CHAPTER FOUR
‘MRPETRAKIS?’
‘Yes?’ Adoni paused on the way into his London office. He smiled at the temporary assistant filling in for his trusted PA, and watched the young woman blush. He repressed a sigh. The sooner his PA returned the better.
‘I’m sorry to interrupt.’ She glanced to the man beside him. ‘But a woman has been ringing quite a lot, wanting an appointment.’ Adoni heard what might have been a snicker from Miles Dawlish and the temp blushed even more. ‘But her name isn’t on the approved list.’
‘Then she doesn’t get an appointment.’ Adoni turned and gestured for Dawlish to precede him into the office. He didn’t like the man but the deal he offered was interesting enough to warrant Adoni’s personal attention.
‘It’s just that...’ He swung round to find the temp biting her lip. He waited, reining in impatience. She leaned forward, her voice dropping. ‘She said it waspersonal. And that it was vital she see you.’
Adoni felt his eyebrows wing up. How difficult was it to get a competent replacement for his sick PA? Surely any assistant worth the name understood the meaning of ‘no unapproved meetings’?
The woman’s gaze dropped and she fiddled with the notebook on her desk, the picture of guilt. She looked so nervous he almost felt sorry for her.
‘What name did she give?’ he asked, determined not to scare off another temp.
‘Alice Trehearn. She was very insistent. It sounded...important.’ The woman looked up, relief in her eyes, but Adoni barely noticed.
Alice Trehearn?
Unbidden, memory unfolded like a bud bursting into bloom. Skin as pale as ivory. A lithe body that responded to him like an instrument tuned to his touch. Lips like crushed berries, sweet and reddened from his kisses.
A mouth that lied. A woman who’d targeted him and played him for a fool.
Yet, even as he opened his mouth to say there’d be no meeting, curiosity rose. What did Alice hope to gain from seeing him? She must have tried his card numbers without success. Was she hoping to seduce him into giving her something else?
The idea of Alice Trehearn trying to seduce him again was undeniably titillating. Especially as Adoni had no intention of letting her get her greedy claws on anything of his. It might be amusing to have sex with her again, purely to finalise unfinished business. Ever since that night a month and a half ago he’d been plagued by the realisation that he still wanted her, despite the fact she was on the make.
Sex with Alice Trehearn still appealed. Almost as much as wiping the smile off her face afterwards when he told her he was awake to her schemes and she’d never get a penny of his.
Adoni smiled at his temp and didn’t even mind when the woman blushed and smiled dazedly back.
‘Tell her I’ll see her. As soon as possible. Here in my office.’
‘Oh, but she wondered if you could meet—’
‘Here.’ Adoni paused, his smile fading. ‘Tomorrow. Or not at all.’ Then he strode into his office where Miles Dawlish stood. Adoni gestured for him to take a seat.
‘I couldn’t help but overhear,’ the Englishman began. ‘I know an Alice Trehearn too. She was at the wedding reception where you and I met. I wondered if it could be the same woman.’
Adoni didn’t respond, but took a seat opposite. He had no intention of sharing his personal life. If it weren’t for Dawlish’s property, Adoni wouldn’t waste time with the man. Adoni knew his sort—convinced the world owed him a living. Ready to sell off his inheritance, a truly superb estate, for ready cash.
Even in the days when Adoni had been the favoured elder son of Vassili Petrakis, the billionaire shipping magnate, he’d had to work. He’d learned the ropes in the family company, developing the skills needed to run the enterprise. He’d never have countenanced selling off the family estate.
Those days were long gone. He had no family. His business he’d built by the sweat of his brow. And he wouldn’t let anyone, either competitor or thief, take any part of it.
‘If itisher, the same woman, I mean, you need to be careful.’ Dawlish leaned forward. ‘Skinny girl, big eyes, smart mouth. Does that ring a bell? She was one of the bridesmaids. Got invited to take part at the last minute. A charitable act by the bride, I understand.’
‘I’m afraid I didn’t pay much attention to the bridesmaids.’ It wasn’t a lie. Adoni had barely looked at them, till Alice had pushed her way into his presence and started babbling so artfully about kisses and orgasms. ‘But I don’t understand. How is an invitation to be bridesmaid charity?’
Dawlish shook his head. ‘Not charity precisely. But there was a long-standing rift between the cousins, probably because Alice is such a scheming little...’
‘Please. Do go on. I’m fascinated.’
For a moment the other man looked discomfited, as if he realised he’d strayed from the purpose of the meeting. But his hatred of Alice Trehearn needed an outlet. ‘Not to put too fine a point on it, she’s a conniving bitch.’
‘She sounds like a woman to be wary of.’