Alexa shook her head. “It isn’t as simple as that.”
Loukas sighed. “Why isn’t it?” He rested his forehead against hers, reveling in their proximity, cherishing the gentle brush of her mint-tinted breath on his lips. “We didn’t want to leave you, but we did. Antonis could be mean, Alexa. You know that. He didn’t get where he was in the world without being ruthless. To stop us from ‘perverting’ you, as he called it, he’d have married you off. To save you.”
“I’d have said no,” she retorted, pulling away to stare at him.
“Do you really think you’d have had a say?” He shook his head. “You know how these things work, Alexa. Don’t be naive. We’re lucky he was too possessive to do that anyway. We both know he was capable of it.”
She blew out a breath, her bottom lip trembling. “Why would he take that from me?” she whispered, and pointed a finger at the photo.
“Because it goes against everything we’re taught as children, love. Two, not three, and certainly not four! Especially—” He sucked up the courage to murmur, “When the men are lovers too.” When she didn’t jump back in revulsion, just stayed there studying him with too-wide eyes loaded with sadness, he continued, “Maybe in America, they’d accept it more, but not here. Not in Greece and certainly not the older generations.”
“But it’s love,” she retorted. “He wanted that for me. I know he did. So why take it from me? And why do it in a way that makes me…suffer?”
Leon approached the two and came to a halt in front of Alexa. With one hand, he chucked her under the chin and made her focus on him. “He wanted you to dislike us, agape mou. He wanted you to disassociate yourself from our corruptive influence. What better way to do that than to make us the bad guys?”
She sucked in a breath and artlessly waved a hand, one that encompassed the room and its contents. “But you still kept on loving me? You did all this…for me?”
Aaron settled on her other side and reached for the hand she was wafting about. Once her fingers were tightly clasped in his, he gently said, “I think the question isn’t whether we love you, because everything about this house can tell you that. You might not have been a part of our lives, Alexa, but we still worked for the day when we could take you as ours.
“There’s a bedroom with a Juliet balcony upstairs, because I know you love those, and Loukas remembered how you’d always wanted a library and a window seat. In the room down the hall, there’s your library. It just needs your books. Even the kitchen, Leon remembered you saying you wanted a farmhouse kitchen. Even if it was impractical.
“Every memory, every little comment you made, we tried to imbue into this house, tried to make it yours, because to us, it is yours. It’s where you belong. With us. So, agape mou, as I said, the question isn’t whether we love you still, it’s whether you stopped loving us.”
She blinked up at him, stared him straight in the eye, and just when he thought his heart would implode in his chest, the pulse so forceful he could feel it in his ears, she shook her head.
Chapter Five
Alexa shifted beneath the light cotton sheet on her bed. It had been so long since she’d slept anywhere but her suite in the hotel that the different play of light above her held her attention.
The shades were shut, holding back the intense glare of the sun. Through the slats, a salty wind whistled as thin slivers of light burnished the terra-cotta floor. The room was pretty bare. Only the large bed, two bedside tables, and a dresser furnished it.
It was weird, like they’d been waiting for her to do it. To fill this space and make it hers.
She didn’t know why it surprised her. Loukas, Leon, and Aaron were all individual, with individual tastes. That even ran to houses. When she’d driven down the coast road, rounded a corner, and seen the only house for miles around, she’d known this was their place and had been shocked at what her eyes were telling her.
Aaron was a lover of the modern. Those sleek Ibiza-style houses had his name written all over them. His jewelry might lean toward the antique styles, but the man himself didn’t. Leon was the same. His abstract art lent itself to his own personal tastes. She’d seen his bedroom back when he’d lived with his parents—an explosion of color. If anyone was more traditional, then it was Loukas, but not to this extent. Never like this.
This house was all her.
Every bit of it.
It was like they’d been in her suite back at the hotel and had seen her tastes…Only the flat didn’t compare to this, because she’d had limitations. The bare stone façade of the house, which the designers had brought inside too, was just an idea from her dream house. It was beautiful, this place. Even this bed, it was for her. It was large, which was definitely a hint, but the canopy with floating gauze and voile drapes was something she’d also done in her own home.
