Contracted To Her Greek Enemy / Crowning His Unlikely Princess
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She needed time to consider the advantages of his proposition.
He had a little time. She was staying at the villa while Emma and Christo went on their honeymoon. And his yacht was moored offshore.
‘Don’t decide now, Stephanie. I’ll come back for your final answer later.’ Then, scooping the empty glass dangling from her hand, he strolled back to the party.
Take your time!
Because the man couldn’t accept a simple no! He was so arrogant, so stupendously sure of himself, he made Steph’s blood boil.
Thinking about Damen made her pulse skitter and her breath came in hard, short bursts. She remembered him saying she was perfect for his plan because she wouldn’t try to worm her way into his affections.
As if!
There was only one worm here and it wasn’t her.
But, she remembered as she leaned back on the padded sunlounger by the pool, he wasn’t here, was he?
Typical of him to throw out such an outrageous proposition then not follow through. Obviously he was toying with her. She’d known he couldn’t be serious. Even a shipping tycoon didn’t squander two million dollars on such a farcical scheme.
He made her so angry. Angry enough to tell him to his face she had better taste in men than to stoop to him. There was a laugh. Her taste in men was abysmal. Nor had there really been men in her life, not the way he’d think.
Steph hadn’t seen Damen Nicolaides since last night when they and the other wedding guests waved farewell to the newlyweds.
From things Emma had let drop Steph suspected they were on their way to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. It was a place Steph longed to visit but now, like all those other places on her travel list, it was out of her reach. She’d make the most of these days on Corfu. It was likely to be her last holiday.
Steph picked up her pen and focused on her list of potential employers, but her heart wasn’t in it. She’d already contacted the best agencies and there was no work.
Even when she got a new job, her troubles wouldn’t be over. There was the matter of all the money she had to recoup. The wheels of justice turned slowly. By the time the authorities caught Jared, if they ever did, her money would have disappeared. And Gran’s too.
Steph’s belly clenched as she thought of Gran, so eager to support her only granddaughter’s first business venture that she’d put her life savings into it.
If Steph had known, she wouldn’t have let her take the risk. She’d never have introduced her to Jared.
Steph shook her head. If-onlys were pointless. Jared, her one-time boss and almost business partner, had skipped the country, leaving Steph with nothing but a debt she couldn’t service. And Gran with no way of funding the move to the retirement village she’d planned.
Steph ground her teeth and flung the notebook down.
A steady wage wouldn’t rectify her financial problems. It was lucky she’d paid for her return flight to Australia months ago. She had barely enough for a week’s rent in a hostel when she got back.
There was one obvious way out of her troubles.
Tell Emma. Her friend and her husband were wealthy. Emma wouldn’t hesitate to help.
But the thought sickened Steph. She couldn’t leech off Emma. This was her mistake. She had to fix it. She’d trusted Jared, believed him when he said he was moving the money to put a deposit on their new premises.
Besides, money issues could destroy friendships. Emma and Steph had been best mates since they started high school, when Steph had championed quiet Emma and in return been gifted with the truest friend she’d ever made. She’d never jeopardise that.
Nausea rose as she remembered earlier days when she’d still lived with her mother. Suddenly the kids next door weren’t allowed to visit. They’d shunned her. Ugly words had been hurled and a shame she’d been too young to understand weighed her down. Because Steph’s mother, battling to support them both on her cleaner’s wage, had borrowed from her friend next door. Borrowed money she couldn’t repay. The friendship died and they’d had to move again to a smaller flat.
Steph’s mother had worked hard but she’d never been able to hold on to money. They’d lived from hand to mouth until Steph had finally been packed off to live with Gran.
Steph grimaced. She’d been determined not to be like her mother. From the day she got her first paper round then worked several part-time jobs, she’d scrimped to save and contribute to Gran’s housekeeping.
So proud of herself, she’d been. Confident about this exciting venture with Jared, a bespoke travel company, catering to those who wanted an individualised holiday experience.
It had all turned to dust.
Steph swung off the lounger and shot to her feet. She needed a plan. A way to salvage Gran’s savings at least.
