Читать книгу The Greek Millionaire's Mistress - Catherine Spencer - Страница 4

FROM his position at one side of the orchestra rostrum, Mikos swung his gaze over the crowded ballroom and brought it to rest on the woman edging closer to the table where Angelo held court. Who was she? And how come he hadn’t spotted her before? The party had been in full swing for almost three hours, yet only now, with midnight approaching, had she come to his attention.

She seemed to be alone and, like him, giving the impression she preferred to remain an observer, rather than a participant, of the festivities. The difference was, he was very good at what he did, and only a handful of those present knew that he was more than just Angelo’s executive vice president and most favored confidant.

She, on the other hand, was trying too hard to be inconspicuous. If you wanted to disappear into the background, koritsi mou, he thought, taking in the daring cut of a dress the same shade of misty mauve as the Aegean at dawn, you should have worn something less eye-catching.

Surveying the room one last time, he exchanged a nod with the security guards posted at the doors, then stepped down from the dais and casually made his way to where she stood half-concealed by the ornate drapery in a window alcove. Dark haired and dark eyed, she could have passed for Greek, but he’d been around the international social set long enough to recognize a European when he saw one, and this woman didn’t fit the mold. American, he decided, and addressed her mostly in English. “Kalispera. I don’t believe we’ve met.”

If she was startled at being accosted by a stranger, she didn’t let it show. “I believe you’re right,” she said, her gaze locking fearlessly with his. “But then, I’ve met very few people here tonight.”

He couldn’t quite place her accent, and knew for a fact that he’d never seen her before. Hers was not a face a man would soon forget. “Then allow me to remedy the situation. I’m Mikolas Christopoulos.” And it’s my job to find out everything there is to know about you.

“Very nice to meet you, Mr. Christopoulos,” she said composedly. “I’m Gina Hudson.”

“And you’re not American.”

“No,” she replied, with a laugh more melodic than anything the orchestra could hope to produce. “I’m Canadian. Is that okay with you?”

He ran a mental check of the guest list, pretty sure no Canadians were on it. “Of course it’s okay. Who did you come with?”

“No one. I’m alone, and here on assignment.”

A working woman? Possibly. But one thing he knew for certain: she was not on the Tyros payroll. Apart from anything else, Angelo didn’t believe in hiring women, except as domestics, although he was happy enough, even at eighty, to occupy them in other ways. If this one happened to take his fancy…

Mikos shuddered inwardly at the thought. “To do what?” he inquired, steering her out of Angelo’s line of vision.

“Write an article for a magazine published in Vancouver which, in case you’re not aware, lies on the West Coast of—”

“I’m familiar with Vancouver,” he said, stopping her dead in her attempt to sidetrack him. “I work for Hesperus International which, as I’m sure you know, is owned by the man being honored here tonight. Two of our cruise ships sail to Alaska from Vancouver during the summer season. It’s a beautiful city.”

“Yes.” She smiled. “Spectacular, in fact.”

As are you, he thought. If she’d appeared lovely from a distance, up close she was exquisite. A stunningly beautiful brunette with an hourglass figure, and skin the color of honey. And that smile!

He couldn’t remember the last time a woman’s smile had hit him with such a shock of sexual awareness. Or if he’d ever felt such a compelling urge to run his hand over her skin to discover if its texture matched the satin silk of her dress. Forcing his attention back where it belonged, he remarked, “I’m surprised the residents of Vancouver even know of this event, let alone care about it. How did it come to your notice?”

“We might strike you as people living at the back end of beyond, Mr. Christopoulos,” she said evenly, “but we’re actually quite in touch with the rest of the planet. Angelo Tyros is a world-wide celebrity, and his birthday party has aroused quite a bit of international attention. Considering Vancouver’s large Greek community, plus the fact, as you already pointed out, that his cruise ships sail out of our harbor, it shouldn’t surprise you that we find him newsworthy.”

A beaded bag, dangling from her shoulder by a long silver chain and just large enough to hold a notepad or mini tape recorder, lent some credence to her story. “Well, it’s true that he can make headlines just by blinking,” Mikos allowed. “But for you to travel so far, for so little…”

“I quite agree, which is why, once I’m finished here, I plan to combine business with pleasure and spend a week or two discovering the Greek islands.”

