by Sarah Morgan
She had to forget all of it.
The only thing that mattered was getting Sebastien Fiorukis to marry her.
No matter what happened, she would save her mother.
CHAPTER TWO
SHEwas stunning.
Sebastien watched the silken blonde hair fall forward, obscuring her features, but not before he’d caught a glimpse of eyes the colour of violets in a perfect heart-shaped face. His gaze fixed on her smooth, creamy skin and then drifted down to her lush pink mouth. Her face alone was amazing, but combined with the body…
His eyes drifted lower. Obvious, he thought to himself scathingly, as he scanned the obscenely short dress that revealed tantalizingly long legs and fabulously generous breasts. Nothing was left to the imagination. Clearly the Philipos heiress had no reservations about displaying exactly what was on offer, he mused as his eyes settled on the temptingly full curves of her cleavage. But then she was selling herself for a ridiculously high price, he reminded himself cynically, so perhaps it was understandable that she felt he should be able to view the goods.
And view them he did.
Lust, basic and primitive, slammed through him, astonishing him by its very force. He was a man who had been fed a diet of beautiful women since he was a teenager and these days it took a lot to hold his attention.
But this girl was definitely holding his attention…
Suddenly the deal on the table before him took on new dimensions. Whatever Dimitrios Philipos had in mind, marrying his granddaughter could hardly be considered a hardship. Whatever else might be wrong with her, she certainly wasn’t ugly and he certainly wouldn’t have a problem being confined to bed with her on the occasions when it suited him.
Accustomed to being on the receiving end of non-stop female admiration and flirtation and confident of her response to him, Sebastien relaxed and waited for her to notice him in the way he’d definitely been noticing her.
It came as a considerable surprise to realize that she didn’t seem remotely interested in his opinion of her attributes. Instead she stared at the ground, her chest rising and falling, her slim fingers digging hard into her palms, her knuckles white.
Scared?
Angry?
Sebastien attempted to read the body language and his speculative gaze slid to her grandfather, searching for answers. His body stilled as he caught the ugly expression on the older man’s face. The man was a bully and a thug. And in this case the object of his aggression was undoubtedly the girl. Struggling with a base instinct that erupted from nowhere and surprised him with its intensity, Sebastien ruthlessly subdued the impulse to violently floor the man.
Was he forcing her into this marriage?
Experienced enough to know that women were complex creatures at the best of times, Sebastien decided to reserve judgement. He already knew that she’d inherited her grandfather’s obscene thirst for wealth—why else would she be demanding such ridiculous sums from him on a monthly basis when she was already in possession of an indecent fortune?
And he couldn’t even blame that aspect of the deal on her grandfather because she was to be the only recipient. Apparently her grandfather stood to gain nothing financially from a merger between their two families except a longed-for grandchild.
Torn between irritation with his father for creating this situation and fascination with the mind of his enemy, Sebastien tried to open a dialogue between them.
‘Your journey was good, Miss Philipos?’
She displayed not a flicker of a response. It was as if she hadn’t recognized her own name, he thought grimly, contemplating her complete lack of reaction with a deepening frown. Perhaps she preferred informality. ‘Alesia?’
Immediately her eyes flew to his, astonishment lighting the blue depths, as if she were surprised that he was addressing her. ‘Yes?’
Finally he had her attention. ‘I asked whether your journey was good.’ He dealt her a smile that never failed to gain female attention but she missed it because her gaze had returned to a point somewhere near his feet.
Sebastien hid his frustration. It was as if she couldn’t bear to look at him. She was a complete contradiction. Her dress shrieked attention-seeking and yet her body language said something entirely different.
‘It was fine, thank you.’ She kept her eyes fixed firmly on the Tarmac and he noticed that her breathing was rapid, as if she was under immense strain.
Deciding that his first priority was to remove her from the presence of her grandfather, Sebastien took control. ‘Walk with me while the lawyers argue the details. There are things we need to talk about.’
Immediately on the defensive, Dimitrios Philipos hunched his shoulders aggressively and stepped forward. ‘She stays with me.’
Not budging an inch, Sebastien arched a dark eyebrow expressively. ‘Is this proposed marriage to take place between three people or two?’ His tone was dangerously soft. ‘Are you intending to be present on our wedding night?’
He heard a soft gasp of shock from the girl standing by his side but ignored her, all his attention focused on the grandfather whose stance was now blatantly confrontational.
‘If you knew my reputation you wouldn’t choose to pick a fight with me, Fiorukis.’
Undeterred by his threatening tone, Sebastien gave a cool smile, ignoring his father’s warning glance. ‘I’ve never been afraid of a fight. And if you knew my reputation, you’d know that I choose to conduct my personal relationships in private. I’ve never been into groups.’
At that less than subtle reference to his own sordid reputation, Dimitrios Philipos glared at his rival for a long moment and then gave a grunt. ‘Very well.’ He gave a brief nod of assent, his expression grim. ‘She might as well see her new home.’
Given that the deal was yet to be signed by either party, the statement was decidedly premature but Sebastien’s natural instinct to deny such an assumption was stifled by a gasp of horror from the girl in question.
