A Greek Escape(50)

‘Tell me this is just some bizarre coincidence,’ she implored him, her voice shaking. ‘Your coming here today.’

‘If you’re asking if your friends approached my company with their business, then I’d like to say yes. But as it was my not being entirely honest with you that created a situation where I’ve had to virtually kidnap you to get you to talk to me, then I have to tell you that we brought our business to them. When you unintentionally made me aware of what Kendon Interiors were about it interested me, and I wanted to find out more. The company whose custom they lost because of the economic downturn are an old established company and well-known to me, and I knew they wouldn’t have been dealing with your friends’ business if what they had to offer wasn’t a cut above the average in their field. Havens needed a new design company, and having had Kendon Interiors vetted over the past few weeks I liked what I saw and recommended them to my directors at Havens.’

‘And you knew I’d still be working for them, of course?’

‘With what amounted to a virtual rescue package in the shape of a potential and very valuable client on the table, your redundancy seemed pretty unlikely,’ he drawled.

So he had been listening to her that day on that beach when he’d seemed preoccupied with what he had been scribbling in his notebook—and had acted on it! Nothing would escape this man.

‘So you used what I told you about Josh and Lorna’s difficulties and deliberately set out to get them on your books just so you could get to me? That’s stalking!’ she accused heatedly.

‘I prefer to call it a good corporate move,’ he corrected. ‘And while you drove me nearly insane in the bedroom, Kayla, I think you should be aware right here and now that I never let passion of any kind rule my head. Do you really think I’d let a company of mine waste money on a product they didn’t need? A product that wasn’t going to be of enormous benefit to me financially? I’m a businessman, Kayla, first and foremost. And while I can’t deny that advising Havens to use Kendon Interiors’ skill and expertise does generate some secondary benefits, my corporate interests are what concern me over and above anything else.’

‘If by “secondary benefits” you mean getting me back into bed, forget it!’ Kayla retorted, with her pulses racing.

‘I was referring to the benefits to Kendon Interiors,’ he returned phlegmatically.

Why did she have to open her mouth and put her foot in it again?

Abashed, Kayla sank back against the cushioning black leather with her eyes pressed closed, her hair a pale contrast against the headrest.

‘You never cease trying to make me feel uncomfortable, do you?’ she expressed in a censuring whisper.

‘Quite unintentionally, believe me,’ he answered, almost as softly. ‘I think it’s this unnatural denial by you of everything there is between us that is responsible for it.’

‘There’s nothing between us,’ she refuted, knowing that in doing so she was guilty of doing exactly what he was accusing her of. Everything that was feminine in her was craving those strong arms around her again.

‘No?’ he queried, with such a wealth of meaning that her eyes flew open in guarded challenge.

He was looking at her without restraint, his eyes glittering with dark desire as they touched on the fullness of her trembling mouth. She felt her breathing grow shallow, felt an excruciating need at the very core of her as his heated gaze slid down to the silvery blue of her blouse, and her breasts rose and fell sharply in traitorous betrayal of her emotions.

‘Leonidas…’

It was the first time she had spoken his full name without penetrating sarcasm. It was a breakthrough, he thought, even if she did sound like an accused prisoner who had just realised that any further denial of her crime was useless. Or perhaps she couldn’t fight this thing that was making her so tense and cagey, that was driving him almost insane with the need to have her.

Scarcely daring to trust himself, he trailed a finger lightly along the silky texture of her jaw and heard her breath shudder brokenly through her lungs.

‘Is that a plea?’ he enquired huskily, feeling the ache in his body intensify in throbbing response.

No, it isn’t! Kayla wanted to cry out in protest—except that the feelings he was arousing were preventing her from saying a thing.

‘What do you want?’ she asked falteringly at length, not daring to look at him. If she did then she’d be lost, she realised, despairing at herself. And she couldn’t lose herself to him again—not after the last time. Not after the way he had treated her.