Mistaken Identity
Authors: Alyssa J. Montgomery
Alyssa J. Montgomery
Alyssa J. Montgomery
An irresistibly indulgent novel about identical twins, an autocratic tycoon, and the sensual, sophisticated Greek seaside.
Greek tycoon Alex Kristidis will do anything it takes to prevent his brother marrying pop star Susie Hamlin, and Susie’s twin sister Leah will do whatever it takes to stop him. But, posing as Susie to throw Alex off the trail as she and her lover rush away to get married has unexpected consequences: Leah is attacked by a drug dealer’s henchmen, whisked off to Alex’s private island, and becomes entangled in a web of lies.
Something is different about Susie, and Alex can’t put his finger on it. No longer the self-absorbed, selfish celebrity, she is warm and innocent and inspires feelings in him that he thought impossible. But the last thing he will do is indulge in an affair with his brother’s manipulative cast-off. He just has to find the strength to stay away…
Alyssa lives on acreage south of Sydney with her husband, three children and a menagerie of animals. She has her own busy Speech Pathology practice and has also been a professional pianist and an international flight attendant. Apart from writing, she loves to travel overseas with her family, play tennis and entertain friends at dinner parties.
Thank you to my wonderful husband, Frank. I would not have achieved publication without your love, support and encouragement.
Thank you also to my critique partners Enisa, Malvina and Katrina, who helped me at the time this book was written. Your opinions were invaluable. Sincere thanks to Kate Cuthbert, for your faith in my writing, to my editor, Robert, for his hard work, and to all the team at Escape Publishing for helping to make my dream a reality!
To my parents, June and Jack, in gratitude of your excellent parenting creating a close and loving family. To my sisters, Kathy and Elaine — the special bond of friendship I have with you both, makes it easy to write about a bond of sisterhood that is loyal and loving. To my brothers, John and Warren, you are the best!
Contents
Bestselling Titles by Escape Publishing…
How on earth was she going to get away with it?
Leah Hamlin’s fingernails dug into her palms. A fine line of nervous perspiration beaded her upper lip, and she inhaled each shallow breath into her oxygen-starved lungs with increasing urgency.
I can do this
. She thought the words over and over again.
I have to do this.
The doors of the elevator opened. She gritted her teeth and willed her shaking legs into motion. According to the receptionist’s directions, she was now just two steps away from Alex Kristidis’s London office. Just two more steps and she’d learn whether she could pull off the masquerade as her famous identical twin sister, Susie.
At Susie’s tearful insistence, Leah had reluctantly agreed to confront the Greek tycoon in her place, but her conscience rebelled against the deception. Susie was adamant that Leah couldn’t simply plead on her behalf, but that she must pretend to be her. Now, Leah just wanted to turn and run in the opposite direction.
One step. Another step.
I can do this.
The office door was open. She gulped convulsively in disbelief. Was the man seated behind the impressive walnut desk the multi-billionaire Alex Kristidis? She couldn’t credit that this was the overbearing brute causing her sister so much angst.
The way Susie described him, Leah had attributed him with all the charm and attractiveness of a Cyclops. She wasn’t prepared to meet the most gorgeous-looking male she’d ever seen.
He raised his head from his paperwork. There was such heated loathing in his expression, she thought she’d be incinerated on the spot.
‘Susan.’ He said the name like it was poison on his tongue.
She suppressed a shudder. He’d insisted on this meeting with her sister. She’d turned up. What happened now?
He stood slowly and moved around the desk with the grace of a large, lethal, jungle cat. Leah felt as vulnerable as a newborn gazelle facing a cheetah. She turned her body as he moved alongside her and then past her. His sheer build was intimidating. He stood well over six feet tall, with broad shoulders that would do a rugby player proud. Despite her five feet ten inches, Leah felt diminutive in comparison. She guessed he was in his early thirties. Everything about his physique — even clothed as he was in an expensive-looking business suit — suggested a muscle-packed frame in peak physical condition.
Probably descended from generations of virile Olympic athletes
, she decided fancifully.
Without another word, he closed the door to his office.
No escape.
Now she knew how it must feel to suffer from claustrophobia. Her pulse kicked up another notch, sending a frenetic S.O.S. hammering to her brain. Everything about him signalled that she was out of her depth. Her innate sense of self-preservation screamed at her to find a way out, but she was trapped by his sheer magnetism. Impaled by the hostile intensity of his black eyes.
Wishing she was anywhere else, Leah stood her ground and hoped she looked far more confident than she felt. It was paramount that she focus on why she was here.
According to her sister, Alex disapproved of Susie’s relationship with his brother Spiros and was pressuring him to end the romance. This über-rich guy didn’t think a famous pop star had the right pedigree to be associated with his family. It didn’t help that she had received some bad press, but then the tabloids would print anything to sell their papers.
Leah’s goal was to gain his approval of her sister’s relationship with his brother. Susie had been adamant that Alex wouldn’t believe she was too sick to come in person and that Leah vouching for her wouldn’t be enough. Leah didn’t do deception well. Pretending to be her sister had her breaking out in a nervous sweat.
