“You know what man,” she said, after a few minutes. “Demetrios Karas.” Her sister’s face went from pale pink to deep rose. It was not, Sam thought coldly, a good sign. “This is about him, isn’t it?”
Amanda sighed, put down her knife and fork and touched her napkin to her lips. “Look, you’re making a big deal out of nothing. Yes, okay. What happened was, Nick had dinner with Demetrios a couple of nights ago. And Demetrios said—”
“Whatever he said, it was a lie!”
“For goodness’ sake. Why would Demetrios lie?”
“I didn’t even tell him my name!”
“What?”
“Did he describe me to Nick? Did Nick figure out that…? Amanda. The man’s a liar.”
“But why would he lie? Honestly, Samantha—”
“Oh, that’s it. Take his side instead of mine.”
“Will you calm down?” Amanda looked around them, then leaned over the table. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I want nothing to do with Demetrios Karas! I don’t like him. And I especially don’t like being set up by my very own sister.” Sam plunked her napkin on the table. “Enjoy your lunch. I’m out of here.”
“Are you nuts?” Amanda grabbed Sam’s wrist as she began to slide across the booth. “You’re acting like…” She paused, cocked her head. “You don’t like him? But you said you’d never met him.”
“Never mind what I said. I’m telling you that I want nothing to do with—”
“Uh, am I interrupting something?”
Sam jerked her head up. Nicholas al Rashid stood beside their table, a smile on his handsome face. A tentative smile, anyway, Sam thought furiously. Maybe he wasn’t as dense as his wife. Maybe he’d already figured out that she wasn’t to be played with.
“Nick,” Amanda said, and let out a breath. “Darling, would you please tell my sister that she’s behaving like an idiot?”
“Nicholas,” Sam said curtly, “whose idea was this? Amanda’s? Or yours?”
Nick gave his wife a bewildered look. “What’s she talking about?”
“I don’t know. I started to tell her about Demetrios and she exploded.”
Sam tugged her hand free, shot to her feet and glared at Nick. “Actually, I don’t care whose idea it was. You can just tell Demetrios Karas that—”
“Tell him what?” a voice said, and Sam froze. There was only one man who could take a couple of simple words and make them sound as if he were murmuring them into a sated woman’s ear as she lay in his arms.
Please, she thought, oh please, let this not be happening. Let the floor open and swallow me whole…
But it was happening. Demetrios Karas had joined Nick beside the table. Sam held her breath. His gaze swept over her, moved past her to Amanda…and returned to fix on her face. She’d always wondered if people’s jaws really dropped in astonishment. Now, looking at him, she knew that they did.
He was as stunned to see her as she was to see him.
Then—then, nobody knew what had happened. Not Nick. Not Amanda. Her knees went weak with relief, but it was short-lived. They would know, in a couple of minutes.
“Sam?” Nick said softly.
Her brother-in-law slid his arm around her waist. She looked up at him, heart thumping.
“You okay?” he murmured.
She nodded. “Yes. I’m fine. I just…”
Just what? She had only two choices, turn tail and run or stick out the next embarrassing moments. There was no real choice. She’d never run from anything in her life…anything but this man. All these weeks, she’d told herself she’d come to her senses that night and put a stop to what had been about to happen. Now, faced with the living, breathing reality of Demetrios Karas, she was forced to admit the truth.
Fate had permitted her to escape him that night, but it wasn’t going to give her a second chance. She was going to have to deal with this and do it without flinching.
“Nick,” she said, on a deep breath. “Mandy. I know you meant well, but—”
“So, Nicholas. You told me your sister-in-law was a talented linguist. You neglected to mention that she is also a beautiful woman.”
Sam blinked. Demetrios had recovered his composure. The self-confident smile was back—but the glitter in his eyes was hard as ice.
“Save your breath,” she said coolly. “I’m not that easy to impress.”
The intake of Amanda’s breath seemed to echo in the room. “Sam!” she hissed, but Demetrios laughed.
“And she is direct, too. How charming.”
