Free The Enigmatic Greek by Catherine George Page B

precautions are purely for your own safety. I will take you over to Karpyros early in the morning if you want.’ He paused. ‘Of course, if you do that you won’t get your interview.’
    She nodded, resigned. ‘Which leaves me with no choice.’
    ‘Exactly.’ He got to his feet and held out his hand. ‘You’re obviously tired. I’ll see you to your room.’
    She ignored the hand as she got up. ‘Thank you. But I don’t need an escort.’
    ‘My intention,’ he assured her, ‘Was to leave you at your door, I swear.’
    A wave of heat flooded her face. ‘I didn’t think otherwise,’ she said stiffly, and to her embarrassment gave a sudden yawn.
    The eyes that looked so dark under the crown of dark-gold hair glittered with mockery. ‘I’ve offended you and embarrassed the hell out of you, and now I’ve bored you to death.’
    ‘Absolutely not.’ Eleanor smiled sweetly. ‘I’ve been hanging on your every word—as I will tomorrow during the interview.’
    ‘Is that all you can think about—?’ He stopped short,eyes narrowed in hostile speculation. ‘Is
that
why you tried to rescue my mother? Was the blasted interview so vital you actually risked your life to make me agree to it?’
    Eleanor glared at him, incensed. Fists clenched, she turned on her heel and made for the door but he was there before her to open it. She brushed past and hurried ahead of him along the hall to reach his mother’s room in time to shut the door in his face.
    ‘Open this door!’ Alex called, equally furious, by the sound of him as he hammered on it.
    She gave the paintwork a look vitriolic enough to strip it to the bare wood and went into the bathroom to shut out the pounding. It was a good thing Sofia lived out of earshot. She bit her lip, not sure that it was such a good thing after all. She hadn’t thought of it before he brought the subject up, but the fact remained that she was alone up here with Alexei Drakos, who was now in a towering rage. She gritted her teeth. He wasn’t the only one. She needed another shower to cool off before she could think of bed. She turned on the water and opened the bathroom door a crack. All was quiet. Alex had obviously stormed off to his room, or his office, or wherever.
    Eleanor swathed a towel round her head to protect her hair, then stood under a lukewarm shower until she felt calmer. Later, in the camisole and boxers she wore to bed, she leaned back on the bed to read for a while, but soon gave up trying to concentrate. Strange. Alone in the little apartment over on Karpyros, she had felt perfectly safe, but here, locked away at the top of what was virtually a citadel, she felt anything but. Alexei Drakos’ fault, damn him.
    A quiet knock on the door brought her bolt upright. ‘Who is it?’
    ‘Who do you think? Open up, please.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘I want to speak to you.’
    With reluctance Eleanor slid off the bed and pulled on her dressing gown. She opened the door a crack and peered through it.
    Alexei Drakos made no attempt to move nearer, but she tensed at the look in his eyes.
    ‘You said you meant me no harm,’ she said sharply.
    ‘I don’t. But I object to having doors shut in my face in my own home.’
    ‘It was either that or get physically violent. As I did yesterday with the intruder,’ she reminded him.
    ‘Quite a temper you lost back there.’
    ‘Do you blame me? You actually accused me of helping your mother just to get an interview!’ Her eyes speared his. ‘For the record,
kyrie
Drakos, my sole thought was getting her away from the man who snatched her. I was so furious I could have killed him with my bare hands.’
    ‘You had a damned good try,’ he agreed, his tone lighter. ‘I suppose I must be grateful you slammed the door instead of attempting to murder
me
!’ He moved nearer. ‘I came to apologise. May I come in?’
    With reluctance Eleanor opened the door wider and retreated to sit bolt upright on one of the blue velvet chairs where she’d