Читать книгу The Mediterranean Tycoon - Маргарет Майо - Страница 8

ANDREAS pondered his problem. He could, of course, get another girl from the agency, but how many was that now? And Nikos had liked none of them. There had to be another answer. He drank cup after cup of black coffee until finally a solution came to him. It put a smile on his face as he showered and got ready for work, and he was impatient for Peta to arrive.

When she did he called her straight into his office. Andreas Papadakis didn’t believe in beating around the bush. If he had something to say he came straight out with it. In his opinion it was the only way.

‘Miss James…Peta, I need your help.’

He saw the way she frowned, pulling her delicately shaped brows together. He saw the way she bit her lower lip, which she always did when she wasn’t sure what to expect of him. Gone was the sexy dress of last night, replaced by one of her smart suits. The dress had amazed him. He had never imagined her wearing anything so revealing. Amazed and pleased him. He’d heard a few whispered comments about what a lucky so-and-so he was to have an assistant like that. And it had certainly made him look at her in a new light.

Not that he hadn’t already realised her potential. She was an exceedingly attractive girl who never made the most of her assets. That gorgeous auburn hair, for instance, was always tied uncompromisingly back, and those lovely dark blue eyes were never shown off to their advantage. Last night, when she’d carefully made them up, he had felt their full impact for the first time. The things they’d done to him were best forgotten. She was such an ice-cold maiden that if she’d read the ignoble thoughts in his mind she would have very likely walked out of her job. And now he needed her more than ever.

‘Can you think of anyone in the secretarial pool who’d do your job as well as you?’

‘You’re sacking me?’ The colour faded from her cheeks, her eyes widening in dismay.

‘Of course not,’ he assured her quickly. ‘I have something else in mind.’

Her chin lifted in another of her delightful habits and she looked at him warily.

‘I need someone to look after Nikos.’

‘Your son?’

‘Yes.’

‘And you’re asking me. Why?’

‘Because his current nanny’s handed in her notice.’

Her incredibly blue eyes flashed her indignance and he wondered why the hell he hadn’t noticed long before now how gorgeous they were. They were enough to send any man crazy.

‘I’m a qualified secretary, not a child-minder,’ she retorted. ‘I don’t want to spend my life looking after someone else’s children.’

Andreas hadn’t expected her to say yes straight away, he had known she would need a lot of persuading, but she sounded so adamant that he feared she would never agree. Perhaps he ought to give her no choice, either she take the job or… No, if he did that he’d risk losing out both ways. ‘You hate having to leave Ben every day, don’t you?’ he asked quietly.

She nodded. ‘More than you’ll ever know.’

‘Oh, I do; you underestimate me. This is the perfect solution. It will solve your dilemma as well as mine. You and Ben would move into my house, you’d be there for him whenever he needed you, and you could also do some work for me from home.’ To him it was the simplest solution, the obvious one.

The look on her face spoke a thousand words. ‘Mr Papadakis, living with you is the last thing I want. Ben and I are happy as we are. I love my little house. Why should I give it up? And, for that matter, where’s your wife? Why can’t she bring up her own child?’

Andreas’s eyes shadowed as his thoughts raced back to the blackest days of his life. ‘My wife’s dead,’ he told her bluntly, ‘and you wouldn’t need to give up your house; you could let it.’ He saw the uncertainty in her eyes and pressed home his faint advantage. ‘Sit down. Think again about the benefits.’

Reluctantly she perched herself on the edge of a chair, crossing her legs so that her skirt rode up. Not for the first time he felt a stirring in his loins. But that sort of thing had to be put to one side. He needed her to feel safe, not threatened. He hadn’t failed to notice in the car last night how she had drawn back from him when he kissed her cheek. Someone, somewhere along the line, had destroyed her trust in men, and he had no intention of adding to it.

‘I desperately need someone to look after Nikos. You know how much time I put in here—the poor little guy hardly sees me.’

‘So why don’t you work from home?’

It was a logical question and he grimaced. ‘I’d love to, but if I’m to turn this company around I need to keep my finger on the pulse.’

‘How long would you expect me to do the job?’

‘I don’t know. Until I find someone else, perhaps, maybe even indefinitely if it works as well as I hope it will. You won’t lose out, I assure you.’

‘What if Nikos doesn’t like me?’

‘He will.’ How could he not? Peta James was good with children, he’d seen that for himself. She was also exciting and provocative. He’d noticed at the conference how easily she talked to other people. In fact she had seemed far more at ease with some of them than with him. He hadn’t liked it. He’d fancied her that night more than he’d ever expected.

‘In fact,’ he went on, ‘it might be a good idea to take you to see him before we finally sign the deal.’

