Читать книгу Greek Bachelors: Buying His Bride - Julia James - Страница 11

SHE LOOKEDthe picture of innocence, Angelos thought savagely. There was a gentleness in her eyes and a softness to her face that was totally at odds with her reputation as a man-eater. Not just a man-eater, he reminded himself grimly. Her tastes were more refined than that. She was a clever, manipulative, rich-man-eater.

‘He thinks we’re getting married?’ Her eyes were wide and shocked, and Angelos fought back his distaste.

He couldn’t believe he’d actually allowed himself to be manipulated in this way. Only once in his life before had he ever been taken in by a woman, and on that occasion he’d had inexperience as his excuse. He’d been just eighteen years of age, and dizzy with lust. Lust—love—how easily those two became intertwined. His mouth tightened at the thought.

He was no longer eighteen.

So what was his excuse this time?

He resisted the temptation to turn the full force of his anger onto the woman standing in front of him. ‘You told him that you were crazy about me. That we were madly in love.’ Angelos struggled to keep his voice level. ‘As far as my father is concerned, the next step is marriage.’

Her gaze softened. ‘He is such a lovely man. I thought that at the time.’

I’ll just bet you did. Angelos made a mental note not to leave her alone with his father for too long. Despite her protests, he had no doubt that once she discovered her ‘relationship’ with him had no long-term prospects she would have no compunction about turning her attentions to his more vulnerable father. ‘Before you start congratulating yourself on your success, remember that this is me you’re dealing with—not my father.’

‘You want me to go to Greece with you? That’s what you’ve brought me here to ask me?’

‘I don’t want you to go to Greece with me. But that is what is going to happen.’

Obviously the two men she’d duped hadn’t been able to see past those sapphire eyes, he thought grimly. And this time she’d obviously decided to go for the jackpot. The sheer audacity of her plan amazed even him. His views on marriage were well known, as were his views on his father’s two very public and very expensive divorces. The fact that she’d believed that she might be successful said a great deal about her ego.

‘I don’t understand why you would think it’s a good idea. Your father would never believe that we were together!’

‘Thanks to your convincing display at the ball, he already believes that we are together,’ Angelos told her. ‘Your role is simply to produce more of the same. It shouldn’t be too hard. I’ll be working for most of the day. You will get to sit by a pool with a drink in your hand and a view of the Aegean Sea, singing my praises. From what I can gather, you’re in between men at the moment. Think of it as a free holiday—which isn’t quite on the same level as a meal ticket for life, but given the stunt you pulled you’re lucky even to get that from me.’

She watched him, and he could almost see her brain working as she thought about what he’d said.

‘No.’

‘Don’t try and negotiate with me,’ he warned softly. ‘There won’t be a better offer.’

‘I’m not hoping for a “better offer”.’

‘Then why refuse?’

‘Because it wouldn’t be fair on your father. I don’t understand why you think it’s a good idea.’ She frowned slightly. ‘When he finds out that you’re lying, he’ll be devastated.’

The same uncomfortable truth had occurred to Angelos, but he’d been unable to find any other solution. ‘It is a shame this conscience of yours didn’t emerge a little sooner. Thanks to you, I don’t have a choice. When my father is stronger, I’ll tell him that we weren’t as compatible as we thought.’

‘It would never work.’

‘Why not?’

‘If you glare at me the way you’re glaring at me now, he’s never going to be convinced that our relationship is real.’

‘The mere fact that I am bringing you to the island will be enough to convince him.’

‘Why?’

Angelos tensed. ‘I don’t take women there.’

Her eyebrows rose. ‘Never?’

‘It is a place for family.’

‘And none of your previous women have earned that distinction?’

‘You are not family either, Isabelle,’ Angelos warned her softly. ‘Do not forget that. You’re merely a necessary part of my father’s convalescence.’

She frowned. ‘I’m not sure—’

‘I don’t understand why you’re hesitating. I’m offering you an all-expenses-paid luxury holiday.’

She looked at him, her gaze disturbingly direct. ‘That’s why I’m hesitating.’

He thought he could buy her.

But she didn’t accept gifts from men, or hospitality. Ever. She lived her life by that principle.

