She pressed her hand to her temple, which had started to throb. ‘I get the impression that I’m a complication and Lionel wishes he hadn’t told me he is my father. His name isn’t on my birth certificate and there’s no possibility I could have found out I’m his daughter.’
She swung her legs off the bed and stood up. Alekos also got to his feet and her small bedroom seemed to be dominated by his six-feet-plus of raw masculinity.
‘You should go,’ she said abruptly, feeling too strung out to play the role of polite hostess. ‘What happened just now...when we kissed...’ her face flamed when he said nothing but looked amused, damn him ‘...obviously it can never happen again. I mean, you have a strict rule about not sleeping with your staff. Not that I’m suggesting you want to sleep with me,’ she added quickly, in case he thought she was hinting that she hoped he wanted to have an affair with her.
Hot with embarrassment, she ploughed on, ‘It was an unfortunate episode and I blame my behaviour on the whisky I drank earlier.’
‘Rubbish.’ Alekos laughed softly. ‘You’re not drunk. And I haven’t had a drink all night. Alcohol had nothing to do with why we kissed. It was chemistry that ignited between us and made us both act out of character.’
‘Exactly.’ Sara seized on his words. ‘It was a mistake, and the best thing we can do is to forget it happened.’
He deliberately lowered his eyes to her breasts, and she fought the temptation to cross her arms over her chest and hide her nipples that she was aware had hardened and must be visible jutting beneath the silky material of her dress. Somehow she made herself look at him calmly.
‘Do you think it will be possible to forget the passion that exploded between us?’ he murmured.
‘It has to be, if I am going to continue as your PA.’ She sounded fiercer than she had intended as she fought a rising sense of panic that the memory of Alekos kissing her would stay in her mind for a very long time. ‘And now I really would like you to leave. It’s late, and I’m tired.’
He checked his watch and said in an amused voice, ‘It’s a quarter to ten, which is hardly late. We left the dinner early because you said you were feeling unwell.’
To her relief he said no more and walked over to the door. ‘I’ll see myself out. And Sara—’ his gaze held hers and his tone was suddenly serious ‘—your secret is safe with me. For what it’s worth, I think your father should feel very proud to have you as his daughter.’
Alekos’s unexpected compliment was the last straw for Sara’s battered emotions. She held on until she heard the front door bang as he closed it behind him before she gave in to the tears that had threatened her composure since he had stopped kissing her.
Yes, she was upset about her father, but she was horrified to admit that she was more hurt by Alekos’s rejection. She couldn’t forget that he had been the one who had come to his senses. But what did her tears say about her? Why was she crying over a man who hadn’t paid her any attention for two years? He had only noticed her recently because she’d revamped her appearance.
Alekos’s interest in her was a passing fancy, but he could very easily break her heart if she allowed him to. She wished she had been drunk tonight, she brooded. At least then she could forgive herself for responding to him the way she had. Instead she only had her foolish heart to blame.
* * *
It took all of Sara’s willpower to make herself stroll into Alekos’s office the next morning and give him a cheerful smile before she turned her attention to the espresso machine.
His eyes narrowed when she walked over to his desk and placed a cup of coffee in front of him. She had resisted the urge to wear the beige dress that still lurked in the back of her wardrobe—a remnant of her previous dreary style. Out of sheer bravado she had chosen a bright red skirt and a red-and-white polka-dot blouse. Red stilettos and a slick of scarlet lip gloss completed her outfit. Her layered hairstyle flicked the tops of her shoulders as she sat down composedly and waited for him to give her instructions for the day.
‘You’re looking very perky. I trust you are feeling better?’
The gleam in his dark eyes was almost her undoing, but she had promised herself that she wouldn’t let him rattle her and so she smiled and said coolly, ‘Much better, thank you. I’m just sorry that you had to leave the dinner early last night because of me.’
