An Offer She Can't Refuse. Emma Darcy

future but she would keep it a private issue between them as long as she could.

      Cass didn’t deserve to have her wedding overshadowed by a situation that should never have arisen. With that one crazy urge to slap Ari with the truth in Dubai … but the damage was done and somehow Tina had to contain it. At least until after the wedding.

      With the whole family’s attention drawn to them, she forced herself to smile at Ari. ‘Yes, very kind.’

      ‘Cassandra mentioned you’ll be staying at the El Greco resort,’ he said, arrogantly confident of her agreement to the plan. ‘I’ll contact you there, make arrangements.’

      ‘Fine! Thank you.’

      With that settled, conversation picked up around the table again and Theo plied Ari with questions about Santorini, which were answered with obvious good humour.

      Tina didn’t have to say anything. She sat in brooding silence, hating Ari Zavros for his facile charm, hating herself for being such a stupid blabbermouth, gearing herself up to tolerate what had to be tolerated and savagely vowing that Ari would not get everything his own way.

      Eventually Cass and George excused themselves from the party, saying they needed to catch up on some sleep. To Tina’s huge relief, Ari stood up to take his leave, as well. She rose from her chair as he offered his hand which she had to be civil enough to take in front of company.

      He actually had the gall to enclose her hand with both of his with a show of enthusiastic pleasure. ‘Thank you for trusting me with Theo’s birthday, Christina.’

      ‘Oh, I’m sure I can trust you to give the best of yourself, Ari,’ she answered sweetly, before softly adding with a touch of acid mockery, ‘For a limited time.’

      Which told him straight out how very little she trusted him.

      He might have won Theo over—for a day—but he’d won nothing from her.

      ‘We shall see,’ he repeated with that same arrogant confidence.

      General goodnights were exchanged and finally he was gone.

      But he’d left his presence behind with her mother raving on about him and Theo equally delighted with the nice man.

      No relief from the trap.

      Tina had the wretched feeling there never would be.