Kostas's Convenient Bride. Lucy Monroe

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      “Funny. I did the same thing. Only I’m on vacation time. Do you know what that means, Andreas?”

      “No,” he gritted out.

      Andreas Kostas was a man who disliked not having all the answers. Who was she kidding? He hated not having just one answer out of a hundred questions. The man defined overachieving perfectionist.

      “Oh, I know the answer to this one,” Jacob drawled, not realizing what dangerous waters he was swimming into. “It means, Mr. Armani-Suited Businessman, she’s not obliged to spend her off-hours with you. Talking or otherwise.”

      “Kayla is not merely my employee, she is my business partner.”

      Kayla snorted at that stretching of the reality of their situation.

      “Am I lying?” Andreas demanded, his voice gone dangerously soft.

      “Can I stop you from selling the company?” she demanded back.

      Andreas’s face went stiff, the color draining from his naturally olive complexion. “It is not uncommon for one partner to have controlling interest.”

      “Ninety-five percent is more than simple controlling interest.” Her 5 percent still gave her leverage, though. With Sebastian Hawk, if not with Andreas.

      “We built that company together.”

      “I used to believe that too. Until you decided on your own to sell it.”

      Jacob’s arm fell from around her waist as he moved to stand between Kayla and Andreas. “As fascinating as all this business talk is, I get one night off per week and I plan to spend it showing Kayla the best side of my city.”

      “That is not going to happen.” Andreas’s tone had gone hard and icy.

      Kayla could hear the warning in it if Jacob couldn’t.

      “That’s not your decision to make,” the Broadway actor said to prove his deafness.

      Kayla almost groaned.

      Andreas turned the full weight of his glacial green gaze on the other man for the first time since arriving at his apartment. “You would be smart to stay out of this.”

      “Are you threatening me?” Jacob asked, sounding unimpressed.

      Andreas stepped forward so he towered over the other man. “My suit is bespoke, not Armani, and if you knew the difference, you might understand that I would make a very unpleasant enemy.”

      Kayla laid her hand on Jacob’s arm before he could reply. “Don’t. He’s right. He’s talking about major money, Jacob.”

      “I don’t care about his money, Kayla.”

      She smiled up at the actor, really liking the man, wishing again she felt even an inkling of sexual attraction to go with the liking, something that would make fighting Andreas worth it. But she wasn’t putting Jacob’s career at risk for principle alone.

      “No, I know. You’re a special guy. Good to your sister. Fun.”

      Andreas made a displeased sound.

      Kayla ignored him. “I would have enjoyed tonight more than I think either of us could imagine.”

      “I’m an actor, I have a great imagination.” Jacob’s drawl was only slightly less suggestive than his wink.

      She laughed. “I bet, but if I go with you, he’s just going to follow us around. He’ll figure out a way to ruin our evening.” To ruin Jacob’s career, or at least his current role.

      “That sounds like pretty stalkerish behavior for a boss.”

      “He used to be my best friend.”

      “Until when?” Jacob asked, with surprising insight and compassion.

      “Until yesterday morning when he told me he was selling our company out from under me.”

      Andreas made a sound that could have been hurt, but Kayla refused to look at him.

      Jacob nodded. “I’m sorry.”

      “Thank you. For what it’s worth, I was really looking forward to tonight.”

      “I don’t think it was going to end like I was hoping, though.” There was no accusation in Jacob’s tone, just rueful disappointment.

      She shrugged, but she couldn’t lie. “Probably not.”

      “It would not,” Andreas butted in with his obnoxious Greek hobnailed boots. “She doesn’t do casual sex.”

      She rounded on him. “You are such an ass.”

      “And you are the best woman I know. Apprizing Jacob of the fact you are one of the best women he has had the honor of meeting is not a bad thing.”

      Kayla stared at Andreas, speechless.

      Jacob burst out laughing. “You are one clueless bastard, aren’t you?”

      “I am a brilliant businessman.” The bewildered offense in Andreas’s tone was almost funny.

      Jacob pulled Kayla to him and laid a screen-worthy lip-lock on her. “It really was a pleasure meeting you, Kayla Jones. If you can get away from your boss while you’re in town, call and we’ll do something.”

      She grinned. “I will.”

      Andreas glowered at Jacob the entire time Kayla collected her things, giving the actor one-word answers to his conversational forays, if the Greek deigned to answer at all.

      Andreas put his hand out imperiously for her bags. “Let me help you.”

      “I’m fine.”

      He didn’t bother to argue, just waited for her to pass the packages over. Andreas had an innate sense of courtesy that her own sense of independence had never been able to win against.

      He somehow managed to get between her and Jacob so the other man could not kiss her again before they left either, all the while avoiding shaking the actor’s hand in farewell because of the packages Andreas had taken from Kayla.

      “You think you’re a slick operator, don’t you?” she demanded as they rode the elevator downward.

      “I know what I want.”

      “Really? What part of what you want has you in New York right now, Andreas? Because I really don’t understand. You want to sell the company? I can’t stop you. You want the bride pimp to find you a wife? I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen while you’re here. So, what purpose is you being here going to serve?”

      “I’m here for you,” he said, like it should be obvious.

      “But why?”

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