Natalie Anderson - The Greek's One-Night Heir

‘I mean more than that. Did you know in this ballet the girl goes mad and dies of a broken heart because the man she loved lied to her,’ she said with a pointed look. ‘Because he omits to tell her he’s betrothed to another woman. I don’t think that’s romantic .’

He chuckled but then leaned forward to tease. ‘It was the prospect of marriage, see? It caused all the problems.’

She rolled her eyes even as she laughed. Just then theatre doors opened and the audience spilled out, shattering the sense of intimacy that had built between them. Somehow that time had sped by and she was sorry it had gone so quickly.

‘It’s probably time to take your seat.’ He gestured behind her. ‘You don’t want to leave it too late…’

‘Okay.’ But the flutters in her stomach wouldn’t cease. That she was going to spend the rest of the evening with him? Even though she knew he was just amusing himself, it was still unbelievable.

Leah followed the waiting usher, her pulse quickening as the woman guided her to the best seat in the theatre. Overcome with appreciation she turned to thank him, but he wasn’t with them. Somehow he’d disappeared in the crowd. Too late she realised the truth. He wasn’t sitting with her because it wasn’t a spare ticket he’d given her. It was his own.

Disappointment hit as that unusual bubble of happiness and hope popped. She hadn’t had the chance to thank him or even say goodbye. Instinctively she knew she wasn’t going to see him again. Who said chivalry was dead?

But to think that for a second she’d thought he’d actually been attracted to her. She was mortified at the memory and glad he’d now gone, given he’d clearly just been filling in time.

As the lights dimmed it took a few minutes for her to appreciate the ballet but then Zoe appeared onstage and she was swamped with pleasure and pride for her friend.

After the final curtain call Leah walked to the artists’ entrance at the back of the theatre to meet her and give her friend the gift she’d made. Her lost ticket confession resulted in them both giggling and then Zoe insisted Leah accompany her to the opening night company party to make it up to her. Secretly she wanted to escape home alone so she could remember her handsome stranger. Instead she smiled and said yes, ruefully thinking of him again as she omitted honesty to save her own embarrassment.

Theo Savas stalked out of the theatre, determined to resist the tempting whisper telling him to seek out that slender brunette with the hopelessly soft eyes. He forced himself to make the mandatory appearance at the ballet’s opening night celebration. He couldn’t skip it, given the party was at the hotel he was staying in. But he could escape early and have some space and privacy before his early flight home to Athens. He had little desire to socialise beyond the cursory showing of his face.

His mind teased, replaying the light conversation he’d had with the tall, ticketless sylph. He’d watched her from the distance during the ballet, happy in the back-row seat off to the side management had found for him. She’d sat motionless through the performance, apparently entranced, and she’d applauded energetically. But he’d seen a hint of sadness on her mouth when she’d turned to leave. Theo had pressed back into the crowd as competing instincts had warred within him. He had affairs only rarely—always discreet, always without strings, always unencumbered by emotion or the weight of baggage. There were no hearts involved in his dalliances. Physical pleasure was just a freely given gift—very simple, very satisfying. The suggestion of anything more was not. He’d seen the hurt it caused when it mattered too much.

And he didn’t think the leggy brunette was the no-strings, no-hearts type.

As he walked into the reception room the nearest group of women turned to stare, then smile. One peeled off and walked over.

‘You’re Theo Savas.’

‘I am.’

Invitation shone in the pretty dancer’s eyes but he turned away from it as he invariably did. Yet he still couldn’t shake the recollection of that brunette’s lavender-blue gaze or the awkward interest that had shone from it. Regret curled.

‘I’m—’

‘I’m sorry,’ he interrupted the woman briefly. ‘I can’t stop to chat.’

He’d check in with the company director and get out of here. But as he turned to seek out the director he spotted a tall figure on the other side of the room. His second glance morphed into a stare. And he smiled. Every sense sharpened. She was in shadow, but her silhouette was unmistakable. Triumph allowed temptation to burst free. His ticketless damsel must have been invited to the after-party by her dancer friend.

‘Hey.’ He caught her arm to get her attention in the crowd, barely quelling the impulse to pull her close.

‘Oh…’ Her pupils dilated as she stared up at him. There was no hiding the sensuality that sparkled in her eyes. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I could ask you the same question.’ He couldn’t drag his hungry gaze from her face. It was as if he’d not seen her in months, not mere minutes. ‘Where’s your friend?’ He didn’t really care. All that mattered was that they had a second chance and he wasn’t letting her slip away again. Not yet.

She glanced around then pointed to a petite woman animatedly talking to a group of dancers. ‘Zoe’s over there.’ As she watched her that sparkle in her eyes dimmed. ‘She’s…busy at the moment.’

‘She’s left you alone.’

‘You left me alone too.’

He stilled, silenced by that hint of reproach.

‘She’s having a good time’ she added quickly, failing to mask her awkwardness in the sudden pregnant moment. ‘She deserves to.’

‘And you don’t?’

‘I did have a good time. But you gave me your ticket.’ She looked up at him. ‘Why did you do that? You missed the whole thing.’

He could omit a couple of little facts and bask in her gratitude, but he didn’t want to lie to her. Not after that oddly intimate little conversation they’d had before the ballet. ‘Actually, they gave me another seat, so like you I didn’t miss the second half.’

That seat at the very side of the theatre had been perfect, because while it had given him an obstructed view of the stage, it had also given him an angled view of her…though that little fact he was going to omit.

‘Oh, good. I’m so glad.’ A faint wash of colour bloomed over her face. ‘It was still very kind of you.’

‘Mmm…’ He still didn’t feel very kind right now. He felt achy. ‘It was my pleasure.’ He’d enjoyed watching the emotions flit across her face. ‘I get to go to the ballet a lot. The theatre, opera, sports fixtures…it comes with my job.’

‘You don’t enjoy it?’

‘Sure. Mostly.’ But when he had other issues pressing on his mind, not so much. And right now he had too much on his mind. It had been a miserable few months. He just wanted to forget it all for a while. Temptation beckoned. Maybe his method was standing right in front of him. And maybe, he just couldn’t resist.

He held his hand out to her. ‘Theo Savas.’

Leah didn’t want to keep staring but she couldn’t seem to tear her gaze away from him. ‘Leah Turner.’

A premonition warned her, but the urge for the slightest touch was irresistible and she put her hand in his. For a second they were locked together in a moment of physical intimacy that felt much more powerful than a mere handshake should.