The Demetrios Virgin by Penny Jordan Read Free Book Online

arrange for me. And, as my dear mother has so rightly reminded me, the best way to do that is to convince him that I am in love with someone else. That is the only way I can stop this ridiculous campaign of his.’
    â€˜You want me …to pose…as your …fiancée?’ Saskia spaced the words out carefully, as though she wasn’t sure she had heard them correctly, and then, when she saw the confirmation in his face, she denied fiercely, ‘No. No way. No way at all!’
    â€˜No?’ Andreas questioned with remarkable amiability. ‘Then I’m afraid you leave me with no alternative but to inform you that there is a strong—a very strong possibility that we shall have to let you go as part of our regrettable but necessary cutbacks. I hope I make myself clear.’
    â€˜No! You can’t do that…’ Saskia began, and then stopped as she saw the cynical way he was looking at her.
    She was wasting her time. There was no way he was even going to listen to her, never mind believe her. He didn’t want to believe her. It didn’t suit his plans to believe her…she could see that. And if she refused to accede to his commands then she knew that he was fully capable of carrying out his threat against her. Saskia swallowed. She was well and truly trapped, with no way whatsoever of escaping.
    â€˜Well?’ Andreas mocked her. ‘You still haven’t given me your reply. Do you agree to my proposition, or…?’
    Saskia swallowed the bitter taste of bile and defeat lodged in her throat. Her voice sounded raw, rasping…it hurt her to speak but she tried to hold up her head as she told him miserably, ‘I agree.’
    â€˜Excellent. For form’s sake I suggest that we invent a previously secret accidental meeting between us—perhaps when I visited Hilford prior to our takeover. Because of the negotiations for the takeover we have kept our relationship…our love for one another…a secret. But now…now there is no need for secrecy any more, and to prove it, and to celebrate our freedom today I shall take you out for lunch.’
    He frowned and paused. ‘We shall be flying out to the Aegean at the end of next week and there are things we shall be expected to know about one another’s background!’
    â€˜Flying out to where?’ Saskia gasped. ‘No, I can’t. My grandmother…’
    Andreas had heard from Gordon Jarman that she lived with her grandmother, and now one eyebrow rose as he questioned silkily, ‘You are engaged to me now, my beloved, surely I am of more importance than your grandmother? She will, I know, be surprised about our relationship, but I am sure she will appreciate just why we had to keep our love for one another to ourselves. If you wish I am perfectly prepared to come with you when you explain…everything to her…’
    â€˜No!’ Saskia denied in panic. ‘There’s no need anyway. She’s in Bath at the moment, staying withher sister. She’s going to be there for the next few weeks. You can’t do this,’ she told him in agitation. ‘Your grandfather is bound to guess that we’re not…that we don’t…And…’
    â€˜But he must not be allowed to guess any such thing,’ Andreas told her gently. ‘You are an excellent actress, as I have already seen for myself, and I’m sure you will be able to find a way of convincing him that we are and we do, and should you feel that you do need some assistance to that end…’ His eyes darkened and Saskia immediately took a step backwards, her face flaming with embarrassed colour as she saw the way he was looking at her.
    â€˜Very nice,’ he told her softly, ‘But perhaps it might not be wise to overdo the shy, virginal bit. My grandfather is no fool. I doubt that he will expect a man of my age to have fallen passionately in love with a woman who is not equally