of the strength of his fingers on her arm. ‘It isn’t anything like this. My father doesn’t like spending money on material things.’
‘Is there anything that your father does like?’
Hurting people.
She stood, searching for an appropriate response to his question, her heart a ball of pain in her chest. ‘Winning,’ she said finally. ‘He likes winning.’
‘Yes.’ His hand dropped abruptly from her arm. ‘Yes, he does.’
And he’d know, of course, because he was her father’s biggest business rival. She sensed the anger in him and she also sensed something more. Something dark lurked behind those sexy eyes. ‘You really hate my father, don’t you?’
‘It’s true to say he’s not my favourite person in the world.’ The deceptively light banter and that attractive slanting smile didn’t fool her.
This man was every bit as tough as her father.
She felt a twinge of unease, but already he was strolling ahead of her. She tried to ignore the little voice in her head telling her this might not have been such a good idea after all.
It was her first party. Her first ‘date’ with a man. It was natural to be a little apprehensive.
She followed him through a beautiful living space with white walls and uninterrupted views of the sea into the most beautiful bedroom she’d ever seen.
Forgetting her unease, Selene stared around her in delight. ‘It’s gorgeous. There’s a pool outside the doors and you can see the sea from the bed. It’s stunning. Is this my room?’
He turned to her with a slow, deliberate smile. ‘It’s my room,’ he said, his tone soft and intimate as he lifted his hand and gently pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, ‘but you’re sharing it, koukla mou.’
She didn’t know whether it was the endearment that made her heart bump harder, the seductive brush of his fingers against her cheek or the anticipation of what was to come. ‘The bed looks comfortable.’
‘It is. Unfortunately proving that will have to wait until later.’
‘I didn’t mean that.’
‘I know. I’m finding your tendency to speak before you think surprisingly endearing.’
The crazy thing was she wasn’t normally like that. At home she had to guard every word. She wondered why she’d suddenly lost that built-in inhibition and decided it was just because her father wasn’t present. It was liberating not to have to watch what she said. ‘I’m going to zip my mouth.’
That dark gaze dropped to her mouth. ‘Don’t. I like it.’
Heart thudding, she looked at his lips. Noticed that they were firm and slightly curved.
‘No,’ he said gently.
Her eyes lifted to his. ‘No?’
‘No, I’m not going to kiss you. At least, not yet. Tempted though I am to snatch a few moments, there are some things that shouldn’t be rushed and your first time is one of them.’
The fact that he knew it was her first time should have embarrassed her but it didn’t, and she didn’t waste time denying something that would be obvious to a man like him.
There was an almost electric connection between them that she felt right through her body. Warmth spread through her pelvis and she felt shaky with need. She wanted him to kiss her so badly she couldn’t imagine how she was going to last a whole evening without just grabbing him. ‘Maybe I don’t mind being rushed.’
Frowning slightly, he brushed this thumb over her lower lip, the movement slow and lingering. ‘You need to be more cautious around men.’
And normally she was cautious, of course, not least because all the men she knew worked for her father in some capacity. But Stefan was different. He wasn’t afraid of her father. And he’d got her through that horrible night when she was a teenager. ‘I don’t feel a need to be cautious around you. Does that sound crazy?’
‘Yes.’
‘I trust you.’
‘Don’t.’
‘Why not? You’re not being paid by my father.’
Silence stretched between them.
His eyes glittering, he lowered his head a fraction until his forehead was against hers and their mouths were a breath apart. The brush of his fingers against her cheek was gentle and seductive at the same time. ‘You’ve come here with me but I want you to know it’s not too late for you to change your mind.’
‘I’m not going to change my mind.’
His gaze darkened. ‘Maybe I should just cancel the party and we can have our own party here, just the two of us.’
Awareness twisted in her stomach. The tension was stifling. She felt as if she were standing on the edge of a deep, dark pool about to jump, with no idea whether she’d be able to save herself from drowning. ‘If we have our own party here, I couldn’t wear my new dress.’
‘You could wear it for me.’ His mouth slanted into that sexy smile. ‘And I could remove it.’
Her hand was resting on his arm and she could feel the hardness of his biceps under her fingers. ‘Isn’t that rather a waste of an expensive dress?’
‘The dress is just packaging. It’s the product underneath that interests me.’ His fingers stroked her neck gently and then his phone rang. He stepped back with a regretful smile. ‘Probably a good thing. I need enough time to do justice to the moment. Our guests will be arriving in a few hours and in true Cinderella style you need to get ready.’
A few hours? ‘How long do you think it will take me?’
‘In my experience most women take a lifetime to get ready. In the hope of speeding up that process, I’ve arranged for you to have some help. Not only am I a knight in shining armour, I’m also a fairy godmother. In fact the extent of my benevolence is starting to astonish me.’ His phone continued to ring and he dragged it out of his pocket. ‘Excuse me. I need to take this.’
As the door closed behind him Selene stood still. Her cheek tingled from the touch of his fingers and the only thing in her head was the memory of hard, male muscle under her fingers.
With a shiver, she wrapped her arms around herself and turned to look at the bed. It was enormous, draped in white linen and facing the sea. Indulgent, luxurious and like nothing she’d ever seen before. Experimenting, she slid off her shoes and jumped into the middle of it, moaning with delight as she felt the soft mound of pillows give beneath her. It was like being hugged by a cloud.
She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, smiling.
She felt free.
Right this moment no one knew where she was. No one was watching her. No one was reporting her every move to her father. No one had told her where she had to be. She was here because she had decided she wanted to be here.
Going to Stefan for help had been her first good decision and agreeing to come to the party had been her second.
Feeling light-headed, she sprang off the bed and explored the rest of the bedroom suite.
There was a ridiculously luxurious bathroom with a wall of glass that made it possible to lie in the bath and look at the sea.
Determined to indulge herself, Selene unpacked her own candles and soap. Then she ran herself a deep bath and lay in it, enjoying the scent of the candle.
She wasn’t so naïve she didn’t know what was going to happen and she wanted it to happen. She’d dreamed about Stefan for years. Had had years to think about it. Imagine it. It was perfect that he should be the