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‘You might think it amusing to defy me at every turn, but let me assure you, Maddison, I will always maintain the upper hand. You will accompany me on several dates this week and demonstrate your ecstatic enjoyment in being in my company. Is that clear?’
Mutiny flared in her eyes as she faced him. ‘I’ll loathe every minute.’
‘So will your brother if he ends up in jail.’
Blue eyes clashed with black until Maddison had no choice but to look away.
She heard him shrug himself into his jacket and the jangle of his keys as he searched for them in his trouser pocket but she didn’t turn around.
‘I’ll call for you tomorrow. Be ready at seven.’
‘What will I wear?’ she asked stiffly.
She heard him open the door but still refused to face him.
‘Surprise me,’ he said and closed the door behind him.
Maddison couldn’t help smiling a mischievous little smile as she listened to his footsteps fade away as he strode down the stairs to his car. Demetrius Papasakis was in for a surprise all right; she would have the last word and the last mocking laugh as well.
CHAPTER THREE
THE telephone rang just as Maddison was going through her wardrobe in preparation for the following evening. She absentmindedly reached down to answer the bedroom extension as she dangled a pair of bright red fishnets from one hand.
‘Maddison?’ Kyle’s voice sounded out after the long-distance pips. ‘Is that you?’
‘Kyle!’ She tossed the stockings to one side as she sat on the bed. ‘How are you?’
‘I’m sunburnt, saddle-sore and constantly starving, but I’m fine.’
‘Aren’t they feeding you properly?’
‘Of course they are, but I’ve never been so active before. You’d never believe what I can put away.’
‘I can believe it.’ Her tone was dry. She’d been paying the grocery bills for months and suffered no illusions about her brother’s capacity for consuming food. ‘Are you enjoying the work?’
‘I hate to admit it, but yes I am.’ His tone was sheepish. ‘I like the outdoor life, Maddy, and the Marquis family is great. I think I could really stick it out in the bush, maybe work the circuit a bit until I get some money behind me.’
Maddison could barely believe what she was hearing. Her restless younger brother hadn’t stuck at a job for more than a day or two and here he was declaring his intention of staying in the outback for months. It made the sacrifice she was about to make marginally more worthwhile, in spite of her reservations about Demetrius Papasakis.
‘I need to tell you something,’ she began uncertainly. ‘It’s about Mr Papasakis.’
There was a tiny silence at the other end.
‘What about him?’
‘He knows you sank his boat.’
There was a telling silence for five heartbeats.
‘But he doesn’t know where I am, right?’
‘No, but he’s not really all that interested in where you are at present. He has other fish to fry.’
‘You mean he’s not going to come after me and press charges?’ Relief had crept into Kyle’s voice.
‘Not unless things don’t go according to plan.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He’s made a sort of pact with me on your behalf.’
‘What sort of pact?’
‘He’s not going to press charges as long as I do what he says for a period of a few months.’
‘He’s blackmailing you?’
Maddison heard the unmistakable convulsive swallow in his throat. ‘You could call it that.’
‘Oh my God; it’s all my fault.’ It was the first time she had heard any sort of remorse in her brother’s voice and a part of her had to admit that perhaps some good might eventually come out of this bizarre arrangement.
‘Don’t worry,’ she reassured him. ‘I’ve got it in hand; I know how to deal with someone like Demetrius Papasakis.’
‘What does he want you to do?’
‘He wants me to marry him.’
‘Marry him?’ he gasped incredulously. ‘Whatever for?’
A remnant of feminine pique niggled at her at his surprise that anyone, even a playboy like Demetrius Papasakis, would express any desire to tie himself to her.
‘As far as I’m aware I haven’t cracked any mirrors lately,’ she said somewhat tartly.
‘I didn’t mean it like that.’ Kyle was instantly apologetic. ‘I mean why would he want to marry at all? He’s not the marrying type.’
‘He needs a smokescreen relationship,’ she informed him. ‘Or so he told me. I’m to be the happy wife at home to provide him with a suitable alibi while he cavorts with whoever he likes.’
‘And you’re OK with that?’
‘I don’t have any choice. When you sank that boat my freedom went with it to the bottom of the harbour.’
‘I’m so sorry, Maddy. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll work hard and get us a place out here in the country where he can’t find us.’
‘I’m not going to run away from someone like Demetrius Papasakis,’ she said determinedly. ‘I’m going to stay and fight it out.’
‘You’re awesome, sis, do you know that?’
Maddison smiled at the admiration in her brother’s tone.
‘You ain’t seen nothing yet, bro,’ she said. ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’
At six-thirty the following evening Maddison stood in front of the full length mirror behind her bedroom door and inspected her ensemble.
She’d rummaged through her wardrobe for the outfit she’d worn to a friend’s Pimps and Prostitutes Ball a couple of years ago. The short tight black PVC skirt and over the knee black boots with the garish fishnets were a perfect foil for the three sizes too small skimpy black top which was being somewhat overshadowed by the magnificent efforts of her lacy push-up bra.
