The charm of his smile squeezed her heart. ‘No,’ she snapped, scared by the emotion he could so easily arouse in her. ‘Though being blackmailed by one’s husband is reason enough for anyone to hit the bottle,’ she informed him with sweet sarcasm.
‘Blackmailed?’ His brows drew together in a frown. ‘Ah, you mean your beloved stepfamily. I was in a hurry this morning and I said the first thing that came into my head.’
‘So you say,’ she murmured. ‘But it worked. I’m here at your side instead of at home in Stratford.’ She didn’t know why she was needling him, and as for her stepfamily, Nigel was certainly not her beloved anything…
‘Your home is with me,’ Alex said, his grip on her arm tightening. ‘Now drop this stupid conversation. This evening—’ He stopped in mid-sentence. Lisa followed the direction of his gaze and felt her heart sink in her chest.
Some thirty feet away but moving towards them was a tall, overweight, grey-haired man. The family likeness was unmistakable; it had to be Alex’s father. By his side was a young woman, dark-haired and beautiful, thirty-something, and moreover someone Lisa had met before.
‘Damn, I thought I had frightened the woman off,’ Alex swore, his dark eyes narrowing intently on the approaching couple.
Lisa straightened her shoulders and shrugged off Alex’s supporting hand. ‘Obviously not. Fiona Fife, I believe, another one of your lady-friends.’ She was determined to act the sophisticate tonight in front of Alex and his father, but she had a horrible feeling it was not going to be so easy, especially if she was going to keep bumping into her husband’s mistresses at every turn!
Alex glanced at her, his dark eyes clashing with her angry blue. ‘I do believe you’re jealous,’ he prompted softly.
Lisa gave a slight shrug, pretending indifference. ‘Should I be?’ she asked lightly, and held his gaze with difficulty.
‘No. You are the only girl for me, darling, plus I am not old enough for that particular lady,’ h
e drawled mockingly, with a brief glance at the other couple. Tilting his head towards Lisa, he added, sotto voce, ‘It is my father she has designs on. She is hopeful of becoming wife number six. Our Italian friend informed me of that at that party we attended in Monte Carlo. I did try to warn her off, with tales of his weak heart and nowhere near as much money as she imagines, but it looks like I failed.’ His firm mouth twisted in a wry grimace. ‘Not for the first time, unfortunately.’
Inexplicably, Lisa’s spirits lifted considerably at his words. Now she knew why he had danced with the woman when they were on their honeymoon, and somehow it made her feel a whole lot better.
‘Brace yourself, here they come.’ Alex slid his arm around her waist and urged her forward. ‘Father,’ he greeted the older man warmly. ‘It’s been a while.’
‘Indeed it has,’ the older man agreed. ‘You’ve met Fiona?’ He indicated the woman at his side, and both Alex and Lisa gave a social smile and said hello to the black-haired beauty.
‘And this must be your wife.’ Mr Solomos senior’s dark eyes were so like his sons as he scrutinised Lisa from head to toe, and then he broke out into a broad grin. ‘Charming, absolutely beautiful. Though you could have told me, Alex. I thought I was the only one who married quickly in our family. Obviously you have inherited some of my traits after all.’
She felt Alex stiffen at her side but, ignoring his father’s comment he simply said, ‘Lisa, allow me to introduce you to my father, Leo, and don’t be taken in by his charm; it is his stock-in-trade.’
Lisa held out her hand and the old man engulfed it in his. He looked like Alex, though he was a few inches shorter, but he did not have the same aura of compelling dynamism that Alex possessed in such abundance.
‘How do you do?’ she said formally, and felt the colour rise in her face when Leo laughed out loud.
‘So formal, so very English. I hope you are a match for my son’s fiery Greek temperament.’
‘Lisa is a perfect match in every way,’ Alex informed him, subjecting Lisa to a slow, sensual appraisal that left no one in any doubt of exactly what he meant.
His father chuckled again. ‘I’m glad to hear it.’ Turning to Fiona with a smile, he demanded, ‘Shall we tell them?’
Fiona’s eyes lifted to Alex, the smile on her perfectly made-up face one of triumph. ‘Oh, yes, I think your son and his wife—’ she glanced briefly at Lisa, but immediately turned her attention back to Alex ‘—should be the first to know.’
‘Fiona and I are flying to Las Vegas tomorrow afternoon to get married.’
Was the old man aware of the effect he had on his son? Lisa wondered. She felt Alex’s fingers dig into her side, and the increased tension in his body, but not by a flicker of an eyelash did he display his concern.
‘Congratulations appear to be in order all round,’ Alex offered, his eyes narrowing fractionally on his father. ‘I trust everything else is in order also.’
Watching him, Lisa actually felt some pity for her husband in that moment. Having met his mother, and seen the love and affection between them, she realised how hard it must be for him when he was about to gain stepmother number five!
‘Yes, Alex, I visited Mr Niarchos this morning. He will be in touch tomorrow.’
Lisa felt the tension drain out of Alex, and his hand at her waist relaxed slightly.
‘Good,’ he agreed urbanely. ‘Shall we forgo drinks and go into dinner?’
A slight frown of puzzlement creased Lisa’s smooth brow. There was obviously more being said between the two men than the words they spoke revealed. Then it hit her—the mention of the lawyer. Alex was checking his father had made a prenuptial agreement. How sad… But it was nothing to do with her, she told herself, as she walked towards the dining room at her husband’s side. She couldn’t help being aware of the intense interest their foursome aroused in the hotel’s clientele. Mostly down to Alex; she had no illusions on that score. He was an exceptionally impressive man.