Playing by the Greek's Rules (4 page)

A vibrating noise caught her attention and she glanced across the room towards his jacket. When he didn't move, she looked at him expectantly. ‘That's your phone.'

He was still watching her, his gaze disturbingly intent. ‘Yes.'

‘You're not going to answer it?' She scrambled to her feet, still clutching the towel. ‘It might be her, asking for your forgiveness.'

‘I'm sure it is, which is why I don't intend to answer it.'

Lily absorbed that with admiration. ‘This is a perfect example of why I need to be like you and not like me. If that had been my phone, I would have answered it and when whoever was on the end apologised for treating me badly, I would have told him it was fine. I would have forgiven them.'

‘You're right,' he said. ‘You do need help. What's your name?'

She shifted, her wet feet sticking to the floor. ‘Lily. Like the flower.'

‘You look familiar. Have we met before?'

Lily felt the colour pour into her cheeks. ‘I've been working as an intern at your company two days a week for the past couple of months. I'm second assistant to your personal assistant.'
I'm the one who broke the photocopier and the coffee machine.

Dark eyebrows rose. ‘We've met?'

‘No. I've only seen you once in person. I don't count the time I was hiding in the bathroom.'

‘You hid in the bathroom?'

‘You were on a firing spree. I didn't want to be noticed.'

‘So you work for me two days a week, and on the other three days you're working as a cleaner?'

‘No, I only do that job in the evenings. The other three days I'm doing fieldwork up at Aptera for the summer. But that's almost finished. I've reached a crossroads in my life and I've no idea which direction to take.'

‘Fieldwork?' That sparked his interest. ‘You're an archaeologist?'

‘Yes, I'm part of a project funded by the university but that part doesn't pay off my massive college loans so I have other jobs.'

‘How much do you know about Minoan antiquities?'

Lily blinked. ‘Probably more than is healthy for a woman of twenty-four.'

‘Good. Get back into the bathroom and dry yourself off while I find you a dress. Tonight I have to open the new wing of the museum. You're coming with me.'

‘Me? Don't you have a date?'

‘I had a date,' he said smoothly. ‘As you're partially responsible for the fact she's no longer here, you're coming in her place.'

‘But—' She licked her lips. ‘I'm supposed to be cleaning your villa.'

His gaze slid from her face to the wash of water covering the bathroom floor. ‘I'd say you've done a pretty thorough job. By the time we get home, the flood will have spread down the stairs and across the living areas, so it will clean itself.'

Lily gave a gurgle of laughter. She wondered if any of his employees realised he had a sense of humour. ‘You're not going to fire me?'

‘You should have more confidence in yourself. If you have knowledge of Minoan artefacts then I still have a use for you and I never fire people who are useful.' He reached for the towel and tugged it off, leaving her clad only in her soaking wet underwear.

‘What are you doing?' She gave a squeak of embarrassment and snatched at the towel but he held it out of reach.

‘Stop wriggling. I can't be the first man to see you half naked.'

‘Usually I'm in a relationship when a man sees me naked. And being stared at is very unnerving, especially when you've been called fat by someone who looks like a toast rack—' Lily broke off as he turned and strolled away from her. She didn't know whether to be relieved or affronted. ‘If you want to know my size you could ask me!'

He reached for his phone and dialled. While he waited for the person on the other end to answer, he scanned her body and gave her a slow, knowing smile. ‘I don't need to ask,
theé mou
,' he said softly. ‘I already know your size.'

CHAPTER TWO

N
IK
LOUNGED
IN
his seat while the car negotiated heavy evening traffic. Beside him Lily was wriggling like a fish dropped onto the deck of a boat.

‘Mr Zervakis? This dress is far more revealing than anything I would normally wear. And I've had a horrible thought.' Her voice was breathy and distracting and Nik turned his head to look at her, trying to remind himself that girls with sweet smiles who were self-confessed members of Loveaholics Anonymous were definitely off his list.

‘Call me Nik.'

‘I can't call you Nik. It would feel wrong while I'm working in your company. You pay my salary.'

‘I pay you? I thought you said you were an intern.'

‘I am. You pay your interns far more than most companies, but that's a different conversation. I'm still having that horrible thought by the way.'

Nik dragged his eyes from her mouth and tried to wipe his brain of X-rated thoughts. ‘What horrible thought is that?'

‘The one where your girlfriend finds out you took me as your date tonight.'

‘She will find out.'

‘And that doesn't bother you?'

‘Why would it?'

‘Isn't it obvious? Because she didn't believe I was the cleaner. She thought you and I—well...' she turned scarlet ‘...if she finds out we were together tonight then it will look as if she was right and we were lying, even though if people used their brains they could work out that if she's your type then I couldn't possibly be.'

Nik tried to decipher that tumbled speech. ‘You're concerned she will think we're having sex? Why is that a horrible thought? You find me unattractive?'

‘That's a ridiculous question.' Lily's eyes flew to his and then away again. ‘Sorry, but that's like asking a woman if she likes chocolate.'

‘There are women who don't like chocolate.'

