Claimed by the Sicilian Tycoon(31)

Lyra almost snorted at the idea of sending Melissa off to get her a sandwich. The woman would probably spit in it. “It was fine. I had coffee and some milk.”

“You have not eaten all day?” he asked and he sounded aghast. “Good God, Rossa, why did you not go and buy yourself something?”#p#分页标题#e#

She shrugged again, and watched the driver pull over into one of the bays opposite the alley. He was so going to get ticketed, Lyra thought. London was a nightmare for parking. “Why don’t you have a bodyguard?”

“What?”

“I was just thinking. You’re super rich, shouldn’t you be surrounded by security?”

Andros frowned as he squeezed her hand to pull her into the alley. “Larsson is my bodyguard as well as my driver. We do fine. I am not well known in the media. But look, do not change the subject. Food. Speak.”

It seemed she was going to have to be honest again, and Lyra sighed a little inside. “Well…I only have so much money on me, and well, I didn’t want to waste it on food. It’s emergency money.”

“You are serious?”

“Yes, Andros,” she said, hunger making her a little snappier than she would usually be. “Obviously I am not rolling in cash, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked you to look after me would I?”

His eyes widened as he took in her meaning, and Lyra’s stomach gave a little flip. He thrust a hand into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. A moment later and a wad of cash fell into her hand. “Here.”

She looked down at it, shocked by how much was there. Shocked that he’d given her actual cash. She’d merely been hinting that perhaps he could have some food delivered…not this…this was… Lyra shook her head, holding the money out. “What are you doing? I don’t need that.”

Andros placed the wallet back in his pocket and nodded in the direction of the chicken shop. “Of course you do. As you say it is part of the agreement that I look after you.”

Lyra clenched her hands around the money, and at last—perhaps it had been inevitable that it was going to happen—felt that nasty sting in her chest. It was the same one she’d been used to when some rich person told her she hadn’t cleaned the floor properly, or someone sent her back with a drink for mixing it wrong.

“Andros,” she whispered. “This is really embarrassing. I did not mean for you to give me money. I just thought perhaps you could arrange for some groceries to be delivered to the apartment.”

He closed her fist around the cash, and with his other hand lifted her chin. “No, what is embarrassing is you starving all day and me not even considering the fact.”

“I’d hardly call it starving, and besides I’ve gone way longer without a decent meal.”

“As have I,” he said, and she could see from the look in his eyes that he was not joking. Her very early research on Andros had not given her much. A self-made man, he had come from humble beginnings, that much was reported, but as he himself had said, the media did not pay much attention to him. Maybe because he owned a whole lot of it? “And it will please me for you to have cash on hand,” he added.

The idea of being able to go and buy some groceries was persuasive, making Lyra’s embarrassment wobble a little. The kiss he then planted on her lips wobbled it even more.

“Take the money,” he insisted when he pulled back.

“But—”

“You can buy us dinner. How does that sound?”

It was easy after that to simply nod her head, and hand in hand they walked up the alley to Benny’s. Lyra wasn’t sure what made her turn around, but she did, and Andros’ driver was right behind them.

There was a queue in the shop. Late night revelers, people just grabbing a takeaway. A bunch of the woman turned and gave Andros admiring glances, but few of the men turned to her. Rich men, that was what she attracted. For some reason her looks worked on them, especially the blue bloods. But everyday kind of guys, like the ones in the queue? Like the ones on her estate? They barely gave her a second look. Either they thought her too out of their league, or they were put off by her beauty.

It was something Lyra had lamented to her sisters more than once. How was she supposed to get herself a boyfriend when no one tried to chat her up? And oh, she had so wanted a boyfriend for so long. A settled kind of guy who would excite her, look after her, cuddle her when she was cold, rub her back when she had her period.

Before the mission and Andros, she’d made every attempt to find someone, but nothing had ever come of it. Perhaps that was why she’d been so intent on changing her mission parameters and having some fun with the Sicilian. Because she’d known he would fancy her. Because he was rich, because he was arrogant, and fit enough himself not to be daunted by her.