Viktor:Heart of Her King(2)

With that one last thought, the supreme commander gave his spirit over  to the gods and the true story of Viktor Katsaros began....





Chapter One


"Enjoy your stay in London, Ms. Romalesky. Thank you for flying American Airlines."

Enjoy? Yeah, right.

"I will and thank you, Natalie," Kat smiled and answered the perky  flight attendant as sweetly as she could as she exited the plane. It was  the best she could do considering the Diet Pepsi and poorly baked fish  she'd consumed during her eight-hour sleepless flight from the states  were threatening to make an unwanted reappearance.

In less than eighteen hours she would meet the single most powerful  businessman in the world-the elusive Viktor Katsaros. Not only her  future but that of her father's company depended on the multi-million  dollar deal she was hoping to broker between Roma Technologies and  Katsaros Industries. In the last two years, Kat had taken the nearly  bankrupt company she'd inherited after her parent's death and turned it  into a thriving business that just the day before she'd left home had  been added to the Forbes' Most Innovative Companies list. If she had any  hopes of getting their new product in the hands of consumers outside  the U.S., she had to convince Katsaros to be her partner.                       
       
           



       

The man she was hinging all her hopes of success on was not known for  his willingness to partner with people. The little bit Kat had been able  to dig up about him on the internet and in articles gave her a clear  picture of a corporate raider. He took what he wanted at the lowest  price, kept it if it was something that interested him, but in most  cases, broke the companies into pieces and sold them off to the highest  bidder. It was easy to see how he'd become so rich and so infamous.

But none of that mattered. Kat had a stable company that was operating  in the black and she had the tech to back up a partnership. All the  patents and copyrights belonged to her personally, not Roma Tech, so  even if Katsaros tried to take her business, he would never get the  moneymaker. That was the beauty of still being an independent owner.  Viktor Katsaros may be a viper in business but Kat had dealt with vipers  before.

She'd been working on the proposal for almost three months, basically  from the moment she'd met Roman Marinos, KI's Vice President of  Operations, and if all the stories on the internet were true, Mr.  Katsaros' right-hand man. Kat had to believe it had been destiny that  they'd literally bumped into one another at the bar while attending  Fortune Magazine's Man of the Year awards banquet.

She'd been there with the hopes of meeting Viktor Katsaros and pitching  her idea of their partnership to the man himself. After her many emails  to KI's development department had gone unanswered, Kat was betting on a  long shot. By all accounts, Katsaros hadn't been seen in public for  nearly twenty years, but she'd taken the chance that winning the same  award for the tenth year in a row would bring the recluse into the  light. The outcome she wanted hadn't happened, but thankfully, the luck  that had seen her through some of the roughest times in her life was  still on her side and she'd met Marinos.

Kat had been so shocked when he'd called her by name and introduced  himself. She'd almost dropped her ginger ale. Her surprise grew as he  apologized for her previously ignored correspondence and asked if she  had the time to discuss her proposal right then and there.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Kat had followed Marinos to the table  farthest from all the commotion, pulling data out of her overworked  brain as fast as she could. Once seated, he'd asked a few preliminary  questions about Roma Tech that she was positive he could've had answered  by any business website anywhere. It was Business 101  –  never ask a  question you don't know the answer to. If possible, it made her respect  him even more.

Fifteen minutes into the hour-long presentation she'd practiced at least  a hundred times in the mirror, Marinos lifted his index finger and  offhandedly said, "Excuse me for just a moment."

Kat prepared for what she was sure was going to be the most elegant and  practiced brush off she'd ever gotten. From everything she'd seen of  this man so far, he was nothing if not the consummate professional. But  to her surprise, he'd taken his cell phone from his jacket pocket, made a  few quick key strokes, and placed the device between them on the table.

Marinos smiled as the phone rang but gave no explanation. On the fourth  ring, Kat opened her mouth to speak but quickly swallowed her words as  the voice on the other end answered, "Katsaros."

The man's voice was deep and warm but with a raw power that seemed to  resonate within her. He had an exotic accent; one she couldn't place but  knew without a doubt was not British, despite reports that he'd lived  in London for most of his life.

You just can't trust what you read on the internet.

"Roman, here. Glad to see you're still awake, old boy."

It was then Kat remembered the five-hour time difference between New  York and London, making it nearly three a.m. in the men's homeland. She  knew if one of her associates called her in the wee hours of the morning  she would've been less than pleased and probably a cranky bitch. Viktor  Katsaros however, lived up to what little information she'd been able  to dig up about him. He'd been a true professional with a voice any  woman would gladly give her eye teeth to hear whispered in her ear.

"I am. What can I do for you, old boy?" Viktor answered, throwing  Roman's words back at him with just a touch of levity. It both surprised  and reassured Kat.

I was worried he was a stuffy old man. At least he has a sense of humor. Even if he is a viper.

The cocky grin that flashed across Roman's face made Kat wonder if he'd  read her mind, but it was gone so quickly she chalked it up to her  imagination and focused on the conversation taking place before her.                       
       
           



       

"I am sitting here with Miss Romalesky of Roma Tech. She and I were just  discussing a joint venture between her company and KI, and I thought it  only right I bring you into the discussion."

Roman went on to explain word for word everything she'd told him. One or  two ‘uh-huh's' and an ‘I see' were the only responses Katsaros gave.  When Marinos concluded, there was no response from the phone on the  table. Several tense seconds of utter silence and Kat thought she might  pull her long, red tresses from her head. She tried to appear nonchalant  as she felt each tick of the clock, knowing the next words she heard  would seal not only her company's destiny, but also her own.

"How soon can you be in London, Katarina?"

Viktor's use of her given name stole her breath and caused a warmth to  fill her from the inside out. Had she been alone, there was no doubt she  would've closed her eyes and drifted on the dreamy fog the man's voice  created around her. She thought of the hauntingly erotic dreams she'd  been having for the last three years. There was no doubt Viktor would be  starring in the next few.

Quickly slamming the gate closed on her imagination, Kat cleared her  throat and answered, "I can be there in ninety days, if that works with  your schedule."

She knew she'd taken too long to answer when her eyes met Roman's and  his cocky grin was replaced with a sly smile and a twinkle in his hazel  eyes. Kat imagined a similar, sexier grin on Viktor Katsaros' face  before clamping even tighter on her wandering mind.

Thankfully, Viktor was quick to respond, "No sooner?"

Letting out the breath she'd been holding, Kat responded, "No, sir. That's the soonest I could make the trip."

She knew it was a lie-or a business maneuver-as Leo, her attorney, liked  to say. There was absolutely nothing keeping her from packing up that  very night, grabbing a ticket, and taking the redeye to Heathrow, but  she didn't want to seem too eager. Keeping the fact that Roma Tech  needed KI more than KI needed Roma Tech would be her secret for as long  as she could keep it. "Always leave them wanting more" was her father's  philosophy and one Kat had adopted her first day as President and CEO of  what had then been a failing tech company in a small town in West  Texas.

There was also the tiny issue of typing up the proposal she'd so  expertly given to Roman. She had been writing and practicing it in her  mind for months but never took the time to put it on paper. It was  important that it have copious details with all the charts, bells, and  whistles she could manage. It was going to take a hat trick to make this  deal a reality, but she was up to the challenge.

When Viktor spoke again his voice was even lower, somehow more  seductive, and his accent thicker. "If that is the soonest you can come,  I shall count the days to your arrival." Then to Roman he replied in a  totally matter of fact tone, "Thank you for the call, amicus. See you  tomorrow."