by Maya Blake
She looked from the sleek black, gold-trimmed vessel back to her brother. ‘Rub your nose…what are you talking about?’
With a sullen look, he strode off down the jetty. ‘That’s my boat.’
‘Yours? When did you buy a boat?’
‘I didn’t. I couldn’t. Not after the mess up with Pai’s last campaign. That boat was supposed to be mine!’ Dark anger clouded his face.
Her heart jumped into her throat. ‘Pietro, a boat like that costs millions of dollars. Besides that very unsubtle hint that I in any way stood in the way of your acquiring it—which is preposterous, by the way—there’s no way you could ever have afforded a boat like that, so—’
‘Forget it. Let’s go and get this over with. It’s bad enough Pai pulled out of coming tonight. Now I have to schmooze for both of us. You have to play your part, too. It’s clear Pantelides’s got a thing for you.’
Disgust and anger rose in her and she snatched her hand away from Pietro when he tried to lead her down the gangplank.
‘I won’t participate in another of your soulless schemes. So you may as well forget it right now.’
‘Inez—’
‘No!’ Feelings she’d bottled up for much longer than she cared to think about rose to the surface. ‘You keep asking me to throw myself at prospective investors so you can fund Pai’s campaign. You’re his campaign manager and yet you can’t seem to function without my help. Why is that?’
Pietro’s eyes darkened. ‘Watch your mouth, sister.’
‘Show me some respect and I’ll consider it,’ she challenged.
‘What the hell has got into you?’
‘Nothing that hasn’t always been there, Pietro. But you need me to point it out to you so I will. I’m done. If you want me to accompany you as your sister to Theo Pantelides’s dinner, then I will. If you have another scheme up your sleeve, then you might as well forget it because I am not interested.’
Her brother’s lips pursed but she saw a hint of shame in his eyes before his gaze slid away. ‘I don’t have time to argue with you right now. All I ask, if it’s not too much, of course, is that you help me secure this deal with Pantelides, because if we lose his backing then we might as well pack up and head back up to the ranch in the mountains.’ He set off down the jetty.
She hurried to keep up, picking her way carefully over wooden slats. ‘But I thought everything was done and dusted this morning?’ she asked when she caught up with him.
Anxiety slid over Pietro’s face. ‘Pantelides cancelled the meeting. Something came up, he said. Except I know it was a lie. I have it on good authority he was parked outside a coffee shop chatting up some girl when he was supposed to be meeting us to finalise the agreement.’
Inez stumbled, barely catching herself from toppling headlong into the water a few feet away.
‘You’re having him watched?’ How she managed to keep her voice even, she didn’t know.
Petulance joined anxiety. ‘Of course I am. And I’d bet my Rolex that he’s doing the same to us.’
The thought of being the subject of anyone’s surveillance made her skin crawl, even though a part of her had reluctantly accepted the truth: that her father’s business dealings weren’t always legitimate. But hearing her brother admit it made her stomach turn.
And if that was the way Theo Pantelides conducted his business as well…
She pressed her lips together and looked up as Pietro strode past the potted palm lined entrance to the Yacht Club.
‘Aren’t we dining in there?’
He shook his head. ‘No. We’re dining on my…on his boat,’ he tossed out bitterly.
Inez glanced at the yacht they were approaching.
This close, the vessel was even more magnificent. Its sleek lines and exquisite craftsmanship made her fingers itch for her sketching pad. She was so busy admiring the boat and yearning to capture its beauty on paper that she didn’t see its owner until she was right in front of him.
Then everything else ceased to register.
He wore a black shirt with black trousers, his dark hair raked back from his face. Under the soft golden lights spilling from the second deck his sculpted cheekbones and strong jaw jutted out in heart-stopping relief.
At the back of her mind, Inez experienced a bout of irritation at the fact that he captured attention so exclusively. So effortlessly.
Even as he shook hands with Pietro and welcomed him on board the Pantelides 9, his eyes remained on her. And God help her, but she couldn’t look away.
