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The Greek Tycoon's Unexpected Wife
Annie West
Stavros Denakis is furious when Tessa Marlowe turns up without warning. Weary and cynical through his experience with women, Stavros suspects the wife he hardly knows is a gold digger–surely she's here to claim her share of the Denakis millions. But Tessa is a temptation that he can't resist….Bedded by her gorgeous Greek husband, Tessa realizes she has fallen in love with him, and longs for their marriage to become real. Only, Stavros, though he may be passionate in private, remains cold in public, and is determined they stay wedded only in name….
IN THE GREEK TYCOON’S BED
They’re dangerously handsome and impossibly wealthy….
They’re used to having it all….
The secluded beaches of their private islands make the perfect setting for red-hot seduction….
These Greek billionaires will stop at nothing to bed their chosen mistresses—women who find themselves powerless to resist being pleasured….
IN THE GREEK TYCOON’S BED
At the mercy of a ruthless
Mediterranean billionaire…
ANNIE WEST spent her formative years on the east coast of Australia. Her family encouraged a love of books, the bush and travel, and she often managed to combine all three. In her teens she spent long afternoons playing tennis with her best friend. Between games, they’d stagger to her friend’s house to recover, and in that house was an unending store of books, all with that distinctive Harlequin logo on the cover. That’s how Annie discovered romance, and she’s been addicted ever since.
Fortunately she found her own real-life romantic hero while studying at university, and married him. At her first job she wrote and amended and redrafted and revised: government plans, letters for cabinet ministers and reports for parliament. All good grounding for a would-be author, especially since, in Annie’s case at least, the first draft is rarely the final.
Then Annie decided to write romance. Her chance came when she took leave to spend time with her children. At the same time she discovered Romance Writers of Australia. Since then she’s been active in RWAus writers’ groups and competitions, attends annual conferences and loves the support she gets from so many other writers. She had short stories and a romance book published in Australia, but it wasn’t until late 2005 that she found the success she sought with Harlequin.
Annie lives with her hero (still the same one after all this time) and her children at Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney. She is always thinking of travel (strictly for research purposes, of course), and in the meantime fantasizes about gorgeous men and their love lives. It’s hard work, but she has no regrets!
Annie loves to hear from readers. You can contact her at www.annie-west.com or write to her at P.O. Box 1041, Warners Bay, NSW 2282, Australia.
The Greek Tycoon’s Unexpected Wife
~ IN THE GREEK TYCOON’S BED ~
Annie West
THE GREEK TYCOON’S UNEXPECTED WIFE
To Tessa.
For taking a chance on me,
for your support, advice and encouragement,
and
for your generosity in sharing your name
for this story!
Thank you.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER ONE
STAVROS DENAKIS surveyed the crowd spilling out from his villa and permitted himself a single satisfied smile.
The engagement party was perfect. As planned.
It was a superb evening for a celebration. The black velvet of the Aegean sky shone with a lustrous net of stars and a light breeze tempered the heat.
The murmurs and laughter of delighted guests rose above a discreet background of live music. The crates of iced vintage champagne emptied almost as quickly as they were supplied.
Unerringly Stavros located his father’s wheelchair on the flagged terrace nearest the house. The old man wore a rare smile as he chatted with one of his cronies. Even from this distance his renewed vigour was obvious.
Yes. Stavros had made the right decision with tonight’s announcement.
Dispassionately he watched Angela walk down the wide stairs to the second terrace, drawing attention even among the crowd of wealthy, beautiful people. She was poised and elegant, wearing with apparent nonchalance the collar of diamonds he’d given her. There was just enough sway in those sleekly rounded hips to hold a sensual promise. For the right man.
The perfect fiancée.
She joined a cluster of guests who were neither relatives nor close friends. They were business associates.
Angela understood the value of these new associates to his latest expansion. Not indispensable to him: no one was that. But useful, worth time and effort. Already she was charming the group with her beauty and attentive interest.
She had just the right blend of wit and good looks. Of intelligence and sensuality. Of spirit and acquiescence to his wishes.
She would make the perfect wife for the CEO of Denakis International.
‘Kyrie Denakis.’
He swung round to see his head of security approaching.
Stavros registered mild annoyance. There must have been yet another attempted press intrusion. A major one this time, for Petros to bother him with it now.
