woman who wasn’t strong enough to stand up for herself.
‘So you’re here to what? Get to know me?’
‘Is that so unreasonable?’ Mina jumped on the idea like a lifeline. ‘We’re talking about a lifetime commitment.’
The hint of a smile flickered at the corner of Alexei’s mouth. ‘That’s a refreshingly...old-fashioned view.’
Mina let her eyebrows climb. ‘Marriage is a serious commitment. Why enter into one if you don’t plan to make it work?’ She wasn’t sure why she didn’t simply shrug off his comment. But marriage, like the right to make her own decisions, was something she felt strongly about. Her mother had married her country’s Sheikh not for love but because her family decreed it. It hadn’t been a happy match.
‘I see your point.’ Alexei nodded.
‘So you understand I need time to determine if a marriage would work. Surely you want that too.’
‘To assess if we’re compatible?’ Alexei didn’t move, nor did his expression alter, yet the quality of that stare flicked a warning switch. Adrenalin surged in Mina’s blood. Heat consumed her as if he’d surveyed every inch of her body with that searing scrutiny, instead of merely holding her gaze.
How did he do that?
More important, why did she react so?
Mina wasn’t oblivious to men but she’d never been swept off her feet, or into bed, by one. Her history made her cautious about ceding control to any man. Before his death, her father had mapped out her life, giving her no choice, even about the clothes she wore and the subjects she studied. Since leaving Jeirut for Paris she’d devoted herself single-mindedly to art, determined to carve a career in the field she loved. The guys who tried to sidetrack her into a relationship had never caused a ripple in her world.
Now it wasn’t a ripple she felt but an earth tremor.
Mina wouldn’t let that daunt her.
She lifted one hand negligently. ‘Before we worry about compatible perhaps we should start with finding out if we’d survive the marriage without killing each other.’
Alexei gave a crack of laughter. ‘Good point, Carissa.’ The light dancing in his eyes made him look completely different. Like someone she wanted to know.
Mina stiffened.
The first time she’d seen Alexei Katsaros, something happened that had never happened before. Her certainty had wavered and with it her confidence. Mina couldn’t abide the idea of being tentative around him, like some gullible, awed girl. It was easier to confront him. She suspected if he exerted himself to be nice it would be too easy to feel the force of his charm.
Now, abruptly, as she met his smiling look, the events of the last twelve hours took their toll.
Exhaustion slammed into Mina. Despite her determination not to back down before this man, she felt herself slump. Adrenalin had kept her going. Now that dissipated, leaving her overtired limbs shaky and her head swimming.
She had to get out of here before she made a mistake. Mina was too weary to guard her tongue and thinking straight became harder by the second. This man with the piercing green eyes would trip her up, especially since she wasn’t practised at lying.
If he discovered the truth, all this would have been for nothing. Carissa needed time to get away with Pierre and cover her tracks.
‘I’m sorry, you’ll have to excuse me.’ Mina lifted her hand to cover a yawn, only to discover the fake yawn was real. ‘I’m suddenly very tired.’
‘You didn’t sleep on the flight?’ He looked surprised.
Mina shook her head. She’d been ushered onto the private jet late in the evening for the overnight flight to the Caribbean. But despite the comfortable bed, she’d had too much going on in her head to sleep.
‘It’s been a very long day.’ She glanced at her watch, trying to calculate the time difference but to her surprise, her mind was too foggy. Tiredness and stress took their toll. ‘I’ve been awake more than twenty-four hours.’ And yesterday had been a long day, even before Carissa had dragged her into this mess. Or, to be fair, since she’d thrust herself into it to protect her friend.
Time to regroup before she said something she shouldn’t.
Mina pinned on a smile, the multipurpose one she reserved for royal meet and greets. She hadn’t used it in years and it felt rusty. ‘I’m sorry, Alexei, but I’ll have to leave you for now.’ She rose, surprised at the effort it took to stand tall. Her knees were unsteady, and for a second she swayed.
‘Could you point me towards my room, please?’
He loomed before her, the beginnings of a frown creasing his forehead. ‘You look pale.’
‘I’m fine,’ she lied. How many hours had it been since she’d eaten? She hadn’t been in the mood for food on the plane, refuelling on coffee and lots of it, but now the caffeine had worn off and she felt as powerful as a dandelion in a strong wind. ‘If you could show me the way?’
When Alexei didn’t immediately answer, Mina swung round towards the entry, remembering Henri heading down a corridor from there.
As she turned, another wave of tiredness hit and her movements lost their usual precise control. Her foot caught the edge of the plush carpet.
She didn’t trip or stagger, just paused, swaying as she caught her balance.
‘I’ll take you.’ The deep voice came from beside her ear as, to her astonishment, Alexei bent and curled his arms around her back and legs. An instant later she was in the air. Or, more precisely, in his arms, pressed against a hot body that seemed to be all solid muscle.
Mina’s breath stalled, then released on a shaky sigh at how extraordinary this felt. No one had ever held her like this. She registered conflicting feelings: shock, pleasure and an unexpected desire to burrow closer. As if Alexei were someone she trusted. Or desired.
‘There’s no need.’ The words were crisp, at odds with the strange wobbly feeling in her middle. It was impossible to sit straighter and assert control when she lay in his arms, unable to get any purchase.
Alexei ignored her words, marching out of the room.
With each step Mina felt her body move against his in a swaying rhythm that was surprisingly appealing. In other circumstances...
In other circumstances this wouldn’t happen, ever.
‘Thank you for your consideration,’ she said between barely open lips. ‘But I prefer to walk.’
That made him pause. He angled his head to look down at her and Mina was bombarded with impressions. The hard perfection of his squared-off jaw. From this intriguing angle, it was a study in obstinate power. The soaring, proud cheekbones that spoke of ancient Slavic heritage. The flare of arrogant nostrils and the fly-away effect of his winged eyebrows. The steady pump of his heart against her ribs and the power of those iron-hard arms encircling her.
Something shivered to life in the pit of
