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‘I hope so.’
‘I’ll support you if necessary,’ he said softly. Although everything that had happened was no fault of his, he felt a powerful urge to look after this woman who had had her world so swiftly turned upside down, who had experienced the worst day of her life, who was alone and vulnerable and needed a male figure to stand by her.
‘There’s really no need.’ Rhianne’s eyes flickered up towards his face, and there was a brief second when she held the contact, when something flowed between them, but he never found out what would have happened because the lift doors opened and she turned swiftly away.
He had briefly seen gratitude, but her back was to him now as she turned her key in the lock, hesitating for just a moment before pushing open the door, then, squaring her shoulders, moving inside. Zarek followed more slowly, glancing around the room with interest.
Rhianne had been dreading this moment, and her heart drummed loudly, echoing through her body in painful little bursts. All she could see in her mind’s eye was Angus and Annie. Together!
To her relief the flat was empty—she hadn’t checked the bedrooms, of course, but there was no sound save for the drum of her heart, and she glanced over her shoulder at Zarek, smiling faintly.
He gave a nod of understanding but remained near the door. He had closed it quietly behind him, not intruding, giving her space and time to do whatever she had to do. She was glad of his presence. In truth, she had been dreading coming back here for fear of what she might find.
But her sense of relief was short-lived when she saw Angus’s tie draped over the back of a chair. Angus was a rep for a pharmaceutical company and always wore suits and ties. Had he left in a hurry after she’d walked in on their lovemaking? Or was he still here?
Annie’s bedroom door was closed, and there was no sound, but Rhianne’s curiosity took her across the room. Without even stopping to think, she pushed open the door. The room was unoccupied, but as her eyes roved the space she saw further evidence that Angus had been here, perhaps even stayed. A pair of shoes in the corner, the sleeve of a shirt hanging out of the washing basket, and Rhianne knew instinctively that if she opened the wardrobe she would see one of his suits hanging there.
Actually, now that her initial anger and revulsion was over, Rhianne realised that she ought to have seen something like this coming. Angus had always had a reputation for being a womanizer, but she’d ignored that fact when he’d asked her to go out with him, believing him when he’d said she was special. And when he’d asked her to marry him, she had said yes immediately.
Only later, when their wedding arrangements were being made, had she begun to have doubts. There had been whispers that he was seeing other women; she’d actually tackled him about it, but he had convinced her that there was no truth in it, that he loved her and wanted to marry her, and, stupidly, she had believed him.
But to bed her best friend! Why, she asked herself, had she never seen the signs before? How had they managed to keep their liaison a secret?
She slammed the door shut, and immediately Zarek crossed the room and pulled her hard against him. He didn’t speak; he seemed to know instinctively that no words would make her feel better.
Rhianne felt his strength seep into her. It was easy to forget that he was a stranger whom she’d met only a few hours ago. He was her saviour, holding her strongly when she felt like collapsing, stroking her hair, murmuring in his native language, finally, tilting her chin with a gentle finger, compelling her to look into his face.
And suddenly he was kissing her—and she was kissing him back! Hungrily and deeply, taking and savouring, her body flooding with alien passion. How could it be happening? How could she react like this when she was still upset by Angus’s cavalier attitude? The truth was Zarek’s kiss meant a whole lot more to her than Angus’s ever had.
Angus had considered himself a lady’s man, God’s gift to women—which she had blindly ignored—but Zarek was in a whole different league. She sensed that immediately. He wasn’t taking advantage of her weakness, he was comforting her. And how!
Her head began to spin, and when he put her from him she clung to the doorpost for support. Wow! A raging heat consumed her, and she was in such a daze that it was impossible to move.
Whether Zarek knew that it was because of his kiss, or whether he thought it was still a reaction to her fiancé’s perfidy, she didn’t know. But, whatever, he took command.
‘Let me help you pack,’ he said. ‘Where are your suitcases?’
Rhianne ineffectively tried to clear her head. He must think her an idiot standing there with her mouth open and her eyes wide. She pointed across the room, and he dragged them from the cupboard.
‘Right, I’ll empty your wardrobe, you do the drawers.’