Chantal gave a shiver, acknowledging the irony of her situation. She’d taken the ticket of a woman who clearly didn’t share her scruples.

‘I can’t do it,’ she said hoarsely and his eyes narrowed.

‘You will do it—if I have to drag you there myself.’

‘No. My answer has to be no.’ Something dark and ugly uncurled inside her and she gave a little shake of her head. ‘You don’t understand.’

‘I understand perfectly. And that’s what frightens you, isn’t it? For once you’re dealing with a man who does understand you. All your declarations about liking my father have proved to be as meaningless and empty as I believed them to be.’

‘That isn’t true.’

‘If it were true then you would be doing everything possible to aid his recovery.’

Chantal turned away, remembering just how kind his father had been to her that night of the ball. She remembered the warmth of his hand on hers and how he’d stood next to her, protecting her.

She owed him her help. She wanted to help. But how could she when helping meant accepting Angelos’s hospitality?

The obvious solution would be to pay for herself, but given the pathetic state of her finances that wouldn’t be possible. She might be able to scrape together enough to cover the cost of her flight ticket, but there was no way she’d have anything left over to cover her living costs.

‘The fact that you are even hesitating shows me that you are every bit as cold-hearted as your reputation suggests.’ His tone was harsh. ‘I have explained that your presence would help my father, but as usual all you are thinking of is yourself.’

Stung by the injustice of that accusation, Chantal turned. ‘That is not true.’ She lifted her fingers to her forehead, trying to think the situation through.

Would it be so very wrong to say yes?

It wasn’t as if she and Angelos were having an affair. Despite the chemistry between them, it wasn’t that sort of relationship. All they’d ever shared was one dance and a lot of cross words. She would be living in the villa as a favour to him. To help his father.

That was quite different from—

Pushing aside her reservations, she gave a swift nod. ‘I’ll do it. But I insist on paying for my flight ticket.’

A stunned expression crossed his handsome face and then he gave a humourless laugh. ‘It’s a little late to try and impress me,’ he drawled, ‘and anyway, I don’t issue tickets when I fly by private jet.’

The colour poured into her cheeks and she felt a rush of humiliation. Private jet. Of course. How could she have been so stupid? She should have known that this man wouldn’t exactly fly budget airlines.

‘Wait—what I mean is, I don’t want you paying for me,’ she stammered, and he raised an eyebrow.

‘I could probably calculate your share if you wanted me to. But it would have several noughts attached to it. If you’re trying to persuade me that you’re not interested in my wealth, then you’re wasting your time. The evidence is stacked against you.’

Chantal bit her lip. She didn’t have the money to reimburse him for the flight, so she couldn’t push the point, but she felt deeply uncomfortable.

‘If I come with you—’ she lifted her chin and looked him in the eye ‘—it’s just because of your father. Not for any other reason.’

‘What other reason would there be? I’m not like the other men you’ve met, Isabelle. It takes more than a little hot chemistry to cloud my judgement.’

Uncomfortably aware of his scrutiny, she blushed and walked across to the window, turning her back to him.

He was so different from his father. Hard where his father had been soft. Intimidating where his father had been approachable.

Remembering just how much she’d liked the older man, she felt something tug deep inside her and felt a sudden pang of regret that he was now so poorly.

She remembered how delighted he’d seemed that his son was ‘in love’ and her expression softened. Clearly the son hadn’t inherited his knife-sharp cynicism from his father.

From her vantage point on the balcony, Chantal stared down at the streets of Paris. She could see the Seine, winding through the city, and the bold jut of the Eiffel Tower, its structure glinting in the warm sunshine.

And across the city, in the dirtiest, cheapest, most forgotten part of Paris, was the room that she’d vacated that morning. The price had become prohibitive. Too much for a waitress. It was time to move on.

Why not to Greece? She had no other place to go. Nowhere else she needed to be.

Wouldn’t that solve all her problems in the short term as well as helping out a man she genuinely cared about?

If her presence helped his recovery, then wasn’t that reason enough to go?

She could stay as long as she was needed, and then use Greece as a base for her next adventure. The only drawback was being in the company of Angelos Zouvelekis. He unsettled her more than any man she’d ever met.

