Читать книгу A Diamond Deal With The Greek - Maya Blake - Страница 9

CHAPTER TWO

DRACO ANGELIS WASN’T a man overly prone to emotion or volatile impulses. And yet as he stared at the woman before him he wanted to curse again. Loudly and far more filthily than he had in a long time.

He told himself it was because the floor show she’d been giving his male employees for the last fifteen minutes was losing him money with each second her sinuous body undulated. More than that, she was drawing attention to a matter he wanted to keep under wraps by performing said floor show in Nathan Daniels’ office. In a business often accused of being shady and underhanded, Draco had striven to keep Angel International above reproach. He’d succeeded beyond his wildest dreams by keeping all his dealings professional, above board and strictly private. None of his clients were permitted to publicise details of their relationship with his company save for a carefully prepared press release at the time of signing.

Draco kept that same stranglehold on his personal life.

But with the sudden disappearance of Nathan Daniels and the suspected reason behind it, Draco knew it was only a matter of time before the whispers grew to wild speculation and brought unwanted attention to both facets of his life.

And this...siren performing moves fit for a certain type of gentlemen’s club right here on his CFO’s office floor was the last thing he needed.

As to the pull he’d experienced in his body and especially in his groin as he’d watched her... Well, he could deal with the reminder that he was a full-blooded male.

What he wasn’t prepared to deal with was her interrupting his—

‘Lewd conduct?’ A sultry laugh detonated his thoughts, slamming him back to the room and the sensual vision still frozen in position before him. ‘I think that’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you?’

A thick bead of sweat trickled down her earlobe and over her jaw. He tracked it, unable to drag his gaze away as it rolled over her heated skin to disappear between small but lush breasts. He ruthlessly suppressed the growl that rose in his chest and clenched his jaw.

‘You think it’s a stretch to perform lasciviously in front of a window to the clear view of everyone in my company?’

Her back bowed as she flexed her hips, a smile curving her full lips. ‘I wasn’t aware what I was doing was so distracting. Do you mind stepping back?’

‘Excuse me?’ Irritated surprise held him rigid.

‘I’m almost done. If I stop now, I’ll have to start all over again. Sorry, I’m a little OCD like that. I need room for the last two positions, so if you don’t mind...?’

Draco was sure it was pure shock that propelled him to his feet, not the secret need to see her complete her set. All the same, he stepped back, his jaw clenched harder as he folded his arms and stared down at the lithe body sprawled at his feet.

She balanced on her elbows, her torso straightened. Slim muscled legs slowly lifted off the floor, maintaining the perpendicular position for several seconds, before meeting in the middle in a sleek upside-down formation. Draco watched her stomach muscles delicately vibrate as she centred herself, her skin bathed in a sheen of sweat as her toned body achieved the perfect line.

As a former athlete himself, Draco appreciated the discipline it took to hone one’s body into the ultimate competitive instrument. And while part of him approved of the level of skill being displayed before him, the greater part was eyeing the delicate, muscled perfection of her body.

And detesting himself for it.

Whoever this woman was, she had no right to be here.

About to step forward and end this nonsense, he halted mid-step as she dropped one leg to the floor behind her. The sexy agility in her body arrested him, drying out every flaying word he’d meant to deliver as he stared.

Thee mou.

Anyone would think he hadn’t seen a female body before. He’d dated sportswomen at the peak of their careers and slept with more than his share of them. And yet something about this woman drew him as no other had done in a very long time.

That thought sent another bolt of anger through him. Rousing himself, he stepped forward, just as she lowered her other leg and straightened.

She wasn’t very tall, only coming up to his chest. But her deep blue eyes sparked with a fire and attitude that made her appear six feet tall. Her chin, pointed and determined, and her mouth, still curved in that sultry, albeit slightly wary smile, made him think thoughts that had no room in this space.

‘Now, where were we?’ she asked, her voice reminding him of smoky rooms in gentlemen’s clubs.

Draco dragged his mind from images of unwanted decadence to a far more appropriate ire. ‘We were addressing your unsolicited presence in my building.’

‘Ah, yes, you wanted to know who I was?’