‘Sign the deal?’ she repeated with a frown.

‘Figuratively speaking, of course,’ he said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Smiling didn’t come easy to him these days. There were too many pressures, too much to do, too many sad memories, and Nikos was the one who suffered. If he could persuade Peta to take this job it would be the best thing that had happened to his son in a long time. It might not be so good for him, here, because she was incredibly efficient, but his son’s well-being meant more to him than anything else.

‘We’ll finish work early tonight and I’ll take you to meet him,’ he said decisively.

‘I can’t,’ Peta said with the now familiar toss of her head. ‘Ben’s playing football. I try never to miss a match.’

It was Andreas’s turn to frown. ‘Bronwen leaves at the end of the week. I need to have everything sorted well before then. How about after the football match? Bring Ben with you. It will be good for the boys to meet.’

‘How old is Nikos?’ she asked, and he could see her mind turning over the situation.

‘Seven,’ he answered, ‘though he’s very grown-up for his age.’

‘Does he have a Scalextric?’

‘You bet.’

‘Then I’m sure Ben will get on with him,’ she said with a faint smile.

And the way she said it reassured him that her answer would ultimately be yes.

Peta’s mind was in a whirl. Her first instinct had been to turn Andreas down. She still might, because would it be wise, feeling as she did about him? It was scary the way he’d managed to set her feelings alight last night. Scary and undesirable. She’d been hurt too much in the past to want to get involved. It was far better to keep things on a purely professional level. But would she be able to do that living in the same house?

She placed the last lot of post on his desk for signing. ‘How do I get to your house?’ She had no idea where he lived. Again the rumour machine had him living in a fantastic mansion overlooking Southampton Water with a whole host of servants at his beck and call.

‘No need to drive; I’ll pick you up. What time does the match finish?’

About to say he didn’t have to put himself out, Peta decided against it. She was the one doing the favour so why should she do the running?

Peta clapped and yelled enthusiastically every time Ben’s team scored a goal. And when Ben himself scored she went wild with delight. ‘Well done, Ben!’ she shouted, jumping up and down, clapping her hands. ‘Go for it!’

Another much louder voice echoed her words from behind. ‘Well done, Ben!’

She turned and there was an instant’s sizzling reaction as she met the eyes of Andreas Papadakis. She was the first to look away, praying fervently that he wasn’t able to read her mind. It was all so wrong, this physical attraction. Despite her telling her body to behave itself, it had gone into involuntary spasm and there was nothing she could do about it.

At his side was a boy roughly Ben’s height, dark-haired and dark-eyed, but with a much rounder face than his father’s and a thinner mouth. ‘How did you find us?’ she asked. They’d arranged for him to pick her up at her house, which was a five-minute walk away.

‘I followed the noise. It sounds an exciting match.’

‘It is,’ she agreed. ‘And this is Nikos, I take it?’

‘It is, indeed. Nikos, this is the lady I told you about, the one who’s going to look after you when Bronwen leaves.’

Nikos looked up at her with serious brown eyes. ‘I don’t like Bronwen. She shouts a lot.’

Peta wondered whether he deserved it, whether he played her up when his father was absent. ‘Ben’s dying to meet you,’ she said with a warm smile.

When she’d told Ben they might be moving he’d been at first upset and then excited, especially when he learned that there’d be someone his own age to play with, and they’d probably be living in a much bigger house.

‘It will be good to have some company,’ said Nikos. ‘I get bored on my own. Which one is Ben? I like football. I’d like to play with them.’

Peta’s eyes met Andreas’s and she smiled, remembering him telling her how grown-up Nikos was for his age. And she was amazed at how good his English was, too. Ben hadn’t even started to learn a foreign language yet.

‘Doesn’t your school have a football team?’

‘Yes, but I am never allowed to take part. Dad is always too busy, and none of my nannies has liked football.’

Again Peta looked at Andreas. His lips turned down at the corners and he shook his head, suggesting that he knew nothing about it. Which was about par for the course, she decided. Andreas spent far too much time working, relying heavily on other people to look after his son. It was no wonder he didn’t know the thoughts that went through Nikos’s head.

‘Well, I like it,’ she said. ‘So go ahead and join your team; I’ll always come and cheer you on.’

‘You will?’ His eyes shone with delight. ‘Thank you. Thank you very much. Did you hear that, Dad? I think I am going to like my new nanny.’

Peta only hoped that his matches wouldn’t clash with Ben’s. She would hate to let Nikos down now that she’d made her promise.

When the match was over Peta wanted to take Ben home to shower and change, but Andreas insisted that it didn’t matter, and in the back of the car the two boys soon got to know one another.

‘They’re getting on well,’ murmured Andreas.

