by Maggie Cox
CHAPTER FOUR
THE DEAL WAS signed. And, although Natalie refused to meet Ludo’s enigmatic glance as she, her father and his solicitor started to file out of the traditionally furnished office, with its leaded diamond-shaped windowpanes and lingering scent of beeswax, she couldn’t help regretting that the much anticipated dinner date with him tonight wasn’t going to happen after all.
How could it after he’d so coldly refused her heartfelt plea to help her father by increasing his offer for the hotel chain? It was evident that making money was far more important to him than helping his fellow man. Good riddance, she thought, deliberately averting her gaze as she swept past him. But just the same her heart hammered hard as the warmth from his body mingled with the alluring scent of his aftershave and disturbingly reached out to arouse her.
‘Natalie?’
To her astonishment he lightly wrapped his hand round her slender-boned wrist.
‘I’d like a word with you, if I may?’
Before she could register anything but the sensation of his warm grip against her flesh and the glittering cobalt blue of his eyes he removed his hand and turned to address his waiting colleagues.
‘I need some time alone with Ms Carr.’ There was a definite tone of command in his voice and immediately they all stood up and filed out behind Natalie’s dad and his solicitor.
Before Ludo could shut the door behind them Bill Carr returned, to plant himself in the doorway, a perturbed expression on his long lean face.
‘May I ask why you want to talk to my daughter alone? If you’re angry that she was a little outspoken on my behalf, please don’t take it personally. I’m sure she meant no offence, Mr Petrakis,’ he apologised.
Natalie found it hard to quell her annoyance that her father was being so meek. For God’s sake—he almost sounded subservient! One thing she was sure of: she wouldn’t be following suit …
‘Don’t worry, Mr Carr. Although your daughter’s outburst was somewhat ill-advised, you can rest assured that I did not take it personally. I simply want to have a quiet word with her in private—if she is in agreement?’
Beginning to feel like a piece of property being bartered, Natalie bristled. Folding her arms across the cerise blouse she’d thrown into her tote at the last minute, she made herself meet Ludo’s wry glance head-on, without giving in to the urge to demonstrate her annoyance and deliberately look away.
‘Whatever it is you want to say to me, Mr Petrakis, you had better make it quick. I want to get to the bank before it closes.’
‘No doubt to check that your father’s money has gone into his account?’ Ludo commented coolly, lifting a lightly mocking eyebrow.
How she refrained from slapping his smooth, sculpted cheek Natalie didn’t know.
‘My father’s money is nothing to do with me. Believe it or not, I do have my own bank account.’
He grinned disconcertingly. ‘I’m very glad to hear it. Why don’t you come and sit down for a minute so we can talk?’
Turning towards her father, thinking he must be wondering what on earth was going on between the two of them, she just about managed a reassuring smile. ‘I’m sure this won’t take long, Dad. Will you wait for me outside?’
‘I’ll meet you in the coffee shop across the road. Goodbye, Mr Petrakis.’
‘It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr Carr.’
As soon as Natalie’s puzzled dad had closed the door behind him she could no longer stem her irritation at the handsome Greek. ‘What on earth can you possibly have to say to me after what you’ve just done? Whatever it is, I’m not sure I want to hear it. Unless you want me to convey to my dad your sincere apologies for being so heartlessly mercenary, I’d rather not waste any more time today hoping that a man who is deaf, dumb and blind to pleas for understanding will change his mind and be more compassionate. I think I’d rather put the whole thing down to bitter experience and be on my way.’
The expression on Ludo’s face suddenly reflected a severe winter frost. ‘Your indignant attitude beggars belief. What just went on between your father and me was a business transaction—pure and simple. If you can’t see that then you are more naive than I thought. It is clear that you have no idea about the vagaries of buying and selling, not to mention the effect of current market forces. If perhaps not the most successful businessman in the world, your father is at least a pragmatist and he does understand these things. I am sure he realises how fortunate he is to have had me make an offer for his business at all. It is not as though he was exactly overrun with them … At least now he will be able to pay off some of his debts.’
Natalie was shocked. ‘How do you know about his debts?’
‘I make it a point to investigate the credentials of anyone who hopes to sell me anything, Natalie.’ Emitting a weary-sounding sigh, Ludo rubbed his hand round his lean, cut-glass jaw. ‘I am genuinely sorry that your father has got himself into such a mess financially, but that does not mean I should be responsible for helping to get him out of it. I too have business interests to maintain.’
‘I’m sure you do.’
Even though his chastising reply had irked and irritated her, Natalie had to admit that she had no right to berate him when her father had brought this whole unfortunate situation down on himself. He was right. Ludo wasn’t responsible for her father’s inability to hold on to his once successful business because he’d become distracted by his propensity for acquiring more and more unhelpful bad habits. Should she really be angry at Ludo because he hadn’t agreed to pay more for the hotel chain? After all, she knew for a fact that he wasn’t a mean man. Hadn’t he spontaneously paid for her rail ticket yesterday?