‘I see you’ve skilfully avoided my trespass charge.’

‘That’s because I’m not trespassing. I have a right to be here.’

‘I seriously doubt that. Sanctioning half-naked women to perform acrobatics for my employees as part of their busy workday isn’t part of my business model.’

‘We’re talking about my supposed floor show, right?’

She glanced behind her. Catching sight of the group of men staring avidly through the glass from a few offices away, she smiled and waved.

A glowering look from Draco sent his employees dispersing, although a brave buck, Stan Macallister, dared to wave back.

Deciding it was time to bring this farce to an end, Draco strode to the desk of his AWOL CFO and snatched up the phone.

‘This is Mr Angelis. Send Security up to Daniels’ office. I have an unwanted guest who needs to be removed from the premises. And inform my head of security that I want a report on my desk as to why this breach has happened before the day is out.’

He slammed down the phone with more force than was needed.

‘Wow, was that really necessary?’

He turned to find her standing in the same position before the window, her hand on her curvy hips and her head tilted to one side. The loose knot of her silky black hair fell lopsided as she stared at him with one eyebrow raised mockingly.

‘I have a client meeting in less than half an hour. I’d throw you out myself but I don’t have time to take a shower before then.’

Her expression slipped at the thinly veiled insult. Draco felt childish satisfaction at scoring a direct hit. Absurdly, he’d been off balance since he’d seen her from his office next door. His need for transparency in all things had transmitted to his office layout, and with the open-plan setting and see-through glass windows across the floor he could keep an eye on most of his employees. Although he liked to believe it was unnecessary where his employees were concerned as he’d earned their loyalty, he’d learned the hard way that loyalty came at a cost.

The alternative career he’d had to choose was a cutthroat one at best. He’d made a few hard bargains along the way to get him where he was.

What he hadn’t bargained for today was seeing a decadently curvy woman on display on his CFO’s floor. He’d stopped an important call mid-conversation, a move he’d never made before. Now he had an irate, egocentric client waiting for him to call back. And a snarky stranger openly mocking him.

‘I hope you don’t feel too silly when you find out who I am,’ she said in that voice that snagged his senses, made him strain to hear her every word.

‘I’m not interested in who you are. My security will furnish me with that information if I need it. What I am interested in is you being escorted off the premises—’

‘Okay, this is getting ridiculous. My name is Rebel Daniels, Nathan Daniels’ daughter. I’m here to have lunch with my father. I forgot to sign in downstairs so Stan let me in. My dad wasn’t here. I assumed he was in a meeting or something, so I thought I’d wait for him. The yoga thing was just to relieve a little bit of stress.’

Several questions stormed through Draco’s mind. Was his security so lax that someone could just forget to make themselves known downstairs and still make it up here? She was Daniels’ daughter? Why was she stressed?

‘Your parents named you Rebel?’ Mildly disconcerted at the least relevant question that had chosen to fall from his lips, he watched a smile twitch at the corners of her mouth.

‘Hardly, although my mother did wonder why she hadn’t thought of that when I started using it at fifteen.’

Draco waited, wondering at the shadow that crossed her face a moment later. When she continued to stare at him, he pursed his lips. ‘So your real name is?’

‘I thought you weren’t interested.’ She turned and bent over to pick up her yoga mat.

He forced his gaze from her delectable behind to her bare feet, then away from her altogether when he realised he was even growing fascinated with her peach-painted toenails. ‘I’m only interested in you if it helps me locate your father.’

Her head jerked up, the rolled mat held against her body as she frowned at him. ‘What do you mean locate him? Isn’t he here?’

‘Did you have any reason to think he would be?’ he countered.

‘Of course I did. Why else would I have come here?’

Draco spotted two burly men rushing towards the office. His head of security looked extremely nervous. As he should be. He held up his hand when they reached the door. ‘When did you last speak to your father?’

Her gaze darted from the men back to him, a tiny flash of nervousness darkening her eyes. ‘Why, what does it matter?’

‘Because I would very much like to speak to him too.’

Her eyes widened, again a minuscule motion that he otherwise would’ve missed had he not been watching her closely. ‘So he’s not here?’ she pressed.

