ALEXEI DRAKOS broodingly surveyed the crowded Port Vauban marina from the deck of his yacht, Sea Queen. There were paparazzi everywhere. As a man who set a high value on privacy, he was not impressed. He was even less impressed with the topless sunbathers on the vessel moored beside his who were calling out to him and making inviting gestures. As if, Alexei thought with all the disdain of an aristocrat for rotten meat. As a teenager he had sampled many female bodies without the need to make dates or chit-chat, but he had grown up since then.
If Calisto had not begged him to bring her to Cannes, he would have been miles away from the noise, the poseurs and the fuss. Sea Queen was easily the biggest, sleekest and most expensive yacht there but, as he was a fourth generation Drakos, and possessed of fabulous wealth and privilege from birth, such petty comparisons were beneath Alexeiâs arrogant notice.
Standing six feet four inches in his bare feet, Alexei was built with the lean muscular power of a trained athlete and surprisingly fit for a noted workaholic. Half Russian and half Greek, he was a dazzlingly handsome man with a formidable reputation as a womaniser. Yet for the past few months there had been only one woman in his life: Calisto, the ex-wife of the Swiss electronics tycoon, Xavier Bethune. Keen to get back to work and aware that his business team awaited him indoors, Alexei strode back into his on-board office, which was as streamlined and technologically advanced as any on shore.
Some minutes later, Calisto stalked into the crowded room without warning. Alexei was surprised, for he had sent her down the coast to tour his magnificent villa in an effort to get some peace. An echoing silence spread even before Calisto burst into staccato speech. âYou wonât believe what Iâve discovered at your villa!â
âNothing short of the Loch Ness monster in the bath tub would excuse this intrusion when I am working,â Alexei drawled, and he was not entirely joking as he glanced up from his laptop to survey the irate blonde.
âThe place is a disgrace! The swimming pool hasnât been serviced in months, the garden is overgrown and the house isnât even stocked for our stay next week,â Calisto raged, her bright blue eyes full of indignation. âAnd when I asked the housekeeper to explain herself, all she would say was that Billie always dealt with that stuff and that she had received no instructions.â
Calisto Bethune was a six foot tall beauty and former model, quite capable of stopping traffic with her stunning face and shapely body. She was Greek-born, she was gorgeous and, now that she was free of her husband, the woman whom Alexei had loved and lost as a teenager was finally his again.
âDid you hear anything I just said, Alexei?â Calisto prompted impatiently. âLast month the refit on Sea Queen overran and we couldnât use her. Who was responsible for that? Every place I go in your life things are going wrong and I discover that this Billie creature is at fault!â
âUntil a couple of months ago, Billie took care of all my properties as well as my social calendar and travel arrangements. Unfortunately, she insisted on taking a career break and her replacement was so inept, I sacked her after a monthââ
Calisto studied him wide-eyed, a frown building on her face. âThis Billie that everybody talks about is aâ¦woman?â
âWhy not?â Alexei returned to his laptop with renewed energy as he was hotwired to the pursuit of profit and in no mood to hear any more about boring domestic problems. No Drakos male he had ever known had concerned himself with such trivialities. In even listening to Calistoâs tirade, he believed he was being very tolerant, offering the listening ear that all women were supposed to crave.
âAnd this Billie, this woman insisted on taking time off? Since when do you allow your employees to insist on anything?â Calisto demanded.