The Enigmatic Greek (9 page)

He must like her a lot, he thought sardonically. It was not a habit of his to discuss his personal life with anyone, not even his mother, yet he’d found himself actually describing his schooldays to Eleanor. Even more unusually, he had complete confidence in her assurance that what he required kept off the record would stay that way. His mother had been right—as always. The company of an intelligent woman was a refreshing change, and he was by no means ready to part with this one just yet.

‘There,’ she said at last and slid the laptop over to him. ‘If you’re satisfied I’ll get it off to Ross.’

After which, of course, she would want to take off immediately for Crete to catch a plane home. As Alex read the revised draft his brain, long accustomed to dealing with several things at once, began devising ways to keep her here longer—not only to take her to bed but because he enjoyed her company. Persuading a woman to stay with him was
new. From the time he’d reached his present stature in his early teens, women had been there for the taking, from the neighbours’ daughters he met in Corfu to the women encountered in college and in the business world afterwards. But, with his parents’ union as example, marriage held no appeal. His normal male appetites were catered for by sophisticated beauties who appealed to his senses only, never to his heart. Loving someone madly, as both his parents had done, was a fate he had taken pains to avoid. Not, he realised, frowning, that he had any knowledge of pain in a romantic relationship. Arianna might have dented his pride a little, but his heart had survived undamaged.

‘Is it that bad?’ demanded Eleanor. ‘Shall I do more work on it?’

Alex shook his head. ‘No. It’s fine as it is. I always frown when I concentrate.’

‘You don’t object to the touches I put in?’

‘No. They make me sound human, so leave them. You write well.’ He pushed the laptop back to her. ‘All yours; make your editor happy.’

Eleanor was only too glad to speed the article on its way, along with the photograph which really pleased her. It portrayed Alexei Drakos in exactly the right light, his air of power unmistakeable.

‘Just wait for McLean to acknowledge it,’ said Alex. ‘Then afterwards you can relax and enjoy some lunch before you go up to the roof to sunbathe.’

‘An attractive programme,’ she agreed, and smiled wryly as the expected email popped into her inbox. ‘Here it is.’

Alex came round the desk to look over her shoulder.

‘“Good girl! Many thanks, RMcL.”’

‘Good girl!’ said Eleanor in disgust, and shut the laptop.

‘You prefer “woman”?’ said Alex, amused.

‘Would you like it if someone said “good boy”?’

‘Point taken. Let me soothe your indignation with a glass of vintage Kyrkiros wine.’

Eleanor agreed gratefully. She felt utterly wrung out, which was ridiculous. Spending the morning on one solitary article wouldn’t normally be exhausting, but getting one so important so absolutely right, and with Alexei looking on as she worked, had been a draining experience. To sink into a comfortable sofa and look out at the view as she drank her celebratory wine was a treat she deserved after the effort taken to get the interview. Though she had Talia to thank for that, she knew only too well.

‘I need a wash before lunch,’ she told Alex. ‘I won’t be long.’

‘Take your time.’ He smiled. Something he was doing a lot more lately since he’d met Eleanor Markham. ‘But not too much. You need sustenance after all your hard work.’

‘Fifteen minutes,’ Eleanor promised, and hurried off to her room. Since she was finally going to enjoy her time in the sun later, she put on the relatively conservative swimwear she wore when travelling alone, covered it with a loose pink shirt and white jeans and thrust her feet into pink flip-flops. She slapped on some moisturiser and lip gloss, brushed out her hair and put sun block, book and dark glasses in the tote bag.

‘You’re on time,’ said Alex as she joined him in the tower room. ‘A pearl among women. You notice I said
women
?’

She laughed, feeling suddenly euphoric now she’d achieved the impossible and not only written, but actually sent off, her exclusive about Alexei Drakos. ‘Duly noted,’ she assured him and accepted the brimming glass he handed her. ‘Thank you. I really need this.’

‘I asked for a salad with some of Sofia’s bread for ballast,’ said Alex, indicating the meal set out on the table. ‘We can eat something more substantial for dinner.’

