Robyn Donald - Mistresses - Blackmailed With Diamonds / Shackled with Rubies

Without giving the shell-shocked Cyril time to compose a suitable response, Nikos strode from the restaurant, virtually dragging Angie after him. He pushed his way through the door of the restaurant and out on to the pavement without breaking stride and virtually threw her into the back of the black limousine waiting on the kerb.

SPRAWLED inelegantly over the sumptuous leather seat, Angie tried to right herself. Her hair had tumbled from the knot at the back of her head and her cheeks were flushed. Her loss of dignity disturbed her and she rounded on him in anger. ‘How dare you create such a scene in a public place? And you were unforgivably rude to Cyril. You’ve just left him sitting there!’

Nikos leaned forward and issued a string of instructions in rapid Greek. Instantly the driver manoeuvred the car into the traffic.

‘If he cared that much then he shouldn’t have let me take you away.’ He settled himself back in the seat. ‘And you were just dying for him to stop me, weren’t you? Just longing for him to stand up and thump me.’

The fact that he’d been able to read her so well was extremely frustrating. ‘Cyril would never do anything so grossly uncivilised.’

‘No, he probably wouldn’t, but try not to be upset about it.’ His tone sympathetic, he stretched his long legs out in front of him, the expression on his handsome face unbearably smug. ‘You’re with a real man now.’

She stared at his cold, handsome face in disbelief. ‘You’re insufferably arrogant. I don’t know how any woman can stand you.’

‘Well, if Cyril is an example of your taste in men then I can understand your confusion.’ His voice was a languorous drawl, his eyes lingering on her face in mocking contemplation. ‘But the truth, agape mou, is that you find me almost unbearably exciting, don’t you? You can’t stop making comparisons and you just hate that because you like to think that you’re above having such a basic human need as a desire for sex, but secretly you’re absolutely longing for it.’

She gasped. ‘I don’t find you exciting.’

‘You do. It’s just that you don’t recognise the feeling because up until now your life has been totally devoid of the feeling and I’m sure that’s entirely natural if you’ve been mixing with men like Cyril.’

‘I repeat,’ she said with a soft gasp, ‘I don’t find you exciting. And I’m certainly not longing for sex. Why do you have to reduce everything to its most basic? If you must know, I happen to be more interested in the human mind than the human body.’ She knew her cheeks were pink but couldn’t help it. She’d never had a conversation like this before in her life. Sex wasn’t something she talked about.

‘The human race is basic. If it wasn’t then we wouldn’t survive.’ Thick, dark lashes lowered slightly as he studied her. ‘Man was born with an urge to procreate. It’s an entirely inbred and natural urge.’

She felt the slow spread of warmth between her thighs and her hands clenched into fists on her lap. ‘I suppose that’s your justification for your irresponsible sex life.’

‘Active sex life,’ he corrected her gently. ‘Active.’

The term conjured up more images that she didn’t want to face. Nikos, his hard athletic body entwined with that of some pathetically willing woman. ‘So you’re just doing your bit for mankind?’ She used sarcasm to hide the growing tumble of emotions inside her.

‘I’m saying that hot sex between a man and a woman who are attracted to each other is entirely natural.’

Hot sex? The colour in her face deepened and she grew more and more uncomfortable. ‘You’re entitled to your opinion, of course, but some of us have different priorities in life. Personally, I find a mental connection more stimulating than anything that happens physically.’

He smiled, maddeningly relaxed and at ease. ‘Our priorities are often set by our experiences. You’re more interested in the mind because you’ve spent your entire life in the company of men like Cyril who have nothing else to offer.’

Her heart was pounding hard against her chest. ‘Cyril is more stimulating company than you will ever be.’

‘Really?’ Nikos leaned forward, his eyes never leaving her face. ‘Does he make your heart race and your breath catch, Dr Littlewood? When you’re with him is your body on fire? In bed together, does he make you forget you’re an archaeologist? Does he make you forget absolutely everything except the fact that you’re a woman?’

She stared at him, hypnotised, so shocked that it took her a moment to find her voice. Then the colour flooded into her cheeks and she looked away quickly, staring out of the window in an attempt to calm herself. ‘It’s typical of you to reduce everything to sex but my relationship with Cyril isn’t like that.’

‘I find it all too easy to believe you.’ His tone bordered on the derogatory. ‘You probably both approach sex like an academic exercise, consulting the appropriate texts in order to derive evidential support in favour of the physical act.’

She whipped her head round at that, just furious with him! ‘I’m not interested in having sex with Cyril!’

‘You shouldn’t blame yourself for that,’ he assured her in sympathetic tones. ‘I’m sure most women would feel the same way. He isn’t the right guy for you. You need someone more physical to break down all those barriers you’ve built up around yourself.’

She didn’t even want to think about it! Her whole body was trembling and she felt hot inside and out of control in a way that she didn’t understand. ‘I’ve had enough of this. Stop the car and let me out. I insist that you stop the car. I don’t want to spend another moment in your company.’

‘You should have thought of that before you proposed,’ he pointed out, his eyes suddenly hard. ‘You’re the one who wanted to be my wife and that position comes with certain rules, I’m afraid. One of them is that no wife of mine is permitted to be with another man. Even someone with such a dubious claim on masculinity as your Cyril.’

‘He’s not my Cyril.’ She struggled to wriggle her foot back into the shoe that had somehow become parted from her foot during her less than elegant entrance into the car. She felt flustered and completely out of her comfort zone. She’d never had a conversation like this with anyone before and she found it hideously uncomfortable.

‘No, you’re right, he isn’t your Cyril.’ His smile was less than pleasant. ‘At least, not any more.’

She jammed her foot hard into her shoe and brushed the hair out of her eyes. ‘You have absolutely no right to tell me who I can and can’t see.’

‘I’m Greek,’ he reminded her gently, the hard glint in his eyes negating the apology in his tone. ‘We’re a very possessive race, I’m afraid. Not that great at sharing. Sorry, but that’s just the way it is. I’m sure you’ll learn to live with it. You probably ought to be grateful to me. You never would have been happy with a man like him.’

‘You’re doing this on purpose! You’re trying to make me loathe you so much that I just give you the jewel to get you out of my life. Well, it isn’t going to happen. You are not going to get away with treating women badly any longer. This time, you’re going to pay the price.’

The driver steered the car through the heavy London traffic and Angie sat back against the seat, fuming. And panicking. She realised suddenly that she hadn’t actually believed for a moment that he’d agree to her proposition and the implications of her revenge plan suddenly hit home. She was used to a quiet, ordered life. Never would she have described herself as a tense person but every time Nikos strolled into the room her stress levels seemed to rocket. Her insides churned and her whole body behaved in a way that was completely inexplicable. It was all very well forcing him to marry her, but how was she going to stand being with him day after day? He’d be in the office, she reminded herself quickly. And she could always find somewhere quiet to read in the evenings.