Sale or Return Bride
Autor
Sarah Morgan
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CHAPTER ONE
‘SEBASTIEN FIORUKIS?’ Alesia gaped at her grandfather, the grandfather who had been a stranger to her in all but reputation for her whole life. ‘In exchange for the money I need, you expect me to marry Sebastien Fiorukis?’
‘Precisely.’ Alesia’s grandfather smiled an unpleasant smile as she struggled to find her voice and fought to control the torrent of emotion that surged up inside her. Whatever she’d expected when she’d been working up the courage to tackle her grandfather, it hadn’t been that.
Fiorukis. The Greek tycoon who had taken his father’s moderately successful business and built it into a corporation that rivalled that of her grandfather; the billionaire reputed to be every bit as ruthless as her grandfather; the man who moved between women at a speed faster than the cars he drove and the jets he flew. The man who—
‘You can’t be serious!’ She looked up, her teeth gritted and her eyes stinging. The very thought made her feel sick. ‘The Fiorukis family was responsible for the death of my father—’
And she despised them as much as she despised her grandfather.
As much as she despised everything Greek.
‘And because of that, my blood-line died out,’ her grandfather said harshly. ‘Now I shall ensure the same fate for the Fiorukis family. If he marries you then it will end with the son, just as mine did.’
Alesia stopped breathing, rigid with shock. He knew.
Somehow he knew.
The file she was holding dropped from her nerveless fingers and papers scattered across the marble floor. She didn’t notice.
As the full implication of his words sank into her shocked brain, her face paled and her voice was little more than a whisper. ‘You know that I can’t have children—?’
How could he know? How could he be party to such an intimate, personal detail?
All her life she’d kept that information private. The only slight salve to her pain had been that her anguish was her own—that no one would pity her.
She stared at him, her breathing rapid. She’d arrived strong and full of purpose. Now suddenly she felt vulnerable and exposed. Stripped naked in front of a man who, despite their shared blood-line, had been a stranger from her childhood.
That man was watching her now, an expression of smug satisfaction in his hard eyes.
Her grandfather, Dimitrios Philipos.
‘I make it my business to know everything about everyone.’ His tone was brittle and unsympathetic as he observed her distress with evident satisfaction. ‘Information is the key to success in life.’
Alesia swallowed back the lump building in her throat. How could such personal agony ever be considered ‘success’?
Marriage.
It was the cruellest taunt. She’d long ago been forced to come to terms with the fact that, no matter what her future held, it wouldn’t be marriage. How could it? How could a woman in her position ever marry?
Her mind raced ahead, trying to keep up with the evil genius of her grandfather. ‘If you truly know everything about me then you must also know the reason I’m here. You must know that my mother is getting sicker, that she needs an operation—’
His smile was unpleasant. ‘Let’s just say I’ve been expecting you. You didn’t disappoint me.’
Fury shot through her, driving out the weakness induced by his reminder of her own limitations as a woman.
She hated him.
Alesia stared at the grandfather she’d never even met before this moment and gave a shiver of revulsion. Her head throbbed with a tension headache that had been plaguing her since she’d stepped off the plane at Athens Airport and she felt a dull ache in the pit of her stomach, a reminder that she’d been too nervous to eat for the past few days.
So much was at stake. Her mother’s future lay in her hands, in her ability to negotiate some sort of deal with a man who was nothing short of a monster.
He presided over the room like a king, seated in an enormous gilded chair with ornately curved handles, barking out orders to terrified staff who hovered within shouting distance.
Alesia glanced around the opulent room with distaste. Such a blatant display of wealth sickened her.
Did the man have no shame? Did he know that she held down three jobs in order to give her mother the care that she needed?
Care that he should have been providing for the past fifteen years.
Alesia took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Temper would get her nowhere. It took enormous effort not to just turn and walk from the room, leaving the old man to his piles of money and lonely existence. But she couldn’t do that. She had to ignore the fact that he was the most selfish, shallow individual she’d ever laid eyes on and she had to ignore the fact that if it hadn’t been for her mother she wouldn’t be standing here now. She had to stay focused on the task in hand.
Nothing—nothing—was going to distract her from her reason for being here. He’d ignored her mother’s needs for fifteen years, denied her very existence, but Alesia wasn’t going to let him ignore her. Not any longer. It was time that he remembered what family was supposed to be about.
