Sale or return bride Page 2

  'You're joking!' Stunning dark eyes alight with incredulity and more than a trace of amusement, Sebastien stared at his father in disbelief. 'What century are we in?'

  Without meeting his gaze, his father shuffled the papers in front of him. 'Unfortunately those are his terms.'

  Sebastien stilled. 'You're not joking.' The humour faded from his tone and suddenly his voice was lethally soft. 'In which case you ought to know that I can't think of anyone who would be less appealing as a potential consort than a blood relative of Philipos.'

  His father lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his neck to relieve the tension. 4 You are thirty-four, Sebastien. At some point you have to marry someone. Unless you wish to spend your life alone and childless. ’

  'I want children,' Sebastien said flatly, 'very much. It's the wife that gives me a problem. Unfortunately I require certain qualities in a woman that don't appear to exist.'

  He thought about the extremely beautiful gymnast he'd spent the last few evenings with. And before that the dancer. None of them held his attention for more than a few weeks at a time.

  'Well, if you can't marry for love, then why not for sound business reasons?' his father said gruffly. ‘If you marry the girl, the company is ours.'

  Sebastien's mind was racing at speed. 'That's it?' His eyes narrowed. 'It can't be that simple.'

  His father relaxed slightly, his expression suddenly hope­ful. 'He's an old man. The company is in trouble. There are few men skilled enough to sort out the problems and Philipos knows that you are one of them. Even he acknowledges that you are a brilliant businessman. By insisting on the marriage he ensures that his granddaughter will be financially secure in the event that the company folds. And it won't with you at the helm. It's a generous offer.'

  'That's what concerns me,' Sebastien drawled softly. 'Dimitrios Philipos is not renowned for his generous offers.'

  'He is offering a considerable inducement to marry the girl-'

  'I'd need a considerable inducement to agree to marry a woman that I haven't ever laid eyes on,' Sebastien said tightly, his razor-sharp brain working quickly.

  Why would Philipos be offering him the company?

  And why would he want him to marry his granddaughter?

  His father looked at him wearily. 'It's time to put aside suspicion and learn to trust. Philipos started that business with my father and then took it from him. He claims that he regrets the past and wants to put it right before he dies.'

  Sebastien stilled, his mind racing ahead, asking one key question. Why? 'And you believe him?'

  His father shrugged. 'Our lawyers are in possession of a draft agreement as we speak. What reason do I have not to believe him?'

  'Perhaps because Dimitrios Philipos is an evil megalo­maniac who only ever acts in his own interests’ Sebastien said caustically, wrenching the silk tie away from his neck and dropping it over the nearest chair. He felt the tension rise inside him. Suddenly the stakes were high and he felt the familiar rush of adrenalin. The higher the stakes the more satisfaction was to be gained by playing. ‘ Do I really need to remind you of his sins towards our family?'

  'He's an old man. Perhaps he's repenting’

  Sebastien threw back his head and laughed but his dark eyes glittered dangerously. 'Repent? The old bastard wouldn't know the meaning of the word. I'm almost tempted to go along with the idea just to see what game he's playing this time.' Sebastien undid the top two buttons of his shirt and gestured to one of his discreetly hovering staff to bring drinks. The heat in Athens in July was punishing. 'So why can't the granddaughter find her own husband? Philipos cer­tainly keeps her existence quiet. No one ever sees or hears of her. Is she just ugly or does she has some vile disease that would be passed on to my offspring?'

  'They would be her offspring too,' his father pointed out, ' and you haven't managed to find a wife.'

  'I haven't been looking for a wife,' Sebastien said silkily, s and I certainly don't need one hand-picked by my greatest enemy.'

  The thought almost had him laughing. There was little doubt in his mind that the Philipos heiress must have some very unfortunate traits or she would have been married long before now.

  'I'm sure she's a lovely girl,' his father muttered and Sebastien lifted a dark eyebrow in mockery.

  'On the contrary, I am expecting her to have two heads and no personality. If she were lovely then Philipos wouldn't hide her away and the press would have tracked her the way they track me. She is, after all, an extremely wealthy young woman.'

  'The press track you because you give them plenty to write about,' his father said dryly, 'whereas the Philipos heiress has been in England.'

  'And England has the most intrusive tabloid press of all,' Sebastien murmured, a frown touching his handsome fea­tures. ' Which makes the situation even more interesting. If they have left her alone then she undoubtedly has two heads and no personality.'

  His father sighed in exasperation. 'Evidently she leads a discreet life. Unlike you. The girl went to an English board­ing school. Her mother was English, if you remember.'

  'Of course I remember.' Sebastien drained his glass, vivid memories clouding his brain. ‘ I also remember that she was killed when our boat exploded. Along with her husband, who was Dimitrios Philipos's only son. ' Memories flickered across his brain... A child, limp and lifeless in his arms as he dragged her to the surface of the water; chaos, bloody people screaming. .. Sebastien gritted his teeth. 'She lost both her parents and Philipos blames us for their deaths. And now he wants me to marry his granddaughter?' He lifted an eye­brow, his expression sardonic. 'Given her genealogy, I will have to sleep with a dagger under my pillow. I'm amazed that you accept the suggestion with such equanimity.'