She sounded so convincing, he almost believed her. But he didn’t get paid to be “almost” anything; he had to be one hundred percent sure. Angelo expected no less, and there’d been enough attempts on the old man’s life, as it was. No way was Mikos going to risk exposing him to another, even if the threat this time did come swathed in silk and sex appeal. That kind was the most dangerous of all.

Ignoring the blinding dazzle of camera flashbulbs intent on recording every moment of the evening, Mikos indicated the mob of couples gyrating under the dim lights to the orchestra’s insistent beat, and adopted his most persuasive tone. “But this is a party meant to be enjoyed by everyone, including those, like the two of us, not strictly here for pleasure. So I say, let’s put work aside for a moment, and dance.”

“You’re sure your boss won’t mind?”

He shot a quick look at the head table where Angelo was ogling the cleavage of the woman draped over his shoulder. “I doubt he’ll even notice.”

Following his glance, Gina compressed her lips, apparently not impressed by what she saw, and thereby heightening his suspicion of her. “You’re right. He won’t.”

“Then let’s not waste any more time.”

Just briefly, she hesitated, then, inclining her head, smiled again. “All right. I’d love to.”

“You can leave this here. It’ll be perfectly safe.” He took her little beaded bag and secreted it behind the window drapery. Then, after trading significant glances with Theo Keramidis, a plainclothes security guard stationed a few meters away, he slid his arm around her waist, whisked her onto the dance floor and quickly maneuvered her into the middle of the crowd.

The music pounded, its message one of throbbing, primitive urgency calculated to stir a man’s blood. The heat and press of the bodies surrounding them enforced an intimacy she’d probably have found offensive under any other circumstances. As it was, there was no avoiding physical contact—a fleeting touch here, a dangerously erotic brush there. Not that he minded. With business taken care of, he was more than ready to enjoy the moment for however long it might last, and honest enough to admit that, if he had any say in the matter, it would not end anytime soon.

Plainly put, the second their eyes had met, a very elemental, male-female recognition had arced between him and her. He’d had his share of women. Was well acquainted with the mild exhilaration of a brief affair. But his visceral response to this particular woman was different and spoke of a deeper connection that went beyond the ordinary. Gina Hudson was different, too. So different that, in acknowledging her allure, he knew he ran the risk of compromising his professional integrity.

Since that was something he never permitted himself, no matter how tempting the distraction, the smart thing would be to pass her off to a more impartial member of his team, and let them keep her occupied. Yet when the orchestra swung into a slower, more sultry tempo, he pulled her into his arms and held her close.

She was so petite that his splayed fingers spanned an area from the slight swell of her hip, and past the indent of her waist to the upper edge of her gown. Spread them a centimeter farther apart, and his thumb could test the soft skin between her shoulder blades. Slide his arm more snugly around her, and he’d graze the outer curve of her right breast. The realization shot a surge of heat to his groin and cast a death blow to the caution that was his usual trademark.

Blithely unaware of her effect on him, she glanced up from beneath long, silky eyelashes. “Are you from Athens, Mr. Christopoulos?”

“No,” he said, making a valiant effort to rein in his overactive libido. “I was born in a village in the northwest corner of the country. And I wish you’d call me Mikos.”

“Is that Greek for Michael?”

“A regional variation of the same. My full name is Mikolas.” To avoid collision with a large elderly couple bent on cutting a wide swath through the crowd, he swung her into a sudden reverse turn. From the unhesitating way she followed his lead, they might have been dancing together for years. But the satin whisper of her gown flirting with his trousered thighs, the soft resilience of her breasts against his starched dress shirt, left him fighting to control his breathing.

The music came to an end. “So what else should I know about, Ms. Gina Hudson?” he inquired, forcing himself to concentrate on his prime objective. “How do you spend your time when you’re not covering high society events for your magazine?”

A fleeting uneasiness crossed her face before she was able to camouflage it with another breathless little laugh. “Nothing very exciting, I’m afraid.”

But you are, he thought. Exciting…and more than a little evasive.

