Free The Greek Tycoon's Wife by Kim Lawrence Page B

wasn’t totally immune to the indefinable somethingNikos possessed that inspired compliance, no matter how silly the question or request.
    â€˜Threeish, I think.’ That was what the vet had estimated when he’d given the ginger tom his injections. ‘I think we’ll sedate him next time,’ he’d said drily as he’d disinfected the scratches on his arm.
    Nikos stopped in his tracks. ‘Three!’ he ejaculated, his lips twisting in a grimace of appalled disgust. His chest lifted. ‘You left a three-year-old child alone?’
    Katie’s jaw dropped. He thought…he actually thought she…! Words failed her. God, she’d known he had a low opinion of her, but she hadn’t thought it was this low!
    Sadie, who was supporting Katie, came to her aid. ‘Child?’ She looked at the tall Greek as though he’d gone mad. ‘Alexander is a cat.’
    At her words Nikos, whose body was primed for action, each muscle clenched in anticipation of the task ahead, went quite still. Only his eyes moved; they slid from Katie to Sadie, who nodded, before returning to the original object of his scrutiny.
    Katie observed the muscles in his throat move as he swallowed.
    â€˜You risked your life for a cat?’ There was no discernible inflection in his voice.
    â€˜Sorry, I realise it would have suited you much better if I had left a helpless baby alone.’
    He gave an impatient frown. ‘What are you talking about, suited my purposes? I have no hidden agenda.’
    â€˜You’re right—it’s not hidden, it’s blatantly obvious. It’s so much easier for you to carry on pretending you’re doing the dirty to save your friend from making a terrible marriage if I reveal myself to be an avaricious monster with no redeeming characteristics whatsoever. If, however, I turn out not to be a heartless bitch you’ll look less like the true friend and more like a spiteful, vindictive pig who can’t bear to see anyone else happy because he’s too emotionallyretarded and shallow to form a decent relationship himself!’ she concluded breathlessly.
    The blank incredulity of his expression gradually metamorphosed into one of smouldering fury. ‘Have you quite finished?’ he enquired with clipped hauteur.
    â€˜Actually, no, I haven’t,’ Katie heard herself grit back belligerently, even though she’d run out of emotional steam.
    As the expectant silence lengthened Nikos lifted a satirical eyebrow.
    â€˜I didn’t risk my life. You said I did,’ she reminded him. ‘But I didn’t,’ she ended lamely. Though actually, now that she came to think about it, her actions looked a little different. This no doubt had something to do with the fact she was viewing it without the stimulation provided by gallons of adrenalin pumping through her veins.
    â€˜I might have known you wouldn’t like animals,’ she heard herself grouch pettishly. Why can’t I keep my mouth shut while I’m still ahead? she wondered in exasperation. What was it about this man that made her say stupid things? When he was around she seemed to be possessed by a need to prove she was even more selfish and superficial than he thought her.
    â€˜I like animals—in fact I frequently prefer them to people, especially the crazy, stupid, female type of person.’
    Katie, who was normally capable of giving as good as she got, was deeply embarrassed to feel her eyes suddenly fill with tears at this fairly mild—by his standards—insult.
    She wasn’t the only one to feel uncomfortable. It seemed that quite by accident she’d discovered another of Nikos’s weak spots…he looked even more dismayed by her tears than she was.
    He cleared his throat. ‘I didn’t mean…’ As he spoke he seemed to notice for the first time the hand he had extended towards her. For a split second he stared at it as if