Between the sofa and the armchairs, an enormous, white marble fireplace dominated the room with two bronze hounds standing guard on each side. An impressive painting of a beautiful teenage girl riding a black stallion was hanging above it. She had shining black hair pulled back in a ponytail, amazing blue eyes, and a breathtaking smile.
Jackie noticed that the woods in the background seemed very similar to those surrounding the mansion. The painting was probably done here, and the girl was a member of the Demiris family. She placed the plate with her sandwich and the glass of water on the desk and stood there for a couple of minutes, totally enchanted by the beauty of the girl who seemed vaguely familiar. She looked at the painting troubled. Who is she and where is she now? Was the girl still alive or yet another victim of this family curse, or whatever it was, that haunted the heirs of Greek tycoon, Andreas Demiris?
The deafening sound of thunder brought her back to reality, and she realized she had to get on with what she had come here for.
Following Stephanos’ instructions, she walked over to the fireplace and turned the head of the hound on the right clockwise. Stepping back, she watched in amazement as the entire fireplace moved back inside the wall, revealing a small entrance to the left.
She stepped inside and felt the left wall until she found a light switch and turned it on. Then she carefully descended the narrow steps, leading underneath the house. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a narrow corridor to the right, which led to a steel door.
Jackie noticed the touch screen monitor to the right of the door, and she punched in the first combination of numbers. She waited breathlessly until she heard a soft buzzing noise and then she punched in the second combination. To her relief, the steel door opened and bright lights immediately came on, leaving Jackie breathless at the sight of the enormous secret room hidden beneath the mansion.
She stepped inside and let her eyes wander around the impressive and elegant room with its protective steel walls covered with carved stones probably to prevent it from looking like a vault.
A mahogany showcase with four rows of shelves covered the wall opposite to the door. Black velvet display stands placed on the glassed-in shelves were filled with the most exquisite pieces of jewelry Jackie had ever seen…necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings of sparkling diamonds, scarlet rubies, dazzling emeralds and breathtaking sapphires, dominating the surroundings with their brilliance. Jackie was mesmerized by this impeccable beauty. Everything else seemed to fade away.
She took a few steps forward on the thick cream color carpet and absentmindedly sunk down on one of the two, semicircular sofas placed in the middle of the room facing each other. Her eyes rested on an exquisite crystal vase with gold designs, placed on a round mahogany table in the middle of the circle formed by the two sofas.
This was almost unreal, far beyond her expectations. Jackie was sure that not even Stephanos knew exactly what was hidden in the secret room underneath the old mansion. He was precise, as always, giving her instructions how to get there and get in, but he had mentioned nothing about the contents of the room, except that she would find in the room what she was looking for.
Sitting on the sofa, she faced the wall on the left of the door. A mahogany desk with a computer on it and a black leather armchair in front of it was placed facing the wall. Above the desk, eight, wall-mounted, flat-screen monitors were placed in two rows. Even though the computer screen and the monitors on the wall were black, Jackie could hear a soft humming noise and could see that the computer was operating. She guessed it was probably a security system monitoring the mansion and its surroundings.
Suddenly, she shifted uncomfortably, realizing that her entering the secret room had probably been recorded. What if the security system was connected with a security company or even worse, the police? What if someone was actually watching her right now?
Well, there was nothing she could do about it now. She might as well go ahead with her assignment and get out of there as quickly as possible.
She turned to look at the wall behind her where there was a mahogany bookcase with shelves filled with crystal, porcelain, and gold artifacts. The bottom part of the bookcase had three closed cabinets, where Jackie was sure she would find what she had come for.
She got up and walked over to the cabinets, opening them one-by-one and checking their contents. In the first one, she found stacks of black and blue-velvet jewelry cases. Opening a few of them, Jackie was dazzled by the exquisite pieces and realized that some of these pieces, if not all of them, had to be priceless. She softly ran her fingers over the precious stones and closed her eyes, imagining beautiful women in evening gowns wearing them.
She opened the second cabinet to find it was filled with piles of stocks and bonds, as well as black velvet cases filled with gold and silver coins which seemed very old. She swallowed hard. The secret room was hiding a treasure, Jackie realized, and felt her pulse accelerating and her hands going damp from sweat. This whole experience had thrown her off balance. During her entire life, she’d never seen such riches before and probably would never again. This was a once in a lifetime experience…an amazing, intoxicating thrill that made her smile.
Finally, in the third cabinet, she found three folders which she thought probably contained what she was looking for. She felt as if she was halfway through with her assignment and that lifted her spirits.
She took the folders and walked over to sit on the velvet sofa, placing them on the table in front of her. She opened each of them, trying to concentrate on their contents, but all the jewelry and artifacts around her distracted her attention. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and taking the folders with her, she walked out of the secret room and up the stairs to the study.