‘Wipe that expression off your face. You came to me, remember? You’re the one who wants the money.’ Dimitrios’s voice was harsh and heavily accented and Alesia stiffened defensively.
‘For my mother.’
He gave a grunt of contempt. ‘She could have asked me herself if she had any backbone.’
Alesia felt the anger rise inside her again and squashed it down with ruthless determination. She sensed that if she let her emotions rule then he’d show her the door. ‘My mother is very unwell—’
He watched her closely, a nasty smile on his face. ‘And that’s the only reason you’re here, isn’t it? Nothing else would induce you to step over my threshold. You hate me. She’s taught you to hate me.’ He leaned forward. ‘You’re furiously angry and you’re trying to hide it because you don’t want to risk antagonizing me in case I say no. In case I slam the lid of my coffer shut and catch your fingers.’
He threw back his head and laughed, obviously enjoying the situation enormously.
Refusing to believe that anyone could be so totally lacking in conscience, Alesia spread her hands and tried to appeal to his sense of reason. ‘She was your son’s wife—’
‘Don’t remind me.’ The laughter faded and he sat back in his chair watching her without a flicker of remorse or regret. ‘It’s a shame you weren’t a boy. You look as though you’ve inherited his spirit. You even look a little like him, apart from that blonde hair and those blue eyes. You should have had dark hair and dark eyes and if my son hadn’t been seduced by that woman you would have had the pedigree you deserve and you wouldn’t have lived the last fifteen years of your life in exile. All this could have been yours.’
Alesia glanced round the room at ‘all this’. The contrast between her own circumstances and those of her grandfather couldn’t have been more marked. Evidence of his wealth was everywhere, from the ostentatious statues that guarded the entrance of virtually every doorway in his mansion to the enormous fountain that gushed forth in the elaborate courtyard.
Alesia thought of her own home in a rough area of London—a small ground-floor flat which she’d had converted to accommodate her mother’s disability—all that she could afford after she’d paid for the help her mother needed.
Then she thought of her mother and her long struggle for survival. A struggle which this man could have lessened.
She gritted her teeth and doubled the effort required not to walk from the room. ‘I’m perfectly happy with my pedigree,’ she said stiffly, ‘and I love England.’
‘Don’t answer me back!’ He turned on her with an enraged growl and for a moment she tensed, sure that he was going to hit her. ‘If you answer back, he’ll never marry you. You may not look Greek but I want your behaviour to be totally Greek. You will be meek and obedient and you will not venture an opinion on any subject unless asked. Do you hear me?’
Alesia stared at him in disbelief. ‘You’re serious about this? You really think I’m going to marry a Fiorukis?’
Her grandfather gave an ugly smile. ‘If you want the money, then yes. You’ll marry Sebastien Fiorukis and you’ll make sure he doesn’t find out about your infertility. I will make sure that the terms of the deal will tie him to you in marriage until you produce an heir. Seeing as you will never produce an heir, then he will be locked in a childless marriage for ever, unable to extract himself.’ Dimitrios Philipos threw back his head and gave a nasty laugh. ‘The perfect retribution. They always say that revenge is a dish best eaten cold. I’ve waited fifteen years for this moment but it was worth the wait. It’s masterly. You are the tool of my revenge.’
Alesia stared at him in undisguised horror, so shocked by his vindictive plan that she was unable to hide her distaste.
No wonder her mother had warned her that the man was evil. He didn’t have an ounce of compassion in his body.
‘I can’t do that.’ She lifted a hand to her throat. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. The room was totally airless. ‘You can’t ask me to do that.’
She couldn’t marry Sebastien Fiorukis. He had all the characteristics she despised in a man. To be asked to spend her life with him—
Alesia closed her eyes and tried to remember how she’d got into this situation. She’d never believed in feuds and vengeance.
She was English!
Her grandfather’s smile was unpleasant. ‘If you want the money then you’ll do it.’
Alesia bit her lip hard, her mind racing in all directions.
She wanted the money. She had to have the money. ‘It’s wrong—’
‘It’s justice,’ her grandfather said, his voice icy-cold. ‘Justice that we should have meted out to the Fiorukis family a long time ago. The Greek always avenge their dead and you, even though you are only half Greek, should know this.’
Alesia stared at him helplessly.
Was this the time to tell him that she hated everything Greek? That she didn’t feel at all Greek and never would?
She stayed silent, she couldn’t risk alienating her grandfather.
Anything.