Keeping his hand in the small of her back, he led her to where her bag lay exactly as he’d left it. She slipped the silver chain over her shoulder again and deftly steered the conversation away from herself. “So how long have you lived in Athens?”

“Ever since my teens, when I came here to work.” He smiled bleakly at the memory of those grueling years. “In other words, a very long, and different, lifetime ago.”

She looked out the window at the traffic streaming along Vassillissis Sofias, and grimaced. “You don’t mind the frantic pace? The noise and pollution?”

“Not as long as I can escape it once in a while. Am I right in thinking you’re not much for city life yourself?”

“I was, once. Now, I live at my family’s home in the Gulf Islands.”

She surprised him with that. He judged her to be in her early to mid-twenties. A tad old, he’d have thought, still to be living at home, but definitely too young to shut herself away on an island. “I have a small place a few kilometers offshore, too,” he remarked conversationally, sparing Theo an inquiring glance and receiving a barely discernible nod in reply, “as well as an apartment here, on Lycabettus Hill.”

To reply, she had to raise her voice over the sudden eruption of laughter from a nearby table. “I’m afraid that doesn’t mean anything to me. I’m not at all familiar with the layout of the city.”

He hadn’t expected she would be. Bringing his mouth close enough to her ear to catch a faint whiff of her perfume, he said, “Then what do you say to my ordering us something cold and refreshing to drink, and I’ll take you up to the hotel roof garden for a bird’s-eye tour of the area? Quite apart from anything else, it’ll be much quieter up there and we can talk without having to shout.”

“Well…” She tilted her head and pursed her lips thoughtfully. “This ballroom is rather noisy.”

“Wait here, then, and I’ll be right back.”

Theo joined him at the bar a few seconds later. “So, what did you find in the bag?” Mikos asked.

“Nothing untoward,” the security guard replied. “A valid Press pass, a little cash and the usual girly stuff—comb, lipstick, mirror, breath mints, that sort of thing.” He patted his jacket pocket. “Oh, and the key to her hotel room. The old-fashioned kind, with the room number engraved on it.”

“Press pass, hmm? She did say she was here on assignment for a magazine.”

“Looks as if she told the truth then, doesn’t it?”

“Certainly does.” His rush of elation was premature, to say the least, but telling himself so didn’t quell it one iota. “Nice work, Theo. Think you can manage without me for a while?”

Theo made no attempt to hide his smirk. “For as long as it takes, and whatever it takes, to find out which hotel she’s staying at.”

The view from the roof of the Grande Bretagne was no doubt impressive. The elegant old hotel, she quickly learned, occupied the most prestigious block in the city center, overlooked Syntagma Square, the House of Parliament and National Gardens, and lay within easy walking distance of such popular tourist spots as the Agora, Plaka, Monastiraki flea market, Acropolis and Presidential Palace.

All very interesting, she was sure, and normally she’d have soaked up the information but, in this instance, she found it difficult to concentrate. Even the ancient, floodlit columns of the Parthenon failed to hold her attention for more than a second or two. And all because, much closer—and far too close for comfort—the sleeve of Mikos Christopoulos’s immaculate dinner jacket repeatedly brushed against her bare arm. His warm breath ruffled her hair. His voice, darker than midnight and more seductive than chocolate, mesmerized her with its foreign intonation. Most disturbing of all, his exceedingly masculine aura enveloped her in a web of sexual awareness that left her trapped like a hapless butterfly pinned to a collector’s mounting board.

Oblivious to his effect on her, he directed her attention to a block of real estate just east of the hotel. “Down there is Kolonaki, one of the most sought-after areas in Athens. Often referred to as Embassy territory, it’s also home to the business district, as well as some high-priced apartment buildings and many trendy coffee houses where the social set likes to hang out.”

“But that’s not where you live, is it?” she asked weakly, less because she really gave a hoot where he lived than because she felt she had to say something to indicate she still had a working brain. “When we were downstairs, you mentioned an apartment in Lika-something Hill.”

“Lycabettus, that’s right.” He cupped her shoulders in his big, warm hands, and turned her slightly to the north. “You can see it quite clearly from here. But I work in Kolonaki, in the Tyros office complex.”

Mention of Angelo Tyros’s name served as a stark reminder of why she was in Greece to begin with. Fighting to keep her tone neutral, she said, “How long have you worked for him?”

