‘No, I don’t know what it’s like to have parents who worry about me, constantly or even occasionally.’ The tight non-smile he tagged onto his answer was sharp enough to shatter glass.

‘Oh.’ Why not? She swallowed the question, knowing she’d stepped into unfamiliar territory the moment she’d accepted his invitation for a nightcap.

‘And before you ask, no, they’re not dead. They are both very much alive.’

Her breath caught at the acid-soaked tone. Looking closer, she saw that the eyes staring into his glass had darkened with shadows, and the fingers clutching his drink were white-knuckled with tension.

‘I guess being estranged from one’s parents isn’t entirely uncommon. I’m sorry if—’

His head snapped up, cutting off her words. ‘We’ve strayed a little from where I intended this conversation to go. This is why I’m not fond of what you English call chit-chat.’

She slicked her tongue over her lower lip, feeling a little at sea herself. ‘Fine. Was there something specific you wanted to ask me?’

‘Yes, but I see I should’ve been more direct. Are you still unattached or do you have a lover?’

For the second time in half an hour, her jaw threatened to hit the floor.

If this Christos Drakakis was the version that emerged when a case didn’t go his way, she was thankful she’d been spared it so far.

Nevertheless, she wasn’t about to accommodate this risky whim. ‘You may dislike idle chit-chat but you haven’t considered that your alternative might not suit me. Our agreement is on paper only. What makes you think I wish to discuss my private life with you?’ She suppressed the inward cringe that accompanied her mild hypocrisy.

He slowly drained his drink and rolled the glass between his fingers. ‘You know enough about mine. And in light of what we’ll face when we go to Drakonisos, I think it’s time we redressed the balance.’

‘I don’t agree. I think we’re fine the way we are. And I only know about yours because you’ve made it part of my job. If you think I like dealing with the fallout from your...affairs, think again.’

A searching light flared in his eyes, chasing the shadows from the grey depths as he regarded her. ‘The incident from last year hasn’t happened again.’ It was a statement rather than a question. She wondered whether he already knew the answer to it before she shook her head.

‘No, I’m not sure how you did it, but there have been no calls since the delightful Delilah.’

‘Was it that much of a problem dealing with them before?’ he enquired.

Alexis wasn’t sure whether to laugh or lose her temper. ‘Are you serious?’

His eyes narrowed. ‘Do I seem anything but?’

He didn’t, which should’ve been astonishing but was weirdly, reassuringly not. ‘Do you have any idea how disruptive it is to spend an hour, sometimes more, listening to an inconsolable stranger pour her heart out to you, while divulging personal details I really wish they’d keep to themselves?’

His head drew back and laser eyes speared into her. ‘I’m fairly certain a huge percentage of those details are made-up. I’m selective as to who I share that kind of thing with.’

‘Right, and the women you date don’t fall into that bracket?’

‘No, they don’t.’ The response was so weighted with certainty, Alexis experienced a twinge of pity for the women who cycled through his life, hoping to make an impression that would grant them more than the six weeks he chose to date them before losing interest.

‘Be that as it may, I don’t welcome whatever it is they feel I need to know about the state of their devastation.’

He remained silent for a stretch of time, digesting the information. ‘I find it surprising that this task is difficult for you. You excel in every other area of your work.’

‘Thank you... I think.’

‘You’re welcome. But I think an hour’s too long to waste on those sorts of calls.’

Anger. Definitely. ‘Or you can spare me the unpleasant ordeal entirely and just console your exes yourself?’

He caught the sharpness in her tone. ‘It bothered you that much?’ A peculiar contemplation in his gaze raised the hairs on her nape.

Alexis raised her chin. ‘Frankly? Yes.’

‘You should’ve spoken up then.’

Tags: Maya Blake Billionaire Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net