She heard the silk, but she also heard the steel beneath. Everything inside her bristled at being dismissed. “I’m afraid I don’t have time right now. Max has agreed to help me do a last-minute check.”
Then Max, the traitor, gave Ariana his million-watt smile. “Ariana, Lexie will worry herself to death though everything is always perfect. She does this every time. If you’d make her take you on a tour, I’m sure your brother would be grateful. Otherwise, she’ll just drive all of us nuts.”
Lexie shot him a glare that could have melted lead. He stared right back, his eyes fierce and determined. She glanced at Dominic. Face equally stony, he merely lifted a brow.
Ariana broke the impasse, her face brightening with compassion. “Of course. I understand perfectly. Lexie, you’ve worked so hard. There can’t possibly be anything left to check, but I really would appreciate the grand tour.”
In contrast to the despair that so often dogged her new friend, enthusiasm and interest lit Ariana’s eyes. Lexie knew she would only forestall the inevitable by staying right now. Somewhere along the way, Max would confront Dominic, and neither would thank her to interfere.
It was Max’s software, after all, and she had already complicated things enough. She glanced between Dominic and Max, reminded of nothing so much as two bulls about to tangle horns. The air between them literally crackled.
“I’ll be glad to show you around, but I will need to be back here soon.” She looked pointedly at both men. “Very soon.”
“I will expect you both back in a few minutes, safe and sound,” Dominic warned.
“Same here,” Lexie muttered and led Ariana away.
“You bastard,” Max growled.
Dominic followed Lexie with his eyes until she disappeared around a corner. Her hair a tousled bright flame, her body caressed by black silk banded with emerald satin…the graceful curve of her throat demanded emeralds he would have gladly bought her—
If only she’d given him one gift. The gift of truth.
Icy fury slithered up his spine. “What sort of game are you playing, Lancaster? And why do you need to involve a trusting creature like Lexie?”
“Me?” Max took a step toward him, his fists curling.
Dominic would like nothing better than to relieve the pressure of the past weeks with a good fistfight. For a moment, he considered throwing caution to the winds. Bradley could host the evening while he beat the living hell out of the man who so obviously itched to plow a fist in his face.
It was one more luxury he could not enjoy. “Yes, you. What is this cock-and-bull story about an Easter egg? What is your part in all this? What did Kassaros offer you?” He took a step closer, his own fingers closing into a fist. “And how could you use Lexie like that?”
“Who the hell is Kassaros?” Max looked as confused as Lexie had.
Perhaps he was as good an actor. “Do not try to tell me that you are not involved in Peter Kassaros’s bid to destroy Poseidon. You did not answer me. Why did you involve Lexie? She believes you care for her.”
“I do care for her. I’m her best friend.”
Unreasonable jealousy dug in spurs. “Do not confuse desire with friendship. I do not buy that. No friend would use her as you have.”
Max laughed one short harsh bark. “Desire?” His eyes goggled. “Lexie? Hell, she’s like a kid sister to me.”
Dominic had to believe him. Truth was there in his voice. It only made things worse. “Then I do not understand how you can call yourself her friend and use her to spy for you.”
Max’s jaw clenched, his eyes sparking. “Use her? Hell, I ordered her to stay out of it. She’s just so damn sweet and loyal. She’d fight the devil himself to defend a friend.”
The devil himself. Dominic’s own worth to her, summed up in a nutshell. She had not been willing to believe in him. She did not accord him even the benefits of friendship, much less give him her heart.
Dominic shook his head. “I do not understand. You did not ask her to spy. She claims not to know who Peter Kassaros is. What is going on?”
“You tell me, buddy. What the devil are you talking about?”
Dominic studied the man in front of him, uneasy about confiding his company’s troubles but needing to understand where all the pieces fit. He glanced away, studying the angles. Then he took a leap as he had so often before. “Why do you believe your software was stolen?”
“It was stolen.”
“You cannot prove that.”
