Mediterranean Tycoons: Dark & Demanding

‘I hope not.’ Nick had the information he required and a flash of triumph glinted in his dark eyes; the man was coming back to the island in thirteen days’ time. The time span was about right for the negotiations; obviously Brown was returning to collect the money and he was as good as caught. A call to Carl, and, with the other culprits tracked down hopefully by the Spanish police and Interpol, the arrests were a foregone conclusion.

‘Yes, and we are returning to London together the next day, as scheduled,’ Liza added.

Not if he could help it, was Nick’s immediate thought. Liza had said she had only been Brown’s PA for a short time; that was easily checked and if true was in Liza’s favour. She could be innocent. His dark eyes narrowed assessingly on her apparently guileless face. A woman could look beautiful and innocent and still be a criminal. He was not foolish enough to think otherwise, and yet he knew he didn’t want Liza anywhere near Henry Brown when they picked him up.

At the very least she would end up being taken in for questioning, and that he could not allow. Surprisingly for him, he discovered he was not ready to part with Liza now he had met up with her again. At his age and with his experience of women, he knew the feeling for what it was—lust, stark and basic…

Liza had been an itch he could not scratch for years when she was younger, but not any more. He wanted to sate himself in that gorgeous body until she was out from under his skin for good.

Nick lifted the champagne flute and took a sip of the wine, then twirled the stemmed glass in his long fingers, studying the colour for several seconds, thinking quickly. Finally he shifted his dark gaze to linger appreciatively on her.

‘Your boss is a very lucky man,’ he declared huskily, his firm lips curving in a soft, sensual smile, ‘to have you as his PA.’ Little did Brown know, his luck had just about run out, Nick thought with savage satisfaction even as he mouthed the slick compliment.

‘Thanks,’ she said drily. But felt the colour rise in her cheeks as her eyes met his, too conscious of his virile charm and something in his expression that made her heartbeat increase dramatically. She finished her soup to hide her confusion, and was grateful when Greta reappeared with the next course.

As Nick had promised, the food was beautiful, and as they ate Nick took charge of the conversation and Liza was happy to follow. They talked in an easy manner, discussing films, books, music, and Nick’s experiences on various projects. Liza was fascinated and asked dozens of questions. He told her how he had expanded the company worldwide. He spoke with dry humour of the different business practices in the different countries, and the amusing situations that arose from the differences.

Nick was not the wealthy, idle lotus-eater she had thought; he obviously worked hard. But his skill, his charm, was such that he made everything appear easy. He told a good story, sometimes against himself, but she formed the impression that whatever the circumstances Nick always came out the winner. He had a brilliant mind, and she doubted anyone crossed him and got away with it.

Scraping the last mouthful of the mouth-watering soufflé into her mouth, she glanced up at him through the thick fringe of her lashes. ‘In a way you and I are a bit alike—you studied art and don’t use it. I read history at university and thought I would visit all the great historical places in the world, but instead I have ended up in finance, a bit of a waste.’

‘The experience of university life is an end in itself,’ Nick argued. ‘And I do use my knowledge; I appreciate anything of beauty, be it a woman or a landscape, I know where to site a building so it is aesthetically pleasing, though, with the upsurge in tourism around here in the last few years, some are anything but.’

Liza chuckled. ‘I never thought of that.’

‘Have you ever thought of changing, Liza?’ Nick demanded seriously. ‘You’re young—you have plenty of time to start another career.’ He was satisfied he had discovered all he needed to know. Henry Brown was returning to Lanzarote. As for Liza, he was almost sure she was innocent of any crime, and, even if she was guilty, once away from financial temptation and into something more academic it was possible she could change, and he never questioned his reasoning, simply pursued the thought.

‘You could get out of finance and back into what you really want to do,’ he suggested. ‘It is never too late, Liza, believe me. I might even be able to help you.’

‘I suppose you’re right.’ Liza smiled. ‘But don’t take it so seriously, Nick; I’ll survive whatever.’ And she sat back with a sigh of contentment. ‘That meal was magnificent, Greta is a great cook.’

‘You can tell her that in a minute,’ Nick said curtly. He didn’t know why but her casual attitude infuriated him, had she no idea of the danger she was in? Did she even care? Pushing back his chair, he stood up. ‘Greta will serve coffee in the sitting room.’

