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Suddenly desire was a swirling, dazzling force within her, loosening every taut muscle, leaving her body defenceless, willing, even when she knew she had to resist. Feebly she fought the onslaught against her senses.
‘Glikia mou,’ he whispered, his voice so deep she felt the words as much as heard them. ‘You make me mindless, Sophie.’ His fingers tightened on her breast and sensation juddered through her. ‘I want you. Now.’
If he hadn’t spoken he might even have got what he wanted. She was aroused, eager, panting for him.
After all he’d said and done!
The realisation shamed her with the knowledge of her appalling weakness. But his words penetrated her numbed brain even as her body responded ecstatically to his caresses. That was w
hen she discovered he’d released her wrists.
Adrenaline surged through her, stiffening her resolve and her body. She shoved with all her might, bringing her knee up sharply in a vicious thrust that should have crippled him.
But his assault on her senses had weakened her. Either that or he could read her mind. He side-stepped just as her knee slammed up. She was off balance and would have fallen if it weren’t for his hands pulling her upright.
‘Don’t touch me!’ She shrugged out of his hold and stumbled back a few paces. ‘Don’t come near me,’ she gasped, chest heaving for breath. Her heart hammered like a set of pistons.
‘Sophie.’ He paced towards her and she flinched.
‘Stay away!’
‘You don’t mean that.’ His voice was a low, persuasive murmur. It made her skin prickle, eager for the delights he could bestow.
‘I mean what I say. I don’t need some arrogant male to tell me what I want.’
‘Sophie, I know you’re upset. But it doesn’t have to be like this. You know how good it is between us.’
She shook her head. He saw her as a convenient lay. Better than a sleeping tablet to get him through the long nights.
‘I don’t want you to touch me. Ever.’
He crossed his arms. His legs were already planted wide apart and he looked impossibly big and powerful. What hope did she have if he refused to listen? She didn’t trust her treacherous body not to respond if he tried to seduce her again.
There was a knowing glint in his eyes and his mouth twisted up at one side. ‘I know how much you want me, Sophie. How you burn for me.’
He stalked closer as he spoke, the words rolling off his seductive tongue in a murmur that made her body tighten. ‘I’ve never had such an eager lover.’
She gritted her teeth. ‘How do I get through to you? One night was enough and now it’s over.’ She stared hard into his glittering eyes and deliberately played her last card. ‘Unless you intend to use force.’
‘What are you talking about?’ His brows dipped into a ferocious cowl. ‘You must know I would never use force on a woman.’ He drew himself up to his full looming height and looked down his nose at her. As if she’d dared to insult him!
‘Then what do you call this?’ She thrust her arms out in front of her, silent witness to the power he’d unleashed to hold her still. Red marks encircled each wrist. There was no pain. Not now. But there’d be bruises soon.
His face froze and his golden skin paled. She watched his convulsive swallow as he realised what he’d done.
‘I must apologise,’ he said in a stifled voice. ‘It is no excuse to say that I didn’t realise how tightly I held you. But be assured you have nothing to fear. It will never happen again.’
She let her arms drop to her sides, curiously drained. ‘Let it end,’ she pleaded, feeling the weight of emotional exhaustion descend onto her shoulders. ‘It was … nice, while it lasted. But I don’t need a relationship any more than you do. Not now. It would be too messy.’
She turned away, hoping he wouldn’t call her bluff. Not now her eyes had filled with useless tears.
‘We’ve both been through a rough time and last night—just happened,’ she said, whispering to conceal the wobble in her voice. ‘But now I need to get on with my own life.’ She wrapped her arms round herself, squeezing as if she could force back the pain welling up inside her.
If she could just hold on until he left her alone.
‘You’re right, of course.’ His words were clipped, precise, his voice a stranger’s. ‘Since neither of us is in a position to want more than physical release from a partner, it’s best if we put last night behind us.’
Each word bit into her, carving away the last of her defences. She’d been right. Absolutely right. How foolish of her to cling to that final, stubborn hope that Costas would object. That he’d swear it was more than lust between them. That he felt tenderness for her, even love.
