so Drakon couldn’t help but appreciate the way the colour of Gemini’s short-sleeved blouse perfectly matched the colour of her eyes, making her hair appear even more white-gold. Black jeans fitted smoothly over her bottom and thighs; her bare feet were thrust into flat, open-toed sandals.
Gemini sobered. She was very aware that it was the shock of thinking Drakon was involved with Angela after all, and then his unexpected arrival so quickly after Angela—which at the time had only seemed to confirm his involvement—that had caused her to be so violently ill.
The question was, why had it?
She had thought about Drakon a lot these past four days—of their time together in the lift, of her own loss of control—so maybe it had been the thought of his having discussed any of that with Angela which had made her feel so ill? Although if that had really been the case she had no doubt that Angela would have taken great pleasure in telling her so!
‘I told you—nothing worse than usual.’ Gemini gave a dismissive shake of her head. ‘Shouldn’t you have flown back to New York by now?’
He glanced down at the plain gold watch on his tanned wrist. ‘I was scheduled to leave for the airport an hour ago, yes,’ he admitted, before shrugging broad shoulders as he saw her surprised expression. ‘I thought it more important that I come here instead, to help you deal with your stepmother,’ he explained.
Gemini felt a warm glow inside at the thought of Drakon having changed his arrangements out of concern for her. ‘That really was very kind of you,’ she murmured huskily. ‘Perhaps you’ll be able to book another flight later today?’
He smiled tightly. ‘It is of no matter; the Lyonedes jet will fly whenever I instruct it to do so.’
‘Of course it will.’ She nodded ruefully. Silly her—of course there was a Lyonedes jet! Her father had been extremely wealthy, but she knew the Lyonedes family were rich beyond her imagining. Hence Angela’s obvious interest in ensnaring one of them for herself…‘What on earth did you say to Angela to finally get her to go?’ she prompted curiously.
Drakon’s top lip curled with distaste as he recalled the unpleasantness of that conversation—the details of which he had no intention of sharing with Gemini. But it had left Drakon feeling it might be of benefit to all concerned if he were to have further investigations made in regard to Angela Bartholomew. If for no other reason than that Lyonedes Enterprises was about to complete an important and costly business transaction with a woman who could not be trusted.
Except Drakon knew there was another, equally important reason for his concern about Angela. And that reason was standing across the room from him.
He’d had every intention of returning to New York this evening—of putting Gemini Bartholomew and the desire that had blazed so hotly between them the previous week firmly from his mind. But now that he had seen her again he knew he no longer felt any inclination to leave England—either today or tomorrow. In fact, he had no desire to leave England until he was reassured that this matter between Gemini and her stepmother had been settled.
And it would be settled, Drakon inwardly decreed grimly. One way or another. In such a way that would ensure Gemini was no longer in danger from Angela’s viciousness.
‘I merely told her that it was time for her to leave,’ he answered economically, having no intention of boring Gemini with the truth of her stepmother’s flirtatious manner—almost as if he had not witnessed the viciousness of her attack on Gemini!—or the fact that she had dared to invite him out to dinner this evening. It was an invitation Drakon had left the other woman in absolutely no doubt he would refuse—along with any others she might care to make in the future.
The sneering remarks she had made about Gemini following that refusal had been enough to alert Drakon anew concerning Gemini’s safety…
‘Are you free for dinner this evening?’
Gemini had been lost in thought during Drakon’s lengthy silence, but now she looked across at him sharply. ‘You’re inviting me to have dinner with you again?’
He nodded briskly. ‘It is obvious that we need to discuss the continuing problem of your stepmother further, and as I will no longer be flying back to New York today—’
‘You won’t?’ Gemini blinked owlishly, not sure whether that lurch in her stomach was due to a residual nausea from earlier or if it was solely to do with the fact that Drakon apparently wasn’t returning to New York today as planned, and had actually invited her out to dinner with him this evening!
It was an invitation she knew she shouldn’t accept…
Couldn’t accept.
Not when she had spent the past four days telling herself that her heated response to this man had been just a figment of her imagination. An overreaction to everything else that was going on in her life at the moment.
She’d only had to look at Drakon again to know she had been fooling herself…
This man—the way he looked, the aura of power he wore like a mantle about those broad and muscular shoulders—appealed to Gemini on a level she had never experienced before. He somehow made her feel safe, protected, while at the same time being aware that Drakon himself was the biggest danger of all to her. Physically and possibly emotionally as well…
‘No. I—’ Drakon broke off as a knock sounded on the internal door of the apartment. ‘That’s probably your assistant. I instructed her to let you know when she was ready to lock up for the day.’ He shrugged as Gemini raised her brows.
Yes, Drakon Lyonedes was a man she knew she should beware of—for more reasons than the obvious one of finding him so mouthwateringly attractive. Left unchecked, he was more than capable of taking over her life if he chose to do so—and was certainly arrogant enough.
‘You—’ It was Gemini’s turn to break off as a mobile phone began to ring. It had to be Drakon’s, because the ringtone of hers was one of her favourite songs rather than a normal ringtone like this. ‘That’s probably Markos, checking to see if you arrived here in time to save me from the clutches of my evil stepmother!’ she guessed dryly.
‘This situation is not in the least amusing, Gemini.’ Dark brows lowered over those coal-black eyes as he removed a mobile phone from the breast pocket of his tailored jacket. ‘And I believe my cousin knows me well enough to know I will most certainly have saved you—if indeed you needed saving,’ he declared, before taking the call. ‘Yes, Markos,’ he said, at the same time giving Gemini a small inclination of his head in acknowledgement of her correct guess as to the identity of the caller.
Gemini decided to leave him to the privacy of his call and left the room to answer the door to Jo, reassuring her assistant that she was fine before accompanying her down the stairs to close the blinds and lock the door behind her as she left for the day.
Leaving Gemini completely alone with Drakon…
She lingered downstairs in the shop for several minutes after Jo had gone on her way, restlessly tidying where no tidying was necessary as she thought over Drakon’s invitation to dinner this evening. So that they might discuss the problem of Angela further, he had said. Although quite what that meant she had no idea. It was now more than obvious to her that Angela’s dislike of her wasn’t necessarily personal but was directed towards what Gemini represented. An inborn resentment that she doubted any amount of talking between herself and Drakon would succeed in changing.
Which was reason enough for her to turn down his dinner invitation, surely?
If she wanted to turn it down…
She had total recall of her visit to Lyonedes Tower. Of Drakon’s cool arrogance. His remorseless power. Most telling of all, she clearly remembered what it had felt like to have those chiselled lips and those long elegant hands on her body as he made love to her in the lift.
Which was precisely why she shouldn’t even think about agreeing to have dinner with him again this