The Greek Boss's Bride

She knew what it was like to feel unwanted, she acknowledged as she scooped the scruffy terrier into her arms. Her heart leapt with pleasure when he burrowed against her, and she was filled with a fierce determination to take care of him. Her mother had always freely admitted she’d never wanted children, and that Kezia’s unexpected arrival had been a shock. It wasn’t that her parents didn’t love her, she conceded, but they had been a professional couple in their forties when she was born, and had expected her to fit into their busy lifestyle. She had spent her childhood feeling that she needed to apologise for her existence, and her years at boarding school, although not unhappy, had reinforced her belief that she was a nuisance her parents didn’t quite know how to deal with.

The entrance hall was empty when she carried Max upstairs, but she spied her car keys on the table and for a moment contemplated making her escape. Not a good idea, she accepted ruefully, imagining Nik’s fury if she disobeyed him. From experience she knew it was pointless arguing with him when he had his mind set on something. He had made it clear that he intended to drive her home.

But as she waited for him she overheard voices from his study.

‘Why do you have to take her home?’ Tania’s petulant tones were clearly audible through the closed door. ‘For God’s sake, Nik, I haven’t seen you for a month. Why this sudden concern for your secretary? If it weren’t so laughable I’d almost believe you’ve got something going with her. I saw the way you kept looking at her tonight, but I can’t imagine what you see in her.’

‘Theos! Don’t be so ridiculous,’ came the terse reply. ‘She’s not my type. But Kezia’s an excellent assistant, she’s worked hard all night, and it’s my duty to see she gets home safely.’

Hastily Kezia stepped away from the door, swamped with misery and humiliation. She already knew she was far from Nik’s ideal woman, but to hear him state the fact quite so forcefully was agony. Never in a million years would she allow him to guess how she felt about him, she vowed fiercely. Her cheeks flamed as she recalled the stark disbelief in his voice that he could possibly find his PA attractive. It was obvious he regarded her as part of the furniture, as functional and unexciting as his computer. She must have imagined the exigent chemistry between them; it was just an illusion brought on by her wishful thinking.

She couldn’t bring herself to look at him when he joined her in the lobby a few minutes later, and she was silent as she followed him down the front steps. The rain stung her face, but she carefully placed Max on the narrow back seat of the sports car before climbing in next to Nik, wondering how he managed to fit his long legs behind the wheel.

In the confines of the small car he was too close. She caught the subtle tang of his aftershave, and suddenly the heater seemed to be working too well. She was burning up, but balked at the thought of fighting her way through her coat and instead stared stiffly out of the window as he turned out of the drive.

‘There was really no need for you to leave Miss Harvey,’ she muttered. ‘I feel awful for putting you to so much trouble.’

‘It’s not a problem,’ Nik assured her. He sounded disinterested. He was probably counting the minutes until he could join his mistress in bed, she thought bleakly, and fell silent for the rest of the journey.

Driving along the pitch-black country lanes required all Nik’s attention, but as they reached the outskirts of the busy market town where she lived he glanced briefly at Kezia. ‘Do you live alone?’

The query surprised them both. He’d never shown the slightest interest in her private life before. He had picked her up from home a couple of times, usually when they’d had an early flight, but she had always been waiting for him in the car park and had never invited him in. Did she have a boyfriend? he wondered. Was her lover waiting impatiently for her to return? He was irritated to realise how much he disliked the idea.

‘No, I share with a flatmate.’

Her ambiguous answer told him nothing, and pride prevented him from pushing the point. His secretary’s love-life was none of his business, he reminded himself impatiently. ‘I’ll pick you up in the morning,’ he informed her coolly.

‘There’s no need.’ Kezia’s head jerked round, her consternation evident in her wide eyes. ‘I don’t want you to have to get up early. What would Miss Harvey say?’ she muttered, blushing again as she pictured Nik struggling out of bed after a night of passion with his mistress, in order to collect her.

He turned into the small courtyard in front of her flat and cut the engine before turning to face her. ‘Why don’t you let me worry about the finer details of my private life?’ he drawled, in a tone that warned her to mind her own business. ‘I’ll be here at eight-thirty.’

