Sapphire St. Clair's POV

Something woke me up from my sleep. I don't know exactly what was it, but I think it has probably something to do with the strong arms placed securely around my waist. My brain became alert instantly. I shot up from the bed and looked directly at the wall clock. Oh, no. I thought in dreadfulness.  My meeting!

I immediately slid out the bed and frantically searched for my discarded clothes. This was all this man's fault. I directed my disapproving gaze to the man soundly asleep on the bed. If he hadn't kept me awake last night with his lovemaking I would not be in a hurry today.

"Oh my God! My meeting." I muttered to myself as I took a quick shower in the en suite bathroom. This was probably the shortest bath I had ever done in my life. Still dripping wet from the shower I search for my office attire in the walk-in closet I shared with him. I need to prepare extra carefully today for my very important client.

I was halfway through when he was roused from his sleep. He sat up from the bed and stared at me with his still-sleepy eyes. I instantly avoided my gaze when his naked chest came into my full view. "What's with the morning rush, agapiméni?"

I threw a condemning look in his direction as I zipped my trousers. "My meeting!" I told him hotly. "If I don't hurry I will be late."

He glanced at the wall clock and slid back his gaze on me. "It's not even eight in the morning, my love. There's no need to hurry." He smiled invitingly in my direction as he patted the mattress beside him. "Come back to bed. We still have a few minutes before we start our day."

"No." I flat-out answered, fastening my earrings on my lobes. "This is all your fault. If you didn't keep me awake the whole night I would not be in such a hurry now."

The seductive devil was gone from his face instantly it was replaced by a man with disapproving eyebrows. "What is so important about this man that you are being agitated with your meeting with him?"

"What are you talking about?"

His intense eyes shot like daggers in my face. I don't think I like the accusing look he was giving me at the moment. "Have you seen that man before?"

I stopped and thought for a moment. Have I? "Yes, I believe I saw him in newspaper articles before but I have not met him in person."

"Then the reason for your nervousness has anything to do with his looks, correct?" He accused, his eyes were sharp like knives. "It was common knowledge that Nikos Pallis is a total flirt. He changes women as often he changes his shirt."

I rolled my eyes and stared at him in disbelief. "Well, in case you have been living under the rock for quite some time now please allow me to fill you in that the man in question recently got married and everyone believes that he was madly in love with his wife."

"Still," he said stubbornly, giving me a hard warning. "He might try to flirt with you and even cajole you to have liaison with him. Be careful with him. I will kill him with my bare hands if I learn that he wants to have an affair with you."

"Oh, that's rubbish!" I informed him dryly. "He will not do such a thing. I bet the reason for this meeting has something to do with his wife. I am sure he wants to buy jewelry for his lovely wife, Loukas."

"Always put your guard up when he's around." He stated, slid off the bed. I looked away when he unashamedly flaunted his naked body. "I am sorely tempted to gate-crash your meeting so I can assess the situation and give this man a warning."

I looked horrified at his words. "You will not do such a thing! I will not forgive you if you ever dare to do that. He is a very important client for our company. I don't want you to ruin my chances to prove to Daniel that I can take over the company once he retires."

He smiled angelically towards me as he moved closer to where I stood. "I won't do anything to jeopardize your position in the St. Clair Diamonds. But don't you forget who you belong to, my dearest wife? I can be uncivilized when it comes to you."

"Loukas..." My breath was caught when he was suddenly standing toe-to-toe with me.

His nakedness was starting to mess with my brain. I couldn't think straight I bet that this was his plan all along so he could get me to agree to his reminders. "Do you agree, Sapphire?"

Agree on what? My poor brain asked silently. Heck, I don't even know what we're talking about right this moment. I was only aware of his morning erection and the hard beating of my heart. He was mentally seducing me.

"Sapphire...?" He inquired softly when I didn't answer.

"Y-Yes..."

I moistened my dry lips with the tip of my tongue. I noticed him fascinatingly watching the tiny movement of my tongue with his eyes sensually. I couldn't miss the way his eyes darkened as he stared at me. "I am surely tempted to throw you back on the bed and ravish you again before you leave for office."

I slapped the hands that started to travel in my body with such familiarity. "You will not do such a thing. Besides, didn't you have enough last night? I only sleep a wink throughout the night."

"How about a kiss before you leave?" He bargained. My breath was caught when he suddenly pulled me towards the hard wall of his chest and my pelvis grazed his hard shaft. "I'm sure you will not deprive me of that, right?"

Before I had the chance to formulate my reply he was already claiming my mouth with a hot possessive kiss that instantly left me breathless. I couldn't do anything but put my hands on his broad shoulder for support as he took ownership of my mouth like he had every right to do so.

****

One hour later, I finally arrived at the store preparing the documents I might need for my meeting with this Greek billionaire. I need to become proficient in dealing with the likes of him and try very hard to get the memories of another Greek man out of my head especially his warning and uncalled jealousy about my meeting.

A light knock sounded on my doorway. I looked up to see Agnes peeking through the doorway with an excited smile on her face. "Mr. Pallis is here, ma'am."

I took a deep breath as I straightened my blazer jacket. "Please send him in."

The woman nodded and a man with a pair of icy blue eyes entered my office. He has this commanding presence just like Loukas you couldn't hide the fact that he was an aura of powerful and well-respected man in the business world.