But what was really bugging him was his superior intellect had apparently deserted him. He had already missed half of the family celebration in Spain and if he didn’t get back to his mother’s for the final party he and his mother were hosting tomorrow evening, his mother would never forgive him. But what to do with Liza? He dared not leave her alone on the island without telling Carl or he would never forgive him either.

He had been racking his brains to think of some way of persuading Liza to come to Spain with him, and incidentally keep her out of harm’s way, but was damned if he knew how to do it. Short of asking her ‘Will you come to Spain with me for the rest of the weekend?’ But he knew that would go down like a lead balloon, given that she had made a point of avoiding visiting the Menendez home for years.

No, he had to think of something else, and, confident as he was in his masculine powers of seduction, he doubted all the seductive technique in the world would convince Liza to fly off to Spain with him only a day after their meeting up again.

Rising to her feet, Liza followed him through into the elegant living room, wondering what had caused the sudden coolness in the atmosphere. She sat down on one of the soft hide sofas, the occasional table already held the accompaniments for coffee, and a moment later Greta appeared with a pot to add to the already prepared tray.

Liza smiled at the other woman and thanked her for a lovely meal, and then stiffened when Nick chose to sit down beside her on the sofa instead of taking the one opposite. During the meal there had been space between them and the atmosphere had been good most of the time, but now she sensed a tension in the air, and she felt distinctly crowded.

‘Will you be mother?’ Nick asked smoothly.

The words hung in the air as Liza had a vivid mental image of being mother to Nick’s child, a small dark-haired angel. Her face turned scarlet at the provocative thought and hastily she bent forward and filled two small cups with the aromatic coffee. ‘Sugar, milk?’ she asked, without looking at him.

‘As it comes.’

Lifting one cup, she turned slightly, her hand stilling. Nick was lounging back against the cushions, one long arm flung along the back, his jacket hanging open and his shirt pulled tight across his muscular chest, she could see the slight shading of body hair and swallowed hard.

He gave her a long, sardonic look. ‘Are you going to give me the coffee, or simply hold it?’

Blushing at her stupidity—she was eyeing the man like the dumb teenager she had once been—she thrust the cup at him, a little of the liquid spilling, and his long fingers curved around hers.

‘Steady, Liza. I want to drink it, not drown in it,’ he drawled mockingly.

The touch of his hand sent a warmth shimmering through her, and quickly she snatched her hand back, and, grasping her own cup of coffee, forced herself to sit back against the sofa, and lift the cup to her mouth. She took one sip and almost burnt her tongue. Her lips tightened and she just prevented a yelp escaping.

She had to get over her panic; hadn’t she decided in the hotel earlier to take a chance? Nick was just a man like any other. But that was the trouble, he was not like any other man she had ever known, she thought ruefully, casting him a sidelong glance from beneath the thick screen of her lashes. How was it, she mused, that as a young girl she had had a crush on him and was brutally cured of the illusion by the man himself? For years she thought she hated him and yet now one day in his company and all she saw was a dominant, attractive male who turned her bones to jelly.

Feeling vulnerable in a man’s presence for the first time in years, she was not sure she trusted the feeling, and common sense told her to thank Nick for the meal and leave. With that in mind she drained her coffee-cup and replaced it on the table, and, turning slightly, she glanced at his face. He was looking down at her, his mouth a hard, taut line, and for a moment Liza felt a slight shiver of fear, or was it a shiver of sensual anticipation? She was not sure which, and quickly fixed her gaze somewhere over his left shoulder and before she could weaken.

‘Thank you for a lovely evening, Nick. But I think it is time I got back to my hotel.’ She made to rise, only to find a large restraining hand on her forearm.

‘Please join me in a brandy at least,’ Nick said softly, and placed his cup on the table, his dark gaze holding her own, and his thumb caressing the underside of her arm to devastating effect.

Liza was in two minds when the arrival of Paul solved the problem for her.

‘Your mother is on the line.’ He addressed Nick, a cordless telephone in his hand.

Saved by the bell! Nick thought, a huge smile lighting his handsome features, and took the telephone. ‘Hi, Mamma.’ He listened with delight as she harangued him about leaving her a note, and flying off to Lanzarote when she had been expecting him at home.

