Chapter Two
The sound of little feet running in the hall pulled Alexis awake. She stretched out on her huge bed, and as memories of last night came back to her, she felt a little rush in her stomach. God the things Mr. Speedo did to her, using his hands, his fingers, his magnificent tongue—things she’d only ever heard other girls bragging about, but had yet to experience herself.
Too bad it had only been in her dreams.
She gave a wistful sigh and rolled to her side, wondering what it would feel like to have his mouth on her skin, her breasts, between her legs, while she in turn explored his body, taking his cock into her hands, between her lips, deep into her body.
Last night she’d been too chicken shit to accept Mr. Speedo’s invitation, but if she wanted to have sex, good sex, and learn her way around a man’s body, she was going to have to take Mel’s advice, step out of her comfort zone and go for it.
As she thought about seducing her neighbor, she climbed from the bed and stole a peek out her window. Sunlight glittered on the pool below, but her sexy neighbor was nowhere to be found. She glanced at her clock, rising a bit later than she intended. She’d forgotten to set her clock last night, her thoughts too preoccupied with Mr. Speedo.
Hurrying into the bathroom, she quickly showered, and pulled on a prim sundress that hid her curves, wanting to look the part of an au pair as she received her instructions from Nikko.
After getting ready she rushed down the stairs and wandered through the estate until she heard Nikko’s deep voice teasing his daughter. She stepped through French doors leading outside and found her boss and his little girl eating pancakes at a table overlooking the ocean. She breathed in the salty air, and still couldn’t believe she was going to be child sitting for a Greek God, who had an Adonis for a neighbor, in beautiful Athens for two whole months. This summer was going to be way more interesting than she’d ever anticipated.
“Good morning,” she said, when Sophie and Nikko glanced her way.
Around a mouth full of pancake, Sophie greeted her in her native tongue. Nikko gave his daughter a quick lesson on manners, and reminded her to use her English with her au pair, then he turned to Alexis. His lips parted in a sexy grin, making him appear even more boyish and incredibly adorable.
“Good morning, Alexis.” The greeting rolled off his tongue in that knee-weakening accent as he stood to pull a chair out for her. Unaccustomed to such chivalry, his actions caught Alexis by surprise, and she wondered if all Greek men were this courteous. It also made her wonder if they would be as thoughtful in the bedroom. Would they see to their woman’s needs first, or simply take what they wanted. Would they be discrete afterward, or brag to a friend about the pity f*ck for the fat chick the night before?
“How was your room?” he asked pulling her thoughts back.
“It’s perfect,” she said, breathing in his enticing sandalwood scent as she stepped up to the chair he held out for her.
“And the view?”
Her heart leapt at the mention of her view, but surely he couldn’t know what she’d been admiring from her bedroom window. “Amazing,” she said, doing her best to sound casual.
“Glad to hear it. So you slept well?” His warm breath ruffled the fine hairs on the back of her neck as his sexy accent sent shivers skittering down her spine.
She worked to concentrate on the question, rather than the deep, sensuous timber of the voice asking it. “Very well,” she managed to get out, struggling to stay focused on the conversation as she lowered herself into the padded deck chair. “And I didn’t mean to sleep in,” she said. She waved her hand toward the sea. “Must be all this fresh ocean air.”
“No need to apologize. I gave instruction for you not to be woken. I wanted to make sure you got the rest you needed.”
Her heart warmed. Not only was she attracted to his looks, she was attracted to his thoughtfulness. He really was different from the guys back home. In need of a distraction, before she gave any more thought to how much she liked Nikko, she turned to Sophie, who was shoving a huge bite of blueberry pancake into her mouth. She pointed to her plate. “Those look yummy.”
“Maria will make you a stack,” Nikko said, taking his seat beside her.
Remembering her strict diet, she shook her head. “No, I’ll just have fruit.”
Nikko gave her an odd look, then opened his mouth like he was about to say something. But when a slender woman with beautiful silver hair came out on the deck he reached for his coffee, and gestured with a nod. “Maria this is Alexis, Sophie’s new sitter.”
