by Pamela Ann
Everything felt different this time in Greece. Last year, everything was new to me and I was very much excited about everything. Now, I really felt like I didn’t belong, as if I shouldn’t even be here.
Seven days. How hard could it be? I was almost assured that it’d pass by in no time and then I would be back home to live my life as Lindsey Mason, newly divorced and single.
Chapter 6
I was on the nice settee in the garden, watching the sunset with a glass of chilled white wine when Dimitris found me. He was dressed in white chinos, a polo shirt that matched his eyes and soft-leather Italian loafers.
“Kalispéra,” he greeted formally as he joined me, taking the seat next to me prior to pouring himself a glass of wine. He waited until he took his first sip before he started talking to me again. “So, how do you like my new home?”
Why, you want to rub that you and Claudine are getting serious or what? I thought loathingly, looking away. “It’s nice,” I murmured, not able to help the biting tone it came with before continuing with more bitterness. “I’m sure Claudine loves it.”
“I’m sure she will, when she sees it.”
That made me look at him, frowning. “She’s never been here?”
He looked at me, dead-panned. “No, this is the first time I’ve brought her back, due to my parents’ persistence of wanting to meet her.”
Interesting. Mommy and Daddy were getting involved with his love life, big shocker there. I’d bet his mother followed his love life to a T.
“Ready?” he asked, standing up, offering his hand towards me, but I ignored it. Touching him after the incident on the jet was risky business.
Reaching over to the other seat for my purse, I was disconcerted to find him suddenly almost against me, eyes wild.
“Go upstairs and wear a bra, Lindsey!” he hissed. His eyes kept flicking at my breasts then back into my face.
“It’s not even that obvious. Stop staring at them because you’re making it obvious. Besides, I didn’t bring one.” I was wearing a silk-chiffon dress that had a slit up the side with triple lining across the breasts, so it was safe to say that I could pass without wearing a bra. Of course, Dimitris was probably hunting down the outline of my nipples. They were harmless; I didn’t know why he acted as if they were going to cause an uproar. Seriously.
“We’ll remedy that problem very soon.” He started walking and I followed silently behind him, uncaring of his foul mood.
I waited until we were inside the limo and stuck in traffic before I confronted him about it. “Quit being such a baby. If they bother you too much, just don’t look at them. It’s that simple.”
He stopped reading his messages on his phone and slid it inside his pocket before facing me. “Do whatever you like. It’s not like my needs or wants ever mattered to you anyway. It was always you. ‘Me this. Me that.’ You’re a selfish brat, who grew up not caring about other people. Go ahead and rebel all you like. I can’t wait to be rid of you after this week is over.”
My twitchy palm smacked across his cheek. My hand was tingly from the impact as we stared each other down. I wasn’t going to apologize because he deserved it. He didn’t know my life, so how dare he accuse of me being brat. “Don’t you dare start with me, Kosta!”
He rubbed the spot where I slapped his skin, burning. “Apologize to me now, Lindsey!”
“Dream away,” I shot back, ready to tackle him.
“I will as long as you’re not in it because, if you are, it wouldn’t be a dream. I would call it a nightmare,” he gritted out, eyes flashing icily at me.
“I’m a nightmare? You’re calling me a fucking nightmare? How dare you!” I grabbed my purse and smacked his shoulders with it. I knew I was going crazy, out and beyond postal, but I couldn’t seem to stop it. Dimitris just kept pushing my buttons and I wasn’t going to let him win.
He brashly pushed me against the seat, my head pressing against the door while his hands were holding mine with a death grip.
“You need to learn restraint because—” He was hissing at me before pausing, eyes on my heaving breasts. When I looked down, I was doomed when I saw that my dress shifted, exposing a nipple, attracting his attention. My ears were ringing while my heart accelerated at the sight of Dimitris, knowing that if he touched me, I was done for.
He swore something in Greek before lowering his head to capture it, letting his tongue tease the pebbled form. Encouragingly, I arched my back, letting him have his fill, moaning while his other hand started to push the other cup to the side, exposing my other breast.
