His Reputation Precedes Him. Carole Mortimer

flared. ‘And yet you had already decided to distrust me, from what you had heard of my reputation, before we had even met?’

      Eva had decided so much more than that! ‘I knew enough to be wary, yes.’

      Markos Lyonedes’s jaw tightened. ‘You are not prepared to give me the benefit of the doubt?’

      ‘In what way?’

      ‘In that photographs in newspapers can often be deceiving, and gossip misleading.’

      ‘Probably not, no,’ she answered without hesitation.

      ‘That’s a pity.’

      ‘Is it?’

      His mouth tightened and he gave a stiff inclination of his head. ‘I trust I did not interrupt your enjoyment of the evening?’

      She grimaced. ‘I wasn’t enjoying it much even before you came over and spoke to me.’

      ‘And my conversation has added to that lack of enjoyment?’

      Eva shrugged. ‘I shouldn’t let it bother you, Markos; it’s really nothing personal.’

      ‘On the contrary. I believe your comments in regard to me to have been very personal,’ he responded tersely.

      Eva looked up at him, realising that although he appeared outwardly controlled, inwardly Markos Lyonedes was quietly, chillingly angry—as the tightness of his jaw and the angry glitter of those green eyes testified. Maybe playing this silly game of cat-and-mouse with him over this past week had not been a good move on her part.

      She gave a dismissive shake of her head. ‘I just thought I would save you wasting any of your time in attempting to charm me.’

      ‘Would it be wasted?’

      ‘Most definitely,’ Eva confirmed with feeling.

      His eyes became glacial. ‘In that case, I will relieve you of the necessity of suffering my company a moment longer.’

      Was that disappointment Eva now felt at this man’s acceptance of her scathing dismissal of him? Surely it couldn’t be—not when she knew from her cousin Donna how callous this man could be?

      Donna should have known better than to become involved with a man like Markos Lyonedes in the first place, of course. But then, her cousin had never had the most discerning of tastes when it came to her choice in men—a family trait on the female side, if Eva’s mother and Eva were any example. Having now met the man herself, Eva could perhaps better understand Donna’s attraction to him. A fatal attraction and, in Eva’s opinion, one that applied to any woman Markos Lyonedes became involved with. The man was far too powerful and attractive for his own good. He had only to click his fingers to have any woman he wanted.

      Except Eva.

      She and Donna had often stayed with their maternal grandparents when they were children, and during those visits they had developed a healthy competitiveness towards each other. A competitiveness which had become less healthy in adulthood, unfortunately, resulting in their rarely meeting as they pursued their separate careers and lifestyles, particularly once Eva had married Jack and moved to New York. But when Eva’s marriage had finally come to an agonising end Donna had been the only one in her family to bother telephoning Eva to commiserate.

      In fact her cousin had been ecstatic when she’d first called and told Eva of her relationship with Markos Lyonedes. She’s been able to talk of nothing but how wonderful he was, and how much she longed to become his wife. When Markos Lyonedes had suddenly dumped Donna, just over a month ago, it had seemed only fair for Eva to listen sympathetically when her cousin called almost every day to talk endlessly of how much she was still in love with him.

      Even if Eva hadn’t been warned off by Donna’s unhappy experience with Markos Lyonedes, she knew she would still have been wary of him. He was everything her broken marriage had taught her to stay well away from. Too rich. Too handsome. Far too powerful. And, as she now knew, too immediately and lethally sensual!

      It was perhaps the latter trait that Eva found most disturbing. She knew that she wasn’t as immune to that inborn sensuality, the way this man looked, or the hard leanness of his body, as she might have hoped or wished to be.

      She had met dozens of handsome and charming men during the three years since her separation and divorce—had even tried dating some of them. But not a single one of those men had touched her emotions, and nor had they dispelled the cynicism of feeling she now felt in regard to relationships.

      Markos Lyonedes was such a forceful presence, even in a room full of equally powerful men—one of them was a US Senator, for goodness’ sake!—that Eva had become aware of him the moment he had entered the room a short time ago. When he had looked at her a few minutes ago she had felt a shiver down the length of her spine as she’d recognised the admiration in his heated green gaze.

      ‘I will leave you to enjoy the rest of your evening,’ Eva finally replied derisively. ‘I’m sure all the other ladies present will be only too happy to entertain you.’

      Markos looked down at her piercingly. ‘Is it possible the two of us have met before?’

      Those amber eyes widened. ‘Not that I’m aware, no.’

      Not that Markos was aware, either—he was sure he would have remembered if he had ever met this voluptuously beautiful woman before. Even so, he sensed there was something more to Eva’s comments regarding his reputation than her offhand dismissal implied. As far as he was aware, none of the women he had been involved with had ever walked away broken-hearted.

      Or could it be that he was just too used to having women falling over themselves to attract his attention rather than the other way around? That he had believed Eva would feel flattered at his marked attention? If that was indeed the case then it was worse than arrogant of him, and he deservced the scorn she made no effort to hide.

      Markos forced the tension from his shoulders. ‘You—’

      ‘Ah, there you are, Eva baby.’ A tall, blond-haired man in his late thirties moved in beside Eva. His blue gaze was curious as he turned to smile at Markos, his teeth very white and straight against his slight tan. ‘Great party, isn’t it?’

      ‘Great,’ Markos echoed, as he inwardly acknowledged that he wasn’t pleased at seeing the other man’s arm draped possessively about Eva’s waist. This was ridiculous of him, when Eva had made it so obvious that she had no interest in him. Perhaps the other man’s proprietorial attitude explained that lack of interest?

      Maybe. Although Eva hadn’t looked particularly pleased at being called ‘Eva baby’.

      She straightened away from that possessive arm about her waist before making the introductions. ‘Markos, this is Glen Asher. Glen, meet Markos Lyonedes.’

      ‘Really? The Markos Lyonedes?’ Glen prompted warmly as the two men shook hands.

      ‘Yes, really,’ Eva confirmed, irritated that Glen was so obviously bowled over by meeting him.

      Admittedly the man was as rich as Croesus, but he was too handsome and charming for his own good. And Lyonedes Enterprises was one of the most powerful business organisations in the world, owning a private jet, as well as properties all over the world—including, Eva believed, their own private island in the Aegean. But did Glen have to look quite so impressed?

      ‘Lyonedes Tower is a monument to beautiful architecture,’ Glen added admiringly.

      In that, Eva did have to agree with him. Standing at least eighty floors high, and built of a pale, rose-coloured marble, with tinted sun-reflecting windows, Lyonedes Tower was one of the most beautiful buildings in New York, rivalling the Empire State and the Chrysler Buildings.

      Even so…

      ‘It’s just another tall building blocking the view, Glen,’ she dismissed impatiently.

      Markos Lyonedes looked amused rather than