“If I had a sister, I’d be very protective,” he said with a smile. “I assure you, I can handle them. But we still have to make sure they know our relationship will have to look real, which means they’ll have to rein in their behavior when we’re out in the spotlight.”
Stefan stepped closer, calling himself all kinds of a fool for torturing himself with her familiar floral aroma, her tall, lithe body close to his. But he couldn’t help himself. He needed that intimacy, that closeness only Tori could provide. He told himself it was to get used to making this “relationship” seem real. In truth, he wanted to touch her, kiss her...undress her. Possibilities and images swirled around in his mind. Years he’d waited to have a chance with her, and here he was nervous as a virgin on a wedding night.
Na pari i eychi. Dammit. The last time he’d seen her in person two years ago he’d flown to L.A. to attend a benefit art show to raise money for a children’s charity. His father was supposed to have gone but had fallen ill at the last minute, so Stefan had stepped in, all too eager to get to L.A. and try his hand at seducing Victoria.
But when he’d arrived at her home, she’d introduced him to some up-and-coming actor whom she’d just begun dating. Stefan had been totally blindsided with the sudden serious nature of the relationship. They talked on the phone, emailed or texted several times a week and no mention had been made of this other man.
Because she’d been beaming with happiness, Stefan had kept his lustful feelings to himself and tried to maintain a physical distance. But now she was here because that jerk, Alex, had humiliated her and crushed her heart.
Stefan had every intention of helping her heal. And now he knew there was no way he could hold his desire back. Eventually, he’d have to confess that he wanted her intimately, paper marriage be damned.
As if just realizing how close they’d gotten, Victoria looked up at him and licked her lips, making them moist and inviting. “I still think we have our work cut out for us. We’ve never been anything more than best friends.”
It was just the opening he’d been waiting for. “Then we better start now making this believable.”
In one move, Stefan had his arms snaked around her waist and his lips crushing hers, swallowing her gasp. He hadn’t meant to push, really he hadn’t, and the second their tastes and bodies collided, he knew this was a bad idea. Now he’d only want her more. But if his life depended on it, he couldn’t pull away.
After the briefest of hesitations, she exploded in his arms, kissing him back with a passion he hadn’t expected, but he would definitely embrace. For years he’d wondered, dreamed, and here she was kissing him as if she thought of him as a man and not just a friend. Obviously he wasn’t the only one who’d imagined this moment.
And that aroused him even more and left him with the knowledge this was something that would have to be discussed sooner rather than later.
Needing more and taking it, he parted her lips with his tongue. Her fingers gripped his biceps as she leaned against him a bit more. And just like he’d imagined for years, she fit against him perfectly.
But before he could take more and allow his hands to roam freely over that killer body, Victoria stepped back, her hand immediately going to cover her lips.
“We can’t...that was...”
Stefan closed the gap she’d just created, but not to pick up where she broke off. He intended to reassure her that what just happened was not a mistake. Hell no, it wasn’t. An epiphany, yes, but no mistake.
“Interesting how flustered you are after one kiss,” he told her with a smile, still tasting her on his lips. “We’ve kissed before, Tori.”
With fingertips still on her lips, Victoria placed her other hand on his chest. “Our kisses were never anything like that.”
Because he was a gentleman, at least where the ladies were concerned, he didn’t mention the groaning she’d done when his lips had touched hers.
He wanted her to think about what happened... God knows he’d never forget. Her taste and the feel of her body were all burned into his long-term memory. But he needed to move slowly and stay on track.
“My top chef has prepared moussaka for us.” He ushered her toward a chair and assisted her into it. “I remember how much you enjoyed Greek cuisine the last time you visited.”
Victoria didn’t even look at the meal; she merely gazed at him from across the intimate table complete with a small exotic bouquet of flowers and two tall white tapered candles.