Peta nodded. ‘Ben’s a good mixer. What made you come so early?’

He gave a guilty grimace. ‘When I explained to Nikos where we were going it was his idea. I hadn’t realised he was so interested in football.’

‘Most small boys are.’

‘Am I being chastised?’

She looked at him then, and it was a big mistake. There was a hint of wry humour on his face, something she had never seen before. He was no longer the Tyrant but a father, with a son he loved but didn’t know much about. And he was sharing that knowledge with her.

It felt oddly like a bond, and she could so easily fall into the trap of revealing her feelings. But that wasn’t what he wanted, and neither did she, for that matter. Andreas needed someone to care for his son when he was unable to. And he had placed that trust in her. She dared not let him down by showing a marked preference for his body.

For once the rumour machine was right. He did live in a big house, though it wasn’t overlooking Southampton Water. It was set in its own grounds, hidden from the road, suddenly emerging as they rounded a bend in the drive. It was a red-brick and timber building, several hundred years old, by the look of it, with ivy clambering over some of the walls, tall chimneys reaching for the sky, every window gleaming in the late-evening sun.

‘I don’t own, I rent,’ he told her, seeing the look of awe and amazement on her face. ‘I took it while I looked around for somewhere suitable, but to tell you the truth I haven’t had time, and actually I like it here. I’m considering making the owner an offer.’

Nikos and Ben were already out of the car and running towards the house. Andreas and Peta followed. She felt uncomfortable walking beside him; it felt wrong to be going to her employer’s house, to even consider living with him. She wasn’t a nanny; how could he expect her to do a nanny’s job? Her only qualification was bringing up her own son. The tempting part was that she would see more of Ben. No more leaving him with Marnie while she worked late, or even when he came home from school. She would be there for him always. The thought brought a smile to her lips.

Andreas wasn’t looking at her, and yet he must have sensed her smiling because he turned and spoke. ‘You’re happy about the situation?’

‘I guess so. I was thinking about being able to spend more time with Ben.’ What she didn’t dare think about was spending time with Andreas. Not that she expected to see very much of him. With her safely ensconced in his house looking after his precious son, he would be able to stay at the office for as long as he liked.

And if he brought work home for her to do that would be even better, because there would be hours in the day while the boys were at school when she would have nothing to do. Unless he expected her to look after the house as well? She didn’t mind cooking for Nikos but what else would he expect of her? Exactly what were a nanny’s duties?

The boys had raced upstairs, where, presumably, Nikos had his Scalextric laid out. Peta stood in the entrance hall and looked around her. Impressive wasn’t the word. A carved oak staircase curved its way up to a galleried landing. Stained-glass windows cast coloured reflections, and oil paintings, presumably of owners past, decorated the walls. It was like something she’d seen in a film but never first-hand.

He led the way along a lengthy corridor to a huge, comfortable kitchen, where a buxom middle-aged woman stood making pastry. ‘I wasn’t expecting you yet, Mr Papadakis,’ she said, looking flustered. ‘Nor was Bronwen. She’s gone out to meet her boyfriend.’

A harsh frown creased his brow. ‘Perhaps it’s as well she’s leaving,’ he said tersely. ‘Bess, I’d like you to meet Bronwen’s replacement, Peta James. Peta, this is Bess Middleton, my housekeeper.’

The woman’s thin brows rose into untidy grey hair. I wonder how long you’ll last? she seemed to be saying.

‘Hello, Bess.’ Peta held out her hand, then laughed when she realised the other woman’s was covered in flour. ‘I’m not starting until next week. Andreas thought I ought to have a look over the place.’

‘You’ve met Nikos, I take it?’ the woman asked.

Peta nodded. ‘I have a son about Nikos’s age. They’ll be good company for each other. They’re upstairs now.’

‘I see. Good luck, then. I hope you’ll last longer than the others.’

Peta looked at Andreas. She hadn’t realised he was watching her and her face flushed at his intense scrutiny. It was faintly disapproving. Was it because she’d called him Andreas in front of his housekeeper?

‘Come,’ he said abruptly, ‘I’ll show you the rest of the house.’ It was a whistle-stop tour and entirely unnecessary in her opinion, because she’d need a map to find her way around. On the ground floor there were five different reception rooms and a study, while upstairs there were six bedrooms, each with an ensuite bathroom, as well as a spacious room in the attic. It was here that they found Nikos and Ben happily playing with the Scalextric. There was so much of it that it must have cost a small fortune.

‘Mummy,’ said Ben excitedly, ‘look at all this.’

‘It’s wonderful, darling, but I think we ought to be going.’

‘No!’ came the disgruntled response. ‘Not yet—we’ve only just got here.’