‘They're lying. They might not eat it, but that doesn't mean they don't like it.'

‘So I'm chocolate?' Nik tried to remember the last time he'd been this entertained by anyone.

‘If you're asking if I think you're very tempting and definitely bad for me, the answer is yes. But apart from the fact we're totally unsuited, I wouldn't be able to relax enough to have sex with you.'

Nik, who had never had trouble helping a woman relax, rose to the challenge. ‘I'm happy to—'

‘No.' She gave him a stern look. ‘I know you're competitive, but forget it. I saw that photo of you in the swimming pool. No way could I ever be naked in front of a man with a body like yours. I'd have to suck everything in and make sure you only saw my good side. The stress would kill any passion.'

‘I've already seen you in your underwear.'

‘Don't remind me.'

Nik caught his driver's amused gaze in the mirror and gave him a steady stare. Vassilis had been with him for over a decade and had a tendency to voice his opinions on Nik's love life. It was obvious he thoroughly approved of Lily.

‘It's true that if you turn up as my guest tonight there will be people who assume we are having sex.' Nik returned his attention to the conversation. ‘I can't claim to be intimately acquainted with the guest list, but I'm assuming a few of the people there will be your colleagues. Does that bother you?'

‘No. It will send a message that I'm not broken-hearted, which is good for my pride. In fact the timing is perfect. Just this morning I embarked on a new project. Operation Ice Maiden. You're probably wondering what that is.'

Nik opened his mouth to comment but she carried on without pausing.

‘I am going to have sex with no emotion. That's right.' She nodded at him. ‘You heard me correctly. Rebound sex. I am going to climb into bed with some guy and I'm not going to feel a thing.'

Hearing a sound from the front of the car, Nik pressed a button and closed the screen between him and Vassilis, giving them privacy.

‘Do you have anyone in mind for—er—Operation Ice Maiden?'

‘Not yet, but if they happen to think it's you that's fine. You'd look good on my romantic résumé.'

Nik leaned his head back against the seat and started to laugh. ‘You, Lily, are priceless.'

‘That doesn't sound like a compliment.' She adjusted the neckline of her dress and her breasts almost escaped in the process. ‘You're basically saying I'm not worth anything.'

Dragging his gaze from her body, Nik decided this was the most entertaining evening he'd had in a long time.

* * *

‘There are photographers.' As they pulled up outside the museum Lily slunk lower in her seat and Nik closed his hand around her wrist and hauled her upright again.

‘You look stunning. If you don't want them all surmising that we climbed out of bed to come here then you need to stop looking guilty.'

‘I saw several TV cameras.'

‘The opening of a new wing of the museum is news.'

‘The neckline of this dress might also be news.' She tugged at it. ‘My breasts are too big for this plunging style. Can I borrow your jacket?'

‘Your breasts deserve a dress like that and no, you may not borrow my jacket.' His voice was a deep, masculine purr and she felt the sizzle of sexual attraction right through her body.

‘Are you flirting with me?' He was completely different from the safe, friendly men who formed part of her social circle. There was a brutal strength to him, a confidence and assurance that suggested he'd never met a man he hadn't been able to beat in a fight, whether in the bar or the boardroom.

Her question appeared to amuse him. ‘You're my date. Flirting is mandatory.'

‘It unsettles me and I'm already unsettled at the thought of tonight.'

‘Because you're with me?'

No way was she confessing how being with him really made her feel. ‘No, because the opening of this new museum wing is a really momentous occasion.'

‘You and I have a very different idea of what constitutes a momentous occasion, Lily.' There was laughter in his eyes. ‘Never before has my ego been so effectively crushed.'

‘Your ego is armour plated, like your feelings.'

‘It's true that my feelings of self-worth are not dependent on the opinion of others.'

‘Because you think you're right and everyone else is wrong. I wish I were more like you. What if the reporters ask who I am? What do I say? I'm a fake.'

‘You're the archaeologist. I'm the fake. And you say whatever you want to say. Or say nothing. Your decision. You're the one in charge of your mouth.'

‘You have no idea how much I wish that was true.'

‘Tell me why you're excited about tonight.'

‘You mean apart from the fact I get to dress up? The new wing houses the biggest collection of Minoan antiquities anywhere in Greece. It has a high percentage of provenanced material, which means archaeologists will be able to restudy material from old excavations. It's exciting. And I love the dress by the way, even though I'll never have any reason to wear it again.'

‘Chipped pots excite you?'

She winced. ‘Don't say that on camera. The collection will play an active role in research and in university teaching as well as offering a unique insight for the general public.'

As the car pulled up outside the museum one of Nik's security team opened the door and Lily emerged to what felt like a million camera flashes.

‘Unreal,' she muttered. ‘Now I know why celebrities wear sunglasses.'

‘Mr Zervakis—' Photographers and reporters gathered as close as they could. ‘Do you have a statement about the new wing?'

Nik paused and spoke directly to the camera, relaxed and at ease as he repeated Lily's words without a single error.

She stared at him. ‘You must have an incredible short-term memory.'

A reporter stepped forward. ‘Who's your guest tonight, Nik?'

