All That Glitters Read online

  ALL THAT GLITTERS

  By

  Linda Howard

  He made an abrupt movement with his hand.

  "I've never mentioned marriage to you, Jessica. Don't delude yourself. I'm not that big a fool."

  Jessica felt the blood draining from her face and she was glad of the darkness. No, he wasn't a fool, but she was. When she spoke, her tone was even, almost cool. "That's odd. I thought marriage was a natural result of love. But then, you've never actually said that you love me, have you, Nikolas?"

  His mouth twisted and he got out of bed, walking to the window to stand looking out, his splendid body revealed to her. He wasn't concerned with his lack of dress, standing there as casually as if he wore a suit and tie. "I've never lied to you, Jessica," he said brutally. "I want you as I've never wanted another woman, but you're not the type of woman I would ever take as my wife."

  "Linda Howard knows what readers want, and dares to be different."

  —Affaire de Coeur

  * * *

  Also available from MIRA Books and

  LINDA HOWARD

  ALMOST FOREVER

  THE CUTTING EDGE

  DUNCAN'S BRIDE

  AGAINST THE RULES

  MIDNIGHT RAINBOW

  WHITE LIES

  DIAMOND BAY

  Coming soon

  HEARTBREAKER

  October

  * * *

  LINDA

  HOWARD

  ALL THAT

  GLITTERS

  MIRA

  * * *

  ISBN 1-55166-432-

  ALL THAT GLITTERS

  Copyright © 1982 by Linda Howard.

  Printed in U.S.A.

  * * *

  To Gary

  * * *

  Chapter One

  Charles said bluntly, without warning, "Constantinos arrived in London this morning."

  Jessica looked up, her mind blank for a moment, then she realized what he had said and she smiled ruefully. "Well, you did warn me, Charles. It seems you were right." Not that she had ever doubted him, for Charles's instincts in business were uncanny. He had told her that if she voted her stock in ConTech against the Constantinos vote, she would bring down on her head the wrath of the single largest stockholder and chairman of the board, Nikolas Constantinos, and it appeared that once again Charles had been exactly right. The vote on the Dryden issue had been yesterday. Despite Charles's warnings, she had voted against the takeover and her vote had carried the majority. Less than twenty-four hours later, Constantinos had arrived in London.

  Jessica had never met him, but she had heard enough horror tales about him to count herself lucky in that respect. According to gossip, he was utterly ruthless in his business dealings; of course, it stood to reason that he would not have achieved his present position of power by being meek and mild. He was a billionaire, powerful even by Greek standards; she was only a stockholder, and she thought humorously that it was a case of overkill for him to bring out his heavy artillery on her, but it looked as though no problem was too small for his personal attention.

  Charles had pointed out that she could have voted for the takeover and saved herself a lot of trouble, but one of the things that Robert had taught her in the three years of their marriage was to stand up for herself, to trust her instincts and never to sell herself short. Jessica had felt that the move against Dryden was underhanded and she voted against it. If Constantinos was unable to accept that she had the right to vote her stock as she wanted, then he would just have to learn to deal with it. Regardless of how much power he wielded, she was determined not to back down from her stand, and Charles had found that she could be very stubborn when she set her mind to something.

  "You must be very careful around him," Charles instructed her now, breaking into her thoughts. "Jessica, my dear, I don't believe you realize just how much pressure the man can bring to bear on you. He can hurt you in ways you've never imagined. Your friends can lose their jobs; mortgages can be called in on their homes; banks will cease doing business with you. It can even extend to such small things as repairs to your auto being delayed or seats on flights suddenly becoming unavailable. Do you begin to see, my dear?"

  Disbelievingly, Jessica stared at him. "My word, Charles, are you serious? It seems so ludicrous!"

  "I regret that I am very serious. Constantinos wants things done his way, and he has the money and the power to ensure that they are. Don't underestimate him, Jessica."

  "But that's barbaric!"

  "And so is Constantinos, to a degree," said Charles flatly. "If he gives you the option of selling your stock to him, Jessica, then I strongly urge you to do so. It will be much safer for you."

  "But Robert—"

  "Yes, I know," he interrupted, though his voice took on a softer tone. "You feel that Robert entrusted that stock to you, and that he would have voted against the Dryden takeover, too. Robert was a very dear and special man, but he's dead now and he can't protect you. You have to think of yourself, and you haven't the weapons to fight Constantinos. He can demolish you."

  "But I don't want to fight him," she protested. "I only want to carry on as I always have. It seems so silly for him to be upset over my vote—why should he take it so personally?"

  "He doesn't take it personally," explained Charles. "He doesn't have to. But you've gone against him and you'll be brought into line, regardless of what he has to do to accomplish it. And don't think that you can appeal to his better nature—"

  "I know," she broke in, her soft mouth curving into a smile. "He doesn't have one!"

  "Exactly," said Charles. "Nor can he be feeling very charitable toward you; your record in voting against him, my dear, is very nearly perfect."

  "Oh, dear," she said wryly. "I hadn't realized. But at least I'm consistent!"

  Charles laughed unwillingly, but his cool eyes gleamed with admiration. Jessica always seemed in control of herself, capable of putting things into their proper perspective and reducing crises to mere annoyances, though he feared that this time she was in over her head. He didn't want her hurt; he never again wanted to see the look in her eyes that had been there after Robert's death, the despair, the pain that was too deep for comforting. She had recovered, she was a strong woman and a fighter, but he always tried to protect her from any further hurt. She had borne enough in her young life.

  The phone rang and Jessica got up to answer it, her movements, as always, lithe and as graceful as a cat's. She tucked the receiver against her shoulder. "Stanton residence."

  "Mrs. Stanton, please," said a cool, impersonal male voice, and her sharp ear caught the hint of an accent. Constantinos already?

  "This is Mrs. Stanton," she replied.

  "Mrs. Stanton, this is Mr. Constantinos's secretary. He would like to see you this afternoon—shall we say three-thirty?"

  "Three-thirty?" she echoed, glancing at her wrist-watch. It was almost two o'clock now.

  "Thank you, Mrs. Stanton," said the voice in satisfaction. "I will tell Mr. Constantinos to expect you. Good day."

  The click of the receiver made her take the phone from her ear and stare at it in disbelief. "Well, that was cheeky," she mused, hanging up the instrument. It was possible that he had taken her echo of the time as an affirmation, but her instincts told her otherwise. No, it was simply that she was not expected to make any protest, and it wouldn't have mattered if she had.

  "Who was that, my dear?" asked Charles absently, gathering up the papers he had brought for her signature.

  "Mr. Constantinos's secretary. I've been summoned into the royal presence—at three-thirty this afternoon."

  Charles's elegant eyebrows rose. "Then I suggest you hurry."

  "I've a dental appointment at four-fifteen," she