If she’d had champagne in her mouth she would have spurted it everywhere. Her scepticism must have showed because he leaned closer, murmuring, ‘Try it. Just this once. For me.’
She was about to scoff at that but the fact they were being watched meant she had to alter her natural response. ‘For you, darling? Anything.’
He dropped his head closer, his eyes warring with hers in a way that set her pulse racing. ‘Careful, Annabelle. I just might hold you to that later.’
CHAPTER FIVE
SHE’D RESENTED HIS control-freak ways but, deep down, Annie had to admit that, up until a moment ago, she had also felt a mixture of gratitude and appreciation for Dimitrios. She’d thought the day spa was a gesture of great kindness and compassion, and she’d even let herself enjoy the experience—a full-body massage, a manicure, a pedicure and finally an appointment with the country’s top hairstylist. Her natural blonde mane had been given a few foils then toned to a glossy gold and trimmed a little so that the edges were soft, and the layers gave her hair more bounce.
She emerged from the spa feeling a million times better than she had before.
But when Henderson drove her back towards Sydney, he bypassed the turn-off to her suburb completely, causing Annie to lean forward and question him.
‘Boss’s directions.’
Boss’s directions? She sat back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest, and waited to see what Dimitrios had in store for her next.
‘But Max—’
‘He’s being picked up by one of my colleagues.’
Annie’s chest squeezed. In all of Max’s life, she’d never once missed a school pick-up. The thought of doing so now filled her with a sense of disbelief.
‘But...why?’ She shook her head. ‘Don’t tell me. Dimitrios.’
‘Sorry, miss—Annie.’
He drove the car into an underground parking garage, dark despite the fact it was a bright afternoon. She caught a brief glimpse of a sign that read ‘Papandreo Towers’.
Henderson accompanied her in the lift but when the doors pinged open on the very top floor he remained behind.
‘You’re not coming in?’
‘No, Annie. Good evening.’
It was strange that she’d come to think of his company as reassuring, but somehow knowing he was just like her—a normal person, rather than someone born into this kind of wealth—made him a touchstone to the real world.
Dimitrios Papandreo was definitely not that.
She stepped into the penthouse and felt like a fish a thousand feet out of water.
‘Oh, wow.’ She stopped still, standing where she was and angling her face to take in the details of the incredible space. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed one of the most dramatic views of Sydney she’d ever seen, and the ceilings had to be at least treble normal height. There was a polished white marble staircase in the centre of the room that swept elegantly towards a mezzanine level; she presumed bedrooms were up there. A baby grand piano stood in one corner. The artwork on the walls was priceless, and the kitchen looked as though it belonged in the pages of a glossy magazine.
Then, there was Dimitrios, so perfectly at home in the luxurious setting, despite the fact he’d discarded his suit jacket and tie and had unbuttoned the top of his shirt to reveal the tanned column of his neck.
She’d been annoyed at him a moment ago, hadn’t she? Yes! Hold on to that.
‘Why did you bring me here?’
It wasn’t exactly what she’d meant to ask but it was a start.
‘It’s going to be our home until the wedding.’
More high-handedness! She ground her teeth together. ‘I already have a home.’
He made a noise of disapproval. ‘I made arrangements. Your landlord was happy to end your lease early, given our circumstances.’
‘But—’ She stared at him, gobsmacked. ‘You’ve spoken to my landlord?’