“Of course I can.”
“There is no Easter egg.”
The other man’s gaze narrowed. “You may have found it and removed it from your master, but you couldn’t have removed it on all those copies that will hit the street tomorrow.”
“Do you have a pirated copy, is that it?”
“No. Lexie found it on the kid’s computer.”
“Lexie can read code?”
Max laughed. “Lexie can barely turn on her own computer. It’s little better than a doorstop.” Then his face darkened. “She finally paid attention for once and remembered the keystrokes I showed her to reveal it. She went into the design crew’s office and tried it out, but I didn’t know until days later.” He muttered under his breath. “Little fool. I could have wrung her neck when she finally told me.”
“My man tells me it is not there.”
“Your man is lying.” Max cocked his head. “You got a copy of the game here?”
Dominic nodded. “It’s on my laptop.”
Max gestured toward the house. “Lead the way, hotshot.”
“I have guests.”
“It won’t take me thirty seconds. Unless you’re afraid to find out…”
Dominic’s mind whirled. “You do not know Peter Kassaros, you are certain?”
Max huffed out a breath. “Who is this guy you’re so obsessed with? Listen, Santorini, all I want is what’s mine. You don’t have to show me a damn thing tonight. We can save it for the lawyers, but I promise you I will pursue you until my last breath. Those graphics were created with my program. I’d bet my soul on it.”
Every line of the man’s frame radiated certainty. If it were true, what did that mean? If Lexie was not spying for Kassaros, then who was?
Dominic shook his head and glanced at his watch. “I will give you five minutes.”
“Like I said, big shot. Lead the way.”
Lexie tried to keep her mind on Ariana, but everything within her strained to go back.
“Lexie?”
“Hmm?”
“What is everyone hiding?”
Her attention focused squarely on Dominic’s sister. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said carefully.
Irritation snapped in the dark eyes. “Don’t treat me like a child. Dominic does that already. I hate that. Stop coddling me. What’s going on?”
Be careful with my sister. She is very fragile.
“I don’t—”
“Ariana, what a pleasure.” Bradley strode toward them, his hands held out toward Ariana.
Ariana smiled and exchanged air kisses, but Lexie saw her subtle signs of unease. She didn’t like Bradley herself, though she couldn’t tell why.
Bradley was right, she heard Dominic say.
Okay, so she knew why she didn’t like him.
“Hello, Bradley. Are you as thrilled as Dominic is by Lexie’s masterpiece?”
Too smooth. Too urbane, he was. He made Lexie feel like a grubby urchin.
His eyes turned cool, dislike barely banked. No doubt he and Dominic had been talking. “It is indeed impressive.” His voice told her he was surprised.
She lifted her chin. “Thank you. I’m delighted you approve.” She didn’t try very hard to mask her disdain.
His eyes narrowed. “Ariana, Dominic was looking for you a moment ago.”
“But Lexie and I weren’t quite finished.”
“He said he needed your help.”
Pride leaped into her gaze. “Really?”
; Bradley smiled, but it didn’t quite make it to his eyes. “Really. Go on. I need to speak with Ms. Grayson a moment.”
Ariana turned to go. “Thank you, Lexie, for showing me around. It’s really a marvel. You should be proud.”
“Ms. Grayson has many things of which she’s proud, I am sure,” Bradley said, but his eyes were cold and hard and soulless, the edge in his voice grating on Lexie’s nerves.
He took a step toward her, and Lexie wanted to beg Ariana to stay.
Then she got angry. This man had never been on her side. She sent the other woman a smile she didn’t feel. “Thank you, Ariana.”
Ariana left, and Lexie felt the atmosphere shift, a subtle sense of menace creeping in, making her skin crawl. She started to step backward, then checked herself, squaring her shoulders, lifting her chin. “Is something wrong?”
“Oh, many things are wrong, Ms. Grayson, but I intend to fix them.”
He took another step toward her, and Lexie fought the urge to run.