‘I’m not,’ he murmured. The gleam turned to something darker and hotter as he skimmed his gaze down from her pink cheeks to her dotty blouse, and Sara was sure he was remembering the passion that had exploded between them in her bedroom.
She was conscious of the pulse at the base of her throat beating erratically and said hurriedly, ‘Shall we get on? I thought you wanted to go through the final details for the Monaco Yacht Show.’
Alekos’s sardonic smile told her he had seen through her distraction ploy, but to her relief he opened the folder in front of him. ‘As you know, GE is one of the top exhibitors at the show, and we will be using the company’s show yacht to give tours and demonstrations to potential clients interested in buying a superyacht. I’ve heard from the captain of Artemis that she has docked in Monaco and the crew are preparing her for the show. You and I will fly out to meet the rest of the sales team, and we will stay on board the yacht.’
For the rest of the morning, work was the only topic of conversation and if Sara tried hard she could almost pretend that the events of the previous night hadn’t happened. It helped if she didn’t look directly at Alekos but on the occasions when she did make eye contact with him the glittering heat in his gaze caused her stomach to dip. Alekos had called it chemistry, and its tangible presence every time she stepped into his office simmered between them and filled the room with a prickling tension that seemed to drain the air from Sara’s lungs.
She was relieved when he left for a lunch appointment and told her he did not expect to be back until later in the afternoon. But, perversely, once he had gone she missed him and couldn’t settle down to her work because she kept picturing his ruggedly handsome face and reliving the feel of his lips on hers. It was just a kiss, she reminded herself. But deep down she knew that something fundamental had changed between her and Alekos. She had hidden her feelings for him for two years, but it was so much harder to hide her desire for him when he looked at her with a hungry gleam in his eyes that made her ache with longing.
He returned just before five o’clock and seemed surprised to find her still at her desk. ‘I thought you wanted to leave early tonight.’
‘I’m not going to visit my father at his home in Berkshire now, so I thought I might as well catch up on some filing,’ she said in a carefully controlled voice. She was embarrassed that she had cried in front of Alekos last night and was determined to hide her devastation over her father’s change of heart about introducing her to her half-siblings.
His speculative look gave her the unsettling notion that he could read her thoughts. ‘I’ve been thinking about your situation and I have an idea of how to help. Come into my office. I’m sure you would rather not discuss a personal matter where anyone walking past could overhear us.’
Sara didn’t want to have a personal discussion with him anywhere, but he held open his office door and she could not think of an excuse to refuse. Besides, she was intrigued that he had actually thought about her. ‘What idea?’ she said as soon as he had shut the door.
He walked around his desk and waited until she was seated opposite him before he replied. ‘On Sunday evening I have been invited to the launch of a new art gallery in Soho.’
‘I’m up to speed with your diary, Alekos.’ She hid her disappointment that he had brought her in to discuss his busy social schedule. But why would he be interested in her problems?
He ignored her interruption. ‘The gallery’s owner, Jemima Wilding, represents several well-established artists, but she also wants to support new talent and the gallery’s launch will include paintings by an up-and-coming artist, Freddie Kingsley.’
>
Sara’s heart gave an odd thump. ‘I didn’t know that my half-brother was an artist.’
‘I believe Freddie and Charlotte both studied art at Chelsea College of Art. Charlotte is establishing herself as a fashion designer. She will be at the gallery launch on Sunday to support her brother, along with Lionel Kingsley.’
‘Why are you telling me this?’ She could not keep the bitterness from her voice. Alekos was emphasising what she already knew—that she did not belong in the rarefied world that her father and half-siblings, and Alekos himself, occupied.
‘Because my idea is that you could accompany me to the gallery launch to meet your half-siblings. I realise you won’t be able to say that you are related to them, but you might have a chance to talk to your father in private during the evening and persuade him to reveal your true identity.’
