by Tee, Marian
A groaning sound interrupted my thoughts, and when the elevator suddenly lurched into movement, it was only then I realized that Mr. Greek here had me so diverted I had actually forgotten about being trapped in a metal cage.
I breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator gradually stopped shaking and settled into a smooth descent. Knowing I owed him thanks at the very least for keeping me from shitting my pants in panic, I turned towards his direction...just in time to see him moving towards me.
Shit.
Closer now.
Move your ass, Mathers!
But he was already right in front of me, backing me into a corner, one palm flattening against the mirrored wall just as his other hand cupped my chin to lift my face up.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
But just as his head started to lower, I heard the elevator doors open, and oh, here was a new ethical dilemma.
To pretend or not to pretend.
To let one kiss happen and forget about the consequences...or to do what was smart and forget this tryst instead.
My heart squeezed.
I'm sorry.
And then I was ducking under his arm and running away.
* * *
I skipped working at Associate the next day and went to a Starbucks near my place instead. Since I used to be a regular, the staff greeted me warmly and didn't even have to ask for what name to write on the cup.
When I had my latte next to my iPad, I took a photo and posted it on my Instagram stories. Fifteen minutes later, and Ioniko was sliding into the chair in front of me, and I could only stare at him, stunned speechless.
"Kalimera, Schuyler."
His accented words slid over my skin like an invisible caress, and I was torn between shuddering and knocking my head against the desk. It was so not fair, dammit. Why, why, whyyyyy did every syllable that fell past his lips have to sound so damn sexy?
"How did you---"
He placed his iPad and iPhone on the desk as I spoke, and my voice trailed off when a tap on his iPhone's screen revealed my Instagram story.
"You're following me on IG?" I blurted out incredulously.
A few taps on the screen, and then he murmured, "I am now."
"Huh." I fought against the urge to grab my phone so I could follow him back and go through his feed and find out---gaaah!
I barely managed to keep myself from literally gasping out loud when Ioniko shifted in his seat and caused his knees to bump into mine. And yes, I do know it was the most innocent and accidental of touches, but it was still more than enough to have color heat my cheeks.
"Sorry about that." He sounded sincere enough, but when one saw the sinful glitter in his eyes...
"Yeah right." But this only earned me a lazy smile in response, and a nasty suspicion started forming in my mind as I watched him prop his iPad on its keyboard. "What are you doing?" I asked uneasily.
"I thought I'd work with you here."
What?
"You don't mind, do you?"
It didn't feel right to say yes even if it were true, but if I said no, then that would be a lie. Confusion and consternation warred inside of me, and I said finally, "You're going to lose interest in me sooner or later. We both know that."
"Maybe." Ioniko's tone was level. "But we could also have a lot of fun before that happens."
He was very likely right, but the thing was, I had never been the type to live in the present. I liked to think long-term, and this guy? He had short-term written all over him, and even worse, I was pretty sure having a man like Ioniko dump me later on would hurt like hell.
"Take a chance on me, koukla mou." His voice had turned coaxing, and even though I had no idea what he had just said, I still had to bite my lip against the the potently seductive invitation in his words.
No. Yes. No. Yes. It was so hard choosing between what I knew I should say and what I wanted to say, and when his knees bumped into mine again...
Shiiiiit.
You'd think I'd be immune by now, but....fuck nope. It took just the slightest, faintest contact between us, and it was still enough to have me quivering inside.
"Schuyler---"
"Sorry." I quickly lowered my gaze back to my iPad. "I, um, need to get back to work." I knew it was the coward's way out, but I didn't care. He was just too darn sexy that if I didn't let myself think things through, it wouldn't just be my virginity at stake but my sanity as well.
Three hours later, and I had hit my daily target for work but made zero progress in terms of figuring out what to do with the super, super hot guy still sitting in front of me.
I grabbed my cup and took a sip while observing him surreptitiously. I tried to look for even the smallest flaw, for anything to turn me off, but there was none---
He suddenly glanced up, and a smirk formed over his lips when he caught me staring at him.
Shit.
I hastily looked away, but of course it was too late.
"You know..."
And to my shock, his hand suddenly covered mine.
"You're welcome to do more than just look."
Gah. Eh. Ah. Even my thoughts were rendered incoherent, and all I could do was stare at the way his large, strong hand completely engulfed mine and...oh God, just the feel of his hand touching mine was too much, and I could feel my mouth going dry with every second that passed.
"Are you done with work?" His fingers moved as he spoke, and I could only nod as he started...playing. It was the only term I could think of, with the way he was running his thumb over my knuckles one moment and then twining his fingers with mine in another.
"Can I take you out for lunch?"
Nope, I thought right away. Just nope, nope, nope. But instead, I heard myself say, "Alright."
I excused myself to go to the ladies as we stood to leave, and as soon as I was inside one of the cubicles, I plopped down on the toilet seat and had my phone out in seconds.
Aha!
I found his Instagram account right away: Ioniko Vlahos...and that was it. No profile photo, zero photos posted or tagged to his name, and while there were a handful of accounts that followed him, he wasn't following anyone in return.
