But what triggered the bolt of astonishment in him more was the not-quite-masked expression on her face. Brianna’s countenance since the day she’d become his ultra-efficient assistant eighteen months ago had never once wavered from cool, icy professionalism.
Today she looked...
‘Don’t tell me she’s succumbed to the Sakis Pantelides syndrome?’ Ari’s dry tone held equal parts amusement and resignation.
Sakis frowned, unease stirring in his belly and mingling with the emotions he refused to acknowledge when it came to his executive assistant. He’d learned the hard way that exposing emotion, especially for the wrong person, could leave scars that never really healed and took monumental effort to keep buried. As for mixing business with pleasure—that had been a near lethal cocktail he’d sampled once. Never again. ‘Shut up, Ari.’
‘I’m concerned, brother. She’s almost ready to jump into the water. Or jump your bones, more like. Please tell me you haven’t lost your mind and slept with her?’
Sakis’s gaze flitted over to Moneypenny, trying to pinpoint what was wrong from across the distance between them. ‘I’m not sure what’s more disturbing—your unhealthy interest in my sex life or the fact that you can keep rowing straight while practising the Spanish Inquisition,’ he murmured absently.
As for getting physical with Moneypenny, if his libido chose the most inappropriate times—like now—to remind him he was a red-blooded male, it was a situation he intended to keep ignoring, like he had been the last eighteen months. He’d wasted too much valuable time in this lifetime ridding himself of clinging women.
He strained the oars through the water, suddenly wanting the session to be over. Through the strokes, he kept his gaze fixed on Moneypenny, her rigid stance setting off alarm bells inside his head.
‘So, there’s nothing between you two?’ Ari pushed.
Something in his brother’s voice made his hackles rise. With one last push, he felt the bottom of the scull hit the slope of the wooden jetty.
‘If you’re thinking of trying to poach her, Ari, forget it. She’s the best executive assistant I’ve ever had and anyone who threatens that will lose a body part; two body parts for family members.’
‘Cool your jets, bro. I wasn’t thinking of that sort of poaching. Besides, hearing you gush over her like that tells me you’re already far gone.’
Sakis’s irritation grew, wishing his brother would get off the subject.
‘Just because I recognise talent doesn’t mean I’ve lost my mind. Besides, tell me, does your assistant know her Windsor knot from her double-cross knot?’
Ari’s brows shot up as he stepped onto the pier and grabbed his oars. ‘My assistant is a man. And the fact that you hired yours based on her tie-knotting abilities only confirms you’re more screwed than I thought.’
‘There’s nothing delusional about the fact that she has more brains in her pinkie than the total sum of my previous assistants, and she’s a Rottweiler when it comes to managing my business life. That’s all I need.’
‘Are you sure that’s all? Because I detect a distinct...reverence in your tone there.’
Sakis froze, then grimaced when he realised Ari was messing with him. ‘Keep it up. I owe you a scar for the one you planted on me with your carelessness.’ He touched the arrow-shaped scar just above his right brow, a present from Ari’s oar when they had first started rowing together in their teens.
‘Someone had to bring you down a notch or three for thinking you were the better-looking brother.’ Ari grinned, and Sakis was reminded of the carefree brother Ari had been before tragedy had struck and sunk its merciless claws into him. Then Ari’s gaze slid beyond Sakis’s shoulder. ‘Your Rottweiler’s prowling for you. She looks ready to bare her teeth.’
Sakis dropped his oars next to the overturned scull and glanced over, to find Brianna had moved closer. She now stood at the top of the pier, her arms folded and her gaze trained on him.
His alarm intensified. There was a look on her face he’d never seen before. Plus she held a towel in one hand, which suggested she was expecting him not to take his usual shower at the clubhouse.
Sakis frowned. ‘Something’s up. I need to go.’
‘Did she communicate that to you subliminally or are you two so attuned to each other you can tell just by looking at her?’ Ari enquired in an amused tone.
‘Seriously, Ari, cork it.’ His scowl deepened as he noted Brianna’s pinched look. Again acting out of the ordinary, she started towards him.
Moneypenny knew never to disturb him during his time with his brothers. She was great like that. She knew her place in his life and had never once overstepped the mark. He started to walk away from the waterfront.
‘Hey, don’t worry about me. I’ll make sure the equipment is returned to the boathouse. And I’ll have all those drinks we ordered by myself too,’ Ari stated drolly.
Sakis ignored him. When he reached speaking distance, he stopped. ‘What’s wrong?’ he demanded.
For the very first time since she’d turned up for an interview at Pantelides Towers at five o’clock in the morning, Sakis saw her hesitate. The hair on his nape rose to attention. ‘Spit it out, Moneypenny.’
The tightening of her mouth was infinitesimal but he spotted it. Another first. He couldn’t remember ever witnessing an outward sign of distress. Silently, she held out his towel.
He snatched it from her, more to hurry her response than a need to wipe his sweat-drenched body.
‘Mr Pantelides, we have a situation.’
His jaw tightened. ‘What situation?’
‘One of your tankers, the Pantelides Six, has run aground off Point Noire.’
Ice cascaded down his back despite the midsummer sun blazing down on him. Sakis forced a swallow. ‘When did this happen?’
‘I got a call via the head office from a crew member five minutes ago.’
She licked her lips and his apprehension grew.
‘There’s something else?’
‘Yes. The captain and two crew members are missing and...’
‘And what?’
Her pinched look intensified. ‘The tanker hit an outcropping of rocks. Crude oil is spilling into the South Atlantic at an estimated rate of sixty barrels per minute.’
* * *
Brianna would never forget what happened next after her announcement. Outwardly, Sakis Pantelides remained the calm, ruthlessly controlled oil tycoon she’d worked alongside for the past eighteen months. But she would’ve failed in her task to make herself indispensable to him if she hadn’t learned to read between the lines of the enigma that was Sakis Pantelides. The set of his strong jaw and the way his hands tightened around the snow-white towel told her how badly the news had affected him.
Over his shoulder, Brianna saw Arion Pantelides pause in his task. Her eyes connected with his. Something in her face must have given her away because before she’d taken another breath the oldest Pantelides brother was striding towards them. He was just as imposing as his younger brother, just as formidable. But, where Sakis’s gaze was sharp with laser-like focus and almost lethal intelligence, Arion’s held a wealth of dark torment and soul-deep weariness.
Brianna’s gaze swung back to her boss, and she wasn’t even slightly surprised to see the solid mask of power and ruthless efficiency back in place.
‘Do