“Almost half my life, though not always in my present capacity.”

“So you know him well?”

“As well as anyone does, yes.”

“What kind of man is he—besides rich and famous, that is?”

Mikos gave the question some thought before answering. “Indestructible,” he finally replied. “As you know, he just turned eighty, but he’s still very much a hands-on chairman of the board, at his desk every morning by nine and expecting everyone else to be at theirs. He takes enormous pride in the fact that he’s never missed a day’s work in his life, not when his wife died, nor even when his son and only child was killed in an auto racing accident, some thirty years ago.”

That figures, Gina thought bitterly. What does family matter, compared to the amassing of more wealth? “And you admire such a man?”

“I respect him, I’m grateful to him, and yes, I’m fond of him. Deeply so. I might not always agree with him or the choices he makes, but I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Angelo Tyros.”

Nor would my mother!

How she kept the words from flying out of her mouth, she’d never know, but something of her contempt must have shown on her face because Mikos tilted his head to one side, the better to observe her. She’d noticed earlier that his eyes were not the dark brown she’d have expected of a man so classically Greek in every other respect, but a light, clear green. Framed by thick, black lashes, they made an arresting statement in a face already blessed with more than its fair share of masculine beauty. But more than that, they were sharply observant and full of keen intelligence. He wouldn’t be easily fooled.

She’d do well to remember that, she thought, glancing away before she lost herself in the depths of that alluring gaze. If she played her cards right, this man could introduce her to Angelo Tyros, but not if she gave him reason to be suspicious of her motives. Without his help, a journalistic nonentity like herself hadn’t a chance of getting within spitting distance of the old brute. His army of sycophants would see to that, as she’d realized the moment she set foot in the ballroom.

Interpreting her silence as disapproval, Mikos said, “If I’ve given the impression that he’s cold and unfeeling, and more concerned with power than people, let me balance that by saying with absolute sincerity that he’s also capable of great generosity and kindness.”

“I’ll try to remember that when I write my article.”

His voice sank lower, rolling over her skin with the soft abrasion of velvet dragged against the nap to bring every nerve ending in her body to tingling life. “And I will never forget this night, or this moment.”

“Why’s that?” she whispered haltingly.

Again, he brought his hands to her shoulders, but this time ran them up her neck and along the underside of her jaw until they cradled her face. “We both know why, calli mou.”

Well, she didn’t. Not really. Oh, she knew he was going to kiss her. Had known it from the moment they’d stepped out onto the deserted roof garden, just as she’d known she was going to let him because, quite apart from any other consideration, he happened to be handsome as the proverbial Greek god, and so charming that his smile alone was enough to set her entire body vibrating right down to her toes, and it had been such a long time since she’d felt desirable. But in no way did any of that answer the real question, why?

The ballroom had been overflowing with beautiful women clad in the very latest, most sumptuous designer fashions. She had on a dress she’d last worn five years ago, and even in its prime, it hadn’t exactly qualified as being on the cutting edge of haute couture.

Those other women had diamonds threaded through their hair, and draped around their necks and wrists, and swinging from their ears. Her only adornment consisted of a piece of costume jewelry—a big old purple-colored pendant, studded around the perimeter with grimy crystals, which she used to wear when she played dress-up as a little girl. Although its chain had long since been lost or broken, she’d scrubbed its paste gems in ammonia until they sparkled, then attached it to a wide band of black velvet, which she now wore at her throat. It was a pretty enough bauble to suit the occasion, especially in the subdued light of the ballroom, but it didn’t compare to the real thing.

Which brought her back full circle to her original question: Why had Mikos Christopoulos singled out her, a social nobody from Canada, with neither pedigree, position nor money to make her stand out from the crowd?

Grabbing at the remnants of her vanishing sanity, she stammered, “That hardly answers my question, Mikos.”

“No? Then perhaps this does,” he murmured, and lowered his mouth to hers in a kiss that redefined the meaning of the word, at least as it applied to her experience.

She clutched at him, then, because it was either that or slither to the ground in a heap of molten hormones. How was it possible for fire to torch her senses, yet leave behind no scar? How could a man turn the most elementary tool of seduction into an instrument of such exquisite sensory torture that spasms of pleasure shot to the pit of her stomach and left her most secret flesh humming and aching and drenched?