On unsteady feet, which she firmly blamed on the swaying vessel, she climbed the steps to where he waited. When his eyes released hers to travel over her body, she grappled with controlling her breath. She reached him and reluctantly held out her hand in greeting.
‘Thank you for the dinner invitation, Mr Pantelides.’
With a mocking smile, he took her hand and used the grip to pull her close. Despite her heels, he was almost a foot taller than her, easily six foot four. Which meant he had to lean down quite a bit to whisper in her ear, ‘So formal, anjo. I look forward to loosening your inhibitions enough to dissolve that starchy demeanour.’
Her pulse, which had begun racing when his palm slid against hers, thundered even harder at his words. ‘I can see how not having a woman fall at your feet the moment you crook your finger can present a challenge, senhor. But you really should learn the difference between playing hard to get and being plainly uninterested.’
His eyebrow quirked. ‘You fall into the latter category, of course?’ he mocked.
‘Sim, that is exactly so.’
He looked towards where Pietro had accepted a glass of champagne from a waiter and was admiring the luxuriously decorated deck, at the end of which a multi-coloured lit jet pool swirled and shimmered.
When his gaze re-fixed on hers, there was a steely determination in his eyes that sent a shiver down her spine. All the earlier alarm bells where Theo was concerned clanged loudly in her brain.
‘Then I will have to get a little more inventive,’ he murmured silkily before dropping her hand.
Inez clenched her fist and fought the urge to rub the tingling in her palm. She didn’t want him getting inventive where she was concerned because she had a nasty feeling she wouldn’t emerge unscathed from the encounter.
But she kept her mouth shut and followed him onto the deck. The cream and gold décor was the last word in luxury and opulence. Plump gold seats offered comfort and a superior view onto the well-lit marina and the open sea to their right. To their left, the lights of Rio gleamed, with the backdrop of the huge mountain, on top of which resided the world-famous Cristo Redentor.
A sultry breeze wafted through the deck as a waiter served more flutes of champagne. She took a glass as Pietro rejoined them. His glass was already half empty and she watched him take another greedy gulp before he pointed a finger at Theo.
‘I wish you’d given me the chance to make you another offer for this boat before you pulled the plug on our sale agreement, Pantelides.’
Theo’s jaw tightened before he answered. ‘You had several opportunities to make good but you failed to close the deal. So I cut my losses.’ He shrugged. ‘Business is business.’
Pietro bristled. ‘And cancelling our meeting today? Was that for business too, or pleasure?’
Theo’s eyes caught and held hers. Inez held her breath, wondering if he was about to give her up. His eyes gleamed with a mixture of danger and amusement. Somehow he’d sensed that he held her in his power. And he relished that power. Her hand trembled slightly as she waited for the axe to fall.
‘I’m not in the habit of discussing my other business interests, or my pleasurable ones, for that matter. But, suffice it to say, what kept me away from our meeting was very much worth my time.’ His gaze swept down, lingering over her breasts and hips in a blatant appraisal that made her breathing grow shallow. When his eyes returned to hers, Inez was sure all the oxygen had been sucked out of the atmosp
here.
‘Our business together should be equally worth your time,’ Pietro countered.
Theo finally set her free from his captivating gaze. Narrow-eyed, he glanced at Pietro.
‘Which is why I rescheduled for this evening. Of course, your father chose not to grace us with his presence. So the song and dance continues, I guess.’ The hard edge was definitely in his tone again, prompting those alarm bells to ring louder.
Pietro muttered something under his breath that she was sure wasn’t complimentary. He snapped his fingers at the waiter and swapped his empty glass for a full one.
‘Well, we’ll be there at the appointed time tomorrow. We can only hope that you will not be delayed…elsewhere.’
The upward movement of Theo’s mouth could in no way be termed a smile. His eyes flicked back to her. ‘Don’t worry, da Costa, I intend to hammer out the final points of our agreement tonight. When I turn up to sign tomorrow, it will be with the knowledge that all my stipulations have been satisfied.’
