What the Greek's Money Can't Buy

CHAPTER SIX


SAKIS FELT HER moan of desire shudder through her sexy body and groaned in return. Theos, he’d been so determined not to be seen by another woman in the work environment in the way that Giselle had portrayed him in court and in the media that he’d deliberately blinded himself to just how sexy, how utterly feminine and incredibly gorgeous, Brianna was. Now he let his reeling senses register her attributes—the hands’ span soft but firm curve of her bare waist underneath his fingers; the saucy shape of her bottom and the way the supple globes felt in his hands.

And Theos, her mouth! Delicious and silky soft, it was pure torture just imagining it around the hard, stiff part of his anatomy. Sure enough, the image slammed into his brain, firing the mother lode of all sex bombs straight to his groin.

He wanted her with a depth that seriously disturbed him. He wanted her spread underneath him, naked and needy, in endless positions...

She gave a hitched cry as his tongue breached her sweet plump lips and mercilessly plunged in. He was being too rough. His brain fired at him to slow down but he couldn’t pull back. He’d had a taste of her but somehow that first taste had demanded a second, a third...

He pressed down harder, demanding more of her. His hips ground into her lower body until he was fully cradled between her thighs but even that wasn’t enough. His hands cupped her breasts and another shudder raked through her as his fingers tweaked her nipples. Blood roared through his ears at the thought of tasting them, of suckling them, tugging on them with his teeth.

When her hands finally rose to clutch his bare shoulders, when her nails dug into his skin, the rush of lust was so potent he feared he’d pass out there and then.

What the hell was happening here?

He’d never been this swept away by lust, even when he’d been in the clutches of his hormones as a young adult. Sex was great. He was a healthy, virile male who was rich and powerful enough to command the best female attention whether he wanted it or not. When he wanted it, he went all in for the enjoyment of it.

But never had he experienced this urgency, this slightly crazed need that threatened to take him out at the knees.

And they hadn’t even left first base yet!

Brianna opened her mouth wider to accommodate his rough demand. One hand left his shoulder and plunged into his hair, scraping his scalp as her fingers tightened.

He welcomed the mild pain with a glee that seriously worried him.

He’d never gone for kinky but with every scrape of her fingers his erection grew harder, more painful. God, he was so turned on, he couldn’t see straight.

Which was why it took a full minute to realise the fingers in his hair were pulling him back, not egging him on; that the hand on his shoulder was pushing him away with more than a little desperation.

‘No!’ The force of his kiss smothered the word but it finally penetrated his lust-engorged senses.

With a shocked groan, he lifted his head and staggered back.

Brianna stared up at him, her ragged breath rushing through lips swollen with the force of his kisses. But it was the expression in her turquoise eyes that froze his insides. Besides the shock mingled with arousal, the apprehension was back again.

Self-loathing ripped through him like a tornado. He might not have understood why she’d been terrified the first time, but this time he knew the blame lay squarely with him. He’d fallen on her like a horny barbarian.

He clenched his fists and took another step back. His chest rose and fell like a felon in the heat of pursuit and he dimly registered that he hadn’t bothered to breathe since he’d first tasted her.

‘I...think this has gone far enough,’ she said, her eyes darkening as they fell to his chest and skittered away.

Sakis wanted to refute that, to growl that it hadn’t gone far enough. But he would be speaking from the depths of whatever insanity gripped him.

Insanity...

Was that what he’d scornfully professed he wanted to test?

Well, now he knew. His gaze dropped to her mouth again and fresh need slammed into him.

Damn it...He knew, and yet he wanted more. Of course, ‘more’ was out of the question. Brianna held far more value to him as his assistant than she would as his lover.

Potential lovers were a dime a dozen. He only had to scroll through his diary...

The thought of doing just that for the sake of slaking the lust-monkey riding him made his mouth curl with distaste. He wasn’t his father, taking and discarding women with barely a thought between incidents, not caring about who bore the brunt of his actions.

Sucking in another breath, he forced a nod.