Her make-up was the final touch—bright red lipstick, smudged of course, and heavy electric-blue eye-shadow and thick kohl pencil around her eyes giving her a distinctly raccoon-like look.
She gave herself a wicked grin; she looked like an absolute tart.
The doorbell rang at seven on the dot and, ignoring the slight flutter of last-minute nerves, she tottered over the threadbare carpet to answer it.
Demetrius didn’t even flinch when he saw her.
‘Ready?’
With the wind definitely taken out of her sails she had no choice but to nod her assent and follow him out to the car.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked once they were in the sleek black Jaguar.
‘I thought I might surprise you,’ he said, backing out of the car parking space.
She pursed her painted lips and wondered if she’d exactly been wise in trying to get the upper hand. She was beginning to suspect he was a whole lot more ruthless than she’d first allowed.
Her instincts had been right, she decided a short while later, when he parked in the main drag of the red light district of Kings Cross.
She gave him a nervous glance as he turned off the engine but his expression gave nothing away. She watched as he came around the bonnet of the car to open her door, his tall figure so striking in dark shirt and trousers that her stomach gave a funny flip flop as her door opened under his hand. She slid out with as much grace as her impossibly high heels allowed and stood uncertainly on the pavement, suddenly very conscious of the speculative looks she was receiving from the various passers-by.
‘There aren’t any nice restaurants along here,’ she said as he took her elbow to lead her down the street.
‘I know.’
She stumbled over a broken bit of pavement and his hold tightened.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked.
‘In here.’
He shepherded her into a seedy looking nightclub whose promotional signs promised scantily clad pole and lap dancers around the clock. Maddison felt the heat storm her cheeks as he propelled her to a table right up the front, her eyes instantly darting away from the buxom blonde cavorting with the slippery pole right near her chair.
‘What would you like to drink?’ Demetrius asked.
She swivelled in her seat to avoid the sight of a pair of breasts that without a doubt defied natural genetic construction.
‘Anything,’ she choked out.
The sleazy drinks waiter approached and, giving Maddison the once-over, asked for their order. She sat in a miserable silence as Demetrius asked for two champagne cocktails, her embarrassment increasing with every gyration of the dancer who seemed to be making a direct beeline for their table.
‘How was your day?’ Demetrius asked, leaning back in his chair.
‘Fine.’
The dancer had quite clearly decided the most attractive man in the house was Demetrius, and she sidled up to trail a hand through his dark curly hair, shooting Maddison a challenging glance from beneath her fluttering, seductive lashes.
A seed of anger sprouted in her chest at how he’d swiftly turned the tables on her.
‘This is a nice place,’ she said perversely, taking a generous slug of her drink while trying to ignore the dancer’s thigh, which was draped across Demetrius’s knee.
‘Yes, I thought you might feel right at home here,’ he said, reaching for his drink.
‘Do you come here often?’ she asked.
‘Not if I can help it.’ He gave the dancer a sexy smile.
She could feel her blood boiling at his deliberate attempt to embarrass her and took another deep swig of her drink.
‘Do they serve food here?’ she asked once the dancer had moved on. ‘I’m starving.’
‘Finish your drink and I’ll take you to Otto at Woolloomooloo Bay.’
It was impossible to think of a worse punishment, she decided, than to be taken to one of Sydney’s premier restaurants dressed like a streetwalker. She had to admit that she’d seriously underestimated Demetrius Papasakis and quite clearly, for this evening at least, he’d claimed not only the last word but the last laugh as well.
She got to her feet and followed him out of the nightclub with as much dignity as she could muster, but she knew the worst was probably still ahead of her.
It was.
The fine dining Otto offered in the refurbished wharf buildings at Woolloomooloo Bay was surpassed only by the elegant service and up-market clientele.
Maddison wished the floor would open up and let her sink to the harbour floor beneath, but it seemed Demetrius was after his pound of flesh and would stop at nothing to get it.
She was immediately conscious of the interested glances coming their way as they were led to their table, her embarrassment increasing a hundredfold to hear Demetrius addressed by name.
‘Mr Papasakis, would you like to see the wine list?’
Demetrius leaned back as his napkin was laid across his lap.
‘Don’t bother,’ he said. ‘Just bring us the best champagne of the house. We’re celebrating.’
The waiter had obviously been taught well for he didn’t even raise a brow. ‘Congratulations, Mr Papasakis,’ he said. ‘May I ask what the occasion is?’
‘I’m getting married,’ he said and smiled across at Maddison.
Maddison gave the waiter a wan smile and buried her head back in the menu.
‘My hearty congratulations, sir. I hope you’ll be very happy.’
Demetrius returned the waiter’s smile with a self-satisfied one of his own. ‘I intend to be very happy,’ he said. ‘Very happy indeed.’
Maddison waited until the waiter was out of earshot before she hissed across the table at him. ‘Are you crazy? That man thinks you’re marrying a prostitute! It will be all over the papers tomorrow.’
