Greek Tycoon, Inexperienced Mistress

‘Atreus is not ashamed of me, either,’ Lindy argued vehemently. ‘You’re not being fair to him. I was the one who asked him to be discreet about our relationship, not the other way round. I didn’t want to be seen out and about with him…I didn’t want people gossiping about us, and I would die if my photo appeared in the newspapers!’

Ben groaned out loud. ‘How can you still be so naive? He’s not being discreet, Lindy. He’s made you a dirty little secret in his life.’

Lindy rammed her hands down on the table surface and plunged upright. ‘That’s a horrible thing to say!’

Momentarily, Lindy saw stars as a bout of dizziness engulfed her. Assuming she had stood up too quickly, she breathed in slow and deep until the feeling of being light-headed receded.

‘Whether you like it or not, it’s the truth,’ Ben continued, without even noticing how pale she had become. ‘You’re his mistress, not his girlfriend, and he only ever sees you at weekends, when he’s down here. He never takes you out.’

‘I’m not his mistress!’ Lindy hissed back at Ben in passionate rejection of that label.

‘But you’re not a size zero hottie from his world, either. So exactly where do you fit in?’

Wounded by Ben’s cutting reference, Lindy studied him with pained eyes. ‘Why are we even having this conversation? Why are you always attacking Atreus?’

‘We’ve been friends for years and Atreus has spent the last eighteen months messing you around. It’s a dead-end affair. The way he treats you he might as well be a married man, and you might as well be his bit on the side.’

‘Atreus treats me very well!’ Lindy argued, dropping back down into her chair.

‘He’s a billionaire. He can afford to be generous.’

‘I’m not talking about money,’ she said with distaste. ‘You don’t understand what we have.’

‘I think you’re the one who doesn’t understand. You fell in love with him and started living in a cosy little dream world. You seem to have suspended every critical faculty you ever had. I’m only trying to wake you up. You’re wasting your time with Dionides. He’s not going to give you what you want,’ Ben completed with ringing conviction.

‘You don’t know what I want.’

‘Don’t I?’ Ben gave her an ironic look. ‘This life is all wrong for you. You want marriage and security, but you’ve settled for an affair that you persist in viewing as the height of romance. Answer me one question. If you’re so happy with Atreus, why have you still not got around to introducing him to Elinor and Alissa?’

‘Elinor and Alissa aren’t in the UK very often,’ Lindy said defensively. One of whom lived in the Middle East and the other also spent a fair amount of time abroad.

‘Do they even know that Dionides exists?’

Lindy reddened, because he had come closer to the truth than she was prepared to admit with that question. Only a few weeks had passed since she had finally phoned Elinor and Alissa to tell them about Atreus. ‘Yes, of course they do, but I don’t want to talk about this any more. I get very annoyed when you criticise Atreus, and I can’t possibly discuss my relationship with him with you.’

‘Just think over what I’ve said,’ Ben urged. ‘Or ask Dionides where your relationship is going. I guarantee that you won’t like the response he gives you.’

To change the subject, Lindy asked him about his recent advancement at work. No topic could have been closer to Ben’s heart. Her tension began to evaporate, but a leaden, hollow feeling still sat in her stomach.

‘I have my boss’s wedding to attend two weeks from now,’ Ben informed her when he was on the brink of leaving. ‘I thought of you immediately because it’s being held at Headby Hall, which is only a few miles from here. I know it’s short notice, but will you come with me as my partner?’

Lindy looked at him in surprise. ‘I don’t know. I—’

‘Please,’ Ben sighed. ‘I would look sad, turning up on my own.’

Lindy laughed at the image of Ben looking sad, while dimly wondering why his once busy love-life had slowed down so much of late. He no longer had a new woman in his life every few weeks and, with more time on his hands, she had seen a great deal more of him in recent months. ‘All right, give me the date and I’ll mark it on my calendar.’

‘Will it cause trouble between you and Atreus?’ Ben asked with a hint of mockery.

‘Of course it won’t cause trouble.’ Her chin tilted. ‘Atreus doesn’t question what I do.’