Mina blinked as she caught the direction of her thoughts. That wasn’t her concern. Deftly she caught up her long hair, winding it round and up into a tight knot at the back of her head. She jabbed in a securing pin and turned away.
If Alexei dismissed her because of her clothes, or because she wasn’t the biddable woman he’d imagined, all the better. Clearly he hadn’t expected her to voice her opinions or have more than a couple of brain cells to rub together.
It would be better if he concentrated on running his multibillion-dollar empire than on her. It hadn’t even occurred to him that getting to know the woman he planned to marry was a good idea.
Remarkable!
Unbelievable!
What sort of man thought like that?
One who didn’t expect to be questioned.
Who expected everyone to bend to his wishes.
Mina put away the hairdryer she’d used and entered the palatial bedroom where she’d slept like the dead for hours.
Her gaze rested on the bed she’d remade after her nap. Inevitably the image that filled her mind was of looking up from there into that fabulously sculpted face, into eyes alight with mockery, and knowing that physically she was at his mercy. It had infuriated Mina, for she’d had no choice but to put up with his macho posturing and derision.
That still smarted. She drew taller, pushing her shoulders back, as she relived the scene and wished she still had the small jewelled dagger she’d worn as a ceremonial courtesy in Jeirut. It had been decorative but deadly, and Mina had insisted on knowing how to wield it. Would he have taken her more seriously if he’d known she was fully capable of looking after herself, no matter what the situation?
The idea conjured suitably satisfying images, but her smile faded as she faced the real source of her concern.
Her reaction to Alexei Katsaros.
It wasn’t only fury she’d felt. He’d been interesting.
Lips twisting, Mina shook her head. He’d been fascinating. That combination of bold assurance and blatant sexuality would catch any woman’s attention. Especially since physically his form was...pleasing. But add to that occasional glimpses of humour and penetrating understanding that punctured her initial estimate of a smug bully, and you had a man who left her unsettled.
Mina tried to tell herself the disorientation of tiredness had made her react to him. But innate honesty wouldn’t let her pretend.
She had to face the truth.
She disliked Alexei Katsaros and his high-handed ways. He was exactly the sort of man to make her hackles rise. Yet he made her blood heat.
She was attracted to him.
The situation she’d rushed into for Carissa’s sake became fraught with unseen snares, like the notorious patches of quicksand in the desert of her homeland.
She hadn’t reckoned on anything like this when she’d blithely decided to help her friend. Dimly, she heard her father’s voice in her head, the memory of his disapproval as he complained of her impulsive ways. She’d tried to make him proud, do her duty no matter how dull or out of tune with her own interests. But she’d been a source of frustration for him.
Face it, Mina. Nothing you did could satisfy your father. He didn’t want a daughter who craved love, but an automaton who could be diplomatic on every occasion, no matter what the provocation.
She’d failed there, hadn’t she?
Abruptly she spun on her foot and crossed to the glass doors that gave out onto a crystal pool and, beyond that, the tropical garden.
Mina’s eyes were drawn to the profusion of flowers, cadmium yellow, pale ochre and magenta. She felt the old temptation to reach for her sketchpad. To find peace by losing herself in art.
Instead she simply stood a little longer, inhaling the fragrance of salt air and unfamiliar floral perfumes, then set her shoulders and turned away. She couldn’t hide forever. It was time to face her host.
* * *
She found him on a deep, shaded veranda. Overhead, a fan rotated lazily and the combination of wicker furniture and wide, wooden floorboards hinted at gracious days gone by, though the sprawling villa was modern.
Alexei sat, feet up, on a lounger, typing into a tablet. His hair was ruffled as if he’d combed his fingers through it and his shirt was open again. Mina saw the dark smattering of hair on his sculpted pectorals and jerked her gaze away.
That tiny sizzle deep inside didn’t bode well. She’d felt it before, when he carried her in his arms. Now just the sight of him set it off.
Frowning, Mina surveyed the garden, trying to control feelings she couldn’t fully identify. On the other side of the pool, a sculpture caught her eye.
‘You’re awake. Excellent.’ Reluctantly Mina turned, fixing a bland expression on her face. She’d known this would be difficult but she’d hoped her earlier response to him had more to do with fatigue than genuine attraction.
Fate was clearly laughing at her naivety.
Alexei set the tablet aside and swung his feet to the floor.
‘Please don’t get up on my account. You’re working. I’ll come back later.’ She was only too happy to delay being alone with him.
‘No, I’ve finished.’ He gestured to the seats grouped around him and she had no choice but to take one.
Instead of a recliner, Mina selected an upright chair, conscious of the way her skirt rode even higher up her legs as she sat. Resisting the urge to tug her hem in a futile attempt to gain an extra few centimetres, she crossed her ankles and tucked her feet under her chair. She didn’t look directly at her host but felt his gaze. It raked her from head to foot, then lifted again to linger on her legs and higher—
Mina swung her head up abruptly and met his enigmatic dark gaze.
Had she been wrong? She could have sworn he’d been ogling her. Or did her sensitivity about wearing Carissa’s clothes make her imagine things? The way her breasts tingled—
‘What would you like to drink?’ As he spoke Marie rounded the corner of the veranda, as if in response to the summons of a silent bell.
‘Something cold would be good.’
‘Champagne? A cocktail? Gin and tonic?’
Mina glanced at her watch. Early afternoon. Obviously his usual guests indulged themselves. Mina, on the other hand, needed a clear head. Besides, she was in no mood to kick back and pretend this was a holiday. She felt too agitated around Alexei Katsaros.
‘A juice would be lovely, thanks.’ She smiled at Marie.
‘Of course, ma’am. And I’ll bring some food.’
Mina was about to protest that she wasn’t hungry, then remembered she hadn’t eaten in ages. She’d feel stronger after food. She’d better!
Marie turned to Alexei, a question on her face. In response he shook his head and gestured to a half-full jug of iced water. ‘I’m fine.’
So he expected Mina to indulge while he stuck to cold water. Interesting. But then, he’d been working and he hadn’t built a hugely successful corporation by drinking the day away. Mina shot a glance at that firm chin and those uncompromising features and guessed Alexei Katsaros was good at discipline and control. Then her gaze collided with his and the impact sent a silent shudder of reaction through her.
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