But he’d be working, wouldn’t he? Adding more noughts to his billions?

All she had to do during the day was lie by the pool and chat to his father.

‘You’ll have to tell him the truth at some point.’

‘Obviously. But not until he is stronger and has something else to focus on. Having had such a close brush with death, it seems that the only thing on his mind is the fact that I haven’t yet given him grandchildren. When he is properly recovered he will find something else to occupy him.’

She turned. ‘You don’t intend to give him grandchildren?’

‘At some point. But only when I find a woman whose genes I would be proud for my children to inherit.’ His tone left her in no doubt that he wouldn’t be allowing her genes anywhere near his offspring.

And that was an attitude she was more than familiar with.

She’d never fitted in, had she?

All her life she’d felt displaced.

As a child she’d lived her life around the edges of a world to which she didn’t belong. And rarely had anyone shown her kindness.

His father had shown her kindness.

‘I’ll do it,’ she said firmly. ‘If you think it will help.’

‘It never occurred to me that you wouldn’t,’ he drawled, contempt flickering in his eyes. ‘From what I’ve heard, you never spend your money if you can spend someone else’s.’

She tensed. ‘I’m doing this for your father.’

‘Of course you are. Your generosity is legendary.’

Chantal was almost relieved that she wasn’t Isabelle. ‘No matter what you think,’ she said quietly, ‘I’m not interested in your money.’

It had been something else entirely that had drawn her to him. A powerful connection that she couldn’t explain. A chemistry that taunted both of them, because it was something that neither wanted to pursue.

The Aegean Sea stretched beneath them, the changing light producing more shades of blue than an artist’s palette.

‘It’s beautiful,’ she murmured, but she was talking to herself—because Angelos had been on the phone since his private jet had lifted off from Paris. And he was still on the phone. He lounged on a sofa opposite her, his eyes fixed on a computer screen, the table in front of him strewn with papers. Occasionally he broke the conversation for long enough to scan a set of figures, then he was talking again, in rapid Greek.

He’d paid her no attention whatsoever.

And perhaps that was just as well, she reflected, because her astonishment and awe when she’d seen the inside of his private jet had bordered on the gauche.

She had no idea how Isabelle would have reacted, but her mouth had dropped open in disbelief as she’d taken in the sumptuous cream leather sofas and the soft carpeting.

If it hadn’t been for the uniformed cabin attendant’s instruction to fasten her seat belt, she would have believed that it was all a mistake and she was actually in a high-class apartment. She’d been afraid to eat or drink in case she dropped something and her one trip to the bathroom had left her wishing she’d had time to design herself a new wardrobe.

By contrast, Angelos had merely divested himself of the jacket of his suit, loosened his tie, and ordered a black coffee.

Greek coffee, she assumed, staring at the thick black grounds that remained in the bottom of his cup.

Her most anxious moment had occurred when he’d asked for her passport. But she needn’t have worried because he’d simply handed it straight to one of his staff—a woman who clearly had no idea which name was supposed to be inside the document.

Since then he hadn’t looked at her. Hadn’t once asked after her comfort. Hadn’t even hurled an insult in her direction or given her one of his looks.

It was almost as if he preferred to think she didn’t exist.

Which had made her journey more comfortable, but didn’t bode well for the roles they were supposed to play.

His last few moments of freedom, she mused, wondering how he was ever going to manage to maintain this charade once they arrived at his island.

She waited until he’d terminated his latest phone call and then spoke. ‘Are we pretending to be lovers who have had a row?’

He glanced up from the figures he was scanning, his thick dark lashes drawing attention to his eyes. ‘A row?’

‘We are supposed to be adding to your father’s relaxation. I don’t think being with two people who react to each other in stony silence is going to do much for his peace of mind. If we were already married, then I think divorce would be looming.’

His eyes narrowed, and he dropped the paper onto the table. ‘When I need to talk to you, I’ll talk.’

‘Fine. But there are a few things I need to know if I’m going to stand any chance of being convincing.’

‘Such as?’

‘Details. Facts. The sort of things that would have come up in conversation. Does anyone else live on the island, or is it just you?’

He leaned back in his chair. ‘Stop pretending you’re not already in possession of a full list of my assets.’