That was what she’d told herself before she’d arrived at her grandfather’s villa today. She’d do anything to get the money she needed.
But she’d underestimated her grandfather’s ability to turn her desperation to his own advantage.
She studied him carefully, noting the chill in his eyes and the ugly set of his fleshy mouth. The thought flashed through her brain that to intentionally make an enemy of this man would be foolish in the extreme. Then she almost laughed at her own naïvety. They were enemies already. Had been from the day that her mother had smiled up at her father and captured his heart, shattering Dimitrios’s plans for a wedding to a good Greek girl.
‘Fiorukis will never agree to marry me,’ she said calmly. ‘He’ll refuse.’
And then she wouldn’t have to spend the rest of her life with a man she’d been bred to hate. There was no way he’d agree to marry her, she consoled herself. Sebastien Fiorukis discarded women with ruthless efficiency and with a casual disregard for their feelings. It was common knowledge that marriage was right at the bottom of his agenda.
Why would he marry her, when their families were virtually at war?
‘Sebastien Fiorukis is first and foremost a businessman,’ her grandfather said in derisive tones, ‘and the inducement I have offered him to marry my granddaughter will prove too tempting for him to pass up.’
‘What inducement?’
Her grandfather gave a nasty smile. ‘Let’s just say that I have something he wants—which is the basis of all successful business negotiations. He is also a man who can’t pass an attractive woman and not make a move on her. For some reason he favours blonde women, so you’re in luck—or you will be once we’ve got you out of those tatty jeans and dressed you in something decent. And if you want that money then you won’t do anything to put him off. Now clear up the mess you made on my floor.’
In luck? Her grandfather truly thought that attracting the attentions of that arrogant, ruthless Greek was lucky?
Functioning on automatic, Alesia stooped and gathered together the papers with shaking hands, her mind working quickly. What choice did she have? There was no other possible source for the money she needed. If there had been then she wouldn’t be standing here now. And it wouldn’t be marriage in the true sense of the word. They probably wouldn’t even need to speak to each other very often—
‘If I do it—if I say yes, you’ll give me the money?’
‘No—’ her grandfather gave a grunt ‘—but Fiorukis will. It will be part of the agreement. He will give you an allowance every month. How you spend that will be up to you.’
Alesia’s mouth fell open. Her grandfather had managed to construct a deal where he didn’t even have to part with his money—
Sebastien Fiorukis was not only going to have to marry the granddaughter of his greatest enemy but he was going to have to pay for the privilege.
Why would he agree to such an outrageous idea?
What exactly was the inducement that her grandfather had referred to?
She raised a shaking hand to her temple, wishing that her head would stop aching. Wishing that she could think clearly.
She knew enough about her grandfather to assume that, for whatever reason, Sebastien Fiorukis would agree to the deal.
Which meant that if she wanted the money then she was going to have to do the one thing she’d promised herself that she’d never do.
She was going to have to marry.
And marry not just anyone, but the man whose family had been responsible for the death of her father.
A man she hated.
‘Why would Dimitrios Philipos come to us?’ Sebastien Fiorukis paced the terrace that ran the length of his luxury Athenian villa and then paused to study his father, his handsome face devoid of expression. He’d learned at an early age the advantage of inscrutability and he practised the art to perfection. ‘The feud between our families goes back for three generations.’
‘Apparently that’s the reason for his approach,’ Leandros Fiorukis said cautiously. ‘He thinks it’s time to mend fences. Publicly.’
‘Mend fences?’ Sebastien raised an eyebrow, incredulity lighting his expressive dark eyes. ‘Since when did Dimitrios Philipos ever want to mend fences? The man is evil and totally without conscience.’
The fact that his father was even considering meeting with the man astonished him. But his father was growing old, Sebastien acknowledged with a tinge of regret, and the loss of the family company so many years earlier had been a thorn in his side for too long.
His father sighed. ‘I want this feud to end, Sebastien. I want to retire in peace with your mother, knowing that what is rightfully ours has been returned. I no longer have the stomach for a fight.’
At the prospect of finally going head to head with his lifelong enemy, Sebastien gave a dangerous smile. Fortunately he had no such reservations. In fact he positively thrived on confrontation and animosity. If Dimitrios Philipos thought that he could play his usual game of bullying and intimidation then he was going to discover that he’d finally met his match.
His father picked up some papers. ‘The deal he is offering is astonishing.’
