by Maya Blake
Sakis Pantelides, suave CEO and master of his world, was back in residence.
Brianna forced herself to emulate his expression as she walked out on decidedly shaky legs towards the state-of-the-art coffee machine in the little alcove just behind her office. Setting the cup beneath the stainless silver spouts, she pressed the button.
Last night’s lurid dreams, which had kept her tossing and turning in heated agitation, needed to be swept under the carpet of professionalism where they belonged. It was obvious Sakis had consigned the gym incident to ‘done and forgotten’. She needed to do the same or risk—
‘Is the machine delivering something other than coffee this morning? The daily horoscope, perhaps?’ he drawled.
She whirled around. Sakis stood directly behind her, his powerful and overwhelming physique shrinking the space to even smaller proportions. ‘I...sorry?’
His gaze flicked to the freshly made espresso and back to her face. ‘The coffee is ready and yet you’re staring at the machine as if you’re expecting a crystal ball to materialise alongside the beverage.’
‘Of course I wasn’t. I was just...’ She stopped, then with pursed lips picked up his cup and handed it to him. ‘I wasn’t that long, Mr Pantelides.’
His lips pursed at the use of his name but, now they were back in the work environment and back to being professional, he couldn’t exactly object.
Expecting him to move, her heartbeat escalated when he stayed put, blocking her escape back to her office. ‘Was there something else?’
His gaze dropped to her lips as he took a sip of his espresso. ‘Did you sleep well?’
Unwanted flames licked at the muscles clenching in her belly. She wanted to tell him that how she slept was none of his business. But she figured answering him would make him get out of her way faster. ‘I did. Thank you for asking.’
She waited. He didn’t move. ‘I didn’t,’ he rasped. ‘Last night was the worst night’s sleep I’ve had in a very long time.’
‘Oh... Um...’ She started to lick her lips, thought better of it and blew out a short breath instead. Seriously, she had to find a way to douse these supremely inconvenient flames that leapt inside her whenever he was near. ‘It’s been a stressful few days. It was bound to affect you in some way sooner or later.’
One corner of his mouth lifted. ‘Ne, I’m sure you’re right.’ Once again his gaze dragged over her mouth. The tingling of her lips almost made her rub her fingers over them, to do something to make it stop.
She clamped her hands round her middle instead. ‘Was there something else you needed?’
He threw back the rest of the hot espresso and placed the cup on the counter. Several seconds passed in silence then he heaved a sigh. ‘I’m...sorry if I frightened you last night. I didn’t mean to get so carried away.’
Brianna’s breath caught. ‘I wasn’t... You didn’t...’ She stopped speaking, her senses clamouring a warning as he stepped closer.
‘Then why did you look so scared? Has someone hurt you in the past?’
She meant to say no, to diffuse the highly inquisitive gleam in his eyes before it got out of hand. But... ‘Haven’t we all been hurt at some point by someone we trusted? Someone we thought loved us?’ Her stark answer hung in the air between them.
He paled a little, the lines bracketing his mouth deepening. ‘I hope I didn’t remind you of this person.’
‘Not any more than I reminded you of your father.’
Her breath caught in her chest as anguish etched into his face. Until two days ago, she’d only known him to display the utmost control when it came to matters of business. Except this wasn’t business. This was intensely private and intensely painful. Witnessing his raw pain made the ice surrounding her heart crack. Before she knew it, her hands were loosening and she was reaching for his arm. She stopped herself just in time. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring that up.’
His smile was grim as his fingers clawed through his hair. ‘Unfortunately, memories once resurrected aren’t easy to dismiss, no matter how inconvenient the timing.’
‘Is there ever a convenient time to dredge up past hurt?’ Pain ripped through her question.
He heard it and froze. Green eyes speared hers in a look so intense her heart stuttered. ‘Who hurt you, Brianna?’ he asked again softly.
Feeling herself floundering, she sagged against the counter for support. ‘I...this isn’t really a topic for the office.’
‘Who?’ he insisted.
‘You had problems with your father. Mine was with my mother.’ Her voice sounded reedy, fraught with the anguish raking through her.
His smile held no mirth. ‘Look at us: a pair of hopeless cases with mummy and daddy issues. Think what a field day psychologists would have with us.’
Not once in the past eighteen months had she believed she had anything in common with Sakis. But hearing his words brought a curious balm to her pain.
‘Maybe we should ask for a group discount?’ She attempted her own smile.
His eyes darkened then the pain slowly faded, to be replaced by another look, one she was becoming intimately familiar with. ‘Was there a reason you came looking for me?’ she asked a third time.
Sakis’s jaw tightened. ‘The investigators have confirmed there’s a connection between the crash and the takeover.’
‘Really?’
He nodded. ‘It’s highly suspect that a day after my tanker crashes Moorecroft Oil and Landers Petroleum make a bid for my company.’ He turned and headed back into his office. ‘Their timing was a little too precise for it to be opportunistic.’
She entered his office in time to see him snatch up his phone. ‘Sheldon.’ He addressed his head of security. ‘I need you to dig deeper into Moorecroft Oil and Landers Petroleum.’