Eleanor felt a little bubble of excitement rise somewhere inside at the prospect, and sternly reminded herself that their evening together was a matter of obligation for Alexei Drakos, not a dinner date. ‘Right now a cold meal is exactly what I need.’ She raised her glass in toast. ‘Plus this, of course. You make seriously good wine here on Kirkyros.’

‘Dion is a notable winemaker and a hard task-master on the subject of quality. I just make sure the wine sells. And drink it,’ he added as he touched his glass to hers.

Eleanor took another sip and rolled it round her tongue. ‘It has a flavour all its own—something like a rosé, but with more body. And,’ she added, smiling at him, ‘Delicious though it is, I’ll stick to one glass. It’s heady stuff.’

Between them they polished off most of the savoury bread with the entire platter of crayfish salad, talking so easily together, for a change, during the meal that Eleanor almost accepted when Alex offered more wine, but then shook her head and filled a glass from a jug of ice water instead.

‘Prudent lady,’ he observed lazily.

‘I’ve been looking forward to my session in the sun too much to risk a headache!’ She got up. ‘Talking of which, if you’ll excuse me I’ll now make my way to your roof garden at last.’

Alex offered to accompany her, but Eleanor smiled at him politely and shook her head.

‘I’m sure you have things to do, so I’ll leave you in peace. Tell Sofia the lunch was fabulous.’

‘It was.’ Alex opened the door for her. ‘But for me that had more to do with the charming company than the food.’ He touched her hair fleetingly and smiled into her eyes. ‘It would be wise to wear a hat.’

She nodded jerkily. ‘I’ll pop into my room and collect one on the way.’

Alex leaned in the doorway, watching her as she rushed along the hall at such speed she lost one of her flip-flops and had to bend to snatch it up. He smiled. Eleanor was very wary of him, which was all to the good. Her lack of coquetry was so appealing, he would take great pleasure in coaxing her into his bed. But instead of following her, as instinct urged, he turned away to his office to ring Stefan. He would give Eleanor her half hour in the sun before he joined her to make sure all was well with his guest, as any host worth his salt would do. After a report from Stefan, he gave his assistant a few comprehensive instructions then went back to the window to look down at the beach below, feeling restless again after the business discussion. The part of him that detested idleness was urging him to get back to take the reins in Athens, or to London to do the same there. But the part of him he usually kept in firm control was happy to stay here lotus-eating for a while.

A pity he couldn’t take Eleanor on a tour of the island rather than keeping her locked up with him in the
Kastro
, but it was better to take no chances until he saw her off on her flight from Crete. His hands clenched. He would never forget the horror of hearing his mother scream his name as she was snatched almost from under his nose, nor the harsh censure he’d received from his father for not taking more care of her—which had stung all the more for being deserved. He would make damned sure nothing happened to Eleanor Markham.

At the thought of his mother Alex felt a sudden urge to make sure all was well with her, and rang to tell her he’d done her bidding like a good son and Eleanor’s article had been sent off to her editor. Talia was delighted. She praised him lavishly and advised him to make the most of the time he was spending with his guest.

‘You are right to keep her safe there with you, Alexei
mou
,’ she said lovingly. ‘Give Eleanor my good wishes and make her promise to visit me when she gets home.’

E
LEANOR
lay perfectly still on one of the long chairs in the roof garden, her face in the shade under the parasol, and the rest of her—liberally coated with sun block—stretched out in the sun to top up her tan. For once she had no desire to read. Her mind was occupied with Alexei, and the abundance of physical attributes bestowed on him by nature. The few natural blondes of her acquaintance would kill to possess curling lashes like his; she shook her head in sudden impatience. It was time to leave this magical place. If she stayed any longer she’d risk falling for the man, which would be the height of stupidity from so many points of view she should put it out of her mind—and less cerebral parts—right now. After their hostile start he’d now warmed towards her to a very gratifying degree, it was true; enough to talk on subjects she was pretty sure he never discussed with anyone other than his mother. And on the subject of Arianna, maybe not even to Talia. But anything hotter than that was out of the question, as she well knew.