Chantal sighed. Clearly a woman like Isabelle would have known the answer to that question. ‘Has it ever occurred to you that you might have misjudged me?’

‘No. Why would it?’ He tucked his pen back into his pocket.

‘Don’t even think about playing any of your usual games.’

‘Don’t worry.’ Having no idea what Isabelle’s usual games were, Chantal kept her answer suitably vague. ‘I’m just going to lie by the pool and chat to your father.’

‘And don’t get any ideas on that score, either.’

‘What?’ She felt a flicker of exasperation. ‘I thought that was what you wanted me to do?’

‘Your role is to convince my father that we are a happy couple. I’m well aware that your taste can run to older men if the price is right. In this case, don’t even think about it.’

It took her a moment to grasp his meaning. ‘Are you suggesting that I’m interested in your father?’

‘You seemed interested enough the night of the ball. You were all over him. Flirting.’

‘Talking.’

‘Laughing. Asking him to dance.’

‘I liked him. He was kind to me.’ And so few people in her life had ever been kind to her.

‘My father is kind to everyone.’

‘And you disapprove of that quality?’

‘When it comes to glamorous women it’s a weakness, not a quality.’

‘If everyone was kinder to each other the world would be a better place.’

He gave a cynical laugh. ‘And we both know what form you’d want that kindness to take. As you already know, my father is a rich man. Not quite as rich as I am, but I’ve no doubt you were happy to consider him good enough for back-up.’

Appalled and fascinated by the thought of what might drive a woman to such desperation, Chantal studied him for a moment. Her response was cautious. ‘That’s what you think I’d do?’

‘Given that your last husband was seventy-five—yes.’

Seventy five? Chantal almost gasped aloud. Isabelle had married a man of seventy-five? She wondered briefly whether she should have told the truth about who she was. No. If he was shocked by Isabelle, how much more shocked would he be to learn the truth about her life?

‘I’m just warning you not to try any tricks, because I’ll be watching.’

‘Tricks? What tricks are you expecting?’

‘You’ve failed with me. Don’t even think about targeting my father. A man who has made two mistakes in marriage will not be allowed to make a third!’

‘Mistake?’ She blinked at him. ‘He told me that he was married to your mother for forty years. It didn’t sound like a mistake to me. He was totally in love.’ She watched as shock flared in his eyes.

‘You asked him about my mother?’

‘No! He—’ Thrown by his anger, she broke off, struggling to remember exactly how the conversation had evolved. ‘We were talking about love. He told me that she died. I—I’m very sorry.’

He didn’t respond, but she saw that his knuckles were white. ‘He never talks about my mother.’

‘Well, he talked to me. Maybe it was because I was a stranger. Or because we just seemed to click. I don’t know. I liked him—’ She gave a helpless shrug. ‘Why do you dissect every conversation? Who made you so cynical?’

‘Women like you. I know who you are, Isabelle.’

He had no idea who she was.

And she had no intention of telling him. Perhaps one day he’d find out, when he bumped into the real Isabelle on the party circuit. But by then she’d be long gone.

She sank back against her seat. He intimidated her, but at the same time he intrigued her, and suddenly she really wanted to understand what drove his deep-rooted cynicism. Something in his past, obviously. She, better than anyone, knew that even when you tried to move on the past had a way of winding itself around your ankles like seaweed—taking hold, dragging you back to the place you were trying to escape from.

‘So—’ she changed the subject to a topic less inflammatory ‘—what do you do with a whole island to yourself?’

‘It has been in my family for five generations. My ancestors grew olives and made wine. I rebuilt the villa five years ago. It is the one place where we can guarantee a level of privacy, away from media intrusion.’

‘Five generations?’ Chantal felt a flash of envy. What must it be like to have family you could trace back for generations? What was it like to be part of a group of people who cared about each other?

‘They led a simple life,’ he told her, stretching his legs out in front of him, ‘and that is what the island is for. So if you’re hoping for a glamorous holiday, then you’ll be disappointed. The only thing that glitters is the sea when the sun hits it. You can leave your silk and diamonds at home. We don’t dress for dinner. It’s basic. I prefer it that way.’

So did she.

