preparations were kept too, but those she had left where they were. She would enjoy a quick swim. The sparkling turquoise water looked infinitely inviting, but she wouldn't be sunbathing afterwards until she had found something less revealing to wear.
She slid into the water, revelling in its chill on her heated skin. She swam well with an easy overarm stroke, and she managed a length without effort before turning on her back and floating for a while, staring up at the perfect blue arc of the sky through half-closed eyes.
At Bianca's house in California, she swam in the pool every day, although Bianca rarely used it, claiming that the water ruined her hair, and that too much exercise would over-develop her muscles.
Alix completed a couple of widths of the pool in a leisurely back-stroke, then turned a supple somersault and began to swim under the water. A few minutes only, she promised herself, then she would shower and dress and go back to the villa. It was a long time since she had enjoyed herself so much in the water. There had been a pool at the hotel in Rhodes; but it had always been crowded, even in the evenings. The most she had managed was the occasional dip to cool down after sunbathing. To be alone like this was a rare luxury.
She surfaced at the side of the pool, the sun glinting against her closed eyelids, her hands reaching up for the ladder to pull herself up and out. But instead of the expected smooth metal rail, her fingers closed on warm flesh and bone. Strong hands which slid along her arms, and down to her waist, to lift her bodily out of the water and deposit her on the cool tiles. Hands which sent a long shiver of awareness down her body.
She was gasping with shock, recoiling furiously as she tried to shake the water out of her eyes, and her wet feet slipped on the tiles and she might have fallen, except those unknown hands were there again, under her elbows, supporting her until she regained her balance.
She opened her eyes and stared up unbelievingly into the face of the man who held her.
She whispered, 'You? But it can't be!'
Liam said, 'Oh, but it is, secretary bird. My compliments, by the way, on the new plumage.'
Alix stood staring at him. She felt a curious sense of unreality as if she were running a fever. She had known as soon as she felt his touch who it must be, and yet it still didn't seem possible. Nor did the surge of excitement, of pleasure which was welling up within her. Those were dangerous emotions, and she had to be on her guard against them—against him.
And just then she realised what he had said, and felt herself blushing hotly as she remembered how little she was wearing.
She said hurriedly, 'How did you get in here?' as she looked round wildly to see where she had left her towel.
His brows rose and he looked faintly amused. 'In the same way as you did, I would imagine.'
She saw the towel, lying across a lounger, and dived for it, wrapping it around herself defensively.
She said between her teeth, 'I doubt that. I'd advise you to get out of here before Bianca finds out.'
He was smiling openly now. 'You mean she wouldn't be pleased to see me? How very unfortunate!'
Alix said warmly, 'She isn't the only one who won't be pleased. This is a private house, and Carlo Veronese clearly values his privacy. You'd better leave before he has you thrown out.'
'You have a very violent imagination, secretary bird.'
'It has nothing to do with imagination. He has strict security precautions and he won't be pleased to find they've been flouted.'
Liam's mouth twisted slightly. 'Thanks for the warnings, but they're not necessary. You seem to be under a misapprehension. Didn't Carlo mention that he had other guests?'
She felt her jaw drop. Struggling for her composure, she said, 'You mean—you're staying here too? But you can't be!'
'Can't I?' he said pleasantly. 'Not everyone finds me as unacceptable as you do, Miss Coulter. Although for a moment back there, I actually thought
She slid into the water, revelling in its chill on her heated skin. She swam well with an easy overarm stroke, and she managed a length without effort before turning on her back and floating for a while, staring up at the perfect blue arc of the sky through half-closed eyes.
At Bianca's house in California, she swam in the pool every day, although Bianca rarely used it, claiming that the water ruined her hair, and that too much exercise would over-develop her muscles.
Alix completed a couple of widths of the pool in a leisurely back-stroke, then turned a supple somersault and began to swim under the water. A few minutes only, she promised herself, then she would shower and dress and go back to the villa. It was a long time since she had enjoyed herself so much in the water. There had been a pool at the hotel in Rhodes; but it had always been crowded, even in the evenings. The most she had managed was the occasional dip to cool down after sunbathing. To be alone like this was a rare luxury.
She surfaced at the side of the pool, the sun glinting against her closed eyelids, her hands reaching up for the ladder to pull herself up and out. But instead of the expected smooth metal rail, her fingers closed on warm flesh and bone. Strong hands which slid along her arms, and down to her waist, to lift her bodily out of the water and deposit her on the cool tiles. Hands which sent a long shiver of awareness down her body.
She was gasping with shock, recoiling furiously as she tried to shake the water out of her eyes, and her wet feet slipped on the tiles and she might have fallen, except those unknown hands were there again, under her elbows, supporting her until she regained her balance.
She opened her eyes and stared up unbelievingly into the face of the man who held her.
She whispered, 'You? But it can't be!'
Liam said, 'Oh, but it is, secretary bird. My compliments, by the way, on the new plumage.'
Alix stood staring at him. She felt a curious sense of unreality as if she were running a fever. She had known as soon as she felt his touch who it must be, and yet it still didn't seem possible. Nor did the surge of excitement, of pleasure which was welling up within her. Those were dangerous emotions, and she had to be on her guard against them—against him.
And just then she realised what he had said, and felt herself blushing hotly as she remembered how little she was wearing.
She said hurriedly, 'How did you get in here?' as she looked round wildly to see where she had left her towel.
His brows rose and he looked faintly amused. 'In the same way as you did, I would imagine.'
She saw the towel, lying across a lounger, and dived for it, wrapping it around herself defensively.
She said between her teeth, 'I doubt that. I'd advise you to get out of here before Bianca finds out.'
He was smiling openly now. 'You mean she wouldn't be pleased to see me? How very unfortunate!'
Alix said warmly, 'She isn't the only one who won't be pleased. This is a private house, and Carlo Veronese clearly values his privacy. You'd better leave before he has you thrown out.'
'You have a very violent imagination, secretary bird.'
'It has nothing to do with imagination. He has strict security precautions and he won't be pleased to find they've been flouted.'
Liam's mouth twisted slightly. 'Thanks for the warnings, but they're not necessary. You seem to be under a misapprehension. Didn't Carlo mention that he had other guests?'
She felt her jaw drop. Struggling for her composure, she said, 'You mean—you're staying here too? But you can't be!'
'Can't I?' he said pleasantly. 'Not everyone finds me as unacceptable as you do, Miss Coulter. Although for a moment back there, I actually thought
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