She smiled bleakly. The only man in her past she had ever felt actual lust for had made it clear he looked on her as the perfect friend. Sexy bed-mates were two a penny, he’d told her, but an intelligent female friend like Eleanor Markham was a pearl beyond price. Alex had brought up the pearl thing, too. She was tired of it.

Alex opened the door onto the roof garden quietly, and stood very still at the sight of Eleanor lying in the sun in a relatively modest bikini. Strangely, it made her far more desirable than the flaunted assets of most holiday makers, even with a dark bruise visible on her ribcage. Hands clenched at the thought of the man who had caused it, and he stood looking at her so long she stirred.

‘I disturbed you,’ he said quietly, joining her.

Eleanor sat up and pulled her shirt on. ‘I’ve had enough sun for now anyway.’ She smiled at him brightly. ‘This is a perfect place to sunbathe. Do you spend a lot of time up here?’

‘Very little.’ He sat down beside her, close enough to breathe in the scent of warm, sun-kissed female, and had to clench his hands to keep from touching the glowing skin. ‘It was the general idea when I had the work done up here but I rarely have the time.’

She shook her head in mock-disapproval. ‘Your empire would hardly disintegrate if you took half an hour off now and then, surely?’

He smiled wryly. ‘You sound just like my mother—who, by the way, asked me to pass on her good wishes when I spoke to her earlier.’

Eleanor’s eyes softened behind her dark lenses. ‘How sweet of her. Does she come up here to sunbathe?’

Alex gave a snort of laughter. ‘Never! She keeps that complexion of hers well protected from the sun. Christo, the photographer who made her famous, laid the law down from the start.’

Eleanor nodded. ‘I bought my mother the book of portraits he published, solely because the majority of them were of Talia Kazan. He described her in his foreword as his Greek goddess muse.’

‘He was furious when she gave up her career to marry
my father.’ Alex smiled sardonically. ‘Christo is a Londoner from the East End, real name Chris Higgins, who discovered her when she was a schoolgirl on holiday in London. The camera loved her and because she was in love with London, and excited by the idea of independence, she persuaded her father to let her work with the celebrated Christo. My grandfather could never deny her anything, so Talia Kazan stayed in London and became famous almost overnight. Her face was on the cover of every glossy magazine at one time or another.’

Eleanor nodded. ‘My mother still has some of them. She always wondered why Talia Kazan’s career ended so abruptly.’

‘Christo blamed my father for his muse’s desertion, but in actual fact the novelty of a modelling career wore off for her very quickly. The ex-policewoman my grandfather hired as Talia’s companion and minder was leaving her to get married, and if it hadn’t been for Christo and his pleas my mother would have given it up long before she met Milo Drakos. She was involved in a fashion shoot in winter near the Greek embassy in London. It was a bitterly cold day and my father came out of the building to see her shivering in a flimsy summer dress. He stripped off his coat, wrapped her in it and, ignoring Christo’s violent objections, swept her into a taxi with her minder and took her home.’

‘How romantic!’ Eleanor smiled at him. ‘It was love at first sight?’

His mouth twisted. ‘If it was, it didn’t last long.’ He turned away as Yannis appeared, carefully carrying a tray. ‘I thought you might be thirsty.’

‘How kind of you.’ Eleanor smiled at the boy. ‘
Efcharisto
, Yannis.’

Alex filled two glasses with fruit juice and ice and handed one to Eleanor. ‘I trust you’re taking note.’

‘That you’re waiting on me? I’m honoured.’

‘As you should be.’ He touched his glass to hers, giving her that calculated look again.

‘You mean the women you know are perfectly happy to wait on you all the time?’

‘If they’re not, they’ve never said so.’

Of course they hadn’t!

He chuckled. ‘You have a very expressive face,
kyria
journalist. Those cat’s eyes of yours shoot off sparks of disapproval.’

‘
Cat’s
eyes!’ she retorted. ‘Thanks a lot.’

