At His Revenge: Sold to the Enemy / Bartering Her Innocence / Innocent of His Claim

Thoughtful, she finished her champagne. He removed the empty glass from her hand and replaced it with orange juice.

‘Here’s a hint—alcohol makes you feel good for five minutes, then you crash and you’ll be crying on my shoulder.’

‘I only cry when I’m happy. Although you should know I’m very happy tonight so you probably ought to stock up on tissues.’ Laughing at the look on his face, she tugged her hand from his and spun onto the dance floor. Emerging from a pirouette, she smacked into Stefan who closed his hands around her arms to steady her.

‘No more champagne.’

‘Killjoy.’

‘I’m preserving my sanity and your brain cells.’

‘I just want to start living my life.’ The thumping rhythm of the music made it impossible not to dance.

Stefan clamped his arm around her to restrict her movements. ‘But you don’t have to live it all in one night.’

The music slowed and he drew her against him. She sighed and slid her arms around his neck. ‘You know when you have a dream and the reality turns out even better?’

He covered her lips with his fingers. ‘I don’t know what is coming out of your mouth next, but I suggest this would be a good moment to clamp it shut.’

‘It’s no wonder all the women chase after you because you are seriously hot.’

He shook his head in disbelief. ‘Whatever happened to the shy, withdrawn nun who walked into my office?’

‘I think this might be the real me, and the real me has never been let out before.’

Amusement mingled with exasperation. ‘Should I be afraid?’

‘You’re not afraid of anything. That’s why I came to you. I know it’s not politically correct to admit it but I think I might be very turned on by strong men.’ Dizzy from the atmosphere and the champagne circulating in her system, Selene leaned her forehead against his chest. ‘And it doesn’t hurt that you smell amazing.’

‘Selene—’

‘And you kiss like a god. You must have had hours of practice to be able to kiss like that. It’s brilliant to have ticked the first thing on my wish list.’

‘You have a wish list?’

‘I have a list of ten things I want to experience the moment I leave the island and start my new life. Being kissed is one of them and I have to say you aced that one. I’m so glad it was you and not some slobbery amateur. Another is waking up next to a really hot guy.’ She sneaked a look at him and he shook his head in disbelief.

‘So this is what happens when an overprotected daughter suddenly cuts loose. Until a few hours ago you were a shy girl who had never been near a city. What else is on this list of yours?’

Selene discovered that her head was too fuzzy to remember in detail. ‘Being able to make my own decisions about everything. Sex is on my list, too, obviously. Wild, abandoned sex.’

‘With anyone in particular?’ His mocking tone made her smile.

‘Yes, you. I always wanted the first time to be you.’ She saw no reason not to be honest. ‘I hope I’m not giving you performance anxiety? No pressure or anything.’

His eyes glittered down into hers but he was no longer smiling. Somewhere during the course of their conversation the atmosphere had shifted subtly. ‘I think the champagne is talking.’

‘No, I’m pretty sure it was me, although the champagne might have prompted it. It’s good at removing inhibitions.’

‘I’d noticed.’ With a driven sigh, he drew her off the dance floor and down a narrow path that led to the beach.

‘Where are we going? You’re walking too fast.’

‘I’m removing you from public before you tip over the edge and do something you’re going to regret.’ He cursed under his breath as she stumbled and fell against him. ‘Cristos, I should have taken that third glass of champagne out of your hand.’ His voice harsh, he swept her into his arms as if she weighed nothing and continued down the steps. ‘Here’s another tip. Next time stop drinking while you can still walk in a straight line.’

‘There might not be a next time. That’s why I’m making the most of this time. You have to live for the moment and I’m living for the moment. At least, I’m trying to live for the moment but it’s hard to do that unless the other person is doing it too.’

‘Theé mou—’ Jaw tense, he lowered her to her feet and Selene collapsed onto the sand in a dizzy heap.

Shaking her head to try and dispel the swimmy feeling, she pulled her shoes off her feet. ‘The world is spinning. Next time I won’t drink quite as much quite as fast. And if you even mouth the words “I told you so” I will punch you.’

He swore softly under his breath. ‘Do you even realise what could happen to you in this state? You virtually offered yourself to me.’

