In Petrakis's Power by Maggie Cox Page B

on him. But, whatever Ludo’s meaning, Natalie had heard pain and longing in his voice and that alone already had the power to break her heart.
    Turning into the cavernous arched hallway that led to the dining room, kitchen and the herb garden so lovingly attended by Allena and her husband, Ludo discovered exactly where his guest had gone. She was immersed in animated conversation with Christos, and he saw with a start of pleasure that she was wearing the most beautiful burnt orange-coloured gown. Her long hair was arranged in a loose fashion on the top of her head, so that a few silken tendrils drifted free to frame her face, and the halter-necked design of the dress revealed her long slim neck and slender shoulders. The flowing material was the perfect foil for her stunning womanly form.
    As if intuiting his presence Natalie turned, and the rose-tinted blush that heated her cheeks rendered her pretty as a picture. Ludo’s lips shaped a deliberately slow and appreciative smile. ‘So this is where you are. And I see that you have dressed for dinner. You look as lovely as Aphrodite herself. Come … let me look at you.’
    Catching hold of her hand, he made her pivot slowly so that he could study every facet of the gown and her lovely, lissom shape. Behind them, Christos discreetly made his way out into the garden with a knowing smile.
    ‘You remind me of a beautiful water-nymph in thatdress,’ he commented, the timbre of his voice turning unwittingly husky.
    ‘Aren’t they supposed to be graceful, ephemeral creatures?’ Her luminous grey eyes teasingly sparkled. ‘You can’t be comparing me to one of those, surely? When I was a child my dad always told me I was about as graceful as an elephant with two left feet.’
    ‘I’d ask you if he was blind but, having met him, I know that he isn’t.’
    ‘No … I suppose he was just being realistic.’
    ‘And you have carried the belief that you are not graceful around with you since you were a child?’
    ‘It was just playful family banter. It doesn’t mean that he didn’t love me.’
    As Natalie once again managed to bewitch him with her beautiful smile and sparkling eyes Ludo impetuously drew her against him, suddenly needing to hold her so he could once more experience the pleasure of having her in his arms, her exquisite feminine curves pressed up close to his body. It seemed that every time he touched her, every time he so much as
glanced
at her, a fire spread throughout his blood that wouldn’t easily be extinguished. At least not until he made her his. Then and only then, when she gazed up at him with the same fever of longing and lust that he now experienced, would he attest to feeling remotely satisfied.
    ‘He should have told you every day how beautiful, how precious you were to him,’ he murmured, brushing a gentle kiss to the side of her velvet-soft cheek.
    ‘He might never have said those exact words,’ Natalie demurred, ‘but I knew he felt the sentiment behindthem. I’d hate you to get the wrong impression about him. Honestly, behind his bluff, confident exterior is a man who cares deeply about his loved ones.’
    Happy to stay right where he was, with his hands resting lightly on the gentle flare of her slender and yet pleasingly curvaceous hips, Ludo stared hungrily back into the soft grey eyes and thoughtfully reflected on her comment.
    ‘I seem to remember when we first met you questioned whether you were a kind and devoted daughter. In my opinion, from what I’ve observed so far Natalie, you most definitely
are
. But I think you take on far too much responsibility for your father. Is it your fault that he acquired the destructive habits that resulted in him being forced to sell his business?’
    ‘Of course it isn’t.’
    Frowning, Natalie abruptly stepped away, and Ludo couldn’t help regretting the impulse that had made him mention her father’s debts. But he honestly felt aggrieved on her behalf. It was one thing being a good son