When she’d arrived, she’d been unsure as to where the meeting was heading, but once she’d seen the main salon, how could she misinterpret any of it?
Ten years, a fucking decade, and they had this place set up like she was due to come home any minute.
All those photos? It could have been creepy if she hadn’t been aware of their devotion. A devotion she herself shared.
Normalcy…all of this had been sacrificed for it. For her papou’s mores, not her own. She wanted to cry, scream, rail at the world. More than anything, even knowing he’d acted out of love, she wanted to yell at Antonis Corsakis. She wanted to demand to know what right he had to take away the love these three men had for her, a love that was wholly reciprocated.
But dead men couldn’t answer their phones. Instead, she’d called her mother. A blistering row had ensued. In her anger, Alexa had refused to attend her birthday party.
And that was the reason she was in this bedroom now.
For a time-out.
She snorted at the phrase. Maybe she was acting like a child, maybe she was too old to be behaving this way, but dammit…a woman had her limits. And where these three were concerned, those limits were on shaky ground.
God help her, but she needed them. A single walk through this house, little explanation on the situation, and she already knew she’d accept them on any term.
They’d wasted a decade. She refused to waste a second more on arguments, accusations, or reprisals.
The thought made her roll her eyes at her own behavior. She sat up, determined to go and speak to the guys, but the door opened before she could. In the light from the hallway, she saw Loukas’s shape and murmured, “They sent in the big guns.”
His shoulders stiffened, but he stepped in and closed the door behind him. In the faint light, she saw him walk over to the other side of the bed, heard the sounds of him removing his shoes, and remained quiet when he climbed on top of the mattress, staying above the sheet.
Slowly lying back down, she blew out a breath at how wonderful it was to actually be in a bed with him. Just to breathe the same air and know that all these lost years hadn’t been a rejection of her.
“Are you mad?” he asked when she’d relaxed some, the stiffness falling out of her joints when he just lay there, staring up at the ceiling as she’d done moments before.
“At the time-out? Maybe. At you? No.”
He blew out a breath. “Why are you mad at the time-out?”
She laughed. “Because I’m not twelve anymore, and this isn’t an argument between Leon and me over his cheating at backgammon.”
“You were getting hysterical, Alexa. And your mother didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of your anger. Your grandfather was to blame. Not Agathe.”
“Maybe I knew that, but I can’t call Papou and yell at him. Mother was handier,” she mumbled disgustedly, making him snort.
“You always were a spoiled brat when your temper came into play.”
“And you aren’t?” She harrumphed. “I might not know you as well as I once did, Loukas, but if I know one thing, you’re still a baby when you get mad. Aaron, too. Poor Leon, he’s goin
g to have to put up with our moods and mads.”
Silence greeted her words, only for him to choke out, “I’m sure he’ll cope.” Then, a few seconds later, he whispered, “Does that mean we’re forgiven?”
“‘Forgiven’ isn’t the word I’d choose, Loukas. Ten years is a long time to hold sorrow. It’s a long time to wish things were different and to regret. I won’t forget what happened, but neither will I hold it against you all. We’ve wasted too much time as it is.” She blew out a breath. “Only question is, what do you guys want from me? Which is the reason I assume you’re here? You might have a temper, but you always were the negotiator.”
He rolled onto his side, and she peered up at him. For endless moments, he just looked down at her, studying her, until he murmured, “You know, I think I’ve been fantasizing about this moment for the last thirteen years.”
“Perv,” she mocked, making him chuckle.
“Who’s the perv for misconstruing my words, huh? Just being with you was always a pleasure, but from you turning fifteen, everything started changing.” He shook his head. “It spiraled. Leon, Aaron, and I all kind of found a solace in each other. It kept us going when you were driving us crazy with those fucking shorts you used to wear.”