At the mention of Landers, Brianna froze. Thankfully, her ringing phone gave her the perfect excuse to return to her desk.
When Sakis emerged, she’d found some semblance of control, enough to accompany him into the board meeting without giving the state of her agitation away.
The conference call to Richard Moorecroft descended into chaos less than five minutes after Sakis had him on the line.
‘How dare you accuse me of such a preposterous thing, Pantelides? You think I would stoop so low as to sabotage your vessel in order to achieve my ends?’
‘You haven’t achieved anything except draw attention to your own devious dealings.’ A note of disdain coated Sakis’s voice. ‘Did you really think I’d roll over like a puppy because of one mishap?’
‘You underestimate the might of Moorecroft. I’m a giant in the industry—’
‘The fact that you feel the need to point that out impresses me even less.’
A huff of rage came over the conference line. ‘This isn’t over, Pantelides. You can count on it.’
‘You’re right, this isn’t over. As we speak, I’m digging up any connection between what happened to my tanker and your company.’
‘You won’t find any!’ The bravado in Moorecroft’s voice was tinged with a shadowy nervousness that made Sakis’s eyes gleam.
‘Pray that I don’t. Because, if I do, you can rest assured that I will come after you. And I won’t be satisfied until I rip your precious company to little pieces and feed them to my pet piranhas.’ The menace in his voice made ice crawl over Brianna’s skin. ‘And any accomplices will not be spared either.’
He stabbed the ‘end’ button and glanced around the other members of his board. ‘I’ll apprise you of any news if the investigation reaps any information.’
Sakis turned to where Brianna sat three seats to his left. He’d deliberately placed her out of his eyeline so she wouldn’t prove a distraction. Not that he hadn’t noticed her tapping away all during the conference. Now that he’d let him
self experience the power of his attraction for her, he noticed everything about her. From the way her sleek, navy designer skirt hugged her bottom, to the arch of her feet when she walked into his presence.
At the most inappropriate times he’d caught himself wondering how long her hair was, whether it would feel soft and silky. Many times during his sleepless night, he’d pictured himself kissing her again, imagining the many ways he’d explore her lips again given another chance.
Only now, he noticed a little bit more. Like the vulnerability she tried to hide beneath the brusque exterior. Whatever her mother had done to her still had the power to wound her. His chest tightened with the need to go to her, brush his knuckles down her cheek and reassure her that he would take care of her...
Theos!
With gritted teeth, he tried to pull himself back under control. There would be no reassuring, just as there would be no repeat of last night’s events. What happened in his gym last night couldn’t be allowed to happen again.
Absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt.
So why was he walking towards her, letting his gaze devour the exposed line of her neck as she bent over her tablet? Why was he imagining himself lifting her up from that chair, sliding that tight skirt up—did she favour garter belts or thigh-high stockings?—and bending her over his boardroom table?
Stasi.
He was losing it and it wasn’t even nine o’clock in the morning! With a curt command, he dismissed his board members.
He waited until the room cleared before he murmured her name.
She lifted her head and stared straight at him. Deep turquoise eyes met his and Sakis wasn’t sure whether the interest it held was personal or professional. That he couldn’t even read her properly any more, sent a fizz of annoyance through him.
‘So, what happens now? I didn’t think you’d let Moorecroft know we were investigating his connection with the tanker.’
Stopping a mere foot from her, he shrugged. ‘I called his bluff and it paid off. I wasn’t sure until I heard it in his voice. He’s involved.’
‘Then why not go after him?’
‘He knows he’s cornered. Between the FCA investigation and my own, he’ll either come clean or he’ll try to do whatever he can to cover his tracks. Either way, his time is fast running out. I’ll give him a few hours to decide which way he wants to go.’
‘And if he reveals a connection?’
Sakis heard the tremble in her voice and wondered at it.
‘Then I’ll make sure he pays to the fullest extent.’ His father had got away with shady business deals for a long time before he’d been brought to justice. The same newspapers that had uncovered his treachery had uncovered the many families and employees his father had duped out of their rightful rewards.
Once his father had been put behind bars and Ari had been old enough to take over the reins of the company, the first thing he’d done was make sure the affected families were recompensed.
Letting anyone get away with fraud and duplicity would never happen.
He glanced down into the face of the woman whose body had invaded his dreams last night. She’d paled considerably, her eyes wide and haunted. His frown deepened.
‘What’s wrong?’
She surged to her feet and started gathering her things. ‘Nothing.’
‘Wait.’ He placed a halting hand on her waist and immediately felt her tense. Another stream of irritation rushed upward.
‘Y-yes?’ Her voice wasn’t quite steady and her head was bent, hiding her expression.
‘Brianna, what’s the hell is going on?’
‘Why should there be anything wrong? I’m merely returning to my office to get on with the rest of the day.’ Her words emerged in a rush.
Something was definitely wrong; something he’d said. He replayed his last words in his head, then his lips pursed.
‘You think my views are too harsh?’
