‘Apart from that one abortive attempt to tell the authorities, I’ve never shared it with anyone.’
‘But you shared something else with me you’ve never shared with anyone.’ His fingers brushed her cheek, surprisingly gentle. ‘You could have trusted me, Selene.’
She felt her body respond instantly and knew that the biggest danger to herself came from him.
‘So you’re saying what happened is my fault?’
‘No, it was mine.’ His hand dropped. ‘And I apologise because the possibility of photographs should have occurred to me and it didn’t. But the reason it didn’t was because I’ve lived with it for so long I don’t notice it any more.’ His leg brushed against hers. Her mind blurred.
Melting inside, Selene pressed herself hard against the wall in an attempt not to touch him. ‘It really doesn’t matter. I’ve moved on.’
‘But you’ve moved on without me,’ he said softly, ‘and that isn’t what I want. Your mother seems well.’
‘She’s very well. She’s been staying in the same artists’ community she lived in when she first arrived in Athens as a teenager. She’s painting again and her confidence is returning. It’s wonderful to see that after—’ She broke off, eyes wide. ‘Wait a minute, how do you know she’s well? You’ve followed her, too?’
‘Naturally we are concerned. Unlike you, she welcomes the protection. It has allowed her to relax and enjoy her new life and her old friends.’
Selene thought about how frightened her mother had been. ‘All right—’ her voice sounded stiff ‘—maybe I’m grateful to you for helping my mother, but don’t think it’s going to change the way I feel about you.’
‘You’re very cynical all of a sudden, koukla mou. It doesn’t suit you. It isn’t who you are.’
‘It is now. And it was being with you that made me this way.’
‘So you’ve changed personality in a matter of weeks? I don’t believe that. You are the most open, trusting person I’ve met.’
‘You mean I’m stupid.’
A frown touched his brows. ‘No. I do not mean that.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I realise we have some obstacles to overcome, but it would be much easier to overcome them if I wasn’t worrying about your safety all the time. I want you to come and stay at my villa, at least for a while.’
The temptation was so great it horrified her. ‘No, thanks.’
‘I don’t want you living on your own.’
‘Well, I want it. I’ve lived under my father’s rules for so long I want the freedom to come and go as I please. I can wear what I like. See whoever I like. Be who I want to be.’
‘And who do you want to be?’
She’d thought about nothing else.
‘Myself,’ she said simply. ‘I want to be myself. Not someone else’s version of who they think I should be.’
‘So if I ask you—the real you—out to dinner, will you say yes?’
Selene swallowed, unsettled by how much being this close to him affected her. What scared her most in all this was how badly she lost her judgement around him. She didn’t want to be the sort of woman who lost her mind around a man. ‘Why are you bothering? Why are you so persistent?’
‘When there is something I want, I go for it. That’s who I am.’
‘And you’re pretending that’s me? Come on, Stefan, we had one night. A whole night. I’m already the longest relationship you ever had.’
‘And I’m the only relationship you’ve ever had.’ His eyes were dark and not once did they shift from hers. ‘Are you telling me you don’t want to explore that? Are you telling me you don’t think about it?’
The heat went right through her body. ‘I try not to because when I remember I also remember how you used me to score points with my father.’
A muscle flickered in his jaw. ‘You don’t believe that it was not intentional?’
‘No, I don’t.’ She didn’t dare. She was not going to be gullible. ‘I think you’re trying to talk your way out of trouble.’