His eyes glittered deeply emerald. ‘I don’t just want you to do it, Eva, I insist upon it!’
And if that determined glitter in his eyes was any indication then Eva knew he intended making her life very uncomfortable—even more uncomfortable than it already was—while she did it.
‘Markos, you can’t seriously want to have me hanging around here for the next few weeks—or months—after we… Well, you just can’t,’ she protested weakly once she had regained her breath enough to speak at all.
‘On the contrary, I believe I would very much enjoy the experience,’ he drawled mockingly.
Her heart sank at the implacability of his expression. ‘Of watching me squirm with embarrassment every time I have to come here?’
Markos shrugged those broad, uncompromising shoulders. ‘If that’s what it takes, yes.’
This was a side of him that Eva had never seen before. The arrogantly powerful Markos Lyonedes side of him—Greek, half-owner of the world-renowned company Lyonedes Enterprises, cousin of the equally arrogant and powerful Drakon Lyonedes, and a man accustomed to issuing orders and expecting them to be obeyed. Without question or argument.
Until he had actually made that statement Markos had had no idea he had even decided on that particular course of action. But it did make perfect sense; Eva had already done all the groundwork towards redesigning this room at least, and he had no doubt she would be as successful in her designs for the rest of the apartment.
Besides which, he hadn’t decided yet exactly what he was going to do about Evangeline Grey.
Part of him definitely wanted to strangle her for having believed Donna Cresswell’s lies about him, just as there was still a part of him that hungered to make love to her. And Markos had absolutely no idea which of those emotions was going to win once he had recovered from the disappointment he was currently feeling.
In the meantime, while he waited for those feelings to settle, it seemed like a good idea to keep Eva exactly where he could see her.
Even if his body had already made its decision, now engorged and throbbing in favour of taking Eva back to bed and making love to her until she had no strength with which to leave his bed…
‘I will expect you to begin work on this room immediately,’ he bit out abruptly. ‘With the intention of presenting designs for the other rooms as soon as possible.’
‘All of them?’ Eva gasped.
‘All of them,’ Markos confirmed with satisfaction at her obvious dismay.
Leaving Eva in no doubt that Markos intended exacting his pound of flesh for her ever having harboured doubts as to his true nature.
She should never have allowed herself to jump to conclusions where Markos was concerned based only on what Donna had told her, or allowed those conclusions to influence her into behaving so badly, so unprofessionally, towards him at the beginning.
In truth, Eva now felt deeply ashamed of her behaviour. Something which wasn’t going to be in the least alleviated during the telephone call she intended making to her duplicitous cousin as soon as she had reached the privacy of her apartment!
For now she just had to concentrate on leaving this apartment—leaving Markos—with at least some of her pride intact. ‘If you’re sure that’s what you want…?’
‘It is,’ he rasped harshly.
‘Fine.’ Eva nodded briskly as she turned to leave.
‘Oh, and, Eva…?’
‘Yes?’ She turned back warily.
‘After, as you have so rightly called it, your lack of professionalism in regard to working for me, I will now expect you to give me your services exclusively for the next few weeks, at least.’
‘That’s imp—’
‘And for you to inform me immediately if you have any further trouble with Cabot Grey,’ he continued grimly.
‘I don’t consider that any of your business!’ Eva gasped incredulously.
Markos’s tread was light and predatory as he strode across the sitting room until he was standing only inches in front of her. ‘After today I am making it my business.’ His voice was dangerously soft. ‘Do you understand, Eva?’
Oh, yes, she understood—only too well. And she resented the hell out of Markos’s arrogant assumption that the two of them having made love together gave him any right to know anything about her private life.
Except it wasn’t just a case of the two of them having made love together, was it? She had no idea what might have happened if Markos hadn’t been with her last night when she’d realised Jack’s second wife was pregnant—if he hadn’t been so supportive of her in front of Jack and then later, here at his apartment.