‘You need money. I need a wife. You would be foolish to make any decision until you’ve heard my proposal.’
‘Not as foolish as I would be to consider getting involved with you again. In any capacity.’ The painful memories were a useful tool to stop her bravado from slipping. ‘My decision is made, Nikos.’
‘Well, it’s the wrong one!’
Nikos’s paper-thin patience was ripped apart. A tell-tale muscle ticked in his cheek as he drew in a sharp breath, clenching his hands on the table before him.
‘Think about it, Kate.’ He’d reined in his temper, but his knuckles were pulled white. ‘This arrangement will suit us both. You agree to be my wife until the court rule in my favour and I get legal custody of Sofia. In return I will save Kandy Kate. I will provide whatever funds are necessary to pay off your creditors, get the business thriving again. We are talking about pretty much a blank cheque here, Kate. Imagine what you could do with that...’
Kate imagined. A large injection of money was exactly what Kandy Kate needed. Once the business was stable again she was confident she would be able make a success of it. It was like being in the bottom of a pit—she just needed a boost to get out, then she could run.
‘And, of course, you will have the benefit of my business knowledge and my contacts—many of whom are extremely influential. There is no reason why you shouldn’t massively expand Kandy Kate...grow the business as big as you want.’ Nikos pressed on relentlessly.
Kate closed her ears. She mustn’t let herself be seduced by this daydream.
‘No, Nikos—’
She started to speak but just then the waitress reappeared to refill their cups, so she paused, watching the way the young woman hovered around Nikos’s side as if she couldn’t quite bring herself to leave. When Nikos looked up to thank her, a pretty flush spread to her cheeks.
‘Then do it for Sofia.’ When the waitress finally moved away Nikos jumped in, cutting Kate off before she could speak. ‘Think about her.’
‘I... I am thinking about Sofia.’ Kate’s heart twisted. ‘I genuinely feel very sorry for her.’
‘Then do something about it—feeling sorry is not enough.’ The full glare of his attention was on her now. ‘Marry me and you will help secure her future. Walk away and that greedy, manipulative uncle of hers may well be granted legal guardianship.’
‘I don’t know...’ Kate took in a panicked breath. ‘I mean, just supposing we were to marry, and the courts did award you guardianship of Sofia, what then?’
‘Then we divorce. Sofia will be legally protected, and you will have resurrected your business. It’s the obvious solution.’
Kate swallowed. Nikos made it sound so practical, so easy. Perhaps it was. She didn’t doubt that if she turned him down Nikos would find someone else to do his bidding. That small interaction with the waitress had proved the power he had over women. If she didn’t do this someone else would benefit from the money she needed so desperately to save Kandy Kate.
‘But what about Sofia? Won’t she be expecting us to be a proper married couple? How will she feel if we divorce as soon as she’s legally your care?’
‘You will leave Sofia to me.’ Nikos’s tone left no room for discussion. ‘Your role is to help me secure guardianship. Nothing more.’
A heavy silence fell between them, and the hiss of the coffee machine, the babble of voices in the diner, faded away into the background as Kate found herself staring into the mesmerising deep brown eyes of this all-powerful man.
‘So what do you say...?’ His voice had lowered, become dark, seductive, compelling.
Taking in a gasp of air, Kate forced herself to break his gaze, looking around her for some sort of respite from the intense focus that was making it so impossible to think straight. But her brain was blocked by the man in front of her, by what he was offering her—the dream of being able save Kandy Kate was hanging there, tantalisingly within reach.
When Nikos reached for her hand, lying on the table between them, his touch jolted through her like an electric shock, whipping her gaze back to his face. Once again she was caught.