Maria nodded then turned to Alexis. “Welcome, Alexis,” she said. “How about a nice cup of coffee to get your morning started?”
“Yes, please,” Alexis said, thinking the woman had read her mind.
Maria quickly returned with coffee and Alexis accepted the cup, skipping the rich cream and sugar she loved so dearly. As she sipped, Nikko filled her in on Sophie schedule. “When she naps in the afternoon, you’re free to enjoy the pool. There’s a monitor in place so you’ll hear her when she wakes. Your evenings are your own, and the city has lots to offer. I’m sure you must be interested in the nightlife, and getting out to a meet few of the locals.”
Her glance drifted to Mr. Speedo’s estate, which was visible from Nikko’s deck. Her thoughts went back to her conversation with Mel. She took a brief moment to envision herself in the pool wearing the miniscule bikini that left little to the imagination. She bit back a breathy moan, wondering if she had the nerve to wear it, to bend over and expose her plump backside to her neighbor. What if her curvy body turned him off?
What if it didn’t?
She rolled her tongue around a suddenly dry mouth and shifted in her seat to hide her body’s reactions, but there was nothing she could do to stop her cheeks from warming. With her pale skin she could only imagine the flush would raise her boss’s curiosity.
He pushed back in his chair. “Are you okay, Alexis?”
She swallowed, jerked her gaze back to her coffee, and fanned herself. “I’m uh...not used to this warm weather,” she explained.
“I see.” Nikko took a long drink from his mug, and angled his head to see what she’d been staring at. When he looked back at her, his eyes darkened, and his gaze moved over her face. “I’m sure you’ll get used to the...heat...around here quickly enough.”
Everything in the slow way he said heat had her skin coming alive, because suddenly she had the sneaking suspicion that he wasn’t talking about the weather at all, and that he knew she had the hots for his neighbor. And maybe even for him.
“I’m sure I will,” she said when Maria came with a plate of fruit for her.
As she nibbled, Nikko continued to explain Sophie’s schedule, then put his napkin on the table and said, “I’d love to spend more time with you two lovely ladies, but it’s time for me to get to work.”
Sophie giggled, showcasing blueberry-stained teeth when she said, “Bye, Papa.”
He dropped a kiss onto Sophie’s head, then gave Alexis a wink. “You be a good girl today, Sophie and be sure Alexis doesn’t get lost this morning on the way to the beach. I’ll see you before your nap.”
“You’ll be stopping back?” Alexis asked.
“I actually work from home during the summer, so I can spend more time with Sophie.” He stood and pointed to a corner room on the ground floor. As Alexis took in the huge window overlooking the pool, he said, “That’s my office. If you need anything at all, my door is always open.”
Alexis gulped air, as she ran through Melanie’s scandalous plan. If she sunbathed in the nude, Nikko’s neighbor wouldn’t be the only one to see her. Nikko would have a front row seat as well! A strange, scintillating shiver moved through her as she imagined that scenario. The thought of those dark eyes on her as she untied her top, peeled it off and bared her breasts to the sun. Or better yet, two pairs of eyes...heat curled low in her belly and settled between her legs, dampening her panties.
“I’ll see you both later.”
Alexis mumbled good bye as Nikko sauntered away, and she couldn’t help but notice how nicely he filled out his white dress shirt and tan colored pants. The computer guys she knew were lanky and wore sweats, Nikko appeared to take extra care with his appearance, and she liked that about him.
When he rounded the corner, Alexis turned her attention to Sophie, shaking off the salacious things Nikko made her feel. He was her boss, and he was off limits, she reminded herself.
“So what do you say, should we hit the beach?” she asked the little girl.
“Beach!” Sophie squealed.
“Maybe we can build a sand castle.”
“Mermaid,” she countered, and climbed down from the chair.
“Okay, you go get your bathing suit, and I’ll gather up some beach towels and buckets.” Alexis followed Sophie into the kitchen and found Maria at the counter, a beach bag in hand.
“You’re all set. Nikko told me you two would probably be hitting the beach this morning, and gave me instructions on what to pack.” Her glance moved over Alexis’s pale skin and she crinkled her nose. “Just be sure to use lots of lotion. Sophie will need some too.”