Oh, this was madness! But telling herself so did nothing to stop an inarticulate moan from rising in her throat. Or keep her hands where they properly belonged, planted firmly at his shoulders to ward him off. Instead she wilted against him and wound her arms around his neck, and tunneled her fingers through his smooth, dense hair, and opened her lips to his persuasive tongue and let him do as he pleased with her mouth, and just generally behaved like a trollop.

Remember why you’re here! the dim voice of reason beseeched. You didn’t have to travel all the way to Greece, if all you wanted was sex!

Not even if this is sex transformed into something rare and wonderful? her other, shameless self inquired.

Not even then, you idiot! What kind of woman abandons her cause, the moment a handsome foreigner spares her a second glance?

But this is about more than exotic good looks. It’s about chemistry—alchemy, even. It’s about looking into a man’s eyes and seeing my future written there. It’s about trusting my instincts and recognizing destiny when it comes calling.

Tell that to the mother you left in the care of strangers!

The words slapped her in the face like a dash of cold water.

“Mmm…oh!” She tore her mouth free. Forced her hands to stop their exploration of his hair and pushed them hard against his chest. “I can’t do this! It isn’t right!”

His eyes smoldered in the gloom, primitive green fire warring with civilized restraint. “How can it be wrong, agapiti mou, when I find you so irresistible? We are free to follow our hearts, are we not—or is yours promised to someone else?”

“Of course it isn’t!” she responded heatedly. “If I were involved with another man, I would never cheat on him. But this…what we’re getting into here, well, it’s…!”

She floundered into silence, knowing she could not confide in him. Although he didn’t realize it, he was on the enemy’s side, and when he discovered her true reason for coming to Athens, he’d become her enemy, too. He wouldn’t find her quite so irresistible then.

“Moving too quickly. I understand. We met less than an hour ago, and have tomorrow and as many days after that as you are willing to spend with me, before we must say adio. There is no need to rush so pleasurable a prospect.”

His voice caressed her. Soothed her uneasy conscience. He was neither making nor demanding promises for anything beyond what either was willing to give. The way he saw it, the most they had to offer each other was a week or two of their otherwise separate lives. After that, he would move on to his next conquest and she would return home, possibly a little heart sore, but definitely more fulfilled as a woman than she had been when she left—and hopefully having achieved her covert objective. One of those win-win situations, in other words.

Pack your bags and get on that aircraft, Sam Irving, her doctor, had ordered when he learned she was following his advice after all, even if it wasn’t entirely for the reasons he thought. You’re a young woman in her prime, Gina, and it’s long past time you had a little fun. Discover Greece, have a fling and leave me to take care of things on the homefront.

Good advice, Sam, she decided, a little bubble of happiness erupting inside her.

Smiling at Mikos, she said, “No need at all. I’m enjoying just being up here with you, although I’m surprised we have the place to ourselves. I didn’t think Athenians ever went to bed before dawn.”

“You’re right. As a rule, we’d be just two of many enjoying the night. But for this occasion, the public rooms of the hotel are off-limits to all but those officially invited to attend the birthday celebration.”

“Then can we just sit and get to know one another better? You said earlier that you wouldn’t be where you are today if it weren’t for Angelo Tyros, and I’ve been wondering what you meant by that.”

He shrugged his impeccably tailored shoulders regretfully. “Much though I’d prefer to watch the sun come up with you at my side, I’m afraid I must deny myself the pleasure. I’m officially working and shouldn’t be gone from the party too long.”

Well, so much for finding her irresistible! As long as she was willing to let him seduce her, he had all the time in the world to spare, but the minute she called a halt to the physical side of things, duty called him elsewhere—probably to one of those women she’d earlier noticed salivating over him as if he were a particularly mouthwatering slice of baklava!

“Thanks for reminding me that I’m slacking off, too,” she said, not quite able to keep the sting out of her voice. “I’m being paid to produce an article about the rich and famous, and could be missing all kinds of delicious goings-on downstairs.”