‘I did offer myself to you, but obviously that was too forward of me because now you’re frowning. Is it because you don’t think a woman has as much right to enjoy sex as a man?’

He sucked air through his teeth. ‘I don’t think that.’

‘Then why are you looking so disapproving? I was relying on you being as bad as everyone says you are.’ She flopped back onto the soft sand and he gave a growl low in his throat.

‘One of my few life rules is never to have sex with a drunk woman. You should be grateful for that. Stand up! I can’t have a conversation with you when you’re lying at my feet like a starfish.’

‘Why do men always compare me to animals? First my father says I’m a giraffe and now you say I’m a starfish. The day a man tells me I’m a whale, I’m killing myself.’

With an exasperated sigh he bent and lifted her and she tumbled against him, her body pressed hard against his. There was a tense, throbbing silence broken only by the soft sound of the sea on the sand and his harsh breathing in her ear.

‘This,’ he breathed, ‘is not turning out the way I planned it.’

‘Tell me about it. I thought amazing things would happen to a girl wearing a dress like this but all I got was lots of anticipation, an incredible kiss and a lecture.’

His grip on her tightened. ‘You should be grateful I’m showing restraint.’

‘Well, I’m not. I hate the fact you’re so controlled. I’d do anything for you to just lose it for a moment and follow your deepest male instincts.’

He muttered something under his breath and then cupped her face in his hands and slanted his mouth over hers. Excitement flashed through her, slid through her limbs and deep into her bones until she felt the strength leaving her. As his tongue traced the seam of her lips and dipped inside Selene felt her tummy tighten and the world spin. His mouth moved slowly, expertly, over hers and she lost track of time and place, of herself.

Just when she’d decided that all her dreams about kissing were still intact, he released her.

The sense of loss was searing.

She stared up at him in the semi-darkness, acutely aware of the contrast between them. He was all raw power and masculinity. Despite her height, in her bare feet she barely reached his shoulder.

Without thinking she stretched out her hand and touched his face and instantly heard his sharp intake of breath.

‘I’m taking you back to the room.’

‘Yes. Take me back to your room so that we can try out your big, beautiful bed. Strip me naked and do unspeakable things to me,’ she murmured, running her fingers over his biceps. ‘You’re very strong.’

‘Strong enough to stop you doing something you’ll regret tomorrow.’

‘You see? You pretend to be bad, but then you’re good. I hate to say I told you so, but I was right all along. Secretly you’re a nice person, although right now …’ Selene suppressed a yawn. ‘Right now, I wish you weren’t.’

‘Stop talking, Selene. Whenever a thought comes into your head, just trap it there. Don’t let it out.’

‘That’s what I’ve been doing all my life. If my brain is a computer then my hard drive is definitely full.’ She gave a gasp as he scooped her off her feet and strode across the sand.

Mouth tight with disapproval, he carried her up a flight of illuminated steps to a private part of the villa. Brightly coloured bougainvillaea tumbled over whitewashed walls and he strode past the small pool she’d noticed earlier outside the doors of the master suite.

‘This place is so romantic. Just in case you don’t have the energy to make it to the beach, you can leap in here on the way.’ Selene gazed at the smooth, floodlit surface of the water, thinking it was the most tranquil place she’d ever seen. Lush exotic plants clustered around the edge of a beautiful pool and the tantalising sound of water came from two elaborate water features. ‘How long have you owned this place?’

‘A long time.’ His voice was terse. ‘Can you walk or do you want me to carry you?’

‘I definitely want you to carry me. I really like it.’ Selene tightened her arms around his neck. ‘I want you to carry me straight to bed, and teach me everything I don’t know about seduction. We can call it market research.’

‘The state you’re in, you won’t remember any of it in the morning.’

‘If it makes you feel better, I’ll make notes. I promise to concentrate and learn quickly. You won’t have to tell me anything twice.’

‘The first thing you should learn is that you should never, ever drink again. The next time you are given a choice of drink or no drink, choose no drink.’ Casting her a look of undiluted exasperation, Stefan deposited her in the centre of the huge bed and turned to the woman who had just entered the room. He spoke in rapid Greek as Selene flopped onto her side.