‘My new home?’ She glanced around her with naked alarm, suddenly roused from silence by her grandfather’s statement. ‘This would be our home? You’d want me to live here?’
Dragging his eyes from her slim legs, Sebastien gritted his teeth, barely able to hide his impatience.
Familiar with women who lived to shop, he rarely if ever brought his female companions to his island, accustomed to that very reaction from other members of her sex. It would seem that his prospective bride was no different. But, given the size of the financial deal her grandfather had negotiated on her behalf, that shouldn’t have come as a surprise. What would a woman do with such an exorbitant sum if she didn’t have access to a significant number of designer boutiques?
Sebastien narrowed his eyes, something about the whole situation jarring uncomfortably in his sharp brain.
His innate business sense warned him that this deal didn’t feel quite right and he mentally shifted through different angles, seeking answers to the questions stacking up in his mind. And the main question was: What did the Philipos heiress stand to gain from a union with a Fiorukis?
Why would the granddaughter of the richest man on the planet need to marry him for money? Still pondering that question, Sebastien studied Dimitrios Philipos and caught the cold, avaricious gleam in the older man’s eyes. Remembering his reputation for being the ultimate miser, Sebastien decided that he probably restricted her spending, which was why she was looking for other sources of income. He’d known loads of women who made a career out of marrying rich men. If granddaddy was no longer a soft touch then she’d need to look for some other sucker to pick up her bills. And, judging from her horrified reaction to the idea of being sequestered on an island without a boutique in sight, those bills were going to be big.
A flicker of contempt shot through him but he dismissed it with almost bored indifference. So she was greedy. He gave a mental shrug. That didn’t come as a surprise.
Reminding himself that her motives had never been in question, he hid his d
istaste. ‘I also have houses in Athens, Paris and New York,’ he drawled lazily, ‘so if you’re concerned about the opportunity to exercise my credit card, then you can relax.’
Her eyes were fixed on the sea and she seemed not to have heard him.
Sebastien suppressed his irritation. Clearly he had been right in his assessment that she would have no personality. Even though he’d invariably thought that women generally talked far too much about very little of interest, he was finding the reverse considerably less satisfying than he would have imagined. Why on earth didn’t the woman say something? Unaccustomed to such a lack of interest Sebastien decided that the sooner he got her on her own, the better.
‘You don’t like the island?’ His tone was conversational and she shot him an agonized glance.
‘There’s lots of sea.’
That was most definitely not the answer he’d expected. ‘There generally is when you live on an island. All the bedrooms in my villa open on to the beach or the pool.’
If he’d expected an enthusiastic response to that announcement then he was again disappointed. Instead of the delight he’d anticipated, her face seemed to pale dramatically.
Sebastien frowned. Was there something wrong with her?
‘My granddaughter feels sick after the journey,’ her grandfather grunted and Sebastien felt another surge of irritation with the older man.
Did he never let the girl speak for herself?
And surely if she’d been brought up in England she was used to expressing her own opinions?
Aware that the deal could not be concluded without his signature on the document, Sebastien focused on the girl. ‘I will take Miss Philipos and show her the island while you two begin the meeting—I’ll join you shortly.’
Dimitrios Philipos glanced at his watch. ‘I have to be back in Athens in two hours. I want the deal signed before I leave.’
Sebastien watched him closely. The older man was definitely up to something. Why the hurry?
He was nothing like she’d expected.
Alesia stared in frozen silence at the man standing in front of her, her gaze resting on the width of his shoulders before lifting to his cool black eyes. Bold brows framed night-dark eyes and his strong nose accentuated the perfect symmetry of his staggeringly handsome face.
She’d been bred to hate this man.
In vain she searched for some evidence that he was as unsettled by this bizarre, awkward situation as she was but she found none. She sensed without even speaking to him that he was a man who would never find himself discomfited by any situation. Instead he studied her through narrowed eyes, the expression on his sinfully masculine face revealing nothing of his inner thoughts. He wore authority with the ease of a man who’d been born with a ferocious talent at business and had proceeded to exercise it at every opportunity.
Alesia looked at him helplessly.
How could this ever work out?
Ludicrously rich and breathtakingly good-looking, he was totally, totally out of her league and it was utterly mortifying to know that if her grandfather hadn’t offered him a significant ‘inducement’ and dressed her in such a ridiculous dress he wouldn’t have looked twice in her direction.
She felt like a total fraud.
Alesia bit back a burst of hysterical laughter. What would he do if he knew that she lived in a tiny damp flat? That she held down three jobs in an attempt to make ends meet? That the dress she was wearing was the only one she had and even that was on loan?
The thought of being alone with this man quite simply terrified her. What on earth would they talk about? What did they have in common?
Nothing.
And, to make matters worse, he clearly loved the sea.
Alesia kept her eyes fixed on the ocean and for a moment it all came rushing back. The sudden force of the explosion, the horrified screams of the injured and the sudden plunge into freezing water which buried her in a darkness so frightening that the memories still kept her awake at night. And then there were the memories of a man, dark-haired and strong, lifting her. Saving her—
Suddenly the price of saving her mother seemed almost too high.
