Chapter Three #4
Gia Vasiliadis, Ares’s stepmother, approached her now.
Beautiful, powerful, utterly intimidating.
Just over two years ago Bethan hadn’t just been apprehensive, she’d also been a push-over.
Too eager to please, too earnest in her attempt to fit in.
So she’d listened to everything Gia had said.
This time, she wasn’t going to be as easily affected. She wouldn’t let this woman matter.
‘I didn’t realise you and Ares were still so in touch.’ Gia unsubtly emphasised that last.
Bethan knew it looked as if they’d been intimate in the elevator and it had to be obvious she’d been kissed to within an inch of her life, given her mouth was throbbing with the bruising from the passionate kisses she was no longer used to.
And Ares had that arrogant aura of a man who’d gotten what he wanted.
So there was no point in trying to deny anything.
Besides, the malicious tone in Gia’s question set Bethan’s teeth on edge.
She’d lost everything here once before. She would keep her dignity this time.
‘Ares and I prefer to keep our relationship private,’ she answered softly.
‘You call that private?’ The man who’d accompanied Gia smirked.
Dion was Ares’s father’s cousin. Now Gia’s partner. They did like to keep things in the family here—given Sophia Dimou was Gia’s niece.
‘You’re back together?’ Gia asked before Bethan could comment on his quip.
Bethan allowed a Mona Lisa smile to curve her lips. She wouldn’t be that na?ve girl who was too open with these people again. That had made her too vulnerable. She wouldn’t give Gia or Dion anything to hurt her this time.
‘You’re not wearing your rings.’ Gia frowned.
‘They’re at the jewellers. The diamond setting needed tightening and it was an opportunity to have both cleaned.’ Bethan tried to sound calm even as she babbled.
Sophia stepped closer—unashamedly listening.
As she lifted her glass to her mouth, Bethan saw the huge emerald adorning her finger.
It was definitely an engagement ring. Bethan’s jealousy sharpened.
Was this why Ares wanted to finalise the divorce now?
Had he finally proposed to Sophia as he should have years ago? She was horrified. ‘I—’
‘Bethan was just telling us about your relationship,’ Gia interrupted loudly. ‘I didn’t know you were back together, Ares. That’s a surprise.’
Ares’s heavy arm landed along Bethan’s shoulders and squeezed her close.
Chagrined, Bethan stared at Gia. She hadn’t said they were back together—she hadn’t actually answered!
She looked down into her empty glass. Ares had been right.
She should have eaten more today. She might have made better decisions.
‘Oh?’ Ares queried coolly.
Bethan tilted her head back to meet his eyes and didn’t deny it.
What was the point in contradicting Gia now?
She saw fury flare before he damped it down—back to that calm, arrogant, smooth man in a heartbeat.
She blinked. He was so very good at masking his true emotions in public.
She’d just seen it twice in the space of twenty minutes.
Masking lust. Masking fury. Those were strong emotions, so he was well practised.
Now, at the worst time, for the first time, she wondered why and how he’d become quite so good at it.
Why had he never warned her about his family?
Why was he now as cold and as remote as he’d turned when they’d finally been alone again after meeting his aunt, that moment when Bethan had asked if he even loved her?
And now his stormy grey gaze met hers briefly then his grip on her tightened and he pulled her right against his taut body, stopping her from thinking at all.
‘What makes you think we were ever apart?’ he drawled.
Gia’s and Dion’s jaws dropped simultaneously. Another round of whispers rippled around the room, worse, from the corner of her eye Bethan saw a couple of people actually had their phones out. Were they filming?
‘Just because we live in separate countries doesn’t mean we’re actually separated,’ Ares added quite audibly.
Why was he saying this? Why go along with such an outrageous fiction? But his hold on her was too strong to escape and suddenly she remembered the threat he’d made to her yesterday.
‘Bethan is here to support the Melina Foundation.’ Ares smiled.
Gia stiffened.
Bethan had no idea what the Melina Foundation was, but it clearly bothered Gia. She should have made it clear that she was here only to formalise their divorce. Instead she’d let embarrassment silence her.
Gia’s frown deepened. ‘I don’t understand—’
‘Our relationship has always been different,’ he interrupted Gia bluntly. ‘Always very special.’
Bethan quelled her shiver. He didn’t mean that in the desperately romantic way it sounded.
His thumb stroked back and forth across her shoulder.
The tiny insistent sweeps would send her into ecstatic orbit if they were alone.
As it was goosebumps lifted on her skin—those gentlest of touches softened her all over again, even though she was wildly angry with him. Chemistry had so much to answer for.
‘I’m sure you’ll forgive our early departure now.
You understand it’s a while since we spent quality time together.
We only had a quickly snatched moment to reunite before remembering to call in here and.
..’ He shrugged negligently and shot Bethan a scorching look that she knew not to misinterpret. ‘Time alone is our priority tonight.’