She placed the folders on the desk and sat in the armchair. She opened the first one and pulled some documents out. Of course, they were all in Greek, but thanks to Stephanos, Jackie was fluent in the Greek language.
She was about to start reading them, when she heard a loud noise coming from the front of the house. Jumping up surprised, she rushed to the front of the house, feeling her heart thundering in her chest. The noise was repeated, loud and clear.
It took Jackie a couple of seconds to realize that it was the front door. Someone is knocking on the door.
She couldn’t believe it. Out there, miles from the nearest town in the middle of the night someone was pounding on the door. Who could it be?
Jackie stood still, but whoever it was at the front door didn’t seem willing to go away.
After a couple more loud bangs, she heard Michael’s voice loud and clear. “Jackie! Open the damn door!”
Her breath was caught in her throat. It was him! What on earth was he doing out here in the middle of the night in this raging storm?
“I know you’re in there!” His voice was surpassing the howling of the wind. “Open up or else I’ll break the damn door down!”
And he was capable of doing it. She was sure about that.
After hesitating for a moment, Jackie approached the door and taking a deep breath, she opened it.
Michael stormed inside the house, almost knocking her down and slammed the door shut behind him. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked, grinding his teeth.
“What do you want, Michael? What are you doing here?” she snapped.
“Why did you leave the hotel without a word?”
“I don’t have to report to you!”
Michael inhaled sharply and his icy gaze drove a chill up her spine. Jackie stood there shocked, staring at his face distorted with rage.
For a moment, neither of them uttered a word. They stood there, staring into each other’s eyes. Jackie felt the blood running hot in her veins and lowered her eyes to avoid the dangerous, but at the same time, enchanting look in those blue eyes of his.
“How did you find me?” she asked, trying to catch her breath and clear her thoughts. What is wrong with me? She was furious all she could think about was how
gorgeous he looked in his jeans and the black leather jacket that was now dripping wet.
“Are you crazy?” he yelled at her and grabbed her by the arm. “What do you think you’re doing out here all by yourself?”
“How did you find me?” Jackie insisted, and tried to release her arm from his steel grasp.
“You were under my custody and you ran away!” he accused her, not being able to control his temper.
“I wasn’t aware that I was under arrest!” she rebutted, irritated.
“You were caught breaking into this house, remember!” he pointed out and took a step forward, coming unbearably close…almost leaning over her, holding her captive with his gaze.
“And you did not arrest me!” she retorted. “Maybe it was because you couldn’t explain either what exactly you were doing out here in the middle of the night!” she went on, raising her chin stubbornly, looking at him straight in the eyes. If only his eyes weren’t so blue and his hair so gorgeously shining black.
Michael looked at her for a couple of seconds. His gaze was dangerous, but oh…so seductive….
“Now, you listen to me, Jackie Alexander” he burst out. “I’m not the type of person you want to play games with.” He placed emphasis on every word. “You better start talking and you better start talking fast. Otherwise, I will drag you to a cell, lock you up, and throw away the key,” he concluded, and there was fire in his eyes.
“You don’t scare me, Detective Apostolou,” Jackie replied in a firm voice, placing emphasis on the fact that she wasn’t using his first name any more. “You had no official business being out here the other night, and we both know it. Otherwise, I would be in a cell right now. Besides,” she went on, “I have every right to be here! The house belongs to my uncle, Stephanos Demiris,”—she lied—“and he has authorized me to be here. You can check with his attorney, Nancy Felini.”
“This house doesn’t belong to Stephanos Demiris!” Michael said in a low and dangerous tone of voice. “And you know it very well!” he accused her.
Jackie was left speechless. What now? Things were getting pretty complicated, and this detective seemed to be a lot more than what she had anticipated. Was he bluffing or did he really know the truth?
“What are you talking about? Of course, the house belongs to my uncle!” she burst out, trying to sound as convincing as she could. She knew she had to buy some time in order to figure out how much he really knew and how she could get rid of him in order to finish the job she had come for. Time was running out, and there was so much at stake.
“No, it doesn’t!” he replied, watching her face very carefully, “For the simple reason that it belongs to me!”
Chapter Five
Roussos rolled with the pitching deck of the cargo freighter as the powerful storm tossed the ship around like a piece of driftwood. He could see the faint outline of the dock at Corfu but the howling winds were preventing the vessel from reaching port.
He stood there, holding onto the railing, running through his mind what he knew about Jackie Alexander and Nancy Felini, and planning his next move. That’s what had kept him alive all these years—being prepared, being prepared for everything. He left nothing to chance. Every assignment he undertook, he examined all the possibilities and all possible outcomes.
That was the reason he’d chosen to travel on a derelict ship and put up with the weather and the hours of delay, instead of taking a plane and reaching Corfu hours ago. Airport security was very tight and there would be a record of his arrival. Who would look for him on a floating wreck?
