The Billionaire's Trophy Read Online Free PDF

feelings had been compounded from early childhood by Odette’s resentful attitude to having had twins when she had only wanted one child. Even worse, Emmie had proved to be a heavy responsibility, underweight when born and often ill afterwards, a sickly child continually requiring extra care and attention. Emmie was always painfully aware that in those days Odette had found caring for her too heavy a responsibility.
    Her mother was in bed when Emmie got home and although it was a relief not to have to face the older woman again Emmie was still in turmoil. Odette might once have been a neglectful parent but that costly surgery had transformed Emmie’s life, not least giving her her freedom and independence back. If her mother had paid for that operation, Emmie did owe her a debt. But surely that didn’t mean she was honour bound to perform escort duties for some stranger? Hadn’t Odette said ‘a weekend abroad ’? My goodness, could such an arrangement be any more bizarre or dangerous? A whole weekend out of the country? He could be a white slaver and she might never be heard of again.
    * * *
    ‘I’d like to see that contract,’ Emmie told her mother staunchly over breakfast, determined not to let her emotions take control of her again. She needed a solution and another argument would be counter-productive.
    A couple of minutes later, Odette passed her a slim document. Emmie glanced down it and leafed to the last page to see the signature and what she saw there astonished her. Sebastiano Christou! How was that possible? How could Emmie’s boss be the man who had booked her as an escort? The same boss who had informed her that her supposed second career as an escort ran contrary to company policy? Emmie was so enraged by the sight of that particular name that she was vaguely surprised steam didn’t pump from her ears. She stuffed the contract into her bag. ‘I’ll handle this,’ she told the older woman tautly.
    Evidently having expected more of a reaction from her, her mother said, ‘Aren’t you surprised by the identity of the client?’
    ‘Should I be?’
    ‘You do work for the guy—’
    ‘Oh, so you’re aware of that?’ Emmie fielded thinly.
    ‘Of course I am. It puts a whole new spin on office romance,’ Odette remarked mockingly.
    ‘Believe me,’ Emmie declared as she stood up, ‘there’s nothing romantic about this situation.’
    Rage was powering Emmie like adrenalin by the time she reached the office. Bastian Christou was a complete hypocrite. Unbelievably, the same guy who had paid a ridiculous sum for her services as an escort had dared to warn her that her working in such a role threatened to bring his company into disrepute. But at least now she knew why he had been looking at her so oddly, doubtless imagining that if she worked as an escort she was a much more sexually exciting and adventurous personality than she appeared on the surface. Well, we’ll just see about that, Emmie reflected, furiously gritting her teeth together.
    ‘Mr Christou and I discussed a private matter yesterday and I need to see him as soon as possible to update him on...er, a recent development,’ Emmie informed Marie.
    Her eyes carefully veiled, Bastian’s PA passed no comment and swept up her phone.
    ‘Go on ahead,’ she urged then, before adding, ‘Be careful, Emmie—’
    ‘Careful?’ Emmie queried, glancing back over her shoulder.
    ‘Before Lilah, Bastian had a bad track record with women,’ his PA murmured warningly.
    Her face flaming at the type of development that the other woman so obviously suspected, Emmie knocked on the office door and entered. Bastian surveyed her from his stance by the window, his arrogant dark head set at a questioning angle, his brilliant eyes narrowed. Emmie dug the contract from her bag and slapped it down on the desk top in explanation.
    ‘So, you know,’ Bastian remarked evenly, not one whit perturbed by her aggressive body language.
    ‘And now it’s time for you