The Kristallis Baby. Natalie Rivers

had lasted only moments, but it had had a profound impact on her both physically and mentally. For half a year her identity as an individual with hopes and desires had been locked away. She hadn’t thought of herself as a woman with natural needs and passions. Now she had suddenly let go, in a way that even shocked herself.

      She’d been so wrapped up in the kiss that she’d been totally oblivious to what was going on around her. Nik, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected by the experience, and had even been able to concentrate on an entirely different agenda. He’d simply been creating a smokescreen so Darren wouldn’t notice him putting the phone back in his jacket pocket.

      ‘I thought you’d be grateful,’ he said, his sensual lips curving up in evident amusement at her obvious confusion and discomfort. ‘In fact, I got the impression you rather enjoyed it.’

      ‘I didn’t enjoy it!’ Carrie felt her cheeks blazing at her barefaced lie. ‘And you certainly didn’t need to kiss me like that!’ she added.

      ‘It’s what they always do in the movies. I had to bend you back like that to reach the jacket,’ Nik said, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. ‘Besides, you looked like a frightened little rabbit. If I’d stuck out my leg and tripped Darren up, I doubt that you would’ve had the wit to use the diversion to put his phone back unnoticed.’

      ‘I didn’t ask you to help me,’ she said, suddenly riled by Nik’s casual insult, and by the way he was treating the whole thing as a joke. ‘I would have simply explained to Darren that Lulu needed the phone.’

      ‘I’m not going to apologise for kissing you, if that’s what you’re angling for,’ he said. ‘I did what I thought was necessary at the time, and that’s all there is to it. I wasn’t exactly delighted with the situation myself, but I’m not asking for your apologies.’

      ‘I’ve got nothing to say sorry for!’ Carrie protested, her emotions see-sawing horribly. She’d found the kiss totally mind-blowing, yet Nik apparently had a very different view of the whole thing. ‘I didn’t ask you to kiss me. It’s not my fault you found it so awful!’

      ‘I wasn’t talking about the kiss, of course. Why are women always so insecure about these things?’ he asked, with an exaggerated lift of his eyebrows. ‘I meant that I wasn’t thrilled to discover you’re a thief. I’d hoped that you were a reasonable, honest person.’

      ‘What?’ she gasped, struggling to understand the implication of his words. Why did he care what sort of person she was? Suddenly she remembered him telling Darren that he needed a moment alone with her. Who was he?

      ‘First impressions count for a lot,’ he continued, letting his gaze drift slowly down her body, lingering meaningfully on the fullness of her breasts before skimming down to her narrow waist.

      ‘Who are you?’ She held herself straight and refused to fidget under his blatant scrutiny. ‘And what do you want from me?’

      He didn’t answer immediately, and, still not making eye contact, rudely let his gaze sweep lower, moving over the swell of her hips and down her long exposed legs to the tips of her toes. She was just about to repeat her question when his eyes snapped up to meet hers.

      ‘My name is Nikos Kristallis,’ he said coldly. ‘And I have come to discuss arrangements for my nephew.’

       CHAPTER TWO

      C ARRIE couldn’t speak. She was so shocked she could hardly think.

      She simply stared at him. Nikos Kristallis. He was the younger brother of Sophie’s husband, Leonidas. The favoured son of the proud and arrogant Cosmo Kristallis. He was Danny’s uncle.

      A nasty sensation of dread settled in her stomach, but she took a deep breath to steady herself. She tried not to think about her distressing encounter with Cosmo Kristallis at the funeral, which suddenly loomed up in the front of her mind. It had been a horrible experience, and her memories of the occasion were inseparable from the soul-wrenching grief for her loved ones.

      ‘What are you doing here?’ When she finally managed to speak, her voice was no more than a scratchy whisper.

      Nik watched the profound impact of his words on Carrie Thomas with a strange sense of satisfaction. The colour drained from her face with startling speed and for a moment she appeared totally stunned.

      He was pleased. Not that he liked to inflict pain on people as a general rule, but Carrie Thomas was different. She had taken something that belonged to him, and he would do whatever it took to get it back!

      ‘I have come to discuss my nephew,’ Nik replied. ‘Now I have identified myself to you, I would have thought that was obvious.’

      ‘I have nothing to say to you about Danny,’ Carrie said. Her face was very white against her black hair, but the spark was suddenly back in her green eyes. ‘We have nothing to discuss.’ She stalked across to the door and walked out.

      Nik made no attempt to stop her leaving.

      It suited him to get her away from the crowds at this footballer’s party. It was too public for what he had to do, and there were definitely too many photographers about.

      Nik’s eyes narrowed as he watched Carrie weave her way through the crowds of partygoers. She was a gorgeous creature. His investigators had provided him with photos, so he’d known she would be attractive, but those photos had done nothing to reveal the incredible full-blooded impact of her presence.

      She was making rapid progress across the room, stepping lightly in her strappy sandals, the extraordinary height of the heels creating a delicious tension in her shapely legs. Every man present was looking at her as she passed. Every man present was picturing those long, long legs wrapped around him. Or maybe it was just Nik. Certainly he couldn’t shake the thought of kissing her again. Kissing her and more, much more.

      Her silky black hair hung loose past her shoulders, swinging alluringly in time with her step. He wanted to slip his hands under that shimmering black curtain and brush it aside to expose the naked skin of her back, to reveal the zip that ran skin-tight down her spine.

      He imagined easing that zip down and running his hands all over that sexy body, teasing and caressing her, removing all her clothes until she was naked and ready for him. He knew she wouldn’t be a passive lover. He longed to look deep into those green eyes as she writhed beneath him, as he took her to the brink of ecstasy.

      Suddenly he realised she was almost at the door. Pushing his erotic thoughts about her aside, he stirred himself to follow. He knew where she was going, but it would be wise to keep her in his sights.

      Carrie picked up her denim jacket and sporty backpack from an alcove by the front door, then stopped and scanned the room for Lulu. She was desperate to get out of there, but she couldn’t forget about her friend—especially when she had been so upset earlier. She spotted her almost immediately, hurrying down the staircase looking determined, in freshly applied make-up and dressed to kill in a slinky silver cocktail dress.

      ‘I’m really sorry,’ Carrie said, as soon as Lulu reached her. ‘I couldn’t get the phone.’

      ‘Don’t worry about it,’ Lulu said, sounding remarkably calm considering her previous histrionics. She was looking across at Darren, who was talking and joking with a group of men. ‘I’ll get it myself. He can’t have listened to the message yet, or he wouldn’t be looking so happy.’

      Then, without another word for Carrie, she walked across the room towards her husband. Carrie looked after Lulu for a moment, hoping everything would turn out all right, but she couldn’t stay any longer. Apart from her desire to get as far away from Nikos Kristallis as possible, she had to hurry—because she was already late picking up Danny. She turned and left through the front door.

      The blast of cool air on her face felt good, and she took a deep breath as she hurried down the marble steps of the swanky London town house to the street below.

      It was a relief