‘Because I’ve seen what you’ve achieved for other clients,’ he responded smoothly and she frowned suspiciously.
‘Why do you need to change your image, anyway? You’ve never cared what people think of you.’
His handsome face gave nothing away. ‘I’m working on a deal. It’s important to me.’ His long fingers fiddled with his coffee cup. ‘The owner is ridiculously sentimental about the business he’s selling. He doesn’t believe I’m capable of understanding family values.’
‘Evidently a wise man,’ Lauranne said, her blue eyes sparking as she looked at him. ‘He obviously isn’t impressed by your lack of morals. All you’re interested in is a quick lay.’
His eyes didn’t leave hers. ‘When I make love to a woman it’s never, ever quick.’ His voice was a slow, sexy drawl that made her breathing stop, her brain jammed with memories so provocative that the world around her disappeared and her entire focus was him. ‘You of all people should remember that, Lauranne.’
She did remember that.
And so did her body. Awareness throbbed through her veins and she could tell from the streak of colour touching his incredible bone structure that he was remembering it too.
She gazed into those compelling dark eyes and felt her temperature rise. He was shockingly, hotly handsome and no matter how many warnings her brain sent out, her body refused to listen.
Desperate to get away from him while she still could, she rose to her feet again, her chair scraping on the ground.
‘Well, it’s been fascinating talking to you, Zander, but I really have to go now.’
‘We haven’t finished.’ His calm tone was totally at odds with the dangerous glint in his eyes.
‘We’re in a public place,’ she pointed out, wishing that she felt as confident as she sounded. ‘And I have finished.’
He sat back in his chair, his eyes glittering. ‘Sit down, Lauranne.’
Her eyes clashing mutinously with his, she tried to step away from the table but a lean brown hand snaked out and caught her wrist, jerking her off balance so that she landed in his lap.
Her gasp of protest was smothered by the hot demands of his mouth, the erotic slide of his tongue sending delicious waves of excitement coursing through her.
His kiss was hot and compelling and it was only when he slowly detached his mouth from hers that she realised that her fingers had slid into his silky dark hair.
Mortified by this visible evidence of her instinctive response to him, she released him instantly. Staring at him in mute horror, she tried to scoot off his lap but he held her easily; a wry smile played around his firm mouth.
‘I think you’d better stay where you are for now,’ he said huskily, and she shivered as she recognised the timbre of his voice. She’d teased him about it on so many occasions. About the fact that he sounded so Greek when he was aroused.
She felt the hard heat of him through the fabric of his trousers and closed her eyes.
He was aroused now. Very aroused.
And so was she.
‘Zander—’ Her voice sounded strangled as she tried to ignore the delicious lethargy that spread through her body. ‘What are you doing?’
/> ‘Jogging your memory,’ he said silkily, his arms tightening around her. ‘You said that you had all but forgotten our relationship. I’m told that a shock can cure amnesia.’
‘It can also kill people,’ she gritted, trying to ignore his hard strength and the traitorous throb deep in her pelvis. ‘What is it you want from me?’
‘I want you to help me close this deal.’ His voice was soft, so that to the casual observer it would have seemed as though he were murmuring words of love. ‘I want you to do whatever it takes to convince Kouropoulos that I’m a warm, sensitive guy who is capable of understanding what makes a family resort run smoothly.’
Her eyes flew wide and she stared at him in disbelief. ‘I’m a PR consultant, not a magician. And we both know you’re neither warm nor sensitive.’
He smiled, maddeningly unperturbed by her horrified reaction. ‘Parts of me are extremely sensitive.’
She felt the blush touch her cheeks and looked at him sickly. ‘I won’t do it.’
‘Yes, you will.’ He leaned forward and brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face with deceptively gentle fingers. ‘You will. You’ll do it because it’s the only way you’ll get your divorce. And because if you don’t, my English beauty,’ he said softly, ‘I’ll ruin you for a second time. And this time I’ll ruin Farrer too.’
CHAPTER FIVE