‘But I’m guessing your father’s delirious?’
‘He was pleased, yes.’
‘He must really have hit rock-bottom.’
Dione flashed furious dark eyes at him. ‘He has, and he’s in hospital fighting for his life because of it.’
Theo frowned. ‘I didn’t know that.’
‘There’s a lot about my father you don’t know.’
‘And a lot I do,’ he growled. ‘He’s unscrupulous. I bet he had no hesitation in saying you should marry me. How he could have produced a daughter like you I don’t know.’
‘How do you know I’m not unscrupulous too?’ she riposted, wishing she could jump up and run. This was the most humiliating experience of her life.
‘I’m good at reading people.’
‘How do you know that if I marry you I won’t take you for every penny you’ve got?’ she slammed at him.
‘Because I’ve already had a contract drawn up. I—’
‘You’ve what?’ interjected Dione in horror. ‘You were that sure I’d say yes?’
‘Absolutely,’ he agreed, stretching out his long legs and linking his hands behind his head.
He looked so relaxed she wanted to take a swipe at him, knock some of that pleasure off his damnably handsome face. ‘You bastard!’
Theo’s well-shaped brows rose. ‘Tut, tut, Dione! Here was I, thinking you were a lady.’
‘You bring out the worst in me,’ she savaged.
‘It’s not all I plan to bring out in you,’ he said with a cruel smile. ‘Let’s get down to business. You are here to say that you will marry me in return for me bailing your father out of trouble?’
Dione swallowed hard, ignored the little voice inside her head that told her to get up and run, ignored the thought of a nice, safe English marriage to Chris Donovan, and nodded.
His lips curved in satisfaction. ‘I never thought I’d say this, but your father’s a very lucky man, do you know that? Not many girls would do this for their father. Pray tell me, why do you love him so much? Or is it perhaps because you fear him?’ He saw the flicker in her eyes and nodded. ‘He has you in the same stranglehold as everyone else. I pity you, Dione, having a father like that, though I applaud what you are doing.’
‘Only because it’s in your favour,’ she snorted, deeply annoyed that he had summed up the situation so correctly. Did everyone know that her father was a control freak?
‘As I said, I’ve had a contract drawn up; all you have to do is sign it.’ He rose from the chair and strode across to his desk.
Dione watched, her heart aching with a pain she had never felt before. Sorrow, anger, despair. Not that she let Theo see any of this. When he returned to his seat she lifted her chin and sat that little bit straighter. ‘I have a few stipulations of my own before I sign anything.’
Dark brows rose. ‘Are you in any position?’
‘I think I am.’
He lifted broad shoulders. ‘I beg to differ on that point, but go ahead. Unless, of course, you’d like to read my contract first? You might be pleasantly surprised.’
Dione privately doubted it, but maybe she ought to take a look before she jumped in with her own criteria.
It wasn’t a long document, but in essence it gave him full power to treat her as he liked in return for helping her father out of his financial troubles. ‘To become my wife in every sense for as long as I desire,’ were the words that sprang out from the page.
Not on his life!
She thrust it back at him. ‘No! Absolutely no!’
‘To what exactly?’ he enquired insouciantly. He had clearly expected her denial and was now going to take great pleasure in having her spell it out to him.
‘I will not go to bed with you.’ When all her friends had been sleeping around Dione had kept her virginity, saving it for the man she would eventually marry—someone she loved and respected. She had thought Chris that man until very recently. But she was definitely not giving herself to Theo Tsardikos. Not ever! ‘Nor will I remain married to you for longer than one year,’ she added stormily. ‘In all other respects I will be your wife.’
‘There are no other respects,’ he growled. ‘A wife is a wife. A wife spends time in her husband’s bed. A wife pleasures her man.’
‘A wife also cooks and cleans and entertains.’
‘I have people to do that sort of thing,’ he answered dismissively. ‘It’s a bed companion I want and I think you’ll fit the bill admirably. You’re beautiful, you’re spirited, you’re caring. What more could a man ask for? But—maybe I can agree to your condition.’
Theo smiled to himself. It had never been his intention for them to sleep in separate beds. On the other hand it would be interesting trying to change her mind. In fact, the chase could be as enjoyable as the kill.
He had wanted her from the first second he saw her. She was quite the most striking and intriguing woman he’d ever met. He had dreamed about her last night, and what an exciting lover she had been! If dream became actuality, however…His gut twisted at the very thought.
In one respect he felt sorry for Dione, and the pressure Keristari had put on her. He wanted to make their sham of a marriage reality; he wanted her to learn to love him as a woman should love a man, not to marry him under duress and out of loyalty to her father. Keristari was a man whom no one liked except for his very loyal wife. Phrosini deserved a medal for putting up with his bullying ways.
What had happened, he wondered, between him and Dione’s mother? Clearly she hadn’t tolerated his dictatorial manner; she had got out while she could. And good for her! Maybe Dione would tell him the story one day.
‘So do you intend drawing up another contract?’ she asked him now, her chin determinedly high, her lovely, liquid brown eyes revealing her distaste of what was about to happen.
Lord, he wanted to take her into his arms and assure her that everything would be all right. That he wasn’t an ogre, that he wouldn’t hurt her. And that he admired what she was doing. But that wasn’t part of the game.
He was frankly appalled that she would marry him simply to please her father and drag him out of the mire he’d got himself into. It was misplaced loyalty as far as he was concerned.
Naturally he was sympathetic towards Keristari’s illness, but that didn’t change him from the bullying tyrant he’d always been. And even in his illness he was controlling all those around him. It was no way to behave towards your loved ones. He did not deserve their devotion.
He was so angry with the man that his tone was sharply aggressive when he answered her question. ‘Naturally. I will have it ready for your signature this afternoon.’
Dione’s head jerked as she stared at him wild-eyed. ‘So soon?’
‘Why wait?’ he asked smoothly. ‘I don’t imagine your father will want to drag this thing out. If he’s in as much trouble as you say he’ll want the money now. But no marriage, no funding! Shall we set the wedding for Sunday? Is two days enough for you to get your head round it?’
CHAPTER THREE
THEO almost laughed when he saw the consternation on Dione’s face.
‘Two days?’ she choked. ‘You can’t wait to get your hands on me, is that it? Damn you, Theo Tsardikos! Damn you to hell.’
Lord, wasn’t she gorgeous when she was angry? He felt his testosterone