A Devious Desire. JACQUELINE BAIRD
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lips. What did it matter? She had little doubt that in a very short time she was going to be out of a job. It would have been nice to finish the cruise but if the murderous expression on Alex Statis’s face earlier was anything to go by she would probably be on the next flight out of Rhodes back to England.
But in that she was mistaken…
Once back on board she deemed it wise to give mother and son some time alone and grasped the chance to speak to a fellow traveller, a nice American gentleman who was travelling alone. She listened to him wax lyrical about the beauty of Lindos—the destination of the shipboard excursion that day—then slowly made her way to the cabin.
As soon as she walked in the door she immediately sensed the tension in the air. Anna was sitting in an armchair, her lovely face composed, her hands folded neatly in her lap, while Alex paced up and down the cabin like a caged tiger.
‘Don’t hurry, will you, Miss Martin?’ He fixed her with piercing black eyes, and she shivered at the force of his anger.
‘I wasn’t aware there was any hurry,’ she snapped back. ‘After all, we are on the boat for three more days.’
‘You are not.’ Saffron’s heart sank at his words. So she was to be sacked! But to her astonishment he continued, ‘You are to pack for the pair of you, and be ready to leave as soon as possible. I will arrange with the captain to delay sailing until you are ready, but hurry—every extra minute over departure time is going to cost me dearly.’
‘What?’ Saffron wasn’t sure she had heard him right. They were leaving the ship, but to go where? ‘Where?’ she exclaimed.
‘My yacht. And I have no time for questions. Mama insists you fulfil the six-month contract; she seems to think you are invaluable to her.’
His eyes swept over her from the top of her red head, lingering for a moment too long on the proud thrust of her breasts beneath the brief top she wore, and on down to her narrow waist, slim hips and long legs, then back to her face, his expression saying it all. He couldn’t see why! Then, with two lithe strides, he was beside her.
Her hands curled into fists as she fought down the instinctive urge to push him away; he was much too close. She stiffened, banishing the blush that rose to her cheeks with a mighty effort of self-control. There was something about the man that threatened her in ways she didn’t understand. Sexually, she freely admitted, but it was more than that. On some deeper, darker level he threatened her. She knew it instinctively, but not why. She raised her eyes to his harsh face and searched the rough-hewn features with the growing conviction that somehow—somewhere—she knew him. Then suddenly his words penetrated her puzzled mind.
‘I have met your kind before, and I am not so sure you’re of any value,’ he drawled cynically. ‘More likely a costly mistake.’
Saffron gasped in outrage at his comment, and raised her hand to slap the swine’s face. But he caught her hand in his and continued insultingly, ‘However, against my better judgement I have agreed to allow you to stay for my mother’s sake.’
Saffron felt the electric shock the length of her arm as his strong fingers tightened on hers deliberately. ‘Smile,’ he hissed, and added loudly for Anna’s benefit, ‘We have a deal, Saffron. Shake on it.’ And she was forced to comply with the social nicety before he finally let go of her hand.
She was still reeling when he bent his head and murmured, as he brushed past her through the open door, ‘But don’t think I’ve forgotten what happened earlier; I’m going to make you pay, you green-eyed witch,’ and left, slamming the door behind him.
Anger and fear mingled in her eyes. The arrogant devil! How dared he threaten her? For two pins she would walk out now, but, catching Anna’s expression, she fought down the impulse. The appeal in the older woman’s eyes was unmistakable.
‘I apologise for my son; he can be rather domineering, I know, but he does have my best interest at heart. You will still come with me, won’t you? I need you.’
‘I’m not sure it’s a good idea,’ Saffron said drily. ‘Your son and I are obviously not going to get on, especially after I nearly crippled him.’ A fleeting smile curved her mouth as she remembered his discomfort earlier.
‘That wasn’t your fault; I’m sure he won’t hold it against you, Saffy. In any case the yacht is huge and if I know Alex we will rarely see him; he always brings one of his women with him, if not more than one, and of course the family.’ She frowned, adding cryptically, ‘That is the main reason I wanted to come on a public cruise. It’s much more fun with strangers around.’
Saffron’s heart sank. How could a son treat his mother so cavalierly? Take her on holiday, then leave her to her own devices while he enjoyed himself with his latest sex object? She was sure that was all women meant to such an aggressively macho man as Alex and his own mother had more or less confirmed it
‘But the doctor did say you had to have no stress. Maybe it would be better for you if you told your son the truth. You fell and got a nasty shock, but soon you will be as good as new.’ Anna had sworn both her doctor and Saffron to secrecy over her accident, insisting that she did not want her son to know and fuss over her. Personally Saffron thought it was way past time her son fussed over her, instead of leaving her in London all the time while he apparently based himself in Greece when he wasn’t jetting around the world. ‘I’m sure if he knew he would stay with you, and you won’t need me.’
‘You don’t understand, dear. I can’t tell Alex; I know what he will say—that I’m too old to live on my own. He will insist on my giving up my London home and staying with the family. I would hate that. I like—I need my independence. Please say you will stay…’
Saffron sighed inwardly. She could not desert her charge, however much she might dislike the poor woman’s son. But ‘poor woman’ was not really accurate. She smiled to herself. Even the mighty Alex Statis had bowed to his mother’s demand and allowed Saffron to stay. Anna, despite her delicate old lady act, was obviously a wily old bird.
‘Yes, of course,’ she answered a touch wryly, and moved to the wardrobe, adding, ‘I’d better start packing.’
* * *
Saffron turned restlessly in the bed, and pushed the light satin cover down to her waist. But she knew it was not the heat keeping her awake—the yacht was fully air-conditioned—nor the low throbbing of its powerful engine as it ploughed through the Aegean Sea in the middle of the night. It was the intervention of the frightening, sinister figure of Alex Statis in her life.
With an efficiency she could only marvel at he had whisked her and Anna away from the cruise ship and, after a brief taxi ride, into a waiting helicopter; by ten o’clock the same evening, to her amazement, the helicopter had landed on a helipad on the top of a luxurious ocean-going yacht, anchored off the Greek mainland.
With a minimum of fuss a very correct steward had shown Saffron to her cabin on the top deck, and what a cabin! A large circular bed in a mahogany-panelled room with a matching en suite, the bathroom and toiletries all sparkling white with brass and mahogany trim. Anna’s quarters were even more luxurious, with a private sitting-room.
Saffron had tried to quiz her boss while unpacking, but for some reason the older woman had not been very forthcoming. However, while Saffron had gently brushed Anna’s hair, before settling her for the night, she’d begun to talk.
‘I guess I was being irresponsible to go off on my own that way—at least, Alex thinks so,’ she murmured softly, almost to herself, and then, looking in the mirror, she fixed Saffron with pleading blue eyes. ‘But you understand, don’t you, dear?’
Saffron didn’t, not one bit; her head was reeling at the events of the evening. Dinner had been an informal buffet, not because of the lateness of the hour—Greeks were used to eating late—but in deference to the fragile health of her charge, she was sure. After the meal Alex had taken one look at his mother and