‘Or met someone…?’ he suggested dryly.
Eva gave a humourless smile. ‘Or met someone,’ she acknowledged self-derisively.
Even in her distress Eva couldn’t help noticing how out of place Markos looked in this ultra-feminine room, with its rose and green floral wallpaper. Even the soaps next to the sinks were the same deep rose colour, and several bottles of expensive perfume and pale pink towelling squares were arranged neatly on the onyx marble top. There were also two comfortable chairs covered in rose-coloured velvet.
‘Could we possibly leave now, do you think?’
He nodded tersely. ‘I have already asked for the car to be brought round.’
Eva’s tensed shoulders slumped with relief. ‘Have I mentioned before how wonderful you are?’
‘I do not believe so,’ Markos answered dryly. ‘But I will be happy for you to tell me so once we are well away from here.’ His face darkened grimly.
Eva couldn’t even begin to imagine how awkward this situation was for Markos. How awful to have brought her here, expecting to spend a pleasant evening at the home of a business colleague, only to learn that business colleague was in fact Eva’s ex-father-in-law—and, even worse, that her ex-husband was also here with his second and very pregnant wife…
‘Markos, I really am sorry.’
‘As I said, we will talk about this once we are well away from here.’ He continued to frown grimly as he took a firm grip of her elbow to hold her firmly at his side as he unlocked the door. ‘We will lea
ve now.’
She blinked. ‘Without saying goodbye?’
Markos nodded abruptly. ‘Without speaking to anyone.’
Eva sensed the anger burning beneath the surface of Markos’s outwardly calm demeanour as they stepped out into the huge hallway, but she didn’t know him well enough yet to know who that anger was directed at: this uncomfortable situation or her.
‘Markos—’
‘Ah, there you are, angel. Feeling better…?’
Eva’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of Jack’s voice. Markos’s fingers squeezed her elbow reassuringly before the two of them turned to face the other man in the otherwise deserted vestibule of the entrance hall. Eva breathed an inward sigh of relief as she saw Jack was alone; she wasn’t sure she could bear to see the pregnant Yvette again this evening.
‘Markos and I are leaving now,’ she said coolly.
Jack raised blond brows. ‘You only just got here.’
‘And now we are leaving,’ Markos bit out coldly. ‘Please inform your father than I will telephone and speak with him some time next week.’
The other man’s cheeks became slightly flushed. He obviously resented Markos’s authoritative tone. ‘It would be more polite if you were to tell him that yourself.’
‘As I am sure you are only too well aware, the current situation is beyond politeness.’ Markos looked at the other man with coldly glittering eyes.
‘Markos—’
‘Stay out of this, angel!’
Markos released Eva’s arm and strode quickly across the hallway until he stood only inches away from the other man. He was slightly taller than Jack Cabot Grey. He was not touching him, but was still intimidating nonetheless.
‘Her name is Eva. And you will not speak to her in that way. Ever again! Do I make myself clear?’ he grated softly.
The other man’s jaw tightened. ‘You can’t just come into my father’s home and threaten me—’
‘I believe I just did,’ Markos purred softly. Dangerously.
‘I call her angel because her name is Ev-angel-ine.’ Jack Cabot Grey met his gaze challengingly for several seconds before those deep blue eyes slid away and he instead looked at Eva. ‘It would seem that your marriage to me gave you a taste for powerful men, angel,’ he drawled insultingly.
Markos drew in his breath sharply. ‘You—’