Chantal relaxed slightly. The dress code had been one of her major concerns about this trip. Given the deficiencies of her wardrobe, the thought of ‘dressing for dinner’ had filled her with dismay. And as for leaving her silk or diamonds at home—not only did she not possess any silk and diamonds, she didn’t have a permanent home in which to leave them.

‘It sounds perfect.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous. We both know you’re going to hate it. I think we’re about to discover just how “adaptable” you are, Isabelle.’

Probably a great deal more adaptable than he thought.

She braced herself as the plane came into land. ‘Is this it?’

‘No.’ He unfastened his seat belt and rose to his feet. ‘There is no landing strip on the island; it’s too mountainous and craggy. We take a boat from here. So if you’ve any thoughts of running away, you’re going to be disappointed. Unless you develop fins and a tail, once you’re on the island you’re stuck there.’

Angelos felt the spray on his face and increased the power, revelling in the sudden surge that had the luxury speedboat bouncing over the water, leaving a line of foam in its wake.

This stretch of sea was notoriously rough, but he didn’t slacken the pace. Instead he steered the boat bows-on to the dancing waves.

Would the woman be seasick?

For a moment he almost relished what lay ahead.

Someone like her, who preyed on vulnerable men, would be frustrated and out of her depth on the island. There would be no one to seduce.

And not only that she’d been forced to leave all her seduction tools behind, he thought, smiling to himself as he contemplated what the mixture of seaspray and wind must be doing to her hair.

With a certain sadistic pleasure, he glanced over his shoulder—and felt a flash of surprise. Her hair was blowing wildly in the wind, but instead of clutching at it, as he’d expected, she was resting her head back against the safety rail of the boat and her eyes were closed.

She looked strangely content. Which made no sense at all.

He glanced towards the one small bag she’d brought aboard the flight from Paris. Her lack of luggage was a clear indication that she expected to be taken on some serious shopping trips—which meant that she was going to be severely disappointed. They weren’t going anywhere, and she would be forced to wear whatever items she’d brought with her. And wear them again. And again. And launder them herself.

Angelos smiled as he thought about the role that she was going to be expected to play as his prospective wife.

Knowing his father, the first thing he’d want to see would be her prowess in the kitchen.

Can she cook, Angelos?

Undoubtedly not. In fact, he was willing to bet she’d never been near a hot stove in her life, let alone slaved over one. Why would she, when the men she’d married had given her a lifestyle beyond her wildest dreams?

If she’d had any sense she would have taken the money from her last divorce and settled in the Caribbean, instead of moving on to her next victim.

As they drew closer to the island Angelos slowed the boat and pulled in alongside the jetty. He cut the engine, and the air was filled with the insistent rasp of cicadas.

Above them he glimpsed the whitewashed walls of the villa. Hot pink bougainvillaea tumbled joyfully over the walls, basking in the hot Greek sunshine, and the path that led up from the jetty was thickly bordered with blue agapanthus.

‘Home.’

It was only when she looked at him that he realised he’d spoken the word aloud.

‘Is it home? I thought you lived in Athens?’

‘My business requires that I travel a lot and I have a home in Athens because my headquarters is based there. But I have offices in almost all the major cities in the world. It’s a necessity.’

‘You don’t like the city?’

‘Sometimes. But the villa feels more like home than any other property I own. It is the place we spend time as a family.’ He didn’t know which surprised him more. His own confession or her nod of immediate understanding.

‘I can see why you love it. It’s beautiful.’

It seemed such an unlikely response from a woman with a love of the bright lights that he felt a flicker of irritation and suddenly regretted that circumstances had forced him to bring her with him. The island was usually a place to escape from the stresses and demands of his life. This time he’d been forced to bring the stress along with him.

He was about to make a sharp comment when he caught sight of the expression on her face. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and she was staring at the white-pebbled beach as though she couldn’t wait to slip her shoes off and take a walk.

Surprised by her reaction, Angelos frowned. Pretty though it was, the island was a long way from the mainland. There were no trendy cafes, no boutique hotels or designer shops. No men and no nightclubs. In fact, nothing to entertain a woman like Isabelle. Just beaches, olives groves and dusty tracks winding their way over the headland.

