every sense for as long as I desire,’ were the words that sprang out from the page.
Not on his life!
She thrust it back at him. ‘No! Absolutely no!’
‘To what exactly?’ he enquired insouciantly. He had clearly expected her denial and was now going to take great pleasure in having her spell it out to him.
‘I will not go to bed with you.’ When all her friends had been sleeping around Dione had kept her virginity, saving it for the man she would eventually marry—someone she loved and respected. She had thought Chris that man until very recently. But she was definitely not giving herself to Theo Tsardikos. Not ever! ‘Nor will I remain married to you for longer than one year,’ she added stormily. ‘In all other respects I will be your wife.’
‘There are no other respects,’ he growled. ‘A wife is a wife. A wife spends time in her husband’s bed. A wife pleasures her man.’
‘A wife also cooks and cleans and entertains.’
‘I have people to do that sort of thing,’ he answered dismissively. ‘It’s a bed companion I want and I think you’ll fit the bill admirably. You’re beautiful, you’re spirited, you’re caring. What more could a man ask for? But—maybe I can agree to your condition.’
Theo smiled to himself. It had never been his intention for them to sleep in separate beds. On the other hand it would be interesting trying to change her mind. In fact, the chase could be as enjoyable as the kill.
He had wanted her from the first second he saw her. She was quite the most striking and intriguing woman he’d ever met. He had dreamed about her last night, and what an exciting lover she had been! If dream became actuality, however…His gut twisted at the very thought.
In one respect he felt sorry for Dione, and the pressure Keristari had put on her. He wanted to make their sham of a marriage reality; he wanted her to learn to love him as a woman should love a man, not to marry him under duress and out of loyalty to her father. Keristari was a man whom no one liked except for his very loyal wife. Phrosini deserved a medal for putting up with his bullying ways.
What had happened, he wondered, between him and Dione’s mother? Clearly she hadn’t tolerated his dictatorial manner; she had got out while she could. And good for her! Maybe Dione would tell him the story one day.
‘So do you intend drawing up another contract?’ she asked him now, her chin determinedly high, her lovely, liquid brown eyes revealing her distaste of what was about to happen.
Lord, he wanted to take her into his arms and assure her that everything would be all right. That he wasn’t an ogre, that he wouldn’t hurt her. And that he admired what she was doing. But that wasn’t part of the game.
He was frankly appalled that she would marry him simply to please her father and drag him out of the mire he’d got himself into. It was misplaced loyalty as far as he was concerned.
Naturally he was sympathetic towards Keristari’s illness, but that didn’t change him from the bullying tyrant he’d always been. And even in his illness he was controlling all those around him. It was no way to behave towards your loved ones. He did not deserve their devotion.
He was so angry with the man that his tone was sharply aggressive when he answered her question. ‘Naturally. I will have it ready for your signature this afternoon.’
Dione’s head jerked as she stared at him wild-eyed. ‘So soon?’
‘Why wait?’ he asked smoothly. ‘I don’t imagine your father will want to drag this thing out. If he’s in as much trouble as you say he’ll want the money now. But no marriage, no funding! Shall we set the wedding for Sunday? Is two days enough for you to get your head round it?’
CHAPTER THREE
THEO almost laughed when he saw the consternation on Dione’s face.
‘Two days?’ she choked. ‘You can’t wait to get your hands on me, is that it? Damn you, Theo Tsardikos! Damn you to hell.’
Lord, wasn’t she gorgeous when she was angry? He felt his testosterone levels rising and it was all he could do not to drag her into his arms and kiss her senseless. ‘I was thinking of your father’s money,’ he answered, amazing himself at his coolness when inside he was on fire.
‘I bet you were,’ she snapped. ‘I’ve seen the way you look at me. But don’t forget, we shall have a piece of paper forbidding you to touch. And heaven help you if you renege.’
What a spirited person she was. What an exciting woman. His male hormones danced all over the place. ‘I wouldn’t dream of it,’ he said slowly, levelly. ‘Anything in that direction will have to come from you.’
‘Then you’ll wait till hell freezes over,’ she tossed cruelly.
He folded his arms across his chest, dropped his head to one side and studied her. ‘You’re amazing, do you know that?’
‘Amazing?’ she scoffed. ‘I’m simply telling you how it is. This is a business contract. Nothing more, nothing less, and you’d best remember it.’
‘I will remember,’ he told her. Whatever happened between him and this intriguing young lady, whether they made a success of the marriage—wishful thinking—or it failed abysmally—more like it—it would stay in his memory for the rest of his life.
‘Good,’ she snapped, standing up, and with another flash of her lovely dark eyes she headed for the door.
He did not want to let her go yet—he wanted her to stay, to talk some more; he wanted to get to know this gorgeous creature better. But sanity told him to take things easy. In any case, she had to come back to sign the new contract. His lips quirked at the pleasure of seeing her again so soon. Perhaps at his home rather than here, where they could talk longer, get to know each other better.
And then on Sunday—she would be his!
He had a lot to organise, a lot of arrangements to make. No time to detain her. He walked to the door and bade her goodbye. ‘Till later, Dione. I’ll ring you when the contract’s ready. Will you be home?’
Dione glared into his face. ‘I have no idea.’
‘Then give me your mobile number.’ He half expected her to refuse; was surprised when she wrote it down without argument. He tucked the slip of paper into his pocket and held out his hand. She ignored it, spinning on her heel and rushing out of the office as though all the hounds in hell were chasing her.
Theo smiled to himself. He was rarely short of female company but no woman had appealed to him as Dione Keristari did now. She had turned up under the most distressing of situations; she’d been forced to approach him by her demanding father, but beneath her hostility, beneath the fear she had felt when confronting him, was a beautiful woman simply waiting to be loved.
Dione marched out of the office building with her mind in torment. Theo wanted from her exactly what she’d feared. A wife in every sense of the word! Thank goodness she’d been able to talk him around; though in actual fact she wasn’t totally convinced that he would keep his word. He was the sort of guy who if you gave him an inch would take a mile.
Not
