Page 53 of Beneath Scarred Vows

I try to push her back onto the desk, ready to take her right there, but she pulls away, breathing hard.

"I'm not ready," she whispers, her forehead pressed against mine. "Not yet, but close."

I should be frustrated. No, fuck. I am frustrated. But there's something in her admission that tempers my impatience. She's not rejecting me; she's asking for time. And while I don't want to give her a second more, I know her grappling with her virginity is hard.

I slide my hand between her thighs and move her underwear to the side. I run my fingers up and down, feeling her heat and wetness. "This belongs to me," I tell her, my voice full with desire as I slide one finger inside her. "You're only delaying the inevitable, Katerina. I will have it. I will be inside you," I finish, sliding another finger in and moving slowly.

She bites her lip and whimpers. "And if I deny you?"

"I doubt you'll be able to a second time," I say looking into her eyes.

I circle my thumb over her clit, watching her face as pleasure overtakes her. She clutches my shoulders, her body trembling as I push her toward the edge. She's so aroused it doesn't take long before she comes—and when she does, it's with my name on her lips.

Afterward, I bring my fingers to my mouth and lick them clean, savoring her taste while she watches, her cheeks flushed and eyes dark.

"You're playing a dangerous game, wife," I warn her.

The smile she gives me is anything but innocent. "I think I'm going to lose."

18

KATERINA

The warm, earthy fragrance of my Greek tea wafts up from my mug, transporting me instantly to Kalamata. I close my eyes and inhale deeply, feeling my shoulders relax as the steam caresses my face.

I never thought I'd taste this again in Chicago.

Cupping the mug with both hands, I lean against the kitchen counter and take another sip, savoring the slightly sweet, herbal flavor sliding across my tongue. The tea leaves a pleasant warmth trailing down my throat.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Emma's voice startles me. She stands at the kitchen entrance, smiling.

"More than you know," I say, raising my mug slightly. "A little piece of home."

"Mr. Kastaris mentioned you'd be pleased with the tea. I've never seen him so specific about something like that before."

I feel heat rising to my cheeks. "He remembered a passing comment I made weeks ago."

"He notices everything about you," Emma says as she turns to leave. "It's actually quite sweet."

Sweet. Is that what this feeling is? This strange, unsettling warmth that spreads through me whenever I think about Ares and his unexpected gestures.

I take another sip as my mind races with unfamiliar thoughts. Last night in his office, dancing against him, feeling his hands on my skin, his fingers inside me.

I squeeze my thighs together at the memory.

Another staff member walks through the kitchen, and I turn away, pretending to look out the window at the garden while trying to calm the heat pooling between my legs. What is happening to me? I've never felt this way before—this urgent, constant, consuming desire. Not for anyone. Sex was always just a concept, something other people did, something that held no interest for me after everything I've been through.

But with Ares...

How can a man I didn't even know existed one day come suddenly into my life the next and take over my thoughts?

My phone buzzes on the counter, saving me from my thoughts. I glance down at the new message.

Calli:Free for lunch today? 1pm?

My thumbs hover over the screen. Calli's been nothing but kind since I arrived. She also lives in the house with Ares and me, ofcourse. The baby sister would never be allowed to live on her own.