He’d expected to see boredom or impatience on her face. Certainly not excitement. Suddenly she seemed vivid and alive and his eyes were drawn to the thrust of her breasts under the thin white top. Her body was lush and feminine, her mouth full and tempting, and her eyes were shining with almost child-like enthusiasm.

Angelos tightened his jaw, not knowing whether to be amused or irritated by the powerful and predictable response of his body.

Was he really that shallow?

Obviously the answer to that question was yes.

With a cynical laugh at his own expense, he turned away and secured the boat to the jetty with the rope.

It was ironic, he reflected, that the woman he’d finally brought home to this island was probably the last person on earth he’d contemplate marrying.

But, just as long as he kept that fact from his father, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Feeling the heat of the sun on the back of her neck, Chantal followed Angelos up the path that led from the jetty to the villa. The garden seemed to tumble down the hillside, a joyful haven so breathtakingly beautiful that she paused for a moment just to enjoy the scent and colour. Orange and magnolia trees bordered the path, and the sea sparkled turquoise in the dazzling sunlight.

Aware that Angelos was glaring at her impatiently, she hurried towards him, followed him round a bend in the path and had her first proper view of the villa.

It had obviously been built to give the owners the benefit of what must surely be the best views in Greece, and her first impression left her speechless with wonder.

Between the villa and the sea lay a series of terraces, shaded by vines and linked by narrow paths. And on the same level as the villa itself was a large curved pool which followed the shape of the hillside and which appeared to merge with the ocean beyond.

Despite its obvious size, the villa itself was a vision of Mediterranean charm. Bougainvillaea tumbled from balconies, down over whitewashed walls to the scented gardens below. On the ground floor an arched entrance offered a tantalising view of a shaded stone courtyard with a central fountain. Doors opened from the main living area to the pool and inside the spacious room she could see rich-coloured textiles set against cool white walls.

‘Kalispera!’ A nurse appeared, wearing a crisp white uniform and a stern expression on her face.

Angelos walked towards her. ‘How is my father today?’

‘Determined to do himself as much damage as possible!’ The nurse set her mouth in a disapproving line, and Angelos lifted an eyebrow.

‘His tests are not good?’

‘His tests are excellent, but he refuses to make any changes to his lifestyle.’ Clearly exasperated with her patient, the nurse glanced at Chantal. ‘Perhaps you will be able to influence him. He’s been very excited about your arrival. Hopefully now you are here he will join you for dinner. I couldn’t persuade him to eat lunch.’

Angelos frowned. ‘He isn’t eating?’

‘He doesn’t have much of an appetite.’ Her tone sharp, the nurse flipped through her notebook, checking her facts. ‘Black coffee for breakfast, nothing for lunch, and now he’s asking for a drink.’

‘Presumably not water?’ Angelos said wearily. ‘All right. I’ll talk to him.’

‘I’d appreciate that.’ The nurse gave a brief nod and slipped the book back into her pocket. ‘I’ll go and talk to the kitchen about his diet. See if there’s anything we can make that might tempt him.’

Angelos took Chantal’s arm and steered her towards the pool. It was set high enough up to give a breathtaking view of the bay and several small islands in the distance, and for a moment she just stood there, wondering if there was a place more peaceful or beautiful anywhere on earth. She’d travelled, and seen many sights, but there was something about this place that made her catch her breath.

‘It’s stunning.’

Angelos turned towards her and smiled and that smile was so intimate and sexy that her stomach flipped. For a moment she was blinded. The world around her shrank and there was nothing but him. No view, no villa, no other person. She just gazed back at him, the words in her mouth melting away unspoken.

She was just reminding herself of the need to breathe when he leaned towards her, a smile in his eyes as his lips brushed against her cheek.

‘Don’t get too comfortable. I’m watching you,’ he murmured softly in her ear, and she realised then that the smile and the sudden softening in his eyes had been for the benefit of his father, who was beaming with delight as he watched them.

And she took a step backwards, confused and disorientated because for one deeply humiliating moment she’d actually believed that the smile was for her.

And then she remembered. Men like him didn’t smile at women like her.