Never had she imagined that she would let a man, a stranger at that, fold her dresses and skirts and place them carefully into a case. She was mesmerised by the way he did it, by the way he stroked out the creases before putting the next garment on top. Until he looked at her, until his dark eyes smiled and teased. ‘Do I have to do everything?’
Mentally shaking herself, Rhianne slid open drawers and threw her undies into the other case, going hot at the thought that if he hadn’t urged her into action, it would have been his hands lifting her intimate garments. And then the next time she wore them she would have remembered that he had touched them, maybe even covertly examined them. It didn’t bear thinking about.
How one comforting kiss could have sent her into such a tizz she didn’t know. Because that was all it had been. He had meant nothing by it.
‘You shouldn’t have kissed me,’ she said, and then wished she hadn’t because it gave too much of herself away.
‘You were hurting, I wanted to kiss you better.’
‘I’m not a child,’ she shot back, knowing she was overreacting but unable to help herself. She had enjoyed the kiss! Enjoyed it, for heaven’s sake, and that scared the hell out of her! She felt awful. How could this be happening? But worse still, she had promised to work for him. They would be in close proximity for several hours each day. She couldn’t do it. Not with the memory of his kiss hanging between them like a tantalising fruit.
‘I’m very much aware of that fact,’ Zarek informed her, his voice suddenly terse. ‘I am merely here to provide support. What happened was unfortunate. If you can put it behind you then the job is still yours, if you cannot forgive me then I will take you to your friend’s house, and you will never see me again.’
He paused for a moment, his eyes connecting with hers, cool brown fighting hot blue, and Rhianne knew that she had a hard decision to make.
CHAPTER THREE
TURNING down Zarek’s job offer would be both pointless and senseless, realised Rhianne. She needed a job, she needed something to take her mind off recent events, and work would be her salvation. Feeling vaguely guilty now for saying that he shouldn’t have kissed her, she said quietly, ‘I’d still like the job.’
‘Then it’s yours,’ answered Zarek, his voice calm now, his eyes steady on hers, one eyebrow rising in a crooked arc. ‘Although I must warn you that I’m a hard taskmaster. I shall work you long hours, probably longer than you’ve ever worked in your life, but the rewards more than make up for it.’
Rhianne’s eyes widened. ‘Rewards?’ She needed to know exactly what those rewards were.
‘I pay well for good work and loyalty.’
She breathed a sigh of relief, chastising herself for thinking that he might have meant rewarding her by taking her out to dinner, for instance. Or to the theatre. Or even suggest a weekend away. Her mind had run amok at the kind of rewards Zarek might offer her.
If he hadn’t kissed her, she would probably never have thought along those lines, and even though she had explained away the kiss to her own satisfaction there was one tiny part of her that knew she must be on her guard at all times. Not from Zarek, but from the feelings that had amazingly risen inside her when their lips had touched.
It didn’t take long to finish packing, to drop her toiletries into a holdall, and her shoes into carrier bags. When she was finished, she looked around the room. She had shared this flat with Annie for three years. It wasn’t sadness she felt, though, but anger that her friend had cheated on her.
‘I’m ready,’ she announced crisply.
Zarek’s eyes met hers, and he looked at her steadily, saying nothing, simply picking up her bags and carrying them down to his car. He wished that there was something he could say or do to make Rhianne feel better. Her face was deathly pale, and he was afraid she was going to pass out. But he knew that to even touch her again would be a mistake.
She was proudly beautiful in her unhappiness. Her long eyelashes shading her incredible blue eyes, her chin high and haughty, her mouth—well, he preferred not to think about her mouth because he wanted to kiss it again. He wanted to feel its softness; he wanted to encourage a response. Because he had felt a tiny one, even though she had told him off.
Give her a few days, a week or two at the most, and she might return his kisses. Not that this was his prime aim. He felt inordinately sorry for her; he didn’t want to see her walking the streets looking for work.
But that earlier kiss had told him that she wasn’t immune, and he liked the fact that she was fighting him. In fact, it had been a long time since he had met anyone who intrigued him as much as she did.
The journey to her friend’s house was accomplished in silence. Rhianne did not seem disposed to talk, and Zarek respected that. Karen was already home from work, and as she welcomed Rhianne, she looked curiously at Zarek.
