The Perfect Stranger

Chapter Three

A/N Chapter four onwards will be available on Radish! 

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Cassie looked up into the eyes of the man, who'd only minutes ago had been standing across the room, "I beg your pardon Sir. I thought you were someone else."

Tugging at her imprisoned arm, she hoped the man would let her go before she embarrassed herself once more. "Would you be as kind as to let me go?" Cassie looked pointedly at the man who had to be at the very least, six foot one considering how he was towering above her, his blue grey eyes seemingly amused as he stared down at her.

The more he stared, the more nervous she became—her eyes downcast for fear of what she might betray if she continued to stare into the grey pits of his eyes.

Cassie had a feeling that she had never come across this particular kind of men―the ones that with just one look they seemed to peer right into your soul knowing your deepest darkest secrets―but such a thought was preposterous, ludicrous even. They were perfect strangers to each other.

"And if I said no?" he queried, shifting her hand into the crook of his arm and swiftly leading her off to one side of the ballroom.

Cassie looked around her anxiously, shifting from one foot to the other in hopes of spotting either Edward or Adrian in the masses of people who were starting to fill up the dining-cum-ball-room, but neither seemed to be around. "Looking for someone?" he asked, grasping her attention once more.

Goodness but he is attractive!

Her mind was whirling, toying with the idea of trying to disengage her arm once more or the sudden very uncharacteristic want of get to know the stranger before her better, and the fear of the sensation he arose within her, with his devilish good looks and midnight black hair. What woman in their right mind could help but feel attracted to him?

However, Cassie had such a mistrust of men who looked like him, men who knew just the right words to whisper, the right caress to leave one wanting—she had had first experience on that account.

In which case, she was way better off saying her farewells and disappearing until she was needed.

Nevertheless, there was something about him that captivated her attention―perhaps it was the dark sardonic look in his eyes, the way his lips quirked up as if he knew something she didn't―and at any other time she wouldn't have given this man the time of day—not because he wasn't good-looking...but because men like him only spelt trouble.

And for women like her―quite inexperienced in the art of seduction―men like him where no good, and she was no one's idea of a fun girl.

Instead she made herself glance directly into his eyes, only acknowledging what a mistake that had been when all coherent thought flew from her mind as she gaped at him in awe.

His eyes were the colour of the sky before a storm, just before the heavens opened and allowed the rain free. His jaw firm and determined with a model perfect smile that just hinted at a dimple in his left cheek, but what attracted her attention the most was the shape of his lips: they seemed more than capable of taking a woman to paradise and back.

Just thinking about it made Cassie tingle with want for this man...this stranger that had evoked feelings in her that she had never felt before―feelings that she had never had to deal with.

And since when did she allow herself to be swept away by petty physical appearances? Clearing her throat and trying to get her mind back on track she once again glanced around her, finally spotting Edward and Adrian with a group of people not so far away from where the tall, dark stranger and she were standing.

"As a matter of fact, I am," she smiled pleasantly, hoping that she could cover up her silence by making him think that she'd just been scanning the room for her companions. However the smile on his face told her that she hadn't fooled him in the slightest.

"Please let me introduce myself...I am Kostas Angelopoulos," releasing her arm, only to capture it again and bestow a kiss on her delicate hand, Cassie couldn't help but stare as the man straightened up and looked at her, "And you are?"

For the second time that night Cassie seemed to be at loss for words, the kiss that he had bestowed on her hand—no matter how fleeting—had thrown her off kilter. No man had ever had the power or control to unsettle her the way this Kostas Angelopoulos seemed to have.

"And you are?" He enquired once more, his eyebrow rising in a questioning manner.

"Cassie...Giannopoulos," her voice came out barely above a whisper as she just continued to gaze deeply into the eyes of the man who called himself Kostas Angelopoulos.

Trying to be as casual as possible, Cassie smiled up at the man, hoping to make a quick getaway before she lost sight of Adrian and Edward yet again.

Something told her that she could not afford to be around this man for too long.

He was just too much―everything about him disconcerted her―the way he looked at her, the way his fingers would stroke her hand gently, the intensity with which he spoke.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Angelopoulos—

"Please—it's Kostas," he said magnanimously, turning on that mega watt smile on her once more, but instead of freezing up like she had before, Cassie hardened herself, wanting to get away from this man before he caused anymore havoc within her.

"Kostas...Well Kostas, it was a pleasure meeting you, but I'm afraid that my companions are looking for me." As if on cue Adrian glanced her way, his eyes lighting up with pleasure as he gazed at her from head to toe.

Cassie smiled at him, encouraging him to step towards her as she looked back at Kostas apologetically, "Husband?"

"No... colleague." Cassie was unaware of the pleased smiled she received as she admitted that Adrian and herself were nothing to each other, or of the predatory light that entered her companion's eyes as his gaze travelled from the beautiful woman within touching distant and the boyish looking man standing not so far away from them.

"Please excuse me." Cassie didn't bother to wait for the man to say anything, she just wanted to escape his clutches before she did anything more that would bring more shame upon her.

As it was she had been acting like a mumbling fool, ogling Kostas like she had never seen a man before, just thinking about it made her cringe at how pathetic she must have appeared...how childish!

Instead of her actual twenty-six years. All she wanted to do right now was put the moment behind her, squaring her shoulders and jutting out her chin Cassie forced a smile to her lips as she approached Adrian's and Edward's group.