
‘Morning.’
Sofia took a deep breath.
‘And a very good morning to you too. It’s another lovely sunny day.’
Maddie gave her a puzzled look.
‘Okaay. Have you been overdosing on HRT on something?’