‘And you’re going to live here soon,’ she reminded him, ‘so come on, you’ll have plenty of time to play.’

Andreas had hardly spoken on their tour. He’d pointed out which would be her room and which one Ben’s, and she’d seen his bedroom, in shades of burgundy and dark green—an entirely impersonal room with not even a pair of slippers on view. He probably didn’t have time to wear slippers, she’d thought bitterly. He was too manic about work.

‘Leave them,’ he said now. ‘We’ll go to my study and discuss your duties.’

‘Very well.’ She kept her tone crisp and her eyes directly on his, and as soon as they were seated in the oak-panelled room she asked, ‘What have I said that’s made you angry?’

He shook his head. ‘I’m not annoyed with you; it’s Bronwen. She had no idea that I wouldn’t need her tonight. She might be working her notice but she has no right to take liberties. I’ve half a mind to tell her to go now.’

‘Except that I can’t start straight away,’ declared Peta. ‘There’s too much to sort out.’

‘Like what?’ he demanded.

‘I have to pack, for one thing. Finalise bills, see about letting, tell everyone where I’ve gone, especially my parents…a hundred and one things.’ Her parents lived in Cornwall, where she herself had been brought up. She’d stayed in Southampton after finishing university, and now only went home on the occasional weekend and during holiday periods. But her mother rang often, wanting to know how she was coping, how Ben was, and why didn’t she come home to live? What would she say when she heard that her precious daughter was moving in with the boss?

‘I can organise most things for you,’ he informed.

‘I’m sure you can, but I’d prefer to do it myself,’ she said tightly. ‘You can see to the letting, if you wish, but everything else I’ll do.’

‘One of the new era of independent females.’ He leaned back in his leather chair and studied her. ‘I’m not sure whether I like it. I think I prefer the chivalrous days when a woman depended on a man, when he cosseted and protected her, when he made her feel feminine and beautiful and very, very much wanted.’

His eyes smouldered, his voice growled, and he looked at her with far more intent than he ever had before. Peta felt her nerve ends quiver. Was he trying to tell her something or was it her imagination? Was she reading what she wanted to read? Or was he interested? Would it be wise to move in with him? Had he manufactured this job especially so that he could get her into his bed?

‘Now what are you thinking?’

‘Why?’

‘You look as though you believe I have designs on you.’

Oh, Lord, was she that transparent? Peta felt her cheeks flame. ‘You couldn’t be further from the truth,’ she said distantly.

‘You have a very expressive face, Peta. Didn’t you know?’

‘And you are jumping to entirely the wrong conclusions. I’m not interested in any man, Mr Papadakis.’

‘Andreas.’

She grimaced. ‘Very well, Andreas, although I don’t think it’s a good idea. Did you see the way your housekeeper looked at me when I called you Andreas?’

‘She was probably wondering how you’d managed to get past the formality stage. Not many people do, I assure you. I find it doesn’t pay.’

Peta wasn’t sure she agreed with that. The senior staff at Linam Shipping would almost certainly feel much happier if they were on first-name terms with him. ‘So I’m honoured?’ she asked.

A faint smile quirked the corners of his mouth. ‘You could say that.’

‘Why?’

He thought for a long moment. ‘Let’s say I felt it would improve our relationship.’

‘You mean you thought you’d get more work out of me?’ she asked smartly, but she couldn’t stop a faint smile.

‘I don’t always think about work, Peta. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, perhaps, but I do have red blood in my veins. I’m not entirely without feelings.’

Peta gave an inward groan. Was she jumping into a situation she would quickly regret? Ought she to tell him to stuff his job? Except that she would be upsetting both boys if she did. Ben would never forgive her; he was so looking forward to living here and having a friend to play with. To say nothing of the extra time she’d be able to spend with him. It was by far the best thing that had happened to her.

‘So,’ she said, pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind, ‘tell me exactly what my duties are going to be.’

It was arranged that she take Nikos to and from school, plan his meals, cook them if Bess wasn’t there, supervise his homework and make sure he always had a supply of clean clothes. All housework would be done by Bess Middleton and a local girl who came in twice a week.

‘Is there anything else you want to ask me?’

Peta shook her head. ‘Nothing that I can think of at the moment.’

‘So it’s settled. You’ll start on Sunday?’

‘I’ll move in late on Sunday,’ she corrected. ‘I’ll need the weekend to tie everything up.’

He nodded, looking well-pleased, and when they stood he shook her hand. ‘Thank you, Peta. I do appreciate all that you’re giving up.’

The scorching heat that ran through her at his touch told her that she was giving up far more than a little cottage and a certain lifestyle. She was in grave danger of giving up her freedom.