He lifted a dark eyebrow. ‘And you don’t have enough shoes?’

‘A girl can never have enough shoes,’ Libby advised him solemnly, standing up and dropping a note on the table to cover the bill. ‘Come on. Mario should be just about finishing by now.’

And she needed a third person to stop her having indecent thoughts about Andreas.

CHAPTER SIX

AS LIBBY got ready for the ball that evening, she reflected on what a successful day it had been.

Mario had worked wonders with Adrienne and she chuckled as she remembered the stunned look on Andreas’s face when he’d first caught sight of his niece.

Mario had shaped and textured her thick dark hair so that it no longer swamped her delicate features. The new hair-style cleverly emphasised the shape of her face and made her look exactly what she was. A child on the verge of womanhood.

Thrilled by her own reflection, Adrienne had spent the rest of the trip gazing at her reflection in shop windows.

Libby had dragged her into several of her favourite shops and bought a selection of strap tops and trendy cotton separates that complemented Adrienne’s slim figure without making her seem older than she was.

By the time they’d returned her to school, she’d been bubbling with excitement and confidence.

And now it was her turn, Libby thought, reaching into her wardrobe for the dress she wanted.

It was made of pale gold silk and it fell from tiny straps right down to the floor.

And she loved it.

With a smile of satisfaction she slipped into the dress and slid her feet into the gold shoes that she’d found in a tiny shop in one of London’s most exclusive shopping areas. They matched the dress perfectly.

She pinned her blonde curls on top of her head, leaving a few tendrils hanging loose around her face, and carefully applied her lipstick.

Satisfied with the result, she reached for her wrap and glanced at her watch as the doorbell went.

Alex had left to collect his date half an hour earlier so she knew it had to be Andreas.

She walked to the door on shaking legs and paused for a moment. Her heart rate accelerated dramatically and excitement curled in the pit of her stomach.

She closed her eyes briefly, wondering why on earth she’d invited the man. She was playing with fire.

Andreas Christakos could hurt her badly.

Taking a steadying breath, she opened the door, trying to control her reaction as she saw him.

Damn.

She should have known that the man would have looked spectacular in formal dress.

She bit back a groan. The truth was Andreas would look spectacular whatever he wore.

He lounged in her doorway, confident, sexy and so masculine that it took her breath away.

He was all temptation and trouble and she’d elected to spend the evening with him.

Great.

‘Hi, there.’ She sounded breathless and hated herself for it. She hoped he wasn’t any good at reading body language but her instincts said that he would be. This man knew everything there was to know about women.