I placed a ready smile on my face extending my hand in his direction as he made even further inside the room. "Pleasure to meet you at last, Mr. Pallis. Sapphire St. Clair, general manager of the St. Clair Diamonds."

"Likewise." He said shortly, shaking my offered hand briefly.

"Please have a seat." I gestured to one of the leather chairs in front of my table.

"Thank you." Once he was seated. I tried to sit comfortably on my chair as I stared at his aristocratic face. "The reason why I came here is because I want your company to create custom-made jewelry for my wife for our coming 1st wedding anniversary."

Something inside me had moved with his words. Such a lucky couple to have a chance to celebrate their 1st wedding anniversary when...I scowled at the trail of thoughts I had inside my head. This was not the time to think about the past. "You have come to the right jewelry company, Mr. Pallis. We will be honored to create custom-made jewelry for your wife."

I presented him with a book containing the sample jewelry design our company has to offer. From simple designs to elaborate ones all were filed neatly inside the book. He took the offered book and browsed the content.

While he was busy studying the collections our company has to offer. I had the chance to study him while he was unaware. He wasn't the type of man you would think that would personally come to a jewelry store to ask them to create made-to-order jewelry for his wife. He's besotted with his wife it makes my heart twinge with slight jealousy. What a lucky woman.

He finally lifted his blue eyes from the portfolio, and the corner of his lips curved into a smile. "Your designs are great but I am hoping for a far simpler design knowing my wife I would probably get an earful of lectures from her again if she saw the ostentatious jewelry that I am about to give her."

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in his direction. "I hope you don't mind me asking if your wife doesn't seem to like jewelry then why bother giving her."

He scratched the back of his head warily. "I honestly don't know what to give her for our coming anniversary. Laila always claims that she doesn't want anything a simple dinner would be fine but I want to give her a significant gift as a remembrance of our 1st wedding anniversary."

I nodded with a sympathetic smile on my face. "I think I understand now, Mr. Pallis. I will ask our designer to sketch samples of earrings, necklaces, bracelets even rings for your inspection. I am sure we can accommodate your request. By the way, do you already have what type of stones you want to use, Mr. Pallis?"

"Emeralds." He said without hesitation, a warm smile fitting his eyes. "I want emeralds for my wife."

I nodded, scribbling the information in my notebook. "Do you have a picture of your wife so we can have the designs that would complement your wife's look, sir?"

"I do." He said, fishing out his smartphone he presented the lock screen photo of a smiling woman. When I looked up at him from his mobile device I noticed the pink stain on his aristocratic face.

I couldn't believe my eyes. A man who was once dubbed a playboy billionaire finally found his match. Who would have thought that Nikos Pallis would be so smitten with this beautiful woman he even had her photo on his lock screen? I wonder what kind of woman she was to finally have this kind of man surrender to his knees.

"Please send it to my e-mail so I can send it to my sister who is our very talented designer. She's one of the best in the business I assure you, Mr. Pallis."

He nodded, putting back his mobile in his pocket. "I will count on that."

"Is there anything else you want to add to your wish-list?"

He shook his head standing on the chair an indication that this meeting was about to end. "That would be all."

I smiled brightly in his direction. "I will inform you as soon as the sketches have been made, Mr. Pallis. From there you can select the design you want and then we can start the process of selecting the emeralds you will want to use."

"I am currently based in New York but my wife and I will be here for two weeks for vacation. If you can't reach me by the time the drafts are done you may call my office in New York to inform me about the developments."

"Noted, sir." I extended my hand again. "I will inform you as soon as possible."

He shook my head briefly as he was about to leave my office when the door suddenly burst open. "Is it not done yet?" Another Greek man entered my office with a disapproving look in our direction.

I threw him an icy glare for rudely barging into my office while Nikos Pallis just slid his gaze from me and then to the man in the doorway. A knowing smile crossed his face. "I think I should leave now. Thank you for your time, Ms. St. Clair."

"I will be in touch, Mr. Pallis."

He nodded before taking his leave. I couldn't miss the way Loukas threw a dark look in his direction as left the office. The man in question merely shook his head like enjoying some private joke.

"That was rude," I said angrily as soon as we were finally alone.

There was a grim expression on his face, closing the door firmly behind him. He was deliberately ignoring my furious look. "Maybe you shouldn't use your maiden name anymore."

"What are you talking about?" I stood in front of my table, crossing my arms in the middle while busy giving him a disapproving look.

"Maybe you should still use your married name, Sapphire."

I scowled darkly at him. "Aren't you forgetting we're already divorced?"

I couldn't miss the way he wince. I slightly felt guilty about how tackled I sounded. "I know...but I cannot help it. I think that man is sniffing after you. He was so friendly from what I can see I don't like it."

"Oh, you are hopeless!" I rolled my eyes. "Nikos Pallis just rubs in my face the whole time how much he loves his wife."

"Are you sure?"

I gave him a dry look. "Are you jealous?"

"Yes." He answered without a heartbeat. "I am so jealous that I can't work the whole morning thinking about your meeting that's when I decided to come here."

"Oh..." I was lost for words for a moment. I tried to take a step backward when he suddenly moved closer to where I had been standing. Too bad I was stuck on the table and this predatory man. "...what do you think you're doing?"

"I am far more handsome and charming than that man," Loukas stated, his eyes glittering dangerously. "And yet you seem more fascinated to him than me. I will make you pay for making me jealous and insecure to that man."

Uh-oh...