Exotic Nights: The Virgin's Secret / The Devil's Heart / Pleasured in the Playboy's Penthouse

‘You want to sleep with me?’

His mouth quirked dangerously. ‘Among other things.’

‘But …’

‘But nothing. Everyone saw you and I at that party. I am not about to let you capitalise on that now that I’m back. Not to mention tonight’s fiasco. You’re a danger and a threat. You’ve had the audacity to come into my home twice, and now you’ll pay for it.’

‘But my father—’ She stopped. He will kill me, Angel thought, with a mounting dread that had been born long, long ago.

Leo waved a hand in an abrupt gesture of insult. ‘Your father I don’t much care about. I’m hoping it’ll cause him the maximum amount of humiliation when he sees his precious eldest daughter taken as mistress by his enemy. Everyone will know exactly why you are with me—warming my bed until I’m ready to move on, perhaps even settle down. Whatever you and he had planned, this will play out on my terms. And you can tell him that taking you as my mistress will afford him no honey-trap favours. Things still stand as they are. We certainly won’t be bailing him out.’

Angel just looked at him, barely believing the direction their conversation had taken. She didn’t see the point in revealing the reality of her dismal relationship with her father. He’d believe that as quickly as he’d believe her intentions had been honourable this evening.

So many things were impacting upon Angel at once, not least Leonidas Parnassus’ cold and calculating words. She wanted to shout out that she didn’t want him, that she didn’t desire him, but her mouth wouldn’t formulate the words. And in all honesty she was afraid of his reaction if she did say that. She was still smarting from what had happened in the study. She was far too vulnerable to him.

Feeling so cornered and impotent finally woke her from the stasis that had gripped her. He couldn’t force her to do this. ‘I’ll gain nothing from this liaison because I won’t do it. You couldn’t pay me to be your mistress.’

Feeling panic escalate, right then Angel thought that even if he called the police and they charged her with trespass it had to be a better option than facing what he spoke of.

He looked at her steadily from under hooded lids. A flash of cynicism twisted his features for a moment. ‘You’re absolutely right. I wouldn’t pay you. But you’ll do it because you can’t not. The desire between us is unfortunate, but tangible. You went up in flames in my arms just now, and you owe me after this stunt tonight.’

Derision laced his voice. ‘Despite your words, as soon as you’re in my bed you’ll try and seduce as much out of me as you can. Playing hard to get might be a part of your repertoire, but I don’t do games, Angel, so you’re wasting your time.’

All Angel could feel was mortified heat enveloping her at remembering how she had come apart in his arms, literally. She made a jerky move towards the door, praying that he wouldn’t touch her. She stopped when she felt safer. Leo hadn’t made a move to stop her, but it didn’t make her feel reassured. She turned back to face him and tipped up her chin.

‘I won’t be doing it because you’re the last man on earth I’d willingly sleep with.’

She turned around, but just when she was about to put her hand on the doorknob she heard him drawl from behind her, ‘Do you really think I’m about to let you walk out of here?’

Angel hated herself for not just turning the knob and walking out. She turned around again and tried to inject confidence into her voice. ‘You can’t stop me.’

Leo stood tall, legs spread, hands in pockets. He smiled, but it was feral.

‘Yes, I can.’

Angel felt hysteria rising. She backed up to the door and felt for the knob in her hands behind her back, ready to run.

‘What are you going to do? Kidnap me? Lock me away?’

Leo made a disparaging face. ‘You’ve been watching too many Greek soap operas.’

He walked towards her then, and Angel gripped the doorknob even tighter, her whole body tense. He stopped a few feet away.

‘Quite apart from the fact that I caught you in the act of stealing, and could call the police in for that alone, I will let it go—because I don’t want our relationship to be mired in any more controversy than it’s already likely to be when the press finds out.’

Angel blurted out, ‘But we won’t have a relationship, and I wasn’t—’ She stopped abruptly. Obviously Leo hadn’t watched long enough to see her take the will out of her pocket. Which would mean that she’d have to explain how she’d got it. So either way it was still theft, albeit not by her. She was back to square one: damned by the actions of her father and her own impetuous desire to rectify matters.

Angel longed to toss her head and tell Leo she’d prefer to see the police, but she realised that she couldn’t do that. It would cause the whole thing to explode in the press and she couldn’t do that to Delphi. The noose was tightening.

