Playing by the Greek's Rules Read Free Page A

I guess you could call it a whirlwind romance.’
    â€˜That sounds more like a hurricane than a whirlwind. How long did it last?’
    Brittany stood up and brushed dust off her legs. ‘Ten days. Spy, if you don’t wipe that smile off your face I’m going to kick you into this trench and cover your corpse with a thick layer of dirt and shards of pottery.’
    â€˜You mean ten
years
,’ Lily said and Brittany shook her head.
    â€˜No. I mean days. We made it through the honeymoon without killing each other.’
    Lily felt her mouth drop open and closed it again quickly. ‘What happened?’
    â€˜I let my emotions get in the way of making sane decisions.’ Brittany gave a faint smile. ‘I haven’t fallen in love since.’
    â€˜Because you learned how not to do it. You didn’t go and make the same mistake again and again. Give me some tips.’
    â€˜I can’t. Avoiding emotional entanglement came naturally after I met Zach.’
    â€˜Sexy name.’
    â€˜Sexy guy.’ She shaded her eyes from the sun. ‘Sexy rat bastard guy.’
    â€˜Another one,’ Lily said gloomily. ‘But you were young and everyone is allowed to make mistakes when they’re young. Not only do I not have that excuse, but I’m a habitual offender. I should be locked up until I’m safe to be rehabilitated. I need to be taken back to the store and reprogrammed.’
    â€˜You do not need to be reprogrammed.’ Brittany stuffed her trowel into the front of her backpack. ‘You’re warm, friendly and lovable. That’s what guys like about you.’
    â€˜That and the fact it takes one glance to know you’d look great naked,’ Spy said affably.
    Lily turned her back on him. ‘Warm, friendly and lovable are great qualities for a puppy, but not so great for a woman. They say a person can change, don’t they? Well, I’m going to change.’ She scrambled to her feet. ‘I am not falling in love again. I’m going to take your advice and have rebound sex.’
    â€˜Good plan.’ Spy glanced at his watch. ‘You get your clothes off, I’ll get us a room.’
    â€˜Not funny.’ Lily glared at him. ‘I am going to pick someone I don’t know, don’t feel anything for and couldn’t fall in love with in a million years.’
    Brittany looked doubtful. ‘Now I’m second-guessing myself. Coming from you it sounds like a recipe for disaster.’
    â€˜It’s going to be perfect. All I have to do is find a man who doesn’t tick a single box on my list and have sex with him. It can’t possibly go wrong. I’m going to call it Operation Ice Maiden.’
    * * *
    Nik Zervakis stood with his back to the office, staring at the glittering blue of the sea while his assistant updated him. ‘Did he call?’
    â€˜Yes, exactly as you predicted. How do you always know these things? I would have lost my nerve days ago with those sums of money involved. You don’t even break out in a sweat.’
    Nik could have told him the deal wasn’t about money, it was about power. ‘Did you call the lawyers?’
    â€˜They’re meeting with the team from Lexos first thing tomorrow. So it’s done. Congratulations, boss. The US media have turned the phones red-hot asking for interviews.’
    â€˜It’s not over until the deal is signed. When that happens I’ll put out a statement, but no interviews.’ Nik felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. ‘Did you make a reservation at The Athena?’
    â€˜Yes, but you have the official opening of the new museum wing first.’
    Nik swore softly and swung round. ‘I’d forgotten. Do you have a briefing document on that?’
    His PA paled. ‘No, boss. All I know is that the wing has been specially designed to display Minoan antiquities in one place. You were invited to the final meeting of