by Marian Tee
Kalli was quiet for a few moments before she asked, “Do you feel weird when you’re close to me, too?”
His lips twitched, and he answered gravely, “Probably weirder.”
Shocked, Kalli lifted her head so she could look into his eyes. “Really?”
He nodded.
“Is it because we love each other?”
Ah. His heart clenched. You really had to make her ask that, God? You really want me to remember how much I don’t deserve her by lying?
His gaze met hers.
And again, he lied. “Yes. Because we love each other.”
Chapter Eight
The screams woke him up. One moment, it felt like he had just fallen asleep. The next moment, he found it impossible to sleep, not when someone—
Kalli.
It was Kalli screaming bloody murder.
His eyes opened and Yuri sat up in a panic, only to find Kalli near the foot of the bed, plastered against the wall, accusation in her gaze.
“What’s wrong?” He automatically checked the time as he spoke and bit back a groan when he saw it was just a few minutes past six in the morning. Damn. Since he hadn’t risked taking his pills last night, sleep had only been able to claim him exactly forty-five minutes ago.
“How could you?”
Her shrill scream made his head pound, and Yuri wondered if perhaps this unexpectedly shrewish attitude from Kalli meant he was still dreaming. But the fantasy only lasted for a second¸ Yuri’s pragmatic mind not allowing him the luxury of illusions.
With a sigh, he refocused on Kalli, who was still looking at him like a mass murderer. “How could I what, Kalli?” Whipping the covers off his body, he started to stand only to have Kalli screaming again.
Incredulous, Yuri froze. “I haven’t even done—”
“Don’t lie! I woke up and felt that!” Kalli pointed a furious finger at him. “You want to take advantage of me!”
He stared at her. “Have you lost your mind?” He wasn’t sure if he was seriously asking the question, but he couldn’t think of anything else that would explain her actions
Kalli stabbed the air with her finger again. “You. Want. To. Take. Advantage. Of. Me.”
This time, he followed her gaze, and that was when Yuri realized she was pointing at his cock. His fully aroused cock, which of course made a rather formidable bulge against his sweatpants. The realization had Yuri flushing for the second time in his life. Kalli was still looking at his cock like it was some damn monster out to devour her, and fuck it, but her reaction made him feel embarrassed and even more aroused.
Before he could ask Kalli to calm down, he heard MJ’s worried voice outside the door. “I heard screams.”
Shit. MJ was probably doing the morning rounds with Aria as part of the latter’s training.
A knock sounded on the door. “Are you guys okay?” But the doorknob was already turning even while MJ was speaking.
“MJ, don’t—” But he was too late.
The door opened, revealing MJ and Aria.
Kalli opened her mouth.
Yuri glared at his fiancée. “You will not say a word.”
She glared back at him, and if he hadn’t been so frustrated and irritated at how things were turning out, Yuri would have been proud of her. It was the first time she had shown any sign of temper, and for Kalli, temper was a good thing. Temper meant she was gaining more confidence, and that was a step closer towards her leading a normal life.
Kalli looked at her new friends. “My grandmother warned me about this, and I’m heartbroken and disappointed that Yuri has become what Grandmother warned me about.”
MJ looked at Aria in confusion. What was Kalli talking about?
Aria shrugged in response. Beats me.
Feeling like she had to play diplomat even though she couldn’t even figure out what Kalli and Yuri were at odds about, MJ asked awkwardly, “What did your grandmother warn you about?”
His teeth gnashed when Kalli stabbed the air again with an accusing finger pointing in his direction. “Damn it, Kalli—”
“He tried to take advantage of me while we were sleeping! My grandmother told me how to find out about this, and he has it.”
Like Yuri, MJ and Aria eventually realized the answer lay in Kalli’s eyes. They followed her gaze.
Yuri cursed.
MJ gaped. Aria started to laugh.
Kalli was perplexed. “What are you—”
“Out,” he snapped at the two other girls.
“Yes, sir,” MJ said, mostly out of habit since before she was Helios’ wife, she had been one of the many volunteers who had worked in the club. Aria, however, wasn’t, and neither was she as tactful as MJ. She simply laughed harder and even as MJ quickly pulled the door shut, Yuri could still hear her laughter. Knowing Aria, he was grimly certain that the incident would have made the rounds in the entire club by the time he went down for breakfast with—
His gaze swung back to Kalli.
She was still glaring at him.
“Kalli—” He took a step towards her.
“No!” She pointed at his cock accusingly.
“Stop pointing,” he growled. “And stop looking.”
“Then make it stop moving and growing!”
“Oh, for God’s sake—” Looking down, he willed his arousal to die. He willed his cock to wilt like a goddamn flower, but it was impossible. It continued to thrust demandingly against his sweatpants, and it would probably stay that way for as long as Kalli kept staring at it.
Yuri threw his hands up. “I can’t.”
Kalli looked like she was torn between anger and betrayal.
Staring at her, his frustration, caused mostly by lack of sleep, eventually faded, and Yuri began to appreciate just how damn crazy the entire situation was. He looked at Kalli and said her name gently.