Kezia opened her mouth to argue, caught the glint in his eyes and thought better of it. ‘Fine. Have it your own way. You usually do,’ she added under her breath as she climbed out of the car. She had only been trying to help, damn it. She certainly didn’t want to pry into his sex life. She lifted Max out of the car and smiled politely. ‘Thanks for bringing me home,’ she said stiffly, assuming that he would drive straight off, but as she ran up the steps to the communal front door he was right beside her, and she had to crane her neck to look up at him.

‘I’ll see you up,’ he said easily, and her temper, born from a mixture of embarrassment and misery, ignited.

‘For heaven’s sake, I’m perfectly all right. Miss Harvey will be wondering where you are,’ she couldn’t resist adding, and was mortified when he glanced down at her, his eyes gleaming with undisguised amusement.

‘I’ve already told you. I’ll take care of Tania.’

‘I’m sure you will.’ She opened the door to her flat and closed her mind to images of just how he would take care of his mistress. ‘Goodnight, Nik.’

‘Aren’t you going to offer me coffee before I drive back?’ He lolled in the doorway, one arm resting on the frame, so that she was aware of the inherent strength of his muscular chest. He exuded a powerful sensuality so intensely male that she rebelled at the thought of him invading her private bolthole. But a voice from behind her took the matter out of her hands.

‘Are you coming in or are you going to stand there all night? Oh—hello!’ The voice tailed to a breathless whisper, and Kezia sighed as she turned to find that her flatmate Anna was staring at Nik with wide, appreciative eyes. ‘You must be Mr Niarchou. Kezia has told me so much about you.’

‘Nik, please,’ Nik replied in a voice as thick as syrup. He held out his hand and Kezia’s impatience intensified. She had witnessed Anna working her magic countless times before, and doubted there was a man on the planet who would prove immune to her beauty. Slender and willowy, her delicate colouring and ash-blonde hair bore testament to her Scandinavian ancestry, while huge blue eyes and a surprisingly impish smile made her simply stunning. They had been best friends since their first day at boarding school, as close as sisters—although right now she could cheerfully strangle her flatmate, Kezia thought grumpily as she watched Nik fall under her spell.

‘Are you stopping, Nik?’ the pretty blonde murmured. It was an innocent enough query, but Kezia ground her teeth together as Nik gave one of his sexy smiles that made her toes curl.

‘I’m not sure. Kezia’s still debating whether or not to invite me in for coffee.’ His eyes gleamed wickedly as he took in her furious glare, and Anna chuckled.

‘Well, I’ll make the decision for her,’ she said cheerfully, ushering him into the flat. ‘I’m Anneliese Christiansen—Kezia’s flatmate,’ she explained, her blue eyes sparkling, and with a muttered oath Kezia marched down the hallway.

Let Anna entertain him, she thought darkly. She’d had enough of Nik Niarchou for one day. In the kitchen she filled the kettle while Max sniffed around, looking for somewhere to settle. She dug out an old picnic blanket from the utility cupboard and spread it on the floor. If he was going to be here for any length of time she would have to buy him a basket and a lead, she thought happily. He seemed lively enough, but maybe she would take him to a vet, just to make sure he hadn’t suffered any injuries when he had run out into the road.

‘What on earth is that?’ Anna queried as she preceded Nik into the kitchen.

‘A dog, of course. What does it look like?’

‘A ball of fur on legs,’ Anna replied truthfully. ‘I suppose it’s another stray you’ve rescued? You know our tenancy agreement prohibits keeping pets in the flat.’

‘It’ll only be for a couple of days, while I try to trace his owners,’ Kezia muttered. ‘I could hardly leave him out in the cold. See how thin he is.’

‘Kezia’s always been the same,’ Anna explained to Nik. ‘At school she kept a collection of rescued wildlife in the caretaker’s shed. Do you remember the time you cared for that injured fox, Kez?’

‘Kezia obviously has hidden depths,’ Nik murmured, with a curious expression in his eyes that made her blush self-consciously—although she couldn’t imagine what he thought those hidden depths were.