It was a maddening case to want a man and yet hate him all at the same. Maybe that’s why it was exciting. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t stop him even if I knew I should. Dimitris felt too good to resist. My body didn’t lie. It had missed the Greek’s touch.
With my eyes shut, I barely noticed when he hoisted me up, making me straddle him; his lips, tongue and teeth glued to my breasts while my hands raked his hair, pushing his head against it, slowly rocking my hips against his rigid length as it pressed against my crevice. “Dimi…” I trailed off, lost to the world; not even caring that though the windows were tinted and a separator existed between the driver and us, he could still feel the rocking motion I was making.
“More,” I demanded, unabashed by my very aroused state.
I was bewildered when Dimitris let go of my breasts, looking around, noting that the car was slowing down. Quickly, he fixed my dress before looking at me, with something close to confusion written across his face. Although, I couldn’t pin down exactly why at that hazy moment. “We’re almost there,” he murmured before I slowly slid off his lap, missing the hard heat of him already.
“What do you want to do about what just happened?” he asked, reaching out for my hand before kissing it and linking it with his.
Weren’t we just having fun? Why was he getting all serious about it? “Nothing. Why?”
“Nothing. Nothing really comes to mind,” he said, before kissing my hand and delivering it to my thigh, leaving it there.
I glanced at him, giving him a tight smile before looking away.
“Did you call your boyfriend yet? Let him know that you arrived safe?” he asked before I saw the villa come into view, making my stomach drop and turn into knots.
He knew Brody’s name and yet he never used it. Nonetheless, it irritated me on certain levels. “Yes, I did make a quick call.”
“What an amazing girlfriend you are; thoughtful, loyal… honest,” he angrily gritted out.
“You’re one to throw accusations. You were with me all the way a few minutes ago. You wanted it just as much as I did. If you’re feeling guilty about Claudine, then that’s your problem,” I finished before the car came to a full stop.
Dimitris moved to open the door, halting halfway before he darted me a cutting look. “I wasn’t referring to Claudine. I was referring to you, my biggest mistake in life—marrying you when I shouldn’t have because my heart was following a deceptive path, but not any longer. I see you for what you are,” he coldly said, opening the door to let us out.
His words hurt. I wanted to explain myself, at least make him understand, but I knew it was too late to even do that. Deep down, Dimitris hated me, just as I despised him. I guess, on that score, we’re finally meeting eye to eye.
A butler greeted us, leading us towards the salon where everyone was apparently enjoying an aperitif before dinner was served. I was expecting a formal, stuck-up, pompous type of family, but much to my shock, I found an informal atmosphere. Boisterous laughter was shared between an old man and a middle-aged man, who I’m guessing were the grandfather and Dimitris’s father. It didn’t take much since, the men sort of looked the same; the signs of aging were the only thing that separated them. They shared the same facial structure, skin coloring and those same glow-in-the-dark eyes. Intimidating didn’t cut it for me.
“Kalispéra. This is Lindsey Mason, a friend of Emma and Bass. She’s here fo
r a week before the couple comes to get her after their mini vacation at Bass’s island is over.” He pointed towards an elegant looking woman, full of life as she came over and kissed both of my cheeks.
“Welcome to our home, Lindsey. I’m Maria, my son’s gorgeous mother. Can’t you tell? Like mother, like son.” She reached out and pinched Dimitris’s cheek before looking back at me with pure delight. “What can we get you to drink? Is champagne to your liking?” she offered, buoyant, while I was startled by the guilt that was sinking into me, making me feel like a fraud.
Smiling timidly, I responded to her question, “Champagne sounds perfect, thank you.”
His father came next, introducing himself as Leonidas before shaking my hand and urging me to sit opposing the composed looking Claudine. The old man who sat next to me on the loveseat, held out his hand, introducing himself, “I’m Elias, but you can call me Pappou.”