Chapter Twelve
Dominic walked back into the madhouse, press and guests everywhere. His mind was a jumble of conflicting impulses, of questions without answers.
The Easter egg was there, exactly as Max had promised.
Why had Bradley denied it?
Shaking off his preoccupation, Dominic forced himself to murmur appropriate greetings to various guests, all the while scanning the faces, looking for Bradley.
But wishing for Lexie.
Ariana walked up, her face glowing with anticipation. “You asked for me?”
Dominic blinked. “For you?”
“Bradley told me you needed my help with something. What is it?”
He kept his voice carefully neutral. “Where is Bradley right now?”
“With Lexie in the Chamber of Doom. He needed to discuss something with her.”
The back of his neck prickled. He turned toward Max. “Please—stay with Ariana.” He pitched his voice low.
Max looked startled. “I was going to get Lex and take her home.”
“Dominic?” Ariana’s look of anticipation turned to worry. “Is something wrong?”
He smoothed his face into a careful smile, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “No. Everything is fine. Would you entertain Max for me, please?”
She glanced at Max, then back at Dominic. “Perhaps Max doesn’t—”
A line appeared between Max’s brows. He shot Dominic a questioning glance but then smiled for Ariana’s benefit. “I always have time for a beautiful lady.”
Dominic didn’t spare a backward glance. He couldn’t ignore the instinct that rippled up his spine, the sense that something was off. Something important. He forced himself to walk slowly until he was out of Ariana’s sight—
And then he ran.
“How did you do it?” Bradley asked. “How did you turn Dominic’s head? Was it the sex?” He moved closer. Though he was not as tall as Dominic, still he towered over her. “Are you that good in bed?”
“Excuse me?” She didn’t try to hide her outrage. “I don’t have to listen to trash like that.” She turned to go.
He grabbed her arm and whirled her back to face him. “You worry me. You’ve got him questioning things he should be ignoring. He’s looking over my shoulder, and I don’t need that right now.” His grip tightened painfully on her bare arm. “He will believe me, not you, when it comes down to it. I’m his best friend, his trusted lieutenant—” Something twisted in his voice, a bitter edge that didn’t sound like a best friend.
He squeezed long fingers on her arm until she couldn’t help crying out. “Let me go. What’s wrong with you?” But his tight grip didn’t relent.
Lexie began to struggle in earnest, fear an icy trickle down her back. She pulled her foot back to kick him, but he whipped her arm to the side and upset her balance. She fought to stay on her feet. “Bradley, what’s wrong with you? Why are you doing this?”
“Let her go.” Dominic’s deep voice carried across the chamber.
Lexie wanted to sob with relief as she caught sight of his powerful frame moving toward them. She expected Bradley to let her go—
Instead he gripped her arm more tightly, pulled her closer to him.
“I said let her go, Bradley.”
The sneer on Bradley’s face rearranged itself into sleek good looks again as he met Dominic’s stony glare. “She’s a spy and a liar, Dominic. I’m simply trying to get the truth out of her, since you won’t.”
“And what might that truth be?” Cold. His face was so cold, as though the answer hardly mattered.
“She lied to you, to all of us. First when she took the job, knowing she was going to use her access to spy on you for Kassaros. Then she made friends with Ariana—have you never wondered why, Dominic?”
Lexie frowned, wondering where he would lead.
“I’m sure you’ll be willing to explain.” Dominic’s tone sounded almost bored.
“Have you thought about what would happen if someone gained control of Ariana’s ten percent of the stock? You would no longer have majority control of the company.”
Dominic only nodded for Bradley to continue.
“Of course Ariana would never sell to Kassaros—if she knew he was the one who wanted it. But Ariana doesn’t want to live off your charity forever, Dominic. She has her pride.”
“I am perfectly capable of taking care of my sister.”
“But if she wants her independence? You haven’t really asked her what she wants, have you? You’re too busy treating her as a wounded bird.”
