by Sarah Morgan
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 first.
Soon, she thought. Soon she’d know everything there was to know about seduction.
She washed her hair and was wrapped in a soft towel, wondering why getting ready was supposed to take hours, when there was a tap on the door and two young women entered, clutching several cases.
‘Selene? I’m Dana. I’m a genius with hair.’ Dana pushed the door shut with the toe of her shoe. ‘This is Helena—she’s the make-up fairy.’
‘I don’t own make-up.’ It was embarrassing to admit it but her father had never allowed make-up or anything that he described as ‘vanity’. He’d only paid for her to have a brace because the dentist had told him it would cost him more in the long run if she didn’t have one.
Dana flipped open her case. ‘No problem. We have everything you’ll need.’
‘Do you think you can do something about my freckles and my non-existent eyelashes?’
‘You’re kidding, right?’ Helena peered at her. ‘Your eyelashes are incredible. Thick and long. What’s wrong with them?’
Selene had assumed it was obvious. ‘Don’t you think I look a bit freakish? They’re so fair they barely show up.’
‘Freakish? No, I don’t think you look freakish. As for being fair—that’s why mascara was invented, sweetie.’ With a dazzling smile, she flipped open another case to reveal an array of different make-up. ‘I have everything we’ll need right here.’
‘Hair first.’ Dana pulled a chair into the middle of the room. ‘Sit. And don’t look in the mirror or you’ll ruin the “wow” moment and that’s our favourite part. Just trust me.’
‘Will I recognise myself?’
‘You’ll be the best version of you.’
Selene, intri
gued by what the best version of herself was going to look like, sat still as the girl trimmed her hair, trying not to flinch as blonde curls floated onto her lap. ‘You’re cutting it short?’
‘All I’m doing is taking off the ends to improve the condition and cutting in a few layers to soften it. Stefan threatened never to use me again if I ruin your beautiful hair, although if you want my personal opinion—’ Dana squinted at her ‘—I think it would suit you short.’
He liked her hair. The thought went round and round in her head.
He liked her hair.
It was her first compliment—not actually spoken, of course, but a compliment none the less—and with it came the discovery that the feeling of flying was something that could happen inside you. Her spirits lifted and a smile touched her lips, and as well as the smile and the happiness there was something else. A lump in her throat that caught her by surprise.
‘It’s in great condition.’ Dana’s fingers moved through her hair as she snipped and combed.
He liked her hair.
The girl worked speedily and skilfully, dodging Helena, who was doing Selene’s nails.
Once Selene’s hair was dry Dana swept it up, twisted and pinned until finally she was satisfied. ‘You’re ready for make-up.’
‘Can your magic make-up box get rid of my freckles?’
‘Why would you want to? They’re charming. Part of you. We want to keep you looking like you. That’s one thing he insisted on. This is just primer I’m using, by the way.’ Helena smoothed her fingers over Selene’s face. ‘You have beautiful skin.’ The girl opened a series of pots, potions, colours, concealers, the sight of which made Selene’s head spin. ‘What cleanser do you use?’
‘Soap I make myself.’ Selene delved into her bag and pulled out a bar. ‘Try it. I make candles, too, but Stefan isn’t convinced there’s a market for those.’
‘He’s a man. What does he know?’
Selene smiled and her heart pounded because finally, finally, she believed this might actually happen. Her new life was almost visible, shining like a star in the distance.
The girl sniffed the soap. Her brows rose. ‘Smells good. And your skin is wonderful so that’s a good advert.’ She dropped it into her bag. ‘I’ll try it, thanks.’ She turned back to Selene. ‘I’m not going to use too much make-up on you because you have a wonderfully fresh look and I don’t want to spoil that.’
It took ages, and Selene was just starting to fidget and wonder how much longer it was going to take when Helena stepped back.
‘God, I’m good at my job. You look spectacular. Don’t look in the mirror yet. Get dressed first so that you can see the full effect all at once.’ She grinned. ‘I almost feel sorry for Stefan.’
CHAPTER FOUR
STEFAN moved slowly among his guests, stirring up expectation.
‘So who is she, Stefan?’ A Hollywood actress who had been flirting with him for months didn’t hide her annoyance at his hints that he’d brought a special guest. ‘Not Sonya, I assume?’
‘Not Sonya.’
‘Why so mysterious? And why is she still in the bedroom and not out here, or is that a question one shouldn’t ask?’
‘Worn out from too much sex,’ someone murmured. Stefan simply smiled and accepted a glass of champagne from one of his hovering staff.
‘She leads a very quiet, very private life and this is all very new to her.’ He’d discovered early in life that it was best to sail as close to the truth as possible and he stuck to that now as he carefully conjured suspense and interest among his guests.
Carys Bergen, a model who had been flirting with him for several months, strolled up to him. ‘You’re a wicked man. Who is this reclusive woman that you’re about to produce like a rabbit from a magician’s hat?’
He left his guests simmering in an atmosphere of expectation and strolled through the villa to the master bedroom suite, scooping another glass of champagne on the way.
At first he thought she wasn’t in the room and he gave an impatient frown and glanced around him. ‘Selene?’
‘I’m here.’
He turned his head.
