Which was why it was such a good thing that he was leaving. It would prevent her doing something that she’d end up regretting for the rest of her life.
Zander Volakis was like a drug. She’d kicked the habit once but now she’d had another taste the craving was stronger than ever. She needed to get away from him before she tumbled back into the abyss.
‘Then perhaps it’s a good job that our project is finished.’
He didn’t move, his powerful frame still as he sat watching her, his dark eyes glittering with amusement and another emotion that made her heart race. ‘It isn’t finished.’
What did he mean, the job wasn’t finished? ‘We’ve saturated the media. There’s absolutely nothing more we can do in the short term.’
‘I’m not talking about the media. Thanks to the work you did, Kouropoulos is willing to meet. I’m flying out to Greece tonight.’
She stared at him, uncomprehending, wondering what his travel arrangements had to do with her. ‘So you’ve achieved what you wanted—’
‘Not quite.’ His voice was soft. ‘The biggest challenge is still to come. Persuading him to sell to me.’
Her heart was thumping so hard she could hardly concentrate. ‘And what’s that got to do with me?’
‘Everything. You’re going to come with me to Blue Cove Island, agape mou,’ he said smoothly, lifting a hand and toying with a strand of blonde hair that had escaped from the pins on the back of her head. ‘You’re going to come as my wife, persuade Kouropoulos that I’m a warm, caring guy who can be trusted with his precious legacy. You’re coming with me to Greece.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
HAVING made that announcement Zander lounged back in his seat, wondering at exactly what point he’d lost his sense of reason. His lawyer was right when he said that taking Lauranne could jeopardise the whole deal. They’d all worked long months to get to this point and he was about to put all of it at risk for a woman.
A woman who’d betrayed him.
For only the second time in his life he was at a loss to understand his own actions.
The first had been when he’d married her.
He watched through narrowed eyes as she scooted as far away from him as possible.
‘There’s no way I’m going with you to Greece.’
This was his chance to change his mind about taking her. This was the time for reason to prevail, but her panicked refusal simply doubled his determination to take her. Ignoring all the finely tuned instincts that had made him a billionaire by the time he was thirty, and which were now warning him that this was a mistake of monumental proportions, Zander stepped up the pressure.
‘You’re in my car and we’re already on our way to the airport.’
‘Zander, no!’ Her denial was hotly passionate but he heard the shake in her voice and saw the longing in her blue eyes.
‘It’s a perfect opportunity to mix business with pleasure,’ he said frankly, trying logic as his first approach.
‘You can’t possibly believe that you really need me to negotiate the deal with this K-K—’
‘Kouropoulos,’ Zander supplied helpfully. ‘His name is Theo Kouropoulos.’
And he knew he didn’t need her for the deal. Negotiating impossible deals was one of the reasons he was in business. In fact, having her there was probably the single most stupid thing he’d ever done and at the moment he didn’t want to question his actions too closely.
Her eyes fixed on his. ‘You promised me a divorce, Zander—’
The mere mention of their disastrous marriage should have been enough to stifle his libido but it seemed to have no effect whatsoever. Whenever he was this close to Lauranne, his brain ceased to function.
He studied her closely, noting her flushed cheeks and the hardness of her nipples pressing against the silky fabric of her dress. His body tightened in a supremely male reaction and suddenly he didn’t even want to think about divorce. In fact he wasn’t capable of thinking of anything. He just wanted her in his bed. ‘This has nothing to do with our marriage. It has to do with the fact that we still want each other. Stop fighting me, Lauranne.’
‘I want you to take me home,’ she said hoarsely, her hands clasped firmly in her lap. ‘Now.’
Forced to admit that logic didn’t seem to be working as well as it might, Zander switched tactics with smooth efficiency, sliding along the seat so that she was forced into contact with his body.
Lifting her chin with his fingers, he stared into her eyes. ‘I still want you more than I’ve ever wanted a woman,’ he husked. ‘I burn for you, agape mou, and, frankly, Kouropoulos will only have to see me with you to know that our relationship is totally genuine.’