He caught the horrified expression in her eyes and repressed a satisfied smile. ‘I’d find it hard to believe you’re the sort of woman who keeps a couple of guys on a string.’ Despite what he’d originally thought.
There, he’d called her bluff and it had worked, that was obvious from the sag of her shoulders and the way she bit her lip. He wanted to reach out and brush his fingers over that luscious bottom lip, ease the hurt with the caress of his own mouth. And then perhaps lead her a step or two back towards the mattress, so conveniently located just behind her.
‘You’re right,’ she said, but her voice was tight. ‘That’s not what I meant.’
Her gaze slid from his. She took a slow breath and he watched her breasts rise with it. He wanted her naked. Now. His eyes flickered to the bed. He was already planning how he’d have her when her voice jerked him back to the present.
‘You made it plain what you wanted from me. A single night, you said.’ Her eyes met his again and something slammed hard into his solar plexus at the expression he saw there. ‘You wanted sex. That’s all. Sex and release.’ Molten gold burned in her eyes, brighter with each word.
‘Well, you’ve had your night and now it’s over.’
‘You must be joking. Glikia mou!’ He spread his hands in a gesture of amazement. ‘After last night you can’t expect this to stop so easily. The way we were together … it was incredible.’
A perfunctory smile curved her lips for an instant then disappeared. ‘I’m glad you thought so. But nevertheless it’s over.’
Costas shook his head, dumbfounded as never before. Sophie was rejecting him? After all that had passed between them last night?
It was impossible. Unbelievable.
His eyes narrowed as he took in her wary stance, the rapid rise and fall of her breasts. She was hoaxing. That was it. She was trying to bargain for more. He’d wounded her pride with his clumsy behaviour this morning and now she wanted him to grovel.
He wouldn’t grovel, but he’d apologise. After all, she deserved it. He’d behaved like a lout.
‘Sophie mou.’ He lifted his hand towards her and was stunned when she stepped away from him.
He frowned. There was no need to play hard to get. He was a reasonable man, after all.
‘I apologise for leaving you the way I did this morning. I should have woken you, or rung earlier in the day. I—’
She shook her head. ‘There’s no need to apologise,’ she interrupted, though the over-bright glitter of her eyes belied her words. ‘Last night was wonderful, but now it’s finished. As you said, we both needed the release. And now we can go our separate ways with no regrets.’
Slowly the words penetrated his stunned brain. And then déjà vu cannoned into him, like a blow to the gut.
The expression on her face, the challenging stance and jutting chin. Just so had Fotini looked when he’d confronted her with his concerns about her safety. About her late-night celebrations with dubious new friends, about his suspicions that her herbal ‘pick-me-up’ tablets were something far more dangerous. She’d been defiant, amused, uncaring.
He swiped a hand over his face, trying to dislodge the memories and the devastating seed of doubt they planted in his mind. Two girls from the same family. Two women from the house of Liakos.
Was the independent spirit he’d so admired in Sophie a blind for something less palatable?
No! He didn’t believe it. This was Sophie, sweet and caring. Not Fotini.
‘It’s over,’ she reiterated. ‘And now it’s time to move on.’ And with the words she turned away from him, as if to leave.
His hand shot out and circled her upper arm before she’d even taken a step. Her smooth flesh was warm beneath his fingers, soft as silk. But not as soft as her belly, or the indescribably tender skin of her inner thighs.
‘No!’ He stopped, trying to get control over his voice. ‘It’s not over, Sophie.’
She lifted her face and for an instant her expression was vivid, bright, like the sun in summer. And then a shutter came down, hiding her thoughts.
Costas groped for words, tried to get his brain into gear. But all he could think of was that she’d done the impossible—had rejected him, decided she wanted no more from him than a one-night stand.
The seductive, feminine scent of her skin made his nostrils flare and his blood quicken. It only fed his confusion and anger.
‘What if you’re pregnant?’ he bit out.
He saw the flicker of shock in her face. Felt her stiffen beneath his hands. For an instant her eyes blazed with golden light, and then she turned her head away.
‘And that would change things?’ Her voice had an oddly muffled quality.