‘I understand you’re a brute—and you’d better put me down right now, or face the consequences.’
‘Consequences? What consequences are those, Lisa?’ His pace didn’t falter. ‘Are you going to set your lawyers onto my legal team? Because I strongly advise you to think twice before you do that.. unless, of course, you want to be begging me to give you a job in a couple of months’ time.’
‘I wouldn’t expect you to give me the dirt from under your fingernails.’
‘As I don’t have any, you’ll have to excuse me if I’m not too worried about that.’
‘Are you going to put me down—or shall I scream?’
‘Scream all you want.. no one will hear you.’ They’ll only think we’re having fun. You’re not going to win this one—accept it.’
Lisa kicked her legs furiously in reply. ‘This isn’t a joke, Tino.’
‘What’s your problem? Are you still worried about Arianna? Or are you more worried about being alone with me?’
Lisa gave a short, scornful laugh. ‘Yes, I am worried about Arianna—but as for you?’ She looked at him with disdain. ‘I couldn’t give a damn about you.’
Dropping her to the ground, he held her at arm’s length, the tension flaring between them. ‘No need to descend to the language of the gutter, young woman.’
‘To describe you?’ Lisa couldn’t believe she was shouting. ‘I’d say it’s absolutely necessary.’
‘And if I told you Arianna and I aren’t a couple?’
‘I’d be happy, relieved—for her. And I’d still want to go back to the villa. No contact between us other than for business, remember that, Tino?’
‘So, we shouldn’t do this, for instance…’
The breath shot out of Lisa’s lungs as he dragged her close. Feelings exploded out of her. And it wasn’t the fact that Tino was kissing her that went storming through her brain, it was the fact that she loved it. He felt good, better than good. Making rough, animal sounds, she moved passionately against him. But as he moulded her even closer to him she hated him—hated him for making her want him so badly it hurt, so badly her legs were giving way beneath her.
She came to her senses abruptly. Bond Steel’s future depended on her, and this was how she behaved? Tino was only playing games with her, and while she was distracted his troops were swarming all over her business.
She started fighting him then. She fought his mouth, his lips, his tongue, and she grappled with his hands, making sounds of fury in her throat. But he had her bound so tightly against him, she could hardly breathe, let alone break free. And then, just when she felt she had no more fight left in her, he let her go, and stood back.
‘So this is your idea of persuasion?’ he said.
‘It’s a lot more honest than kissing you back.’ Turning her face away from him, she held her forehead with her hand. ‘I can’t believe I’m in this position. I hate you so much.’
‘No,’ Tino countered steadily. ‘What you hate is the way I make you lose control.’
‘I know what I mean.’
‘Dangerous ground, Lisa. You know what they say about hate.’
‘Don’t flatter yourself!’
‘I don’t.’
Lisa made an angry sound. ‘So, I’m stuck with this for the next week?’
‘If you mean me.. then, yes, you are.’
‘Well, don’t ever try that again,’ she warned. ‘And don’t give me that look either. I’m warning you… I mean it, Tino.’
‘Of course you do.’
Tino knew what was at stake for her, Lisa realised, and, like it or not, she was tied in to this. Tino Zagorakis held the fate of Bond Steel in the palm of his hand, and she had to play by his rules, or risk losing everything.
He stood watching her, slouched on one hip. ‘Do you know what you need?’ His voice had turned low and mocking.
‘No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.’
‘You need someone to say no to you, Lisa—someone who can curb your headstrong ways.’
‘Headstrong?’ She’d never put a foot wrong in all her adult life—and no one in his right mind would call her headstrong. No one would dare. ‘And I suppose you think you’re man enough for the job?’
‘I know I am.’
The sardonic murmur made Lisa shiver with desire. She had to fight it, fight him. ‘I’ve had enough of this. I want to go back.’
‘Not a chance,’ he said flatly. ‘We are going to enter into negotiations Greek style.’
‘What are you talking about? Greek style?’ Ancient tableaux of partly clothed men and women captured in various poses of sensual indulgence sprang into Lisa’s mind. She was prepared to go a long way to secure the deal, but not that far.
‘We’re going to get properly acquainted before we sit round a table.’
‘Properly acquainted?’ Her throat squeezed tight. ‘Why? I don’t want to.’
‘Bad luck for your company.’ He shook his head.
‘No—stop… wait a minute.’ To Lisa’s relief he stopped walking and turned around.
‘So, we’re agreed?’ he said. ‘No more talk of business today?’
She muttered two words grudgingly: ‘All right.’
‘That’s good, Lisa.’
Did he have to make it sound as if she had achieved something monumental?
‘That wasn’t so hard, now, was it?’
Lisa confined herself to a glare.
‘There can be no possibility of a deal until I find you more biddable.’
‘Biddable?’ That was too much! ‘So, now you’re resorting to blackmail?’
‘Blackmail?’ Shaking his head, Tino made a sound of disappointment with his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He was teasing her, taunting her—baiting her. ‘No, not blackmail, Lisa. You see, if you respond well, I will be fair. But if you are determined to remain wilful and contrary, then you will have to be tamed.’
‘Tamed? I’d like to see you try.’
‘Is that a challenge, Lisa?’
And then, incredibly, before she realised what he meant to do, he had picked her up and put her over his knee! And before she could recover from that, he exclaimed, ‘Theos! You would send me mad!’ And let her tumble to the ground as if her naked flesh had scorched him.
Wiping a hand over his eyes, Tino looked as if he couldn’t believe what had happened. Scrambling to her feet, Lisa couldn’t believe it either. She didn’t know whether to rail at him, or laugh, and the longer they stood staring at each other, the more she wanted to laugh.
Tino was clearly stunned that a moment of passion had brought him to the point where he had almost put her over his knee and spanked her, while she was surprised the idea excited her so much. She had to think fast. She couldn’t let this drive a wedge between them or it would be the end of the deal. ‘We both need some cooling-off time.’ Nervous laughter bubbled out of her, but Tino’s expression stopped it dead.
What was this turning into?