‘You’re always giving out orders. Does anyone ever say no to you?’

‘They work for me. They’re paid to say yes. I ordered you a pot of coffee.’

‘I can’t drink coffee this late. It will keep me awake. Do you give orders in the bedroom?’ She sat up and rested her chin on her knees as she watched him. ‘Remove your clothes—lie like this—’ Her voice was sultry and she saw that his powerful body was simmering with barely suppressed tension.

‘Stop talking,’ Stefan advised in a thickened tone.

Selene watched him hungrily, admiring the sleek, powerful lines of his body. ‘Can I ask you something?’

‘No.’

‘Have you ever been in love?’

‘Stop talking, Selene. Snap that pretty mouth of yours shut and keep it shut.’ He wrenched off his jacket and slung it on the nearest chair.

‘I’ll take that as a no.’ Her head spinning, Selene flopped back against the soft pile of pillows that adorned the bed. ‘I want to be in love. I really, really want to be in love. As long as he loves me back. I would never, ever be with someone who doesn’t care for me. That’s one of my rules.’

‘Does this conversation have a point?’

‘I’m just telling you more about me.’

‘I don’t need to know more about you. I already know all I need to know.’

‘So you’re a man who doesn’t believe in love? I bet as far as you’re concerned it’s a myth right up there with the Minotaur and the legend of Atlantis.’

‘You should definitely stop talking.’ Stefan removed his bow tie with an impatient flick of his long fingers. ‘Go into the bathroom and turn the shower to cold. It might help you. It would definitely help me.’

She rolled onto her stomach and leaned her chin in her palm. ‘Do you know what this room needs? Scented candles. Studies have shown that nine out of ten men are more likely to get laid if there is a scented candle in the room.’

His mouth tightened. ‘You know nothing about getting laid.’

‘I’m doing my best but you’re not being very accommodating.’ Trying to distract herself from the spinning, Selene beckoned to him. ‘Kiss me. And this time don’t stop.’

He stilled, his eyes a dark, dangerous black. ‘You are playing with fire.’

‘I’d so much rather be playing with you …’ Registering the exasperation on his face, she giggled. ‘For a sophisticated man of the world with a shocking reputation, you’re very restrained.’

‘A drunk woman telling me she wants love tends to do that to me.’ Unbelievably tense, Stefan dropped his tie onto a vacant chair and undid the top button of his shirt, his eyes never leaving her face.

‘I am definitely not drunk and I absolutely don’t want love from you. I just want sex,’ Selene said firmly. ‘Really steamy sex. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I won’t hurt you. And you can walk away afterwards and neither of us will mention it again. It will be our little secret.’

The atmosphere shifted in an instant. For a moment she thought he was going to walk out of the room but instead he stared at her for a long time, as if he were making a decision about something.

Just when she’d given up on him taking it any further, he walked towards her with a purposeful stride.

As he approached her tummy tumbled and she felt a wild flicker of delicious, terrifying anticipation.

Her eyes collided with his and she struggled to sit up. ‘Say something—’

‘You’ve said more than enough already. It’s time to stop talking.’ His tone raw, he undid the buttons on his shirt with sure, strong fingers and her mouth dried.

Her stunned gaze rested on his wide shoulders and slid slowly down to his flat abdomen.

‘I—I—’

‘You issued an invitation, Selene. I’m here to take it up.’

As her eyes fixed on his he shrugged the shirt off his shoulders revealing a bare, bronzed torso that would have been the pride of any gladiator.

‘That’s what you want, isn’t it?’

Still looking at her, he reached for the button at the top of his trousers …

CHAPTER FIVE

STEFAN lay with his hands hooked behind his head, watching as dawn sent beams of light across the bedroom. He could see a tiny bird dipping itself in the pool, playing innocently, blissfully unaware of the possibility of danger.

It reminded him of Selene.

Next to him, she stirred. With a moan, she flung her arm over her eyes. ‘Turn the light off. Ugh—how can you be so thoughtless? It’s giving me a headache.’

He turned his head to look at her, remembering how frank and open she’d been. He was starting to understand why her father was so overprotective. She was a sitting duck for any unscrupulous individual that happened to come along.

And now she was lying in his bed.

