Nothing Left To Lose - Part Three

Chapter Three

Heidi hated it, sitting beside a man who was turning her insides to mush, whilst at the same time reminding her that he was married to her soon to be step-sister with every conversation. Not that he was harping on about how beautiful or special his wife was, but by the very nature that Eleni’s father was at the table with them made the connection so blatantly bloody obvious, and he was obviously the doting and very proud father.

It meant that the rest of the meal was difficult, but Heidi forced herself to be social, to laugh at the inane jokes, smile at the continued affection between Cesare and her mother and manage the attraction she felt towards this handsome stranger.

She waived dessert, watching the others devour creations of cream, fruit and chocolate. She struggled to stay on the right side of a size twelve at the best of times, plus her dress was very fitted and about to become uncomfortable, it needed no real help to feel too small. Instead she sipped at her wine. Then they all had espresso.

Walking out onto the street, Cesare turned to her, “let’s all take a walk along the front. Cosmo and I are staying at a hotel the other end of the promenade. We could have a drink in the bar there, then get you ladies a taxi home?”

As Barbara nodded enthusiastically sliding her arm into the crook of his elbow, Heidi groaned. More time together, Heidi feared her fragile psyche was about to blow.

But her discord was witnessed by Cosmo who raised an eyebrow in question. But she rolled her eyes, shook her head, then headed off after the older two. Hearing him laugh, she was less than happy to feel him drop into stride beside her.

 “So tell me about your work.”

She glanced up at him and saw his interest was genuine. Shrugging, she didn’t break her stride as she offered. “I’m a designer...” when she saw his blank expression she smiled, “fashion! I create clothes, I have a budget fashion range in the biggest supermarket chain in Britain.”

Cosmo chuckled, a hearty sound, “I should have realised, that dress you are wearing is stunning!” She basked in his attention for a moment as he paused to look her up and down. “One of you own creations?”

“It is.”

The dress was simple in design, but was cut unusually so that instead of being straight, it hung in various pleats and was almost confusing to the eye. “The pattern on the fabric is the Tube network in London.” She added when he finally returned his gaze to hers.

Laughing he stooped to look at a small area just below one of her breasts, then touching her he exclaimed, “I knew it! Regents Park! That’s where the company apartment is....” he looked up at her with a wicked gleam in his eye, “how ironic!”

With a gulp, she tried to fight the anxiety, apprehension, “Cosmo please.”

Dropping his hand, he sighed, “you’re right, it’s wrong for me to be so flirtatious with you. I apologise!”

Ignoring the pounding of her heart, the electricity raging from her fingers touching his arm, she murmured, “good!”

The rest of the walk was in silence, and as they reached the hotel, the atmosphere could be cut with a knife. All too soon, she expressed her fatigue, and Heidi and her mother excused themselves, leaving for her villa after a single drink.

But being away from him didn’t make it any easier for Heidi, as the warm searching eyes seemed to occupy her mind every time she closed her eyes. But being awake was no easier. So she barely slept, Cosmo filled the few dreams she had, and the conflict at the way he’d made her feel, whilst being married to her soon to be step-sister!

No surprise she rose early; and thought about a day shopping with her mother...or another day at the beach. But in the kitchen she spotted a note from her mother.

                “Gone for an early walk as it’s such a beautiful day,

                  Will catch up with you at lunch time?

                                Mum X”

Her mother never ‘walked’, Heidi had a feeling that, like a teenager she’d snuck out for a night of passion with her lover. Smiling to herself she picked up her phone and called Lucas. He answered after a few rings, a muffled voice that sounded as though he was buried under a duvet.

                “Hey?” It was a croak.

                “Lucas! What’s with the hoarse voice?”

                “Heidi, you would not BELIEVE what happened! Last night...Shit! I’ve got to escape!”

Heidi was laughing, this was a typical Lucas conversation, she’d spent the last ten years pulling him out of dubious female related situations, or acting as a deterrent for the more determined acquaintance. “I can both believe and actually have a good guess at exactly what happened. Look get out of there, and call me back! I want to update you on Mum and out soon-to-be-stepdad. Ok?”

The click of the phone was his answer.