‘Ne, you’re right.’ He licked his lower lip, tasted her again and nearly groaned. He clawed a hand through his hair and fought to regain the control that had been all but non-existent since he walked into the gym, fully intent on a mind-clearing workout, only to find her contorted in a highly suggestive stretch that had fried his brain cells. ‘Let’s chalk it down to the pressure of the past seventy-two hours.’

A look passed through her eyes before her lids lowered. ‘Is this how you normally deal with a crisis?’

He gave another tight smile, whirled away and came face to face with his image.

Theos, no wonder she was frightened.

He looked like a crazed animal, a monster with wild eyes burning with stark hunger and a raging hard-on. He kept his back to her then forced himself to answer evenly.

‘No, I normally fly down to the lake and take a scull out on the water. Or I come here to the gym and use the rowing machine. Physical labour helps me work things through.’ Unfortunately, the physical he had in mind now involved Brianna beneath him, her thighs spread out in response to his hard, demanding thrusts.

‘Um...okay. I guess I was in your way, then. Shall I...let you get on with it?’ The slight question in her tone demanded reassurance.

Sakis had none to give. He remained exactly where he was, his back to her as he willed his body under control.

‘Mr Pantelides?’

He winced at the rigid formality in those two words. Gritting his teeth, he turned to face her. ‘Don’t worry, Moneypenny. Nothing’s changed. You tasted sweet enough but this was nothing to lose my head over. Our little experiment is over. The board is reconvening at eight. I’ll see you in the office at seven-thirty.’

A gym workout was now out of the question. Brianna’s scent lingered in the air and threatened to mess with his mind.

‘Okay. I’ll see you in the morning, then. Goodnight, Mr—’

‘Kali nichta, Moneypenny.’ He cut her off before she could trot out his title again.

Sakis scooped up his shirt, thought about putting it back on and discarded the idea. Since he couldn’t stay here, a two-— no, make that three-—mile swim in his pool was the next best option.

He was still staring at his shirt when she walked past him smelling of crushed lilies, rampant sex and sweat. God, what a combination. Against his will, his gaze tracked her sleek form. The taut, bare skin of her waist taunted him, as did the tight curve of her ass as she swayed her way out. With each sexy stride, the fire sweeping through his groin threatened to rage out of control.

It took a full minute after she’d left to realise he was still standing in the middle of the gym, clutching his shirt, gazing at the space where she’d been. With his fist tightening around the creased cotton, Sakis forced himself to admit that things indeed were about to get way worse before they got better.

And not just with his company.

* * *

‘You tasted sweet enough but this was nothing to lose my head over...’ Brianna forced herself to dwell on the relief rather than the sharp hurt burrowing inside her. The dangerous theory had been tested, the fire had been breached and they’d come out unscathed.

Are you sure? Brianna kicked off her leotard with more force than was necessary. ‘Yes, I’m sure,’ she said out loud. ‘One-hundred per cent sure,’ she added for good measure.

Her top followed and she strode into the lavish cream-and-gold decorated bathroom. Turning on the shower, she stepped beneath the spray. Hot rivulets coursed over her face, over the mouth Sakis had devoured less than five minutes ago, and a fresh wave of desire rushed over her.

‘No!’ Her hands shook as she reached for the shower gel and spread it over her body. This wasn’t happening. But it was... It had...

She’d let Sakis kiss her, had fallen into his hands like a ripe peach at harvest. She’d chosen to test the waters and had almost drowned in the process.

Because that kiss had rocked her to the depths of her soul. He’d kissed her like she was the last tangible thing in his universe, like he wanted to devour her. Aside from the pleasure of it, she’d felt his need as keenly as the need she’d fought so hard to suppress.

She didn’t want to need. For as long as she could remember, needing had only brought her disaster. As a child, her needs had come last for a mother who was only interested in her next drug fix. As a grown woman, she’d let her need for affection blind her into believing Greg’s lies.


Nothing would make her return to that dark, needful place.

Her fingers drifted once again to her tattoo.

