feel?” He shook his head. “Not a chance.”
“You really are full of yourself.”
“There’s one way to find out, isn’t there?”
She crossed her arms and leaned back on the stool. “You never stop trying to bait me into it, do you?”
“I’m a man. It’s what we do when we want a woman.”
His words made her shiver deep inside. Oh, how she wanted to just let go and see where this could lead. It had been so long since any man had touched her that she was almost willing to throw caution to the wind and let Christos be the one to break the long drought.
“Maybe we should talk about something else for a while,” she said, desperate to change the subject before she climbed in his lap or did something equally outrageous.
“What do you wish to discuss?”
“I don’t know. Tell me about your life. Tell me why you came to London when you could be lounging on a beach in Greece.”
“If I were lounging on a beach in Greece, I would not be very successful, now would I?”
“You could afford to lounge a bit, I’m sure. Aren’t you already successful?” He’d built up a pretty amazing fortune, according to hersources. Yet here he was, working for her father. Except that wasn’t quite true. Christos was like a rock star of the corporate world. He commanded a very high price and what he did could hardly be called working for anyone.
He worked for himself. When he was satisfied he’d done all he could, he moved on and took the next challenge someone presented him with.
“I am. But if I were to lounge on beaches, as you suggest, I wouldn’t have the sort of work ethic conducive to being successful.”
She snorted. “Surely you can take a vacation here and there.”
His eyes were unfathomable. “I don’t need a vacation, Lucilla
mou.
I need to work.”
“It sounds very tiring.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “And when did you last take a vacation?”
“Last year. I took a long weekend and went to Spain.”
“To the Chatsfield Preitalle, yes?”
She was silent for a long moment. “Yes.”
He shook his head. “You are every bit as bad as I am. And I like this about you. Unlike the rest of your siblings, you understand how to work.”
She propped an elbow on the island and leaned on it. “I thought I was spoiled.”
“You are. But that doesn’t mean you haven’t learned the value of hard work.”
“Sometimes you make no sense, Christos.”
He straightened. “It makes perfect sense. You work because the Chatsfield means something to you. But you’ve never
had
to really work.”
She would not tell him about tending to Nicolo when he’d been in agony after his accident. There’d been a time when she was the only person Nicolo would let near him, and that had meant a lot of sleepless nights in addition to full days of care. Sadly, Nicolo didn’t let anyone near these days. It worried her, but he was a grown man now and he would do things in his own time.
And then there was Cara, who’d been a baby when their mother had walked out. Lucilla knew what it was like to work to raise a child, even though the child had not technically been hers. Oh, yes, she knew all about work, but she wasn’t going to tell Christos these things. They were none of his business.
“I’ll have you know I was a chambermaid for a month.” She said it coolly, proudly.
He snorted. “Yes, but always with the understanding that you could stop at any time.That you would not go hungry if you did. You’ve never had to do things to
survive
, Lucilla. That is the difference.”
She could only stare at him. At his handsome face and high cheekbones, at the way his eyes flashed. And she understood something about him that she never had before. It made her heart twist in sympathy. “You did, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
She reached for his hand impulsively, squeezed his fingers. He was looking at her curiously, as if she was a rare species and he had to be very quiet or scare her away.
“I’m sorry these things
“You really are full of yourself.”
“There’s one way to find out, isn’t there?”
She crossed her arms and leaned back on the stool. “You never stop trying to bait me into it, do you?”
“I’m a man. It’s what we do when we want a woman.”
His words made her shiver deep inside. Oh, how she wanted to just let go and see where this could lead. It had been so long since any man had touched her that she was almost willing to throw caution to the wind and let Christos be the one to break the long drought.
“Maybe we should talk about something else for a while,” she said, desperate to change the subject before she climbed in his lap or did something equally outrageous.
“What do you wish to discuss?”
“I don’t know. Tell me about your life. Tell me why you came to London when you could be lounging on a beach in Greece.”
“If I were lounging on a beach in Greece, I would not be very successful, now would I?”
“You could afford to lounge a bit, I’m sure. Aren’t you already successful?” He’d built up a pretty amazing fortune, according to hersources. Yet here he was, working for her father. Except that wasn’t quite true. Christos was like a rock star of the corporate world. He commanded a very high price and what he did could hardly be called working for anyone.
He worked for himself. When he was satisfied he’d done all he could, he moved on and took the next challenge someone presented him with.
“I am. But if I were to lounge on beaches, as you suggest, I wouldn’t have the sort of work ethic conducive to being successful.”
She snorted. “Surely you can take a vacation here and there.”
His eyes were unfathomable. “I don’t need a vacation, Lucilla
mou.
I need to work.”
“It sounds very tiring.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “And when did you last take a vacation?”
“Last year. I took a long weekend and went to Spain.”
“To the Chatsfield Preitalle, yes?”
She was silent for a long moment. “Yes.”
He shook his head. “You are every bit as bad as I am. And I like this about you. Unlike the rest of your siblings, you understand how to work.”
She propped an elbow on the island and leaned on it. “I thought I was spoiled.”
“You are. But that doesn’t mean you haven’t learned the value of hard work.”
“Sometimes you make no sense, Christos.”
He straightened. “It makes perfect sense. You work because the Chatsfield means something to you. But you’ve never
had
to really work.”
She would not tell him about tending to Nicolo when he’d been in agony after his accident. There’d been a time when she was the only person Nicolo would let near him, and that had meant a lot of sleepless nights in addition to full days of care. Sadly, Nicolo didn’t let anyone near these days. It worried her, but he was a grown man now and he would do things in his own time.
And then there was Cara, who’d been a baby when their mother had walked out. Lucilla knew what it was like to work to raise a child, even though the child had not technically been hers. Oh, yes, she knew all about work, but she wasn’t going to tell Christos these things. They were none of his business.
“I’ll have you know I was a chambermaid for a month.” She said it coolly, proudly.
He snorted. “Yes, but always with the understanding that you could stop at any time.That you would not go hungry if you did. You’ve never had to do things to
survive
, Lucilla. That is the difference.”
She could only stare at him. At his handsome face and high cheekbones, at the way his eyes flashed. And she understood something about him that she never had before. It made her heart twist in sympathy. “You did, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
She reached for his hand impulsively, squeezed his fingers. He was looking at her curiously, as if she was a rare species and he had to be very quiet or scare her away.
“I’m sorry these things
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