‘I mean that they are gold in some light, like a lioness,’ Alex said, surprising her.

‘Hazel,’ said Eleanor, and downed some of her drink. ‘That’s what it says on my passport,’ she added as he looked blank.

‘Hazel,’ he repeated. ‘I’ll remember that.’

Eleanor gave him a sidelong, suspicious look. If he never came up here normally, why was he here now?

‘What is it?’ he asked.

She put her sunglasses back on. ‘Would you be kind enough to take me over to Karpyros tomorrow to get the ferry to Crete, please?’

Alex frowned. ‘You’re so desperate to get away?’

Not nearly as much as she should be. ‘I’m very conscious that I’m keeping you here when you should be wherever you’re due next, so—’

‘So now the article has gone off, you’re unwilling to stay a second longer than necessary.’

‘That’s not what I meant. I’m just trying to be as little trouble to you as possible.’

He reached out and whipped the sunglasses from her face. ‘I dislike staring into blank lenses. The earliest flight
I could arrange is in two days’ time. So you must endure your captivity until then.’

‘I’m sorry to be such a nuisance for you.’ Eleanor found it hard not to fidget under the black, relentless gaze. ‘But you don’t have to stay with me. I’m safe enough here with Sofia and Yannis and your security people. Just organise someone to get me over to Karpyros to catch the ferry on the day and you can be on your way first thing tomorrow. Or even tonight.’

His smile set her alarm bells ringing. ‘You are unflatteringly anxious to get rid of me, while I am only too delighted to spend extra time in
your
company.’ His eyes hardened. ‘I will not let you out of my sight until I see you safely on that plane, Eleanor Markham.’

She stared at him in surprise. ‘Why? It’s not so long since you threatened to have me fired from my job.’

‘I admit that in my concern for my mother—and my aversion to the media—I was too quick to accuse. But I have atoned for that. If nothing else, you can add a unique qualification to your CV should you seek another job—the only journalist to achieve an interview with Alexei Drakos.’

Eleanor grinned. ‘There goes that hubris again.’

He shrugged his formidable shoulders. ‘If you mean I am proud of what I have achieved in my life, I admit that. But is it so strange that I prefer to keep my personal life private?’

‘Not in the least. Yet you talked to me about some of it. Why?’

‘I wish I knew. And wish now I had not.’ The compelling eyes locked on hers again. ‘Do not betray my confidence, Eleanor Markham.’

‘I won’t, ever,’ she assured him.

‘Even though you could be paid big money for some of the information I gave you?’

‘Only if I sold it to another paper. And, since I like the
job I have now, I won’t do that. Besides,’ she added. ‘I gave you my word.’

‘So you did.’ Alex handed the sunglasses over. ‘Tell me about your life in England. You have a house there?’

‘I share one with a college friend. Originally there were four of us, but due to career changes the other two left, so now I live upstairs and the ground floor is Pat’s territory.’ She smiled. ‘It works well because I’m away so much.’

‘Who owns the house?’

‘The landlord. We rent.’

Alex looked at her curiously. ‘Wouldn’t it be better to buy a house?’

‘Of course. But only when I can afford to live alone in one.’

‘You have no wish to marry?’

She smiled wryly. ‘I’m all too familiar with the stress of sharing a house. I’d have to think long and hard before sharing my entire life with a man.’

He nodded. ‘I understand that. When I see the life Arianna has made with Dion, I have no envy, even though I once cared for her.’

‘You said she broke your heart!’

‘I was dramatic to win your sympathy,’ he said shamelessly and grinned. ‘Did I succeed?’

‘Fleetingly.’ She hesitated. ‘Don’t you want children?’

He shrugged. ‘I would like a son one day, but marriage is unnecessary for that.’

Her eyes flashed. ‘You mean you would just select an appropriate mother for your son? What then? Would he just spend his summer holidays with you?’

‘
Ochi
! He would live with me permanently.’

‘How about the mother?’

‘She could stay also, if she wished.’