Whatever it was Sakis needed, he could find it elsewhere.

* * *

Sakis was already in the office when she arrived just before seven. He was on the phone but cool, green eyes skated over her as she entered. Replaying the pep talk she’d given herself before she’d come downstairs, she indicated his half-finished espresso cup and he nodded. The gaze that met hers as she stepped forward to pick up his cup was all ruthless business. There was no hint of the gritty, desire-ravaged man from the gym last night.

Sakis Pantelides, suave CEO and master of his world, was back in residence.

Brianna forced herself to emulate his expression as she walked out on decidedly shaky legs towards the state-of-the-art coffee machine in the little alcove just behind her office. Setting the cup beneath the stainless silver spouts, she pressed the button.

Last night’s lurid dreams, which had kept her tossing and turning in heated agitation, needed to be swept under the carpet of professionalism where they belonged. It was obvious Sakis had consigned the gym incident to ‘done and forgotten’. She needed to do the same or risk—

‘Is the machine delivering something other than coffee this morning? The daily horoscope, perhaps?’ he drawled.

She whirled around. Sakis stood directly behind her, his powerful and overwhelming physique shrinking the space to even smaller proportions. ‘I...sorry?’

His gaze flicked to the freshly made espresso and back to her face. ‘The coffee is ready and yet you’re staring at the machine as if you’re expecting a crystal ball to materialise alongside the beverage.’

‘Of course I wasn’t. I was just...’ She stopped, then with pursed lips picked up his cup and handed it to him. ‘I wasn’t that long, Mr Pantelides.’

His lips pursed at the use of his name but, now they were back in the work environment and back to being professional, he couldn’t exactly object.

Expecting him to move, her heartbeat escalated when he stayed put, blocking her escape back to her office. ‘Was there something else?’

His gaze dropped to her lips as he took a sip of his espresso. ‘Did you sleep well?’

Unwanted flames licked at the muscles clenching in her belly. She wanted to tell him that how she slept was none of his business. But she figured answering him would make him get out of her way faster. ‘I did. Thank you for asking.’

She waited. He didn’t move. ‘I didn’t,’ he rasped. ‘Last night was the worst night’s sleep I’ve had in a very long time.’

‘Oh... Um...’ She started to lick her lips, thought better of it and blew out a short breath instead. Seriously, she had to find a way to douse these supremely inconvenient flames that leapt inside her whenever he was near. ‘It’s been a stressful few days. It was bound to affect you in some way sooner or later.’

One corner of his mouth lifted. ‘Ne, I’m sure you’re right.’ Once again his gaze dragged over her mouth. The tingling of her lips almost made her rub her fingers over them, to do something to make it stop.

She clamped her hands round her middle instead. ‘Was there something else you needed?’

He threw back the rest of the hot espresso and placed the cup on the counter. Several seconds passed in silence then he heaved a sigh. ‘I’m...sorry if I frightened you last night. I didn’t mean to get so carried away.’

Brianna’s breath caught. ‘I wasn’t... You didn’t...’ She stopped speaking, her senses clamouring a warning as he stepped closer.

‘Then why did you look so scared? Has someone hurt you in the past?’

She meant to say no, to diffuse the highly inquisitive gleam in his eyes before it got out of hand. But... ‘Haven’t we all been hurt at some point by someone we trusted? Someone we thought loved us?’ Her stark answer hung in the air between them.

He paled a little, the lines bracketing his mouth deepening. ‘I hope I didn’t remind you of this person.’

‘Not any more than I reminded you of your father.’

Her breath caught in her chest as anguish etched into his face. Until two days ago, she’d only known him to display the utmost control when it came to matters of business. Except this wasn’t business. This was intensely private and intensely painful. Witnessing his raw pain made the ice surrounding her heart crack. Before she knew it, her hands were loosening and she was reaching for his arm. She stopped herself just in time. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring that up.’

His smile was grim as his fingers clawed through his hair. ‘Unfortunately, memories once resurrected aren’t easy to dismiss, no matter how inconvenient the timing.’