Curling some long strands of drifting hair agitatedly round her ear, she inhaled a steadying breath. No matter how much she tried to square it with herself, it was still hard to understand why a businessman as wealthy as Ludo couldn’t extend a little more understanding and kindness towards a fellow entrepreneur when he was in trouble. Weren’t the newspapers and the media always banging on about the need for businesses to be more ethical these days rather than solely profit-driven?
‘Was that all you wanted to say to me?’ she asked, perversely wishing that he would talk to her about far more interesting and perhaps personal things rather than business—just so that she could hear the sound of pleasure in his voice and store it in her memory.
Almost as if he’d read her mind, Ludo’s deliberately slow, answering smile made her shiver. Inside Natalie’s lace bra her nipples prickled hotly, just as if he had run his fingertips over them …
Gravel-voiced he replied, ‘No. It isn’t. Did you forget that you agreed to meet me for dinner tonight?’
‘No … I didn’t forget. But that was before I knew that you were the man buying my father’s business.’
‘What does that have to do with us meeting for dinner?’
Natalie’s grey eyes widened in surprise that he should even have to ask. ‘How do you think my dad would feel if he found out I’d gone out to dinner with you? He’d feel betrayed. He’s already been through more than he can take without me adding to his problems.’
‘It sounds like you don’t believe that your own needs should be met, Natalie. Why is that, I wonder?’
‘What needs are we talking about?’
Her face burned, because even as she posed the question she knew exactly what he meant. It was undeniable that Ludo Petrakis aroused her. He aroused her more than any other man she’d ever been attracted to before … And what took her breath away was that, going by the licentiously seductive look in his incredible blue eyes, he seemed to be having similar feelings. But it didn’t make the situation any less awkward or uncomfortable.
Yes, her dad had made some very foolish errors concerning his business, and consequently lost everything he’d worked so hard for, but Natalie didn’t want to appear as though she was deliberately punishing him by seeing Ludo. Somehow she had to find the strength to walk away fro
m the man, no matter how much her senses clamoured for her to see him again.
She tossed her head in a bid to demonstrate that the particular needs he’d alluded to meant nothing in comparison to the more pressing one she still had on her mind. ‘The only needs I have at the moment are for my father to recover from this crippling setback and return to full health so he can find the energy and the will to start over again. By the way—not that you’ll care—did your investigations tell you that as well as losing his business he’s about to lose his home, too? Anyway, the reason I have to get to the bank is not to check that your money’s gone into his account but to get some money out to pay you back for the ticket you bought me on the train. Fortunately I have discovered that there’s an emergency code I can use to get some cash from my account.’
‘Forget about that. It’s not important. As far as I’m concerned you don’t owe me anything. Rather than have you pay me back for the ticket I’d much prefer to take you to dinner tonight and start to get to know you a little.’
Even though it was flattering that Ludo was being so persistent, Natalie couldn’t help but frown.
‘Didn’t you hear what I said? I’m sorry, but I can’t risk upsetting my dad by seeing you again. You might assume that he’s taking it all rather well under the circumstances, but he’s most definitely not coping.’ She stroked a not quite steady hand down over her tunic. ‘Look, I really do have to go now. But before I do there’s one more thing I want to ask. Why didn’t you tell me you were Greek when we met on the train? Especially after I told you that my mother came from Crete?’
In his mind, Ludo confronted a familiar wall that he was still reluctant to climb. He was proud of his heritage, but it had been three years since he’d last visited his homeland … three years since his beloved older brother Theo had perished in a boating accident off the coast of the private island that Ludo owned. It had been the darkest time of his life, and the aftermath of the tragic event had seen him spiralling into a pit of despair that he’d feared he might never get out of.
Instead of staying home to grieve with his family he’d left quite soon after the funeral, hoping to find relief from his despondency by increasing his international business interests, travelling everywhere round the globe except for his beloved Greece … His parents couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t come home. Whenever he spoke to his mother on the phone she’d plead and cry for him to return. But as far as Ludo was concerned he had disappointed her on two unforgivable counts, so he wouldn’t. Not only had he been unable to provide her with evidence of a healthy romantic relationship and the prospect of a grandchild, worse—much worse than that—his brother had died holidaying on the beautiful island paradise that Ludo had bought himself, as a reward for attaining the success he’d so often dreamed of as a boy, ultimately so that his parents might see that he was as good and successful a man as Theo. Now they would never see that.
Momentarily glancing away from the beautiful clear grey eyes that were so avidly studying him, he endeavoured to keep his tone matter-of-fact. ‘At the time I was more interested in finding out about you, Natalie. Don’t women often make the complaint that men talk too much about themselves?’
‘I don’t know about that. I just thought you’d have been pleased to tell me where you came from.’
‘Why is that? So we might have exchanged personal anecdotes and stories about our shared heritage?’ Ludo heard a spike of irritation in his voice that he couldn’t hide because he’d been inadvertently pushed into a corner. He hadn’t spoken about his country of birth or what had happened to drive him away from it to anyone … not even trusted friends. If he wanted things to progress with Natalie he was probably going to have to talk about it now, whether he liked it or not. ‘Sometimes a man in my position is apt to crave anonymity,’ he continued. ‘Whether that’s about where he comes from or who he is. Besides, do you really think our only point of connection is the fact that each of us has a parent who is Greek?’
