The Andreou Marriage Arrangement Read Online Free PDF

glances as the executive staff filed past her as they exited the room.
    Questions would follow by the long-serving personnel, concern expressed by those whose tenure was more recent…and she’d do her best with damage control.
    But now she had a bone to pick with the self-appointed man in control.
    With care she closed the door and crossed to where Loukas stood assembling paperwork into his briefcase.
    â€˜How dare you initiate changes without consulting me?’
    She resembled a pocket virago, Loukas noted. Dark eyes flashed with anger as she sent him a venomous glare. ‘My father—’
    â€˜Allowed his emotions to rule, and didn’t keep you apprised of the reality.’
    â€˜You can’t just terminate—’
    â€˜Dimitri kept performance details on file of every employee.’ He handed her a memory stick. ‘Study them in my absence, together with my recommendations, and we’ll confer on my return.’
    â€˜And if I don’t agree?’
    â€˜We’ll discuss it.’
    â€˜ We will?’ The fine edge of sarcasm was evident. ‘Should I express gratitude at being slotted into your busy schedule?’
    His cellphone beeped and he checked the screen. ‘I need to take this call. Three-thirty, Alesha. My office.’
    The temptation to throw something at him was uppermost, and she deliberately held his dark gaze, glimpsed his recognition of her intent, together with his silent threat of retribution.
    For a timeless few seconds the air between them pulsed with electricity, a perilous force so overwhelming she almost forgot to breathe.
    Then he activated the call, effectively dismissing her.
    Panache, control, she possessed both, and she turned away from him and exited the room, closing the door with an imperceptible click behind her, when she would have delighted in slamming it. Except the door was carefully weighted to avoid anything other than a smooth, almost silent action.
    She wanted badly to vent, and she would the moment she had him alone, she promised as she crossed to her office.
    Three-thirty couldn’t appear soon enough!

CHAPTER THREE
    A LESHA spent what remained of the morning attending to the immediate business at hand, and chose to have her PA send out for a chicken and salad sandwich with mayo on rye and a double-strength latte.
    Something that became a working lunch eaten at her desk as she accessed computer data, inserted reference notations, took phone calls and instructed Anne to clear an hour between three-thirty and four-thirty.
    The adherence to punctuality was something Alesha considered important…personally, and professionally. And this was business, she qualified as she allowed time to freshen up before presenting herself at Dimitri’s…dammit, Loukas’ office on time.
    He stood close to the plate-glass window with its cityscape view of the inner harbour, cellphone at his ear in quiet conversation as he gestured she take a seat.
    Contrarily she opted to remain standing, and she caught his faint gleam of amusement as he continued conversing in French…with a woman, from the light tone of his voice.
    A lover? Past or present? Certainly a close friend.
    She told herself she didn’t care…and, in truth, she didn’t. So how did she explain the sudden warmth flooding her veins, the slow invidious curling sensation deep within?
    Because she envied the woman his affectionate attention?
    Oh, please . Get real. She no more wanted another man in her life than she wanted to fly over the moon.
    Especially not this man. Impressive, too powerful, too much .
    A slight shiver feathered the length of her spine. Way too much on a personal level.
    Why not call it as it was? The forceful Greek exuded a magnetic sexuality that verged close to the primitive.
    The sensual promise was there , almost a tangible entity, and for one wild moment she wondered what it would be like to be ravished beneath his hands, his