Fool, a voice in her head taunted. Seven months ago she had believed James Hamilton when he had told her that he loved her. She had trusted him implicitly. But he had deceived her as cruelly as he had deceived his wife, and she had vowed never to give her love or trust as easily again. But here she was, with another man, in another hotel bedroom, utterly destroyed by the realisation that Thanos had lied to her. When would she learn that men either abandoned you, or lied and cheated for their own ends, and that they were not worth the heartbreak they caused? she wondered bitterly.
CHAPTER TEN
‘MY MOTHER phoned to tell me that the bank has taken possession of Carlton House,’ Tahlia told Thanos tensely. ‘The bailiffs are due to arrive tomorrow to evict them.’
He frowned. ‘Banks do not usually issue a repossession order unless there are serious mortgage arrears on a property.’
‘Dad hasn’t kept up with the payments on Carlton for months,’ Tahlia said heavily. ‘All his money has been tied up in the company. I told you all this,’ she flung at him bitterly. ‘You knew my parents were in danger of losing their home.’
‘I had not realised that it was quite so imminent.’
‘No—I suppose you thought you could string me along for a while longer before you revealed what a lying bastard you are.’ Tahlia felt a curious sense of detachment as she watched his mouth tighten with anger. ‘My father informed the bank that Vantage was buying Reynolds Gems, and that as soon as the sale went through he would pay off the mortgage on Carlton House. But when the bank checked with Vantage they were told that no sale had ever been agreed. Ten minutes ago I spoke to Mark Lloyd at Vantage, who verified that the buy-out had been vetoed by none other than the head of Vantage Investments’ parent company, Savakis Enterprises—in other words, by you.’
In the simmering silence following her accusation, his lack of denial felt like a knife through her heart.
Tears scalded her throat, but she forced herself to swallow them. ‘You’ve destroyed my parents’ lives, and I will never forgive you,’ she told him, her voice shaking with emotion.
Thanos moved towards her, but halted abruptly when she flinched away from him. ‘You’re jumping to conclusions,’ he said tersely. ‘If you would give me a chance to explain—’
‘In the same way that you allowed me to defend myself against your accusations that I had deliberately stolen James Hamilton from your sister, you mean?’ she interrupted in a brittle voice. ‘You refused to listen to me, and in your misguided quest for revenge you demanded that I became your mistress. But worst of all,’ she said brokenly, tears slipping down her cheeks, ‘you lied to me.’
‘Listen to me,’ he said urgently. ‘I admit that when I first brought you to Greece I had no intention of bailing your father out of his financial mess. My sister had suffered appalling injuries, and as you know I believed you were partly responsible for her accident. The newspapers were full of reports about your wild partying, and your penchant for stealing other women’s husbands, and I wanted to hurt you as I believed you had hurt Melina—’ His mobile rang. With a muttered curse he answered it, and snapped impatiently, ‘I’ll be five minutes. Tell the bar staff to serve more champagne to the guests.’
He raked his hand through his hair and stared at Tahlia, frustration etched on his face when she glared at him. ‘All that changed when I took you to bed. Sex with you was an incredible experience. I had never known such intense pleasure before,’ he admitted harshly. ‘And when I discovered that you were a virgin, that I had completely misjudged you…’ His voice deepened with an emotion Tahlia could not define. ‘I immediately phoned Steven Holt to tell him that I had changed my mind and wanted Vantage to proceed with the buy-out of Reynolds Gems.’
Tahlia recalled the phone call she’d made before Thanos had come back to the suite, and shook her head. ‘I don’t believe you,’ she said dully. ‘Mark Lloyd was adamant that Vantage have no plans to buy Reynolds Gems. One of you must be lying—and I don’t think it’s him.’
‘You’re calling me a liar?’ Thanos snapped icily, his eyes darkening with anger.
His outrage, after he had refused to believe she was telling the truth about James, was almost funny—but Tahlia doubted she would ever smile again.
‘I’m not sure why Mark Lloyd is involved. I left instructions with Steven Holt,’ he said tersely. ‘There has obviously been a misunderstanding somewhere along the line.’