Reminding herself of the dangers of slipping into fantasy land, she stepped away from him and walked to his father, automatically gravitating towards a friendly face. ‘It’s good to see you again, Mr Zouvelekis.’

‘Call me Costas. After all, we’re virtually family.’ The older man struggled to his feet. Then he took her hands and squeezed, and the pressure of his fingers and the warmth in his eyes made the breath catch in her throat.

To be shown affection was such a rare and surprising gift that she clung to his fingers, unwilling to end a contact that felt so good.

Virtually family.

Never in her most extravagant fantasies would she have allowed herself to imagine a father as amazing as him. ‘How are you?’ Looking at him now, she could see that he’d lost weight and that his face had a greyish tinge.

‘Better now I have something beautiful to look at. The nurses Angelos found—’ He peered around him to check that the nurse was out of earshot and then pulled a face. ‘He might as well have employed men.’

‘Believe me, I tried,’ Angelos said sternly. ‘You’re not supposed to be looking at the nurses.’

‘I’m not.’ Costas sounded gloomy. ‘What is there to look at? That woman has the appeal of a wrestler. If she gets bored with nursing she could be a prison governor. Why did you employ her?’

‘I employed her because her credentials are excellent. She tells me you haven’t been eating.’

‘She is a spy,’ Costas grumbled, still holding Chantal’s hands. ‘Yesterday I tipped my medicine into a plant, and she immediately delivered another dose. Obviously she was watching from the bushes.’

Chantal chuckled. ‘So that’s why the garden is looking so good.’

Costas laughed too. Only Angleos wasn’t amused.

‘I’m paying her to make sure you make a full recovery.’

‘If life is going to be this tedious I’m not sure that I want to. Still—’ Costas lifted both Chantal’s hands to his lips and kissed them gallantly. ‘You’re here now, and that changes everything.’

‘Take your hands off my woman,’ Angelos drawled, his expression faintly exasperated as he firmly removed Chantal’s hands from his father’s and enclosed them in a cool, hard grip. ‘It isn’t good for your blood pressure.’

‘You have nothing to fear from me, Angelos.’ His father looked suddenly tired, but the smile lingered in his eyes. ‘The way she was looking at you a moment ago—no one else existed. That is how love should be. A woman in love can be in a crowd of handsome men, but she sees only one of them.’

Realising that it was true, Chantal felt suddenly vulnerable. She’d looked at Angelos. And he’d looked at her. The difference was that Angelos had been acting a part, whereas her reaction had been genuine. For a moment she’d forgotten that none of this was real. Staring into his eyes, she’d been taken straight back to those endless minutes on the dance floor, where their connection had been disturbingly intense and entirely genuine. The attraction between them had been primal and instinctive, undiluted by the complications of identity.

Costas sank into the nearest chair, as if standing was just too much. ‘We haven’t even been officially introduced.’

‘I’m Chantal,’ she said, and then caught the sardonic lift of Angelos’s brows and knew instantly what he was thinking. That she was embarrassed to admit her true identity.

And the irony of the situation wasn’t lost on her. She’d spent her life trying to be someone different, but now that she’d been offered a genuine alias she didn’t want to take it.

She didn’t want to be a woman who took money from a man.

It wasn’t that she aspired to be perfect. Far from it. But that was the one sin she wasn’t prepared to commit.

Maybe if Isabelle had been someone different she would have sat comfortably in her shoes for a few days, but as it was she was beginning to wonder whether her failure to confess her identity had been a mistake.

Costas sat for a moment, his weathered hand clutching the edge of the table.

Angelos stepped closer, a frown in his eyes. ‘Are you unwell?’ There was no missing the sharp anxiety in his voice, and Chantal found herself experiencing the same anxiety.

Costas Zouvelekis looked drained and exhausted, as if almost all of the life had been drained from him. She remembered him as an energetic, good-humoured man, and was shocked that his illness could have wrought such changes in such a short time.

‘I’m fine. Don’t fuss.’ He glared at Angelos, and there was pride in his eyes. Then he said something in Greek, and Chantal knew from the sudden tension in Angelos’s powerful frame that Costas had been talking about her.

