before returning to the original object of his scrutiny.
Katie observed the muscles in his throat move as he swallowed.
‘You risked your life for a cat?’ There was no discernible inflection in his voice.
‘Sorry, I realise it would have suited you much better if I had left a helpless baby alone.’
He gave an impatient frown. ‘What are you talking about, suited my purposes? I have no hidden agenda.’
‘You’re right—it’s not hidden, it’s blatantly obvious. It’s so much easier for you to carry on pretending you’re doing the dirty to save your friend from making a terrible marriage if I reveal myself to be an avaricious monster with no redeeming characteristics whatsoever. If, however, I turn out not to be a heartless bitch you’ll look less like the true friend and more like a spiteful, vindictive pig who can’t bear to see anyone else happy because he’s too emotionally retarded and shallow to form a decent relationship himself!’ she concluded breathlessly.
The blank incredulity of his expression gradually metamorphosed into one of smouldering fury. ‘Have you quite finished?’ he enquired with clipped hauteur.
‘Actually, no, I haven’t,’ Katie heard herself grit back belligerently, even though she’d run out of emotional steam.
As the expectant silence lengthened Nikos lifted a satirical eyebrow.
‘I didn’t risk my life. You said I did,’ she reminded him. ‘But I didn’t,’ she ended lamely. Though actually, now that she came to think about it, her actions looked a little different. This no doubt had something to do with the fact she was viewing it without the stimulation provided by gallons of adrenalin pumping through her veins.
‘I might have known you wouldn’t like animals,’ she heard herself grouch pettishly. Why can’t I keep my mouth shut while I’m still ahead? she wondered in exasperation. What was it about this man that made her say stupid things? When he was around she seemed to be possessed by a need to prove she was even more selfish and superficial than he thought her.
‘I like animals—in fact I frequently prefer them to people, especially the crazy, stupid, female type of person.’
Katie, who was normally capable of giving as good as she got, was deeply embarrassed to feel her eyes suddenly fill with tears at this fairly mild—by his standards—insult.
She wasn’t the only one to feel uncomfortable. It seemed that quite by accident she’d discovered another of Nikos’s weak spots…he looked even more dismayed by her tears than she was.
He cleared his throat. ‘I didn’t mean…’ As he spoke he seemed to notice for the first time the hand he had extended towards her. For a split second he stared at it as if it didn’t belong to him, an expression of shock on his dark, lean features. Then his expression became as unrevealing as ever as he lowered it to his side. His chest lifted as he took a deep breath.
‘Take Katerina outside and wait for the fire brigade,’ he instructed tersely as he turned to Sadie, who silently handed him a torch from her pocket. ‘Thank you.’
‘I don’t need taking anywhere…’ Katie’s voice rose to a querulous squeak as her comments fell on deaf ears. ‘And you can’t go back in there.’
‘Look on the bright side—if I don’t come out you’ll be able to marry Tom.’
Katie gave a cry of alarm as he turned and stepped back into her smoke-filled flat. If it hadn’t been for Sadie’s restraining grip on her arm she would have followed him.
‘Don’t worry, he’s not daft,’ Sadie soothed. ‘He was only trying to wind you up.’ Curiously she searched her friend’s face. ‘He won’t take any silly risks.’
This confidence from someone who had only just met the man seemed wildly misplaced to Katie. ‘I am not worried, well, no more than I would be about anyone else. Absolutely not at all,’ she said half to herself. ‘I just can’t believe he had the cheek to accuse me of risking my life. What’s he trying to prove?’
‘Do you mind if we discuss this outside?’ Sadie wondered nervously.
‘What? Yes, of course.’ With one last look at the door of her flat, which Nikos had closed behind himself, Katie followed her friend down the stairs.
‘What did he mean when he said—?’
‘I thought you said you heard the fire brigade…’ Katie interrupted, craning her head to look up the road for any sign of flashing lights.
‘I thought I did,’ Sadie replied apologetically.
‘When that guy—?’
‘Nikos,’ Katie supplied distractedly.
‘When Nikos said. Good grief…Nikos…?’ You could almost hear the sound of Sadie’s chin hitting her chest as the name clicked. ‘You mean he’s the one you…’
‘I married, yes. I don’t know how you can think about that when your house is on fire and it’s all my fault. You should be screaming abuse at me.’
‘I will if it will make you feel better, but first tell me about that incredible man.’
‘There’s nothing to tell.’ Nikos was the one subject Katie wanted to avoid. Although the way things were going it didn’t seem likely she would have much choice. Her choices were narrowing in other areas too. Her hopes of concealing the marriage from Tom now seemed hopelessly optimistic. She found that she was no longer thinking in terms of if, but when her sordid secret would be revealed.
‘He turned up tonight—apparently he and Tom went to university together.’
‘I don’t believe it!’ Sadie gasped, clearly startled by Katie’s taut explanation. ‘What were the odds on that? That must have been a bit awkward for you.’
‘Ever so slightly,’ Katie agreed drily.
‘Has he spilled the dirt to Tom?’
‘Not yet, but it’s only a matter of time.’ For the hundredth time in the past two minutes she glanced tensely over her shoulder towards the house. ‘Shouldn’t he be out by now?’
‘It’s only been a couple of minutes, Katie,’ Sadie soothed. ‘You know, I don’t know how much you paid for him, but if it had been common knowledge he was available on the open market I’m betting the price would have been higher,’ she joked with a lascivious grin.
‘I did not buy him!’ Katie denied hotly. ‘Well, not like that, it was a business arrangement, nothing more.’
Sadie shrugged pacifically. ‘If you say so. Are you sure you two haven’t met since the wedding?’
‘I don’t think I’d have forgotten.’ No, an encounter with Nikos Lakis was something that stayed in a person’s memory for ever like…like…eating bad shellfish, she thought sourly.
‘Fair enough. It’s just that you two don’t talk or act like people who have as good as just met…’
