back against the edge of the table.
She swallowed. ?May I ask about this trip you?re planning? You may have noticed I don?t have a great deal of luggage with me.?
?That will not be a problem,? he said, smiling faintly. ?Arrangements have already been made to provide you with a new wardrobe,? he went on softly. ?You will find it waiting for you later.?
She gasped. ?You?ve bought me clothes?? Her voice rose. ?But that?s not possible. You don?t even know my correct size in?in anything.?
?I could have guessed,? he said drily, his eyes travelling down her body, ?but I did not have to. A maid that Kyria Irini recently dismissed for clumsiness told me happily all I needed to know.?
Natasha stiffened. ?Was there anyone working at the Villa Demeter who was not in your pay?? she asked.
?The cook,? he said, ?and the gardeners. I decided to discover for myself the food and flowers you favoured.?
?But when it came to clothes, of course, it would never occur to you that I might prefer to choose my own stuff.?
?Stuff is right,? he said thoughtfully, ?if that suit you are wearing is an example of your taste. Believe me, matia mou , its only charm is to remind me of how lovely you look without it.?
?And if I refuse to wear the things you?ve bought for me?? she demanded defiantly.
He shrugged a shoulder. ?Then go naked.? He sounded almost bored. ?Whatever you decide will be no hardship for me, I promise.?
She bit down the cutting remark she longed to fling back at him. She had to stop picking fights she couldn?t win, she thought bitterly, and remember only that she?d made a deal with herself to endure whatever he said?whatever he did?and she needed to keep to it. The way he looked at her, the way he touched her could not be allowed to be of any concern to her.
?Very well,? she said, keeping her voice neutral. ?I?ll wear what you?ve provided, if I must.?
?You are gracious indeed,? he said silkily. ?And, as a reward for your reluctant co-operation, I will make you a small gift.?
Jewellery, I presume, Natasha thought, biting her lip. As a symbol of his munificence, I have to be lit up like a Christmas tree.
But the hand that emerged from inside his jacket was not holding the flat leather case she?d expected, but an envelope.
She took it from him, and put it in her own pocket.
?Aren?t you curious to know what it contains?? he asked.
?Not unless it?s a one-way airline ticket to London,? she said. ?And that I doubt somehow.?
He clicked his tongue reprovingly. ?Your desire to be rid of me is almost wounding, Natasha mou .?
?But the cuts are hardly deep, and I?m sure you heal very easily, Kyrios Mandrakis,? she returned tautly. ?Besides, consolation won?t be too far away.?
?Not if I choose to seek it, no. But for now, I look forward to my desires being satisfied by you alone, agapi mou . Because in the days to come, the journey you make with me will be into pleasure. And you will not find it as difficult as you expect.?
He allowed her to assimilate that, and added, ?But, for now, you will be free of me for a few hours, as I need to spend some time at my office. I will join you for dinner later.
?You will go with Iorgos, after Ari Stanopoulos has spoken with you.?
?Your fixer?? It was difficult to keep her voice steady, with his words about pleasure still echoing in her head. ?I thought I?d already had my interview with him.?
?But there are also arrangements to be made in London to cover your absence, or had you forgotten such a place existed in the pleasure of my company??
He smiled at her. ?You have rent to pay, ne ? A partner in business to be reassured and supplied with help also? Ari will deal with all these concerns on your behalf. You need have no worries.?
?Oh, no,? she said bitterly. ?Life is the proverbial bowl of cherries. And I suppose in due time Mr Stanopoulos will invent a discreet lie about my current whereabouts that I can take home with me.
?Or shall I simply say I was abducted by aliens? It doesn?t feel too
She swallowed. ?May I ask about this trip you?re planning? You may have noticed I don?t have a great deal of luggage with me.?
?That will not be a problem,? he said, smiling faintly. ?Arrangements have already been made to provide you with a new wardrobe,? he went on softly. ?You will find it waiting for you later.?
She gasped. ?You?ve bought me clothes?? Her voice rose. ?But that?s not possible. You don?t even know my correct size in?in anything.?
?I could have guessed,? he said drily, his eyes travelling down her body, ?but I did not have to. A maid that Kyria Irini recently dismissed for clumsiness told me happily all I needed to know.?
Natasha stiffened. ?Was there anyone working at the Villa Demeter who was not in your pay?? she asked.
?The cook,? he said, ?and the gardeners. I decided to discover for myself the food and flowers you favoured.?
?But when it came to clothes, of course, it would never occur to you that I might prefer to choose my own stuff.?
?Stuff is right,? he said thoughtfully, ?if that suit you are wearing is an example of your taste. Believe me, matia mou , its only charm is to remind me of how lovely you look without it.?
?And if I refuse to wear the things you?ve bought for me?? she demanded defiantly.
He shrugged a shoulder. ?Then go naked.? He sounded almost bored. ?Whatever you decide will be no hardship for me, I promise.?
She bit down the cutting remark she longed to fling back at him. She had to stop picking fights she couldn?t win, she thought bitterly, and remember only that she?d made a deal with herself to endure whatever he said?whatever he did?and she needed to keep to it. The way he looked at her, the way he touched her could not be allowed to be of any concern to her.
?Very well,? she said, keeping her voice neutral. ?I?ll wear what you?ve provided, if I must.?
?You are gracious indeed,? he said silkily. ?And, as a reward for your reluctant co-operation, I will make you a small gift.?
Jewellery, I presume, Natasha thought, biting her lip. As a symbol of his munificence, I have to be lit up like a Christmas tree.
But the hand that emerged from inside his jacket was not holding the flat leather case she?d expected, but an envelope.
She took it from him, and put it in her own pocket.
?Aren?t you curious to know what it contains?? he asked.
?Not unless it?s a one-way airline ticket to London,? she said. ?And that I doubt somehow.?
He clicked his tongue reprovingly. ?Your desire to be rid of me is almost wounding, Natasha mou .?
?But the cuts are hardly deep, and I?m sure you heal very easily, Kyrios Mandrakis,? she returned tautly. ?Besides, consolation won?t be too far away.?
?Not if I choose to seek it, no. But for now, I look forward to my desires being satisfied by you alone, agapi mou . Because in the days to come, the journey you make with me will be into pleasure. And you will not find it as difficult as you expect.?
He allowed her to assimilate that, and added, ?But, for now, you will be free of me for a few hours, as I need to spend some time at my office. I will join you for dinner later.
?You will go with Iorgos, after Ari Stanopoulos has spoken with you.?
?Your fixer?? It was difficult to keep her voice steady, with his words about pleasure still echoing in her head. ?I thought I?d already had my interview with him.?
?But there are also arrangements to be made in London to cover your absence, or had you forgotten such a place existed in the pleasure of my company??
He smiled at her. ?You have rent to pay, ne ? A partner in business to be reassured and supplied with help also? Ari will deal with all these concerns on your behalf. You need have no worries.?
?Oh, no,? she said bitterly. ?Life is the proverbial bowl of cherries. And I suppose in due time Mr Stanopoulos will invent a discreet lie about my current whereabouts that I can take home with me.
?Or shall I simply say I was abducted by aliens? It doesn?t feel too
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