FROM his position at one side of the orchestra rostrum, Mikos swung his gaze over the crowded ballroom and brought it to rest on the woman edging closer to the table where Angelo held court. Who was she? And how come he hadnât spotted her before? The party had been in full swing for almost three hours, yet only now, with midnight approaching, had she come to his attention.
She seemed to be alone and, like him, giving the impression she preferred to remain an observer, rather than a participant, of the festivities. The difference was, he was very good at what he did, and only a handful of those present knew that he was more than just Angeloâs executive vice president and most favored confidant.
She, on the other hand, was trying too hard to be inconspicuous. If you wanted to disappear into the background, koritsi mou, he thought, taking in the daring cut of a dress the same shade of misty mauve as the Aegean at dawn, you should have worn something less eye-catching.
Surveying the room one last time, he exchanged a nod with the security guards posted at the doors, then stepped down from the dais and casually made his way to where she stood half-concealed by the ornate drapery in a window alcove. Dark haired and dark eyed, she could have passed for Greek, but heâd been around the international social set long enough to recognize a European when he saw one, and this woman didnât fit the mold. American, he decided, and addressed her mostly in English. âKalispera. I donât believe weâve met.â
If she was startled at being accosted by a stranger, she didnât let it show. âI believe youâre right,â she said, her gaze locking fearlessly with his. âBut then, Iâve met very few people here tonight.â
He couldnât quite place her accent, and knew for a fact that heâd never seen her before. Hers was not a face a man would soon forget. âThen allow me to remedy the situation. Iâm Mikolas Christopoulos.â And itâs my job to find out everything there is to know about you.
âVery nice to meet you, Mr. Christopoulos,â she said composedly. âIâm Gina Hudson.â
âAnd youâre not American.â
âNo,â she replied, with a laugh more melodic than anything the orchestra could hope to produce. âIâm Canadian. Is that okay with you?â
He ran a mental check of the guest list, pretty sure no Canadians were on it. âOf course itâs okay. Who did you come with?â
âNo one. Iâm alone, and here on assignment.â
A working woman? Possibly. But one thing he knew for certain: she was not on the Tyros payroll. Apart from anything else, Angelo didnât believe in hiring women, except as domestics, although he was happy enough, even at eighty, to occupy them in other ways. If this one happened to take his fancyâ¦
Mikos shuddered inwardly at the thought. âTo do what?â he inquired, steering her out of Angeloâs line of vision.
âWrite an article for a magazine published in Vancouver which, in case youâre not aware, lies on the West Coast ofââ
âIâm familiar with Vancouver,â he said, stopping her dead in her attempt to sidetrack him. âI work for Hesperus International which, as Iâm sure you know, is owned by the man being honored here tonight. Two of our cruise ships sail to Alaska from Vancouver during the summer season. Itâs a beautiful city.â
âYes.â She smiled. âSpectacular, in fact.â
As are you, he thought. If sheâd appeared lovely from a distance, up close she was exquisite. A stunningly beautiful brunette with an hourglass figure, and skin the color of honey. And that smile!
He couldnât remember the last time a womanâs smile had hit him with such a shock of sexual awareness. Or if heâd ever felt such a compelling urge to run his hand over her skin to discover if its texture matched the satin silk of her dress. Forcing his attention back where it belonged, he remarked, âIâm surprised the residents of Vancouver even know of this event, let alone care about it. How did it come to your notice?â
âWe might strike you as people living at the back end of beyond, Mr. Christopoulos,â she said evenly, âbut weâre actually quite in touch with the rest of the planet. Angelo Tyros is a world-wide celebrity, and his birthday party has aroused quite a bit of international attention. Considering Vancouverâs large Greek community, plus the fact, as you already pointed out, that his cruise ships sail out of our harbor, it shouldnât surprise you that we find him newsworthy.â
A beaded bag, dangling from her shoulder by a long silver chain and just large enough to hold a notepad or mini tape recorder, lent some credence to her story. âWell, itâs true that he can make headlines just by blinking,â Mikos allowed. âBut for you to travel so far, for so littleâ¦â