The Virgin's Secret

Angel’s heart tripped; her hands went clammy. ‘What are you doing here?’

Leo mocked, ‘So pleased to see me? I must surprise you more often.’

Angel blushed fiercely. She knew what had just been going through her mind, and here he was, unsettling her, or… Her heart stopped. Perhaps he was here to tell her—

‘I thought I’d come for you myself, that’s all. You’d better get a move on.’

Angel broke out of the stasis she was in and quickly checked her reflection again, seriously flustered now. Her bridesmaid’s dress was a dark dusky pink, strapless and to the knee. Her hair was up in a chignon and she wore a flower in her hair the same colour as the dress.

Grabbing her wrap, she tottered out unsteadily in high heels, hoping that Leo hadn’t seen anything of the naked emotions on her face before she’d hidden them.

Angel thankfully managed to have as little to do with her father as possible during the wedding, but she felt his malevolent stare on her periodically. When she watched Stavros and Delphi walk around the altar three times, with the stefana crowns on their heads, she had to fight back tears, feeling inordinately weepy. She studiously avoided Leo’s eye throughout the ceremony, terrified again that he’d see her emotions bubbling so close to the surface. For she who had a somewhat jaded view of marriage to be so moved had scared her slightly.

Before they left for the reception Stavros took her aside and told her how thankful he and Delphi were to her, for helping their wedding to happen, and especially before the pregnancy became common knowledge. Those words alone, and seeing the unmitigated joy on Delphi’s face, made everything worthwhile.

Leo was waiting for her at the entrance of the church, to take her to the reception, and to her relief her father didn’t seem to be inclined to make a scene—no doubt very well aware that Leo was being courted and feted by everyone almost as if he was the one getting married.

Dimitri Stephanides, Stavros’s father, had put on a lavish display in a top Athens hotel—no doubt also to impress Leo. Everyone was there. Angel became slowly aware that things had changed subtly in the time that she’d been with Leo. There were fewer of the snide whispers and furtive looks, and the headlines in the newspapers had all but disappeared. She realised that people had grown used to seeing them together…

‘Dance?’

Angel looked up from her preoccupation to see Leo standing there, holding out a hand. She stood up and let him lead her to the dance floor, where Delphi and Stavros had just had their first dance to much raucous applause.

A slow, swoony song came on and Leo pulled Angel close. Feeling raw, she tried to resist the pull to just lean against him, but his hand on her bare back, above the top of her dress, urged her close. She gave in and moved and swayed with Leo, content to let her head fall into his shoulder. It felt like sheer indulgence.

‘Your sister is not what I expected.’

Angel tensed, but Leo’s hand on her back, moving in slow, sensual circles, forced her to relax again. She lifted her head and looked up. Leo’s face was far too close for comfort.

‘What do you mean?’ she asked, half forgetting what he’d said.

He shrugged minutely, one broad shoulder moving under his shirt. He’d taken off his jacket and tie, so his shirt was open to reveal the strong, bronzed column of his throat.

‘She seems…’ Leo grimaced. ‘Sweet. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that she and Stavros are genuinely in love.’

Angel really tensed then, and tried to pull away, but Leo was like a steel wall around her, not letting her go anywhere.

She whispered up at him fiercely, ‘They are in love, and have been for ever. They were childhood sweethearts.’

‘Cute,’ Leo said, clearly not impressed.

Angel hesitated, and then said in a rush, ‘The reason they needed to get married so quickly is because Delphi is nearly four months pregnant. Stavros’s family were never going to sanction a marriage with a Kassianides. Stavros wanted to elope with Delphi, but she wouldn’t let him do that.’

Leo quirked a brow. Angel bit her lip. She’d gone too far now to turn back.

‘His family would have disinherited him and cut him off.’

Angel saw the cynical gleam come into Leo’s eye and colour bloomed in her cheeks as she asserted passionately, ‘It’s not like that. Delphi couldn’t care less about Stavros’s inheritance, but he wants to get into politics and she didn’t want to be responsible for causing a rift in his family.’

‘And yet now, no matter what you say, she—and you by proxy—will be fine, secure in the wealth of her new husband.’

Angel finally managed to pull away from Leo with a violent tug, disappointed at how hurt she was at this evidence of his bitter cynicism. ‘Believe what you want, Leo. Someone like you will never know that kind of pure love.’

And before he could grab her back she’d spun on her spindly heels and was threading through the couples on the dance floor and out to the lobby. Leo raked a hand through his hair, aware of eyes on him. Aware of the way females were starting to circle, sensing an opening. Beyond irritated, and not even sure why, he pushed through the crowd and went to the bar—but not before he glanced to his right and saw the happy couple.

They were sitting apart from everyone else, in a corner, smiling. Stavros had his hand on Delphi’s belly and her hand was over his, and they shared a look of such private intensity that Leo’s step almost faltered. Right now they looked nothing like what he’d just described; he felt guilty—as if he’d tarnished something.

Delphi was like Angel only in height and build; the younger sister had obviously inherited her father’s stronger features and dark eyes, while Angel must have inherited her Irish mother’s more delicate features and colouring.