Her heart gave another lurch as she tried to imagine meeting Freddie and Charlotte. Would they notice the physical similarities she shared with them? Probably not, she reassured herself. They were unaware that they had an illegitimate half-sister. Alekos was offering her what might be her only opportunity to meet her blood relations. Common sense doused her excitement. ‘It would look strange if you took your PA to a private engagement.’
‘Possibly, but you wouldn’t be there as my PA. You would accompany me as my date. My mistress,’ he explained when she stared at him uncomprehendingly.
For a third time Sara’s heart jolted against her ribs. ‘We agreed to forget about the kiss we shared last night.’ She flushed, hating how she sounded breathless when she had intended her voice to be cool and crisp.
His eyes gleamed like hot coals for a second before the fire in those dark depths was replaced by a faintly cynical expression that Sara was more used to seeing. ‘I don’t remember agreeing to forget about it,’ he drawled. ‘But I’m suggesting that we pretend to be in a relationship. If people believe you are my girlfriend it will seem perfectly reasonable for you to be with me.’
‘I can see a flaw in your plan.’ Several flaws, as it happened, but she focused on the main one. ‘You have made it clear that you would never become personally involved with any member of your staff. If we are seen together in public it’s likely that the board members of GE will believe we are having an affair. They disapprove of your playboy reputation and might even decide to take a vote of no confidence against you.’
‘That won’t happen. As you said yourself, the board members approve of you. They think you are a good, stabilising influence on me,’ he said drily.
Sara remembered the many glamorous blondes Alekos had dated in the past. ‘I’m not sure your friends would be convinced that you and I are in a relationship,’ she said doubtfully.
‘They’d have been convinced if they had seen us together last night.’ His wicked grin made her blush. ‘The plan will work because of the sexual chemistry between us. There’s no point in denying it.’ He did not give her a chance to speak. ‘It is an inconvenient attraction that we might as well use to our advantage.’
So she was an inconvenience! It was hardly a flattering description. ‘Why are you willing to help me meet my half-siblings? You’ve never taken an interest in my personal life before.’
He shrugged. ‘You’re right to guess I am not being entirely altruistic. Zelda Pagnotis will also be at the gallery launch. She is a friend of Jemima Wilding’s daughter, Leah. You saw how Zelda followed me around at the board members’ dinner, how she changed the name cards around so that she was seated next to me.’ Frustration clipped his voice. ‘Her crush on me is becoming a problem, but if she believes that you are my girlfriend it might persuade her to move her attention onto another guy.’
‘Are you saying you need me to protect you from Zelda?’
‘Orestis thinks I want to corrupt his granddaughter,’ Alekos growled. ‘Of course nothing could be further from the truth, but I guarantee Orestis won’t disapprove of you being my mistress. He’s more likely to be relieved.’
‘But why don’t you flaunt a genuine mistress in front of Zelda? There must be dozens of women who would jump at the chance to go on a date with you.’
‘I don’t happen to have a girlfriend at the moment. If I invite one of my exes to the gallery launch there’s a risk they will read too much into it and believe I want to get back with them.’
‘What it is to be Mr Popular,’ Sara murmured wryly. Alekos’s arrogance was infuriating, but he had a point. In the two years that she had been his PA she’d realised that women threw themselves at him without any encouragement from him.
He hadn’t needed to encourage her to kiss him last night. She flushed as she remembered how eagerly she had responded to him. But he had called a halt to their passion even though he must have sensed that she wanted him to make love to her. Now he was asking her to pretend to be in love with him, and she was afraid she would be too convincing.
‘What do you think of my idea, Sara? It seems to me that it will be an ideal solution for both of us.’
She looked into his dark eyes and her heart gave a familiar swoop. ‘I need time to think about it.’
He frowned. ‘How much time? I’ll need to let Jemima know that I am bringing a guest.’
Sara refused to let him browbeat her into making a decision. Although she longed to meet her half-siblings she was worried about how her father might react to seeing her at a social event. ‘Phone me in the morning and I’ll give you my answer,’ she said calmly. She stood up and walked over to the door, but then hesitated and turned to look at him.
