his low-slung pajama bottoms, her eyes widening as she obviously realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. Theo smiled, stared evenly back. Thank God she hadn't come a moment earlier. She would have seen him prowling around just as she had been, and that could lead to some very inconvenient questions.
She licked her lips, and Theo felt again that pulse of desire. She was an uncommonly beautiful woman, but more than that, she had a strength of character that intrigued him. If circumstances were different, and she were not the daughter of his enemy, he would like to get to know her. And, Theo admitted fairly, to take her to bed.
"I have information you need."
He quirked an eyebrow, surprise rippling through him along with a flicker of admiration. She sounded very sure. "I'm not aware of needing anything."
She lifted her chin. "I know how to disarm the computer virus."
"Do you?" He folded his arms. "And you are willing to give me this information--for what?"
"For my freedom."
"Your freedom," Theo repeated slowly. "Are you not free?"
"I have not left this island in five years," she answered flatly, and Theo felt another ripple of surprise.
"And your marriage to Paranoussis?"
Her lips thinned. "Unwanted."
He suppressed the pang of sympathy he felt for her. He did not have the luxury of such a soft emotion. He'd come here for revenge, nothing more. And yet... wouldn't the ultimate revenge be to steal Leotokos's daughter from under his nose? His precious, protected daughter whom he clearly used as a bargaining chip?
Theo eyed her with new consideration. "And how," he asked, "am I meant to gain your freedom?"
"You are not without resources."
"You think I can buy it?"
Her eyes flashed scorn. "I'm not talking about financial resources. I mean creativity, courage." Ridiculously, he felt himself puff up a little at her words.
"You've assessed my character rather quickly, Miss Leotokos."
"I had no choice. And I admit, it is a risk. For both of us." Her eyes shadowed with pain or perhaps even fear. "I am not naive about that."
"So how am I meant to use my creativity and courage to free you from this place?"
"You disarm the virus. My father will have you escorted to his yacht--"
"How do you know what he will do? No one has successfully disarmed the virus before." She bit her lip, and his libido stirred yet again, more insistently, at the sight of her pearly white teeth taking that lush fullness into her mouth. "Perhaps," he conjectured, "he will ask me to stay, throw a party, celebrate such a victory." Her eyes narrowed and he continued softly, "or perhaps he will find a way to discreetly get rid of me."
Her eyes widened now, her lips parting. He could still see the bite marks she'd made in the pink softness of her lower lip. "My father is not a murderer."
"He is a destroyer of dreams, of lives. He might not draw blood, but he is still capable of killing."
"You sound as if you speak from experience."
"No," Theo said swiftly. He sought to even his tone, make it light. He would reveal nothing to this woman. "But his reputation is known."
"Very well." She nodded, decisive now. "No matter what my father intends, all you need to do is get yourself on that yacht. I'll be hiding--"
Theo's lips twitched. This sounded about as sophisticated as a girls' adventure story. "Hiding?" he repeated and she glanced at him sharply.
"Yes. Once the yacht docks in Piraeus, you only have to distract Aries and I'll--"
"You'll clamber off the boat and run down the docks of Piraeus?" he finished sardonically. "I wonder how long you'll last."
She paled and Theo wondered how she had not thought of this before. Was she really so appallingly naive?
She lifted her chin, her eyes glittering silver. "I'd need some money," she stated baldly. "Only a little. That would be part of our bargain."
"So I'm meant to let you loose in Athens with nothing but the clothes on your back and a few euros?" Theo shook his head at her naiveté. No, not naiveté, he
She licked her lips, and Theo felt again that pulse of desire. She was an uncommonly beautiful woman, but more than that, she had a strength of character that intrigued him. If circumstances were different, and she were not the daughter of his enemy, he would like to get to know her. And, Theo admitted fairly, to take her to bed.
"I have information you need."
He quirked an eyebrow, surprise rippling through him along with a flicker of admiration. She sounded very sure. "I'm not aware of needing anything."
She lifted her chin. "I know how to disarm the computer virus."
"Do you?" He folded his arms. "And you are willing to give me this information--for what?"
"For my freedom."
"Your freedom," Theo repeated slowly. "Are you not free?"
"I have not left this island in five years," she answered flatly, and Theo felt another ripple of surprise.
"And your marriage to Paranoussis?"
Her lips thinned. "Unwanted."
He suppressed the pang of sympathy he felt for her. He did not have the luxury of such a soft emotion. He'd come here for revenge, nothing more. And yet... wouldn't the ultimate revenge be to steal Leotokos's daughter from under his nose? His precious, protected daughter whom he clearly used as a bargaining chip?
Theo eyed her with new consideration. "And how," he asked, "am I meant to gain your freedom?"
"You are not without resources."
"You think I can buy it?"
Her eyes flashed scorn. "I'm not talking about financial resources. I mean creativity, courage." Ridiculously, he felt himself puff up a little at her words.
"You've assessed my character rather quickly, Miss Leotokos."
"I had no choice. And I admit, it is a risk. For both of us." Her eyes shadowed with pain or perhaps even fear. "I am not naive about that."
"So how am I meant to use my creativity and courage to free you from this place?"
"You disarm the virus. My father will have you escorted to his yacht--"
"How do you know what he will do? No one has successfully disarmed the virus before." She bit her lip, and his libido stirred yet again, more insistently, at the sight of her pearly white teeth taking that lush fullness into her mouth. "Perhaps," he conjectured, "he will ask me to stay, throw a party, celebrate such a victory." Her eyes narrowed and he continued softly, "or perhaps he will find a way to discreetly get rid of me."
Her eyes widened now, her lips parting. He could still see the bite marks she'd made in the pink softness of her lower lip. "My father is not a murderer."
"He is a destroyer of dreams, of lives. He might not draw blood, but he is still capable of killing."
"You sound as if you speak from experience."
"No," Theo said swiftly. He sought to even his tone, make it light. He would reveal nothing to this woman. "But his reputation is known."
"Very well." She nodded, decisive now. "No matter what my father intends, all you need to do is get yourself on that yacht. I'll be hiding--"
Theo's lips twitched. This sounded about as sophisticated as a girls' adventure story. "Hiding?" he repeated and she glanced at him sharply.
"Yes. Once the yacht docks in Piraeus, you only have to distract Aries and I'll--"
"You'll clamber off the boat and run down the docks of Piraeus?" he finished sardonically. "I wonder how long you'll last."
She paled and Theo wondered how she had not thought of this before. Was she really so appallingly naive?
She lifted her chin, her eyes glittering silver. "I'd need some money," she stated baldly. "Only a little. That would be part of our bargain."
"So I'm meant to let you loose in Athens with nothing but the clothes on your back and a few euros?" Theo shook his head at her naiveté. No, not naiveté, he
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