‘Is there ever a convenient time to dredge up past hurt?’ Pain ripped through her question.

He heard it and froze. Green eyes speared hers in a look so intense her heart stuttered. ‘Who hurt you, Brianna?’ he asked again softly.

Feeling herself floundering, she sagged against the counter for support. ‘I...this isn’t really a topic for the office.’

‘Who?’ he insisted.

‘You had problems with your father. Mine was with my mother.’ Her voice sounded reedy, fraught with the anguish raking through her.

His smile held no mirth. ‘Look at us: a pair of hopeless cases with mummy and daddy issues. Think what a field day psychologists would have with us.’

Not once in the past eighteen months had she believed she had anything in common with Sakis. But hearing his words brought a curious balm to her pain.

‘Maybe we should ask for a group discount?’ She attempted her own smile.

His eyes darkened then the pain slowly faded, to be replaced by another look, one she was becoming intimately familiar with. ‘Was there a reason you came looking for me?’ she asked a third time.

Sakis’s jaw tightened. ‘The investigators have confirmed there’s a connection between the crash and the takeover.’

‘Really?’

He nodded. ‘It’s highly suspect that a day after my tanker crashes Moorecroft Oil and Landers Petroleum make a bid for my company.’ He turned and headed back into his office. ‘Their timing was a little too precise for it to be opportunistic.’

She entered his office in time to see him snatch up his phone. ‘Sheldon.’ He addressed his head of security. ‘I need you to dig deeper into Moorecroft Oil and Landers Petroleum.’

At the mention of Landers, Brianna froze. Thankfully, her ringing phone gave her the perfect excuse to return to her desk.

When Sakis emerged, she’d found some semblance of control, enough to accompany him into the board meeting without giving the state of her agitation away.

The conference call to Richard Moorecroft descended into chaos less than five minutes after Sakis had him on the line.

‘How dare you accuse me of such a preposterous thing, Pantelides? You think I would stoop so low as to sabotage your vessel in order to achieve my ends?’

‘You haven’t achieved anything except draw attention to your own devious dealings.’ A note of disdain coated Sakis’s voice. ‘Did you really think I’d roll over like a puppy because of one mishap?’

‘You underestimate the might of Moorecroft. I’m a giant in the industry—’

‘The fact that you feel the need to point that out impresses me even less.’

A huff of rage came over the conference line. ‘This isn’t over, Pantelides. You can count on it.’

‘You’re right, this isn’t over. As we speak, I’m digging up any connection between what happened to my tanker and your company.’

‘You won’t find any!’ The bravado in Moorecroft’s voice was tinged with a shadowy nervousness that made Sakis’s eyes gleam.

‘Pray that I don’t. Because, if I do, you can rest assured that I will come after you. And I won’t be satisfied until I rip your precious company to little pieces and feed them to my pet piranhas.’ The menace in his voice made ice crawl over Brianna’s skin. ‘And any accomplices will not be spared either.’

He stabbed the ‘end’ button and glanced around the other members of his board. ‘I’ll apprise you of any news if the investigation reaps any information.’

Sakis turned to where Brianna sat three seats to his left. He’d deliberately placed her out of his eyeline so she wouldn’t prove a distraction. Not that he hadn’t noticed her tapping away all during the conference. Now that he’d let himself experience the power of his attraction for her, he noticed everything about her. From the way her sleek, navy designer skirt hugged her bottom, to the arch of her feet when she walked into his presence.

At the most inappropriate times he’d caught himself wondering how long her hair was, whether it would feel soft and silky. Many times during his sleepless night, he’d pictured himself kissing her again, imagining the many ways he’d explore her lips again given another chance.

Only now, he noticed a little bit more. Like the vulnerability she tried to hide beneath the brusque exterior. Whatever her mother had done to her still had the power to wound her. His chest tightened with the need to go to her, brush his knuckles down her cheek and reassure her that he would take care of her...


Theos!