‘I think we’ve established that, Miss Daniels. Now are you going to answer me, or shall I hand you over to them?’ He jerked his head at the security men.

She frowned. ‘What exactly is going on here? If my father’s not here and you want me to leave, I will. There’s no need to throw your weight about. And I certainly don’t need to be escorted out.’

‘But you were in here on your own for over fifteen minutes. Who knows what information you’ve made yourself privy to?’

‘Are you accusing me of stealing something?’ she snapped.

‘Did you?’

‘Of course not!’

‘I’ll leave them to be the judge of that. I’m sure you’ll be released in a few hours once the security footage has been analysed, your belongings searched, and your alleged innocence confirmed.’ Draco motioned for his men to enter.

His head of security entered, followed by his assistant. Draco ignored their contrite expressions. ‘Take Miss Daniels’ bag—’

‘You can’t be serious!’

‘And the yoga mat. Make sure she’s not in possession of anything that doesn’t belong to her—’

‘Okay, fine. I’ll answer your damn questions.’

The men paused.

Draco shook his head. ‘Take them. Leave her shoes. I’ll let you know when I’m finished with her.’

She sent him a look filled with pure vitriol and her fingers clenched around the yoga mat as the younger guard stepped towards her. Eyes flashing blue fire, she released her hold on it, slipped her feet into her knee-high boots and propped her hands on her hips.

‘Shall we get this ludicrous inquisition over with?’

Sparks virtually flew off her. In another time, Draco would’ve enjoyed stoking that fire just to see how high her conflagration burned. It’d been far too long since any emotion besides bitterness, guilt and the rigid control he’d put in place ruled his life. Anything beyond that was a luxury he could ill afford.

It was the same control that dictated he take hold of this situation before it blew up in his face. He’d allowed his suspicions about Nathan Daniels to go unquestioned for far too long as it was.

He straightened. ‘Come with me.’

‘Where are we going?’ the question was snapped back immediately.

‘My office.’

‘Uh...sir?’

He turned to his security chief.

‘We need the lady’s full name in order to log her into the system.’

Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

Her mouth pursed, bringing his reluctant attention back to her plump lips.

‘It’s...my name is Arabella Daniels,’ she muttered reluctantly.

It took less than a second for Draco to place her. Arabella Daniels had once been a promising cross-country skier until she’d abruptly changed disciplines to become a ski jumper. Although she’d remained in the top ten for the last few years, the twenty-five-year-old woman had never risen above fifth in competitions. Probably due to her off-piste antics.

His mild shock subsided into a heavy dose of distaste, but he kept his expression neutral as he dismissed his men and strode to his office.

He waited until she entered, then activated the privacy setting on his windows. Once the glass was frosted, he perched at the edge of his desk and watched her pace warily in front of him. The burn in his groin as he followed her lissom figure made him kick out a chair.

‘Sit down.’

‘No, thanks. I thought you had an important meeting? Or was that just a fib rolled up as an insult?’

‘It wasn’t a lie. But the party concerned will understand. I tend to surround myself with reasonable, rational individuals.’

She paused in her pacing, her eyes narrowing. ‘Is that supposed to be some sort of dig?’

‘I know who you are, Miss Daniels.’

‘Well, since I told you my name, I should hope so. I wouldn’t like to think you were thick or anything, seeing as you seem to be the head honcho in this glass playhouse.’

‘So the rumours are true.’

‘What rumours?’ she asked, her expression growing more wary.

‘You take pride in being deliberately offensive and exhibiting wild behaviour.’

‘And you don’t seem to like being told things the way they are. In fact your actions reek of more than a touch of melodrama. Why is that? Are you overcompensating for something?’ Her gaze conducted what started off as a mocking perusal. But a trace of heat flared up her cheeks when her eyes dropped below his belt.

When her gaze darted away, Draco allowed himself a stiff smile. ‘I’ve never needed to overcompensate for anything in my life, Miss Daniels. If I had time to waste and felt so inclined, I’d give you a demonstration.’

‘You assume that I have the time to stand around listening to your rubbish. Keep your veiled threats, ask me what you want to know and let us both get on with our lives.’