She grabbed a coffee, and then packed a bag for the beach. She may as well get a tan whilst she was at a loose end! So once again she headed for the beach. She had so much work pending, but with her book and good music on her iPod she again settled on a lounger in the sun and watched the world go by. By mid morning it was warm, so she headed into the sea again. After a short swim, she decided to stroll along the shore, knee deep in the warm sea. The beach had been quiet when she arrived, but it was filling rapidly, so she found herself passing many tourists. The sun kissed her shoulders and she needed a hand to shade her eyes from the brightness of the day. Heading back to her sun bed, she ran a hand through her hair and groaned. It was matted with salt and sand. She must look shocking.

Remembering the showers at the back of the sand, she headed there to wash the salt from her skin and hair. She was stood trying not to shudder as she let the icy cold water sluice over her face and sun kissed body, combing her hair with her fingers when she heard something that sounded like her name. Shaking her head out of the jet, she wiped the water from her face, and wrung out her hair as she searched for the source of the voice. Then she was hit with a bolt of what could only be anxiety as she spotted Cosmo, running across the sand from the road, bare-chested in just a pair of football shorts and trainers, his body sheened with perspiration, his hair hanging damp around his ears.

She felt suddenly breathless, aware of the gooseflesh covering her skin, she would blame it on the cold water that had truly doused her, but in truth it was the mixture of anticipation...and lust at seeing him that set her body on edge, as well as mortification. She was wearing a bikini...there was no hiding.

All she could do was watch as he trotted across the road to her.

                “Hey Heidi, I thought it was you!”

She loved the way he said her name, Hiii-deeee. It was almost musical.

                “Kalimera.” She offered, her knowledge of Greek extended to a good morning greeting but not much more. He grinned then inclined his head, “very good Miss Mortimer, very good.”

When he got closer he stood and smiled at her, looking her up and down for a moment, then he kicked off his trainers tossed his wallet into on shoe, then dived under the same shower head, smiling.

                “You made it look so appetising!” he offered as he spotted her wide eyed stare. Laughing he shook his head under the jet, cold water flicking off his long hair in a spray, like a rather erotic dream.

She stepped back onto the sand awkwardly, waiting for him to finish as she added, “it’s so nice in the sun. I love the sea, but the salt kills my hair.”

Shaking his head, he stepped out of the water, rivers still cascading over his body, his thin shorts clinging to his thighs, the dark hair across his chest that narrowed down to his chest was sworled into patterns by the water, droplets clung to his eyelashes. If she thought he was beautiful in a suit, dressed impeccably, like this he was staggering, the personification of desire, sexual attraction and perfection.

                “Do you run a lot?” she tried to diffuse the tension with inane conversation.

He followed her back over the sand, and took the sun bed next to him, “When we’re away from home it’s the easiest thing to do, not all the hotels have gyms.”

She nodded as she lowered herself down to the sun bed, trying to hold in her stomach as her body folded to the low seat. Uncaring, and maybe unaware Cosmo’s eyes surveyed the beach before he spotted an empty bed and jogged across the sand to drag it to a position next to her.

Heidi smiled awkwardly, she was tempted to pull on her t-shirt, but that would look ridiculous, especially when he collapsed onto the bed, stretched out next to her. She couldn’t help being aware of him, all tanned and muscular, and bloody horny. And that made her even more self conscious. She’d never been slim, and she thought of the comparison or lack of to his model wife Eleni. She glanced down at herself, she had long shapely legs, but they were her best feature by miles, her hips were wider than she’d like, and her stomach was slightly rounded, and her breasts were too large for her frame. Fortunately she had on another good bikini - decent size briefs, and a very supportive top.  

Hell he was married anyway, what impact she’d have on such a man was negligible. This was all about her, not about him.

Cosmo wished he had sunglasses, as he was so tempted to turn and stare at the woman beside him, since she’d rushed off last night; she’d been in his thoughts...the only thing in his thoughts. She sighed and he glanced over, then suddenly realised that he couldn’t look at her, not here...there was no way he could disguise his body and it’s reaction to her luscious curves, instead he leaned back against the sun bed and closed his eyes. Safe.

He was a grown man; he had to get over his teenage lust, though he couldn’t remember having such a strong reaction to a woman before...ever.