The firm belief that his statement was connected to her wouldn’t dissipate all through dinner. As a host, Theo was effortlessly entertaining. He even managed to draw a chuckle from Pietro once or twice.
But Inez couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being toyed with. And once or twice she caught the faintest hint of fury and repulsion on his face, especially when her father’s name came up.
She shook herself out of her unsettling thoughts when the most mouth-watering dessert was set down before her.
Whatever Theo was up to, it was nothing to do with her. Her father had managed their family business with enough savvy not to be drawn into a scam.
With that comforting thought in mind, she picked up her spoon and scooped up a mouthful of chocolate truffle-topped cheesecake.
Her tiny groan of delight drew intense eyes back to hers. Suddenly, the thought of dishing out a little of the mockery he’d doled out to her tingled through her. Keeping her gaze on his, she slowly drew the spoon out from between her lips, then licked the remnants of chocolate with a slow flick of her tongue.
His nostrils flared immediately, hunger darkening his eyes to a leaf-green that was mesmerising to witness. With another swirl of her tongue, she lowered the spoon and scooped up another mouthful.
His large fist tightened around the after-dinner espresso he’d opted for and she momentarily expected the bone china to shatter beneath his grip. But slowly he released it and sat back in his chair, his eyes never leaving her face.
‘Enjoying your dessert, anjo?’ he asked in that low, rough tone of his.
She hated to admit that the endearment was beginning to have an effect on her. The way he mouthed it made heat bloom in her belly, made her aware of her every heartbeat…made her wonder how it would sound whispered to her at the height of passion. No!
‘Yes. Very much.’ She fake smiled to project an air of nonchalance.
He smiled at her mocking formality. ‘Good. I’ll make a note of it for the next time we dine together.’
Before she could tell him she intended to move heaven and earth to make sure there wouldn’t be a next time, Pietro lurched to his feet. ‘I never got the chance to inspect my…this boat before the opportunity to buy it was regrettably taken away. You won’t mind if I take a look around, would you?’ he slurred.
Theo motioned the hovering waiter over. He murmured to him and the waiter went to the deck bar and picked up a handset. ‘Not at all. My skipper will give you the tour.’
A middle-aged man with greying hair climbed onto the deck a few minutes later and escorted a swaying Pietro towards the stairs.
Inez watched him go with a mixture of anxiety and sympathy.
‘He’s drunk.’ Her appetite gone for good, she set her spoon down and pushed the plate away.
‘You say that as if it’s my fault,’ he replied lazily.
‘Did you really have to do that?’ She glared at him.
He raised a brow. ‘Do what, exactly?’
‘This was supposed to be Pietro’s boat.’ No matter how unrealistic that notion had been, her brother didn’t deserve to be humiliated like this.
‘Supposed being the operative word. We had a gentleman’s agreement.’ That hard bite was back again, sending trepidation dancing along her nerve ends. ‘He didn’t hold out his end of the deal.’
‘Regardless of that, do you have to rub his nose in it like this?’ she countered.
‘As I said before, I’m a businessman, anjo. And I currently have a yacht worth tens of millions of dollars that needs an owner. The Boat Show starts next week. I relocated aboard in order to get it in shape for prospective buyers, otherwise our dinner would have taken place at my residence in Leblon and your brother’s delicate feelings would’ve been spared.’
She frowned. ‘You’re selling the boat?’ The thought of the beautiful vessel going to some unknown, probably pompous new owner made her nose wrinkle in distaste. The design was exquisite, unique…sort of like its owner. As hard as she tried to imagine it, she couldn’t see anyone else owning the boat besides Theo. Not even Pietro. Its black and gold contrasts depicted darkness and light in a complementary synergy—two fascinating characteristics she’d glimpsed more than once in Theo.
‘Needs must.’
She looked around the beautiful deck, imagined its graceful lines awash with sunlight, and sighed.
Theo’s eyes narrowed as he stared across at her. ‘You like the boat.’
