by Marian Tee
Right now, all he wanted…
All he could allow himself to want was for Willow to stop hurting.
“I’m sorry.” The words were ripped out of him. “I don’t want you to keep hurting. If I could be sure dying would stop you from hurting, I would---”
“No!” Willow’s voice shook. “Don’t even think of saying---”
“That’s how much you matter to me!” Agonizing shame cut through Stavros as he thought of what he was about to admit, but still, he forced the words out. “You’re right. You matter more than anything, but that’s also why I want you to know now, that’s why I’m telling you now – I can’t love you. I won’t love you because I know…”
Stavros was drowning, fucking sinking, but still, he managed to rasp, “I’m not the kind any person can ever truly love.”
Willow’s hands flew to her mouth as she struggled not to weep at Stavros’ words.
Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.
Emotions made her thoughts disjointed as she gazed at the man she loved in horrified silence. Why would you even think that, my love? Who could have hurt you so much that you would believe that?
So many words she wanted to say, and yet she held them back, knowing that uttering them would only bring her comfort. But not him, not Stavros – not the man who mattered most to her.
Stavros stiffened when he saw Willow’s arms fall limply against her side. When her lips parted, he stiffened even more, preparing himself for the worst. Whatever she decided, even if it killed him---
“Tomorrow…” She choked off, hurting so much for Stavros that she couldn’t even speak straight.
Stavros stilled.
Swallowing, Willow tried again. “I’ll send you a text tonight about what I wish you to do tomorrow.”
The words stunned him. Saved him. Drowned him. “Why?” he demanded harshly. “Why do you want to keep this up?”
Willow’s teeth sank into her lower lip. She ached to tell him the truth, but now she knew it wasn’t time yet. The more she talked about love, the more he would shut her away.
And so she ruthlessly held the words back, hurting him, and hurting herself even more because the man she loved was in pain.
Willow’s silence mocked him.
A lie. It was all a fucking lie. The realization came to Stavros as Willow continued to gaze at him in miserable silence.
Only now did Stavros also realize that the smallest part of him had dared to want – had fucking dared to hope that Willow would keep insisting all this was because she loved him.
But now, it seemed like Willow was tired of lying.
“Is it because you want to hurt me back for what I did to you?” he asked savagely.
God. Oh God. The way he was looking at her right now…
I’m sorry, my love. I’m sorry I have to hurt you right now. I’m so, so sorry.
But out loud, she only said doggedly, “It doesn’t matter why, so just forget it.”
The words echoed in his brain, and for a moment, Willow’s image blurred in front of him, and in her stead, he saw Edith. His mother. And another woman who couldn’t make herself love him.
His mother’s taunting words replayed in his mind. Why can’t you just get over it?
And now, Willow was practically asking him to do the same thing---
No. Fuck, no. Edith and Willow were not and could never be the same, Stavros thought savagely. Willow would never have sought to hurt him if he had not hurt her first.
Willow was not Edith, and he could prove it.
“That night I left you…”
The words had Willow jerking. Why would he even bring that up now? “I don’t want to talk about it---”
And yet Stavros still spoke, his next words just as worse. “Also, the night I made you go---”
“STOP IT---”
But Stavros wasn’t done. He needed to hear this, needed his proof that Edith and Willow weren’t the same. And so he asked her, “Did I hurt you?”
The words wrenched a tortured gasp out of her. For one moment, she could only look at him in pained disbelief. “Yes.” She didn’t understand why he wanted to hear the words, or why he even had to ask, and right now she couldn’t even make herself care. She looked at Stavros and sobbed, “Yes.”
Stavros paled as he heard the indescribable amount of pain living in that one word - pain that his mother had never felt or would ever feel because for one to be hurt, one had to at least care.
And then he heard Willow choke back a sob---
Fuck.
He snatched Willow into his arms. It didn’t fucking matter that people were openly staring at them now. The only thing that mattered was her.
Stavros’ arms tightened around Willow’s body. “I’m sorry.” Guilt slashed at him as he realized how he had deliberately hurt her just to prove that she cared about him.
“I’m so damn sorry.” His eyes closed. He had warned her that this would only hurt them, but even he had never imagined that he had the power to make Willow drown in pain as well. “I’m sorry.”
Willow didn’t say anything, only crying in his arms.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m sorry.” His voice turned raw. “If you want to continue with this, whatever your reason is – you’re right. The reason doesn’t matter. Anything you want, I’ll do it. Anything. But afterwards…”
Willow cried harder when she felt Stavros’ lips press against her forehead, and she cried even more when she heard him say, “You have to let me walk away, sweetheart. I want to stop hurting…the woman who matters most to me.”
Chapter Six
I can’t count the number of times I want to kill you.
But I’m pretty sure it’s not as many as the times I wish I have forever to love you.
Love, Your Greek Billionaire
Stavros was going to kill her. This thought was uppermost in Willow’s mind as she held the billionaire’s hand and led him inside one of the city’s most prominent business centers. Naturally, everyone they passed by recognized the man next to her…even when he was blindfolded.