  'We too lost family in that explosion,' his father said heavily. ‘ And time has passed. Enough time. He's an old man.'

  'He's an evil man.'

  'We were not responsible for his son's death. Perhaps time has given him the opportunity to reflect and he realizes that now.' Leandros ran his fingers over his brow, visibly dis­turbed by the memories of that terrible time. 'He wants her to have a Greek husband. He wants his line rebuilt.'

  Sebastien narrowed his eyes and wondered when his father had grown so soft. If Philipos wanted his half-English grand­daughter to have a Greek husband then there was undoubt­edly a reason. And he intended to discover that reason.

  'What about the girl? Why would she agree to such a mar­riage? She is the granddaughter of Dimitrios Philipos. As such she is unlikely to be possessed of the emotional stability I would want in a wife.'

  'At least meet her.' His father tried a different approach. ' You can always say no.'

  Sebastien surveyed him thoughtfully. It was true that he wanted children. And he'd always wanted to restore Philipos Industries to his family, where it belonged.

  'What is in it for her?' His voice was sharp. 'Philipos gets his grandchild, I gain a son

  and a company that is rightfully ours—what does she gain?'

  His father hesitated and shuffled the papers in front of him. 'Sebastien—'

  Sebastien inhaled sharply. 'Tell me.'

  His father glanced at him warily. 'On the day of your wedding you are to pay money into her personal account.' He shifted awkwardly as he studied the papers again. ‘ A substantial sum. That sum is to be repeated every month dur­ing your marriage.'

  There was a long silence. Then Sebastien gave a disbe­lieving laugh. 'Are you seriously telling me that the Philipos heiress wants money for marrying me?'

  'The financial settlement is an important part of the deal.'

  'The woman is already richer than Midas himself,' Sebastien launched, his volatile Mediterranean temperament rising to the surface with the force of an erupting volcano. ' And yet she wants more?

  His father cleared his throat. The terms of the deal are very clear. She receives money’

  Sebastien strode to the edge of the terrace and stared down across the city he
loved so deeply.

  'Sebastien—'

  He turned quickly, the expression in his dark eyes cynical and hard. 'Why do I even hesitate?' He shrugged broad shoulders in a dismissive gesture. 'All women are gold-diggers, the fact that this one chooses to dig deeper than most changes nothing. At least she is honest about it, which is to her credit. As you rightly say. This is a business arrangement where both parties understand the score’

  'You make her sound hard and money-grabbing but why not reserve judgement?' his father urged. He looked at his son helplessly. 'Any relative of Philipos is going to be ac­customed to an extremely extravagant lifestyle. Her require­ment for funds may not be a reflection on her character. She might be sweet’

  Sebastien winced and refrained from pointing out that his taste didn't run to 'sweet' girls. 'Sweet girls don't demand huge sums of money from prospective husbands. And if she's a Philipos then she will have horns and a tail,' he said drily. ' And I'll do well to remember not to turn my back on her'

  'Sebastien—-'

  'Like you, I want the business restored to the family, so I'll see her because I'm intrigued. But I'm making no prom­ises,' Sebastien warned grimly, depositing his empty glass on the table. ' If she's to be the mother of my children then I at least have to be able to stomach the sight of her’

  ‘ You are not to speak’ Dimitrios Philipos glared at Alesia as the helicopter hovered over the landing pad. ‘ And you are to keep those flashing eyes of yours fixed on the ground. You are to be meek and obedient like a good Greek girl. If you keep your mouth shut until the wedding takes place, every­thing will be fine. By then it will be too late for Fiorukis to change his mind.'

  At that precise moment Alesia was more concerned with her own state of mind than that of her prospective groom.

  Why did they have to visit him on his private island? What was wrong with the mainland?

  Satisfying herself that the helicopter was safely down, Alesia relaxed her death grip on her seat and forced herself to draw some much-needed oxygen into her starving lungs. Even the supposed safety of the helicopter hadn't distracted her from the vast expanse of azure-blue Ocean beneath them. She was terrified of the water and always had been. And she still couldn't believe that she'd actually agreed to this meet­ing.

  Suddenly she felt terrified. Terrified that her hatred of her grandfather would show along with her contempt for the en­tire Fiorukis family. 'What if he knows that I can't have children?'

  If her grandfather had discovered that the childhood acci­dent had left her unable to bear children then how did she know that Sebastien Fiorukis hadn't discovered the same thing?

  ‘ He doesn't know. Until recently he didn't even know of your existence. He will never know until you are safely mar­ried and he discovers that you are unable to provide him with a son.' Dimitrios Philipos gave a nasty smile and Alesia flinched.

  This was all wrong.

  She shouldn't be doing this.

  And then she remembered the money. She had to have that money. She would do anything for that money. And anyway, was what she was doing really so bad? If Sebastien Fiorukis was a gentle, decent man then it would have been different and her strong sense of right and wrong would never have allowed her to go ahead with a wedding, knowing what she knew. But he wasn't like that.