A way to get money quickly, not in twenty years.
Two million dollars.
The tantalising echo of that deep voice rippled through her. Damen made his crazy proposition sound almost reasonable.
With two million dollars she could buy Gran a home in the retirement village she had her eye on, with the lake view. There’d be money to start again. To avoid the trap her mother had fallen into, working low-paid jobs to get by.
Steph had loved her mother but vowed to learn from her mistakes. She’d be financially independent and never be taken in by a guy who’d let her down. Like Steph’s feckless father, who’d never provided emotional or financial support and then disappeared for ever.
A bitter laugh clogged Steph’s throat. Look at her now!
She’d fallen for the double whammy. Jared hadn’t romanced her, but she’d believed his plausible talk about a new venture, put her money into it, and lost everything.
It was enough to make a woman crazy. She strode towards the beach path. She needed to work off this agitation then find a solution.
She turned the corner at the end of the villa and walked into a wall that shouldn’t be there.
A wall a few inches over six feet tall, cushioned with muscle and smelling of the outdoors and hot male flesh.
Steph’s middle turned inside out and a fluttering rose in her chest.
‘Stephanie. I’d hoped to find you.’
His smile, a flash of perfect white teeth against olive-gold skin should have made her wonder how much Damen had spent on dental surgery. But she suspected it was all real. Just as every inch of that tall frame was the real deal, lean yet strongly muscled. Wearing cut-offs and a T-shirt that clung to that impressive chest, it was clear his masculine appearance owed nothing to his tailor.
Steph swallowed annoyance. Was anything about the man, apart from his morals, less than perfect?
Damen looked into those sparkling eyes and felt a punch to the solar plexus. Stronger even than yesterday, when the sight of Stephanie, alluring in her long gown, had dried his mouth. Only for a moment, because no woman had the power to unnerve him. He wouldn’t allow it.
Yesterday it had been due to surprise. Stephanie had seemed so different with those dusky, clustering curls and formal dress. She’d been ultra-feminine and disturbingly sultry.
And today?
His hands closed on her bare arms as he took her in. The scarlet one-piece swimsuit should have looked demure, but on Stephanie’s slender curves…
Damen yanked his gaze to her face. That was when he read something other than the scorn he’d seen yesterday.
Was that distress as well as anger?
He looked past her, searching for the person who’d upset her, but there was no one. Beneath his hold she was taut, almost vibrating, like a wire strung too tight.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing’s wrong.’ Predictably her chin rose and she drew a deep breath that tested Damen’s determination not to ogle her trim body. ‘Except you’ve intruded on my privacy.’
It felt like relief to have her snark at him, yet Damen wasn’t convinced. There were shadows around her eyes, shadows he hadn’t put there. She’d already been upset when she stormed towards him.
Bizarre to feel protective of a woman who despised him, yet…
He released his hold, surprised when, for a millisecond, she swayed towards him. Then she planted her feet as if to steady herself.
‘I’ve come for an answer.’ Damen folded his arms over his chest, surprised to discover his heart thudding fast.
‘You were serious?’
He held her gaze. ‘Absolutely. Two million dollars for a couple of months of your time.’
She swallowed and Damen repressed the impulse to lean closer, pushing his advantage.
‘Think of all you could do with the money.’ He was surprised she’d delayed. Any other woman would have leapt at the chance straight away.
Stephanie Logan had a contrary streak.
Surprising that didn’t deter him.
Her eyelids flickered, veiling her eyes as she gnawed lips he knew to be soft and delicious. He was so focused on her mouth it took a moment to realise she’d turned that bright gaze on him again.
‘Okay, you’ve got a deal. I’ll be your fake girlfriend for two million dollars.’
CHAPTER THREE
TRIUMPH WAS A surge of adrenalin in Damen’s arteries. A lifting of tension he hadn’t been aware of till the weight across his shoulders eased.
Because the way was clear to scotch Manos’s wedding expectations.
Because Damen hated the idea of people he cared for, like Clio and her mother, being hurt. Especially when it was his fault.