“This man and I already know each other,” Sam said. Her chin lifted. “And he’s wasting his time if he thinks he can make me think anything less of him than I already do.”
“Surely,” Demetrios said, his smile fading, “the lady will accept my apologies for what happened that night at Rio de Ouro.”
“Rio de Ouro?” Amanda looked from Demetrios to Sam. “Do you two know each other? Sam? You never said anything. I mean, all of us wanted—we hoped—and now it turns out—it turns out—”
“Perhaps I’ve given the wrong impression.” Demetrios’s voice was smooth as silk. “We met, but only briefly. And, before we really got to know each other, I was, ah, distracted. By the time I returned, your sister was gone. Isn’t that right, Samantha?”
What kind of game was he playing? “No,” Sam said, glaring at him. “And it’s Miss Brewster.”
“Sam,” Amanda said nervously, “what’s the matter with you? Demetrios, really, I apologize. My sister’s had a, uh, a difficult day. She went on two job interviews—”
“Amanda!”
“—two interviews, one with a guy who wanted her to write love letters for him and another with some jerk who had a poem to translate. Both job offers were so much below her capability that it’s pathetic.” Amanda flashed a wary look at her sister. “Isn’t that right, Sam?”
“Those interviews have nothing to do with this,” Sam said coldly.
“I would hope not.” Demetrios’s smile tilted. “It would be unfortunate if Samantha…sorry. If Miss Brewster were to let her disappointment over her morning affect her dealings with me.”
Nick and Amanda looked from Demetrios to Sam. They might as well have been at a tennis match, Sam thought bitterly. And, in a way, they were right. Demetrios had just sent her a wicked backhand shot. He’d woven a story that sounded plausible, if you didn’t think too much about it. She was a woman with a dented ego; he was a man who’d become inattentive. The self-deprecation was enough to make her want to be sick or to slug him, especially now that he’d added a threat so well-disguised that nobody but she would recognize it for what it was.
Still, the bottom line was that he’d chosen to keep their secret, and heaven knew that was better than blurting out the sleazy truth.
Why had he lied? She wasn’t fool enough to think it had anything to do with his being a gentl
eman. He wasn’t. He was a rogue in a custom-made suit and yes, maybe that was part of what had attracted her to him that night, but that nonsense was long past.
Wasn’t it?
She shivered. Nick, who still held her in a loose embrace, gave her a quick hug. “Cold?”
“No,” she said brightly, “I’m not. I’m just—I’m just—”
“She’s just still hungry,” Amanda said quickly. She flashed a smile around the little group. “We were about to order dessert when you guys showed up.”
“I am not the least bit interested in dessert. And I don’t think—”
“Don’t think,” Demetrios smiled lazily, just as he had that night. “Women always think too much, when it comes to things that bring pleasure.” His eyes met hers. “Like dessert,” he said smoothly. He moved closer, linked his hand through hers. She jerked at his touch and his fingers tightened on hers in silent warning. “Coffee and something sweet sounds like a fine idea. And then, after your sister and brother-in-law leave, we can have a second cup of coffee and discuss my need for your services.”
“I have no intention of—”
“You know,” Amanda said briskly, “I really don’t want any dessert. Nick? Darling? How about you?”
“Well,” Nick said, looking bewildered, “actually, I thought I might even have a sand…” His voice trailed off as he met his wife’s gaze. “No. No, I don’t.”
“In fact,” Amanda said, “we have to leave. We have an appointment.”
“Right,” Nick stammered, “right. An appointment. How could I have forgotten?”
They were lying, the both of them. Sam knew it. Everyone in the uncomfortable little group knew it, but she couldn’t blame them for wanting to get out of the line of fire though knowing Amanda, she was probably romanticizing the whole thing.
Demetrios’s hand tightened on hers again. Don’t make a fuss, he was telling her, but why would she? The things she had to say to him were best said without an audience, especially one made up of family.
Moments later, after hugs and kisses, handshakes and phony smiles, they were alone. Sam jerked her hand away and glared at Demetrios.