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‘Hello.’
The warmth lacking in her eyes as she had acknowledged the tall Greek’s presence was there as she turned back to her friend. ‘Mike, this is Zach Gavros. I told you about him.’
She had actually told him very little of what she had learnt online, because, like Sue, Mike’s recognition of the name had been instantaneous, though, unlike Sue, Mike’s depth of knowledge was more focused on Zach’s apparent financial genius than the number of hearts he’d broken. And he hadn’t shown the same degree of interest in what the Greek would look like without his shirt as Sue.
Kat, whose Internet trawl had been extensive, and had thrown up pictures of Zach and his ribbed, golden torso on a private beach with a model wearing nothing but a pair of minuscule bikini bottoms, already knew the answer. As she looked at him standing there, in a dark suit topped by a long overcoat, open to reveal his snowy white shirt, she realised that the knowledge of what he looked like minus the tailoring made her cheeks heat.
‘This is my friend, Mike Ross.’ She tore her eyes from the sensual curve of Zach’s mouth and focused on his cleanly shaven jaw while she caught her breath, as Mike stepped forward, hand extended, and for a horrible moment she thought Zach was not going to take it.
‘Friend and lawyer. I hope everything was in order, Mr Ross.’
She wasn’t surprised that Mike didn’t respond. Zach Gavros sounded coldly aloof and slightly bored, and he was already looking over the other man’s fair head to a uniformed figure who came across and took Kat’s case.
Kat’s temper fizzed. The man was rude! To compensate, she bent in and kissed Mike’s bearded cheek, her voice huskily emotional as she spoke.
‘I’ll be in touch.’ The warmth faded from her voice as she tilted her head up to the tall, hovering figure. ‘Given his form, I needed to know that the money for the refuge is ring-fenced should my grandfather decide to chuck me out too.’
Zach’s eyes narrowed on the beautiful face turned up to him. She was spoiling for a fight but he had no intention of obliging. ‘Not the time or place for this conversation, I think—Mr Ross.’ The nod was curt as he took her elbow.
She had little choice but to respond to the hand under her elbow. It was either that or be dragged along the concrete. She skipped a little to keep up with his long-legged stride before taking advantage of a slight drop in his pace to snatch her arm away.
Panting, she lifted both hands in an ‘enough is enough’ gesture as she shook her head. ‘Will you slow down? I can’t breathe!’
Zach swore under his breath as she started to back away. In seconds she was going to provide the paparazzo he had so far shielded her from with a full-face shot if the two members of his security team zeroing in on the guy, who he knew from experience had the tenacity of a terrier without the charm, didn’t reach him in time.
It was a risk Zach was not prepared to take.
He acted on instinct; the question was, what instincts?
He moved with speed that bewildered Kat, certainly gave her no opportunity to react as he dragged her with casual ease into his body.
There were no shallows in the kiss. It was hard, deep and possessive. Above the paralyzing shock, on one level she registered the taste of his mouth, the skill of his lips, the hardness of the body so close to her own, but those factors were drowned out by the level that was all shuddering pleasure and heat.
It ended as abruptly as it had begun.
Rocking back on her heels like a sapling in a storm, Kat opened her mouth and no words came. There was a disconnect between her brain and her vocal chords.
‘Let’s take the “how dare you?” outrage as read,’ he drawled, sounding bored and smoothing back his dark hair with a hand that might have held the slightest of tremors as his head turned towards the shouts of protest being issued by the paparazzo as he was escorted away.
Kat followed the line of Zach’s gaze, comprehension dawning. The colour rushed to her pale cheeks. It wasn’t as if you thought he’d been overcome by lust for your body, Kat.
‘A shot of me kissing a woman is not worth much.’
‘The market being saturated.’
‘Whereas the face of a mystery woman fighting me off would be, and that guy may be scum, but he’s not stupid,’ Zach conceded. ‘He has a nose for a story and there were some shots of me leaving the hospital after visiting Alekis. If he had made the link...’
Kat barely heard anything he said after his initial comment. ‘I wasn’t fighting you!’
‘Never allow the truth to get in the way of a good headline,’ he told her with a cynical smile. ‘It’s all about perception, trust me, and don’t worry, the boyfriend didn’t see.’
‘He’s not my boyfriend, and even if he was that would be none of your business.’
He clicked his long brown fingers. ‘In that case, no problem.’
Actually there was, and it was a problem of his own making. His strategy had been effective but it came with a price tag.
His gaze sank to her lush lips.