He started to speak, but she was in no mood to listen because her little bubble of happiness had burst and left her flat with disillusionment. She’d been out of circulation too long, that was the trouble. Adopting the role of parent to her poor, lost mother had blunted her social skills, and left her so hungry for a touch of glamour, a soupçon of romance, that she’d lost all perspective the very second Mikos had spared her a second glance.

How could she have been so naive? Sophisticated men like him weren’t interested in cosy chats by moonlight. She ought to be grateful he hadn’t laughed in her face at the mere idea!

Swallowing the absurd lump in her throat, she swept to the elevator and pressed the call button. Mercifully the doors slid open promptly, offering a fast escape. But not quite fast enough. Mikos was right on her heels, ushering her into the car with such charming continental gallantry that it took every iota of willpower for her to maintain a stony-faced mask of indifference.

“I have offended you,” he observed ruefully, as the doors ghosted shut.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she retorted, and wished he’d stop staring at her. Didn’t he know that people in elevators were supposed to look at the illuminated numbers on the directory panel, and never at other passengers?

“If that is true,” he replied, after a lengthy pause, “then once things start to quieten down a little, perhaps you’ll join me for a late snack?”

She covered her mouth with her hand and faked a long yawn. “Oh, I doubt that. I’m pretty tired already, and won’t be hanging around once I’ve collected enough material to complete my article.”

“I see.” Another silence followed, this one more protracted, then, “You have a room here, at the Grande Bretagne, do you, Gina?”

She thought of the Grande Bretagne, newly restored to its nineteenth century grandeur, and laughed, a brittle humorless sound that echoed harshly in that confined space. “Hardly! I’m a working woman, remember?”

“But you have adequate accommodation in a decent neighborhood?”

“I’m at the Topikos, just a couple of blocks from the Hilton.” It was nothing splashy, and certainly didn’t compare to the Grande Bretagne, but her room was clean and comfortable, came with its own bathroom and was affordable.

“Then I’ll arrange for a car to take you home when you’re ready to leave.”

“No need,” she said. “It’s not far. I can walk, or take a taxi.”

“I will not allow any such thing. Please let me know when you’ve had enough of the party.”

Fat chance! she almost told him. Fortunately the elevator sighed to a stop and the second the doors slid open, the din from the party swam through, drowning out any possibility of further conversation.

Once inside the ballroom, she waggled her fingers in farewell. “See you later,” she mouthed, and promptly put as much distance between him and her as possible.

Sadly he made no attempt to stop her. Instead, with the careless elegance only the very rich and self-assured dared assume, he sauntered across the imposing lobby and struck up a conversation with a man seated in an alcove.

Well, if Mikolas Christopoulos wasn’t going to give her access to Angelo Tyros, she’d have to do it on her own. Refusing to admit the bitter taste in her mouth sprang from a disappointment that had to do with more than thwarted ambition, she made her way unimpeded to the head table, only to suffer another setback. There was no sign of the Greek billionaire.

“Excuse me, do you speak English?” she asked a woman still seated there.

“A little, yes.”

“Then can you tell me where I might find Mr. Tyros? I was hoping he’d grant me an interview.”

The woman’s eyebrows rose in amusement. “You’re too late, Kyria! Even if he’d have agreed to speak to you, which is doubtful, Angelo left some time ago. He is eighty, after all!”

Oh, great! Just wonderful!

No denying her letdown this time. It burned her throat raw.

She’d started out on such a high note. Been greeted on her arrival at the Grande Bretagne by a cloaked doorman who’d ushered her into the lobby as if she were royalty. Somehow caught the eye of the most attractive man in the room, who’d singled her out for his undivided attention, only to dump her as soon as he realized she wasn’t up for a quick grope between the potted palms. And matters had gone steadily downhill ever since. All in all, the evening had been a complete bust.

Discouraged and exhausted suddenly, she circled back to the ballroom’s exit, grateful to see that although the faithful four continued to stand guard against gatecrashers, Mikos was nowhere in sight.

At least, that was her assumption until, when she was halfway across the Persian carpet adorning the lobby, a hand closed over her shoulder and that dark, rich voice that had so nearly seduced her on the roof, murmured in her ear, “And just where do you think you’re going, Ms. Hudson?”