Painted the Other Woman

Who would give up Marisa Milburne? So beautiful, so passionate a woman.

The familiar guillotine sliced down over his thoughts. It had been much in use these past da

ys. Slicing down ruthlessly on so many thoughts—so many memories. But he would allow himself none of them—not a single one. Their indulgence was forever barred to him. His eyes hardened. He would not allow his feckless, faithless brother-in-law to indulge himself any longer with his forbidden fruit.

I had to give her up—so must he!

His expression was still reflecting the savagery of his thoughts as Ian swept in. He looked agitated and launched straight in.

‘Athan—what the hell is this about? Neil Mackay says it comes from you, but I don’t understand why. Why do you want me at your HQ?’

Athan sat back. He appeared unperturbed by the outburst. ‘It’s time you moved on. And up. It’s promotion, Ian—aren’t you pleased?’

His tone was equable. He would keep this civil—or his sister would get wind of a fracas between him and her husband and get upset.

‘Oh, come on,’ Ian said disbelievingly. ‘You’ve no call to promote me!’ He paused, eyes narrowing. ‘This is about Eva, isn’t it? You think it will please her to be back in Athens.’

Athan’s gaze levelled on him. ‘Eva’s happiness is paramount to me.’ He paused. ‘Never forget that.’ He paused again, and when he spoke, it carried the message he intended it to. ‘After all—’ his voice was limpid ‘—it was because it made her happy that I let her marry you.’

Colour mounted in his brother in law’s face. ‘And you’ve never forgiven me for marrying her, have you?’

Athan’s gaze never dropped. ‘Providing you don’t hurt her, or upset her, I … tolerate you.’

He watched glacially as the colour flared out across his brother-in-law’s handsome face. The face of a man who helped himself to whatever he wanted in life—smiling, charming, selfish, self-indulgent. He’d charmed Eva, wooed her, and ended up persuading her to marry him.

And proved himself faithless within two years of their wedding.

Silently Athan cursed his unwanted brother-in-law. Cursed the life-long intimacy between their families—Sheila Randall’s all-but-adoption of his then teenaged sister. He cursed Sheila’s son for getting anywhere near the impressionable, vulnerable Eva so disastrously eager to fall in love with his golden looks and easy charm.

Cursed him for having used those same golden looks and easy charm to work their damage on yet another woman—on Marisa …

‘You … tolerate me?’ Ian’s voice cut through his litany of inner curses.

‘That’s very good of you, Athan. Very … generous. But maybe—’ now there was something different in his voice that made Athan’s eyes narrow ‘—maybe I’m tired of your tolerance. Tired of your generosity. Tired of it being known that as Athan Teodarkis’s brother-in-law no wonder I’m a board director, no wonder I get sent off on plush secondments to the West Coast, with instructions to take holidays in Hawaii to keep my wife happy—my boss’s sister.’ He took a step forward. ‘Maybe it’s time to tell you I can live without your tolerance, your generosity!’

Athan’s gaze skewered him. ‘And maybe—’ his voice cracked like a whip, all civility gone now ‘—you’ll do exactly what I say you will. Or would you rather—’ he bit out each word ‘—I tell Eva about Marisa Milburne.’

Ian Randall froze. Before Athan’s eyes the other man’s face paled. ‘How the hell do you know about Marisa?’ he demanded.

Athan spread his hands out on his desk. ‘Don’t take me for an idiot. You installed her in a flat in Holland Park.’

‘You bastard,’ Ian breathed. ‘You spied on me.’

‘Like I said—don’t take me for an idiot.’ Athan’s voice was caustic.

‘And you would actually be prepared to tell Eva about her?’ Ian said in a hollow tone.

Athan’s lasering gaze never left his brother-in-law’s face. ‘I won’t have to. Marisa Milburne is no longer in your flat.’

‘What?’

‘You heard me. She’s gone. Cleared out.’ He paused. ‘Presumably,’ he said deliberately, his eyes like slate, ‘she’s selected another wealthy lover to beguile …?’

He saw Ian’s face freeze again. But this time there was something in his frozen gaze that Athan could not identify. Then slowly, as if the ice was thawing, his brother-in-law turned and headed for the door. As he reached it, he turned. His face was like marble.

‘You’ll have my letter of resignation on your desk tomorrow morning.’

Then he was gone.