‘All the more reason to be suspicious of his motives,’ Sebastien drawled in cool tones and Leandros Fiorukis eyed his son cautiously.
‘You would be a fool not to listen and I know you’re not a fool,’ his father said carefully. ‘Whatever else he may be, Dimitrios Philipos is still a Greek. He pays you a compliment by offering to meet.’
‘The day Dimitrios Philipos pays me a compliment is the day I reach for a weapon,’ Sebastien drawled lazily, his gaze lingering on his father’s face, registering the lines of worry and the dark shadows.
Suddenly he realized that his father had aged. That the strain of the ongoing feud had been too much for him.
‘I have agreed to the meeting on your behalf—’ His father looked at him wearily and Sebastien gritted his teeth and vowed that, whatever it took, he would end this feud once and for all, even if he had to take Philipos down with his bare hands.
‘Good.’ His tone was curt. ‘It’s time to end this. Tell me what he’s offering.’
‘He’s returning your birthright. He’s handing over his company.’ His father gave a harsh laugh and dropped the papers on to the table. ‘Or should I say “our company” since that is how it started out before Philipos defrauded your grandfather?’
Philipos was offering back the company? Sebastien hid his shock, his dark eyes veiled as he watched his father. It couldn’t be that easy. ‘And in return?’
His father’s gaze slid from his. ‘You marry his granddaughter.’
‘You’re joking!’ Stunning dark eyes alight with incredulity and more than a trace of amusement, Sebastien stared at his father in disbelief. ‘What century are we in?’
Without meeting his gaze, his father shuffled the papers in front of him. ‘Unfortunately those are his terms.’
Sebastien stilled. ‘You’re not joking.’ The humour faded from his tone and suddenly his voice was lethally soft. ‘In which case you ought to know that I can’t think of anyone who would be less appealing as a potential consort than a blood relative of Philipos.’
His father lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his neck to relieve the tension. ‘You are thirty-four, Sebastien. At some point you have to marry someone. Unless you wish to spend your life alone and childless.’
‘I want children,’ Sebastien said flatly, ‘very much. It’s the wife that gives me a problem. Unfortunately I require certain qualities in a woman that don’t appear to exist.’
He thought about the extremely beautiful gymnast he’d spent the last few evenings with. And before that the dancer. None of them held his attention for more than a few weeks at a time.
‘Well, if you can’t marry for love, then why not for sound business reasons?’ his father said gruffly. ‘If you marry the girl, the company is ours.’
Sebastien’s mind was racing at speed. ‘That’s it?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘It can’t be that simple.’
His father relaxed slightly, his expression suddenly hopeful. ‘He’s an old man. The company is in trouble. There are few men skilled enough to sort out the problems and Philipos knows that you are one of them. Even he acknowledges that you are a brilliant businessman. By insisting on the marriage he ensures that his granddaughter will be financially secure in the event that the company folds. And it won’t with you at the helm. It’s a generous offer.’
‘That’s what concerns me,’ Sebastien drawled softly. ‘Dimitrios Philipos is not renowned for his generous offers.’
‘He is offering a considerable inducement to marry the girl.’
‘I’d need a considerable inducement to agree to marry a woman that I haven’t ever laid eyes on,’ Sebastien said tightly, his razor-sharp brain working quickly.
Why would Philipos be offering him the company?
And why would he want him to marry his granddaughter?
His father looked at him wearily. ‘It’s time to put aside suspicion and learn to trust. Philipos started that business with my father and then took it from him. He claims that he regrets the past and wants to put it right before he dies.’
Sebastien stilled, his mind racing ahead, asking one key question. Why? ‘And you believe him?’
His father shrugged. ‘Our lawyers are in possession of a draft agreement as we speak. What reason do I have not to believe him?’
‘Perhaps because Dimitrios Philipos is an evil megalomaniac who only ever acts in his own interests,’ Sebastien said caustically, wrenching the silk tie away from his neck and dropping it over the nearest chair. He felt the tension rise inside him. Suddenly the stakes were high and he felt the familiar rush of adrenalin. The higher the stakes the more satisfaction was to be gained by playing. ‘Do I really need to remind you of his sins towards our family?’
‘He’s an old man. Perhaps he’s repenting.’