With gritted teeth, he tried to pull himself back under control. There would be no reassuring, just as there would be no repeat of last night’s events. What happened in his gym last night couldn’t be allowed to happen again.

Absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt.

So why was he walking towards her, letting his gaze devour the exposed line of her neck as she bent over her tablet? Why was he imagining himself lifting her up from that chair, sliding that tight skirt up—did she favour garter belts or thigh-high stockings?—and bending her over his boardroom table?

Stasi.

He was losing it and it wasn’t even nine o’clock in the morning! With a curt command, he dismissed his board members.

He waited until the room cleared before he murmured her name.

She lifted her head and stared straight at him. Deep turquoise eyes met his and Sakis wasn’t sure whether the interest it held was personal or professional. That he couldn’t even read her properly any more, sent a fizz of annoyance through him.

‘So, what happens now? I didn’t think you’d let Moorecroft know we were investigating his connection with the tanker.’

Stopping a mere foot from her, he shrugged. ‘I called his bluff and it paid off. I wasn’t sure until I heard it in his voice. He’s involved.’

‘Then why not go after him?’

‘He knows he’s cornered. Between the FCA investigation and my own, he’ll either come clean or he’ll try to do whatever he can to cover his tracks. Either way, his time is fast running out. I’ll give him a few hours to decide which way he wants to go.’

‘And if he reveals a connection?’

Sakis heard the tremble in her voice and wondered at it.

‘Then I’ll make sure he pays to the fullest extent.’ His father had got away with shady business deals for a long time before he’d been brought to justice. The same newspapers that had uncovered his treachery had uncovered the many families and employees his father had duped out of their rightful rewards.

Once his father had been put behind bars and Ari had been old enough to take over the reins of the company, the first thing he’d done was make sure the affected families were recompensed.

Letting anyone get away with fraud and duplicity would never happen.

He glanced down into the face of the woman whose body had invaded his dreams last night. She’d paled considerably, her eyes wide and haunted. His frown deepened.

‘What’s wrong?’

She surged to her feet and started gathering her things. ‘Nothing.’

‘Wait.’ He placed a halting hand on her waist and immediately felt her tense. Another stream of irritation rushed upward.

‘Y-yes?’ Her voice wasn’t quite steady and her head was bent, hiding her expression.

‘Brianna, what’s the hell is going on?’

‘Why should there be anything wrong? I’m merely returning to my office to get on with the rest of the day.’ Her words emerged in a rush.

Something was definitely wrong; something he’d said. He replayed his last words in his head, then his lips pursed.

‘You think my views are too harsh?’

Her mouth tightened but she still avoided eye contact. ‘What does it matter what I think?’

‘Tell me, what would you do?’ His hand curved firmly around her waist. When she moved, he felt the warm softness beneath his fingers. He wanted to pull her closer, glide his hand upward and cup her breast the way he had last night. It took every single ounce of willpower for him to hold himself still.

‘I...I would listen to them, find out the motive behind their actions first, before I throw them to the wolves.’

‘Greed is greed. Betrayal is betrayal. The reason for it ceases to matter once the act is done.’

Her soft lips pursed. Her nostrils flared and Sakis caught a sense of anger bubbling beneath her skin. ‘If you truly believe that, then I don’t see the point of you asking me.’

‘Under what circumstances would you forgive such an action?’

She gave a small shrug. The movement drew his attention to her breast. Sakis swallowed and cursed the heat flaring through his groin. ‘If the act was done to protect someone you cared about. Or perhaps it was done without the perpetrator knowing he was committing an act of betrayal.’

Sakis’s lips twisted. ‘My father’s betrayal was an active undertaking. So is Moorecroft’s.’

Her eyes clashed with his then she glanced away. ‘You can’t assign your father’s sins to every situation in your life, Mr Pantelides.’

