and everyone else out, too. The bleak, dark atmosphere inside the place had somehow permeated the stone so that even the building felt unfriendly. ‘It’s stuffy in the summer and dark and cheerless in the winter. I like the light here. You have a very happy home.’
‘Happy?’ He glanced up at the villa, a faint frown between his eyes. ‘You think a building has moods?’
‘Definitely. Don’t you?’
‘I think a building is a building.’
‘Oh, no, that isn’t true. A building can make a person feel different. Here, the sunshine makes you want to smile. And all this space—it feels like being free.’ She spread her arms. ‘I’ve always wanted to be a bird so I can fly.’ Fly away from the island that had held her trapped for so long.
But she’d finally escaped. She’d done it.
This was the start of her new life.
Excited, she did a twirl. Stefan shot out a hand and steadied her before she lost her balance. ‘Probably best if you don’t fly here. I’ve seen pictures of your home on Antaxos. You live in a building the size of a castle.’
Selene was conscious 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