                “You like it here?” he asked still keeping his eyes closed.

                “It’s so beautiful in this part of the world.”

He sighed, “I suppose I forget how lucky I am to live in this part of the Mediterranean, here and Greece...I am very lucky.”

She laughed and he turned his head to watch her as she replied, “Britain is so gloomy, all the time. Dark, damp...even the summers aren’t great.” She looked up to the sky and he loved the look of pleasure on his face, “and there’s something so liberating about the beach, the sea, the sun...”

He rolled to sit up and face her once more, “it’s a well known fact that the sun affects mood, and health, and also libido!”

She blushed, and it made him want to reach out and kiss her, he realised he didn’t need to admire her curves, her delectable body, because he was entranced by her lips, her full delicious lips, once again he checked himself, ogling her, flirting...he had to stop that. But she was temptation personified.

“It makes me happy, I know that much!” She offered quietly.

Silence once again returned and it was pleasurable now that she’d recovered from Cosmo’s hint at innuendo. She didn’t know how she felt about him flirting, especially as she found him so attractive. Was he laughing at her? Was he saying that he liked her? Heidi had never been very good with men and relationships and this was way beyond the safe zone she deliberately lived in. He was laughing at her, that was all that she could imagine, that he’d go home, call his beautiful wife and laugh at how he’d made the wondrous Eleni’s new step sister blush.

Heidi glanced across at Cosmo who was propped back on his arms, body turned up to the sun, eyes closed. There was no reason to think that he had any other motive.

A motorboat cruised across the horizon, cutting through the azure millpond sea and she craned a little to watch its course. That was true freedom, a boat and no agenda. So far from her own overly structured life. With a groan she reached for her bag and her phone. Yup, fourteen emails from work associates since she’d been on the sand. Did she deal with things now? Could they wait until she got back to her mother’s home? There was a huge launch approaching, but then Polly would call if she needed anything that desperately. Pocketing her phone, she glanced up at the movement beside her.

Cosmo had sat up; he smiled then jumped to his feet, before jogging to the back of the beach to a small kiosk. He came back in a few moments with two small bottles of cold water.

Sitting up, she took one gratefully and guzzled half of it, unaware of just how thirsty she was. But then the man opposite was giving her a dry throat, that was without the effects of the sun, the sand and the sea. But suddenly she spluttered, a single drop of condensation had run down the bottle and onto her jaw, but it wasn’t that that made had jump to her feet, but him reaching out and touching her. As his finger swept across her skin swiping at the offending drop of water, she froze; suddenly all she could see was him, all she could feel was him. The bustle of the beach had lowered to a murmur. She sat glaring at him, his dark eyes watching her intently, her body throbbing in response to the simple yet erotic touch.

                “Sorry,” he breathed not removing his finger, his eyes searching hers. She’d never felt this attracted to anyone; the electricity between them was almost palpable, her heart raced, she was almost panting with lust.  

                “Cosmo, please don’t do this.”

She couldn’t believe that something as subtle as his finger on her chin was arousing her the way it was, and she knew as she looked at him that he was feeling something similar. He looked shocked.

                “Oh Heidi,” her name was a gasp on his lips. “I am sorry, this is not proper behaviour.” His thumb and remaining fingers were now cupping her chin, holding her still. “But...”

She shook herself free, “you’re married. There are no buts.”

Sitting back on her lounger, she watched him, his face was flushed and he looked sad.

                “I apologise, this is not the behaviour of a gentleman...” he half smiled.

She reached for her bag, barely able to function, her body and mind were betraying her sensible thought, she needed to escape. Quick before she made a fool of herself. Because that was what was happening. “I think maybe I should leave, I...”

Cosmo held up his hand, “this is my fault Heidi. I will leave you to enjoy the summer day, I don’t want there to be difficulties later.”

                “Later?” she asked confused.

He smiled, “yes, your mother and my father-in-law are taking us for dinner.” He lowered his head in a gesture of goodbye, then turned away from her, but not before he added, “I look forward to seeing you then.”

As she watched him stride across the sand, his running shoes in his hand, she groaned, just what she needed, another torturous evening with that damned sexy man.