‘Thank you for offering to help me meet my half-siblings. I appreciate it.’
* * *
Alekos waited until Sara had closed the door behind her before he strode over to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a double measure of malt Scotch. Her smile had hit him like a punch in his gut. He’d always known he was a bastard, and Sara had confirmed it when she’d said that she appreciated his help.
He raked his hair off his brow. Sara had no idea that her revelation about her father’s identity was a very useful piece of knowledge that he intended to use to his advantage. His keenness to attend the gallery launch had nothing to do with an interest in art and everything to do with business. Alekos knew that the Texan oil billionaire Warren McCuskey was on the guest list. He also knew that McCuskey and Lionel Kingsley were close friends.
The story went that many years ago both men had been amateur sailors competing in a transatlantic yacht race, but the American had nearly lost his life when his boat had capsized. Lionel Kingsley had been leading the race but had sacrificed his chance of winning when he’d gone to McCuskey’s assistance. Three decades later, Warren McCuskey had become one of the richest men in the US and the person who had the most influence over him was his good friend, English politician Lionel Kingsley—who, astonishingly, happened to be Sara’s father.
Alekos was aware that networking was a crucial part of business, and the best deals were forged at social events where the champagne flowed freely. He’d heard that McCuskey was considering splashing out some of his huge fortune on a superyacht. At the party on Sunday evening, Sara would want to spend time with her father, and it would be an ideal opportunity for him to ingratiate himself with the Texan billionaire.
He took a swig of his Scotch and ignored the twinge of his conscience as he thought of Sara and how he planned to use a fake affair with her for his own purpose. All was fair in love and business, he thought sardonically. Not that he knew anything about love. GE was his top priority and he had a responsibility, a duty, to ensure that the company was as successful as it would undoubtedly have been under Dimitri’s leadership. He secretly suspected that his brother had thrown his life away because of a woman. But Alekos would never allow any woman close to his heart and certainly not to influence his business strategy.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE LIMOUSINE CAME to a halt beside the kerb and Alekos prepared to step out of the car, when Sara’s voice stopped him.
/> ‘I don’t think I can go through with it.’ Her voice shook. ‘You didn’t say the press would be here.’
He glanced out of the window at the group of journalists and cameramen gathered on the pavement outside the Wilding Gallery. ‘There was bound to be some media interest. Jemima Wilding is well-known in the art world and naturally she wants exposure for her new gallery. I suspect she leaked the names on the guest list to the paparazzi,’ he said drily.
The chauffeur opened the door but Sara did not move. ‘Doesn’t it bother you that photos of us arriving together might be published in the newspapers and give the impression that we are...a couple?’
‘But that’s the point.’ Alekos stifled his impatience, realising he needed to reassure her. When he’d phoned Sara on Saturday morning, she had said she would pretend to be his mistress and accompany him to the gallery launch. Now she seemed to be having second thoughts. ‘You want to meet your half-siblings, don’t you?’ he reminded her of the reason she had agreed to his plan.
‘Of course I do. But I’m worried my father will be angry when he sees me. He might think I came here tonight to put pressure on him to tell Charlotte and Freddie about me.’
‘Then we will have to put on a convincing act that you are my girlfriend and you are at the party with me.’
‘I suppose so.’ She still sounded unsure. Alekos watched her sink her teeth into her soft lower lip and was tempted to soothe the maligned flesh with his tongue. But such an action, although undoubtedly enjoyable, would be wasted here in the car where they couldn’t be seen.
Glancing out of the window again, he noticed a young woman, wearing a skirt so short it was not much more than a belt, standing in the glass-fronted lobby of the gallery. He gritted his teeth. Zelda Pagnotis was an irritating thorn in his side, but unless he took drastic action to end her crush on him the teenager could become a more serious problem and cause a further rift between him and her grandfather.
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