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‘Costas is a difficult man, as you’ve probably learnt from our visits.’
‘I remember,’ she replied. The old man had zero filter and, while she was thankful most of his views were expressed in Greek, there’d been a few times when he’d addressed her in perfect English, quizzing her about the personal history she kept close to her chest. ‘When he’s not terrifying me, he’s deliberately baffling me by conversing with me in Greek.’
His lips quirked but his eyes remained serious. ‘We’ve had a few...disagreements recently.’
She nodded. ‘The last time we visited, he mentioned that he’d hoped you would take over his company some day.’
‘I wasn’t aware he’d shared that with you,’ he said, a touch tersely.
‘I didn’t pry, if that’s what you’re worried about.’
‘Rest easy, Alexis. It’s not a secret that my decision to pursue a career in law instead of shipping isn’t one he was pleased with. But the one thing we shared was a love of Drakonisos. A place he promised I would inherit. Until recently.’
Her heart kicked both at the news and the fact that he was finally choosing to share personal details with her. ‘What happened?’
‘My cousin, Georgios, happened.’ She waited for elaboration and, after a tense moment, he continued, ‘He’s not satisfied with running Costas’s company or the substantial benefits that come with it. He has now turned his attention towards Drakonisos.’
‘He wants the island?’
Christos gave a terse nod. ‘Yes.’
‘Why? I mean, I imagine he’s in a position to buy himself an island or three?’
He shrugged but his expression grew grimmer. ‘There’s been a certain resentment and rivalry—one-sided, I might add—on his part.’
‘Because he was second choice?’ she hazarded and received a twisted smile in confirmation.
‘Exactly so. My grandfather believed I would take over his company when he stepped down. Even after I made it clear I would follow a different path, he pursued the matter. He still hasn’t given up, which is why I hold voting power on his board of directors and substantial shares in Drakakis Enterprises.’
Alexis had been quietly awed to learn Drakakis Enterprises was a Fortune 500 company worth in excess of ten billion euros. ‘But Costas must know you’ll never just give up being a lawyer?’ Christos was too good at what he did. Was driven by an inner compulsion Alexis suspected was locked in his past. A compulsion she couldn’t see him walking away from to pursue a career in shipping. But if any man on earth could straddle multiple careers, it was Christos Drakakis.
‘He lives in hope, one I haven’t been able to sway him from. It’s also why he holds Drakonisos over my head. I had hoped that would change after you and I married, but it seems Georgios is playing an entirely different hand. One I’ll need to respond to.’
‘Why do you want the island so badly?’
His features shuttered, the grip of his glass tightening a fraction before he ea
sed it. ‘My reasons are my own, Alexis.’
The mild warning that she was straying too far into personal territory echoed in the room. ‘You ask me whether I have a lover but I can’t ask you why you want a mostly uninhabited piece of land the size of Hyde Park?’
‘A question you still haven’t answered. Is there a lover standing in the way of me achieving my goals?’
Alexis wasn’t sure whether it was the way he said the word lover that sparked the sudden fire in her belly or if it was the effect of the churning in her stomach. Either way, she needed a few seconds to brush aside the tingling in her veins before she answered. ‘No, I don’t have a lover.’
He absorbed that with an unblinking stare for several seconds before giving an imperious nod. ‘Good to know.’
She nodded in return. ‘And since we’re taking liberties, is there anything standing in my way of being able to pull off an acceptable performance as your wife?’
His eyes narrowed, glinting with a wickedly thrilling fire before his expression turned bracingly enigmatic once more. ‘I haven’t taken a lover since I put a ring on your finger, Alexis.’
Before she could stop herself, a gasp left her throat. His declaration was thick, firm and low, the timbre of his voice reaching into a deep, secret place inside her and wrapping tight. It was almost as if he’d modulated his voice purely for that devastating effect. Struggling to clear her throat, she answered. ‘Then I foresee nothing but success,’ she said with a sangfroid she didn’t feel.
‘Good. With regard to the island, the only thing you need to concern yourself about is that, according to my sources, Georgios has stepped up his visits to Drakonisos. Which is a sure sign that he’s attempting to encroach on what’s mine.’ The implacable steel in his voice suggested that would happen over his dead body. ‘And Costas is allowing it.’
‘That’s the other reason you want to bring forward the visit?’
He nodded briskly. ‘Yes. So not only will you have Costas to convince, there’s a strong possibility that Georgios will be there, as well.’
