The Billionaire’s Blackmailed Heiress(4)

“Thank you” she had stuttered “but that really is not necessary”.

She had felt suddenly embarrassed by the small budget hotel she had booked into. Not knowing how long she might have to stay in Greece before forcing him to meet her demands she had needed to make the paltry savings she had left last.

“No….I insist” he had said once more with authority, before lifting the phone and barking quick commands in Greek. Finally he had replaced the receiver before moving once more beside her, guiding her quickly towards the door.

“Till Wednesday” he had spoken sensually, his deep strong voice sending strange tremors down her spine, this time pleasurable she had realised.

“The car will pick you up from your hotel at nine in the morning” Mina nodding wordlessly, as still in complete shock she had moved from his office to the waiting car.

As the door behind her had closed Nikos Dupris expression had changed. Hardened. With long strides he had again moved behind his desk, throwing himself into the leather seat, his dark eyes narrowing as he had pulled out the two sheets of paper she had given him, frowning as he once more read the contents. Finally he had lifted the telephone receiver and dialling a number, he had spoken quickly.

“I am faxing through some documents. You have two days to find out everything there is to know about Mina Lane”, before replacing it with the authority and expectation of a man used to getting what he wanted. With this done he had sighed heavily, his thoughts returning once more to the woman who had just left. Her tears had seemed real, surprising himself with his reaction to her vulnerability, the memory of her intelligent and expressive green eyes causing an awareness to rise within him. Chastising himself for feeling anything but contempt for the young gold digger he had slammed the drawer of his desk shut, determinedly pressing the buzzer to have his secretary send the documents to his investigator.

The next day Mina had sat by the pool. Her naturally wavy long blonde hair was pulled back from her lovely face by a large clasp allowing the slightest breeze to cool the long column of her creamy throat. Large green eyes were hidden behind oversized sunglasses providing protection from the unyielding rays of the mid-day sun. Unlike the many laughing and cheerful boisterous tourists who lounged in skimpy bikinis to ensure a tan from their brief vacation, she wore a modest one-piece swimming costume which clung to her perfect figure. A long shapeless t-shirt and oversized straw hat completed her ensemble giving her the air of someone more bent on avoiding the sun than embracing it, Mina not wanting to enjoy the sunshine when her purpose there was so important.

She had pulled her deckchair away from the main pool area which foamed alarmingly with the thrashing of children’s feet as they enjoyed the cool water, a reprieve from the burning sun, their happy squeals carrying over the general mayhem around her. Instead she chose to sit near to the side, close to a wall enabling her to gain a good vantage point of the rolling countryside, with a small view of the azure sea a few kilometres from them.

On her knee drawn up before her she held a sketch pad onto which she was quickly moving her hand, her eyes constantly flicking back to the vista before her as she sketched the wild scenery. She had desperately tried not to think about the previous day and the events leading up to her meeting with the enigmatic and handsome Nikos Dupris, the memory of those grey eyes once more boring into hers sending a shiver down her spine. However the memories would constantly push themselves into her tortured mind often when she was least expecting them, and with a sigh she was transported to a month previous.

Mina had known that her mother was not well, the cough she had for several weeks failing to clear up. After the older woman had repeatedly refused to go and see a doctor it had finally fallen on her to make the appointment and drag her resisting mother to it. As the doctor had examined her, Mina present at her mother’s insistence, had felt a cold hand grip her stomach as the jovial doctor’s countenance had grown more sombre and quiet. As he had flicked her looks which did little to hide his concern his voice had remained soothing and Mina thought a little forced in its lightness.#p#分页标题#e#

“I am sure that there is nothing to worry about”

He had boomed.

“But just to be on the safe side I am sending you up to the hospital for some tests”.

She had then spent the afternoon with her mother having a variety of blood tests and x-rays carried out. She had known deep within her that something was seriously wrong, as doctor after doctor had poured over the x-rays, their faces serious, Mina however trying to remain upbeat, laughing beside her silent and scared mother.