‘Big of you! But if she’s the normal breed of mother you
won’t separate her from her son with a crowbar.’ She smiled. ‘Not that I need tell you that.’

‘True,’ he conceded. ‘My mother found it hard to part with me for just the brief times I spent time with my father. Even so, she kept rigidly to the terms of their agreement until I was eighteen, at which point the delightful Melania came into his life. I spent only one holiday in Corfu with them and never went back.’ He smiled sardonically. ‘No one enjoyed that holiday—my father, his mistress and I least of all. I became ill soon after I arrived, and left after only a few days. That was my last holiday with my father.’

‘It must have been hard for your mother to bring you up alone.’ Eleanor’s sympathy for Talia was growing by the minute.

‘Until I went to England to school my grandfather was always there to help her when I got out of hand, as boys do. My grandmother died when I was young, and I hardly remember her, but Cyrus was a big part of my life. He adored my mother. It must have been hard for him to let her work with Christo.’ He shook his head suddenly. ‘Amazing! I find myself telling you things I never speak of to anyone else, Eleanor Markham.’

She smiled. ‘Probably because I have infinite experience in providing a listening ear—right through school, college and afterwards when I shared a house with friends. When they had man trouble—a pretty regular occurrence—I provided tea and sympathy and even mopping up.’

‘Did they return the favour?’ he said, amused.

She shook her head. ‘I kept my woes to myself.’

‘As I said before, a pearl among women!’

The pearl thing again! ‘You’ve forgotten my temper.’

Alex laughed. ‘I assure you I have not. Those eyes of yours flash like warning lights when you are angry. I admire such passion in a woman.’

She tried to keep her expression neutral. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. ‘Contrary to your belief,
kyrie
Drakos, I hardly ever lose my temper.’

‘Beating men up is not a habit for you?’

‘No.’ She chuckled. ‘So rest easy, you’re in no danger from me.’

‘A great relief,’ he said with sarcasm, then frowned as a sudden gust of wind rattled the screen. He got up to look out from the balustrade. ‘Eleanor, we must go down. A storm is coming. You can read in the tower room instead.’

She pulled on her jeans hurriedly. ‘I can read in my room.’

‘Then I will feel like your jailer. I shall work in my office. You can have the tower room to yourself and watch the storm coming.’

Not a prospect Eleanor fancied at all. But she fancied solitude in her room even less. ‘Thank you. I’ll run my laptop on the battery and do some work.’

A gust of wind caught her as she made for the door. Alex shot out an arm to steady her, took charge of her bag and thrust her through the doorway as the wind began to rise in earnest. He slammed the door closed behind them and followed her down to her room.

‘You are quite safe here, Eleanor. If the electricity fails we have an emergency generator.’

‘Good to know.’ She smiled brightly.

‘I will see you later.’ He handed her bag over and strode rapidly along the hall rather than surrender to the urge to stay with her and forget about work for once.

Eleanor closed the door as the wind rose to new heights. She crossed to the windows to see people rushing to haul boats up the beach out of danger and shivered enough to decide on a hot shower. She had just finished dressing when Sofia came to tell her tea was waiting in the tower room.

‘
Efcharisto
, Sofia.’

The woman nodded in approval at Eleanor’s heavy cotton sweater. ‘Good. It will be colder soon.’

Eleanor grabbed her laptop and hurried along to the brightly lit tower room to check the storm’s progress from the windows but found the view obscured by spray. She ate one of Sofia’s pastries and settled back with her tea as the wind mounted in increasing fury. Thankful she’d been spared weather like this during her island-hopping, she got down to some serious editing on the first of her travel articles. She worked steadily in an effort to ignore the escalating storm until lightning sizzled through the room accompanied by a deafening crack of thunder, and the lights went out.

Alex raced in, training one of the torches he held on her face. ‘Eleanor—are you all right?’

‘Just startled,’ she assured him breathlessly, hoping he hadn’t heard her screech of fright.

He laughed. ‘I almost said good girl, but remembered you don’t like that.’