The disparaging note in her voice grated. ‘Why? Did you want it to be something more?’

She stiffened. ‘No.’

Her firm, swift denial rankled, but again I dismissed it. ‘There will be no divorce. Not until I’m completely satisfied that there will be no permanent fall-out from your actions. And not until we’ve thoroughly discussed the impact this will have on Andreos.’

She stiffened. ‘Does it occur to you that I might be doing this for him? That this arrangement might not be the best environment for him?’

‘Then we will strive to make it so. You’ll get your divorce, if you wish it. It could be as early as a month from now or it could be the year you were supposed to give me. In that time, wherever I go, you and my son will go also. He will be your priority. But when called upon you will be at my side at public functions and you will play the role of a devoted wife. And you will do all of that without the smallest hint that there’s dissent between us.’

Her sweet, stubborn chin lifted in a clear defiance. ‘And if I don’t? What’s to stop me giving the newspapers what they want? Telling them the true state of this so-called marriage?’

Why did her rebellion fire me up so readily? In truth, very few people got to display such attitude towards me. Neo tried me at the best of times, but even he knew when to back down. The rest of my family fell in line, because ultimately I held the purse strings.

But it seemed my errant wife’s fiery spirit turned me on. Made me want to burn in the fire of it.

I caught her chin in my hand, my thumb moving almost of its own volition to slide over the dark rose swell of her lower lip. She shivered, this time unable to disguise her arousal. I intensified the caress, a little too eager to see how far she was truly affected. Blue eyes held mine for another handful of seconds before they dropped. But her breathing grew more erratic, her pulse hammering against the silken skin of her throat.

I held still, my groin rudely awakening as the little eddy of lust whipped faster, threatened to turn into a cyclone.

‘You really wish to defy me? You think that now you and your family have received what they want they can simply sit back and enjoy the spoils of their ill-gotten gains? Do you think that I will let you get away with it?’

She glared blue fire at me. ‘I won’t be ordered about, Axios. I won’t be dictated to like one of your minions!’

‘I would never mistake you for a minion. But a little hellcat, intent on sinking her claws into me? Definitely.’

For a charged moment she returned my stare. Then her gaze dropped to my lips.

A sort of madness took over. A breathless second later our lips met in a fiery clash, the hot little gasp she gave granting me access to the sharp tongue that seemed intent on creating havoc with my mood and my libido.