The Santorini Marriage Bargain. Margaret Mayo

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СКАЧАТЬ she needed comfort. She needed someone to tell her that it wasn’t the end of the world and that one day she would laugh at it.

      ‘Life has a habit of testing us,’ said Zarek in his deep, soft voice. ‘There are those of us who go under and there are those who rise above it and turn tragedy into triumph. Which category do you belong to?’

      His rich dark eyes bored into hers, never blinking, never moving, and Rhianne knew what he expected her answer to be. ‘The latter,’ she said firmly, resolutely squaring her shoulders.

      ‘Then I have a suggestion which might help you in your hour of need, and it will certainly help me.’ He stepped back a pace but kept his hands on her shoulders.

      Rhianne looked at him suspiciously. Why did she think that she might not like what he had to say? If he was going to suggest moving in with him again then—

      ‘My secretary is away on maternity leave,’ he told her, cutting into her thoughts. ‘I’ve had a series of temps, each one of them as hopeless as the last. The job’s yours if you want it.’

      Snatching away from him, she stared in total amazement, her blue eyes wide and disbelieving. Why would he offer her a job when he didn’t even know her? It didn’t make sense. She felt that he would be a devil to work for, and this was why none of the others had come up to his expectations—but to offer her the job! ‘Is it to alleviate your guilt?’ she asked, unable to hide the suspicion in her voice.

      When he answered, his tone was clipped and tight. ‘I wasn’t the guilty party—you stepped out in front of me, remember. You’re lucky I managed to stop so quickly. But it was foolish to think that you’d want to work for me. I take back the offer. Let’s go. The sooner you’re out of my hair the better.’

      Immediately Rhianne regretted her words. She was doing herself a disservice. Where else would she be made such a good offer? ‘You took me by surprise,’ she said quietly. ‘I hadn’t even got round to thinking about finding another job.’ All she’d been able to think about was Angus’s deception, the hurt she’d felt, still did feel. But she had to live; she needed money—why not take Zarek up on his offer?

      His face was all hard angles, his eyes brilliantly cold. He stood in front of her like a Roman general, tall and imposing, back straight, chin high. There was no sign of the man who had held her close to his heart, who had caused tiny sensations to creep into her traumatised body.

      ‘Can you reinstate the offer?’ Rhianne’s voice sounded tiny and hesitant when she had hoped it would be strong. She feigned a smile. ‘I wasn’t thinking straight.’

      ‘Evidently, or you’d have snapped my hands off. I pay well, but I expect nothing less than perfection. Are you an efficient secretary?’

      Don’t you think you ought to have asked me this before making your offer? The question formed in Rhianne’s mind but she didn’t voice it. ‘The best,’ she answered firmly, taking her courage in both hands and sticking her nose up in the air.

      ‘Then it’s a deal. Come, let us go.’

      Zarek realised that he had behaved entirely out of character. He didn’t normally make offers without thinking them through—so what was different on this occasion? Rhianne Pickering was different, that was what. As well as feeling sorry for her, he was intrigued. He wanted to see more of her, find out more about her, and what better way than having her work for him?

      Although he remained silent on the journey, he was conscious of her presence beside him. She was totally different to any other woman he knew, already getting beneath his skin in a way he’d never expected. He was looking forward to working with her, very much aware that it would give him the perfect opportunity to get to know her better.

      The block of flats where Rhianne lived were plain and ordinary, and as they went up in the lift to the third floor, standing silently side by side, facing the graffiti-covered doors, he wondered how she could have lived here. She was a classy lady and ought to be spending her time in an equally classy apartment.

      He tried not to imagine her living with him in the penthouse, or in his villa in Santorini, but somehow he couldn’t help himself. He could imagine her swimming in his pool, all her cares forgotten, laughing and happy, her amazing blue eyes alight with mischief, her white teeth flashing as she smiled into his face.

      Glancing at her, he saw the way her fingers were curled into her palms, the way her lips were clamped tightly together, a frown drawing her perfectly shaped brows down over her eyes.

      Without even stopping to think what he was doing, Zarek took her hands into his and turned her to face him. ‘Are you sure you’re up to this?’

      Rhianne stiffened, her eyes evading his. ‘It has to be done.’

      ‘Do you think he’ll be gone?’

      ‘I hope so.’

      ‘I’ll support you if necessary,’ he said softly. Although everything that had happened was no fault of his, he felt a powerful urge to look after this woman who had had her world so swiftly turned upside down, who had experienced the worst day of her life, who was alone and vulnerable and needed a male figure to stand by her.

      ‘There’s really no need.’ Rhianne’s eyes flickered up towards his face, and there was a brief second when she held the contact, when something flowed between them, but he never found out what would have happened because the lift doors opened and she turned swiftly away.

      He had briefly seen gratitude, but her back was to him now as she turned her key in the lock, hesitating for just a moment before pushing open the door, then, squaring her shoulders, moving inside. Zarek followed more slowly, glancing around the room with interest.

      Rhianne had been dreading this moment, and her heart drummed loudly, echoing through her body in painful little bursts. All she could see in her mind’s eye was Angus and Annie. Together!

      To her relief the flat was empty—she hadn’t checked the bedrooms, of course, but there was no sound save for the drum of her heart, and she glanced over her shoulder at Zarek, smiling faintly.

      He gave a nod of understanding but remained near the door. He had closed it quietly behind him, not intruding, giving her space and time to do whatever she had to do. She was glad of his presence. In truth, she had been dreading coming back here for fear of what she might find.

      But her sense of relief was short-lived when she saw Angus’s tie draped over the back of a chair. Angus was a rep for a pharmaceutical company and always wore suits and ties. Had he left in a hurry after she’d walked in on their lovemaking? Or was he still here?

      Annie’s bedroom door was closed, and there was no sound, but Rhianne’s curiosity took her across the room. Without even stopping to think, she pushed open the door. The room was unoccupied, but as her eyes roved the space she saw further evidence that Angus had been here, perhaps even stayed. A pair of shoes in the corner, the sleeve of a shirt hanging out of the washing basket, and Rhianne knew instinctively that if she opened the wardrobe she would see one of his suits hanging there.

      Actually, now that her initial anger and revulsion was over, Rhianne realised that she ought to have seen something like this coming. Angus had always had a reputation for being a womanizer, but she’d ignored that fact when he’d asked her to go out with him, believing him when he’d said she was special. And when he’d asked her to marry him, she had said yes immediately.

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