“Pappou?” I nervously asked before thanking Dimitris when he handed me a champagne flute. He nodded and then sat next to Claudine, kissing her on the cheek.
“Grandfather,” Elias said, winking at me then glancing towards the couple who sat across us, noting how Claudine was lit-up like a Christmas tree next to Dimitris.
When a staff member came to announce that dinner was served, I was relieved to escape from the almost-interrogation from Elias. As much as I wanted to ignore Dimitris, I couldn’t help noticing how he treated her like he used to treat me last year. He even went and pulled a chair for her before he took the seat next to hers, across from me.
Was I jealous? Yes, and I wanted to murder Dimitris on the spot. Wasn’t it less than an hour ago that I was on his lap while he toyed with me? However that had been my fault. I was being a cheap slut, allowing myself to be enslaved by my body’s demands instead of seeking what my brain was advising me to do.
Commanding myself to enjoy the delicious meal even though I wanted to throw the lamb chops across the table, I at least took the effort to join the conversation the other adults were having. I was doing okay—no, scratch that, I was managing fine—before Dimitris decided to feed Claudia some delicacy.
“Good, isn’t it?” He was smiling down at her while she agreed like an idiot, looking flushed.
Thank goodness, Maria engaged me in conversation before my rage blew like a geyser and God help me if that ever happened.
“Are you in University, Lindsey? How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?” She was so gentle, but she definitely had fire. It was hard not to like her.
“Twenty-one. Yes, I am in school. I wanted to be in the medical field, in research mostly, but now I’m not too sure.” Ever since last year, my heart hadn’t been in it any longer. Even though I was still getting excellent grades, the passion behind it was gone. I’d been drifting since.
“How impressive. You must be very intelligent. Your boyfriend doesn’t get intimidated by that?” Maria was easy to converse with and I was glad that I was talking to someone that distracted me from the show in front of me.
Maria simply assumed that I had a boyfriend. Instead of correcting her, I decided against it. Well, since Brody and I had been messing around more lately, I guess he somewhat was, in a way. “He doesn’t mind. I grew up with him so he knows me very well. He’s a patient man.”
“Childhood sweethearts? Just like Leonidas and me. He took a long time to come to his senses. Too long, in fact, that he waited until I was almost engaged to another man until he finally realized he was in love with me.” She took her husband’s hand and lovingly squeezed it. “Thank goodness he did because I’d be married to someone else. Can you imagine that?” She laughed, nostalgic as she remembered the olden days, making both older Kosta men mutter something about women.
I was drinking my water when I almost spat it back to the glass when Maria directed me a question that took me off guard. “Do you plan to marry him? I’m sure he’d love to.”
This was the problem. Brody was the only man I wanted to marry. I used to wear a veil and practice kissing on the mirror, imagining being married to the guy I loved so much. I was young, but I knew it was real then. “He spoke about it, but we’re still young. Maybe in the next five years or so.”
“Well, I’m glad to know you and my grandson are going forward with your lives. I’m sure a divorce would be the best possible way to achieve this said happy future,” Elias spoke up, unperturbed at the sudden quietness of the table.
“Who’s divorcing?” Maria asked, looking at Elias then to Dimitris. “How? You’ve only been seeing Claudine and you guys don’t have rings on, let alone divorcing from the way you two have been acting.”
Elias cleared his throat. “It wasn’t Claudine I was referring to, Maria.”
In a snap, the tension broke and rapid fires of Greek were being thrown around the table. Maria looking more upset by the second. I met Claudine’s dark eyes, which were full of contempt, before she tried to calm Dimitris’s defensive yet ready to fight back state. The increase of quick discussion followed by the sudden stop to it, made me want to crawl underneath the table and hide there forever.
Dimitris stood up, asking Claudine and me to follow him. I couldn’t even muster the courage to look at his family when I left the table and joined the awaiting couple, discussing something in a hushed manner. Claudine was now mad. I didn’t catch anything she said because she had spat a string of French before stomping away, heading towards the stairs.
