The Renegade Billionaire by Rebecca Winters Page A

to life, perfect in coloring and form.
    Like lightning he entered the water and reached her in seconds. A brilliant white smile was the first thing she noticed when he lifted his head close to her. With his black hair slicked back, he was so dangerously appealing, her breath caught.
    Beguiled by the sight of him, she ducked beneath the water and started swimming away from him. But when she came up for air, he was right there in front of her. From then on began an hour game of hide-and-seek with him the hunter and her the prey.
    â€œStop!” she begged, laughing, every time she surfaced to find him blocking her way. “It’s my turn to chase you.”
    â€œCome right ahead,” he challenged, but stayed where he was.
    â€œYou have to try to get away.”
    â€œWhat if I don’t want to?” He was waiting for her to swim right into him.
    â€œYou’re impossible.” Exhausted by so much exertion, she did an about-face and started to head for shore when she saw a roundish shape moving beneath the water. “Stavros!” she cried. “I think a stingray is out here!”
    Somehow, she didn’t know how, he was right there beside her, putting himself between her and the menace. “Keep swimming like hell for the beach and shuffle your legs hard.”
His
legs moved like pistons, churning the water.
    They hadn’t been swimming that far out. But it felt like an eternity before her feet touched sand and she collapsed on the beach out of breath. Stavros knelt down next to her and turned her over. “Are you all right?” His voice sounded unsteady.
    Andrea would never forget the anxiety in his eyes. “I’m fine. What about you?”
    â€œWe got out of the way in time. Thank God you spotted it and are an excellent swimmer, or you’d be on your way to the hospital. I haven’t seen a stingray in these parts for at least four years. Their sting isn’t fatal, but it can make you sick.”
    â€œI know. My dad got stung in the foot by one—years ago at Kourou beach in French Guiana. He was in bed for several days. I was so worried about him, I stayed home from school so I could take care of him.”
    He traced the shape of her mouth with his finger. “I’m sure that helped him get well in a hurry. Now that you’ve brought his name up, I’m curious to know something. Why did you and Ferrante plan to live with your father once you were married?”
    â€œBecause he’s alone and doesn’t have anyone else. Ferrante came from a big family and understood why I felt the way I did. Dad and I had never been separated. Stavros, I’ll never be able to repay him for everything he’s done for me throughout my entire life. But let’s not talk about me.
    â€œYou put yourself in danger by shielding me just now.” Her heart was in her throat. “How am I ever going to thank you?” She sat up and kissed his strong jaw. But what started out to be an outpouring of her gratitude turned into something else as he lowered her to the sand. Once he’d found her mouth, he began kissing her in earnest.
    Those powerful legs of his entwined with hers. She clung to his hard, muscled body, craving the contact of skin against skin. One long kiss grew into another. His lips roved over her face and throat, filling her with rapture she’d never known before.
    â€œDo you have any idea how much I want you?” He kissed her again with almost primitive force. It unleashed passion in her she didn’t know herself capable of. Andrea felt on fire and kissed him back just as hungrily. He was fast becoming her addiction.
    Before she lost complete control, she buried her face in his neck. “We need to slow down, Stavros. It frightens me because I’ve never felt this way before, not even with Ferrante.”
    He was a beautiful specimen of manhood, but there was so much more to him than the physical. For Stavros to find