‘Yes, it’s…beautiful.’
He watched her for a few minutes then he nodded. ‘Let’s make a date for Sunday afternoon. We’ll take her out for a quick spin.’
She laughed. ‘Unless I’m mistaken, this is a four hundred foot vessel. You don’t just take her out for a quick spin.’
‘A long spin, then. I need to make sure it runs perfectly. If you still like it when we return to shore, I’ll keep it.’
Her heart lurched then sped up like a runaway freight train. ‘You would do that…for me?’
‘Sim,’ he replied simply.
Genuine puzzlement, along with a heavy dose of excitement she didn’t want to admit to, made her blurt, ‘Why?’
He strolled lazily to where she stood. This close, she had to tilt her head to catch his gaze. Darkness and light. He might have been smiling but Inez could almost reach out and touch the undercurrent of emotions swirling beneath his civility. She jumped slightly when he brushed a forefinger down her cheek.
‘Because I intend to keep you, anjo. And while you will not have a lot of choice in the matter, I’m willing to make a few adjustments to ensure your contentment.’
CHAPTER FIVE
THEO WATCHED HER grapple with what he’d just said. Unlike her brother, she wasn’t inebriated—she’d barely touched her glass of the rich Barolo 2009 he’d specially chosen for their dinner.
She shook her head in confusion. ‘You intend to keep me?’
Her skin, satin-smooth beneath his touch, begged to be caressed. He gave in to the urge and traced her from cheek to jaw. When she withdrew from him, he followed. He stroked the pulse beating in her neck and pushed back the need to step closer, touch his mouth to the spot.
He’d learnt two things last night.
The first was that Benedicto da Costa, for all his cunning and veneer of sophistication, was still a greedy, vicious snake who thought he could con millions of dollars out of an unsuspecting fool like him.
The second was that Inez da Costa could be a key player in the slow and painful revenge he intended to exact for the wrong done to him. It didn’t hurt that the chemistry between them burned the very air they breathed.
In the past Theo had made several opportune decisions by switching tactics at the last minute and making the most of whatever situation he found himself him.
With the newfound information at his fingertips, he’d found a way not only to end the da Costas once and for all, but also to make a tidy profit to boot.
He barely stopped himself
from smiling as he looked down into Inez’s face. She really was stunningly beautiful. With a mouth that begged to be explored.
‘Mr Pantelides?’
‘Theo,’ he murmured, anticipating her refusal to use his first name.
She blew out an exasperated breath. ‘Theo. Explain yourself.’
The unexpected sound of his name on her lips sent a pulse of heat through his body. Followed swiftly by a feeling he recognised as pleasure.
With a silent curse he dropped his hand. Pleasure featured nowhere on his mission to Rio. Nor was standing around, gazing into the face that reminded him of the painting of an angel that used to hang in his father’s house.
Pain. Reparation. Merciless humiliation. Those were his objectives.
‘There’s no hidden message in there, anjo. For the duration of my stay in Rio I expect you to make yourself available to me, day and night.’
Her genuine laughter echoed around the open deck. When he didn’t join in, she quickly sobered. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. But I believe you have me confused with a certain type of woman you must encounter on your travels.’
Theo let the insult slide. He’d told his skipper to take his time with the tour, but even his trusted employee couldn’t keep Pietro away for ever. And it looked as if he needed to step up this part of his strategy in order to forward his overall objective.
‘I was supposed to sign documents that guaranteed your father’s campaign funds this morning but I didn’t turn up. Aren’t you even a little bit curious as to why?’
A touch of confusion clouded her brown eyes but she shrugged one silky-smooth shoulder that shimmered softly under the deck lights. ‘Your business with my father is not my concern.’
A little of that control he kept under a tight leash threatened to slip free. ‘You don’t care where the money comes from as long as you’re kept in the style to which you’ve grown accustomed, is that it?’
Her eyes widened at the acid leaching from his tone. ‘You may think you know me but, I assure you, you’ve got things wrong—’
