had been kind to her. He had been one of the first to offer friendship when her mother died. She just hadn’t realised how many strings were attached to that friendship. He was the reason she had fled to Lefkis and, though he was nothing like Alexander Kosta, he had left her with a fear of men that had never faded.
‘So, Ms Mendoras…’
Ellie looked at Alexander.
‘What am I going to do with you?’
Everything had quietened on stage and they were alone on the platform. The physicality of the man facing her, his sheer brute strength…‘How do you know so much about me?’
As his sensual lips curved in a confident smile she noticed that his eyes remained cold.
‘I make it my business to know everything that happens on this island.’
‘Then you must know my determination—’
‘To speak? Yes, I do,’ he said as if this was obvious. ‘But not here and not today.’ And when she started again he added firmly, ‘This is not the appropriate forum for a heated discussion, Ms Mendoras—’
‘So you say—’
‘Yes, I do say.’
To her amazement he flicked out a business card. ‘I think you’ll find there are better ways of getting your point across.’ His voice turned faintly mocking. ‘For example, you could make an appointment with my secretary…’
She had massively underestimated him. She had pictured herself in the middle of an impassioned protest that included all the locals. But where were they? Had Kosta won them over with little more than a fairground for the children, and an endless supply of good food and wine…?
As a member of his security team approached them Ellie guessed this was the moment when she would be bundled unceremoniously off the stage.
The man glanced at her as he whispered something to his master, and Kosta smiled and shook his head. Then he added some remark in Greek she couldn’t catch. ‘This isn’t funny, Kirie Kosta—’
‘Am I laughing, Ms Mendoras?’ he snapped icily. ‘May I remind you that I have a speech to complete when I have finished with you?’
The crowd had waited a long time for him to return, and still they were quiet. They were satisfied he had everything in hand and had forgotten her, Ellie realised.
‘Shall I ask my PA to expect your call?’ Kosta prompted.
‘You’d meet with me?’
‘It’s that simple, Ms Mendoras.’
His husky tone strummed an unwelcome chord inside her, which Ellie tried very hard to ignore.
‘There’s really no need for all this drama…’
Ellie squeezed her eyes shut briefly in defeat. But wasn’t this everything she wanted? Alexander Kosta offering to meet with her? The faint spice of his cologne invaded her nostrils, reminding her how closely they were standing.
‘Take my offer,’ he said coldly, ‘or leave it. I really don’t care.’
Ellie’s gaze rested on the business card. ‘I’m not agreeing to anything until you allow me speak to the crowd—’
‘Why would they want to listen to you? What could you possibly offer them?’
He was right, Ellie realised with frustration. ‘If no one cares about Lefkis, as you suggest, what is the point in my making an appointment to see you?’
‘Because you care?’ he challenged. ‘Now, are we finished, Ms Mendoras?’
Ellie’s anger grew as she remembered the eviction notice that had been served on her that morning. All the other fishermen had left the deep-water harbour, but she had stayed on because they had asked her to make this protest. She could see how naïve she’d been now. ‘Yes, we’re finished. I have wasted enough time on a man who doesn’t care about this island or its people—’
‘You make a lot of assumptions about me. And if you won’t stop this nonsense now I think we’d better talk sooner rather than later.’
Ellie’s throat constricted with panic as Alexander beckoned to one of his men. Her flesh crawled at the thought of some man she didn’t know touching her.
‘Escort this young lady to the Olympus. I’ll deal with her when I’ve finished here. Ms Mendoras will be my guest,’ he added, as an afterthought.
The man’s attitude towards her changed immediately. His boss’s message to treat her with respect had been received.
‘I’m not going anywhere,’ Ellie said stubbornly.
She was looking at his yacht and he could see the fear in her eyes. Good. Girls like Ellie Mendoras should be taught a lesson. A yacht the size of the Olympus wasn’t just another boat in the harbour, it was another country, subject to its own rules and boundaries, all of which were decided by him. She knew that once on board she would be cut off from the outside world.
‘I prefer neutral ground,’ she insisted.
‘I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter.’ He nodded to his man.
He felt his senses stir. The chase excited him. He would close her down and end the protest very soon.
‘I couldn’t…be alone with you,’ she said hesitantly.
The protest was over that easily? Surely not! ‘I’m sure I can answer your concerns.’ He gave a curt nod, telling his man to keep an eye on her.
A rousing cheer greeted him as he returned to the stage. He had to wait for the crowd to quieten down before he could speak. When they did he asked them to be patient a little longer, and, leaning from the stage, he identified a local woman who he knew commanded respect, and asked her to join him.
Ellie couldn’t hide her surprise when Alexander came back with Kiria Theodopulos. The old lady was one of the elders of the island, and highly respected. ‘What are you doing?’ she asked him suspiciously.
‘Since you feel the need for a chaperon, I have invited Kiria Theodopulos to join us on my yacht.’
Ellie shivered inwardly. Alexander Kosta was blocking her every move, but she couldn’t waste this opportunity to put the locals’ case for purely selfish reasons. ‘All right,’ she agreed, ‘I’ll do it.’
CHAPTER TWO
‘YOU are well-meaning, but misguided, Ms Mendoras.’
‘And you are an arrogant plutocrat who presumes he knows what’s best for everyone…’
OK, this was not going exactly to plan. The atmosphere between them was deteriorating rapidly. It seemed they couldn’t inhabit the same space without passions being roused.
Ellie and Alexander were confronting each other in Alexander’s study on