When her wary gaze met his, he said in the same, gentle tone, “Remember who I am. Remember what I promised.” He waited patiently for his words to take effect and after a full minute had passed, he saw the tension gradually leave Kalli’s body.
“Grandmother said if I felt that part of a man’s body, it meant he wanted to take advantage of me and that I had to scream for help.” Kalli chewed her lip. “Only, with you, I wasn’t screaming for help. I was screaming because I felt angry and…disappointed.”
Yuri wondered if he should curse or thank Mila Antoniou for her lesson. Glancing back at Kalli, he kept his voice mild as he pointed out, “But I’m not just any man, sweetheart. Your grandmother was right to warn you, but it was a warning for other men – for those who weren’t your fiancé. You understand, right?” He kept silent and still while Kalli looked at him, a myriad of emotions in her eyes as she contemplated his words.
Finally, she nodded.
He took one small step towards her. All he wanted was to see if she would let him get close to her, but Kalli being her usual brave self, he saw her take a deep breath before she went running towards him—
She was in his arms the next moment, her arms around his neck, her head against his chest, and his still engorged cock now throbbing against her belly.
Fuck.
Now she really was going to think he was about to take advantage of her.
But instead Kalli ended up stunning him by whispering, “If…this…doesn’t mean you’re going to take advantage of me, then what is it for?”
Yuri closed his eyes. How the hell did he explain something like this to someone like Kalli? “It means…” He paused, trying desperately to make his cock a little less aroused, but it only served to throb more powerfully against Kalli’s belly.
Ah, fuck.
“When two people who…truly care for each other—”
“Like you and me?” Kalli whispered.
He nodded. “Like you and me.” He paused. “When…this…happens, it means he wants her and that he wants her to feel…good.” He could feel her confusion, and he asked, “Did you feel good when we kissed last night?”
His cock jerked as if punctuating his question. Kalli stiffened against his body in response, but it only made his cock throb more insistently against her.
Damn it to hell.
He might just die of sexual frustration—
Kalli whispered something against his chest.
He lowered his head automatically. “What’s that, sweetheart?”
“I said…” Her voice was huskier and a bit more audible this time. “I can’t remember feeling any better than when you kissed me.”
His eyes closed. He was absolutely going to die of sexual frustration after this.
“I see.” His voice was thick with need. “Then, that’s how, ah, this is going to make you feel, too—” He paused. “But only if you want the man – if you only want me back.” He decided it was important to make it clear it was his cock they were talking about.
Again, her gaze searched his. “If I want you back?”
He nodded.
“How do I know if I want you back?”
“You feel…things.”
“What things?” Her forehead furrowed. “Can I search this on the Internet?”
“Err, no.” This lie, he absolutely did not regret, Yuri mentally shuddering at what kind of sites Kalli would end up visiting if she ever decided to look up ‘cock’ on the Internet.
A full-fledged frown marred her lovely features as she asked almost demandingly, “Then what?”
God help him. He really had to spell it out? Yuri looked down at Kalli and realized that yes, he did have to spell it out. “Well, your breasts…”
Kalli pulled away at his words and he allowed her, his arms falling back to his sides. “My breasts?”
He nodded. “They would feel…swollen.” His overactive mind matched his words with vivid fantasies of Kalli revealing her breasts. “And your pussy…”
Kalli blinked several times. “My cat?”
He wanted to laugh and kill himself at the same time. Who would have thought talking about female body parts would be this agonizing and arousing at the same time?
Yuri said hoarsely, “The part between your legs.”
He watched her look down. “It should feel like it’s wet and swelling—”
Even before he finished speaking, her hands started to move, and he shut up.
She cupped her breasts.
Fuuuuuuuck—
Her hands moved down, and then she was running her fingers over her pussy.
Fuuuuuuuck—
Her gaze went back to his. “I’m not wet and nothing in my body is swelling.” She looked at him sadly. “I don’t want you or your cock, Yuri.”
Well, fuck.
Having seen her touch herself, it was the opposite for him.
Yuri shook his head. “Never mind.” He gestured to his en-suite bathroom. “It’s time for you to take a shower, and then we can join the others for breakfast.” He managed to keep still until Kalli was safely ensconced inside the shower.
He sank back into his bed and bent forward, elbows on his knees.
What the hell was going to happen now?
He wanted Kalli Antoniou like he had never wanted any other woman.
He wanted her even though she deserved so much more than him.
Chapter Nine
Yuri did his best to keep his black mood to himself when he joined everyone at the dining room on their private floor. He had received another long voice mail from the good doctor, most of which involved him rambling about the importance of keeping Kalli sheltered and isolated.
“Good morning,” he murmured before taking his place on Kellion’s right.
“Morning. Where’s Kalli?” As befitting his position, Kellion was seated at the head of the table. As was typical of his personality, he also had his girlfriend seated on his lap even when there was a perfectly good chair next to his.
“She’s coming,” Yuri answered.
Seated across the vice president, Helios noticed his friend’s unsmiling façade and asked, “Something the matter?”
Yuri shook his head. “Just someone making a nuisance of himself.” He made himself smile, noticing how even MJ, seated beside Helios, glanced at him in concern. But then his phone buzzed and his smile disappeared. The assigned ringtone told him it was yet another voice message.
