‘We can arrange a visit for your mother later...if you wish?’

Surprised by that response, I blinked. ‘I do. Thank you.’

After another minute of assessing scrutiny he nodded. ‘Whatever your reasons for fleeing Agistros, I accept that I could’ve handled our last meeting a little better,’ he said, his voice a deep rasp.

My lips were parted in shock when another wave of Xenakises wandered over. Axios’s droll look and almost-smile told me he’d seen my shock at his apology.

I managed to get my emotions under control beneath his family’s probing glances, watching their silent musing as to what had transpired with Axios’s stray wife. I was grateful for their circumspection because, as baptisms of fire went, it could have been worse.

It was with far more trepidation that I contemplated my extensive closet three hours after everyone had disappeared into their various guest rooms and private homes to get ready for the main event. The knock on the door barely snagged my attention. Absent-mindedly I responded, my fingers toying with the tie of my bathrobe as I contemplated the stunning array of clothes.

‘As much as you seem to enjoy simply staring at them, you do actually have to pick an outfit to wear for the party, you know?’ Ax drawled, his deep tone more amused than I’d ever heard him.

I jumped and turned around, barely able to hold back a gasp at the sight of him, standing a few feet away, wearing half of a bespoke tuxedo. His pristine snow-white shirt was half buttoned, but neatly tucked into his tailored trousers, and his bowtie was strung around his neck.

The intimate knowledge of what resided beneath his clothes dried my mouth as I stared, slack-jawed, several superlatives crowding my brain.

Debonair. Breathtaking. Insanely gorgeous.

Slowly the silence thickened and he raised one sleek eyebrow. ‘Can I help with anything?’

The hand I waved over my shoulder at the closet was irritatingly fluttery. ‘I can’t decide what to wear. Meeting your family was one thing... This is a different ballgame.’

His gaze travelled from the top of my hair, which still held its earlier style, thanks to the expertise of the stylist, then lingered at the belt holding my robe closed, before moving to my bare feet. Each spot his eyes touched triggered fiery awareness.

‘You handled my family admirably and won them over with Andreos. Even Neo—and he’s a handful at the best of times,’ he added dryly. ‘You’ll excel just as well tonight.’

The deeply spoken reassurance made my heart lurch. To hide its effect I scrambled for something else to concentrate on, and spotted his dangling sleeves and the cufflinks in his hand.

‘Do you need help with those?’ I asked, even though assisting him would involve stepping closer, breathing in the intoxicating scent that clung to him and never failed to send my senses haywire.

He held out his arms. ‘If you wouldn’t mind?’

Breath held, in the hope that it would mitigate the erotic chaos stirring to life inside me, I reached for the two halves of his shirtsleeve in one hand and held out the other for the cufflinks. The tips of his fingers brushed my palm as he handed them over, and every inch of my skin responded as if set alight.