At His Revenge: Sold to the Enemy / Bartering Her Innocence / Innocent of His Claim. Trish Morey
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trawl of the internet had revealed a lot about his relationship with women and every scandalous story had made her heart beat just a little bit faster because they spoke of a life so far removed from hers that it was like listening to a fairy story. Glittering parties. Opening nights. Opera. Ballet. Film premieres. The list was endless, as were the names of the beautiful women he’d paraded on his arm at one time or another, and it was all she could think about now as she stared at him, waiting for his answer.
‘These candles—do you have a sample?’
‘Yes.’ She fumbled in her bag, trying to ignore the nerves fluttering low in her belly. It was as if just being in the same room as him had somehow triggered all the alarms in her body. The attraction was so shockingly powerful it knocked her off-balance. She definitely needed to get out more. This was what happened when a father locked a daughter away. She’d turned into a raging nymphomaniac. Stefan Ziakas was going to be lucky to escape with his clothes still on.
Disconcerted, she glanced at him but that turned out to be a bigger mistake. Thick, inky lashes highlighted eyes of molten gold and his mouth was a slim, sensual line in a face sculpted by the devil to tempt women to the dark side.
Selene was unsettled by just how desperately she wanted to be taken to the dark side.
‘I know this business idea has potential.’ She was brisk and businesslike and hoped he wouldn’t guess that she’d practised this a hundred times in the mirror. ‘I have some packaging samples, but they might need to be adapted. We live in a fast-paced, stressful world. Scented candles are an affordable luxury and I’m not the only one who thinks so. The market is currently growing at forty percent.’
His mouth was such a perfect shape, she thought. She’d noticed the same thing that night on the boat as she’d stared and stared at him, willing him to kiss her. There had been a few breathless moments when she’d thought he might do just that but he hadn’t, so clearly it had just been wishful thinking on her part.
Leaning forward, he extracted the candle from her grip and turned it in his fingers. ‘You’re expecting me to believe that this is the next big thing?’
‘Why not? Don’t you like candles?’
A smile played around that sexy mouth. ‘You want an honest answer?’
She remembered that this was a business meeting. That she was a businesswoman. ‘Yes,’ she said firmly. ‘Yes, I do.’
‘I’m a man. The only reason a man is ever going to like candles is if there is a power cut and the generator fails, or if he finds himself dining with a woman who is ugly.’
And she was willing to bet he never found himself in that position. ‘But candles are about so much more than romantic lighting in a restaurant.’ She tried not to think about him dining with a beautiful woman. ‘The one I’ve named Seduction is scented with lotus blossom and it creates the perfect atmosphere for—for—’
‘For?’
His eyes gleamed and she had a strong suspicion he was laughing at her. ‘Seduction,’ she said lamely, suddenly wishing she’d called it something else.
‘And you know that because …?’
His voice was disturbingly soft and the laughter had gone from his eyes. Now his gaze was intense—serious—and Selene felt as if she’d been seared by the flame of a blowtorch.
‘Because people have told me that’s the case.’
‘But you’ve never tried it yourself.’ It was a statement, not a question, and she felt her face burn along with her body.
She wished he’d stuck to a conversation about market share and forecasts. ‘I’ve tried Relax and Energise.’
‘So no market research on Seduction?’
‘Yes, just not—personal research.’
There was a long, pulsing silence and then he put the candle down and leaned his hips on the desk, the movement of his trousers revealing expensive polished shoes. ‘Let me tell you something about seduction, Selene.’ His voice was more seductive than a thousand scented candles. ‘To you it’s just a word, but it’s so much more than that. Seduction is about tempting, enticing and persuading until you’ve driven someone mad with need. Yes, scent is important, but not the artificial scent of a candle—it’s the individual scent of the person you’re with, and it’s not just scent but scent combined with touch and sound.’
Selene couldn’t breathe. ‘Sound?’
‘When I’m with a woman I want to hear the sounds she makes. I want to hear her pleasure as well as feel it under my lips and fingers. And then there’s taste …’ His voice was softer now, those dangerous eyes velvety dark as he held her gaze, ‘I want to taste every part of her and encourage her to taste every part of me.’
‘Y-you do?’
‘Scent, touch, hearing, sound, taste—seduction uses all the senses, not just one. It’s about taking over someone’s mind and body until they’re no longer capable of rational thought—until they want just one thing and one thing only—until they’re reduced to an elemental state where nothing matters but the moment.’
Selene felt dizzy. ‘I think I might need to rename my candle.’
‘I’m sure there are men out there who would be only too happy to use a scented candle as a prop. I’m just not one of them.’
He wouldn’t need any external props to seduce a woman. Those hands would be sure and skilled. And as for his mouth—
Realising her own hands were shaking, she tucked them firmly into her lap. ‘Just because you’re not my target audience, it doesn’t mean I don’t have a viable product.’ Proud of that response, she carried on. ‘Will you teach me what I need to know?’ As his brows rose she continued, flustered. ‘I mean about marketing. Running a business.’
‘I have a question.’
‘Yes, of course you do. Ask me anything.’ He was so cool and sophisticated and she was no more interesting than her seventeen-year-old self. ‘You want to know more about the product? It’s a really good-quality candle. It’s made of beeswax and it’s smokeless and virtually drip-free.’
‘I can hardly contain my excitement.’ But he was smiling as he picked up the candle again and she had a feeling his mind was still on seduction rather than the product in his hand. ‘That wasn’t my question.’
‘Oh. I expect you want to ask me about my revenue projections. I’ve had an order for five thousand from Hot Spa. They’re the most exclusive chain of spa hotels in Greece. But of course you know that …’ Her voice tailed off. ‘You own them.’
Stefan handed the candle back to her. ‘That wasn’t my question, either.’
She gulped. Licked her lips. ‘Sorry—I’m talking too much. I do that when I’m—’ desperate ‘—excited.’
‘My first question,’ he said slowly, ‘is why someone like you would even want to set up a business. Are you bored?’
Bored? She bit back a bubble of hysterical laughter. ‘No.’
‘You’re an heiress. You don’t need to run a business.’
He had no idea. ‘I want to prove myself.’
He stared at her for a long moment. ‘Which brings me to my second question—why come to me? If you’re serious about this then your father could put up the investment.’
Selene made sure her smile didn’t slip. ‘I don’t want my father’s name on it. This is my project. I want to own it. I don’t want anyone doing me favours.’ It was a lie, of course. She needed all the favours she could grab. ‘I can’t approach the banks because they won’t help me without asking my father’s permission. I tried to think of someone who