As if she wanted to satisfy Alexei Katsaros’s animal appetites. And hers, as well.
The realisation had her fingers clawing the arms of her chair as she fought the urge to reel back. As much at her own confusing reaction as at his overtly masculine perusal. He surveyed her like a man who’d just bought a woman.
She despised him. Yet despite her outrage, Mina felt a thrill of anticipation.
By the time she’d conquered her shock, there was no sign of that feral hunger in his expression. Had she imagined it?
Mina wasn’t an expert on sex but she’d had her share of admirers. Men whom she found it easy to resist. For some reason they were fine as friends, but when they wanted more, Mina didn’t. Yet she knew what sexual interest looked like.
She couldn’t see it in his face now.
‘We’ve only just met.’ Her tone was cool.
One dark eyebrow rose. ‘It was your father’s suggestion that we’d make a good match. He told me you’d agreed. Are you saying that’s not the case?’
Mina swallowed, ignoring the sandpaper abrasion of her throat, and wondered how best to play for time. All the way here she’d told herself Carissa had been mistaken and that Alexei Katsaros couldn’t want marriage. He didn’t need to marry a stranger. He was rich, successful and good-looking.
Also impatient, determined and self-obsessed, if his idea of finding a wife was ordering her to his island and giving her no choice!
What had she landed herself in? Surely he hadn’t brought her here for a wedding!
Shock jagged through her, stealing her breath. If so, then this masquerade would be over before it began. Mina forced herself to take a deep breath and think.
‘He did mention a possible marriage, but...’
‘But?’
‘We don’t know each other! I can’t agree to marry someone I don’t know.’
He said nothing, just crossed his arms, the movement drawing Mina’s attention to the depth of his broad chest and the muscled power of his biceps. He was a man whose physical size and fitness could daunt a woman who wasn’t strong enough to stand up for herself.
‘So you’re here to what? Get to know me?’
‘Is that so unreasonable?’ Mina jumped on the idea like a lifeline. ‘We’re talking about a lifetime commitment.’
The hint of a smile flickered at the corner of Alexei’s mouth. ‘That’s a refreshingly...old-fashioned view.’
Mina let her eyebrows climb. ‘Marriage is a serious commitment. Why enter into one if you don’t plan to make it work?’ She wasn’t sure why she didn’t simply shrug off his comment. But marriage, like the right to make her own decisions, was something she felt strongly about. Her mother had married her country’s Sheikh not for love but because her family decreed it. It hadn’t been a happy match.
‘I see your point.’ Alexei nodded.
‘So you understand I need time to determine if a marriage would work. Surely you want that too.’
‘To assess if we’re compatible?’ Alexei didn’t move, nor did his expression alter, yet the quality of that stare flicked a warning switch. Adrenalin surged in Mina’s blood. Heat consumed her as if he’d surveyed every inch of her body with that searing scrutiny, instead of merely holding her gaze.
How did he do that?
More important, why did she react so?
Mina wasn’t oblivious to men but she’d never been swept off her feet, or into bed, by one. Her history made her cautious about ceding control to any man. Before his death, her father had mapped out her life, giving her no choice, even about the clothes she wore and the subjects she studied. Since leaving Jeirut for Paris she’d devoted herself single-mindedly to art, determined to carve a career in the field she loved. The guys who tried to sidetrack her into a relationship had never caused a ripple in her world.
Now it wasn’t a ripple she felt but an earth tremor.
Mina wouldn’t let that daunt her.
She lifted one hand negligently. ‘Before we worry about compatible perhaps we should start with finding out if we’d survive the marriage without killing each other.’
Alexei gave a crack of laughter. ‘Good point, Carissa.’ The light dancing in his eyes made him look completely different. Like someone she wanted to know.
Mina stiffened.
The first time she’d seen Alexei Katsaros, something happened that had never happened before. Her certainty had wavered and with it her confidence. Mina couldn’t abide the idea of being tentative around him, like some gullible, awed girl. It was easier to confront him. She suspected if he exerted himself to be nice it would be too easy to feel the force of his charm.
Now, abruptly, as she met his smiling look, the events of the last twelve hours took their toll.
Exhaustion slammed into Mina. Despite her determination not to back down before this man, she felt herself slump. Adrenalin had kept her going. Now that dissipated, leaving her overtired limbs shaky and her head swimming.
She had to get out of here before she made a mistake. Mina was too weary to guard her tongue and thinking straight became harder by the second. This man with the piercing green eyes would trip her up, especially since she wasn’t practised at lying.
If he discovered the truth, all this would have been for nothing. Carissa needed time to get away with Pierre and cover her tracks.
‘I’m sorry, you’ll have to excuse me.’ Mina lifted her hand to cover a yawn, only to discover the fake yawn was real. ‘I’m suddenly very tired.’
‘You didn’t sleep on the flight?’ He looked surprised.
Mina shook her head. She’d been ushered onto the private jet late in the evening for the overnight flight to the Caribbean. But despite the comfortable bed, she’d had too much going on in her head to sleep.
‘It’s been a very long day.’ She glanced at her watch, trying to calculate the time difference but to her surprise, her mind was too foggy. Tiredness and stress took their toll. ‘I’ve been awake more than twenty-four hours.’ And yesterday had been a long day, even before Carissa had dragged her into this mess. Or, to be fair, since she’d thrust herself into it to protect her friend.
Time to regroup before she said something she shouldn’t.
Mina pinned on a smile, the multipurpose one she reserved for royal meet and greets. She hadn’t used it in years and it felt rusty. ‘I’m sorry, Alexei, but I’ll have to leave you for now.’ She rose, surprised at the effort it took to stand tall. Her knees were unsteady, and for a second she swayed.
‘Could you point me towards my room, please?’
He loomed before her, the beginnings of a frown creasing his forehead. ‘You look pale.’
‘I’m fine,’ she lied. How many hours had it been since she’d eaten? She hadn’t been in the mood for food on the plane, refuelling on coffee and lots of it, but now the caffeine had worn off and she felt as powerful as a dandelion in a strong wind. ‘If you could show me the way?’
When Alexei didn’t immediately answer, Mina swung round towards the entry, remembering Henri heading down a corridor from there.
As she turned, another wave of tiredness hit and her movements lost their usual precise control. Her foot caught the edge of the plush carpet.
She didn’t trip or stagger, just paused, swaying as she caught her balance.
‘I’ll take you.’ The deep voice came from beside her ear as, to her astonishment, Alexei bent and curled