What's up with that?
Thinking that maybe Google would have more to say about him, I typed his name in the search bar...and that was when I realized I was better off not knowing the truth about him.
* * *
Ioniko was waiting outside the coffee shop, and I found every female within a five-meter radius staring at him.
As they should, I couldn't help thinking, but at the same time I also couldn't help wondering if some of them were like me. Were they simply staring at him because he was the sexiest man to grace their sights or something else entirely? Maybe it was just me who had no freaking idea that Ioniko Vlahos also happened to be...
Gaaaaah.
Just thinking about it was next to impossible, and when I finally came out to join him, some of my uneasiness must have shown since he only had to take one look at my face, and he said simply, "You know then."
"That you're a..."
He raised a brow.
"You're a..." I tried, I really tried to say it. But it was just too surreal that my lips refused to form the word.
His puzzled look faded, and when a crooked grin flashed over his lips, I could only make a face, knowing how ridiculous I was acting. It wasn't like not saying the word out loud would change anything, and I knew that. Of course I knew that, but...even so.
"It just sounds so ridiculously unreal," I muttered. I mean, come on. I might write scripts for escapist otome games for a living, but come on. Like, seriously. Even I knew the chances of someone like me meeting someone like him was 1 out of a gazillion.
I was ordinary, he was a billionaire, and fuck if the thought didn't have me unconsciously lifting my gaze heavenwards. Seriously, God? In all my 27 years of life, there hadn't been a single man - not a fucking one - that had been able to make my heart race, much less tempt me into offering u
p my virginity on a platter.
Not once...until Mr. Greek Billionaire here.
I would've mentally ranted some more after that, but with Ioniko suddenly reaching for my hand, I was immediately distracted and panicky. His hand felt just as strong and powerful as it had earlier, but this time I also couldn't help feeling more overwhelmed than usual.
After casting one last look at our clasped hands, I glanced up and told him seriously, "This is stupid."
His lips twitched. "My holding your hand?"
"No, of course not." For some reason, my impatient tone seemed to amuse him even more. "I'm talking about you...and me."
"Ah."
"I thought you were out of my league, but obviously I was wrong."
"So I'm no longer out of your league?"
I stared at him incredulously. "Dude." And again, for some weird reason this had Ioniko grinning. "We don't even exist in the same world at this point."
Ioniko threw his head back with a laugh.
"I'm not trying to be funny---urgh." I could only choke in surprise when he suddenly lifted my hand to his lips.
Oh God.
It lasted no longer than a second, his lips touching my knuckles, but the way my knees knocked so hard against each other you'd think I had survived a massive earthquake.
"You enchant me, koukla mou."
My toes curled hard even as I forced myself to glower at him. "Ha!" I finally remembered to try tugging my hand out of his hold, but this only had his fingers tightening.
"You can keep trying," he murmured with a smirk, "but I'm not letting go."
I gave it one last try anyway, but it was as he said, and my strength was just no match for his. "You're being horribly unfair---"
"Because you're being unnecessarily stubborn---" He stopped speaking.
Gaaah.
Ioniko cast a curious glance at me. "Was that---"
"It's not---" My stomach growled again.
Aaaargh!
When my gaze flew to him in dismay, he said very diplomatically, "I must've misheard that, too."
It was such a smooth response, but at the same time it was funny as hell, too, that a giggle escaped me despite my embarrassment.
His lips curved. "You really are wonderfully different from the rest, koukla mou."
"I feel like I'm being insulted and complimented at the same time."
"There is nothing about you that is not beautiful," he murmured smoothly.
"Uh huh."
"But I should feed you soon, ne?"
"Um, ne back?"
His smile turned into a grin. "Just ne would suffice next time."
"Oh. Okay."
"Where would you like to eat?"
"The fanciest place you can afford."
He raised a brow.
"That should tell you something," I added helpfully.
"Enlighten me."
"I'm a gold-digger."
But this only had him laughing, and instead of doing as asked, he took me to the nearest McDonalds, made me foot the bill, and dear God, was it crazy that I actually felt pleased about that? I had more fun than I should that day, felt too horny the entire time as well, that when Ioniko invited me to spend the rest of the day with him, it took everything in me to say no. I lied about having more work to do at home and didn't even dare let him see me to my door. I just waved goodbye and got the hell out like he had turned into the Devil and he was after my body - I mean, soul.
So that was that, but when I got home I quickly came to realize I wasn't really able to escape him entirely. Memories of him lingered in my mind no matter what I did. I just couldn't make myself stop thinking of him even as I worked, binged on my current Netflix favorite, or even when I threw myself on the mercies of my Bowflex.
I did everything I could think of to exorcise my brain of Ioniko's presence, but nothing worked. Thoughts of him persisted, and I found myself alternating between worries and fantasies. For as long as things were good, he was every woman's dream come true, but once he lost interest, he would also be every woman's worst nightmare.