At his groan, she smiled, inordinately pleased by his words. “I spent a lot of time wondering if you even noticed those shorts. They were a job well done, then.”
“Tease.”
“Yup,” she admitted. “I had to do something. You three were intent on acting like my family, and that was the last thing I was feeling for any of you. Hell, I already have two brothers. I didn’t need three more. And I still don’t.”
He grunted. “I can assure you, Alexa, the last thing we were feeling was brotherly. But it wasn’t like we could show it. Christ, you were fifteen, and we were all a lot older.”
“Hardly older. Aaron’s the eldest by four years.”
“That makes a hell of a difference when you’re fifteen and nineteen. You weren’t ready for what we wanted of you.” Loukas sighed. “I hate to admit it, and I wish it hadn’t had to happen the way it did, but maybe Antonis was right. Now you’re here, maybe I can start to believe that. I’ve hated him for so fucking long, wished like hell things had been different, but perhaps you’d never have been ready for us. The real us.”
He sighed. “Alexa, back then, you were used to being the center of our little circle. But things were, are, more complicated than that. You’ll always be the…I guess ‘keystone’ is a great word. You’ll always be our ultimate priority, but we love each other too. And not like brothers. Like men. Do you understand?”
Alexa frowned at the ceiling, then turned onto her side to stare back at him. “You mentioned it earlier, and you made it sound like you expected me to be revolted. But it never once crossed my mind that you didn’t love each other in that way.”
In the dusky light, she saw him blink at her blunt words. His long lashes fluttered with his surprise. “You don’t mind?” he sputtered.
She snorted. “Why should I? I saw you and Aaron kissing back when I was fourteen, and I caught Leon with busy hands around your cock just before I confronted Aaron about what I wanted. I couldn’t say anything—hell, I was too embarrassed—but I knew. I’ve always known. If anything, it shocked me how you managed to keep it all a secret. Confirmed bachelors, my ass.”
Out of nowhere, his hand slammed down against the mattress, and he practically leapt off the bed. “You fucking knew we were all together?”
At his roar, her brow knit in confusion. She climbed off the bed, walked to the shutters, and opened them, letting in the blast of sunlight. Squinting a little at the sudden brightness, Alexa turned to him and calmly stated, “Yes, of course.”
“I don’t fucking believe this!”
At his yell, the door slammed open, and Aaron and Leon rushed in. “What the hell are you yelling about, Loukas?”
“She knew we were together. Has known for fucking years.”
Leon and Aaron shot matching scowls at her. “You knew?”
It was her turn to blink. “I don’t understand what the problem is. Loukas, you were concerned that I didn’t know, and now you’re mad that I do?”
He shook his head. “Why didn’t you say anything back then? You let Aaron take your virginity, for God’s sake.”
Still confused, she murmured, “Well, yeah, I wanted him to.” Lifting a hand, she rubbed the back of her neck. “I never had a problem with you three being together. Why would I? It’s right. We all belong together, like I told you all those years ago, Aaron.”
Her pointed comment had him wincing. “I didn’t realize you knew about us, though.”
“Well, why does it matter? Do you know hard it was to tell you anything at all? Hell’s bells, Aaron, you were there that night. I was terrified! My fucking friends all kept telling me about how much sex hurt. I thought you were going to split me in two when I saw that bloody log of yours. How did you expect me to vocalize the fact I knew you three were lovers when I found it hard to talk about any of it?”
Leon shook his head. “One thing I never understood…you were so innocent. How did you even know four people could be together?”
Alexa sighed. “I didn’t know. It was just right. We grew up together as friends, but we were always meant for more as adults.” Jerking a shoulder, she murmured, “It was that I knew. I didn’t know the mechanics. The nuns don’t exactly teach sex ed, guys.”
Aaron chuckled. “It’s a wonder you had the guts to talk to me at all.”