His thoughts strayed to that terrible time when he’d been the catalyst for the disaster that rocked his family. He yanked his mind from that and back on track.
Stephanie at his side, sexy, provoking, intriguing… Which of course was only important as it made her the perfect person to play his pretend lover.
Damen’s thoughts slowed on the word ‘lover’. Slowed and circled. Despite her animosity and her insults, she intrigued him as no woman had in years.
Another reason to remember this was purely business.
‘But I have conditions.’
‘Conditions?’ He frowned. Was she going to try to negotiate for more money? She must guess he was desperate or he’d never have made the offer.
‘Yes.’ She folded her arms and her breasts burgeoned against the top of her swimsuit. Damen breathed deep and concentrated on her face. He refused to be distracted during negotiations. ‘I want everything spelled out in a legal contract.’
He released his breath. ‘Is that all?’ Of course there’d be a contract, including a watertight non-disclosure clause so she couldn’t sell her story or details of his life to the press.
‘Not all.’ She paused. ‘I want half the money in advance when I sign.’
Damen saw colour rise up her chest and throat into her cheeks. She swallowed quickly and the pulse at the base of her neck beat a rapid tattoo. She expected an argument. Obviously it was important that she get the funds quickly.
Why? Was she in financial difficulty? Or couldn’t she wait to get spending?
Damen was on the verge of asking but stopped himself. He didn’t need to know her motivations, despite the urgent curiosity he refused to give in to. This was a deal. Her services for his money.
‘Done.’
Her eyes widened and he fancied he read surprise there. And nerves. Why? Because she’d hoped he wouldn’t agree? Was the offer of two million so alluring she’d been persuaded despite her better judgement?
Now he was being fanciful.
‘One other thing.’ Her gaze settled near his ear.
Now he was definitely intrigued. Despite the disparity between them, in wealth, power and physical size, Stephanie always met his gaze.
This condition she’d left till last was vitally important.
‘No kissing.’
Finally her eyes locked on his and a sizzle pierced Damen’s belly, driving down like a hammering pile driver. Then the connection was severed and she stared at his ear again.
‘Sorry?’
‘You heard me.’ She dropped her arms to her sides then almost immediately refolded them. ‘I’ll play your girlfriend in public, but I won’t kiss you, and,’ she hurried on as if expecting him to interrupt, ‘I won’t have you kissing me. No lip locks. I want that spelled out in the contract.’
Damen lifted an eyebrow, intrigued. ‘If we’re lovers people will expect us to be intimate and show affection.’
Her flush intensified. Damen’s curiosity deepened. Was she annoyed or embarrassed?
‘Intimate in private. In public there are ways of showing affection without kissing.’
Damen shoved his hands into his pockets. ‘I’m paying you an enormous sum. I expect you to be completely convincing.’
‘And I will be. I just won’t kiss you.’
‘For religious reasons? Health reasons? I can assure you you’re not going to catch some terrible illness.’
She unlocked tightly crossed arms and spread her hands. ‘Because I don’t care to, okay? Once was more than enough. I won’t repeat that mistake.’
Damen was about to say it hadn’t felt like a mistake. In fact their kiss had moved him in ways he wasn’t used to.
That in itself was reason enough not to say it.
He frowned. ‘Then how do you intend to persuade people we’re lovers?’
She made a vague gesture. ‘By hanging on your every word. Looking into your eyes. Snuggling up—’
‘Snuggling? So we’re allowed to touch?’
Stephanie’s mouth thinned and Damen suspected she stifled the urge to swear.
‘Don’t be asinine. Sarcasm doesn’t suit you.’ She shook her head and those lush curls brushed her cheeks. ‘There are ways of signalling attraction and intimacy without—’
‘Putting my lips on yours.’ He watched her blink and something inside him shifted.
Did this woman have any idea how provocative, how downright dangerous, it was to throw down an ultimatum like that? Especially to the man paying such a price for her company?
It was more than an ultimatum. It was a challenge.
Damen didn’t back down from challenges. He won them.
‘Prove you can be convincing as my lover or the deal is off.’
Damen saw dismay flicker in that bright gaze. Was she going to renege?
