‘Simple.’ He shrugged, and with a bold lack of conscience lifted his hands enough for her to see what he was talking about. Pure shock sent a whole tidal wave of sensations washing through her.
‘You should be ashamed of yourself!’ she gasped in stunned reaction as heat poured into her cheeks.
He grimaced as if he agreed. ‘I cannot seem to help it. I have been like this since you walked into my boardroom today. So, no divorce,’ he explained. ‘And definitely no other lovers until I get this problem sorted out.’
The problem being her and his desire for her, Isobel realised with a choke and incredulous disbelief that this was even happening.
‘You are so excitingly beautiful,’ he murmured as if that justified everything.
‘But a bitch,’ she reminded him.
‘I like the bitch. I always did. It is part of your attraction I find such an irresistible challenge. Like the warning-red hair and the defy-me green eyes and the sulky little mouth that threatens to bite when I step out of line.’
His eyes were dark on her, his tone serious, the fact that he had already stepped out of line all part of what was beginning to burn between them. ‘Everything about you I find an outright irresistible challenge,’ he continued in a smooth, calm tone that could have been describing the weather, not what turned him on. ‘When you walked into my boardroom this morning wearing leather, of all things, and it is thirty degrees out here, it was a challenge. When you sat there spitting hatred at me I don’t know how I remained in my chair as long as I did before I leapt. I surprised myself,’ he confessed. ‘Now you sit here in military-style trousers and a T-shirt with your hair stuck in that pony-tail and you challenge me to crack the tough-nut you are pretending to be.’
‘It’s no pretence. I am tough,’ she declared.
‘So am I. And yo
u can leap on me and try scratching my eyes out if you want to, but what I want will be the end result.’
‘You still haven’t told me what you want!’ Isobel sliced back at him. ‘I haven’t the slightest idea where you think you are going with this!’
‘I want you, right at this moment,’ he answered without hesitation. ‘I thought I had made that absolutely clear. I want to close my mouth around one of those tight button breasts I can see pushing against your tough-lady top and simply enjoy myself,’ he informed her outrageously. ‘Though I would not protest if you dropped to your knees, unzipped my trousers and enjoyed yourself by taking me into your mouth—only I don’t think the setting is quite right for either fantasy.’
‘I think you’re right, and I’ve had enough of this.’ She got to her feet. ‘Go to hell with your fantasies, Leandros.’ She turned to leave.
As he’d done once before today, he moved with a silent swiftness that gave her no room to react. His hand curled around her wrist and with the simplest tug he brought her toppling down onto his lap. Her stifled cry of surprise slithered through the humid air and had a table of interested witnesses turning their way.
To them it must look as if she’d dived on Leandros rather than been pulled there, she realised, even as his eyes told her what was coming next.
‘Don’t you dare,’ she tried to say but it was already too late. His mouth crushed the refusal, then began offering an alternative to both his fantasies with the help of his tongue.
It lasted short seconds, yet still she was too lost to understand what was happening when he broke the kiss, then quite brutally sat her back on her own chair again. Dizzy and dazed, flushed and shaken, she watched as he climbed to his feet. For a horrible moment she thought it was him who was going to walk away now and leave her to the humiliating glances.
Was that why he’d come here, tracked her down like this and said what he had just said, just to pay her back for the way she had walked out on him this morning?
His hand dipped into his trouser pocket then came out again. Something landed on the table with a metallic ping. Money. She began to feel as if she had walked into hell without realising it. Had he thrown money down on the table to pay for the pleasure of treating her like this?
Stinging eyes dropped to stare and took long seconds to comprehend what it was they were staring at. Leandros sat down again. She couldn’t breathe or think. Lifting her eyes, she just stared at him, her mouth still pulsing from the pressure of his kiss and her heart beating thickly in her throat.
Yes, Leandros thought with a grim lack of humour as he watched her flounder somewhere between this stunning moment and the kiss. You might be in shock, and you might be unable to believe I’ve just done what I did in broad daylight and in public view of anyone wanting to watch. But just keep watching this space, my beautiful wife, because I haven’t even begun to shock you.
I should have done it years ago. I should have taken you by the scruff of your beautiful, stubborn, tough, slender neck and dragged you back into my life.
He was angry. Why was he angry? he asked himself. And knew the answer even before he asked the question. Every time he touched her she fell apart at the very seams with her need for him. Each time their eyes clashed he could see the hurt burning in hers because she was still so in love with him.
Which all added up to three empty, wasted years. Because if he’d faced her with their problems three years ago they would not be sitting here like two damned fools fighting old battles with new words. They would be in a bed somewhere enjoying each other in the traditional Greek way. There could even have been another child to replace the one they’d lost, sleeping safely in a room close by.
And she would certainly not have let another man touch her! How could she do that anyway? he extended furiously.
‘Put it back on,’ he instructed, even though he knew she was incapable of doing anything right now.
‘I don’t—’
‘Not your choice.’ He was back to choices. ‘While you are married to me you will wear my ring.’
‘We are about to end our marriage,’ she protested. ‘What use is a wedding ring in a divorce?’