His bed. In his house, where no woman had stayed the night before. The house he’d built from nothing after Stavros Antaxos had ripped everything from his family.

Now he lay in silk sheets, but he never forgot how it had felt to lie on the cold, hard ground with the smell of rotting food in his nostrils. He never forgot the pain of seeing someone he loved laughing with someone he hated.

Stefan reached out and pushed her tangled blonde hair away from her face, remembering how open she’d been with him. It was the champagne, of course. ‘It’s called the sun. It’s morning and your headache has nothing to do with the light.’

She peeled her eyelids open gingerly. For a moment she stared at him, as if trying to work something out. Those eyes slid from his bare shoulders to his abdomen and lower to—

‘You’re naked?’ She shot up in bed and then groaned and immediately flopped back down again. ‘Oh, my God, that hurts.’

There was something hopelessly endearing about her lack of sophistication. ‘Yes, I’m naked. And so are you. That generally happens when two people spend the night together.’ He waited for his words to sink in. Watched as her eyes widened and a faint colour touched her pale cheeks.

There would be regret, he knew. She would shoot out of his bed, accuse him of taking advantage of her and that would be the end of that. Except he would have taught her a lesson life hadn’t yet taught her. To be cautious of people.

Next time she’d be more careful.

Next time she wouldn’t drink so much with a man she didn’t know—especially a man with his reputation.

Next time she’d know better than to trust someone like him.

‘You undressed me and I don’t even remember it.’ Her voice was muffled by the pillow. ‘I bet that was fun for you. I don’t feel too good. Could I have a drink, please?’

‘More champagne? That was your favourite drink last night.’

The sound from her throat was a whimper. ‘No, not champagne. I’m never drinking again. It hurts so much. Why didn’t anyone tell me it hurts afterwards? Water. Is there any water? A glass from the pool will do. I don’t care. Anything as long as it isn’t champagne.’

Stefan reached out a hand for the phone and spoke to someone in the kitchen, all the time aware of Selene burrowed into the pillow next to him like a very vulnerable, very sleepy kitten. She was adorable.

He frowned slightly, realising it wasn’t an adjective he’d had cause to use before.

The sheet had slipped. He stared at the smooth skin of her shoulder, knowing that no other man had enjoyed the view he was enjoying now. Unable to help himself, he reached out and ran his hand down the length of her arm, feeling her tremble. But still she stayed in his bed. Even though the alcohol had to have worked its way out of her system, she wasn’t showing any more caution than she had the night before.

Tenser than he could ever remember being, Stefan sprang from the bed and grabbed boxer shorts and jeans. ‘My advice would be to go and take a long, cold shower.’

‘That sounds like a truly horrible idea.’ Selene winced as he pulled up his zip. ‘Could you try and be a bit quieter? The noise is killing my head.’

And still she lay there. In his bed. In his home. Trusting him.

His fury with her father growing with every passing minute, Stefan dragged open the door of his bedroom suite, removed the tray from his staff with a nod of thanks and kicked the door shut.

Unaccustomed to playing the role of nurse, he poured iced water into a glass and handed it to her.

Run, part of him screamed. Get out of here while you can.

Still half under the covers, Selene eyed it doubtfully. ‘I’m not sure if I’m thirsty after all. My stomach isn’t happy.’

‘You’re dehydrated. You need fluid. And then you need food.’

‘How can you mention food at a time like this?’

After a moment’s hesitation, he sat down on the bed next to her and scooped her up, keeping his arm around her bare shoulders. Trying to ignore the softness of her flesh beneath his fingers, he lifted the glass to her lips. ‘Drink. You’ll feel better.’ At least one of them would. He should never have brought her back here. It had been an appalling error of judgement on his part.

‘I feel hideous. And I hate you for being so full of energy first thing in the morning.’ Instead of taking the glass from him, she curled her fingers over his and took a few sips. ‘Thank you. You’re so kind.’

Kind.

The word jarred against his thoughts.

He felt a rush of exasperation. Somehow he had to kill this impression she had of him as some sort of god. ‘You’re naked in my bed and you remember nothing of last night.’

‘I know. I’m furious.’

