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Alec gaped at him. ‘Well, obviously, since you can’t be in a room for five minutes without killing each other, I assumed that ten days would be an insurmountable challenge.’
‘I thrive on challenge,’ Zander drawled. ‘I accept his invitation and ten days is fine.’ And if he had his way she wouldn’t be leaving the bed for any of that time. ‘You can tell Kouropoulos that we look forward to seeing him for dinner tomorrow night.’
He smiled, pleased to have found a perfect solution to his business problem and the physical ache that had nagged him since he’d strode into Lauranne’s office two weeks earlier.
He was going to sleep with her, get her out of his system and then divorce her and get on with his life.
And this time he’d make sure that there was no way she’d forget their relationship.
‘You’re going to take her with you?’ Alec frowned at him, uncomprehending. ‘Have you really thought this through? She probably bears you a grudge—’
‘There’s no probably about it.’ Zander gave a wry smile as he remembered the accusations that she’d flung at him. ‘She definitely bears me a grudge.’
Unfortunately the fact that she was fighting him every inch of the way had no significant effect on his libido.
‘Then what the hell are you doing?’ Alec licked dry lips, his expression nothing short of appalled. ‘The last thing you should be doing is taking someone like her to the island when the negotiations are at such a delicate stage. Haven’t you heard that expression about “a woman scorned”? Don’t go there, Zander—you’re setting yourself up for some serious confrontation. And it’s going to be in public.’
Zander poured himself another whiskey, totally relaxed, a strange light flickering in his eyes. ‘I thrive on confrontation.’
Alec groaned and dragged a hand through his hair. ‘But not in public and not on this deal! What if she decides to take revenge on you by blowing the deal with Kouropoulos? She’s hardly going to pose as a loving wife, is she?’
‘That’s exactly what she’s going to do. Oh, and Alec—’ Zander paused, a strange glitter in his dark eyes ‘—you can tell Kouropoulos that I want the most private villa on the complex.’
‘So that she can shout abuse at you and not be heard, no doubt,’ Alec muttered. ‘As your lawyer I think I should be there—’
Zander gave him a smile that spoke volumes. ‘Three’s a crowd, Alec, and for what I have in mind I most definitely don’t need a crowd.’
All he needed was one particular girl and an extremely large double bed.
* * *
One more night.
Lauranne adjusted the narrow straps of her red dress and looked at herself in the mirror. It was a good thing that people only saw what was on the outside, she reflected wryly. The casual observer, like the mirror, would only see the face she chose to present to the world. Composed and elegant. They would see nothing of the turmoil that raged inside her. Her battle with Zander was insignificant in comparison to the war going on inside her mind. Sense versus sexuality. Logic versus lust. Her emotions were churning around like a leaf caught in a tornado, dragged this way and that, unable to find a safe resting place.
The episode in the car had reminded her just how powerfully they connected and each clash seemed only to intensify the growing passion between them.
She lifted a finger to her glossy lips, remembering the heat and fire of his kiss. Only Zander had ever kissed her like that. And it was no wonder he’d made the assumption that they’d finish the encounter in his hotel room. She was sending out all the wrong signals. Or were they the right signals?
Totally confused about her own feelings, Lauranne slid her feet into a pair of strappy sandals and gave a wry smile. They were a pair that she loved but hardly ever wore because the heels were so high that she tended to dwarf whoever she was with.
But with Zander she needed every inch that she could muster. And there was no question of dwarfing him. It wasn’t possible to dwarf Zander.
After tonight he’d be gone.
She stared at her reflection one last time. Back to Greece and out of her life. And she’d have her divorce. Which would be a good thing.
Wouldn’t it?
She chewed her lip, wondering if a divorce would get rid of the pain. The wanting. Would she ever be able to respond to another man the way she responded to Zander? It was ironic that her life’s passion seemed to be for a man who was as much an adversary as a lover.
The loud buzz of the intercom startled her and she took a deep breath before walking calmly to the door and opening it.
Zander stood on her doorstep, broad shoulders blocking the light, impossibly handsome in black dinner jacket.
Her first thought was that the cameras were going to have a field-day. He was just so breathtakingly good-looking that all the other men would be invisible. Her second thought was that he was smiling and she was in big trouble.
It wasn’t fair of him to smile.
