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“Hmm,” I mused, stroking my chin. “I think I’d have a decent chance at winning that too. Of course, it would depend on how many others I was up against.”
She fell silent for a moment as she looked at me. Finally, she spoke again. “I’m only meeting with one other potential candidate.”
The word “candidate” hung in the air between us, evoking images of a formal job interview. Perhaps that was what this was, in a way, on paper. However, sitting across from Cali, watching the sunlight dance through her wispy hair, felt far from any job I’d ever had.
“Just one other, huh?” I asked, feeling a surge ofconfidence. “That means my chances are pretty stellar. But you still don’t get to taste my moussaka until you make your choice.”
“So, you’re not bothered that you’re not my only option?” she inquired, arching a curious brow at me.
“Why would I be?” I replied with a casual shrug and a teasing wink. “I’m well aware that I’m a good catch.”
“Oh,really?” she challenged, her tone playful yet inquisitive.
“Absolutely,” I replied. “In all seriousness, I know my worth. But more importantly, Cali, I trust that you’ll make the choice that’s right for you, and that’s what truly matters. Whomever you choose will undoubtedly be a fortunate man.”
“And you’re suggesting you’re the right choice?” she queried.
“I’m not suggesting anything, Cali.” I leaned in, meeting her gaze. “You said it, not me.”
Her breath hitched, and she bit her bottom lip, her gaze never wavering from mine.
I sat back, nodding slowly as I savored the moment. Cali was breathtaking. She radiated strength.
Her intelligence was evident in every word she spoke. But it wasn’t merely these qualities that drew me to her. It was the way she made me feel like a man in the truest, most primal sense.
She awakened something fierce and protective within me, a longing to both devour and shield her from the world.
And that was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in what felt like an eternity.
Three
CALISTA
The sea behind Avra and Eli’s mini castle shimmered beneath the setting sun, each wave a stroke of gold and crimson crashing against the black rocks and sending salt spray into the air. In the distance, beyond the lighthouse, gulls called out.
On the ridge-high terrace, I pressed my palms against the cool stone bench with my legs folded beneath me.
I curled my fingers around a chilled glass of white wine, the condensation slick against my palm. My pulse hammered at the base of my throat every time a car door thudded in the driveway. Dominic Lucianos would arrivesoon.
I forced myself to lift the glass, to trace the rim with my tongue, but the delicate essence of the earthy vintage left me unmoved. All my thoughts centered around Leon. His half smile, the confident tilt of his chin, and how his hand had brushed mine continued to set my mind aflame. Our meeting had exceeded every hope possible for an introduction.
A week had passed, and he remained front and center in my thoughts. It was ridiculous to react to anyone this way.
A hollow knot tightened in my chest at the thought of tonight’s dinner with Dominic. I had given Eli my word I would come, yet forcing myself to think about anything except Leon was turning out to be damn near impossible.
Eli and Avra’s villa crouched on a jagged promontory, stones rising from churning water. From the terrace, I felt the ocean’s roar echo through my bones. Salt mist drifted upward, coating my skin, and a breeze snagged at the ends of my hair. Gulls cried overhead, their wings beating against the wind, but nothing in that wild landscape loosened the tension coiled beneath my ribs.
On paper, Dominic checked every box. He came from the powerful Lucianos syndicate family. He was well-known and highly respected in the banking world and one of the heirs to the Caldwell Banking Conglomerate. He already had an MBA, and Eli had pointed out that might be helpful and offer some common ground for us to talk about, since I was just about to begin pursuing a master’s myself.
Despite all that, the fact remained that he was seventeen years older than I. I had no doubt he was much more experienced, in every sense of the word. That alone left me with abit of unease. He was from an entirely different generation than me, for fuck’s sake.
Outside of school, what would we even have to talk about?
Would he look down on me, I wondered? Would he think I was unsophisticated or naive? Would he be able to respect me as a woman? Would he respect my need for independence?
The last thing I would ever tolerate was someone talking down to me or disrespecting me. Would his age naturally create a skewed power dynamic between us? Would he dismiss me as green? Would he bristle at my stubborn streak?
I’d chosen him before doing the depth of research that I should have.