Sebastien threw back his head and laughed but his dark eyes glittered dangerously. ‘Repent? The old bastard wouldn’t know the meaning of the word. I’m almost tempted to go along with the idea just to see what game he’s playing this time.’ Sebastien undid the top two buttons of his shirt and gestured to one of his discreetly hovering staff to bring drinks. The heat in Athens in July was punishing. ‘So why can’t the granddaughter find her own husband? Philipos certainly keeps her existence quiet. No one ever sees or hears of her. Is she just ugly or does she have some vile disease that would be passed on to my offspring?’
‘They would be her offspring too,’ his father pointed out, ‘and you haven’t managed to find a wife.’
‘I haven’t been looking for a wife,’ Sebastien said silkily, ‘and I certainly don’t need one hand-picked by my greatest enemy.’
The thought almost had him laughing. There was little doubt in his mind that the Philipos heiress must have some very unfortunate traits or she would have been married long before now.
‘I’m sure she’s a lovely girl,’ his father muttered and Sebastien lifted a dark eyebrow in mockery.
‘On the contrary, I am expecting her to have two heads and no personality. If she were lovely then Philipos wouldn’t hide her away and the press would have tracked her the way they track me. She is, after all, an extremely wealthy young woman.’
‘The press track you because you give them plenty to write about,’ his father said dryly, ‘whereas the Philipos heiress has been in England.’
‘And England has the most intrusive tabloid press of all,’ Sebastien murmured, a frown touching his handsome features. ‘Which makes the situation even more interesting. If they have left her alone then she undoubtedly has two heads and no personality.’
His father sighed in exasperation. ‘Evidently she leads a discreet life. Unlike you. The girl went to an English boarding school. Her mother was English, if you remember.’
‘Of course I remember.’ Sebastien drained his glass, vivid memories clouding his brain. ‘I also remember that she was killed when our boat exploded. Along with her husband, who was Dimitrios Philipos’s only son.’ Memories flickered across his brain…A child, limp and lifeless in his arms as he dragged her to the surface of the water; chaos, blood, people screaming… Sebastien gritted his teeth. ‘She lost both her parents and Philipos blames us for their deaths. And now he wants me to marry his granddaughter?’ He lifted an eyebrow, his expression sardonic. ‘Given her genealogy, I will have to sleep with a dagger under my pillow. I’m amazed that you accept the suggestion with such equanimity.’
‘We too lost family in that explosion,’ his father said heavily. ‘And time has passed. Enough time. He’s an old man.’
‘He’s an evil man.’
‘We were not responsible for his son’s death. Perhaps time has given him the opportunity to reflect and he realizes that now.’ Leandros ran his fingers over his brow, visibly disturbed by the memories of that terrible time. ‘He wants her to have a Greek husband. He wants his line rebuilt.’
Sebastien narrowed his eyes and wondered when his father had grown so soft. If Philipos wanted his half-English granddaughter to have a Greek husband then there was undoubtedly a reason. And he intended to discover that reason.
‘What about the girl? Why would she agree to such a marriage? She is the granddaughter of Dimitrios Philipos. As such she is unlikely to be possessed of the emotional stability I would want in a wife.’
‘At least meet her.’ His father tried a different approach. ‘You can always say no.’
Sebastien surveyed him thoughtfully. It was true that he wanted children. And he’d always wanted to restore Philipos Industries to his family, where it belonged.
‘What is in it for her?’ His voice was sharp. ‘Philipos gets his grandchild, I gain a son and a company that is rightfully ours—what does she gain?’
His father hesitated and shuffled the papers in front of him. ‘Sebastien—’
Sebastien inhaled sharply. ‘Tell me.’
His father glanced at him warily. ‘On the day of your wedding you are to pay money into her personal account.’ He shifted awkwardly as he studied the papers again. ‘A substantial sum. That sum is to be repeated every month during your marriage.’
There was a long silence. Then Sebastien gave a disbelieving laugh. ‘Are you seriously telling me that the Philipos heiress wants money for marrying me?’
‘The financial settlement is an important part of the deal.’
‘The woman is already richer than Midas himself,’ Sebastien launched, his volatile Mediterranean temperament rising to the surface with the force of an erupting volcano. ‘And yet she wants more?’
His father cleared his throat. ‘The terms of the deal are very clear. She receives money.’
Sebastien strode to the edge of the terrace and stared down across the city he loved so deeply.