For weeks his staff had repelled attempts by the paparazzi to find a way into tonight’s celebration. It had even been necessary to enforce a blanket no-fly zone over the island to ensure privacy.
‘Is there a problem?’
A ripple of expression crossed Petros’ features, a fleeting look of unease. That in itself was unique. Immediately Stavros stiffened, alert to the fact that something was most definitely wrong.
‘We have a…situation, kyrie.’
He nodded. That much was obvious.
‘A young woman has arrived.’
What had she done? Broken her neck attempting to scale the perimeter wall? Half-drowned herself trying to swim ashore unseen? Whatever her actions, the results were serious judging by the almost-expression on Petros’ dour features.
‘And?’
‘She is demanding to see you.’
For an instant Stavros felt his eyes widen in astonishment. That anyone should demand to see him. Or that his well-trained staff should not be able to escort a lone female off his premises, no matter how demanding she was. Either eventuality was extraordinary.
His curiosity grew. ‘Who is she?’
‘She refuses to give her name, kyrie.’
Stavros raised an eyebrow. ‘And yet her presence here bothers you? She isn’t Press?’ Intriguing.
‘She says not. No Press card. Not the right attitude either.’
Stavros forbore to query that. His staff were professionals, they knew their business.
‘And…?’ Of course there was more.
‘And she says it’s urgent she sees you, speaks with you privately.’
If he made time for every crank, competitor or journalist who wanted to see him, Stavros would never have privacy. Or time to run the most exclusive fine jewellery enterprise in the world.
The House of Denakis had a generations’ old reputation for magnificent artistic creations, avidly acquired by the wealthiest of the international élite. Its pieces were worn by royalty, if they could afford it. It set the standard to which other houses aspired. Managing it required not only dedication, flair and outstanding business acumen, but also ruthless single-mindedness.
He curbed his impatience as Petros pulled out a palm-sized portable monitor and handed it over. The screen showed a young woman sitting on a straight-backed chair in a bare room. Her back was to the camera but Stavros could see she wore the ubiquitous modern uniform of jeans and a T-shirt. She was slim. Dark hair pinned up on the back of her head.
Her posture caught his attention. She sat straight and alert in her hard seat. But it wasn’t nerves that made her sit so. She didn’t project an aura of apprehension. Instead her bearing seemed almost regal.
He frowned at her air of confidence. Who was she to be so sure of herself after trespassing onto his property? For a moment something about her nagged at his subconscious. Could he know her? Have met her perhaps?
He shrugged. It didn’t matter. She hadn’t been invited so he didn’t intend to see her.
‘Show her off the premises,’ he said as he passed the monitor back. ‘She’s wasting your time.’
But still Petros lingered. He cleared his throat.
Stavros tilted one impatient eyebrow.
‘There’s more, kyrie. You may wish to consider meeting her.’
‘And why would I do that?’
There was no doubting Petros’ discomfort now.
‘She has your ring. With your family seal.’
Stavros froze. He stared into his security chief’s hard features. This wasn’t a con. The ring was distinctive, one of a kind, and Petros had been with the family long enough to know the genuine item when he saw it.
Even though the ring had been missing now for four years.
‘You have it?’ Stavros held out his hand, but Petros shook his head.
‘I’ve seen it, examined it closely. But she has it on a long chain round her neck and refuses to give it up till she sees you. I could have taken it from her but it seemed best to wait and be sure…’
To be sure just who this woman was.
Again Stavros experienced that jab of curiosity. Its intensity disturbed him.
There were no unwelcome surprises in his life. He paid an army of staff very well to ensure just that. Even his professional life followed the anticipated pattern—the pattern he laid out for it. There were challenges, goals and opportunities but, with his formidable business skills, his extreme wealth and above all his determination, success was guaranteed.
His ring.
He took a slow breath as he registered the turmoil of almost-buried emotions.
It was his duty to get the piece back if he could, to pass on to the next generation. It had been ancient when one of his ancestors had worn it into battle during the War of Independence. Old even when an earlier ancestor had travelled to Byzantium seeking the emperor’s favour.
And it held more recent memories too. Of a time he’d rather forget.
Of the only time in his life that he’d failed.
‘Come!’ He turned his back on the noise of his engagement celebration. ‘Show me this woman who claims to have my property.’