Alexis took the beach bag and looked inside to find a bottle of SPF 50. She grinned, surprised that Nikko had anticipated her needs and seen to it that they were taken care of. That last thought had her thinking of sex and warmth spread over her skin.
“I’ll guess I’ll grab my suit then.” She darted up the stairs behind Sophie, who was singing the theme song to The Little Mermaid.
Once inside her bedroom, Alexis rifled through her suitcase. Normally she wore a one piece that hid more of her curves than they revealed, but here, well, most didn’t wear a suit at all and a one piece would make her stand out like a tourist. Since she wanted to blend in with the local crowd, and the fact that Mel had hidden her old suit, it was either a two-piece or nothing at all. She looked over the one Mel had picked out for her and knew it was too risqué to wear to the beach with Sophie. She’d save that one for later, for when she was at the pool alone. Bending over. A lot.
Oh gawd.
She stripped out of her dress and pulled on the modest yellow bikini she had brought along to wear in mixed company. After wrestling her big breasts into cups that seemed to have grown smaller, studied herself in the mirror. Even though her nanny suit was modest, it still exposed more skin than she was comfortable with. Feeling unsure, she grabbed her phone, took a selfie and sent it to Mel.
Yes or no?
A minute later her friend responded.
Hell yes, you look gorgeous.
She smiled. Despite the fact that her body image issues ran deep, Mel still always found a way to make her feel better about herself. When a soft tap sounded on her door, she exhaled slowly, and even though she felt self-conscious exposing so much of her body, she decided to go for it.
She grabbed her bathing suit cover up, and opened her door to find a very cute Sophie in a pink bikini. “You look very pretty,” Alexis said.
“You’re pretty too,” the little girl said, poking her finger into the swell of Alexis’s tummy, making her feel more like the Pillsbury Doughboy than a sexy sophomore hell bent on gaining more experience in the bedroom.
Instead of going straight to the beach, they went in to town where she got a walking tour from a very knowledgeable four-year-old. Thirty minutes later they made their way to the ocean. At this early hour they practically had the whole beach to themselves. She bent forward to lay out their towels, and when she stood and took off her cover-up, she had to adjust her top to keep her breasts restrained.
Sophie had already shed her beach jacket and was digging into the sand by the time Alexis got the lotion out. “Come here, kiddo.”
She found an elastic band in the beach bag and tied Sophie’s dark hair into a ponytail, then she went up on her knees, and squirted lotion onto the child’s olive skin. “You are such a pretty girl,” she said as she rubbed it in, and Sophie beamed in response.
“She’s not the only one.”
The sound of a man’s voice coming from behind had her spinning around.
Her heart jumped into her throat when she spotted Mr. Speedo hovering close. “Oh, I...” she said, unable to get any words out. “I didn’t hear...”
Wait...did he just say she was pretty too?
“Dimi,” Sophie squealed.
“Hey, short stuff,” he said, and tugged on her ponytail.
“You two know each other?” Alexis asked before she could think better of it. Of course they knew each other, they were neighbors, after all. Feeling nervous and anxious as Mr. Speedo stood over her, the impressive bulge in his bathing suit merely inches from her salivating mouth, she looked for something to do. She poured a generous amount of lotion on her arm and began to lather it in with much more force than necessary.
He winked at Sophie. “Sophie is my very best friend. Aren’t you, Sophie?”
Sophie giggled and he stepped up to her and grabbed the bucket. “Why don’t you go get some water for the sand castle?”
“Sand mermaid,” she corrected and happily trotted off toward the water.
Dark eyes met hers and his voice dropped an octave when he said, “You must be Sophie’s new nanny.”
Keeping one eye on Sophie as she filled the bucket, Alexis nodded, and chafed her arms harder, trying to ignore the way his scent—an enticing mixture of sun, sand and sex—aroused all her senses.
“Alexis,” she said, her dry throat cracking.
“I’m Dimitri.”