‘Sebastien—’
He turned quickly, the expression in his dark eyes cynical and hard. ‘Why do I even hesitate?’ He shrugged broad shoulders in a dismissive gesture. ‘All women are gold-diggers, the fact that this one chooses to dig deeper than most changes nothing. At least she is honest about it, which is to her credit. As you rightly say, this is a business arrangement where both parties understand the score.’
‘You make her sound hard and money-grabbing but why not reserve judgement?’ his father urged. He looked at his son helplessly. ‘Any relative of Philipos is going to be accustomed to an extremely extravagant lifestyle. Her requirement for funds may not be a reflection on her character. She might be sweet.’
Sebastien winced and refrained from pointing out that his taste didn’t run to ‘sweet’ girls. ‘Sweet girls don’t demand huge sums of money from prospective husbands. And if she’s a Philipos then she will have horns and a tail,’ he said drily. ‘And I’ll do well to remember not to turn my back on her.’
‘Sebastien—’
‘Like you, I want the business restored to the family, so I’ll see her because I’m intrigued. But I’m making no promises,’ Sebastien warned grimly, depositing his empty glass on the table. ‘If she’s to be the mother of my children then I at least have to be able to stomach the sight of her.’
‘You are not to speak.’ Dimitrios Philipos glared at Alesia as the helicopter hovered over the landing pad. ‘And you are to keep those flashing eyes of yours fixed on the ground. You are to be meek and obedient like a good Greek girl. If you keep your mouth shut until the wedding takes place, everything will be fine. By then it will be too late for Fiorukis to change his mind.’
At that precise moment Alesia was more concerned with her own state of mind than that of her prospective groom.
Why did they have to visit him on his private island? What was wrong with the mainland?
Satisfying herself that the helicopter was safely down, Alesia relaxed her death grip on her seat and forced herself to draw some much-needed oxygen into her starving lungs. Even the supposed safety of the helicopter hadn’t distracted her from the vast expanse of azure-blue ocean beneath them. She was terrified of the water and always had been. And she still couldn’t believe that she’d actually agreed to this meeting.
Suddenly she felt terrified. Terrified that her hatred of her grandfather would show along with her contempt for the entire Fiorukis family. ‘What if he knows that I can’t have children?’
If her grandfather had discovered that the childhood accident had left her unable to bear children, then how did she know that Sebastien Fiorukis hadn’t discovered the same thing?
‘He doesn’t know. Until recently he didn’t even know of your existence. He will never know until you are safely married and he discovers that you are unable to provide him with a son.’ Dimitrios Philipos gave a nasty smile and Alesia flinched.
This was all wrong.
She shouldn’t be doing this.
And then she remembered the money. She had to have that money. She would do anything for that money. And anyway, was what she was doing really so bad? If Sebastien Fiorukis was a gentle, decent man then it would have been different and her strong sense of right and wrong would never have allowed her to go ahead with a wedding, knowing what she knew. But he wasn’t like that.
The whole Fiorukis family was every bit as corrupt as her grandfather and Sebastien was at the helm. From what she’d heard, he was Greek to the very core. He was utterly without conscience and as cold and ruthless as her grandfather. Judging from his total lack of interest in commitment, he’d never had any great desire to become a father. Undoubtedly he would be a terrible father. To give a man like that an innocent child would be wrong. Perhaps it would be a good thing for everyone if both lines ended, she thought grimly. Philipos and Fiorukis. At least the feud would be buried with them.
And both men owed her. Between them they were responsible for the accident that had wrecked her family. It was time for them to pay.
On the day of the wedding, Fiorukis would transfer a lump sum into her account and continue to do so for the remainder of their marriage. Which meant that her mother could have the operation she so desperately needed. No more worries, no more holding down three jobs and worrying that the money wouldn’t stretch.
As long as Fiorukis didn’t discover that her mother was still alive.
Alesia bit her lip. If he found that out then it wouldn’t take a man of his intelligence two minutes to realize that her grandfather had no love for her whatsoever and that this entire deal was suspicious.
She paused in the doorway of the helicopter and gave a soft gasp as the heat thumped into her. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask her grandfather how, if she was truly half Greek, she found the heat so intolerable but she held the words back. Over the past few days she’d learned that the best way of dealing with her grandfather was to stay silent.
‘Don’t forget.’ Her grandfather jerked her back roughly and glared at her. ‘You are now a Philipos.’
Alesia hid her distaste. ‘You refused to let my mother use that name,’ she said thickly, ‘but now, when it suits you, you expect me to use it.’
