Jodie walked to the room she had used before. She blinked when she discovered the guest room was empty. There were no furniture or light fixtures. “Stergios?” she called over her shoulder. “What happened to my room?”
“We’ve only just finished the renovations and updates,” he said. “That can be the nursery. You can decorate it any way you want.”
She slowly turned around and found him still in the main room, resting his shoulder against a wall. Do not make a big deal out of this. “So there’s only one bedroom?”
His pose was casual but he watched her intently. “Yes.”
She glanced in the direction of his bedroom and was instantly besieged with erotic memories of the last time she stayed there. Jodie cleared her throat. “I should sleep in the main room,” she said hoarsely.
“I would never allow a woman to sleep on a sofa.”
She knew from the tone of his voice that he would not be swayed. Jodie walked to the sofas that circled the fireplace. “It’s not long enough for you to stretch out on.” She gestured at the soft white cushions. “And you’re barely getting enough sleep as it is. I can’t let you sleep there.”
“I won’t.”
Her pulse skipped a beat. Jodie dragged her gaze back to Stergios. If he wasn’t staying in the main room, then that meant...
Stergios grabbed his computer tablet from his briefcase and sat down on the sofa. “It’s late and you should get some rest. I’m going to get some work done.”
Her heart started to race. They were sharing a bedroom. They were going to share a bed. All night.
She knew she should tell him that under no circumstances were they sharing a room. Instead, Jodie silently grabbed her overnight suitcase and walked to the bedroom with stiff legs. She closed the door and stared at the wide bed. Excitement pulsed inside her.
No, she had nothing to be excited about. Sharing a bed did not mean sex. Even if she was sharing it with the virile Stergios Antoniou. It was not an invitation. She had to remember that. She might want to be intimate and naked with Stergios, but she had made a big mistake when she had refused earlier.
She had told him they weren’t resuming their affair because they had no relationship. Instead of arguing, he had granted her wish. He had not made any attempt to get her into bed since.
He was willing to share a bed because he no longer fought the overwhelming need for her. Why? What did she do to kill the attraction? Was it because she was pregnant? Or was it because no woman could hold his interest?
She had to be careful. One word, one move, and she wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off him. Her skin heated as she remembered the last time she claimed him. If she had sex with him again, he would discover exactly how she felt about him. And Stergios would ruthlessly use it to his full advantage.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“STERGIOS?”
He heard Jodie from far away. Blackness surrounded him and he tried to kick and claw his way to the surface. He had to get to Jodie. She sounded desperate. Afraid.
“Stergios?” Her sharp voice cut through the last barrier. “Wake up.”
He was suddenly awake. His heart pounded against his chest as he took big gulps of air. His eyes burned as he checked his surroundings. He was no longer in the loud and chaotic police station where his family had been irrevocably torn apart. He wasn’t the vulnerable child who couldn’t bear to be touched or held.
He was safe. No one could hurt him. He wasn’t alone anymore. Stergios turned his head to the side and saw Jodie leaning over him.
“What happened?” he asked hoarsely through parched lips. His throat hurt. Everything ached.
“You were shouting.” Jodie cupped his face with her hands. Her touch was cool to his skin. She wore a light pink slip and one strap fell from her shoulder. Her hair was tousled from sleep and her concern shimmered from her blue eyes. “Are you okay?”
No, he wasn’t. His pulse raced and he was bathed in sweat. “I need a shower,” he decided, and bolted from the bed.
“Stergios!”
He rushed to the en suite bathroom as if he were being chased by demons. Once he shut and locked the door behind him, Stergios slumped against the wood and discovered that he was shaking all over.
He ignored Jodie’s persistent knocking on the door as he stripped from the black pajama bottoms he had reluctantly put on earlier. Striding naked to the shower, he turned the water on full blast before he stepped in.
Stergios braced his arm against the tile wall as he withstood the cold water. It felt like needles but he didn’t move away. He rested his head against his forearm, willing his pulse to slow down and the images to disappear.