  The whole Fiorukis family was every bit as corrupt as her grandfather and Sebastien was at the helm. From what she'd heard, he was Greek to the very core. He was utterly without conscience and as cold and ruthless as her grandfather. Judging from his total lack of interest in commitment, he'd never had any great desire to become a father. Undoubtedly he would be a terrible father. To give a man like that an innocent child would be wrong. Perhaps it would be a good thing for everyone if both lines ended, she thought grimly. Philipos and Fiorukis. At least the feud would be buried with them.

  And both men owed her. Between them they were respon­sible for the accident that had wrecked her family. It was time for them to pay.

  On the day of the wedding, Fiorukis would transfer a lump sum into her account and continue to do so for the remainder of their marriage. Which meant that her mother could have the operation she so desperately needed. No more worries, no more holding down three jobs and worrying that the money wouldn't stretch.

  As long as Fiorukis didn't discover that her mother was still alive.

  Alesia bit her lip. If he found that out then it wouldn't take a man of his intelligence two minutes to realize that her grandfather had no love for her whatsoever and that this en­tire deal was suspicious.

  She paused in the doorway of the helicopter and gave a soft gasp as the heat thumped into her. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask her grandfather how, if she was truly half Greek, she found the heat so intolerable but she held the words back. Over the past few days she'd learned that the best way of dealing with her grandfather was to stay silent.

  'Don't forget.' Her grandfather jerked her back roughly and glared at her. 'You are now a Philipos.'

  Alesia hid her distaste. 'You refused to let my mother use that name/ she said thickly, 'but now, when it suits you, you expect me to use it.'

  'Fiorukis is to marry you because you're a Philipos’ he reminded her with an evil smile. 'If he knew you were a nobody he wouldn't touch you with a bargepole. And stop tugging at that dress.'

  Alesia gritted her teeth and released her grip on the hem­line. 'It is positively indecent. It barely covers anything.'

  'Precisely.' Her grandfather glanced over her and gave a satisfied grunt. 'A man likes to know what he's buying. Remember everything I said. Fiorukis has a brain as sharp as the business end of a razor but he's still a red-blooded Greek. One look at you in that and he won't be thinking business, I can assure you. You wear the dress as if you dress like that every day. You do not mention the existence of your mother. You do not say why you want the money.'

  'He'll want to know why I'm marrying him’ Alesia said defiantly and her grandfather gave an unpleasant smile.

  'Sebastien Fiorukis has an ego as large as Greece. And for some unfathomable reason women can't seem to leave him alone. Probably because he's rich and good-looking and women are usually too stupid to resist that combination.' Her grandfather gave a snort of derision. 'He'll assume you're just another in a long line of admirers who want access to his millions.'

  Alesia shuddered. The man must be arrogant beyond be­lief. To be considered so brainless and shallow as to judge a man by his looks and his wallet seemed to her the ultimate insult. 'I don't think—'

  'Good!' Her grandfather glared at her as he interrupted her stammered protest. 'I don't want you to think. And neither does he . You are not required to think. You are merely re­quired to lie down for him whenever he pleases. And if he asks you, then you desire this marriage simply because Sebastien Fiorukis is one of the most eligible bachelors in the world and you are keen to rediscover your Greek roots. And try not to flash those eyes at him. A Greek man does not like confrontation in the marriage bed’

  Marriage bed?

  Alesia felt her stomach lurch. Somehow she'd managed to avoid thinking about the deeper implications of this marriage. That they would have to become physically intimate. But then she remembered everything she'd read about Sebastien Fiorukis. If reports were correct, then he had at least three mistresses on the go at once. Given his complete lack of interest in commitment, he was hardly likely to weld himself to her bed, was he? He'd be a wandering husband and that suited her perfectly. As long as he deposited the right amount of money in her account every month, she'd be more than happy never to lay eyes on the man.

  She swayed slightly and, if it hadn't been for her grand­father urging her forward down the steps, she would have backed into the helicopter and begged the pilot to take them back to the mainland.

  As it was she was forced to take those few steps on to the Tarmac, forced to blink in the dazzling sunlight, dimly aware of a powerful figure watching her from a safe distance.

&nbs
p; The situation suddenly overwhelmed her and she would have paused again had her grandfather not pushed her hard. Unprepared for the unexpected force of that push and unused to wearing such ridiculously high heels, she would have lost her balance had strong arms not reached out and steadied her.

  Shocked and embarrassed, Alesia gasped out her thanks, her fingers curling into rock-hard biceps as she tried to regain her balance. A dark male face swam in front of her and for a brief moment she collided with night-black eyes. A strange sensation curled deep in her pelvis and she felt the colour seep into her cheeks.

  'Miss Philipos?'

  It took a moment for Alesia to realize that he was address­ing her because the name was so unfamiliar.

  'Stand up, girl!' Her grandfather's impatient tones cut through her thoughts. ‘ A man can't stand a woman who clings. And for goodness' sake speak when you're spoken to! What was the point of that expensive education if you can't even string a sentence together?'