What was going on? I wondered, but didn’t have the balls to ask Dimitris since he was already walking out the door with me scrambling to follow at his heels.
The entire car ride back to his villa was awkward and Dimitris didn’t speak until we arrived in his home. Upon opening the main door, he went straight to the bar, opened a fresh bottle of whiskey and directly drank from it. After a few gulps, he slammed it back down on the granite counter, spilling amber contents all over the place.
“I’m taking Claudine back to Paris tonight. My parents didn’t like the idea of housing my “mistress” in their home while I was finalizing this sham of a ninety-six hour wedding.” He took another go with the whiskey before talking to me again. “The night was progressing well, but you had to open up about your damn boyfriend, knowing my Pappou was there, listening to you talk about this man you’re so in love with!” he thundered, moving towards me. “Even for a few hours, your selfishness cannot be tamed.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about that. I got too caught up with your mom and had forgotten why I was there in the first place,” I apologized, but he wasn’t convinced.
“I should’ve expected this of you, but I was hoping for you to prove me wrong. Now my parents are distraught and Claudine is pissed that she’s being shipped back to Paris when she was very excited to be spending some time with my family.”
“Oh, so this is all about Claudine? I don’t give a rat’s ass about her! I don’t care that she was excited to be a part of your family. I don’t care!”
“Right ‘cause all you ever care about is your boyfriend and how you couldn’t wait to leave me to go to him to let him fuck you after you had walked away from me!”
All Hell broke loose as I charged towards him, ready to hit him, when he immediately caught my hand before he took my other hand as well and locked it behind my back. He pushed me against the barstool causing it slide away from the force of our impact and my back hit the granite counterpane. “Damn you for ruining me, Lindsey!” He gritted out before biting my bottom lip, making me hot and dizzy. “Why can’t I walk away from you?” He kissed me softly and we melted against each other. “I want you so much, I’m in pain.”
Don’t stop, I silently begged when he kissed me slowly, hesitation radiating off him.
A sob came from me when he wretchedly pulled his lips free, breathing against my ear, heavily. “I can’t want you. I just can’t afford it. I won’t be coming home tonight. I’ll be staying in Paris. Maybe I should lose myself in Claudine all night before I come back here.
”
I swallowed my pain. His words wounded me and I sure as hell would never forget it. “Then go. No one’s stopping you.”
“Don’t I know it.” He marched out, slamming the door behind him, leaving me.
This was for the best, I assured myself, over and over again.
“I love Brody,” I whispered into the quiet house, making sure I didn’t forget it.
Chapter 7
The next morning, I woke up to Thea informing me that Elias would be arriving in an hour and a half to take me to lunch.
Jet-lagged and purely haggard, I brought my coffee back into my room and started getting ready to meet Elias. Dressed in a simple, pink cotton dress, light make-up and wedge sandals, I was good to go.
After last night’s dinner, I wasn’t sure what I could expect from his grandfather today. Alone here, without friends, I felt so out of place and so out of my depth. Thank goodness I only had six more days to go through because I don’t think I’d last otherwise.
At precisely half past twelve, Elias arrived, dressed in all white and with a bright smile. “How was your sleep, pethi mou?” he greeted me upon entering Dimitris’s home.
“It was sufficient,” I murmured. He gave me a smile before he guided me by my elbow towards the outside settee. When we were both seated, I started the conversation. “About last night, I want to—”
Elias held out his hand, halting me halfway. “I should apologize for my rude behavior.” He looked at me full on, unchallenging and heartfelt. “I hadn’t minded your tales, child, I assure you. What prompted my interruption was the face of my grandson. I didn’t like the hurt I found in his eyes. For that, I am sorry for ruining your first night here.”
Dimitris looked hurt? How? Wasn’t he busy feeding fucking lamb into Claudine’s mouth? “I wasn’t aware…” I said nervously, hoping Elias had misread whatever was in Dimitris’s eyes last night. “His parents, are they furious?”