***
Jackie was still trying to get over the initial shock. Michael’s statement that he was the owner of the mansion had left her speechless. But she could tell there was no point trying to discuss the matter with him any further, so she decided to wait until next morning. The attorney would set him straight and he would be out of her life once and for all.
But what about now? What about tonight? It was obvious this gorgeous man with the captivating eyes, the sensuous lips, and the hard to resist body would have to spend the night there. The mere thought of spending the night in the same house with him sent goose bumps all over her body. Based on the way she reacted to him, she wasn’t sure she could handle the proximity. But where could he go at that late hour and in this kind of weather?
She couldn’t believe how things had turned out. And what on earth did he mean he was the owner of the house? That was crazy. She had to talk to the attorney and her uncle as well. If the phone wasn’t disconnected or out of service due to the storm, she could call. She felt so frustrated that her cell phone wasn’t working either.
Feeling trapped in a dangerous situation, she clenched her fists and her lips pressed into a thin line. Wild thoughts whirled around in her mind, trying to find a way to do what she had come here for and be on her way as soon as possible. With Michael around though, it would be difficult to examine the files. She would have to wait until he was gone. In the meantime, she had to be very careful not to let him guess the real purpose she was here, and, at the same time, not let him discern the influence he had on her.
Seeing an irresistible smile on his face, she averted her eyes and let out a deep breath. He was obviously aware of the battle going on inside her, and the fact that he seemed amused by it, infuriated her. She would just have to deal with him the best way she could and pray she could get out of this situation without jeopardizing her assignment, and, above all, without jeopardizing her heart.
Suddenly, she remembered the open entrance to the underground secret room and the folders on the desk in the study and gave Michael a worried look. What if he walked back there? She needed to find a chance to lock everything up in the secret room until after he was gone. In the meantime, she had to lure him away from the study, one way or another….
***
Michael didn’t miss her look. He knew she was up to something again. What’s going through that pretty little head now? This woman would keep him on his toes. Being around her, he realized, was going to be very challenging. But he knew how to handle demanding situations. He had spent some of the best years of his life training and serving in the Special Forces.
He watched her as she turned on her heel and walked towards the kitchen.
“Do you want something to eat?” she asked over her shoulder, obviously trying to lure him into the kitchen for some reason.
Her sudden change of mood didn’t fool Michael, not even for a second. But he followed her into the kitchen, having decided to play along at least for the time being. Actually, if he wanted to be honest with himself, he would have followed her anywhere.
He was fuming. He had been worried sick about her, and now that he was here, instead of talking some sense into her, all he could think about was how breathtaking and alluring she looked.
Walking behind her, he couldn’t help but watch the torturing sway of her hips. Boy, she was a knockout!
He swallowed hard, trying to restrain himself from pulling her around and crushing her in his arms. Those long legs and womanly curves of hers drove him crazy. This was going to be a very long night, he realized, and let out a deep breath.
This physical attraction he felt for her was very frustrating. It prevented him from thinking straight.
Besides, she wasn’t even his type. She was strong-headed and impulsive—the exact opposite of his ideal woman. He liked his women calm and wise. Due to his job, he had too much turmoil in his life to want to put up with a demanding relationship as well.
No, she was totally wrong for him. All he needed to do was concentrate on the assignment and get it over with as soon as possible. In the meantime, he would just keep his distance, and when this whole thing would be over, she would be out of his mind for good.
***
“Aren’t you going to ask me about the house?” Michael asked once they were in the kitchen.
“No,” she said simply, turning to face him.
“And why is that?”
he asked, with a smile on his face.
Jackie took a deep breath. “What exactly do you find amusing?”
“The whole thing,” he replied.
She stared at him for a moment, “All right,” she said. “I’m asking you about the house.”
“Now, that’s better,” he said. “Now, we can talk.”
Jackie stood there, staring at him, waiting for him to go on.
Michael remained silent, staring back at her, and clenching his fists.
What is he thinking now? Is he trying to avoid answering my question? No, she could see the fire in his eyes. The answer to her question was probably the last thing in his mind right now. She hated to admit it was the last thing in her mind as well.
There was tension in the air. She could see it in his eyes. She had sensed it every time he was close to her—every time they touched.
All of a sudden, Michael took a step closer and pulled her into his arms.
Jackie felt her heart pounding and fireworks went off beneath her skin. Her heart suspended in her chest, as she saw the desire burning in his eyes. His lips, hot and demanding, came crushing down on hers and made her lose every sense of reality. She knew she should resist and push him away, but instead, she raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him closer.
Michael pushed her against the kitchen wall placing his hand against it so she wouldn’t hit her back.
Jackie felt mesmerized by his touch and her body’s response to it. She had never felt this way before and completely lost track of time. She raised her head, as Michael left burning trails down her throat, across her collarbone and down her chest. She could do nothing else but run her fingers through his hair and pull his head even closer.
The sudden blast of a thunder brought her back to reality. Jackie broke the kiss and placing her hands against his chest, she pushed him away.
***