Belinda Gibson is knee deep in debt and on the run from a loan shark who would do anything to get his hands on his money, even if it mean threatening her with the safety of her younger sister.
Just when Belinda loses all hopes of ever repaying this...
With a heart-wrenching sob, Belinda fled from the mansion. She didn't want to be there; she wanted to be alone where no one could see her crying. She was heading to her special place when she saw Stavros. He was watering the flowers and flashed her a brilliant smile when he saw her.
Belinda stopped abruptly, not wanting to see his face at that moment, and ran the other way.
Her actions must have confused him, as she usually would go down there and steal a kiss from him. But today she stared at him with accusing eyes and turned the other way.
In a flash, Stavros stopped what he was doing and chased after her, having seen the tears in her eyes. He caught her soon enough, but Belinda pried his hands away from her shoulders. "Let go of me," she gritted out.
Ignoring her words, Stavros said gently, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" His hand reached out to touch her cheek, and Belinda smacked it away.
"That isn't any of your business."
Stavros' eyes became unreadable, and his jaw worked, but he didn't say a word. And in that silence, they stared at each other.
They were in a pathway that housed roses on either side of them, forming a rose arch above them. The sun was shining hard against them, the summer breeze hot.
Belinda looked into his handsome Greek face, drawn to his dark eyes which were trained on her, narrowed as though he wanted to figure her out. Bee blinked, breaking the contact for a moment. She couldn't believe the man standing before her had been involved with both her and her sister. All for a bet.
The notion made her lips tremble. She wanted to ask him why he did such a thing.
Why did he toy with her emotions? And most importantly, why did he deceive two sisters? Belinda wanted to ask him all those things and more, but she felt so ashamed that he had captivated her with his lies.
How easy it must have been for him. Stavros didn't have to do much for her to fall in love with him. She had practically been fawning over him. She did love him with all her heart, while he had been with her only to secure a bet.
She felt foolish for believing the sweet things that came out of his mouth. Even now, when she was hurting badly, he was still being sweet to her. Wiping her tears with his thumb for her. Did he think she didn't know?
"Bee," he said at last. "If you don't tell me what's wrong, I will never know. And I won't be able to fix it. Come on, baby, what's wrong? Did your mother find out about us? Is that it?"
She could easily tell him the problem was that she found out he was involved with both her and her sister, but Belinda felt so ashamed the words wouldn't come out.
Suddenly, Belinda had this deep desire to hurt him like he had hurt her. Bee didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he had so easily deceived her. She wanted to make him feel like he was the one who had been deceived. Bee wanted him to feel the pain she was feeling at the knowledge.
So with that in mind, Belinda lifted her chin, looked him in the eyes, and spat out, "I hate you."
The words had the desired effect she was looking for because immediately all traces of gentleness left his face, and his olive skin squeezed into a hard expression.
"Surely you don't mean that."
Stavros had this look about him like he was looking down on her. Bee had almost forgotten how he managed to look lordly without even trying. Like he was a king, and the rest of them were peasants.
Though in reality, he was the peasant. He was poor, far beneath them. An employee of theirs.
However, regardless all these shortcomings, Stavros still conducted himself as if they did not define him.
And that was one of the things that attracted her to him. His confidence in himself.
Mentally, Bee shook herself. She should quit thinking about Stavros this way. This man had played with her feelings and her sister's feelings, for goodness' sake.
Just remembering the way Dakota had been crying earlier, Belinda's lips compressed in irritation. "I mean it," she announced. "And I hate myself, for not being able to resist your sweet hot body. Sex was all I wanted from you. Even though I knew you were no good for me, being as poor as you were. You had nothing to offer me. But I guess satisfying my sexual needs at the time was more important than anything else. More important than who offered it.
As cruel as her words may sound, which was harsh. Seeing the effects it was having on Stavros. How angry and painful it made him. Belinda couldn't stop now even if she wanted to. Not until she had hurt him.
Stavros' nostrils were flaring, but he was yet to say a word, and Belinda wanted a reaction from him. So she moved closer to him, her face full of contempt.
"It was all about the sex. Did you hear me? But now I have come to my senses, and I must stop this madness. I know you might want to protest, seeing you will lose so much from this arrangement, but don't worry I have thought of the perfect solution for you. How much will you need?"
"Please tell me you are joking." The words were forced out of his lips in rage. It was barely audible.
"No, I'm not." Then, ignoring his rage completely, she said, "I will ask my father to write a cheque for it. It will go a long way in helping you. Won't it?"
Stavros cursed low under his breath and stepped closer to her, Belinda moved backward quickly, but he continued moving, one menacing step after the other. He looked really mad at her. Which made Belinda almost tremble in fear at his sudden look.
Then she remembered he was the culprit in this case and stood her ground. Staring into his dark eyes with a contemptuous look. Letting it run down his worn shirt and faded jeans in a disgusting way.
At last, he stopped in front of her. "Is that how you really feel about me?"
A bead of perspiration was gathering on Belinda's forehead, as she frowned in concentration. Is that how she really feels about him? The answer was no. But was she going to tell him that? Also, No. It was a hard feat to keep her gaze on him in this staring competition. Because Stavros was wearing this look that suggested he had been hurt. And no matter how hard Belinda tried to suppress what that knowledge did to her, it still affected her.
"Answer me, Bee," he snapped. "Is that how you really feel about me." Somehow he had gotten his hands on her person. His thumbs were digging into her shoulder blade. Bee didn't think he knew that. And he was looking at her with such contained rage, and pain, it made Belinda angry he would dare act like he was the victim, while she was the real victim here.
"Yes... I hate you. I hate you very much." The words tumbled out of her lips in a single file; unchecked.
The hands on her shoulders slackened, and suddenly, he tensed like he had not been expecting her to say that. "You're just like the rest of them." He released her. Stavros turned his back to her.
For a few seconds he said nothing, then he threw the words over his shoulders.
"My mistake was thinking you were different. In thinking you were anything special."
After saying that, he left her there without another word, and without turning back. Which said a lot. Suddenly Belinda felt empty.
What has she done?
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