‘I’m sure Rufus will be able to discuss his work in far more depth than I can,’ she murmured, as Thanos halted in front of a painting that looked as though the artist had flung splodges of vivid colour onto the canvas, and which to Tahlia’s eyes did not resemble anything vaguely recognisable.
Thanos followed her gaze across the room to where the long-haired and bearded Rufus Hartman was chatting with a group of guests.
‘But he is not nearly such an attractive guide,’ he drawled, a gleam of undisguised sexual interest in his eyes as he turned back to Tahlia, stealing her breath. Thanos Savakis was an outrageous flirt, and her common sense told her she should walk away from him and keep on walking. But her usual caution seemed to have deserted her; she was blown away by his charismatic charm, and when his mouth curved into that devastatingly sexy smile her heart began to race.
Thanos glanced back at the picture. ‘Mr Hartman’s abstract paintings are the sort of thing I’d like to have in my new hotel. They’re contemporary and eye-catching and would suit the modern design of the building.’
‘I understand you own a chain of hotels? Crispin mentioned it,’Tahlia admitted, flushing at Thanos’s quizzical expression.
What else had Crispin told her? he wondered sardonically. That he was a billionaire with a penchant for blondes? Had Tahlia asked the gallery-owner to introduce them, confident that he would find her red-gold hair and milky-pale skin intriguingly different from the dozens of bleached blonde, sunbed-tanned women who were milling around the gallery, eyeing him rather than the artwork on display?
‘I own hotels in many parts of the world, including the Caribbean and the Maldives, and I’m currently in negotiations to buy the Ambassador Hotel, where I am staying on this trip to London.’
Tahlia’s eyes widened. The Ambassador was one of the most exclusive hotels in the capital. She had taken little notice when Crispin had said that Thanos was a billionaire, but now it struck her that he could probably buy Reynolds Gems out of his petty cash.
‘My latest development is in one of the Greek Islands,’ Thanos continued. ‘The Artemis is a five-star hotel, offering the ultimate pampering experience—superbly equipped gyms, spas and beauty parlours, together with shops selling designer clothes and jewellery.’
‘It sounds wonderful,’Tahlia murmured, her mind focusing on Thanos’s mention of jewellery shops within his hotel. Unconsciously her hand strayed to the row of sapphires and diamonds around her neck. The ornate necklace was not the sort of thing she usually wore, but it was undoubtedly impressive, and tonight she needed to impress.
Thanos’s gaze followed the movement of her hand. ‘Your necklace is almost as exquisite as the woman wearing it,’ he remarked.
She blushed. ‘It’s just one of a wide range of pieces made by the expert goldsmiths and designers at Reynolds Gems. Our gemologists source the finest precious stones and diamonds to ensure that every piece of jewellery is of top quality.’ Tahlia hesitated. Was it fair to subject Thanos to the hard sell when they were at a party, not in a boardroom? Their business needed all the help it could get, she reminded herself, and she had to seize every available opportunity to promote the company.
‘Perhaps you might like to consider selling a selection of Reynolds Gems jewellery at the Artemis?’ she said carefully. She opened her purse and extracted a business card. ‘I believe it could be a mutually beneficial arrangement. Reynolds has an excellent reputation for superb craftsmanship, which would be in keeping with the high quality of your hotel. And we are an expanding company,’ she added, as Thanos studied the card she had handed him.
‘Really…?’ He gave her a razor-sharp glance, and Tahlia felt the colour rise in her cheeks.
‘Oh, yes. We have a dynamic management team which is always on the look out for exciting new ventures.’ That, at least, wasn’t a downright lie. She knew her father would jump at the chance to improve Reynolds’ profits.
Thanos’s slow smile once more sent heat surging through Tahlia’s veins, yet at the same time she was again reminded of a wolf stalking its prey.
‘That’s certainly a very interesting proposition, Tahlia. I’ll give your suggestion serious consideration,’ he murmured.
‘You will?’ She forgot that she was supposed to be a hardheaded businesswoman and grinned at him. She felt as though Christmas had come early—and maybe it had, she thought excitedly. Thanos owned up-market hotels around the world, and if he allowed Reynolds Gems to promote their jewellery to his wealthy clientele it could completely turn around the company’s fortunes.
Thanos’s eyes narrowed on Tahlia’s face. Gone was the exquisite and rather haughty-looking socialite. In her place was a young woman with an impish smile and sparkling blue eyes which were more beautiful than the most priceless of sapphires. How could she lie so blatantly and yet look so innocent? And how could he hate her and want her with equal intensity? He despised her, but at this moment he despised himself more—because he could not deny his longing to pull her into his arms and claim her soft, smiling mouth with his lips.
Suddenly he was tired of the game he had been foolish enough to start. He should have revealed from the beginning that he was her lover James Hamilton’s ex-brother-in-law. He was tempted to tell Tahlia there was not a chance in hell he would enter into any ‘mutually beneficial arrangement’ with her or her company, but he swallowed the words. He had laid his plans carefully, and now he was poised to destroy Reynolds Gems. His moment of revenge would be sweet, and he wanted to savour the expression on her beautiful face when she realised that she had lost everything.
There was no reason to remain with her any longer. Sheikh Mussada had left the gallery some fifteen minutes ago, he reminded himself, infuriated by the knowledge that he had prolonged his time with her because he had found her intelligent and witty conversation utterly captivating. He glanced around the gallery and saw that the blonde who had attached herself to him like a limpet when he had first arrived was giving him baleful looks. To his annoyance he could not help but compare Lisette’s fluffy platinum blonde curls and her sequined dress with its plunging neckline and thigh high skirt to Tahlia’s graceful elegance.
His jaw tightened and he gave Tahlia a cool smile. ‘I must ask you to excuse me, Tahlia. I’m expecting a business call and need to return to my hotel.’
‘Oh, but…’ Tahlia stared at Thanos’s retreating form, startled by his abrupt departure. He was striding away across the gallery. She felt embarrassed at the thought of calling him back, but she might never have this opportunity again. ‘Can I look forward to hearing from you when you’ve had time to consider my idea about selling Reynolds Gems jewellery in your new hotel?’ she called desperately.
Thanos paused and glanced back at her, his expression unfathomable. ‘Oh, you’ll certainly be hearing from me, Tahlia,’ he promised softly. But for some reason his words sent a frisson of unease down her spine.
Tahlia woke early on Monday morning, with a heavy sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. Today her mother was due to see a specialist, to hear whether a mastectomy followed by a course of chemotherapy had destroyed her breast cancer. In the past few weeks Vivienne had regained some of her strength, and her hair had grown back enough that she no longer needed to wear the brightly coloured silk scarves mother and daughter had chosen together before the start of her treatment.
Her mother had been so brave, Tahlia thought, swallowing the lump in her throat. The past two years since Vivienne had been diagnosed had been a nightmare for both her parents, and