Tahlia closed her suitcase and reached up to unfasten the pearl necklace that he had placed around her neck earlier. ‘Mr Lloyd said that I had made a mistake, and he’s right,’ she said quietly. ‘I mistakenly thought you were a man of honour, but you are a liar and a cheat, and I hope I never see you again for as long as I live.’
‘Theos, Tahlia. You don’t really mean that.’ Sharp knives were ripping his insides to shreds, and he gripped her arm and swung her round to face him. ‘Tell me the truth. Is the deal we made when you came to my hotel in London a month ago the only reason you have given yourself to me so passionately night after night?’
In the silence that trembled between them, Mark Lloyd’s voice echoed inside Tahlia’s head. ‘There is not, and never was, any deal to buy Reynolds Gems.’
How could her heart still ache for Thanos after the way he had tricked her? Tahlia wondered desperately. She must be the biggest fool on the planet. But at least she retained sufficient pride to hide her stupidity from him.
‘What other reason could there have been?’ she demanded coolly. ‘I believed you were paying me to be your mistress.’
His eyes were so hard and cold that she took a hasty step backwards.
‘I must congratulate you on your exemplary performance every night,’ he said, in a dangerously soft voice that sent a trickle of ice down her spine. ‘Perhaps you should consider whoring as a new career.’
She closed her eyes briefly as pain tore through her. ‘I have to go,’ she muttered, grabbing her case and heading for the door. ‘I need to get back to my parents.’
Thanos strolled towards her, reminding her of a sleek, dark panther stalking its prey. ‘Aren’t you forgetting something?’
‘I put the necklace on the bedside table. You saw me.’
He smiled pleasantly, like a wolf before it sprang for the kill. ‘Not the necklace—the dress.’
‘Oh.’ She shook her head, feeling an idiot. The old skirt and top she’d left out to travel in—her clothes, not the ones he had bought her—were on the bed. ‘I’ll get changed in the bathroom.’
‘I’d like it back now.’
The gleam in his eyes warned her that he would have no compunction in stripping the dress from her body. She was breaking up inside, but she would not let him see it. ‘What is this, Thanos? Last-minute titillation?’ she demanded scornfully, and she reached behind her and slid the zip down her spine. He must have known the dress did not require her to wear a bra, but she refused to drop her gaze from his as she allowed the silk gown to slither to the floor.
Dull colour scorched his cheekbones. ‘We both know I could take you right now and you would do nothing to stop me,’ he said roughly.
There was little point in denying it when her nipples were jutting eagerly towards him, begging for the tender ministrations of his hands and mouth. But she tore her eyes from him and managed a nonchalant shrug. ‘So you press all the right buttons. You’re a fantastic stud, Thanos.’
She swung away from him and clumsily dragged on her skirt and tee shirt, hating the way her breasts were tingling in anticipation. She would never allow him to touch her again, would never make love with him again and know the indescribable pleasure that she had only ever experienced with him. Her eyes ached with tears as she stumbled to the door, but there was one last thing she needed to know.
‘How long had you anticipated our relationship lasting after the trip to Antigua?’
Thanos stared at the streaks of tears and mascara running down her face and felt an overwhelming urge to pull her i
nto his arms and kiss her, until she acknowledged that what they had shared this past month was too good to throw away. But obviously she did not think so, he brooded bitterly. She had come to him in London because she’d needed his money to help her father, and no doubt she had agreed to go to the Caribbean with him because she enjoyed the benefits associated with being the mistress of a millionaire. She was no better than Yalena, and the countless other women who saw dollar signs when they looked at him. He was better off without her.
‘I hadn’t planned on it lasting at all. I’m not a fan of commitment,’ he drawled sardonically. ‘A few weeks of sun, sea and sex are all I have ever wanted from any woman, and you are no different.’
‘I see.’ The tiny flame of hope inside her died, but she could not drag her eyes from him as she committed to memory his sculpted features and his hard body sheathed in the superbly cut black dinner suit—before she turned and walked out of his life.