‘You were supposed to join your uncle and family tonight for dinner, and you’d better get yourself back here quick for the celebratory lunch and the party tomorrow night.’

‘Yes, I will be there, I promise. In fact I will leave tonight, to make absolutely sure, don’t worry.’

Listening to the one-sided conversation, Liza berated herself for her stupid fear five minutes ago, and her clumsy attempt to leave. Nick had plans for the rest of the weekend and the dinner was just as he had said. Two old friends catching up with each other. Then she heard the rest…

‘But you will never guess who I bumped into today.’ Nick shot Liza a brief grin and added, ‘Liza, Liza Summers; she is on holiday here, and we’ve just had dinner together.’

As Nick knew she would, his mother responded, ‘Oh, I haven’t seen Liza in years. Perhaps you can bring Liza back with you for the party. I would love to meet her again.’

‘Well, why don’t you ask her yourself, Mamma?’ Nick relaxed back against the cushions, ignoring Liza’s frantic shaking of her head, and held out the telephone to her while tightening his grip on her arm. ‘Mother would like to speak to you, Liza.’

Reluctantly Liza accepted the telephone. Anna Menendez was a very persuasive woman, as her son knew fine well, Liza thought balefully.

‘Well, of course I would love to see you again, and it is very kind to invite me, but I really couldn’t put Nick to the trouble of flying me to Spain and then back to Lanzarote again.’ Five minutes later when she handed the telephone back to Nick she was committed to going to Spain with him.

‘I don’t believe it.’ Liza jumped to her feet. ‘Why on earth did you tell your mother I was here?’ She glanced down at Nick as he placed the telephone on the table. Call over.

‘Because you were,’ he said with a shrug of his wide shoulders, and a devilish grin in her direction. Thanks to his mother his problem was solved. Nick had set out this morning with the intention of seducing Liza into giving him the information he wanted, but as the day progressed it was he who had been seduced by Liza’s beauty, her warmth, her genuine enthusiasm for life. He would ask her outright about the diamonds in case she had any more information. But he didn’t give a damn if she was guilty or not, he was keeping her with him for a few more days and that was all he cared about.

‘But you must have known that she’d feel obliged to ask me to her party?’

Rising to his feet, he studied her from beneath lowered lids, the soft, silky skin and the generous curve of her mouth, but at the moment she was bristling with indignation. She knew she had been manipulated—she wasn’t stupid. Nick hesitated, a hint of wariness flickering through his eyes.

The mood she was in, if he asked her about the theft of the diamonds, and she was innocent, he could kiss goodbye any chance of getting her into his bed. She would probably never speak to him again, and not surprisingly he found he did not like that idea one bit. He dismissed the thought of challenging her about the diamonds—that could wait. He could sense she was moments away from changing her mind, and he had to do something fast.

‘I never thought, but it seems like a good idea.’ He reached for her shoulders, and held her gently. ‘My mother is not getting any younger and she has been quite down lately; seeing you again is just the tonic she needs to cheer her up—she always had a soft spot for you.’ It wasn’t a lie; his mother had been down, but a course of antibiotics for a mild chest infection had put her right again, and he saw no need to tell Liza that. Emotional blackmail, sensual persuasion…he utilised all his skills. ‘And I am very reluctant to part with you so soon after meeting you again, Liza.’ A gentle pressure with his fingers, and a shiver arced down her spine. ‘Will it be such a hardship to spend a few days’ holiday in Spain and make an old woman happy?’

Hardship, no, but it was likely to cause her enormous pain, resurrecting old memories. Captivated by the sincerity in Nick’s dark eyes, she could feel her resentment at his high-handiness weakening. He loved his mother, of that she had no doubt.

‘I suppose not.’ He sounded perfectly reasonable, and put like that he was right. But she stiffened in his hold, mortified by her helpless response to his touch. She hated to admit it, but she had read such a lot into her meeting with Nick, the day out and everything, and it was humiliating to realise he hadn’t been bowled over by her looks or her personality; in fact, he probably still thought of her as the no-good little tramp of years ago. Nothing had changed…

Nick watched myriad expressions flutter over her exquisite features, and knew she was still not totally convinced, so bending his dark head, he brushed her lips with his own. ‘You think too much, Liza.’