She would have to live here, on an island, surrounded by sea that terrified her, living with a man she despised.
She gave herself a mental shake and dragged her gaze away from the water. She didn’t have to swim or even to paddle, she reminded herself firmly. All she needed to do was remember the reason she was here. To play the part she’d schooled herself to play.
And she knew exactly why her grandfather had given the Fiorukis family a deadline of two hours to complete the deal. He was afraid that, left on her own with the man, she’d blow it. That she’d do something to put Sebastien Fiorukis off marrying her.
And he was right. She was so different from his usual choice of woman that the comparison was laughable. She couldn’t even do a decent job of walking in the shoes.
‘As far as I’m aware there is no language barrier between us,’ he said smoothly, his dark gaze resting on her face with a significant degree of speculation, ‘and yet so far you have uttered barely a word and cast barely a glance in my direction.’
Clearly she’d dented his monumental ego.
Alesia stifled a cynical laugh. Was that all he cared about? That she hadn’t gazed into his eyes and fallen for him like the other brainless women he mixed with? He was unbelievably shallow and, as far as she was concerned, Sebastien Fiorukis deserved everything that was coming to him.
‘You must forgive me—’ her voice sounded stilted ‘—I—I’m finding this situation rather difficult—’
‘Me, too. And that’s hardly surprising given the circumstances. It’s not every day you are expected to agree to a marriage to someone you have only just met. But this proposed marriage between us is going to be somewhat heavy weather if you can’t bring yourself to speak to me,’ he drawled lightly, and she met his gaze full-on.
‘Am I supposed to speak honestly?’
‘Why else did I just get rid of your grandfather?’
She almost smiled at the reminder of how neatly he’d dismissed her relative. Whatever else he might be, Sebastien Fiorukis was evidently not a coward. In fact he was the first person she’d met who didn’t seem remotely intimidated by her grandfather, which was at least something in his favour. But nevertheless she was agonizingly aware that one wrong word from her could blow the whole deal.
‘My grandfather is afraid that I’ll say the wrong thing. He wants this deal very badly.’
‘And you, Miss Philipos?’ There was something dangerously soothing about his voice. Like a lethal predator stalking his prey. ‘How badly do you want this deal?’
Being called ‘Miss Philipos’ felt totally alien. It was as if he was addressing a stranger. But it was all part of this act she was expected to maintain.
She lifted her chin. ‘I want to marry you, if that’s what you’re asking.’
That at least was true. She did want to marry him. It would solve all her problems.
And all her mother’s problems.
There was a sardonic gleam in his dark eyes as he watched her carefully. ‘Don’t tell me—’ his voice was a deep, dark drawl ‘—you have been madly in love with me for your whole life? You have dreamed of this moment from your cradle, perhaps?’
She’d dreamed of having access to enough money to finally help her mother.
‘I’m not in love with you, Mr Fiorukis, any more than you are in love with me,’ she said calmly, ‘and we both know that love is not the only reason for marriage.’
His spectacular eyes narrowed. ‘Nevertheless, since we are the two people who will be forced to live together as a result of this deal, I think it’s important to discover whether we can at least tolerate each other’s company, don’t you?’ He gestured towards a narrow path that led down to the beach. ‘Let’s walk.’
She followed his gaze. The sea stretched into the distance like a cruel, forbidding monster, mock
ing her. The breath jammed in her throat and the panic rose.
‘Can’t we just stand here?’
‘You wish to conduct a conversation on my helicopter pad?’ His dark drawl dripped sarcasm and she flushed, still struggling as cold fingers of panic threatened to drag her down into darkness.
‘I just don’t see why we need to walk down to the sea.’
This was close enough. Too close.
He glanced at her with barely concealed irritation. ‘I refuse to conduct a conversation with your bodyguards hovering in the background.’
Her bodyguards?
Alesia glanced over her shoulder. She hadn’t even noticed the three burly men until this moment, even though they must have been on the helicopter. She’d been too busy concentrating on not looking at the ocean. ‘Oh—they work for my grandfather.’
‘You don’t need to explain. As the Philipos heiress you are entitled to protection.’
Momentarily forgetting her concerns about the sea and her shoes, Alesia almost laughed aloud. Protection from what? Who would be interested in a penniless, gawky student who spent every waking hour working herself to the bone? But clearly he knew nothing of her real life. Glancing around her, she noticed two other men hovering close by. ‘Who are they?’
His smile mocked her. ‘I’m afraid my own security team is naturally suspicious. Let’s just say that a Philipos landing on the island creates a certain level of tension.’
She glanced briefly at his powerful shoulders and wondered why he needed a security team. He looked capable of taking on an entire army single-handed should the need arise. For a man who spent his days involved in business, he was supremely fit and athletic. Perhaps it was the hours he spent in bed with women, she mused idly, stepping to one side to avoid a dip in the path.
‘My grandfather creates tension wherever he goes.’ She spoke without thinking and then remembered too late who she was talking to and coloured. ‘I mean to say—’
‘Don’t feel you have to excuse yourself to me,’ he drawled softly. ‘Grown men shiver in their shoes when your grandfather enters a room. It is part of the reputation he has built for himself. He manages by fear.’