There was no sign of the awkward schoolgirl. The person standing in front of him in a sheath of shimmering scarlet was all woman.
‘That dress was designed for the express purpose of tempting some poor defenceless man to rip it off.’ His eyes weren’t on the dress, but on the delicious curve of her narrow waist and the swell of her breasts above the tight jewelled bodice.
She smiled, clearly delighted by the effect she was having on him. ‘“Defenceless” is not a word anyone would use to describe you. And I know you spend your life escorting women who wear stunning dresses so what makes this one special?’
‘The person wearing it.’
‘Oh, smooth, Mr Ziakas.’
Unused to women whose response to compliments was laughter, Stefan handed her a glass. ‘Champagne in a tall, slim glass, a red dress and a guy in a dinner jacket. This could be the first time in my life I’ve made a woman’s dreams come true.’
‘Mmm, thank you.’ She took a mouthful of champagne, her eyes closing as if she wanted to savour the moment. ‘It tastes like celebration.’ Immediately she took another sip, and then another larger gulp.
Stefan raised his brows. ‘If you want to remember the evening, drink slowly.’
‘It tastes delicious. I love the feel of the bubbles on my tongue. And one of the best things about my new independence is being able to decide what I drink and what I don’t drink.’
‘That’s fine. But, delighted though I am that you’re clearly capable of enjoying the sensual potential of champagne, I’d rather my date wasn’t unconscious. From now on take tiny sips and count to a hundred in between.’ He held out his arm and she immediately put her empty glass down, took his arm and smiled up at him.
‘Thank you.’
That wide, genuine smile knocked him off-balance. He was used to coy, flirtatious and manipulative. ‘Friendly’ was new to him and he had no idea how to respond.
She appeared to have no sense of caution. No layers of protection between her and the world. How the hell was she going to manage when she was no longer protected by her father’s security machine?
‘What are you thanking me for?’
‘For agreeing to help me, for inviting me to this party and for arranging all these wonderful clothes. It’s the perfect way to start my new life. You’re my hero.’ She stood back slightly, her eyes on his shoulders. ‘You look smoking hot in a dinner jacket, by the way. Very macho. I bet all the dragons in Greece are trembling in their caves, or wherever it is dragons live when they’re not munching on innocent maidens.’
‘Heroes don’t exist in real life and you’ve definitely drunk that too fast.’ Stefan made a mental note to brief the staff to make her next drink non-alcoholic, otherwise she’d be lying face-down in a coma before the party had even begun.
‘You’re too modest.’ Her eyes drifted from his shoulders to his mouth. ‘People are so wrong about you.’
‘You are far too trusting. What if they’re right?’
Apparently undaunted by that suggestion, she closed her other hand round his lapel and pulled him towards her. ‘Do you know what I think? I think you’ve created this bad-boy image to keep people—women especially—at a distance. I think you’re afraid of intimacy.’
Stefan felt darkness press in on him.
She’d found the one tiny chink in his armour and thrust her sword into it.
How? How had she done that? Was it a lucky guess?
It had to be a lucky guess. She didn’t know anything about his past. No one did.
‘I’m not afraid of intimacy and later I’m going to prove that to you, so don’t drink any more or you’ll fall asleep before we reach the interesting part of the evening.’ Ignoring her puzzled expression, he guided her towards the door.
‘I’ve upset you. Did I say something wrong?’
‘Wha
t makes you think you’ve upset me?’
‘Because your voice changed.’
Stefan, who prided himself on being inscrutable, started to sweat. Did she pick up on everything? ‘You haven’t upset me but I have guests, and I’ve already kept them waiting long enough. Are you ready?’
‘Yes. Although I’m bracing myself to be hated.’
‘Why would you be hated?’
‘Because I’m with the hottest guy on the planet. All the women are going to hate me, but don’t worry about it. When you’re Stavros Antaxos’s daughter you get used to not having friends.’
Her tone was light but he instantly thought of the night on the boat, when she’d found a hidden corner to sit, away from all the other guests. She’d worn her loneliness with a brave smile but she’d been almost pathetically grateful when he’d sat down and talked to her.
‘Friendship is idealised and overrated. If someone wants to be friends with you, it’s usually because they want something.’
‘I don’t believe that.’
‘You mean you don’t want to believe it. You are hopelessly idealistic.’ He held the door open for her and the brightness of her expression dimmed slightly.
‘So you’re saying that true friendship is impossible?’
‘I’m saying that the temptation of money is too strong for most people. It changes things.’ The scar inside him ached, reminding him of the truth of that. ‘Just something to bear in mind for the future if you don’t want to be hurt.’
‘Is that what you do? Do you live your life protecting yourself from being hurt?’
Stefan, who was used to keeping his conversations satisfyingly superficial, wondered why every exchange with her dived far beneath the surface. ‘I live my life the way I want to live it. Right now I’d like to attend my own party. Shall we go?’
* * *
Everyone was staring, some discreetly over the top of their champagne glasses and some more openly. But all the glances revealed the same emotion.
Shock.
Feeling like a caged bird suddenly released to freedom, Selene took another glass of champagne just because she could.
Stefan frowned. ‘Are you sure you should drink that?’