‘Better than not thinking at all,’ Liza shot back sarcastically, but her heart was not in it. She told herself she had fallen for Nick’s soft soap like a stupid kid all over again. She should have remembered what an arrogant, conceited swine he was, intent on getting his own way whatever the cost. But somehow, with her lips tingling from the taste of him, however hard she tried she could not sustain her anger with him.

‘Relax, Liza, you will enjoy yourself. Come and sit down, have a brandy.’

‘I think I need one,’ Liza murmured and let him lead her back to the sofa, and made no objection when, seated beside her, he kept one arm around her waist, holding her close to his side.

‘You know my mother,’ he prompted with a wry smile. ‘She gets an idea in her head and won’t budge. She still thinks she offended you and that is why you have never visited in years. My jet is standing by at the airport, Liza, you’re unexpectedly free for a week or so…there will never be a better time.’

With a flash of insight Liza knew she would let this man take her anywhere; after years of frustration she had finally met again the man whose slightest touch thrilled her to the core. ‘I don’t have a choice,’ she said drily. ‘I have already told your mother I would go.’ And she had already told herself earlier she wanted to see where the relationship with Nick would lead, and she would never have a better chance.

‘Never mind Mamma, I want you to come for me,’ Nick husked and looked long and deep into her eyes.

Liza felt as if he was looking into her soul, and what she had thought was a simple case of sexual chemistry between them suddenly took on a frightening dimension. She noted tiny flecks of gold in the darkening depths of his eyes, and all her muscles tensed as she forgot his mother, forgot everything except the heady awareness of this man that filled her mind to the exclusion of everything else.

‘Nick,’ she thought, not realising she had said his name out loud. He tugged at her heart-strings like no other man before, or ever would again, she realised with blinding clarity. She wanted him, and instinctively she moved closer to his side.

‘Yes, Liza.’ His voice roughened as he held her firmly then quickly slipped his other arm around her to draw her even closer. She felt the hardness of his body and the heat of him searing her, even through the fabric of her dress. His dark head bent and his lips hovered over hers. ‘I knew you would be sensible,’ he murmured and then he kissed her, his tongue slipping between her parted lips in a deeply sensual kiss.

This wasn’t sensible, Liza knew. He was implying a brief affair, but his mouth was tender and moist, filling her with sensation until she couldn’t think. His hand caressed slowly up her side and over the soft mound of one breast, and a tiny moan escaped her. His powerful sexuality overwhelmed her, making the blood run hot through her veins, and she was lost in the wonder of his embrace when he lifted his head and eased back slightly and murmured, ‘Think of us, Liza.’

‘Us?’ She was totally confused.

‘Yes,’ Nick promised, one hand gently cupping her chin. ‘I have to leave tonight.’ He kissed her again. ‘And I want you with me quite desperately.’ He mouthed the words against her lips as his other hand caught hers and pressed it to his hard manhood. ‘Feel what you do to me,’ he rasped sexily.

Her breath snagged in her throat and she saw his pupils dilating so his eyes were sinful black pools of hunger. She flexed her fingers and heard him groan. She pulled her hand away, afraid she had hurt him. Equally as ravenous for him.

He kissed her again with a deep, possessive passion, and when his mouth lifted from hers Liza’s arms were around his neck, and the breath was drawn from her body. She pulled back and briefly closed her eyes, fighting to recover her breath, the longing to know Nick in every way an almost physical pain, and thought, why not?

She might never get another chance to feel the miracle of his lovemaking and she wanted to more than anything else in her life, he had haunted her dreams for years. She was on holiday, and plenty of girls had a holiday romance they remembered with affection after it was over, without ruining their lives…she rationalised. So why not her?

Boldly she curled her arms around his neck again and urged his head down, and kissed him back with a passion, a need she had never imagined she was capable of.