By the time Tahlia reached the airport she had missed the last plane to London, but she was so desperate to leave Mykonos that she caught the next flight to Athens and, after spending a sleepless night in the terminal there, managed to book a seat on the first flight to Gatwick the following morning. As the taxi turned through the gates of Carlton House she half expected to see the bailiffs waiting on the drive, but to her relief there was just her father’s car parked by the front steps.
‘They’re not here yet, then?’ she murmured, when her mother opened the door and immediately burst into tears at the sight of her. ‘Where’s Hobson?’
‘Unpacking,’ Vivienne mumbled, wiping her eyes.
‘Unpacking? But…I thought you had to be ready to leave by midday?’
‘No.’ Vivienne shook her head, looking as dazed as Tahlia felt. ‘We can stay. Apparently the money for Reynolds Gems was paid into our bank account late last night, and first thing this morning your father cleared the mortgage. I don’t pretend to understand what’s going on, but Dad says that everything has been sorted out. Isn’t it wonderful, darling?’ She gave Tahlia a watery smile. ‘The last twenty-four hours have been a rollercoaster.’
‘It’s brilliant news,’ Tahlia said slowly.
Why had Thanos done it? she wondered. Had she damaged his pride when she had proved him to be a liar? She longed to send the money straight back to him, but Carlton House was saved, and her mother was smiling again, and that was really all that mattered, she told herself wearily.
‘How’s Dad?’
‘Relieved—as you can imagine—and resting. He’s admitted he hasn’t slept properly for months.’ Vivienne sighed. ‘I wish he had told me about our financial problems rather than going through all that worry on his own.’
‘He was trying to protect you,’ Tahlia said softly. Her parents’ love for each other was as strong as it had been on the day they had married. Some marriages lasted. But Thanos thought that marriage was an outdated institution, and she could not believe she had been so stupid as to hope that he might have begun to care for her a little.
‘I have another piece of news,’ her mother said gently. ‘Aunt George passed away in her sleep two days ago. She was ninety-two, you know. Dear Georgie—she told everyone she was five years younger.’
Charlie stalked into the room, his tail held high, and sprang onto Tahlia’s lap, purring loudly when she buried her face in his ginger fur.
Vivienne patted her shoulder and reached for the box of tissues. ‘I’m sorry, darling. I know how fond of her you were,’ she murmured, unaware that Tahlia’s tears were not just for her aunt, but for an enigmatic Greek man who had stolen her heart.
A week later, Tahlia stared at the cheque on the desk in front of her. Then she lifted her gaze to the family’s elderly solicitor, Harold Wimbourne, her eyes wide with shock. ‘I had no idea Aunt George was so wealthy,’ she said faintly.
‘Miss Prentice was a shrewd investor on the stockmarket,’ the solicitor explained. He cleared his throat and added conspiratorially, ‘I believe she also made a fortune from betting on the horses. Your aunt bequeathed to you her flat in Pimlico, and various other assets detailed in her will. She also set up a trust fund which was to mature on your twenty-fifth birthday or on her death—whichever happened first. As trustee of the fund, I have the happy task of handing you that cheque.’ He chuckled. ‘I can see it has come as a bit of a shock. I don’t suppose you have any idea yet about what you’d like to do with the money?’
‘A bit of a shock’ was an understatement, Tahlia thought numbly as the row of noughts swam in front of her. She gave Harold a faint smile and said steadily, ‘Actually, I know exactly what I’m going to do with it. I assume I can spend it straight away?’
‘Oh, yes. It’s yours to spend in whichever way you choose, my dear. I can advise you on secure investments, and so on, but I’m sure Georgina wanted you to have fun with it.’
Tahlia could not imagine a time when she would ever have fun again, but she was grateful to her aunt for giving her the means to restore a little of her pride. Immediately she sent Thanos a cheque for half the amount he had paid for Reynolds Gems, and an assurance that she would send him the remainder once she had sold the flat.
You paid for my body and treated me as your whore, but now I am buying back my self-respect, she scribbled furiously. I wonder if you will ever be able to regain yours, Thanos?