‘I’m sure you have family matters you want to discuss, so I’ll just—’

‘You are family.’ Costas gestured to the chair opposite. ‘Sit down, and Maria will fetch you a drink to celebrate the occasion. The day my son finally brings a girl to his real home. Until I saw you in the boat I still couldn’t believe it would happen. You have made me a very, very happy man.’

The nurse stepped out onto the terrace. ‘You should take a nap before dinner, Mr Zouvelekis.’

Costas scowled. ‘Nap? What am I? A baby?’ But he rose to his feet swiftly, as if relieved that someone had suggested it. His gaze softened as he looked at Chantal. ‘I would feel guilty leaving you when you’ve only just arrived, but I’m sure Angelos will find a way of entertaining you in the meantime.’ His saucy wink implied that he knew exactly what form that entertainment was likely to take, but Angelos simply smiled as he strolled forward and helped his father to his feet.

Chantal watched the two of them, envy closing her throat. So it hadn’t been her imagination. Angelos was capable of gentleness. It was there in his eyes when he talked to his father, and it stayed there until his father was safely in the villa and out of sight.

Only then did he turn to her, and the sudden chill in his eyes was a blunt reminder that she was only here because of his love for her father.

‘Chantal?’ His voice heavy with emphasis, Angelos sat back in his chair and contemplated her with ill-concealed mockery in his eyes. ‘Changing the name doesn’t change the person, agape mou. Remember that.’

‘Chantal is my name.’

He smiled and reached for the jug of iced fruit juice that Maria had placed on the table in front of them. ‘I should imagine that it’s useful to have more than one name.’

His contempt for her stung, and she rose to her feet. ‘I think I’ll go and shower and change.’

‘Sit down.’ His voice was so soft that it barely reached her ears, but there was no missing the authority in his tone and she sat in automatic response.

Only afterwards did she wonder why she’d responded without question.

‘Do you expect everyone to obey you?’

‘No. In fact I enjoy being challenged. There is no point in winning if there is no one else in the race.’

It was the sort of remark she’d come to expect of him. He was so confident about everything. So sure of himself. There was no doubt in her mind that this man had never felt out of place in his life. ‘If you’re bored, then please feel free to go and find something more interesting to do,’ she muttered. ‘Don’t feel you have to entertain me. I’ll be perfectly fine on my own.’

In fact she wished he would leave her on her own, because then she could talk some sense into herself. She found him incredibly, impossibly distracting and it was ridiculous to feel this way when he clearly considered the chemistry between them to be nothing short of an inconvenience.

Looking at his dark, luxuriant lashes and his wide, sensuous mouth, she felt the strength ooze from her body. She just wanted him to kiss her.

Those dark eyes locked on hers and the strength of the connection between them was so powerful that it shook her. ‘My father likes you.’

‘And I like him.’ Her mouth was dry and her heart was thumping. ‘He’s an extremely nice man.’

They were talking about his father, but she knew, she just knew, that he was as distracted as she was. The chemistry between them was a living thing, a wild and dangerous force, curling itself around them like a million invisible threads.

Did he want to kiss her, too?

Was he thinking what she was thinking?

As if in answer to her question, Angelos dropped his gaze to her mouth and his eyes darkened. ‘“Nice” is a non-descriptive word that should almost always be substituted with something more specific. What are you trying to say? That’s he’s rich? Quite handsome for his age?’

They were talking, and yet an entirely different conversation was going on between them—one that didn’t involve words. The air vibrated with the force of it, and Chantal’s nerves were strained tight. She didn’t understand what was happening. It wasn’t as if they were flirting. In fact, the words they were exchanging were barely civil.

‘I’m trying to say that he’s kind and approachable.’ The heat around them rose to stifling proportions and her heart thumped uncomfortably. The atmosphere made her feel so jumpy that she was about to stand up in an attempt to disturb the tension when Maria walked onto the terrace and quietly informed Angelos that he was needed on the phone.

Her words shattered the explosive atmosphere and achieved what neither of them had managed to achieve by themselves.

With a sharply indrawn breath, Angelos rose to his feet. ‘It will be the Athens office.’ He looked at Chantal, but his glance was brief, as if he didn’t trust himself to look for longer. ‘This is going to take a while. Maria will show you to your room.’