‘You are exquisite,’ Nick opined huskily and, lifting his dark head, a dull flush along his high cheekbones, he added, ‘We will have a wonderful time, trust me,’ and immediately felt a twinge of guilt, an alien emotion for him. He had used her obvious attraction to him to get the result that he required, but he had never expected to want Liza quite so badly. ‘Hoist by his own petard’ sprang to mind…

‘I’ll keep you to that,’ Liza murmured huskily, and, raising brilliant blue eyes, she gulped at the unguarded smouldering desire in the black depths of his, and for a moment her throat closed in panic. Nick was so sure of himself, his sexuality so potent—was she really ready for this? Her one attempt at sex had left her thinking it was vastly overrated or she was frigid.

Nick saw the flash of uncertainty in her glorious eyes, and, not giving her time to dwell on it, he rose to his feet, taking Liza with him. ‘A call to your hotel for your luggage,’ he informed her and drew her hard against him, allowing her to feel the extent of his need, and he kissed her once again hard and fast. ‘And we can leave within the hour.’

Leave! Hell, he wanted to tumble her down on the sofa and take her now. It was what they had both been fighting all day, or maybe longer…he wasn’t sure about anything any more, except the need to get her away from Lanzarote, he reminded himself, and stepped back, setting her free.

Liza blinked and for one wild moment wondered what she had committed to. As he stood before her, dark and slightly dangerous with certain possessiveness in his eyes, she suddenly felt threatened, and she did not understand why.

His request was straightforward enough, and after a few tense seconds she smoothed damp palms down over her hips and said lightly, ‘You and your mother seem to have it all arranged, and it will be nice to see Anna again, so far be it from me to disappoint you all.’ She could play the sophisticate as good as any woman.

‘You could never disappoint me, Liza,’ Nick said in a throaty voice, and with a faint smile he slid one long finger down her burning cheek in a tender gesture. ‘But if we don’t stop this now, I cannot be responsible for my actions,’ he said thickly, his finger tracing the outline of her slightly swollen lips.

Helplessly Liza’s lips parted and just as abruptly Nick stepped back. ‘No.’ His great chest heaved. ‘Later, or we will never get out of here. I think we need that brandy now.’

CHAPTER FOUR

‘NOW that wasn’t too painful, was it, Liza?’ Nick asked, releasing his safety belt, and, turning, he deftly unfastened the belt restraining her in the flight seat next to him, but not before dropping a swift kiss on her full lips. He saw her eyes darken, and it crossed his mind that it was after ten in the evening and there was a bedroom on the plane. It was a two-hour flight, and he doubted if a girl with Liza’s obvious sexual appetite would object.

‘Painful, no. A mad rush, yes,’ Liza quipped, striving for some sense of normality even as her head spun from his brief kiss. ‘You do realise we will arrive in Spain in the middle of the night? That is hardly going to go down well with your mother.’

She was still not sure she was doing the right thing. But Nick was very persuasive. As he had said when she was dithering while waiting for the car to take them to the airport, it was only for a few days, and it would mean the world to his mother. Liza recognised it was emotional blackmail but powerful nevertheless.

Nick’s comment that they could have fun as well and the sensual gleam in his dark eyes had told her exactly what he meant. When she had queried how she would get back to Lanzarote, he had told her not to worry, he would take care of everything and her boss needed never know she had been away. Which, she thought drily, put it in perspective; a brief affair was all he had in mind, and it was up to her just how much fun it would be.

Nick considered her thoughtfully; she was nervous and striving to cover it. He had been keeping up a subtle sensual pressure in case she changed her mind, and would like to think it was his obvious attraction that was making her nervous but he could not suppress the suspicion it was more likely the change in her plans that he had contrived. The cynical side of his nature reminded him that in his experience a really good criminal rarely liked their schedule altered by an outside influence. ‘Let me worry about Mamma,’ he reassured her with a lazy smile. ‘Relax.’

Easy for him to say, but Liza was on her way back to the house where she’d suffered her biggest humiliation, and she was scared. ‘Will there be a lot of people at this party?’ she asked, lifting guarded blue eyes to his, and there was something about the way he looked at her with a kind of amused sensuality that was incredibly arousing and she could not tear her gaze away.

‘Quite a few. You know Mamma; it is her brother and his wife’s golden-wedding anniversary.’ He was aware that she was staring at him as intently as he was studying her and the amusement vanished from his face as her gaze involuntarily darkened, the tension between them renewing itself with a cosmic force.