feel a different man since he’d been dating Rio, sparking off conversations about engagement with his sister. Xena had been convinced that, ever since that first date with her friend, an engagement would be a question of when, not if.
* * *
Rio felt crazy and reckless with the anticipation of all that tonight would hold. Tonight she would give herself, give her virginity to a man who was everything she wanted. He might be her best friend’s brother, might have already been engaged once, but he was the man who made her feel alive. Even though she knew he wasn’t looking for any kind of long-term, emotional commitment, he was the man she wanted to be with above all others.
She pushed open the door of the grand room where practices were held and crossed the wooden floor to the piano, her heels echoing in the vastness of the room. Hans had insisted they go over some of her pieces for the final concerts of the season. She was early, so there was time to enjoy just playing, for no other reason than she wanted to.
She hadn’t wasted time changing from her black gown. She’d wanted to get the meeting over and done with and back to Lysandros. For the first time in her life, she was irritated by the need to do such things, annoyed by the fact that it meant she couldn’t be somewhere else, doing something else. Something else she was finally ready for. Even knowing Lysandros was only interested in her physically, she wanted to be with him, wanted to know the pleasure of a night in his bed.
As she sat at the piano she thought of Lysandros, of the way he’d kissed her before she’d left. Even if he hadn’t promised her tonight would be special, it had been there in his kiss. Her heart fluttered with anticipation as she began playing, losing herself in the romance of the piece, letting all her 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