But Rhianne didn’t introduce them. She simply turned to him and said, ‘If you give me your business card, I’ll see you at nine sharp in the morning.’
Zarek bowed his head, plucked a card from his wallet and silently handed it to her. ‘Do not be late,’ he warned.
‘Who the hell was that?’ asked Karen the moment he had driven off.
‘My new employer.’
‘You’re changing your job?’
Rhianne nodded. ‘I’ve been forced to. I was told this morning to clear my desk and get out.’
‘Are they allowed to do that?’ asked Karen curiously. ‘How does that guy fit into the equation? How did you meet him?’
‘It’s a long story,’ Rhianne answered. ‘I need a drink before I tell you. Preferably something stronger than tea.’
‘A G&T it is, then,’ said her friend. ‘And I’ll join you. Why don’t you put your stuff into my spare room while I’m mixing it?’
As soon as they’d sat down, Rhianne blurted out the events of the day, from discovering Angus and Annie to being hit by Zarek.
‘Oh, Rhianne, I’m sorry.’ Karen clapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes as wide as saucers. ‘What a terrible day you’ve had!’
‘Don’t I know it. Luckily I escaped with a few bruises, and that guy who dropped me off was the one who knocked me down. Whether it’s because he felt guilty I don’t know, but he’s giving me a job.’
Her friend’s mouth fell open. ‘Talk about landing on your feet.’
‘It’s only temporary, but it will do while I look around.’
‘You don’t sound impressed,’ said Karen. ‘He’s truly gorgeous. Just the man to get you back on your feet.’
Tell me about it, thought Rhianne. Angus had been good-looking, but Zarek was doubly so. With added charisma. Which would be difficult to ignore. ‘I couldn’t care less what he looks like,’ she told her friend fiercely. ‘I’m seriously off men for the foreseeable future.’
‘I don’t blame you,’ agreed Karen. ‘I still find it hard to believe that Angus has cheated on you with Annie. Did he really think he could get away with it? I wonder how long it’s been going on?’
‘I don’t think it’s the first time he’s done that sort of thing,’ acknowledged Rhianne bitterly. ‘Someone at work told me ages ago that she’d seen him with another woman. He denied it, of course, and I stupidly believed him. He’s away such a lot with his job, how do I know what he gets up to? But to cheat with my best friend…I shall never forgive him. In fact, I shall never trust another man as long as I live.’
‘They’re not all the same.’
‘No?’ she queried, her eyes rising disdainfully. ‘My father cheated on my mother, it’s why they got divorced. I always swore it would never happen to me.’
It was late when they went to bed, and Rhianne slept fitfully, thoughts of both Angus’s betrayal and Zarek’s kiss whirling round and round in her mind. Contrarily, when it was time to get up, she was in her deepest sleep. The alarm woke her, and she jumped out of bed, forgetting her injuries until she put her foot to the floor. It was stiff and painful, and in the full-length mirror on the wardrobe door she saw a huge bruise on her thigh, a vivid reminder of all that had happened yesterday.
And today she was starting a new job!
She actually felt fit for nothing. She wanted to stay in bed and wallow in her anguish. Both physical and mental. But jobs like the one Zarek had offered didn’t come along very often. The salary he’d mentioned was virtually double what she’d been earning. She’d be a fool to throw it away.
Karen had already left, so Rhianne had the house to herself. She showered and dressed carefully in a charcoal-grey suit, teaming it with a white blouse and medium heels. She brushed her thick hair and fastened it up on top of her head, and, with a final glance in the mirror, she pronounced herself ready.
The address was in the centre of the city, and she caught the tube in. Living in London, or even its suburbs, there was no point in having a car—even if she could have afforded one. Limping the last few yards to Zarek’s office, her heartbeat quickened.
This job offer had been so sudden, so unexpected, that she wasn’t sure whether she was up to it. He was a hard taskmaster, he’d said. Which also meant that she wouldn’t have time to dwell on what had happened. This had to be good. So why wasn’t she feeling happy? Why was she feeling that she would regret taking on this job?
Diakos Holdings occupied the top two floors of an impressive building. She was shot upwards in a high-speed lift and was evidently expected because she was shown straight through to Zarek’s office.
