emotion pour out through her fingers as she played.
As she ended the piece her whole body was humming with need for Lysandros. She closed her eyes and sat, hands lying on her lap as she savoured the moment.
‘Now, that was beautiful.’ Hans’s voice came from behind her. Very close behind her.
She gasped and turned around, annoyed that he’d invaded her private moment. She felt vulnerable. Exposed. He’d watched her as she’d given free rein to her emotions, as she’d allowed all the desire she felt for Lysandros to pour into the music.
‘You should have said you were there.’ She couldn’t keep the irritation from her voice.
‘And ruin such a moment?’ He looked at her, his gaze sweeping down her body. ‘You looked so beautiful. So passionate.’
He stepped closer to her as he spoke and for the first time ever Rio felt threatened by a man’s presence. The smell of alcohol hung around him and she didn’t like the way he looked at her, the way he’d wiped away the purity of her feelings for Lysandros. Mentally she shook herself. She was overreacting. Embarrassed at being caught off guard.
‘Shall we go through what you wanted to discuss?’ Desperately she tried to get the practice session back on track.
‘Play something for me.’ He seemed to be goading her. As if he’d known she’d been playing for someone else. For Lysandros.
She swallowed down her nerves, sure her embarrassment must be making her see things that weren’t there. As she turned on the piano stool and sorted her music, she was aware of him moving even closer. She glanced over the grand piano towards the big bay window and the parkland beyond, which was coming to life now with spring. In the summer it would be full of people enjoying the sunshine. Now it was empty.
‘That one,’ he said as he leant over her shoulder, moving one piece of music to the front.
Play, she told herself. Just play and he will step back.
She took a breath and placed her fingers lightly on the keys. After a few seconds’ pause, she began to play. At first it was stilted, emotionless as the uncertainty of the moment took over. He hadn’t moved at all. Was she just being panicky? Gradually, even though he remained behind her, she began to relax, and the music flowed more naturally round the vastness of the domed room.
She finished the piece and sat looking at the keys, not daring to look up at him. When his hand rested on her bare shoulder she stiffened, her eyes wide. What was he doing?
She turned and looked at his hand, unable to move any other part of her body. She should get up, should step away, but she couldn’t. Paralysed by fear, she dragged in a ragged breath.
As if her stillness had given consent, his hand moved lower, down over her chest, and she gasped, moving backwards on the stool, only to come against the firmness of his body.
‘Don’t,’ she said, snatching at his hand as it slipped alarmingly lower. Inside the fabric of her gown. Instinctively she curled herself inwards, hoping the movement would prevent what he was trying to do, but the fabric slackened, enabling him to fully grasp her breast.
‘What are you doing?’ she shouted.
The room echoed with the sound as she tried to avoid him, but his grasp tightened painfully on her breast and she was trapped between his body and his arm. How could this be happening?
‘I’m giving you what you want.’ His voice had changed, become hard and menacing. His face was so close to hers now she could smell stale alcohol on his breath.
‘No. No. This isn’t what I want.’ She struggled again and his grip on her tightened, his free hand now pressing down on her other shoulder.
‘Don’t be shy, Rio. I know you want it.’ He groped at her breast. Pain shot through it. Sickness filled her. She had to stop this. Had to get away.
She pushed against the piano with a discordant jangle of keys. Her heels making it difficult, she scrambled to her feet. Finally, she was free of him, but so shocked by what had just happened she stood there, panting wildly as she looked at him.
Too late she realised her mistake. She should have run when she’d had the chance. He moved quickly, his body pressing hers against the keys, his mouth claiming hers in a cruel kiss. He roughly pulled her dress up, his hand grasping at her thigh as his body pushed her even harder against the piano.
The sound of her dress ripping galvanised her into action and she pushed against him. ‘Get off.’
He was too strong for her. ‘I like it rough,’ he said as he tried to kiss her neck, his stubble scratching her skin, his foul breath making her retch.
‘No,’ she screamed as panic tore through her. He couldn’t do this to her. He couldn’t. She fought harder, screamed louder. ‘No. Stop it.’
‘What the hell?’ Another voice mingled with her scream and Hans let her go. She sagged in relief as his weight suddenly moved away from her. Anger took over and she watched Hans being manhandled off her by two other members of the orchestra. Then shock set in. The whole thing had lasted only minutes, but it had felt like hours. Rio slithered to the floor, her arms clutching the piano stool as if she’d been cast into the sea and it was all she had to hold on to.
She rested her head on her arms, not wanting to watch now as the scuffle continued amidst Hans’s angry accusations. How could he accuse her of leading him on? How could he say she had been up for it?
Tears slipped from her eyes. What had just happened?
‘Are you hurt?’ A woman’s voice, gentle but filled with anger, made her lift her face. Rio glanced around the room like a scared rabbit. ‘He’s gone.’
‘Thank goodness.’ She shivered, the shock of her ordeal really taking effect now. ‘God knows what he would have done if you hadn’t shown up.’
‘Evil bastard,’ the woman snapped. ‘Thank heavens the room was double-booked and that I had Philip and Josh with me.’
‘Double-booked?’ She looked up in confusion, not really knowing where she was any more. Nothing seemed to make sense.
The older woman placed her jacket round Rio’s shoulders, which, instead of comforting her, only made her shiver even more. ‘Don’t worry about that now. Just be safe in the knowledge that as soon as the police get here he will be locked up and will never be able to do this to you or anyone else again.’
‘What do you mean?’ Her eyes were wide with fear and shock, tears threatening once again.
‘The police will need your statement, as soon as you are able to, that is.’
‘The police?’
‘Yes. I called them whilst Philip and Josh wrestled him off you.’ There was a hint of humour in the older woman’s voice now and Rio gave a weak smile, finally realising who the woman was. Judith Jones, one of the company’s newest members, a fabulous conductor and now her saviour.
Rio tried to stand, the ripped front of her dress falling away. She gasped in shock. Had he done that to her? Hans? ‘My dress.’
Judith hugged her. ‘The dress isn’t important, Rio. All that matters is that we found you in time.’
Rio sniffed as the reality of Judith’s words sank in. ‘If you hadn’t come along...’ The implication hung in the air.
‘But we did,’ she soothed. ‘And you can give your statement to the police.’
‘Yes,’ Rio said shakily.
‘After you have done that, you will come to my home. I will personally take care of you tonight—unless there is someone else you’d rather be with, because you shouldn’t be alone.’
‘No,’ Rio whispered sadly. How could she go to Lysandros now? After all she’d just promised him? She