It was Day 2 of her gamble, and so far…so bad. As they walked past a woman carrying a briefcase in one hand and a Kindle on another, both she and Stavros heard the woman gasp, “Oh my God, I never thought Stavros Manolis would be a Sub.”
Willow stumbled, and she would have fallen flat on her face if not for Stavros’ grip tightening, holding her steady. Willow was even more convinced now. Stavros was going to kill her, and he was only helping her up to have Willow within strangling reach---
“You know I could kill you for this?” Stavros muttered between gritted teeth.
Yup, he really was going to kill her. But even thinking that, she found her mouth running away from her brain again as she retorted, “Yeah, I know. It’s probably why I’m enjoying this so much.”
Stavros glared at her. She could feel it, even with his blindfold on. Stavros growled, “You little---”
Eek! Before Stavros could really kill her, Willow hurriedly dragged him with her to the entrance doors. “We’re here!” Tiptoeing, she tore off the blindfold from his eyes. “Surprise!”
For a moment, Stavros could only look around him, disoriented.
When Willow had texted him last night about both of them needing to have surprises for each other prepared for their second day together, he had been wary at best and suspicious at worst. After all, this was Willow. Her idea of fun was not exactly one he could trust.
But this?
He only needed another second to realize they were in a startup conference, one that allowed young entrepreneurs to possibly find a mentor or even an angel investor to fund their proposed businesses.
When Stavros looked at Willow again, one eyebrow arched at her in question. How did you know I wanted to attend this?
She glared at him. Wasn’t the answer obvious enough?
When Stavros’ lips tightened, Willow knew he had understood.
It was because she loved him.
>
“Willow.” His voice was grim.
She cringed inside at the tone. She just knew he was going to tell her something sweet and painful again, and she didn’t want to hear it. To prevent him from speaking, she sprang into action, trying to drag him with her again, babbling, “Let’s go take a look around. I know you have a meeting in two hours so we don’t have much time.”
Stavros didn’t budge.
Willow’s steps faltered just as she heard Stavros say under his breath, “Are you really sure of this? Prolonging something that can’t ever last?”
She didn’t even have to think, not even when his words caused the jackhammer inside her to start drilling again. “Yes.” A second later, she jerked, feeling Stavros’ fingers tighten around hers as he came to stand by her side.
Even though she feared what she would see, Willow forced herself to look up. Blue green eyes clashed with dark ones, and slowly, she saw Stavros’ beautiful lips curve in a brief smile.
He said quietly, “Let’s do this then.”
And so they did.
It was one of the best times Stavros ever had in his life. Doing business might be work for most people in the world but for him, it had always been his passion, something he had inherited from his grandfather. As for the fact that the woman next to him understood and appreciated his passion?
It blew him away.
He loved the way her eyes would sparkle with mischief when they spotted an exhibitor trying to con them, and he let her have her way as she ruthlessly set her trap and provoke the exhibitor into revealing his deception. He loved the way she would struggle to keep a poker face whenever she liked what an exhibitor was saying, loved that no matter how she tried, she always failed and ended up promising some kind of support to the exhibitor.
He loved.
He watched her talk, smile, and walk, and he loved.
He loved, and that was all he could allow himself to think of.
Before they knew it, their time was up and Stavros had to leave for his meeting. Now, he knew better than to tell Willow the driver would take her home. Now, he accompanied her on the way back without having to be asked, and throughout the ride, they remained silent, only their fingers linked.
When they reached her home, he walked her to the front door.
Willow bit her lip. “You won’t…forget?”
That she had to ask made his fists clench. Had he made her feel so undervalued that she thought it was possible for him to forget? Didn’t she know he remembered everything that had to do with her?
Finally, he said, “No. I won’t forget.” His fists clenched tighter, the urge not to hold her to him becoming even more painful to resist. “But for my surprise, I’ll need you to wait for me at my place.”
“Oh.” Her eyes were wide and startled. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” No. But even so, he had a grim feeling it was too late.
Because he loved.
And again, that was all he allowed himself to think of. If he added a name, it would be all over, and he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.
Six more days, Stavros thought dully when Willow finally went inside her house and he slowly walked back to his car.
Six more days, and then it really was all over.
It was all he could think about even when he reached his office and the meeting with his board started. He only listened with half a mind as they gave their reports and when it was his turn to speak, all Stavros could do was shake his head.
“Meeting is adjourned.”
Every executive on the table turned to him in shock. He was the greatest workaholic of them all, and it was rare that Stavros’ board meetings didn’t last for at least half a day.
Stavros’ cheeks flushed with color. “There’s nothing I’d like to brief you all about now. Let’s meet again next month.” Not wanting to give anyone a chance to ask him questions, Stavros swiftly came to his feet, signaling the end of the meeting.
The executives rushed to their feet and bid him goodbye in between throwing him awkward looks and looking at each other questioningly.
