The words formed in her mind and etched into her brain cells.
No—it didn’t have to be dangerous! In fact—she pressed her lips together determinedly—it was absurd to even think of that word. Absurd because it didn’t matter that she reacted so strongly to Theo Theakis. The point was that he was not reacting to her at all! It was all on her part, and if she just succeeded in keeping a totally tight lid on the way he affected her then she could just go ahead and…
She inhaled sharply. Good God, was she really thinking what she was thinking? Was she really, seriously thinking that she could go ahead with this insane scheme? Surely to God she couldn’t be?
Yet she could feel her mouth shaping words, hear them sounding low across the table, coming from somewhere she didn’t want to think about.
‘How long would we have to stay married?’
The phone on her desk was ringing, and Vicky heard it from a long, long way away. Sucked down into the past. Painfully, she dragged her mind back to the present—the present in which frustration and bitter anger warred in equal proportions.
‘How long would we have to stay married?’
The fateful question she had posed that day over lunch reverberated in her head. It had been the moment that she had mentally acceded to the idea of entering into the kind of marriage that Theo Theakis had outlined to her. She’d known that even at the time.
And he’d started to cheat her from that very moment! Because the kind of marriage he’d outlined had been nothing, nothing like it had turned out to be!
He cheated me right from the start—and he went on cheating me right to the end! The brutal, merciless end…
Anger buckled through her again. Oh, Theo Theakis might have paid out upfront all right—the money he’d said was an advance on what he would make over to her when they were finally free to end their marriage—but as for the rest of it…
It’s mine! He promised it to me—it’s not his to keep!
He’s got no business hanging on to it! Just because I…
The insistent ringing of the phone finally broke through her angry reverie. She snatched it up.
‘Yes?’ she said tersely.
The voice that answered was accented, formal, and studied.
‘This is Demetrious Xanthou. I am aide to Theo Theakis. He has instructed me to inform you that he will receive you this evening. If you will be so good as to give me your address, I will arrange a car for 8:00 p.m.’
For ten seconds Vicky went totally still. But the emotions that warred in her were not tranquil. Turmoil seethed in her. Haltingly, hardly able to concentrate, she gave her address. Then, hand shaking only very slightly, she set the phone down.
She stared ahead blindly for a moment. Then her face set again, and a grim, ruthless expression entered her eyes.
She was finally going to get her face-to-face with the man who had rent her limb from limb with his savage words. Well, she wouldn’t care about that now—she had one thing only in her sights.
I want that money. It’s mine. I want it—and I need it.
And I’m going to make him give it to me—whatever it takes!
It was the only thought she was going to allow herself.
Anything else was much, much too disturbing. Much too dangerous.
Theo Theakis stood by the window of his London apartment, looking out over one of its most historic parks. His face was expressionless, but beneath the impassive exterior one emotion was uppermost.
He rested his eyes on the woman in front of him.
Unlike during her attempt to accost him the day before, she was dressed without the slightest effort to look the part today. It was deliberate; that much was obvious. Yesterday she had been playing the role of Theo Theakis—even though she no longer had the least right to that name, he thought, with a savage spurt of anger. Tonight she had chosen a different image. Jeans and a chainstore sweat top. Her hair was caught up in a ponytail, and she wore not a scrap of make up.
His lips pressed together. She would not be wearing that outfit for him again—
‘Well?’
The voice was curt, demanding. The line of his lips tightened. How dared she stand there, shameless and insolent, and speak to him in such a tone? His eyes darkened.