Her mouth tightened but she still avoided eye contact. ‘What does it matter what I think?’
‘Tell me, what would you do?’ His hand curved firmly around her waist. When she moved, he felt the warm softness beneath his fingers. He wanted to pull her closer, glide his hand upward and cup her breast the way he had last night. It took every single ounce of willpower for him to hold himself still.
‘I...I would listen to them, find out the motive behind their actions first, before I throw them to the wolves.’
‘Greed is greed. Betrayal is betrayal. The reason for it ceases to matter once the act is done.’
Her soft lips pursed. Her nostrils flared and Sakis caught a sense of anger bubbling beneath her skin. ‘If you truly believe that, then I don’t see the point of you asking me.’
‘Under what circumstances would you forgive such an action?’
She gave a small shrug. The movement drew his attention to her breast. Sakis swallowed and cursed the heat flaring through his groin. ‘If the act was done to protect someone you cared about. Or perhaps it was done without the perpetrator knowing he was committing an act of betrayal.’
Sakis’s lips twisted. ‘My father’s betrayal was an active undertaking. So is Moorecroft’s.’
Her eyes clashed with his then she glanced away. ‘You can’t assign your father’s sins to every situation in your life, Mr Pantelides.’
This was getting personal again. But he couldn’t seem to stop himself from spilling the jagged pain in his chest. ‘My father actively cheated and bribed his way through his business dealings for decades. He betrayed his family over and over, letting us think he was one thing when he was in fact another. Even after he was found out, he was remorseless. Even jail didn’t change him. He went to his grave unrepentant.’ He sucked in a breath and forcibly steered his thoughts away from the bitterness of his past. ‘You’re deluding yourself if you think there’s such as a thing as blind, harmless betrayal.’
A shaft of pain and sympathy flitted through her eyes, just like it had back at Point Noire. She even started to move towards him before she visibly stopped herself.
Sakis felt curiously bereft that she succeeded.
‘I’m sorry for what happened to you. I...I have emails to catch up on so, if you don’t mind, I’ll get back to the office.’
‘No.’
She stared at him in surprise. ‘No?’
He glanced at his watch. ‘You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you?’
‘No, but I was going to order some fruit and cereal from the kitchen.’
‘Forget that. We’re going out.’
‘I don’t see why—’
‘I do. We’ve both been cooped up in here since yesterday. Some fresh air and a proper meal will do us some good. Come.’ He started to walk out and felt a hint of satisfaction when after several seconds he heard her footsteps behind him.
Sakis took her to a café on a quiet street in Cheapside. The manager greeted him with a smile and offered them a red high-backed booth set back from the doorway. One look at the menu and her eyes flew to collide with Sakis’s.
He was regarding her with a seriously sexy smile on his face.
‘All they serve here are pancakes,’ she blurted.
‘I know, which is why I brought you here. Time to indulge that weakness of yours.’ The way he stressed the word made a spike of heat shoot through her.
‘But...why?’ Frantically, she scrambled to gather her rapidly unravelling control. Far from being back on the professional footing she’d thought, the morning was turning into one huge, personal landmine. One she wasn’t sure she would survive.
‘Because it’s perfect ammunition.’ Again he smiled and her heart lurched.
‘You see my weakness for pancakes as ammunition?’ She felt her lips twitch and allowed herself a small smile. Just then, a waiter w
alked past with a steaming heap of blueberry pancakes dripping in honey. She barely managed to stifle her groan, but Sakis heard it.
A dark, hungry look entered his eyes that made her stomach muscles clench hard. ‘I’m not so sure whether to be pleased or irritated that I’ve uncovered this piece of information about you, Brianna. On the one hand, it could be the perfect weapon to get you to do whatever I want.’
‘I already do whatever you want.’ The loaded answer made heat crawl up her neck. His keen gaze followed it then scoured her face before locking on hers.
‘Do you? I distinctly recall a few times when you’ve refused to do my bidding.’
‘I wouldn’t have lasted two minutes if I’d pandered to you in any shape or form.’
‘No, you wouldn’t have. I told Ari you were my Rottweiler.’
She gave a shocked gasp. ‘You compared me to a dog?’
He grimaced and had the grace to look uncomfortable. ‘It was a metaphor but, in hindsight, I should’ve used a more...flattering description.’ He beckoned the waiter who’d been hovering a booth away.
Her curiosity got the better of her. ‘How would you describe me?’
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead he gave the waiter their order—coffee and two helpings of blueberry pancakes.
Brianna stopped the waiter with a hand on his arm. ‘Can I have a side-helping of blueberries, please? And a bowl of honey? Oh, and some icing sugar and fresh cream...and two wedges of lemon...and some butter...’ She stopped when she saw Sakis’s eyebrow quirk in deep amusement. She dropped her arm and this time was unable to stop her blush from suffusing her face as their waiter walked away. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like a complete glutton.’
‘Don’t apologise for your desires. Indulging every now and then is completely human.’
‘Until I have to pay for it with hours in the gym. Then I’ll hate every single mouthful I’m about to take.’