When everyone had left, Stavros checked his watch. Willow should be on her way to his place now, and the realization made his blood quicken, his pulse leap, and his body stir in anticipation.
Willow.
The thought had him moving, and in record time, he was already behind the wheel of his sports car because it would get him faster to where he wanted. His phone rang a few minutes later, the caller’s name displayed on the large monitor on the dashboard.
Edith.
He answered the call. “What is it?”
“I heard you played the role of knight in shining armor for your former secretary.”
“If that’s all you want to say---”
“And I’ve seen the photos of the two of you dating over coffee yesterday.” Edith’s voice became taunting. “Is she back in your life then? Did you beg her to stay the way you wanted to beg Mommy and Daddy to---”
Stavros whitened. “Shut up.”
“Then give me what I want.”
“Never.” He ended the call and blocked her number. He should have done that a long time ago, Stavros thought. Tension had his fingers tightening around the wheel, and it took every bit of his discipline not to floor it and let his sports car fly.
Somewhere along the way, it started – the drowning sensation, strangling him, making him feel like choking and gasping for air. But still he drove, and when he reached his home, he almost had to stagger out of his car, the drowning feeling almost akin to asphyxiation.
He would not let Edith’s words poison him, Stavros swore to himself. Because of her, he was already incapable of love. But he would not let Edith manipulate him into hurting Willow even more.
Using his key, he let himself in, and the first thing he saw was Willow on the sofa, brows furrowed and biting her nails. She had changed and even showered, dressed in a gloriously feminine summer dress of pastel rainbow colors.
“Stavros!” She jumped to her feet, the skirt swirling around her long legs as she did.
“Willow.” Stavros mockingly mimicked her voice even as the feeling of drowning worsened inside him. Just looking at her, he could feel bigger and stronger waves of tumultuous emotions crashing down on him.
She blushed and glared at him at the same time. “Bastard.” But she was already walking to him, her hips swaying in that sexy familiar way of hers. When she reached him, she asked right away, “What’s my surprise?”
For a moment, he didn’t say anything, only looking at her blindly, and wondering if he really would be able to stand it. This feeling of sinking into an abyss of feelings he neither wanted nor understood. Wherever Willow was, that feeling would follow. So the question was – why was he still here with her, when he knew it was only a matter of time before he drowned completely?
“Stavros?”
Her troubled, anxious voice called out to him and cleared his gaze.
He saw her.
And he…loved.
“This,” he said tightly, “is the surprise.”
“I don’t get it.” But by the way her eyes were suddenly swimming with unshed tears, he knew she was starting to get it, only she was scared to death she was wrong.
“Yes,” he refuted quietly. “You do.” His fist clenched and unclenched, but he couldn’t help it, and finally he lifted one hand to cup her face. He watched her close her eyes at his touch, and his heart slammed against his chest.
As he started to drown and started to love all over again, Stavros said, “I’m your surprise.”
A tear slipped.
Followed by another and another until she was not just crying but sobbing, her shoulders shaking. When her eyes opened, a smile was also wobbling over her lips as she whispered, “Best surprise…ever.”
It was the most magical day of her life.
After taking a shower and changing into a collared shirt and chinos, Stavros prepared lunch for both of them, grilling
each of them juicy slabs of steak and whipping up mashed potatoes on the side.
His ease and efficacy in the kitchen awed her, and when Stavros saw her gaping, a brief smile touched his lips. “My grandfather required me to work in a hotel kitchen before.”
“Why?”
“Easiest way to get rid of my ego.”
The fondness in his voice made her remark softly, “You got along really well with him, didn’t you?”
It took more than a few moments to answer. “Yes.” It was the first after his grandfather’s death that he was able to speak of the old man without any kind of bitterness, the first time he could think of Christophe Manolis and not think of how his grandfather’s will had changed his life completely.
Instead, Stavros thought of the old man and he remembered some of the best times of his life. Because he had loved the old man, and now, with this woman in front of him, too, he…loved.
When Willow found Stavros gazing at her under hooded lids, Willow swallowed, the heat of his gaze unmistakable. Something had changed, something that electrified the air around them and made her skin prickle as Stavros finally joined her on the counter, his stool unbearably close to hers.
They ate their meal in silence, the time passing in another sensual blur. The steak smelled delicious and she supposed it tasted delicious, too, but she couldn’t be sure at all. She was so nervous she barely tasted her food at all, every second spent fighting the urge to stare at Stavros.
He was so addictive to look at, with the way he moved with utter grace. The way he held his fork, the way he sliced a piece of his steak, even the way he chewed was sexy and elegant at the same time.
Everything about him was mesmerizing, which only meant one thing.
She was so screwed.
“Willow?”
She jerked, her hasty movement causing her to knock her fork from her plate. It clattered to the floor.
Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit.
This was so damn embarrassing.
“I’ll get it.” But she and Stavros reached for it for the same time, their heads bumping painfully.
“Owwww,” Willow yelped in pain while Stavros grunted as they both straightened.
When she rubbed her temple, Stavros said, “Let me see,” and reached for her.
