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‘It isn’t that.’ Lisa hesitated. What could she say without causing an atmosphere? ‘I’m just not used to doing business—’
‘The Greek way?’ Stella suggested helpfully.
A glance at Tino was enough to convince Lisa that he couldn’t have been more pleased with the way things were turning out if he had scripted the exchange himself.
‘All Greek men are fishermen at heart, Lisa,’ Stella explained kindly, unaware of the tension stretching between her visitors. ‘It’s better if you just go along with their way of doing business.’
‘I’m sure you’re right, Stella,’ Lisa said politely, not wanting to cause offence.
‘What was that? What did you say?’ Tino could hardly keep the smile off his face.
‘If you’d been listening, you’d know,’ Lisa said tartly, and then froze. Stella’s face was a picture, and no wonder. She could hardly have expected her breakfast guests to start yelling at each other.
For a moment there was an uncomfortable silence, which Tino did nothing to break. Then, slowly turning back to his breakfast, he dipped another piece of bread into the honey.
Lisa felt she had to say something by way of explanation for her behaviour. ‘I’m so sorry, Stella. I don’t know what came over me.’
‘Think nothing of it.’ Stella dismissed the moment with a smile. ‘Tempers flare high when passions are roused.’
Passions! Passions? Lisa glared at Tino. Whatever Stella imagined, she was wrong—absolutely wrong.
‘Tino has always aroused strong passions in people,’ Stella added.
She couldn’t let this go on, Lisa realised, holding up her hands in front of her. ‘There’s absolutely no chance of Tino upsetting my equilibrium, Stella. It’s just that—’
‘It’s just what, Lisa?’ Tino demanded softly, unfolding from his chair.
As Lisa’s mouth opened to shoot back a reply he fed a piece of honey-soaked crust between her lips. ‘Suck on this,’ he suggested in an undertone. ‘You could do with sweetening up.’
Having no option but to chew, and then swallow, Lisa channelled her fury into her eyes, which locked with his fiercely.
Lisa had been marching along in silence since they had left the cottage, but now they were out of earshot she could speak her mind. ‘I’m not going another step.’
Tino glanced back at her without slowing. ‘It’s not too far away now. The harbour is just over there, around the base of the cliff.’
‘It’s not the distance that worries me.’
‘What, then?’ He ground to a halt, and turned to stare at her.
‘Stop this, Tino. I’m not going out on your boat. We both know you’ve got me over a barrel, but, if you have any decency left in you at all, you’d come back with me to the villa and hold our meeting like you promised—’
‘Not now, Lisa.’
‘What do you mean, not now?’
‘I mean I don’t want to discuss business right now?’ He put his face very close so she was forced to take a step back.
‘But once the deal is wrapped up we can go our separate ways,’ she pointed out, ‘which I know you want as much as I do.’
‘Once the deal is wrapped up?’ He stared at her mockingly. ‘You’re very sure of yourself.’
‘I’m confident that I’ve come up with the right deal for you?’
He laughed, throwing his head back. ‘So now you’ve got my best interests at heart? I don’t think so, Lisa.’
‘All right.’ She was forced to hurry after him when he started down the path again. ‘So we both need this deal.’
‘I don’t need anything from you.’