This was getting personal again. But he couldn’t seem to stop himself from spilling the jagged pain in his chest. ‘My father actively cheated and bribed his way through his business dealings for decades. He betrayed his family over and over, letting us think he was one thing when he was in fact another. Even after he was found out, he was remorseless. Even jail didn’t change him. He went to his grave unrepentant.’ He sucked in a breath and forcibly steered his thoughts away from the bitterness of his past. ‘You’re deluding yourself if you think there’s such as a thing as blind, harmless betrayal.’

A shaft of pain and sympathy flitted through her eyes, just like it had back at Point Noire. She even started to move towards him before she visibly stopped herself.

Sakis felt curiously bereft that she succeeded.

‘I’m sorry for what happened to you. I...I have emails to catch up on so, if you don’t mind, I’ll get back to the office.’

‘No.’

She stared at him in surprise. ‘No?’

He glanced at his watch. ‘You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you?’

‘No, but I was going to order some fruit and cereal from the kitchen.’

‘Forget that. We’re going out.’

‘I don’t see why—’

‘I do. We’ve both been cooped up in here since yesterday. Some fresh air and a proper meal will do us some good. Come.’ He started to walk out and felt a hint of satisfaction when after several seconds he heard her footsteps behind him.

Sakis took her to a café on a quiet street in Cheapside. The manager greeted him with a smile and offered them a red high-backed booth set back from the doorway. One look at the menu and her eyes flew to collide with Sakis’s.

He was regarding her with a seriously sexy smile on his face.

‘All they serve here are pancakes,’ she blurted.

‘I know, which is why I brought you here. Time to indulge that weakness of yours.’ The way he stressed the word made a spike of heat shoot through her.

‘But...why?’ Frantically, she scrambled to gather her rapidly unravelling control. Far from being back on the professional footing she’d thought, the morning was turning into one huge, personal landmine. One she wasn’t sure she would survive.

‘Because it’s perfect ammunition.’ Again he smiled and her heart lurched.

‘You see my weakness for pancakes as ammunition?’ She felt her lips twitch and allowed herself a small smile. Just then, a waiter walked past with a steaming heap of blueberry pancakes dripping in honey. She barely managed to stifle her groan, but Sakis heard it.

A dark, hungry look entered his eyes that made her stomach muscles clench hard. ‘I’m not so sure whether to be pleased or irritated that I’ve uncovered this piece of information about you, Brianna. On the one hand, it could be the perfect weapon to get you to do whatever I want.’

‘I already do whatever you want.’ The loaded answer made heat crawl up her neck. His keen gaze followed it then scoured her face before locking on hers.

‘Do you? I distinctly recall a few times when you’ve refused to do my bidding.’

‘I wouldn’t have lasted two minutes if I’d pandered to you in any shape or form.’

‘No, you wouldn’t have. I told Ari you were my Rottweiler.’

She gave a shocked gasp. ‘You compared me to a dog?’

He grimaced and had the grace to look uncomfortable. ‘It was a metaphor but, in hindsight, I should’ve used a more...flattering description.’ He beckoned the waiter who’d been hovering a booth away.

Her curiosity got the better of her. ‘How would you describe me?’

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead he gave the waiter their order—coffee and two helpings of blueberry pancakes.

Brianna stopped the waiter with a hand on his arm. ‘Can I have a side-helping of blueberries, please? And a bowl of honey? Oh, and some icing sugar and fresh cream...and two wedges of lemon...and some butter...’ She stopped when she saw Sakis’s eyebrow quirk in deep amusement. She dropped her arm and this time was unable to stop her blush from suffusing her face as their waiter walked away. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like a complete glutton.’

‘Don’t apologise for your desires. Indulging every now and then is completely human.’

‘Until I have to pay for it with hours in the gym. Then I’ll hate every single mouthful I’m about to take.’

Immediately her mind homed in on what had happened between them last night. From the way his green eyes darkened, he was remembering too. God, what was wrong with her? Or maybe that was the wrong question. She knew what was wrong. Despite cautioning herself against it, she was attracted to Sakis with a fierce compulsion that defied reason. She accepted that now. What she needed was a cure for this insanity before it raged out of control.


‘If you regret the act before it’s happened, you take away the enjoyment of it.’