“Exactly,” she told him pointedly. “Talking about the other stuff was outside of my limits at the time. It was a big enough deal telling you how I felt about all three of you. And then, when I did, all of you just left. You turned your backs on me. I didn’t exactly get the chance to tell you I knew about your being lovers.”
Loukas strode forward and pulled her into his arms. The instant she collided with his chest, she melted. Everything in her turned soft and squishy at being in his arms again. It had been so long, so many years had passed without this, and everything in her just responded to his presence.
“Oh God,” she mumbled against his chest, pressing her forehead into the hard pad of muscle there.
She tucked her arms around his waist, held him tight to her, then turned her face up to his. The kiss he bestowed on her lips was gentle at first, but gradually, as her hands tightened, clutching at the fabric of his shirt, she began to realize that this was real. Somehow, in their arms, she could feel again, and she felt so much, it was painful.
But in the best possible way.
God, it felt good to be in his arms. She’d never been here before, not outside of brotherly or commiserating hugs. He smelled like pine aftershave, not usually her favorite scent, but on Loukas, it was bliss. Everything about him thrilled her senses, from the rasp of his stubble against her chin as he continued to tease her lips, to his masculine essence filling her nose. The sounds of his harsh breathing were like music to her ears.
His tongue speared through her lips, sending shards of delight through her body as it rubbed against hers. She reached up on tiptoe, moving her arms about his neck, hooking him closer to her. The move had her breasts pressing tautly against his pecs, and she was helpless to stand still, not to rock from side to side to rasp her nipples against his hardness. When he pecked at her bottom lip, nipping it, she moaned and felt him chuckle. The chuckle was a trigger. Suddenly, there was heat at her back. She could smell Aaron, his sandalwood aftershave and the smells of metal from his work were a surprisingly delicious combination. Leon was more subtle. He had no scent save for shampoo and soap. Either way, she knew which man was which when they approached her, surrounding her on all sides.
She groaned when Leon dove for one side of her neck and began to suckle like he was a vampire on the hunt, raking his teeth down the sensitive flesh, making her rock up and down on her tiptoes in luxury at the sensation. At the other, Aaron supped. Unlike Leon,
he was subtle. Crafty. He lapped at the skin, gently tormenting it. Then he’d suck down, bringing the blood to the surface, sensitizing it and marking her at the same time.
A faint whine sounded through the room, and Alexa realized it came from her. She couldn’t talk. Loukas was busy with her mouth, and so she made noise after noise, wishing like hell they’d finally touch. Finally do what she’d been dreaming about, both night and day, ever since she’d realized boys had more use than carriers of cooties.
Someone seemed to get with the program, because hands shot out to unfasten her blouse. She didn’t care when the buttons gave way, most of them falling between her and Loukas’s pinned-together hips. She didn’t care that they’d just wrecked a really expensive designer piece. All she cared about was the feel of their hands on her skin. That was all her world boiled down to at that moment.
Alexa whimpered when the front fastening of her bra was conquered, the cups released for hungry hands to clasp her breasts. Two separate hands. One, softer than the other, which had hard calluses on them. From that alone she knew Loukas had the right breast and Aaron the left. A desk surfer, Loukas’s hands weren’t put to such use as Aaron’s goldsmith ones. Not that she cared, but the dual sensations of relatively soft skin and rough calluses against her most tender flesh were like throwing a flame on a bonfire. She was burning in the conflagration and already craving more fuel.
She got it.
Leon’s busy pinkies were at her ass. She felt him cup the mounds, squeeze them. She groaned when his cock, thick and long, hard and urgent, rubbed against the firm flesh. How she craved for it to be touching her skin, to feel the wet kiss of pre-cum against her butt. The thought was enough to make her moan into Loukas’s mouth. Her lips vibrated with the sensation, and she moaned that little bit harder when floating fingers unfastened the zip of her skirt. Seconds later, the fabric was pulled down, panties and all, until all that was remaining was her bra and shirt, which still hung haphazardly about her arms, and her stockings and heels.
Old Enough to Know Better [The Corsakis Hotel 2] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) Page 5
