Katrina Cudmore - Tempted By Her Greek Tycoon

Resisting her boss’s charms...

Loukas Christou needs a wife. For the luxury hotel tycoon, honoring his parents’ memory by acquiring their dream hotel should be simple. But to complete the deal he must be married. Enter temporary PA Georgie Jones, who offers to be his matchmaker!

Georgie never stays anywhere long-term—her mother’s abandonment proved that even the strongest relationships never last. She should be focused on finding Loukas a bride, but resisting the temptation of her Greek tycoon’s kiss is easier said than done!

Georgie smiled. And then they just looked at one another.

Drops of seawater trickled down over the hard, tanned lines of his face, over his powerful neck and into the crevices of his collarbones.

Her heart thumped, thumped, thumped in her chest. His hand moved against her hair, pushing it back off her face. And it stayed just above her ear, cradling her head. And then he was easing her toward him, the gentle teasing in his eyes quickly giving way to a darkness that melted every last vestige of sense and reason that she was holding on to.

Her chest bumped into his. And then her hips landed against his thigh. Hard, wet skin, cool to the touch.

Her eyes locked on to the light swirls of dark hair on his chest. Unsteady, her hand reached out and landed just below his ribs. Her breath hitched. What are you doing, Georgie?

Go away...I don’t know and, frankly, right now I don’t care.

Loukas shifted, his body angling in even closer to her. “Georgie?”

She lifted her head to his voice, her lips parting. Passionate, searching, intense brown eyes held hers, and then with a low curse his mouth was on hers.

Tempted by Her Greek Tycoon

Katrina Cudmore

www.millsandboon.co.uk

A city-loving book addict, peony obsessive KATRINA CUDMORElives in Cork, Ireland, with her husband, four active children and a very daft dog. A psychology graduate with a MSc in human resources, Katrina spent many years working in multinational companies and can’t believe she is lucky enough now to have a job that involves daydreaming about love and handsome men! You can visit Katrina at www.katrinacudmore.com.

For Ross, in this year that you start a new adventure, may life be full of happiness and love.

Mum

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text Resisting her boss’s charms... Loukas Christou needs a wife. For the luxury hotel tycoon, honoring his parents’ memory by acquiring their dream hotel should be simple. But to complete the deal he must be married. Enter temporary PA Georgie Jones, who offers to be his matchmaker! Georgie never stays anywhere long-term—her mother’s abandonment proved that even the strongest relationships never last. She should be focused on finding Loukas a bride, but resisting the temptation of her Greek tycoon’s kiss is easier said than done!

Introduction Georgie smiled. And then they just looked at one another. Drops of seawater trickled down over the hard, tanned lines of his face, over his powerful neck and into the crevices of his collarbones. Her heart thumped, thumped, thumped in her chest. His hand moved against her hair, pushing it back off her face. And it stayed just above her ear, cradling her head. And then he was easing her toward him, the gentle teasing in his eyes quickly giving way to a darkness that melted every last vestige of sense and reason that she was holding on to. Her chest bumped into his. And then her hips landed against his thigh. Hard, wet skin, cool to the touch. Her eyes locked on to the light swirls of dark hair on his chest. Unsteady, her hand reached out and landed just below his ribs. Her breath hitched. What are you doing, Georgie? Go away...I don’t know and, frankly, right now I don’t care. Loukas shifted, his body angling in even closer to her. “Georgie?” She lifted her head to his voice, her lips parting. Passionate, searching, intense brown eyes held hers, and then with a low curse his mouth was on hers.

Title Page Tempted by Her Greek Tycoon Katrina Cudmore www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author A city-loving book addict, peony obsessive KATRINA CUDMORE lives in Cork, Ireland, with her husband, four active children and a very daft dog. A psychology graduate with a MSc in human resources, Katrina spent many years working in multinational companies and can’t believe she is lucky enough now to have a job that involves daydreaming about love and handsome men! You can visit Katrina at www.katrinacudmore.com .

Dedication For Ross, in this year that you start a new adventure, may life be full of happiness and love. Mum

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

THE LOCAL FISHERMEN were unloading the day’s catch from their caïques when Loukas Christou motored his boat into the old harbour of Talos Town. Once moored, he’d nodded distractedly to the calls of, ‘Kalispera, Loukas!’ from the restaurant and boutique owners whose businesses lined the sun-soaked seafront promenade before hurrying up the narrow whitewashed laneway that was a pedestrian shortcut to the entrance gates of The Korinna Hotel.

Earlier that day, while away on business he had called his brother Nikos on their home island of Talos for an update on The Korinna renovations, expecting to be told of yet another hiccup. Instead Nikos had announced—with a large dollop of unwarranted self-congratulation—that the renovations were officially complete and the hotel was ready to reopen.

Nikos had gone on to assure Loukas that he wasn’t joking and then had shouted down the phone that he wasn’t exaggerating and that as Head of Project Management for the Christou Group he should ‘damn well know’.

Loukas had growled back that it was about time. And not for the first time had pointed out to Nikos that the reopening of The Korinna was a fortnight behind schedule.

It was at that point that Nikos had hung up on him. No surprise there.

At least The Korinna would open in time for Pascha—the Easter celebrations. Their guests were to arrive on Megali Pempti—Holy Thursday—and would be a mixture of loyal customers and specially invited travel journalists and bloggers. All would have sky-high expectations of their stay at the five-star hotel.

With less than a week to test all the facilities, and iron out the inevitable issues that would crop up following the extensive renovations, Loukas had decided to cut short his trip to some of the other hotels in the group to come home to Talos early.

Beyond the laneway, in the shade of the resort’s avenue that led to the hotel which was carved through a pine forest, he yanked off his tie and opened his shirt collar. The successful reopening of The Korinna was about more than just his ambitious plan to renovate all their existing hotels and acquire other iconic premises throughout Europe to add to their stable of five-star hotels. It was also about the Christou siblings working in co-operation for once...and mending the fractures that Loukas, both in his role as head of the family and CEO of the group, had failed to heal since their parents had died eight years ago.

It was a co-operation that would be vital if they were going to survive in the demanding luxury hotel market. To date, that reconciliation hadn’t exactly been going to plan—as witnessed by his call with Nikos earlier.

Towards the end of the avenue he paused and glanced down to his left. Beyond the hotel’s candyfloss orchard of flowering orange, lemon and peach trees was the family villa. A rocky outcrop separated the villa from the rest of Talos Town. Originally a sea captain’s mansion, it had sat on twenty acres of land when first built. But Loukas’s father had seen its potential and, after purchasing the villa, had built The Korinna on the land.