But he had not really treated her like a whore, she acknowledged honestly, as the week dragged into the next and the pain of missing him grew worse with every day. He’d accepted that she had not known James Hamilton was married to his sister, and, with his reason for wanting revenge no longer valid, it did not make sense that he had double-crossed her—especially as the day after she had walked out on him he had paid her father for Reynolds Gems.
Doubt gnawed at her as she recalled his insistence that he had instructed the CEO of Vantage Investments to buy Reynolds. Maybe she had been too hasty when she’d refused to listen to him? But she had been so afraid that he had deceived her, as James had done, and so unbearably hurt at the idea that he had tricked her. And then he had revealed that he had only invited her to his villa in Antigua to be his convenient sex partner. She had been kidding herself that their relationship might develop into something deeper, she acknowledged miserably. She’d known of his reputation as a commitment-phobic playboy, and it was her own fault that her heart was shattered beyond repair.
Thanos watched the rain bounce off the windscreen, and wondered how much longer he would have to sit outside Tahlia’s flat waiting for her to return. He would sit here for the rest of his life if necessary, he thought grimly, but when he glanced at his watch and saw that barely five minutes had crawled past since he had last checked his frustration escalated.
He had received her cheque a week ago, and since then it had been burning a hole in his pocket—along with her terse note questioning whether he would ever be able to regain his self-respect. Anger surged through him, but he fought to control it. He had been angry on the night of the Artemis party, when she had accused him of tricking her about buying Reynolds Gems. Fury had burned in his gut that she did not trust him. But later, when his temper had cooled, he’d conceded that he had done little to earn her trust. He had believed every damnable lie the tabloid press had written about her, and forced her to become his mistress without giving her a chance to defend herself. His treatment of her had been unforgivable, he thought wearily. He was probably wasting his time sitting here, but he had discovered over the past two weeks that, as he could neither work nor sleep, he had a lot of time to waste.
A figure came into view, head bowed against the rain, the pale red hair instantly recognizable. The dejected slump of her shoulders tugged at Thanos’s insides. She’d lost weight, he noted, his mouth tightening. She looked achingly fragile, and even more beautiful than the woman who had haunted him night and day for the past two weeks. He longed to snatch her into his arms and simply hold her, but as his eyes lingered on her breasts, clearly outlined beneat
h her damp top, he acknowledged that holding her would not be enough. His body stirred, but he ruthlessly ignored the sharp clamour of desire. There were things he must say, and this time he was determined she would listen to him.
Tahlia dumped the bag of groceries on the kitchen table and pushed her wet hair impatiently out of her eyes as she unpacked a week’s worth of cat food. ‘At least one of us still has an appetite,’ she muttered, when Charlie wound around her ankles.
The doorbell pealed and she groaned, tempted to ignore it. Although she had not confided the full details of her relationship with Thanos to her friends, they had guessed that she was suffering from ‘man trouble’ and were running a campaign to drag her out of the depression that some days seemed to swamp her. She knew they meant well, but she seriously doubted she would ever get over him, and she preferred to be on her own.
The bell rang again and, cursing beneath her breath, she walked down the hall and opened the door.
‘Hello, Tahlia.’
The gravelly, accented voice was so poignantly evocative that tears stung her eyes. She had experienced the same peculiar rushing noise in her ears on the night she had discovered his deception, but this time she could not control the feeling that she was on a carousel, spinning faster and faster. It was a relief when blackness claimed her.
She opened her eyes to find herself lying on the sofa, Thanos’s furious face inches from hers as he crouched beside her. ‘Theos, why haven’t you been eating?’ he demanded roughly.
‘I do eat,’ she lied, forcing herself to sit up, relieved that the walls were no longer revolving.
‘You’re too thin,’ he insisted harshly, ‘and too pale; there are shadows beneath your eyes.
‘So? I haven’t been sleeping too well.’ She would rather die than have him guess that she was pining away for him. ‘I’ve been having bad dreams,’ she told him pointedly, tilting her chin. ‘Why are you here, Thanos?’
Proud Greek, Ruthless Revenge Page 16