‘Fiorukis is to marry you because you’re a Philipos,’ he reminded her with an evil smile. ‘If he knew you were a nobody he wouldn’t touch you with a bargepole. And stop tugging at that dress.’
Alesia gritted her teeth and released her grip on the hemline. ‘It is positively indecent. It barely covers anything.’
‘Precisely.’ Her grandfather glanced over her and gave a satisfied grunt. ‘A man likes to know what he’s buying. Remember everything I said. Fiorukis has a brain as sharp as the business end of a razor but he’s still a red-blooded Greek. One look at you in that and he won’t be thinking business, I can assure you. You wear the dress as if you dress like that every day. You do not mention the existence of your mother. You do not say why you want the money.’
‘He’ll want to know why I’m marrying him,’ Alesia said defiantly and her grandfather gave an unpleasant smile.
‘Sebastien Fiorukis has an ego as large as Greece. And for some unfathomable reason women can’t seem to leave him alone. Probably because he’s rich and good-looking and women are usually too stupid to resist that combination.’ Her grandfather gave a snort of derision. ‘He’ll assume you’re just another in a long line of admirers who want access to his millions.’
Alesia shuddered. The man must be arrogant beyond belief. To be considered so brainless and shallow as to judge a man by his looks and his wallet seemed to her the ultimate insult. ‘I don’t think—’
‘Good!’ Her grandfather glared at her as he interrupted her stammered protest. ‘I don’t want you to think. And neither does he. You are not required to think. You are merely required to lie down for him whenever he pleases. And if he asks you, then you desire this marriage simply because Sebastien Fiorukis is one of the most eligible bachelors in the world and you are keen to rediscover your Greek roots. And try not to flash those eyes at him. A Greek man does not like confrontation in the marriage bed.’
Marriage bed?
Alesia felt her stomach lurch. Somehow she’d managed to avoid thinking about the deeper implications of this marriage. That they would have to become physically intimate. But then she remembered everything she’d read about Sebastien Fiorukis. If reports were correct, then he had at least three mistresses on the go at once. Given his complete lack of interest in commitment, he was hardly likely to weld himself to her bed, was he? He’d be a wandering husband and that suited her perfectly. As long as he deposited the right amount of money in her account every month, she’d be more than happy never to lay eyes on the man.
She swayed slightly and, if it hadn’t been for her grandfather urging her forward down the steps, she would have backed into the helicopter and begged the pilot to take them back to the mainland.
As it was she was forced to take those few steps on to the Tarmac, forced to blink in the dazzling sunlight, dimly aware of a powerful figure watching her from a safe distance.
The situation suddenly overwhelmed her and she would have paused again had her grandfather not pushed her hard. Unprepared for the unexpected force of that push and unused to wearing such ridiculously high heels, she would have lost her balance had strong arms not reached out and steadied her.
Shocked and embarrassed, Alesia gasped out her thanks, her fingers curling into rock-hard biceps as she tried to regain her balance. A dark male face swam in front of her and for a brief moment she collided with night-black eyes. A strange sensation curled deep in her pelvis and she felt the colour seep into her cheeks.
‘Miss Philipos?’
It took a moment for Alesia to realize that he was addressing her because the name was so unfamiliar.
‘Stand up, girl!’ Her grandfather’s impatient tones cut through her thoughts. ‘A man can’t stand a woman who clings. And for goodness’ sake speak when you’re spoken to! What was the point of that expensive education if you can’t even string a sentence together?’
Her face hot with embarrassment and humiliation, Alesia regained her balance and cast an agonized glance at her rescuer. ‘I’m sorry, I—’
‘No apology is needed.’ Sebastien spoke in cool, measured tones but the expression in his eyes as he studied her grandfather made her shiver.
These two men were sworn enemies—
‘Clumsy—’ Her grandfather shot her an impatient look and then turned to his host. ‘Believe it or not, my granddaughter can walk when she applies her mind to the task. But like most women she’s empty-headed.’
Alesia dipped her head rather than risk displaying the flash of anger that she knew must be visible in her eyes. Only by focusing on thoughts of her beloved mother did she prevent herself from stalking back to the helicopter and demanding return passage to the mainland.
She had to forget how much she hated her grandfather.
She had to forget how much she loathed the whole Fiorukis family.
She had to forget all of it.
The only thing that mattered was getting Sebastien Fiorukis to marry her.
No matter what happened, she would save her mother.
