Latin Lovers: Greek Tycoons: Aristides' Convenient Wife / Bought: One Island, One Bride / The Lazaridis Marriage

Last Wednesday it had been brought shockingly home to her just how much. He had left on the Monday for New York and she hadn’t been expecting him back until Thursday at the soonest.

After dinner, with Nicholas fast asleep in bed, Helen, feeling oddly restless, had wandered out onto the veranda to lean against the ornate balustrade in the darkness with only the moon and stars for company.

‘Well met by moonlight, fair Helena.’ The deep, husky drawl made her heart lurch in her breast and, turning her head, she saw Leon.

‘You aren’t supposed to be back yet,’ she exclaimed. Their eyes met and she shivered as one long finger brushed against her cheek, then his hand curled around the nape of her neck.

‘And taking liberties with Shakespeare is frowned upon,’ she tried to joke.

His hand raked up through her hair and he smiled, his dark head bent towards her. ‘You’re right, I would much rather take liberties with you.’ Sliding his other arm around her waist, he kissed her. When they finally came up for air his dark eyes held hers, and she was powerless to look away, powerless to hide her own need.

‘Ah, Helen, my sweet Helen, I missed you.’ His sensuous lips curled in a soft, tender smile, the sort she had only ever seen him bestow on Nicholas. Emotion threatened to choke her and she could not speak. ‘And I do believe you missed me,’ he prompted huskily, and her answer was in the luminous depths of her violet eyes.

They made love that night with tenderness and a passion that Helen had never experienced before. Later, cradled in his arms with her head on his chest, the steady, rhythmic beat of his heart music to her ears, she finally accepted what she had known deep down all along.

She loved Leon. The desire, the passion might be just sex to him, but it was never just sex to her. She loved him with every breath she took and she knew she always would.

He was not the hard, uncaring man she had imagined him to be. Anna and all the staff adored him, and as for Nicholas, he worshipped him. The cold, austere persona Leon presented to the world vanished as soon as he set eyes on Nicholas. He was wonderful with the boy, and lately she had the growing feeling his relaxed, caring side was extending to her. God, she hoped so! She vowed to do everything in her power to make a success of their marriage in the hope that eventually Leon might grow to love her as she loved him.