I didn't think I was in love with him, but I could be...if I didn't do something. There had to be a way to...have fun with him without setting myself up for heartbreak. Right?
I grabbed my phone and did the smartest thing anyone could do when faced with an unanswerable question.
* * *
"Oh my God," Sara gasped out the next day. A slim blond beauty whose outspoken ways often got her in trouble, she had been the first one to approach me during our freshmen year in high school, and upon discovering our mutual love for choose-your-own-adventure books, we had become best friends soon after.
Fast forward over a decade later, and the two of us were also business partners, with Sara in charge of the visuals and programming of our independently published game while I was responsible for the scripts and marketing. We met once a week to discuss updates and issues about our app, but unlike before, I had asked her to drop by my house instead of waiting for her at Associate.
"You really did that?" Sara asked laughingly. "Ask Siri how to avoid falling in love?"
"Who else am I going to ask?" I shot back defensively. "You?"
Sara only grinned, not at all offended. "You have a point." She was just like me, after all, in the sense that she had never had a boyfriend either.
"Thought you'd say that."
"What did Siri say?" she prompted curiously.
"A lot," I said with a grimace, "but none of them's helpful."
"Give me an example."
"Set boundaries," I told her, "but it's not going to work with a man like him."
"He's the alpha type then?"
"Through and through."
"Which means..." Sara's expression turned thoughtful. "He's your type."
I squirmed. "Sara!"
My friend was unrepentant. "Well, he is, isn't he?" she challenged. "We've got over twenty male characters now, and the one major thing they all have in common is that they eventually show their need to dominate one way or another."
"That's...I...it's..." True, I realized and felt appalled and ashamed right after. Like with all otome games, our storyline began with a heroine having to choose which male character she'd like to end up with, and although the heroes' occupations and back stories greatly varied, in the end, it was exactly what Sara said.
Sara tsk-tsked. "I've been drawing your stories for years, Schuy, and if there's one thing they've taught me..." Her expression turned smug. "It's that there's also only one type of girl that's attracted to alphas, and that's..."
The doorbell suddenly rang.
Oh my God, Sara's stunned gaze practically shrieked, and I could only stare back at her, feeling just as helpless. Oh my God was exactly what I felt, too, and when the doorbell rang again, both of us jumped in our chairs.
OH MY GOD.
And then we were scrambling up to our feet because we just knew.
After all these years of writing about the magic of romance...
We just knew.
And when I finally opened the door---
Well, of course it was him.
Ioniko looked disconcerted at finding two women instead of one opening the door while Sara didn't even bother to hide her interest. "You're exactly what she said," Sara relayed cheerfully. "You are unbelievably hot---" I let out a gasp even as Ioniko visibly relaxed and a disarming smile went on to curve over his lips.
"I'm Sara, by the way," Sara went on. "Schuyler's only friend in the world, awesome business partner, and future maid of---"
I quickly elbowed her away and told Ioniko desperately, "Ignore her. She's leaving."
"I am?"
"Yes." I shot my friend a threatening look. "You are."
"But---"
"No buts. Go." I pushed her out of the door despite her protests. While I wasn't thrilled at being alone with the billionaire, it was the lesser of two evils compared to what else Sara could blurt out.
"Sheesh. Sex-starved mu
ch?"
Aaaaargh!
I slammed the door shut on Sara and her sly smile.
"Your friend's quite interesting, koukla mou."
"She's certifiably insane, too," I told him, "so just ignore anything she says." No longer able to find any reason to delay looking at him again, I turned around as I spoke and just in time to see Ioniko's smirk at my words.
Shit.
It obviously wasn't my first time to see him, so why, dammit, why did one look at his sheer gorgeousness still have me catching my breath?
His beautiful black hair. His beautiful green eyes and the chiseled panes of his face that were just as beautiful. I could go on and on, and every part of him was just...beautiful. So darn beautiful that it didn't make sense for him to be attracted to someone like me, and it made even less sense, knowing what I knew now.
"I had a feeling you'd keep avoiding me," he commented silkily.
"Can you blame me?" I asked wryly. "I can't even figure out why you noticed me in the first place."
"I already told you---"
"I'm different, yada, yada, yada, but it just doesn't seem enough, and that's why your liking me will never make sense---"
"But it does."
"It doesn't."
He only smiled, saying mildly, "We're not going to do that."
"Do what?" I was genuinely confused.
"Argue by saying 'it does' and 'it doesn't back and forth."
Oh! A part of me had expected that to happen because I thought they were a funny and cute thing that only couples could get away with. But apparently, men like Ioniko Vlahos thought such exchanges beneath them, and well...didn't that drive the home perfectly then?
"I'm sorry, Ioniko, but I really don't think we're going to suit---"
"Parakalo?" Ioniko sounded incredulous.
"Um, what does that---"
"You think we don't suit," he demanded, "simply because I'm unwilling to say 'it does' and 'it doesn't'?"
I blinked. "All of that...translated to just one word in Greek?" I was hoping the crack would make the situation a little less tense, but instead I suddenly found myself the recipient of Ioniko's tight-lipped look.
