His sturdy wooden boat approached the quayside. My breath burned, my lips longing to press against his. I stood dangerously near the edge of the quay and waved. As soon as he could, my beautiful Manno leapt ashore, shouted a few words to his father, and hurried me away to the quietness of the backstreets.

‘You came back to me!’ he said incredulously. ‘I love you, koukla mou!’

‘I only have a few hours, Manno,’ I whispered. ‘Kiss me!’

He rose up above me, one hand behind my head, pressing me towards his mouth, his other hand against my derrière, pushing my hips against his. Oh, the thrills that raced through me. I wanted him so badly.

‘Please, Manno, I think I’m falling in love with you,’ I whispered.

‘Come to my house?’ he said in an urgent, questioning voice. ‘We will be alone there.’ Without waiting for an answer, he took my hand and pulled me up narrow, cobbled streets and steep steps. We arrived at a stone building with pale-blue louvre shutters and an arched door. He pushed it open, then dropped a hefty plank across the receivers on the inside. No one could enter. He started to pull the ties of my white apron, and I reciprocated, untying the kerchief around his neck. By the time we arrived at the huge, wall-to-wall bed, we were both almost naked.

‘Panagia mou! I love you. I want to marry you!’ Manno’s face was close to mine. He slipped his hand inside my chemise and stroked my bare skin. Oh, the thrill! I had dreamt of this moment so many times.

‘I’ve never done this before, Manno.’

‘God and all the saints!’ he cried in a fit of passion.

I pulled off my black stockings and dropped my white, broderie anglaise combinations. The garment fell around my feet and for a moment, standing before him completely naked, I felt lost and embarrassed in the heat of a blush.

‘I worship you with all my heart and soul,’ he whispered. Staring at my body, he muttered something in Greek as he crossed himself, then he kissed me fervently and pulled me against him. In that moment, I knew he had done all this before with other women. To be honest, I was glad, being more than a little nervous about the size of his . . . erm . . . love.

‘Be gentle with me, Manno. Truly, it’s my very first time,’ I whispered, too tender, too trustful, too much a woman to resist the handsome man who charmed me into longing for him. And I did, I wanted him so badly, nothing – not even the pain of losing my virginity – would stop me. His kisses were tentative at first, but my response left no question and as he understood that, he groaned into my mouth.

‘You say what you like, agapi, you tell me if you want me to stop and I stop, yes?’