Disappointment stirred.
He’d imagined, after the way Stephanie Logan had once stood up for her friend Emma, defying both him and Christo to keep her secret, and the way she’d lambasted him after he’d abducted her, that nothing could daunt this woman. Now he read something in her expression that made him doubt. Maybe he’d misjudged—
She stepped towards him, so close he caught the scent of sun lotion and vanilla. That vanilla fragrance stirred memories of her in his arms, kissing him with a fervour that shredded his control.
Damen was still grappling with that when a small, firm hand closed around his bare forearm, curling loosely yet seeming to brand him. A shiver of something disturbingly like delight reverberated through him.
Stephanie leaned in, her eyes a golden brown that for a change looked soft and melting rather than distrustful.
He liked that look. Very much.
Just as he liked the way her lips parted as if being close to him affected her breathing.
Damen realised his own lungs were working harder. In anticipation, he told himself. If she couldn’t convince as his girlfriend he’d have to find someone else.
He didn’t want anyone else.
The unsettling notion stirred then was squashed as Stephanie moved nearer.
Sweetly rounded breasts jiggled a hair’s breadth from his arm as she rose on tiptoe. She was so close he felt her warm breath on his face. It should have been a mere waft of air. It felt like a deliberate, sensuous stroke of her fingers. Her lips formed a pout that turned her mouth into an invitation to kiss.
Damen didn’t bend his head. He stood, waiting.
He didn’t have to wait long. She planted her other hand on his chest, over the spot where his heart accelerated to a quicker beat. Her fingers splayed, slid across the contours of muscle, then stopped.
She blinked and he had the impression she was as surprised by that caress as he was.
Damen expected her to pull away but she leaned still nearer. Delight surged as those brown eyes locked on his in clear invitation.
‘Damen,’ she murmured in a throaty voice that belonged in the bedroom. Her fingers walked up his chest. Soft fingertips flirted against his collarbone and his flesh tightened.
Something jolted through him. Delight? Anticipation? Both?
He reminded himself this was a game, a test. It wasn’t real. But his body ignored logic. Heat trailed low in his groin.
Stephanie leaned still closer, her full breast warm and intoxicatingly inviting against his arm.
‘You have no idea,’ she whispered, so close that they breathed the same air, ‘how very, very alluring I find…’
Damen inclined his head, drawn to those luminous eyes fringed with lush dark lashes. And more, by the conviction she’d finally put aside her dislike, giving in to the attraction that had connected them from the first.
Her fingers on his lips stopped him just as he heard ‘…your two million dollars.’
Abruptly she was gone.
Damen chilled. It felt like she’d cut him off at the knees.
He’d issued the challenge. He should have known Stephanie Logan would accept it and shouldn’t have let himself get distracted. She wasn’t the sort to back down.
Or, apparently, to give up the chance of a couple of million.
His lips twisted. He needed to remember that. No matter how sweet he’d once found her. How he’d respected her loyalty to her friend even as he’d cursed her obstinacy.
She was doing this for money and far more convincingly than he’d thought possible.
An undercurrent of doubt channelled through his belly. His hackles rose.
She’d only done what he’d demanded, prove she could play the convincing lover. Yet, looking into that pretty face flushed with satisfaction, he was irresistibly reminded of another woman who’d been all too convincing at feigning ardour and even love.
A woman who’d almost wrecked his life and who’d been the catalyst for his greatest regret.
‘How’d I do?’ Stephanie stuck her hands on her hips, looking up expectantly.
Did she expect applause?
Grudgingly Damen realised she probably deserved it. She didn’t care for him but he’d insisted on a demonstration of fake affection. It was unreasonable to feel betrayed by how well she’d pretended.
‘Well enough.’
She frowned but Damen wasn’t going to heap praise on her ability to lie.
The muffled voice of his conscience said he was unreasonable. He’d be lying about this fake relationship too. At least Stephanie was upfront about her motives.
Yet it took an effort to shake off his dissatisfaction as he looked into her features, again wearing that familiar, guarded expression.
‘So we have a deal?’
‘I’ll have the contract drawn up straight away. With the specifications you requested.’