Lexie could see that the shot hit its mark.
“What if Kassaros sent his little spy along to charm her way into Ariana’s confidence, to help convince Ariana to sell her stock to some other entity as a means of obtaining her freedom?”
“She would not do that without talking to me. And I do not believe Lexie is capable of that sort of betrayal.”
Lexie blinked. Even that small evidence of faith was one she wanted to grasp and hold on to.
“No?” Bradley’s sneer was back. “But then, you didn’t believe Celia would betray you, either, did you, my friend? I tried to warn you to watch out for her but you wanted to believe she was true to you.”
A ghosting of pain drifted over Dominic’s handsome features. He looked over at Lexie, and his midnight eyes studied her. “I did indeed.”
She cursed the mood lighting she’d created. The sinister shadows hid too much that she wanted—needed—to see in his face. She wanted to tell Dominic that she’d never lied to him about her feelings, that he could trust the truth that blossomed between them every time they touched.
“This woman lied to you, too, from the first moment you met her. Didn’t she?”
A strange look settled into Dominic’s eyes. Then he nodded. “I suppose she did.” He didn’t look at Bradley, only at her.
She wanted to speak, wanted to explain again.
But it was true. She had lied.
He had lied, too.
Bradley’s voice held triumph. “She lied again when you confronted her, telling you that ridiculous fairy tale about the Easter egg.”
“Did she?” One dark brow lifted, a spike of anger in his voice.
For a moment, Lexie dared to hope. She took in a breath to plead her case, to beg him to believe her and not Bradley, to say whatever it took to make those beloved features look at her with warmth again. With laughter and hope and longing and—
Love.
She almost groaned as the word rattled around in her brain. Was she always doomed to love men who didn’t love her back? How had it happened? How had she fallen for this man whose world was too big for her, who was still too much a mystery?
But she knew. She’d fallen for the lonely wolf who needed the warmth she offered, the man who put everyone else’s needs ahead of his own. The man who obviously had been betrayed before and could be forgiven for not trusting now.
“Of course she did. I told you the
Easter egg doesn’t exist. It was a ruse, a way to shift suspicion away from herself, to disguise her true purpose.”
No— Lexie wanted to shout. I didn’t. I saw it myself. He’s lying, she wanted to say.
But a deeper realization hit her, and she subsided without a word. She would not beg, would not defend herself. The only hope for her and Dominic lay in him stepping outside his suspicion. If he could not feel, somewhere deep inside him, the truth of who she really was, then nothing else mattered. She was through begging for crumbs from men who would leave anyway.
“Is Bradley right, Lexie? Are you a sham? Is the woman I saw so briefly a mirage? Which one of you is the real Lexie?”
She swallowed hard and straightened, jerking her arm out of Bradley’s grasp. “You know the truth, Dominic. Deep inside, you know—if you want to listen.”
The moment zinged with tension. She felt Bradley’s glare, but she only had eyes for the man in front of her, the man searching her face as though to divine her inner truth.
Then doubt rode his features, plain as day, and Lexie’s hopes evaporated.
Dominic studied the green eyes he wanted so badly to believe, but doubts clamored—jeering, taunting him with the bitter dregs of memory. Bradley had been his best friend for years, his trusted right arm. He’d known this woman little more than two weeks.
He owed so much to so many. The weight of his responsibilities demanded caution, logic, the solid ground of proof.
But deep inside him, the man named Nikos remembered laughter and ecstasy and lightness of heart. Remembered hope and joy and the tantalizing promise of a life outside the bonds that constrained him.
He’d been wrong before—desperately wrong. The longings of his heart whispered sweet nothings, tempting him away from what he knew was his duty while his reason demanded that he surrender to longing at his peril.
Lexie watched the battle raging, her hopes sinking with every moment. He would do as others had—walk away and leave her heart lying open and wounded. But this time, she wasn’t so sure she could piece the battered shell together again.
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