He stood up from his desk the moment she entered. ‘Good, I’m glad you made it.’ He wore a navy suit and a pale blue shirt and he looked the epitome of a successful businessman. His silk tie was navy also with pale blue polka dots. Everything about him screamed elegance and good taste.
‘Did you have any doubts?’ she enquired, looking curiously around her once her perusal of Zarek’s attire was over. His office was state-of-the-art efficient, cool colours, sleek furniture. There were no paintings on the walls, nothing to take his mind off the job in hand. There was a view over the Thames, but the venetian blinds were angled so that they blotted it out.
‘I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t,’ he answered. ‘We did meet under rather exceptional circumstances, and my offer of a job was not done in the normal way. I would have perfectly understood if—’
‘Mr Diakos,’ interrupted Rhianne. ‘I gave my word.’
‘Of course you did,’ he said. ‘I should never have doubted it. You’re a woman of integrity, and I like that. How are you feeling this morning?’
‘Stiff and painful,’ she answered.
‘Up to working?’
‘Of course.’
‘Then we’ll begin.’
Her office was next to Zarek’s with an interconnecting door. In business mode he was very different to the man she had met yesterday.
She discovered that this was the newest branch of Diakos Holdings, and that Zarek was here to oversee things. Their head office was in Athens, and they had other branches in Europe and the United States. It was a world of high finance, and the sort of figures that were tossed around caused Rhianne’s head to spin.
He worked her hard, giving her no opportunity to think about her problems and when Zarek said they were finished for the day, she was amazed to see that it was nearly seven o’clock.
‘You’ve done well,’ he told her. ‘I didn’t expect you to keep up.’
‘Do you always work this late?’ she asked.
‘Sometimes later. Is it a problem for you?’
Rhianne shook her head. ‘It helps take my mind off…’ She tailed away, but Zarek knew what she was talking about and nodded. ‘I’d like to repay your hard work by taking you out to dinner. You must be starving.’
Almost immediately Rhianne recalled her suspicions. Her eyes blazed and, with a defiant lift of her chin, she declined his offer. ‘My friend is expecting me. She’ll have a meal cooked by now. In any case, Mr Diakos, I don’t believe in mixing business with pleasure.’
‘Of course,’ he answered evenly. ‘But bear it in mind for another occasion. Dining with me is part of the deal. It would certainly be business because I rarely switch off. You’d find yourself taking notes.’
Rhianne looked long and hard into his dark eyes and saw nothing other than complete honesty—or was there something more? The intensity she saw there made her heart leap and unwanted heat flood her skin. She felt raw vibes crossing the divide between them. With a shake of her head she turned away, picking up her bag and heading for the door. ‘Goodnight, Mr Diakos.’
‘Goodnight, Rhianne.’
The next few days followed a similar pattern. He worked her hard, but Rhianne didn’t mind, and then on Friday afternoon Zarek asked whether she would be prepared to work the next day.
‘Is this what you mean by being a hard taskmaster?’ Rhianne asked. ‘Seven o’clock every night and then weekends.’
‘So it’s a no?’ A wry smile curved his lips as though it was what he had expected.
‘You push yourself too much,’ she pointed out. ‘Is it really necessary to work on a Saturday? I thought everything was up to date.’ Heavens, he’d worked like there was no tomorrow every day, what else was there left to do?
‘On this occasion, yes, because I have to go home to Santorini. My father’s not well, and I want to be on top of things before I go.’
‘Then of course I’ll come in,’ she answered quickly and quietly. ‘I’m sorry to hear about your father. Is it serious?’
‘I’m sure it’s not, but my mother needs me. Will you be all right in my absence? I know you must still be hurting over your fiancé’s indiscretions. Have you spoken to him yet?’
Rhianne shook her head, and the pins came out of her hair, causing it to tumble about her shoulders in a cloud of auburn waves. She had always been so careful to keep it neat and tidy for work that she felt embarrassed, putting her hands to it and trying to fix it back up.
‘Don’t,’ said Zarek at once. ‘Your hair is your crowning glory; leave it loose. I like it that way.’
He liked it! What was that supposed to mean? He wasn’t supposed to like anything about her except her efficiency. Personal issues were not allowed. Hadn’t they straightened that out after The Kiss?