Nik turned towards her and she realised he was leaving it up to her to decide whether to give them a name or not.

‘I'm a friend,' she muttered and Nik smiled, took her hand and led her up the steps to the welcome committee at the top.

The first person she spotted was David Ashurst and she stopped in dismay. In answer to Nik's questioning look, she shook her head quickly, misery and panic creating a sick cocktail inside her. ‘I'm fine. I saw someone I didn't expect to see, that's all. I didn't think he'd have the nerve to show up.'

‘That's him?' His gaze travelled from her face to the man looking awkward at the top of the steps. ‘He is the reason you're hoping for a personality transplant?'

‘His name is Professor Ashurst. He has a
wife
,' she muttered in an undertone. ‘Can you believe that? I actually cried over that loser. Do I have time to get my notebook out of my bag? I can't remember what I wrote down.'

‘I'll tell you what to say.' He leaned closer and whispered something in her ear that made her gasp.

‘I can't say that.'

‘No? Then how's this for an alternative?' Sliding his arm round her waist, he pressed his hand to the base of her spine and flattened her against him. She looked up at him, hypnotised by those spectacular dark eyes and the raw sexuality in his gaze. Before she could ask what he was doing he lowered his head and kissed her.

Pleasure screamed through her, sensation scorching her skin and stoking a pool of heat low in her belly. She'd been kissed before, but never like this. Nik used his mouth with slow, sensual expertise and she felt a rush of exquisite excitement burn through her body. Her nerve endings tingled, her tummy flipped like a gymnast in a competition, and Lily was possessed by a deep, dark craving that was entirely new to her. Oblivious to their audience, she pushed against his hard, powerful frame and felt his arms tighten around her in a gesture that was unmistakably possessive. It was a taste rather than a feast, but it left her starving for more so that when he slowly lifted his head she swayed towards him dizzily, trying to balance herself.

‘Wh-why did you do that?'

He dragged his thumb slowly across her lower lip and released her. ‘Because you didn't know what to say and sometimes actions speak louder than words.'

‘You're an amazing kisser.' Lily blinked as a flashbulb went off in her face. ‘Now there's
no
chance your girlfriend will believe I'm the cleaner.'

‘No chance.' His gaze lingered on her mouth. ‘And she isn't my girlfriend.'

Her head spun and her legs felt shaky. She was aware of the women staring at her enviously and David gaping at her, shell-shocked.

As she floated up the last few steps to the top she smiled at him, feeling strong for the first time in days. ‘Hi, Professor Ass—Ashurst.' She told herself it was the heat that was making her dizzy and disorientated, not the kiss. ‘Have a safe flight home tomorrow. I'm sure your family has missed you.'

There was no opportunity for him to respond because the curator of the museum stepped forward to welcome them, shaking Nik's hand and virtually prostrating himself in gratitude.

‘Mr Zervakis—your generosity—this wing is the most exciting moment of my career—' the normally articulate man was stammering. ‘I know your schedule is demanding but we'd be honoured if you'd meet the team and then take a quick tour.'

Lily kept a discreet distance but Nik took her hand and clamped her next to his side, a gesture that earned her a quizzical look from Brittany, who was looking sleek and pretty in a short blue dress that showed off her long legs. She was standing next to Spy, whose eyes were glued to Lily's cleavage, confirming all her worst fears about the suitability of the dress.

The whole situation felt surreal.

One moment she'd been half naked and shivering on the bathroom floor, the next she'd been whisked into an elegant bedroom by a team of four people who had proceeded to style her hair, do her make-up and generally make her fit to be seen on the arm of Nik Zervakis.

Three dresses had magically appeared and Nik had strolled into the room in mid phone call, gestured to one of them and then left without even pausing in his conversation.

It had been on the tip of Lily's tongue to select a different dress on principle. Then she'd reasoned that not only had he provided the dress, thus allowing her to turn up at the museum opening in the first place, but that he'd picked the dress she would have chosen herself.

All the same, she felt self-conscious as her friends and colleagues working on the project at Aptera stood together while she was treated like a VIP.

As the curator led them towards the first display Lily forgot to be self-conscious and examined the pot.

‘This is early Minoan.'

Nik stared at it with a neutral expression. ‘You know that because it's more cracked than the others?'

‘No. Because their ceramics were characterised by linear patterns. Look—' She took his arm and drew him closer to the glass. ‘Spirals, crosses, triangles, curved lines—' She talked to him about each one and he listened carefully before strolling further along the glass display cabinet.

‘This one has a bird.'

‘Naturalistic designs were characteristic of the Middle Minoan period. The sequencing of ceramic styles has helped archaeologists define the three phases of Minoan culture.'

He stared down in her eyes. ‘Fascinating.'

Her heart bumped hard against her chest and as the curator moved away to answer questions from the press she stepped closer to him. ‘You're not really fascinated, are you?'

‘I am.' His eyes dropped to her mouth with blatant interest. ‘But I think it might be because you're the one saying it. I love the way you get excited about things that put other people to sleep, and your mouth looks cute when you say “Minoan”. It makes you pout.'