She glanced at his hand, and his empty ring finger reminded her of her conversation with Melanie. He might be single, but now that she’d gotten a look at him, a real good look at him, she was having some doubts about seducing him. Everything from his athletic, sun-kissed body, the wild look about him to the sexy tattoo on his arm warned he was out of her league and wouldn’t be interested in a plump, inexperienced farm girl like her. He probably only invited her over last night to be polite to his neighbor, not because he wanted her. Or maybe she’d misinterpreted his gesture and he was simply shooing a bug away. Cripes, she had to be out of her mind for even entertaining the idea of seducing him.
He cocked his head, and his too long bangs fell into his eyes. “How are you enjoying Athens so far?”
She looked out over the water and exhaled slowly. “It’s beautiful here.”
“Yes, the view is beautiful, breathtaking really,” he said, but when Alexis turned back to him, he wasn’t looking at the ocean, he was looking at her.
He was looking at her!
Was it possible? Could he be interested?
After rubbing the lotion onto her arms and legs, she accidently squirted over half the bottle on her shoulders. Shit! Maybe she could scoop some of it off before he noticed. Twisting around, she slid her fingers into the glob of lotion and began to rub hastily.
He took the bottle from her and dropped down behind her, his knees bracketing her hips. “Here let me help.”
Fearing she’d melt like a Popsicle if he touched her, she said, “You don’t have...”
“But you’re doing it wrong, Alexis,” he murmured softly into her ear, the heat in his voice licking over her thighs and eliciting a shiver from deep within. The second his big warm hands touched her skin, a tremble moved through her, and a whimper bubbled up from the depths of her throat.
“A little goes a long way,” he explained, his touch shockingly intimate. “And you need to rub slowly, like this.” Deft palms moved over her shoulders and down her back, skating seductively over her flesh as he worked the lotion in. “When you’re under the Mediterranean sun, you have to take care to coat every inch, even the spots you don’t think need it. Usually those hidden spots are the ones that need it the most.”
As she thought about all her hidden spots and his fingers sliding over them, she damn near swallowed her tongue.
“Like here for instance.” The soft pad of his thumb slipped under the knot holding her top together, where he rubbed with careful precision. The non-sexual gesture felt so—sexual. As he lightly massaged the lotion into her flesh, Alexis couldn’t help but wonder how his fingers would feel on another part of her body. Each brush of his fingers over her skin echoed along her sex and she wiggled slightly, struggling to calm the ache between her legs.
She moistened her lips, searching for something to say. But her body was too hot, her p-ssy to needy, making coherent speech near impossible.
“There you go,” he murmured, and she was sure she was going to climax from the sound of his voice alone. He gestured toward the water. “Just remember to reapply if you get wet.”
Ah, Jesus, I’m already wet.
When Sophie came back carrying a bucket of water, he recapped the bottle, tossed it beside her and stood. He stole a glance at his watch. “I’ll see you later, Sophie.”
“Bye,” she mumbled absently as she reached for her shovel.
His muscles bunched as he shifted his stance, moving directly in front of Alexis. His glance slid over her before moving back to her face. He paused for a moment, then said, “Don’t make any plans for tonight.”
She swallowed. Hard. “What?” she asked, trying not to ogle his body. “Why?”
His smile stretched wickedly. “I’m having a pool party.” He shaded the sun from his eyes and said, “You should come.”
“I should?”
As if he could read her innermost thoughts he said, “It’s a good chance to meet a few of the locals, and see what the night life is like around here.” He gave a knowing smile and said, “Otherwise it will be an awfully long summer stuck in that room of yours every night, don’t you think?”
“It’s not so bad.” She shrugged, and suddenly, feeling very brave and flirtatious, she added, “The view is rather nice.”
With that he laughed out loud, and she couldn’t help but grin. Jesus, what the hell had come over her? She never flirted with a guy so brazenly before, and never with one as hot as Dimitri. Perhaps the sun was getting to her, or maybe the second his hands had touched her body she knew she had to know what those hands of his would feel like caressing every inch of her body, especially all the hidden parts.
“Yeah, well it was nice from where I was standing, too.” A low chuckle rumbled in his throat and she expected he was a man who always got what he wanted when he added, “I expect to see you later, Alexis.”