Modern Romance December 2015 Books 5-8. Kate Walker

glared at him.

      He settled his huge frame onto the chair opposite her. ‘You have to admit your comment was an open invitation.’

      ‘Only to someone with a dirty mind...’ she said, but her voice trailed into a mumble as the imagery his comment provoked, startling and vivid, sent a pulse searing through her blood strong enough to make her entire face burn.

      The fresh scent of his shower gel and the woody musk of his aftershave played under her nose, filling her senses. He still hadn’t shaved, his stubble thick and covering his jawline in its entirety.

      Certain she’d handed him another gold-plated open invitation, she cast her eyes down before he had a chance to read what was in them.

      Instead of the expected quip, he asked in an amused tone, ‘What would you like to order?’

      As he spoke, he folded his arms onto the table, his biceps bulging with the motion. She should have stayed looking at his face.

      Since when did blatant machismo testosterone do it for her?

      The male musicians she worked with—especially her fellow violinists—were, on the whole, sensitive creatures physically and emotionally. There were always exceptions to the rule, such as Philippe, one of the Orchestre National de Paris’s trombone players. Philippe was blond, buff and handsome, and he flirted openly with any woman who caught his eye. He was rumoured to have bedded half the female musicians in the orchestra.

      But not Amalie, who found his overt masculinity a complete turn-off. The few boyfriends she’d had had been slight, unthreatening men, with gentle natures and a deep appreciation of music. Their evenings together had been spent discussing all things to do with music and the arts in general, with the bedroom not even an afterthought.

      So why did Talos, whose physique and masculinity were ten times as potent as anything Philippe could even dream of having, make her feel all hot and squidgy just to look at him? None of her boyfriends had made her feel like he did—as if she wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes off.

      ‘I don’t read Greek,’ she answered, dragging her vocal cords into working order. ‘I wouldn’t know what to choose.’

      ‘We don’t serve traditional Greek fare here,’ he said. ‘It’s mostly high-carb and high-protein foods like pasta and steak.’

      ‘Do they have burgers?’

      He grinned.

      ‘What’s so funny?’

      ‘After a hard workout I go for a burger every time.’

      ‘With cheese?’

      ‘It’s not right without the cheese.’

      ‘And chips?’

      ‘It wouldn’t be a complete meal without them.’

      ‘Cheeseburger and chips for me, then, please.’

      ‘Drink?’

      ‘Coke?’

      His sensuous lips widened into a full-blown grin that was as sinful as the food she wanted. ‘Two cheeseburgers and chips, and two Cokes coming up.’

      He got up from his seat, walked to the counter, fist-bumped the teenage boy working there and gave their order.

      ‘It won’t take long,’ he said when he sat back at the table.

      ‘Good. I am starving.’

      ‘I’m not surprised after that workout you did.’

      ‘It doesn’t help that I forgot to have any dinner before we left.’

      ‘How can you forget a meal?’ He looked at her as if she’d confessed to forgetting to put her underwear on.

      She shrugged. ‘It happens. If I’m concentrating and lost in the music it is easy for me to forget.’

      ‘It’s no wonder you’re a slip of thing.’

      ‘I make up for it,’ she said defensively. ‘I might not eat at regular times, but I always eat.’

      He eyed her, his look contemplative. Before he could say whatever was on his mind their food was brought over by yet another teenager.

      ‘That was quick,’ Amalie marvelled. Her famished belly rumbled loudly as she looked at the heaped plate. She didn’t think she’d ever seen so many chips on a plate, or a burger of such epic proportions.

      ‘We run a tight ship here.’

      ‘That’s not the first time you’ve said “we”,’ she said, picking up a thick golden chip that was so hot she dropped it back onto the plate. ‘Are you involved in this place somehow?’

      ‘This is my gym.’

      She gazed at him, trying to stop her face wrinkling in puzzlement. ‘But you have a gym in your villa.’

      ‘And there’s one at the palace too.’ He picked up his burger and bit into it, devouring almost a quarter in one huge mouthful.

      She shook her head. ‘So why this place too?’

      He swallowed, his light brown eyes on hers. ‘This is a boxing gym. Sparring is no fun when you’re on your own.’

      ‘So you bought a gym so you could have some company?’

      ‘There were a lot of reasons.’

      ‘Do you run it?’

      ‘I employ a manager. Enough questions—eat before your food gets cold.’

      ‘Okay, but do me a favour and never tell my mother what I’m about to eat.’

      His brow furrowed. ‘Why? Would she disapprove?’

      Amalie had already bitten into a chip, possibly the crispest and yet fluffiest chip she had ever tasted. She chewed, then swallowed it down with some Coke before answering. ‘My mother is a gastronomy snob. She considers any food with English or American origin to be tantamount to eating out of a rubbish bin.’

      ‘Yet she married an Englishman.’

      ‘That’s true,’ she agreed, casting her eyes down. Her parents had been divorced for half her lifetime, yet the guilt still had the power to catch her unawares.

      Talos picked up on an inflection in her tone. ‘Was it a bad divorce?’

      ‘Not at all. It was very civilised.’

      ‘But traumatic for you?’

      ‘It wasn’t the easiest of experiences,’ she conceded, before picking up her burger and taking a small bite.

      It was with some satisfaction that he saw her eyes widen and her nod of approval.

      ‘That is good,’ she enthused when her mouth was clear.

      ‘Maybe not the gastronomical heights your mother would approve of, but still high-quality,’ he agreed.

      ‘I think this might be the best burger I’ve ever had.’

      ‘You mean you’ve eaten a burger before?’ he asked, feigning surprise. ‘Your mother will be shocked.’

      ‘I hide all my convenience food when I know she’s coming over.’

      He grinned and took another bite of his burger. The workout had clearly done Amalie the world of good; most of her primness had been sweated out of her. She almost looked relaxed.

      They ate in silence for a few minutes. It gratified him to see her eat so heartily; he had imagined from her slender frame and self-confessed lack of exercise that she would eat like a sparrow.

      He tried to imagine eating with another woman here and came up blank.

      In normal life this gym was his sanctuary—not