‘I’m sure you’re not interested in reminiscences about our schooldays,’ she said stiffly.

He seemed to dominate the small kitchen, and she wished she didn’t find him so unsettling. She couldn’t relax, and she envied the way Anna was able to chat so unselfconsciously with him. With a sigh, she left her flatmate to make the coffee and headed for the sanctuary of her bedroom. It was a relief to change out of the borrowed skirt and shoes. Her feet would never be the same again, she thought wryly as she wriggled her toes. Her scalp felt tight with tension, and she freed her hair from its tight knot so that it rippled down her back, all the while trying to ignore the sounds of laughter from the kitchen.

It was ridiculous to feel jealous of Anna, she told herself crossly as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was lucky to have good friends, a comfortable flat and a dream job that offered the opportunity to travel the world. It was nobody’s fault but her own that she had become fixated with a man who was out of her league. And if she wanted to carry on working for Nik she would have to overcome her fascination for him.

CHAPTER THREE

THE RUMBLE OF NIK’S DEEP VOICE, followed by Anna’s laughter, sounded from the kitchen. Listening to them, Kezia was tempted to leave them to it. They appeared to have struck up an instant accord, she noted sourly. But it had been good of Nik to bring her home and, much as she longed to fall into bed, it would be impolite not to join him for coffee.

Wearily she tugged on jeans and a sweatshirt, pulled a comb through her hair and padded barefoot down the hall. The kitchen was empty, and when she pushed open the living room door she found Nik alone, sitting in an armchair with his long legs stretched out in front of him.

‘Anna’s gone to the flat upstairs,’ he explained. ‘Apparently your neighbour’s suffering some sort of emotional crisis.’

‘Vicky must have broken up with her boyfriend—again,’ Kezia murmured awkwardly, feeling strangely disconcerted at being alone in her flat with Nik.

It was ridiculous. They spent hours in each other’s company—either in his study at Otterbourne or travelling aboard his private jet—but this was her private space, and his presence unsettled her more than she cared to admit. She was aware of his silent scrutiny and hastily reached for her coffee, burying her nose in the mug and inhaling the tantalising aroma. The caffeine boost eased her nerves, but there would be hell to pay later when it prevented her from sleeping, she acknowledged ruefully.

‘Run through the agenda for tomorrow.’ His voice cut through the silence, and she gave herself a mental shake.

‘I’ve booked us into the Belvedere Hall Health Spa for the day. There’s an excellent golf course—if it’s not too wet—plus a gymnasium, and sports facilities for those who want them. We’ll have lunch at one, and I’ve arranged for you to use one of the private conference rooms to continue discussions with the business consortium while I remain with the wives.’

The spa offered numerous relaxation therapies and beauty treatments—although to Kezia the idea of spending the day encased in a mud pack held little appeal, and she was dreading having to strip down to her functional black swimsuit to use the pool. She didn’t feel comfortable displaying her generous curves at the best of times, and parading semi-naked in front of Nik was something she’d hoped to avoid at all costs.

Tomorrow promised to be a long day. Today, she amended, glancing at her watch and discovering that it was now one-thirty in the morning. ‘Would you like more coffee?’ she asked politely, stifling a yawn.

‘Thanks, but I think I’d better let you get to bed.’ He stood up, and Kezia jumped to her feet, her pulse rate accelerating as he strolled towards her. ‘You have beautiful hair,’ he murmured, taking her by surprise as he reached out to coil a strand of her long hair around his finger. ‘Why do you never wear it down?’

‘I can hardly swan around the office like Lady Godiva,’ she replied stiffly, finding it impossible to drag her gaze from the chiselled beauty of his face. Nik’s puzzled frown cleared as she explained. ‘Legend has it that she was a noblewoman who, hundreds of years ago, rode naked through the streets with only her long hair to protect her modesty.’

His brows quirked, and his sudden grin made her heart flip. ‘That must have been…chilly,’ he drawled. ‘But I assure you I wouldn’t object, should you want to follow her example.’