Face to face with the Greek tycoon, Leah’s throat seemed unbearably thick. Her vocal cords refused to offer up any sound whatsoever.
Worse, every time she looked at him, she was overwhelmed by an acute awareness of his full, sensual lips. Her senses were teased by the faint scent of his sandalwood aftershave…
‘You still want me.’ His rich voice broke into her thoughts.
What?
Her gaze jerked up to meet his. Leah felt heat flooding her cheeks. She’d been caught devouring him with her eyes and had just stopped short of reaching out to touch him. Belatedly, she remembered the whole purpose of her mission.
‘I love your brother. I love Spiros.’ She almost groaned aloud. What happened to the speech she’d rehearsed?
He took one long stride toward her. ‘You vindictive little witch. You’re using my brother.’
Shock had her eyes straining wide at the accusation and contempt in his tone. ‘No!’ She backed away until she was hard up against his desk.
Nowhere to run.
Her fingers curled around the edge of the desk for support. The force of his hot anger blasted down from his eyes, almost causing her shaking legs to give way.
‘You’re trying to wreck his life as a twisted revenge against me,’ he ground out.
Wreck his life? Revenge?
Leah felt her jaw slacken. The man was clearly crazy. ‘Why would I want revenge against you?’
A hiss of released breath revealed his impatience. ‘Don’t play games with me. Stay away from Spiros. Get out of his life or you will be very sorry!’
Susie was right. It seemed Alex Kristidis was completely unreasonable and would stop at nothing to assert his dominance. Maybe he thought he was doing the right thing by his brother, but he hadn’t counted on the love and protectiveness that Leah felt for her sister.
Drawing herself up to her full height, fists clenched at her sides as she faced Alex, she was about to show him that he had met his match. Incensed didn’t come close to what she felt.
‘You’re not listening to me. I came to tell you that Spiros and I love each other. We want to get married.’
‘He may be temporarily infatuated with you, but he doesn’t love you. He’s using you, and defying me.’
Leah felt a slight furrow form between her brows. She shook her head. ‘That’s not true.’
‘Then there’s the other truth,’ he went on. ‘I know you don’t want him — you want me.’
Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. ‘That’s ridiculous!’ she spluttered. Damn the man. He’d picked up on her attraction to him. ‘I hardly know you.’
She watched his eyes narrow to slits of black and gold.
‘You’ve never forgiven me for rejecting you when you were barely out of your teens.’
Her brain reeled. Was he suggesting that Susie made a play for him? Surely not. ‘You obviously misunderstood.’
There was challenge in his eyes, and his short bark of laughter was devoid of humour.
‘You lied to a member of hotel housekeeping to gain access to my suite. You were lying naked in my bed, begging me to join you. What exactly did I misunderstand?’
Leah felt the blood drain away from her face. Surely it couldn’t be true? But logic dictated that he wouldn’t make that claim if it wasn’t. There were only two of them in the room — two people who should know the truth.
‘I rejected you,’ he continued, ‘so you’re lashing out at me by getting involved with Spiros. You want to wreck his life.’
‘No.’ The assertion sounded weak. She was treading water, trying to stay afloat, but was way out of her depth.
‘You could’ve refused to meet me today,’ he continued. ‘Are you hoping I’ll take you to bed if you promise to break off your affair with my brother?’
Chaotic thoughts swirled in Leah’s mind. There must be some sort of mistake. There had to be. Susie couldn’t have done what he suggested. But how could she defend a situation she knew nothing about?
‘You have a colossal ego,’ she retorted. ‘I came to ask you to stop interfering in our relationship, to convince you to give us a chance. Stop pressuring Spiros to break up with me.’
‘I’m not going to let you hurt him.’
‘He’s a big boy, Alex, capable of making his own decisions and choices.’ Leah adopted the same tone of voice she usually reserved for the errant history students she taught. ‘Just leave us alone!’
Leah was anxious to get back home. Susie had turned up on her doorstep the previous morning, incognito, and had stayed overnight. She was waiting back at home and no doubt wanted to learn the outcome of Leah’s meeting with Alex. More importantly, Leah was also eager to talk to her — she wanted to find out exactly what had gone on between Susie and Alex.
She turned on her heel to leave but tripped over the edge of a rug. Losing her balance, she fell sideways, coming precariously close to sending a magnificent Greek urn tumbling off the low table on which it sat.
In a microsecond, Alex’s arms were around her. He deftly prevented the collision, saving her from the embarrassment of being sprawled at his feet, and saving the destruction of what was probably a priceless urn.
He spun her around to face him.
Electricity zapped through her at his touch, making her skin hot and tingly. The current sparked across every nerve and synapse in her body, making her very aware of him in an unsettling way.
‘You’re trembling.’ He sounded surprised.
Was it her imagination or was his accent more pronounced, his voice huskier?
She started to shake from head to toe and felt like her teeth might start chattering at any second.
He didn’t release her, just looked at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes.
‘You don’t want Spiros.’
His hands reached up to her face, the warmth of his lean fingers spreading along her jaw. One thumb started stroking the fullness of her lips. At his touch, they parted of their own volition.