“Do you find her attractive Nikos?” the question one which he had no intention of answering, as with a frown he had looked down at her.
“What is this all about Claire?” he had hissed in as low a voice as possible, she looking uncomfortable, but a smouldering anger filling her eyes.
“It is a simple question…or are you already sleeping with her?”
“No I am not sleeping with her” he had fired back, feeling his own anger rise “But if I decided to sleep with somebody else then it would be my business Claire…not yours”.
He had groaned feeling the way she had tensed in his arms.
“So what…our relationship is what exactly?”
The words whispered angrily at him “Am I just somebody you phone when you feel horny?”
Nikos had been shocked by the change in the woman he had known for nearly a year, her coarseness surprising him.
“We had an agreement Claire. Nothing too heavy just fun…what are you expecting?”
Raising her head, their eyes had locked together, in a hurt whisper she had pled “I just thought…that one day you would see what a good thing we have going, that maybe one day…”
Her voice had trailed off as hurt had filled her lovely features. Groaning, Nikos had felt like kicking himself. Normally he could see the signs, see when a woman was becoming too emotionally involved. However he had completely missed the signals from Claire.
“I’m sorry” he had murmured softly to her “I just don’t want that. I don’t need that kind of commitment Claire. I am just not interested in a long term relationship. I thought you understood that.”
Looking down, he could see as she had nodded softly, fighting hard to control herself, her eyes not able to hold his as her expectations had been dashed against his reality, trying to pull a shaky smile to her beautiful features.
“I guess I should have known” her eyes darting to Mina, shining with tears held back with supreme control.
“Maybe she will have more luck with you than I did. After all being a long term mistress seems to run in her blood”.
Nikos had bitten back the return comment that her spiteful statement had risen within him, feeling as Claire had pulled back, stiffly turning and making her way to a table on the other side of the room.
Nikos had exhaled a long low sigh, moving slowly back to his seat. Rubbing his lip with his finger he had once more wondered why when he was so clear, women always seemed to expect so much more. Claire was only the latest in a long line of ex casual girlfriends, his mind remembering Mina’s words, not understanding why they bothered him so much. Lifting his hand he had beckoned one of the waitresses to bring him a whisky.
On the dance floor, Mina had enjoyed dancing with Joe, finding him to be a funny man as he had spoken so softly against her ear, he in turn enjoying the quick retorts she would make. When Nikos and Claire had taken to the floor, she had found herself watching the scene that seemed to be unfolding between the two. She had taken in the way he seemed so angry, seeing as his normally so controlled expression had slipped as he had leaned closer to the stunning woman, his words unheard. Her reaction however, was unmistakable, the hurt and bitter look so obvious on her features, before she had pulled herself from his arms and moved away. Mina had instinctively known that the relationship between the two, no matter how tentative, had just ended, not sure why this had made her insides flip so alarmingly. As the music had once more stopped, Joe had led her back to the table, Mina sliding back into her chair beside Nikos.
Watching as he had sipped his drink, his eyes not focussed on one thing in particular, she had leant forward.
“Are you OK?”
He had looked at her ready to tell her to mind her own business, but the real genuine concern in her lovely green eyes had stopped him, Nikos pulling a small lopsided smile to his lips.
“I’m fine…honest”, knowing that she had seen everything and had understood what had just happened. Nodding she had sat back, Nikos appreciating that she had not felt the need to delve further, one more thing that he could add to Mina Lane’s many attributes.
The rest of the night had flown by with little else happening. Alexander had been put into his limo, by Nikos less than an hour later, his whole body swaying with the amount of alcohol he had consumed. She had danced with all of the male board members, each and every one impressed with the young woman they were meeting, all liking her very much. Mina had also found that many men from other tables had taken the opportunity to come over and introduce themselves, Nikos smiling at her.#p#分页标题#e#