Half the money in advance. And no kissing.
Maybe it was his unsettled mood. Maybe it was annoyance at how she’d dredged up negative memories. More probably it was the way she’d bruised his pride, being immune to him when just months ago she’d been eager for his touch.
Whatever the reason, Damen found himself adding a mental corollary to their deal. He’d stick to their bargain but he’d make Stephanie Logan regret her no-kissing rule. In fact, he’d make it his business to ensure she too felt this tingling dissatisfaction that their affair wasn’t real.
He’d seduce her into wanting him again.
You’re crazy. You hate deception. Yet you’re going to lie for a man you don’t even like.
Steph threaded her fingers together, willing the voice in her head to stop.
It’s worse than that. You don’t like him but you’re still attracted, aren’t you?
‘Stephanie?’
‘Sorry.’ She turned her gaze back to the tall man whose presence filled the study of Emma’s villa. Sunlight streamed through the windows, slanting across those high-cut cheekbones before pooling on the papers he’d brought.
‘I said, I had the contract drawn up in English, so you don’t need a translator.’
‘Thank you.’ Surprised at his thoughtfulness, she smiled, despite her nerves.
She should have guessed Damen would think of that. He was thorough. In Melbourne he’d been a pillar of strength for his friend, leaving no stone unturned to locate Christo’s missing bride. Damen seemed to think of everything.
Suppressing a shiver, Steph crossed to the desk on reluctant feet. Now it came to the crunch she had doubts.
Except Damen would transfer cash to her account the moment she signed. Cash she’d use to buy a lovely, purpose-built home for her grandmother in the development she had her heart set on.
How could she refuse?
Yet her movements were slow as she took the chair he held out. The contract sat before her, a stylish fountain pen beside it.
She breathed deep but instead of settling her nerves, it had the opposite effect. For she inhaled an attractive woodsy scent that she identified as Damen’s. Rich, warm and far too appealing.
Steph shut her eyes and suddenly she was back in the garden yesterday, when Damen had threatened to scrap this deal unless she could play the convincing lover.
She’d felt challenged, daunted and a little too excited at being up against all that magnificent manliness. Her heart had raced and she’d told herself it was because she refused to back down. The prize was too big.
Steph had felt a surge of recklessness and been buoyed up by it. It was a welcome change after so much recent self-blame and doubt. For a few moments she’d felt her old self, confident, decisive and practical. Able to handle anything. Sheer relief at that once familiar feeling of assurance had filled her.
Until she’d closed the gap between them to kissing distance. Then she’d felt like a mouse who’d unwittingly been lured between a cat’s paws. The heat in Damen’s eyes had slammed into her and she realised she played with fire.
She’d retreated from him and suddenly, it seemed, she’d been wrong. There was no fire in his eyes. No desire. Damen Nicolaides didn’t want her. He’d never wanted her.
He’d made that embarrassingly clear in Melbourne.
She’d been relieved at the reminder. Truly relieved.
What she’d seen flash in those stunning eyes was pique. Anger that she could act the part so easily yet remain immune to him.
Well, not immune, but she’d do whatever it took to hide that from him!
‘Have you finished reading?’ His deep voice came from over her shoulder and her eyes popped open.
‘I like to take my time with legal documents.’
Not that that had stopped Jared running off with her money. Cold settled in Steph’s bones and she set her teeth. This deal seemed the only way to recoup what she’d lost, not just the money but her control over her life.
Yet she couldn’t ignore the feeling it was a mistake.
But she needed to take the risk to reverse the plight she’d put herself and her beloved Gran in. Playing safe wouldn’t help now.
Even if it didn’t feel safe, she wouldn’t fall for Damen Nicolaides again. She was over him, or almost over him. A few weeks in his company would destroy any lingering weakness. He didn’t want her, so what was the risk?
Steph concentrated on the contract, reading each sentence carefully, grateful it was set out in simple terms. Her eyes rounded at the penalties she’d incur if she sold her story, but as she had no intention of broadcasting her time with Damen, that was no problem. She had to decide what to tell Emma, but that could wait.