Leo merely stood there and rocked back on his heels for a moment before saying, ‘We do have a relationship, Angel, it started the evening of the party. And since then I’ve found out quite a wealth of information about you.’

Angel’s hands were gripping the doorknob, shock still reverberating through her. ‘What kind of information?’

‘Well,’ Leo started almost conversationally, ‘I found out that you went to art college and studied jewellery design. And yet at no point since leaving college have you made any attempt to leave home, which can only point to a close relationship with your father.’

Angel bit back the explanation. It was her sister she was close to, her sister she cared for, and her sister she had tried to create a stable environment for, because they’d never got it from their parents. After Damia’s death, when Angel had come home from school in Ireland, she and Delphi had turned to each other for support.

A look of mock sympathy came over his harsh features. ‘But since the collapse of Tito’s business you’ve had to make ends meet by working for that catering company, and now working as a chamber maid for the Grand Bretagne. Tell me,’ he said musingly, ‘it must be hard, changing the sheets for people who were once your peers … I did wonder why someone as educated as you had resorted to menial work, but then I realised that you obviously want to avoid any unnecessary investigation into your disgraced name. No doubt you figured that you’d re-emerge on the social scene and find yourself a rich husband once the Kassianides name had lost some of its notoriety.’

Angel could feel the colour draining from her face at having it confirmed that he knew where she worked, and why she’d taken those jobs, albeit not quite for all the reasons he’d so cynically outlined. She thought of her dreams to set up a jewellery-making studio as soon as she had enough money. She thought of the aching disappointment she’d had to keep to herself every day that she hadn’t yet been able to realise that dream.

‘You have it all wrong. So wrong.’

He ignored her, and she could have had no warning for what he was to say next.

‘Most interesting of all, perhaps, is that I also know that Stavros Eugenides and your sister are so-called sweethearts and want to marry, but his father won’t let them.’

Angel’s legs nearly gave way. ‘How do you know that?’

He ignored her question. ‘I will ask you this—is it important to you that your sister marries Stavros Eugenides?’

Angel felt sick inside. Her brain clicked into high gear and she shrugged minutely, trying not to let it show how hard her heart was thumping. She knew instinctively that if Leo guessed for a second just how important it was he’d go out of his way to not let it happen.

She tried to smile cynically, but it felt all wrong. ‘They’re young and in love. Personally I think it’s too soon. But, yes, they want to marry.’

‘I think you’re lying, Angel. I think it’s of the utmost importance to you and her that they get married. After all, why would you have gone to speak on their behalf with Dimitri Eugenides otherwise?’

Angel found herself starting to tremble violently. How on earth did he know this? Was he a magician?

‘I—’ But she got no further.

‘I think that your sister is looking to get herself a rich husband just before you lose everything. If she can get engaged before the truly pathetic state of your father’s affairs becomes public then she’ll be safe. And you, by proxy, will be taken care of too.’

Angel shook her head, as much in negation of what he said than anything else.

Leo grimaced. ‘In some ways I can’t blame you. You’re two poor little rich girls, just trying to survive. Unfortunately you don’t seem to be aware that most of the world has to work to make a living to get through life.’

Angel shot into action and launched herself at Leo, her two hands aiming for his chest, but before she could hit him he’d caught them in the tight grip of his own hands.

Angel glared up, incensed to be feeling so weak and ineffectual. ‘You have no right to say those things. You know nothing about us. Nothing—do you hear me?’

Leo looked down at Angel for a long moment, slightly stunned by the passion throbbing in her voice. He could see the twin thrusts of her high breasts against the thin material of her top. Immediately his body responded. Who was he kidding? His body hadn’t cooled down one bit since the study. And yet how dared she stand there and speak to him as if he’d just insulted her grievously?

With ruthless intent, he drew her in closer to his body. There were two twin flags of colour high in Angel’s cheeks. Leo caught both her hands in one of his and caught her neck with his other hand, drawing her close. The tension spiked between them. He lowered his head, his mouth close to hers, and had to bite back a groan. She smelt so … so clean, and pure. With a hint of enticing musk. Just enough to make his body throb with need. This woman, she knew exactly what she was doing.

‘I haven’t finished with you, Angel.’

‘Yes, we have finished. I’d like to go now.’