‘Yesterday I might have thought so, if you’d admitted it.’ Hugging her arms across her chest, Natalie frowned. ‘But since then things have unfolded to connect us in a way I never could have imagined. When I walked into that room today and saw that it was you—the man I’d met on the train—I was lost for words. It was such a shock. Anyway, going back to yesterday, you helped me out by paying for my ticket and, whether you want me to or not, it matters to me that I pay you back.’
‘If that’s the case then perhaps you will start to see the sense in meeting me tonight after all?’ Ludo interjected smoothly.
‘I can’t.’
‘You mean you won’t?’
‘I mean I can’t. Why won’t you listen to what I’m saying?’
Pressing the pads of his fingertips against his brow, he lightly shook his head. ‘I’m listening, Natalie, but perhaps I’m not giving you the response you’re looking for because you are not giving me the one that I want.’
Her eyes flashed with irritation. ‘And no doubt you always get what you want?’
She released an exasperated sigh and her lithe figure moved purposefully back towards the door. His heart thudding at the realisation that the opportunity to see her again might disappear from right under his nose unless he took action, Ludo thought fast. As an idea presented itself he mentally grabbed at it, as though it might vanish in the next instant unless he expressed it. The idea was perhaps a little preposterous, but it made a strange kind of sense. Ludo decided to take the plunge and go with it.
‘Perhaps you won’t be in such a hurry to leave if I tell you that I have a deal in mind that I’d like to talk to you about? A deal that would benefit your father as well as yourself,’ he asserted calmly.
Riveted, she immediately pulled her hand away from the brass doorknob and turned to face him. ‘What kind of a deal?’
Pacing a little, to help arrange his thoughts, Ludo took his time in answering. It had suddenly dawned on him that what he was about to propose would benefit him too. The concept didn’t seem at all preposterous any more. In fact it might potentially be the solution he’d secretly longed for—a way out that might bring him some peace at last.
He stopped pacing to settle his gaze on the beautiful, inquisitive face in front of him. ‘The deal I’m offering you is that I will increase what I paid for your father’s business by half the amount again if you agree to come with me to Greece and play the role of my fiancée.’
Natalie turned as still as a statue, her stunned expression suggesting she wasn’t entirely sure she’d heard him right. Her next words confirmed it. ‘Would you mind repeating what you just said? I’m afraid I might have imagined it.’
‘You didn’t imagine it.’ Willingly, he repeated his proposition.
‘You really will increase the money you paid for the business if I travel to Greece with you and pretend to be your fiancée? Why would you want me to do such a bizarre thing?’
Shrugging a shoulder, Ludo sighed. ‘It will perhaps not be as bizarre as you might think when I tell you my reasons,’ he remarked.
‘Go on, then.’ Moistening her lips, she patiently waited for him to continue.
‘My parents—in particular my mother—have long hoped that I will bring someone home that I am serious about. Someone who will help give them hope that they might one day have a grandchild.’
Noting the brief flash of alarm in Natalie’s candid gaze, Ludo forced himself to press on regardless. He told himself she wouldn’t still be standing there listening if the idea was absolutely abhorrent to her.
‘Unfortunately I have not had a long-term relationship in a long time and, frankly, they are becoming despondent that I ever will. The situation has become sadly compounded by my only brother’s death three years ago in a boating accident. Now I am their only son and heir. Unfortunately I have not been home since the funeral. I did not want to return until I could give them hope that the future was brighter than they had perhaps envisaged. I know it is a pretence, Natalie, but
the intention behind it is a kind one. I promise you that if you can convincingly act the part of my fiancée while we are in Greece, when we return to the UK I will make sure you are richly rewarded.’
‘But even if I should agree to the pretence, how hurt will your parents be when they find out that the whole thing was a lie? They must be broken-hearted as it is to have lost their son. Nothing you can do for me or give me would make up for how terrible I’d feel about deceiving them.’
‘The fact that you care so much about that aspect of the deal assures me that you are the right woman to ask this favour of, Natalie. I will be forever in your debt if you do this for me.’
She looked to be thinking hard for a moment. ‘And how do I explain to my father that I am going away with you to Greece for—for how long?’
‘At least three to four weeks, paidi mou.’
The soft pink hue that tinted her cheeks at his use of the Greek endearment momentarily distracted him, because it brought a lustre to her eyes that was nothing less than magical and gave him an irresistible glimpse of how she might look if he were to try and seduce her … prettily flushed and aroused. A little buzz of pleasurable heat ricocheted through his insides. He suddenly became even more determined to have Natalie masquerade as his fiancée … Especially as—in the hope of convincing his parents—he fully intended to play the part of devoted fiancé to the hilt.
‘You can tell him that I have offered you the chance to learn the ropes of good financial dealing with an expert,’ he asserted with a teasing smile. ‘I am sure he will see the benefits of such an opportunity. If you take it, and learn what I consider to be the essential skills for success in business, your father will need to have no worries about your financial future, because you will know exactly how to go about securing it.’
