AS WRY amusement lit his eyes, which could be as dark and deep as an underground river, Alexandros Christakis watched his grandfather walk round the sleek silver Ascari KZ1 he had just had delivered. A supercar, it was the ultimate boy-toy, for only fifty would ever be built. The older manâs excitement at being that close to such a rare and powerful vehicle was palpable.
âA car that costs almost a quarter of a million.â Pelias, tall and straight in spite of his seventy-five years, shook his grizzled head and smiled with almost boyish approval. âIt is sheer madness, but it does my heart good to see you taking an interest in such things again!â
Alexandros said nothing in response to that leading comment, his expression unrevealing, his legendary reserve impenetrable. Gossip columnists regularly referred to the billionaire head of the CTK Bank as beautiful. Alexandros loathed the press, and had little time for such frivolity. His lean, bronzed features might have a breathtaking symmetry that turned female heads wherever he went, but the forceful angle of his jawline, the tough slant of his cheekbones and the obdurate set of his wide, sensual mouth suggested a fierce strength of character that was more of a warning to the unwary.
âYouâre still a young manâonly thirty-one years old.â Pelias Christakis spoke with caution, for he had long been in awe of his brilliant grandson and rarely dared breach his reticence. âNaturally I understand that you will never forget your grief, but it is time for you to take up your life once more.â
Marvelling at the oldmanâs essential innocence, Alexandros murmured flatly, âI took my life back a long time ago.â
âBut all you have done since Ianthe passed away is work, and make more and more money from bigger and bigger deals! How much money can one man need in a lifetime? How many homes can one man use?â Pelias Christakis flung up his hands in an extrovert gesture that encompassed the superb Regency country house in front of him. And Dove Hall was only one item in his grandsonâs vast property portfolio. âYou are already rich beyond most menâs dreams.â
âI thought onwards and upwards was the Christakis motto.â Alexandros brooded on the unhappy truth that people were never satisfied. He had been raised to be an Alpha-male high-achiever, with the merciless killer instincts of a shark. He was competitive, ambitious, and aggressive when challenged. Every aspect of his upbringing had been carefully tailored to ensure that he grew up as the exact opposite of his late father, who had been a lifelong layabout and an embarrassment to his family.
âIâm proud of youâimmensely proud,â his grandfather hastened to assert in an apologetic undertone. âBut the world can offer you so much more than the next takeover or merger. Companionship may seem an old-fashioned conceptââ
âOf course there have been women.â Alexandros compressed his handsome mouth, only his respect for the older manâs good intentions restraining him from the delivery of a more caustic response. âIs that what you want to hear?â
Pelias raised a beetling brow in rueful emphasis. âIâll be more interested to hear that youâve been with the same woman for longer than a week!â
Exasperated by that censorious response, Alexandros immediately grasped what his grandfather was driving at, and cold annoyance overpowered tolerance. âBut Iâm not in the market for anything serious. I have no intention of getting married again.â
His companion treated him to a look of surprise. âDid I mention marriage?â
Unimpressed by that air of virtuous naivetyâfor Pelias was not a good dissemblerâAlexandros said nothing. He was grimly aware that the very fact that he was an only child put an extra weight of expectation and responsibility on him. Traditional Greek culture set great store on the carrying on of the family name. Understandably, his grandparents held the convictions of their age group. But Alexandros felt equally entitled to his own views, and believed that only honesty would suffice. As he had not the slightest desire to be a father, he had no plans to remarry. Becoming a parent had been his late wifeâs dream, if not her obsession. Now that Ianthe was gone, he saw no reason to pretend otherwise.
âI donât want another wifeâ¦or children, for that matter,â Alexandros admitted in a flat, unapologetic undertone, his lean dark face aloof. âI appreciate that this must disappoint you, but thatâs how it is and Iâm not going to change.â
Pelias Christakis had lost colour. Stripped of all the natural exuberance of his warm, engaging personality, he suddenly looked old, troubled, and very much at a loss. Feeling like the guy who had not only killed but also tortured Santa Claus, Alexandros suppressed any urge to soften the blow and raise false hopes. It had had to be said.