‘So you’re saying I should just ignore what will come afterwards and just live in the moment?’

His gaze dropped to her lips, the heat of it almost a caress that made her want to moan. ‘Exactly.’ He breathed the word then said nothing else.

Silence grew between them, the only sound the distant clatter of plates and cutlery from other diners.

She could only stand it for a few minutes until she felt as if she’d combust from the sizzling tension in the air. Forcefully, she cleared her throat and searched for a neutral subject, one that would defuse the stressful atmosphere. ‘You were going to tell me what your description of me would be.’ Oh, nice one, Brianna.

He sat back in his seat, extended his arm along the back of the booth. Her eyes fell on rippling muscle beneath his shirt and she barely managed to swallow.

‘Perhaps now is not the time, or the place.’

Leave it, Brianna...leave it. ‘Oh, is it that bad?’

‘No, it’s that good.’

She breathed deeply and opted for silence. When their food arrived, she pounced on it, feeding her culinary appetite the way she couldn’t let herself feed on the dark, carnal promise in Sakis’s eyes.

She looked up several minutes later to find him watching her with an expression of mingled shock and amusement.

‘Sorry, it’s your fault. Now you’ve unleashed my innermost craving, there’s no stopping me.’ She took another sinful bite and barely managed to stop her eyes rolling in pleasure.

‘On the contrary, seeing you eat something other than a salad and with such...relish is a pleasurable experience in itself.’

‘Don’t worry; I’m not going to re-enact a When Harry Met Sally moment.’

A puzzled frown marred his forehead. ‘A what?’

She laughed. ‘You’ve never seen that clip where the actress simulates an orgasm in a restaurant?’

He swallowed. ‘No, I haven’t. But I prefer my orgasmic experiences not to be simulated. When it comes to orgasms, only the real thing will do. Do you not agree?’

Dear Lord, was she really having breakfast with her boss, discussing orgasms? ‘I wasn’t... This was...’ She stopped, silently willing her racing pulse to quieten. ‘I was merely making conversation. I don’t have an opinion on orgasms one way or another.’

His low laugh caressed her senses like soft butterfly wings. ‘Everyone has an opinion on orgasms, Brianna. Some of us may have stronger opinions than others, but we all have them.’

She was not going to think about Sakis and orgasms together. She was not. ‘Um...okay; point taken. But I’d rather not discuss it any longer, if that’s okay with you?’

He finished the last of his pancakes and picked up his black coffee. ‘Certainly. But some subjects have a habit of lingering until they’re dealt with.’

‘And other subjects deserve more attention than others. What was your other point?’

‘Sorry?’

‘Before the subject went...sideways you said “on the one hand”. I was wondering what the other was.’

It was a purely diversionary tactic, but she wanted—no, needed—to get off the subject that was making desire dredge through her pelvis like a pervasive drug, threatening to fool her into thinking she could taste the forbidden and come out whole.

There would be no coming out whole once she gave in to the hunger that burned within her, that burned relentlessly in Sakis’s eyes. Wanting—or, God forbid, needing—a man like Sakis would destroy her eventually. Their conversation in the boardroom had reiterated the fact that he was emotionally scarred from what his father had done to him. He would never allow himself to trust anyone, never mind reaching the point of needing another human being to the extent she suspected she would crave if she didn’t control her feelings.

‘On the other hand, I’m glad I know this weakness. Because I have a feeling you don’t give yourself permission enough to enjoy the simple things in life.’

Her heart hammered with something suspiciously like elation. ‘And you...you want to give me that?’

‘I want to give you that. I want to indulge you like you’ve never been indulged before.’

Simple words. But oh, so dangerous to her current state of mind.

‘Why?’ she blurted before she could stop herself.

Her question seemed to surprise him. His lashes swept down and veiled his eyes. ‘For starters, I’m hoping to be rewarded with one of those rare smiles of yours.’ He looked back up and his expression stopped her breath. There was a solemn kinship, a gentleness in their depths, that made her heart flip. ‘And because I had my brothers while I dealt with my daddy issues. But you, as far as I know, are an only child, correct?’

