Apparently undaunted by that suggestion, she closed her other hand round his lapel and pulled him towards her. ‘Do you know what I think? I think you’ve created this bad-boy image to keep people—women especially—at a distance. I think you’re afraid of intimacy.’
Stefan felt darkness press in on him.
She’d found the one tiny chink in his armour and thrust her sword into it.
How? How had she done that? Was it a lucky guess?
It had to be a lucky guess. She didn’t know anything about his past. No one did.
‘I’m not afraid of intimacy and later I’m going to prove that to you, so don’t drink any more or you’ll fall asleep before we reach the interesting part of the evening.’ Ignoring her puzzled expression, he guided her towards the door.
‘I’ve upset you. Did I say something wrong?’
‘What makes you think you’ve upset me?’
‘Because your voice changed.’
Stefan, who prided himself on being inscrutable, started to sweat. Did she pick up on everything? ‘You haven’t upset me but I have guests, and I’ve already kept them waiting long enough. Are you ready?’
‘Yes. Although I’m bracing myself to be hated.’
‘Why would you be hated?’
‘Because I’m with the hottest guy on the planet. All the women are going to hate me, but don’t worry about it. When you’re Stavros Antaxos’s daughter you get used to not having friends.’
Her tone was light but he instantly thought of the night on the boat, when she’d found a hidden corner to sit, away from all the other guests. She’d worn her loneliness with a brave smile but she’d been almost pathetically grateful when he’d sat down and talked to her.
‘Friendship is idealised and overrated. If someone wants to be friends with you, it’s usually because they want something.’
‘I don’t believe that.’
‘You mean you don’t want to believe it. You are hopelessly idealistic.’ He held the door open for her and the brightness of her expression dimmed slightly.
‘So you’re saying that true friendship is impossible?’
‘I’m saying that the temptation of money is too strong fo
r most people. It changes things.’ The scar inside him ached, reminding him of the truth of that. ‘Just something to bear in mind for the future if you don’t want to be hurt.’
‘Is that what you do? Do you live your life protecting yourself from being hurt?’
Stefan, who was used to keeping his conversations satisfyingly superficial, wondered why every exchange with her dived far beneath the surface. ‘I live my life the way I want to live it. Right now I’d like to attend my own party. Shall we go?’
* * *
Everyone was staring, some discreetly over the top of their champagne glasses and some more openly. But all the glances revealed the same emotion.
Shock.
Feeling like a caged bird suddenly released to freedom, Selene took another glass of champagne just because she could.
Stefan frowned. ‘Are you sure you should drink that?’
‘Do you know one of the best things about tonight? The fact that all of it is my decision. I decided to come to the party, I decided what dress I’d wear and now I’m deciding to drink champagne.’
‘Just as long as you realise you’re also choosing to have a crushing headache in the morning.’
‘It will be worth it.’ She drank half the glass and smiled up at him. ‘Champagne makes everything feel more exciting, doesn’t it?’