but he would never forget the accident that had so nearly claimed her life—and he would never forgive the two people he deemed responsible for it.
In the current financial climate Tahlia would never find another buyer for Reynolds Gems. Everything was going just as he had planned. But that was not entirely true, he acknowledged irritably. He could not remember the last time he had wanted a woman as badly as he wanted Tahlia and his hunger for her angered him. He had first-hand proof that she was a woman like his father’s mistress, yet still he was consumed with this damnable longing to possess her.
Maybe he should seize what he wanted and be damned, he mused grimly. He had planned to take revenge for his sister by fooling Tahlia into believing that his company would buy Reynolds Gems and then withdrawing his offer of financial support at the last minute. He had no interest in saving Reynolds’ three failing jewellery shops, but those shops were in prime London locations. The current recession meant that the property market had all but collapsed; he knew Peter Reynolds had tried and failed to sell the shops, and that now his creditors had run out of patience, but eventually the financial climate would improve and the shops would be lucrative investments.
Thanos’s business brain told him he would be a fool to turn down the opportunity to increase his property portfolio—and wouldn’t his revenge be all the sweeter if he made it personal? Buying out Reynolds Gems would save Tahlia from financial ruin, but he would demand repayment in full—in his bed!
The tense silence stretched Tahlia’s nerves, and her skin prickled beneath Thanos’s intent gaze. He appeared relaxed, but he reminded her of a panther: sleek, dark and dangerous as it eyed its prey. She had to get out of his office, she thought wildly. Gather what little dignity she had left and leave.
She retrieved her briefcase from the floor, where she had dropped it, and turned towards the door.
‘There might be a way I could be persuaded to buy Reynolds Gems…’
His soft drawl stopped her in her tracks, and she swung back to face him, her heart thumping. It was probably a trick, she told herself, or a joke at her expense, but she was desperate for a lifeline—however tenuous.
‘How?’ she demanded baldly.
‘The time-honoured tradition of bartering—each of us has something the other wants,’ he elucidated, when she stared at him blankly. ‘It’s possible we could negotiate a deal.’
Tahlia frowned. ‘What do I have that you want? I have nothing.’
Dark eyes burned into her, and she felt a fierce tugging sensation deep in her pelvis. ‘Don’t be naïve, Tahlia,’ he said, in a faintly bored tone. ‘You know perfectly well what I want.’ He crossed the room in two strides and slid his hand beneath her chin, holding her prisoner and forcing her to meet his gaze. ‘You,’ he said bluntly. ‘I want to take you to bed and enjoy the delectable body that you share so willingly with your numerous lovers.’ He ignored her gasp of outrage and continued coolly. ‘In return for your sexual favours I am prepared to buy Reynolds Gems for the full asking price.’
A bubble of hysteria rose in Tahlia’s throat. She had been right; it was a cruel joke. But there had been no hint of amusement in Thanos’s voice, and the feral heat in his eyes scorched her skin. ‘But…you don’t like me,’ she faltered, picking from the random threads of thought that whirled in her head.
That did seem to amuse him, and he laughed derisively. ‘It is not necessary for me to like you. I want to have sex with you; I’m not suggesting that we become best friends.’
Tahlia flushed at his mockery. ‘I have always thought that lovers should also be friends.’ Thanos could not have made it clearer that he was only interested in using her body for his sexual satisfaction. ‘I am not a piece of meat,’ she told him scathingly, ‘and I am not for sale.’
Thanos’s eyes narrowed. How dared Tahlia speak to him in that contemptuous tone when, according to the press reports, she dropped her knickers for any Z-list celebrity who gave her the time of day?
‘Everything and everyone is for sale for the right price,’ he told her mockingly. ‘You should be grateful of my offer. Who else do you think will be prepared to shell out a six-figure sum for a failing company? That’s a damn good rate for even the most inventive hooker. And besides,’ he drawled, tightening his grip on her chin when she tried to jerk out of his grasp, ‘we both know you would not find it such an ordeal to share my bed. You might want to deny the sexual chemistry that burns between us, but your body is more honest.’
At that moment Tahlia would have given her life to deny his sardonic taunt, but from the moment he had moved close to her the exotic tang of his aftershave, mixed with another subtle masculine scent, had pervaded her senses and lit a flame inside her. Her breasts felt heavy, and she caught her breath when he trailed his free hand down her front and discovered the hard peaks of her nipples jutting beneath her silk blouse.
Anger was her only weapon against the insidious warmth that licked through her veins. He thought she was no better than a prostitute. She would not, could not give in to the voice in her head which urged her to agree to his outrageous proposal. It would be devastating to lose Reynolds Gems, but far worse to sacrifice her pride and her self-respect.
‘Hell will freeze over before I agree to your disgusting suggestion,’ she snapped.
He shrugged. ‘Are you prepared to stand by and allow your father to lose the company he has devoted his life to for the past thirty years?’
Tahlia swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. ‘Emotional blackmail is despicable. My father would never expect me to sell my body, even if it means losing everything he owns. You seem to think that your wealth gives you special privileges. Obviously you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth,’ she flung at him, remembering that Crispin Blythe had said that Thanos was a billionaire. ‘You believe your money can buy you anything. But it can’t buy me.’
‘In that case I may as well take what you give away freely to so many other men,’ he bit out savagely, seizing her shoulders and slamming her against his chest. He lowered his head and captured her mouth with bruising force. Tahlia gave a shocked cry, and he took advantage of her parted lips to thrust his tongue between them, exploring her with a bold eroticism that made her tremble. Anger came to her rescue and she pushed against his chest, but he merely tightened his arms around her until She felt as though she were trapped in a vice. She was determined not to respond to him, but he seemed to sense her resolve and eased the pressure of his mouth a fraction, changing the kiss from one of domination to a sensual tasting that she found utterly irresistible.
She felt as though her bones were dissolving. Her legs no longer seemed capable of bearing her weight, and she sagged against him, relaxing her balled fists and splaying her hands over his chest, feeling the heat of his body through his shirt. She felt his fingers slide up her nape and with a deft movement he released the pins from her chignon so that her hair uncoiled and fell in a scented silky curtain around her shoulders. He made a muffled noise in his throat and buried his hands in her hair, angling her head while he deepened the kiss. She responded helplessly, closing her eyes as she sank deeper into the velvet softness of his caress.
Lost in a world of sensory pleasure, she was unprepared when he suddenly lifted his head and stared down at her. The cold contempt in his dark eyes doused her in a wave of humiliation as she realised that she was clinging to him.
‘My offer still stands,’ he said coolly.
She jerked away from him, tears of shame burning her eyes. There
