The Greek's Forbidden Innocent

His tone was admirably sincere yet Mina read the tiny creases at the corners of his mouth and knew he was enjoying himself. Could he feel her heart hammer? She hated being vulnerable to him.

Before she could read any more, he looked away and began walking down the hall, carrying her easily, as if he carted unwilling women around every day.

Maybe he did.

‘Contrary to what you might have heard, Mr Katsaros, women are capable of thinking for themselves. We don’t appreciate he-men making our decisions for us. I—’

‘Is that what you think I am?’ Annoyingly his pace didn’t falter. ‘What exactly does that mean?’ His jaw jutted as he ruminated. ‘Someone very masculine? Someone who sees an exhausted guest and looks after her so she doesn’t hurt herself?’

Mina counted to ten. If she thought it would do any good, she’d struggle against his hold. But, though fit, she was no match for all that hard-packed muscle, especially given his superior size. He was well over six feet. If Alexei Katsaros didn’t want to release her she couldn’t make him. The knowledge infuriated her and she began stringing together curses in her own language that she couldn’t say lest he wonder how she knew Arabic.

She forced her gaze away from that annoyingly superior chin, focusing on the play of light and shadow on the ceiling as they passed down the hall.

‘After all,’ he continued, ‘as you pointed out so eloquently, it was my fault your trip was so...precipitate. If I’d been more conscious of your comfort I’d have organised for you to travel during the day, or ensured the bed on the plane was more comfortable. I’ll have it replaced.’

‘There’s no need for that. The bed was quite comfortable.’ Even to her ears her voice sounded thin. She held on to her temper by a tiny margin. All her life she’d been taught not to reveal anger. This time she dared not lose control because he’d see it as a victory.

‘Then it’s a wonder you didn’t sleep. Perhaps—’ she caught movement in her peripheral vision and turned to see him send a teasing look her way ‘—you couldn’t sleep because you were excited about visiting me.’

Excited! About as excited as if she visited a zoo to see a rattlesnake. Mina sucked in a rough breath, then stilled as the movement made her more aware of Alexei’s big hand on her ribs, close to her breast.

‘Perhaps I didn’t sleep because I was busy contacting people to reschedule things for the period I’ll be away. Since I had no opportunity earlier.’ She slanted him a frosty stare only to find that smile lurking around his mouth.

‘Ah, yes, no doubt your agenda is full of priority appointments.’ His expression didn’t change but his tone revealed how unlikely he thought it.

Mina didn’t bother to disabuse him. She might not run a multinational corporation, but nor was she idle. As well as the exhibition she was preparing for, she volunteered with disabled kids and at a nearby nursing home, doing art therapy. Plus, there was some admin work at a women’s shelter, the latest design commission for the perfumery in Jeirut and another from a French company that had seen her perfume bottle designs and wanted something similar.

‘Mr Katsaros.’ Her patience was perilously close to failing. One more jibe and she’d forget her resolve. ‘I really must—

‘Alexei, remember?’ His voice rumbled through her like an intimate caress. It was the final straw.

‘Put. Me. Down.’ Her voice rose from request to imperious command. ‘Now!’

Mina caught a flash of white teeth, a glimpse of glinting eyes and suddenly the world fell away as she dropped from his arms.

‘As you wish, Princess.’ He spoke as she landed with a puff of expelled air on her back. She was on a bed, looking up into dark, laughing eyes. But Mina was too tired and stressed to be amused. She didn’t appreciate being the butt of his jibes or his arrogant certainty that her life was of negligible importance.

Mina jackknifed to a sitting position, swiping a cushion off the bed with one hand and throwing it in the same, fluid movement. She had the satisfaction of seeing it hit him square on his superior chin.

‘Be thankful that wasn’t anything heavier. My aim is as good as any man’s.’ She heaved a breath that, to her horror, felt far too shaky. ‘Now, if you’d have the decency to leave, I’d like to catch up on some much-needed sleep.’

* * *

Damn. Damn. Damn.

Alexei stalked away from the guest wing to the master suite.

What had got into him? Half an hour with Carissa Carter and he’d veered between anger, attraction, approval and amusement. And far too much of all of them. He always controlled his emotions; he wasn’t undercut by them.

He hadn’t expected to be impressed by Carter’s precious princess. He’d been ready to write her off as a pampered bimbo who viewed the world through the prism of her greed for an easy life. Instead he’d discovered someone witty, incisive, challenging and sexy. Ridiculously sexy, given her defiantly unfeminine clothes.

On Carissa Carter even a baggy T-shirt and leggings made his hormones surge. And that mouth. She was sharp-tongued in a superior way that made him want to take her mouth and discover what sweetness lay beneath its cutting edge.

There was definitely sweetness. He’d been surprised, when he held her, at the fretful way her pulse raced. He’d been mesmerised by her contrary reactions as she pretended not to respond. Her breathing had quickened, her pupils dilated, and he’d read confusion beneath her scorn and defiance. Even her awe as she admired the sculpture in the sitting room had charmed him.

He’d lit from within at the feel of her, supple, streamlined and, he discovered, curved in the right places.

What would happen if he followed her down onto that bed? He couldn’t remember the dark frenzy of desire ever being so immediate or urgent.

The very fact he’d thought about it was a concern. Did he really want an affair with Carter’s daughter?

Logic demanded an unequivocal no. Instinct screamed yes.

Which was an excellent reason to pull back. Apart from the fact he didn’t take advantage of vulnerable women.

Alexei rubbed a hand across his jaw as he entered his suite and crossed to the window to stand staring across the infinity pool to the sea beyond.

Guilt trickled down his spine. Bad enough that there’d been a kernel of truth in Carissa’s accusation about how he’d got her here. It had solidified into a jagged shard of ice when he’d heard the hint of a wobble in her voice as she stared up at him from her bed. She’d been flushed and furious and he’d revelled in his power to rile her, till he’d heard the tiny crack in her fa?ade of superiority. Suddenly it hadn’t seemed amusing.

It hit him that he’d behaved like a kid pulling a girl’s pigtails, desperate to get her attention any way he could.

Him, desperate?

Hardly. Certainly not for the likes of Carissa Carter.

Except she wasn’t as he’d expected.

He scraped his hand across his chin, feeling the stubble he hadn’t bothered to shave. He shouldn’t allow himself to be diverted by her. She was incidental to his plans.

But, pending Carter’s arrival, there wasn’t much he could do to bring those plans to fruition. Steps had been taken to contain the damage, and while Alexei checked in daily, working via computer and phone, his team was working hard.

Which gave him leisure to ponder his would-be bride.

Alexei’s brow scrunched. Funny. He’d assumed Carissa would be eager to marry. Her father had come up with the idea, no doubt desperate to cement personal ties that would save him when his embezzlement came to light. The fact a woman in her mid-twenties was willing to go along with such a plan pointed to her being venal, marrying for money and position.

Too many women had tried to tie him down. Not for love, but as their ticket to wealth and privilege. Alexei didn’t fool himself into believing they were attracted by his character or sense of humour. Some were drawn by his looks but money was the deciding factor.

Yet Carissa hadn’t given an unequivocal yes.

Why? Did she believe if he had to work for what he wanted, he’d appreciate her more? Because men enjoyed the chase?

He huffed a breath. Maybe she had something there. If she’d walked in the door and promptly agreed with everything his interest wouldn’t have been piqued.

Except by that delectable body, which he’d discovered was curvier than he’d first thought.

Except for her intelligence and sensitivity.

Alexei shoved his fists in his pockets and rocked back on his feet, annoyed. He’d been so caught up in the need to draw Carter out of hiding, he hadn’t bothered researching the man’s daughter.