Stefan relaxed slightly. This was better. ‘Good. You should be furious with me for taking advantage of you.’

‘Oh, I’m not furious with you. I’m furious with myself. You kept telling me not to drink. I drank. My fault. How could I be furious with you? You’ve been amazing.’

‘I was the one who stripped you naked.’

‘It would have been horribly uncomfortable sleeping in that dress, so I’m grateful to you.’

He’d spent his life shattering women’s illusions without trying and now, when he wanted to, he didn’t seem able to manage it. Stefan shifted tack. ‘It was a very exciting night. I am now familiar with every delicious inch of your body, and you,’ he murmured, ‘are familiar with every inch of mine.’

Still with her hands locked around his, Selene took a tiny sip of water. ‘Really?’

‘Really. You were so responsive. Unbelievably bold for someone with so little experience. When you suggested I tie you up, I admit I was surprised. I didn’t think someone as innocent as you would be prepared to give a man that much power.’ He’d expected shock. He hadn’t expected a smile.

‘I trust you. Whatever you want to do will always be fine with me.’ Her simple declaration raised his tension levels several notches. Heat exploded through his body.

‘Theé mou, I thought you were so trusting because you were drunk, but apparently not. What does it take to get you to show caution?’

‘I can be cautious when I have to be. I just don’t feel the need when I’m with you.’

‘You should be angry.’

‘I am angry. Angry with myself for ruining a really special night. You warned me to stop drinking and I didn’t listen. You could have left me in a heap on the beach for anyone to take advantage of.’

Stefan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. ‘I took advantage of you.’

‘No, you didn’t. And I’m the one who should be apologising to you for flirting and then collapsing unconscious. Hardly responsible behaviour. You were thoughtful and protective and you lay in bed all night wide awake, frustrated and determined not to touch me because that would have gone against your moral code.’

Why was it that her response was never what he expected? ‘Selene, I don’t have a moral code.’

‘If that’s true then why didn’t we have sex?’

‘What makes you so sure that we didn’t?’

‘I may be inexperienced but I’m not stupid. I’d know if I’d had sex. And you wouldn’t have done that. Not like that. Not with me. You protected me.’

Her voice husky, she turned her head to look at him and that look contained everything he’d avoided all his life. Depth. He’d always run from it because it led to something he absolutely didn’t want. Not ever. He’d seen what that did. Seen lives ripped apart because of it.

‘Stop turning me into a hero.’

‘You could have taken advantage of me, but you didn’t. You could have left me on the beach, but you didn’t. You put me safely to bed where no harm could come to me.’

‘My bed.’

‘Where you didn’t touch me.’

The rawness of the attraction was shocking. It pulled at the edges of his control, dragging him downwards. He no longer knew who he was protecting—himself or her.

‘I was doing you a favour.’

‘But you never do people favours, so that makes me feel even more special.’ There was a brief pause and then she gave him a soft look that almost finished him. ‘You’re right. I should take that shower. It will wake me up and make me feel more human.’ Her fingers uncurled from his and she slid from the bed, stood for a moment as if she were getting her balance and then walked towards the bathroom.

Naked.

Deciding that selflessness was definitely an overrated quality, Stefan was torn between a desire to flatten her back to the bed or throw a sheet over her. ‘You should cover up.’

‘What would be the point of that? You were the one who undressed me. You’ve already seen everything there is to see.’

She stood under the shower, feeling the cool water wash over her.

The drink and the tablets had cleared her head and reduced the pain to a dull ache. What couldn’t be so easily erased was the knowledge she’d messed up what should have been the best night of her life so far. She almost wished he’d lived up to his reputation because then she wouldn’t have been standing here bathed in regret.

Switching off the shower, she groped for the towel she’d put out for herself and instead encountered hard male muscle.

Swiping water from her eyes, she opened them. What she saw made her breath catch.

There was nothing tame there. Nothing gentle. Just raw male sexuality.

And he was naked, too.

‘Maybe you should have locked the door, Selene.’

His silky voice made her stomach flip. ‘Maybe I didn’t see the need.’

‘No?’ He slid his hand behind her neck, his eyes locked on hers as he drew her head towards him. ‘You need to develop a keener sense of self-preservation.’