‘You seem a little off balance. Is it because you feel out of your depth?’ he drawled.

She jerked the hair band from her hair. Thick, silky jet waves fell over her shoulders and down her back before she started combing her fingers through the tresses.

‘Why would I feel like that? Just because you’re being disgustingly unreasonable—’

‘Or is it because you don’t find me as gullible as you do the men you like to associate with?’

‘I don’t know what you think you know about me, but if these absurd questions are why you brought me in here—’

‘You like to dominate your men, do you not?’

She tossed her head. ‘Only when they beg me to. Do you want me to dominate you? I’m fresh out of horse whips but I’m sure I can get inventive with a pair of boot laces.’

His gaze dropped to her knee-high boots. ‘I’m sure you can, in the right circumstances, but I’ll pass.’

She wrinkled her nose and Draco’s temperature rose, along with his irritation. ‘Why? Because you always wait for the right circumstances? How boring. Giving in to your impulses might just surprise you.’

Draco bared his teeth in a smile that had been described by the tabloids as his dragon smile. He knew its effect well enough to know it’d made its mark when her agitation escalated.

‘I find that people like you easily confuse the reckless with the impulsive. Personally, I find the wait builds the anticipation.’

Her gaze held his for one bold heartbeat, then she glanced away. Although she engrossed herself in his office decor, Draco was certain she wasn’t as bored with him as she pretended to be. The colour in her cheeks was more pronounced and the pulse beating at her throat had increased. His own blood thickened as he followed her figure. He assured himself, now he knew who she truly was, this mild fascination with her would swiftly abate.

‘Well, as interesting as this all is, I’m one hundred per cent sure you know very little about me. And I have to insist you either get on with your ever-so-important questioning, or tell your guards to return my things.’

‘You’re attempting to compete in the Verbier Ski Championships this year. Shouldn’t you be training instead of making an exhibition of yourself and taking extended lunches?’

She inhaled sharply and turned towards him, all pretence at being bored vanishing from her expression. ‘You know who I am?’

‘I make it my business to know people like you.’

‘What do you mean, people like me?’

‘Reckless athletes, who try to buy their way into the big leagues.’

She stalked to where he leaned against his desk, her whole body bristling with anger. ‘How dare you? That’s a ridiculous and totally unfounded allegation.’

‘I know enough. The rest I don’t intend to bother myself with.’

Her hands clenched. ‘Just who the hell do you think you are?’

‘I’m the man who intends to make sure all the sponsors you’ve been chasing the last month drop you from their books. People like you paint talented and dedicated sportsmen and women in a bad light, not to mention your reckless behaviour on and off the ski slopes needs to be stopped once and for all. You have three measly sponsors left, who probably, mistakenly, think your notoriety will bring their products the attention they crave. Perhaps I’ll let you keep them.’

Her eyes had been widening with each condemnation. Slowly, shock replaced her anger. And this time, when she looked around at the trophies and pictures that decorated his office, her interest was genuine.

Draco knew the moment the penny dropped.

Her lustrous hair flew as she whirled back to him. ‘You’re Draco, the super-agent.’

‘I’m Draco Angelis, yes.’

She swallowed. ‘You represent Rex Glow.’

‘Your former sponsors? Yes.’

She inhaled sharply, but the next question wasn’t what Draco had expected it to be. ‘And my father works for you?’

‘You’re surprised by that.’

A frown clamped her brows. ‘Well...yes, to be honest.’

‘Why?’ he fired back, his need to probe the reason behind Nathan Daniels’ disappearance returning.

‘Because...’ She hesitated, a trace of pained bleakness flitting over her features. ‘Let’s just say the world of competitive sports isn’t his first love.’

He folded his arms, alarm bells clanging loudly. ‘Well, he was my chief financial officer up until two weeks ago, when he seemed to fall off the face of the earth.’

‘And you’re looking for him because...?’

‘There’s a small matter of a half a million pounds that seems to have evaporated from my company’s accounts. I would very much like to speak to him about that,’ Draco replied, his eyes narrowing at the mixture of guilt and trepidation that froze on her face.