Emotion clogged her throat. ‘Correct,’ she croaked, battling the threat of tears.

That weird connection tightened, latched and embedded deeply, frightening but soothing at the same time. ‘Let’s call this therapy, then.’ He glanced down at her plate where one last square of honey-soaked pancake was poised on her fork. ‘Are you finished?’

She hadn’t but the thought of putting that last morsel in her mouth while he watched with those all-seeing eyes was too much to bear. ‘Yes, I’m done. And thank you...for this, I mean. And for...’ She stumbled to a halt, alien feelings rushing through her at dizzying speed.

He nodded, stood and held out his hand. ‘It was my pleasure, agapita.’

* * *

By the time they returned to the office, Brianna knew something had fundamentally changed between them. She didn’t even bother to figure out a way back to equanimity; she couldn’t. Curiously, she didn’t feel as devastated at losing that particular battle.

It helped that they were barely in the door when Sakis threw out a list of things he wanted her to do but, despite the breakneck speed of dealing with his demands, they were soon both plugged into events at Point Noire, especially the clean-up process and the still missing Pantelides Six crewmembers.

After speaking to Morgan Lowell’s wife Perla for the fifth time at six o’clock, Sakis threw his pen on his desk and ran both hands over his stubbled jaw.

‘Are you okay?’

Tired eyes trained on her with breath-stopping intensity.

‘I need to get out of here,’ he rasped as he strode to the door and shrugged into his designer overcoat.

She swallowed and nodded. ‘Do you want me to book a restaurant table for you? Or call a friend to...um...’ She stopped, purely because the thought of arranging a date for Sakis with one of the many women who graced his electronic diary stuck in her gut like a sharp knife.

‘I’m not in the mood to listen to inane conversation about the latest Hollywood gossip or who is screwing whom in my circle of friends.’

His response pleased her way more than it should have. ‘Okay, what can I do?’

His eyes gleamed for a moment, before he looked away and headed towards the door. ‘Nothing.’ He stopped with a hand on the door. ‘I’m meeting Ari for a drink. And you’re logging off for the night. Is that clear, Moneypenny?’

She nodded slowly and watched him walk out, hollowness in her stomach that made her hate herself. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to be the one who wiped away that look of weariness she’d seen in his eyes. And all through today, every time he’d called her ‘Moneypenny’, she’d wanted to beg him to call her ‘Brianna’. Because she loved the way he said her name.

She glanced down at the fingers resting on her keyboard and wasn’t surprised to see them trembling. Her whole being trembled with the depth of the feelings that had been coursing through her all day. Frankly, it scared the hell out of her.

Hurriedly, she shut down the computer and gathered her tablet, phone and handbag. She’d just slid her chair neatly into the space beneath her desk when the phone rang. Thinking it was Sakis—because who else would ring her at seven-thirty on a work night?—she pounced on the handset.

‘Hello?’

‘May I speak to Anna Simpson?’

A spear of ice pinned her in place as her lips parted on a soundless gasp. A full minute passed. Her lungs burned until she managed to force herself back from the brink of unconsciousness. ‘Excuse me, I...I think you’ve got the wrong number.’

The ugly laugh at the end of the line shook her to the very soul. ‘We both know I don’t have the wrong number, don’t we, sweetheart?

She didn’t respond—couldn’t—because the phone had fallen from her nerveless fingers.

Another full minute passed. ‘Hello?’ came the impatient echoing voice. ‘Anna?’

Numbness spreading through her, she picked up the phone. ‘I told you there...there’s no one by that name working here.’

But it was too late. She recognised the taunting, reedy voice at the end of the line. It was a voice she’d been dreading hearing again since her return from Point Noire.

‘I can play along if you prefer, Anna. Hell, I’ll even call you by your new name, Brianna Moneypenny. But we both know to me you’ll always be Anna, don’t we?’ mocked Greg Landers.