Maya Blake - A Diamond Deal With The Greek

Her pointed chin tilted and she folded her bare arms. ‘No. If you don’t like my taste in music, feel free to reuse the front door.’

Stopping his gaze from conducting a full scrutiny of her body, clad in vest top and hot pants, Draco stalked to the entertainment system set on top of an artsy-looking vanity unit and stabbed the off button.

‘Hey, you can’t do that!’

He turned and faced her, willing himself not to react to the mingled scent of peach shampoo and delicate perfume that infused his senses now his eardrums weren’t being shredded.

‘Did you forget the time, Arabella? I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt on the off-chance that my deadline escaped your notice because you don’t possess a watch?’

Her frowning gaze slid from the silent music system to his face. Her arms tightened and her stare grew bolder. ‘I have a watch. Several, in fact. I know exactly what the time is.’

The cold blaze of anger chilled his insides. He welcomed it far more than he welcomed the lick of fire that had flamed in his groin at the sight of her bare, shapely legs. ‘I can only conclude, then, that you thought my last words to you were a joke?’

She made a humming, almost accommodating sound under her breath. ‘Not quite. You don’t seem the joking type. I don’t imagine you’d appreciate a joke if it reared up and bit you hard.’

‘So that’s how you live your life? On the edge of reckless jokes?’

She shrugged. ‘You know what they say...if you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.’

The urge to grab her, drag her close, just as he’d done in his office, assailed him. He stabbed his hands deep into his pockets to curb the impulse. Arabella Daniels took pleasure in flaunting her risqué behaviour. Draco wasn’t here to be riled. He was here to do the riling. To let her know she wouldn’t be getting away with stealing from him.

‘But if you insist on a definition,’ she continued, ‘I’d say I considered your words more of a suggestion...perhaps an invitation? As you can see, I opted to reject both.’

Draco drew in a breath, unable to accept that anyone could have so very little self-preservation. Back in his office, he’d considered her careless attitude a front, but now he wasn’t so sure. But then why was he surprised? He knew first-hand the sort of person he was dealing with. Wasn’t such a creature the same one responsible for reducing his sister’s dreams to dust? He’d trusted his precious Maria’s well-being and burgeoning talent to someone he’d thought would treasure and harness them. Instead, his sister’s life had been irrevocably destroyed.

The rock of guilt and bitterness that resided in his gut pressed hard and punishing. He’d taken his eye off the ball, relentlessly pursued his own dreams, and his sister had suffered for it. Continued to suffer for it. Draco absorbed the expanding pain he’d become used to bearing. He was grateful for it, in fact. The reminder of the past was as timely as it was bracing.

He looked past her to the suitcases, clothing and equipment strewn on the living-room floor. ‘Going somewhere?’

‘Yes, as a matter of fact,’ she replied. ‘And you’re interrupting my packing, so...’

Draco sauntered forward, his gaze narrowing on the two skis already wrapped in protective binding and the third one that she’d been wrapping when he walked in. ‘Your equipment looks new. Expensive. Have you come into a windfall perhaps?’ he enquired.

She tensed. ‘It’s none of your—’

He slashed his hand through the air. ‘Enough. I have irrefutable evidence that every single penny your father misappropriated ended up in your bank account. Whatever his motives were for taking the money, he didn’t seem inclined to cover his tracks. I’ve already given you enough time to come clean, but it looks like you prefer to wallow in lies and snarky banter. My time is valuable, Miss Daniels. I refuse to waste any more discussing your guilt. Now, are you prepared to take this seriously or shall I cut my losses and let you explain to the authorities how you came to be in possession of half a million pounds belonging to me?’ He took his phone out of his pocket and gripped it, fingers poised over the buttons.

Her arms dropped from their belligerent position. As he’d spoken she’d grown paler, but there was still more than enough fight in her eyes for Draco not to be under the misconception that she’d seen the light of true contrition. ‘I wasn’t lying. I don’t know where my father is, and I didn’t have anything to do with the taking of the money.’ Her brows clouded. ‘Are you sure this isn’t just some misunderstanding?’

He bared his teeth, cold amusement making him shake his head. ‘I’m not in the habit of misunderstanding the whereabouts of my company’s funds.’

She paled further. ‘I told you, I don’t know where my father is.’

‘Have you tried calling him?’ he fired back.

‘Several times.’ Her fingers spiked into her loose hair, and for the first time Draco witnessed her undiluted distress. Satisfaction lanced through him. He was finally getting through to her. Herding her into a position where she couldn’t fail to see that he wouldn’t be swayed from seeking restitution. ‘He hasn’t answered my calls.’ The tiny note of bewilderment in her voice suggested she wasn’t lying.

‘Be that as it may, the funds ended up in your bank account.’

Her full lips firmed for several moments before she nodded. ‘Yes.’

He exhaled. ‘So, are you willing to answer my questions now?’

She nodded again.

‘The championships don’t start for several weeks. The training grounds in Verbier won’t be open for another month. So where were you going?’

‘I have a friend with a chalet in Chamonix. I was going to stay there while I train.’

‘You mean you were fleeing the country with your ill-gotten gains?’ he sneered. ‘Perhaps meet up with your father and celebrate getting one over on me?’

She flinched. ‘No.’

‘Just...no? You’re not going elaborate?’

‘What more is there to say? You say you have evidence that the money ended up in my account. Will you believe me if I say I didn’t know it was coming in the first place? That when it arrived I tried to return it?’

He lifted a brow before staring at the expensive items on the floor. ‘Really?’

‘Look, I know what you’re thinking—’

‘I seriously doubt that. Picking up the phone and instructing your bank to return the funds was too much effort, but spending it wasn’t?’

‘I didn’t spend it. Not immediately.’

He placed the phone back in his pocket and stared at her until her gaze dropped. ‘I’m sure you’re going to explain that.’

‘The money arrived after Rex Glow and the rest of my sponsors started dropping like flies, thanks to you, I’m guessing.’ Her white-hot glare threatened to thaw the edges of his icy anger. ‘My father must have realised what you were doing...’ she paused...but it was already too late.

‘So you’re saying your father not only took my money, he also breached my company’s confidential secrets?’ He couldn’t stop the growl that accompanied the question.

‘No! I don’t know.’

‘You keep saying that, and yet all signs point to you hiding something.’

Her mouth worked for several seconds, before she blew out a breath. ‘Fine, if you must know, I hadn’t spoken to my father in years before I heard from him two weeks ago.’

He tensed. ‘Why not?’

‘That is definitely none of your business,’ she snapped, her fingers spearing into her hair again and tossing the heavy tresses over her shoulder. ‘But I did try to find out about the money the few times we spoke afterwards. He assured me there were no strings attached. That it was mine to use. And when a few more sponsors dropped me...’