Kellion frowned at Yuri’s words. “Is it Nelson Athanas?”
While her boyfriend spoke, Aria tried to get off his lap, hoping he was too distracted to notice. But it was futile, Kellion only pulling her back down as soon as she started to rise.
The familiar sight of the president and his girlfriend’s psychological tug of war restored Yuri’s mood somewhat, and he could feel a bit of his tension evaporating. Despite being polar opposites – the curvy blonde was known to be sarcastic and reclusive while the president was notorious for being an outrageous flirt – the two still managed to make it work.
As such, he was able to answer blandly, “It’s been over a year since I last spoke to my father.” But he also changed the subject promptly, asking, “You’ve sent out the memo about Kalli?” He didn’t want to risk having his mood go from bad to worse, which tended to happen whenever Nelson Athanas was the topic of conversation.
“Yes,” Kellion answered. “They understand, of course.”
The Afxisi had no secrets from each other, and yesterday the president had made the decision for the officers to temporarily take their meals in their private dining area. It was to give Kalli time to adjust to being constantly surrounded by people, and the other members had been given a brief explanation about Kalli’s special circumstances.
“Thank you for going out of your way to make Kalli feel at home,” Yuri said quietly.
Kellion sobered. “We have each other’s backs. Always.” He paused. “I only hope that she won’t be…bothered by the presence of volunteers when we finally join everyone.”
“I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.” He stood up and excused himself from the table. “I should check on Kalli and see what’s holding her up.”
But when he stepped out of the dining room, the first thing he saw was Kalli, in the act of closing the door to their suite. He stilled at the sight of her, thinking she was too beautiful for anyone’s peace of mind.
She was again attired in one of her swirly cotton dresses, its billowing fabric making her appear like an exotic nymph that could slip through his grasp anytime. Staring at her, Yuri thought, I deserve an award for last night. It had been hell, feeling how close she was, remembering the taste of her mouth, but also knowing that it just wasn’t the right time to touch her.
Kalli turned to him then, her lips parting in surprise at the sight of him. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” He wished he could stop staring at her mouth.
When she didn’t show any signs of moving, Yuri walked towards her. The nearer he was to her, the more he remembered. The taste of her lips. The sound of her gasp. The softness of her curves.
Fuck, but he wanted her again.
When he reached her, she murmured his name, and he swore in his mind at the way the musical lilt of her voice was pure temptation in itself. “What is it?” He struggled but failed to keep desire from lacing his voice.
In a voice that was huskily sexy and adorably bemused at the same time, his fiancée confessed, “I’m feeling weird again.”
Uh-oh. Hallie had been about to come out of her room when she heard Yuri’s fiancée speak. Kalli was feeling weird? Wondering if the words were a prelude to a lover’s quarrel, Hallie decided to stay inside her room. She wanted to close the door but didn’t, afraid of drawing attention to herself.
It was so odd, Kalli thought as she considered the impact of Yuri’s blue gaze on her. The onslaught of sensations was overwhelming, with the way her heart raced beyond her control and her throat becoming unnaturally tight, which prevented her from breathing properly.
And, oh her body – it was tingling all over, tiny sparks of electricity bursting from every cell and
making Kalli feel restless and aching.
Instinct as old as time told Kalli that only Yuri could get rid of the ache inside her, and she murmured his name again. “Yuri.” This time, it was both an invitation and a demand, and most of all it was an innocent plea for Yuri’s possession.
A plea that Yuri was also doing his best not to answer.
Because if he did…
They wouldn’t be leaving their room for at least a week.
A half-weary sigh escaped him. “You better stop looking at me like that, sweetheart.”
Kalli only blinked at him. “How do I look at you?”
And because this was Kalli, he knew she wasn’t playing coy. Even so, it didn’t make any difference to his dick, which was doing its best to burn a hole through his pants.
When he didn’t say anything, she asked, “Is it because you’re like me, Yuri?”
As always, her words were an enigma. It might have frustrated other men, but not Yuri. “What do you mean, sweetheart?” As he spoke, he was no longer able to stop himself from touching her. As he caressed one pale, silky soft cheek with his knuckles, a part of him expected her to reject his touch, knowing that such intimacies were still strange to her.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she closed her eyes and proceeded to destroy him with sweetness. “When you look into a person’s eyes, are you able to tell what they’re feeling? When you look into my eyes now, do you know what I’m feeling?”
Her eyes slowly opened.
Ah.
“Kalli—”
But she cut him off, whispering, “You do, don’t you?”
Fuck.
He refused to answer even though they both knew the truth.
He was like her. He saw people’s souls in their eyes. And in her gaze, he saw a gift he didn’t and would never deserve.
She thought he – Yuri Athanas – was her life.
It cut him to the quick, and he found himself shaking his head. “Kalli.” God. How did he tell Kalli that he wasn’t what she thought he was? She had only started living again, and if he told her that she was wrong – that he was not the one who had rescued her 14-year-old self from being permanently broken – he might as well throw her back in the bloodstained days of her past.
