Page 12 of Slightly Married (Irresistible #2)
W hen I woke up the next morning, my head was still floating somewhere between dreams and reality. The tingle on my lips from Konstantin’s kiss hadn’t faded, and my nipples were still traitorously sensitive.
“Ugh, get it together,” I muttered, kicking off the covers.
What possessed me to kiss him like that? Talk about adding fuel to an already complicated dumpster fire.
Needing a reality check, I video called Lauren after a quick time-zone calculation. It would be mid-afternoon in New York.
“I kissed him,” I blurted the second her face appeared on screen.
“Who?” Her blonde brows shot up in confusion.
“Konstantin!” I rolled my eyes. “Who else would I be kissing?”
“Yiorgos?”
I wrinkled my nose. “He’s my boss!”
“Stop playing, that man is foine, too! Was it bad?” Her Texas drawl stretched the question, despite years of New York living.
Bad? Try earth-shattering. But admitting that to Lauren meant enduring her ‘I-told-you-so’ smirk for the rest of eternity.
Lauren’s knowing laugh cut through my hesitation. “Must have been great if you’re tongue-tied over a simple question.”
“I am not tongue-tied,” I protested, fluffing my pillow. “He is a good kisser. Happy?”
“Very,” she grinned, triumph written all over her face.
“How have you been?” I pivoted, desperate to escape further interrogation.
Lauren sighed, her expression clouding. “Not good. My parents are being weird and dragging their feet about letting me have Gianna back.”
Gianna was Lauren’s nine-year-old daughter.
She’d given her parents custody after birth when she moved to New York for school.
They’d raised the girl while Lauren visited on holidays and flew her to New York for summers.
Now Lauren wanted her daughter full-time, and they were suddenly throwing up roadblocks.
“They’ve raised her from infancy,” I suggested. “Letting go must be hard for them.”
“I know,” she snapped, then immediately softened. “But Gianna is still my daughter, not theirs. They’ve known about the plan for over six months. And it’s not really Dad, though he wants to keep her. It’s Mom dragging this out.”
“I’m sorry.” There were no perfect words for family drama.
Her expression brightened with mischief. “My brother was sad to hear about your second marriage.”
That made me giggle. Lauren’s brother, DeAngelo, was a famous actor and notorious playboy. The man couldn’t commit to a breakfast cereal, let alone a woman. His disappointment was about as sincere as a politician’s campaign promises.
We chatted for several more minutes before finally ending the call. I sat quietly for a moment with Lauren’s situation on my mind. Despite my arrangement with Konstantin, I couldn’t ignore the fundamental difference between our paths to motherhood.
We both had financial security, supportive families (even if mine now included Irida’s cold stares), and access to the best healthcare. But I had a choice in the manner of conception itself, unromantic as it was.
Lauren never got that choice.
If Lauren could embrace motherhood after how it began for her, surely, I could navigate this unconventional path I’d chosen with open eyes. I drew strength from her example as I finally dragged myself out of bed to face the day.
I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away my lingering thoughts of the previous night.
I took extra care with my appearance, selecting a rust-colored mini dress with a halter neckline and pairing it with strappy gold sandals.
I twisted my braids into an elegant updo and added simple gold hoops.
When I entered the dining room, Tia was already seated at the table, nursing a cup of coffee while scrolling through her phone.
“Good morning,” I greeted, reaching for the coffee carafe.
Tia looked up, her eyes widening. “Wow, you look amazing!”
“Thanks,” I smiled, adding cream to my coffee. “What’s on your agenda today? I could teach you how to braid before meeting Yiorgos later.”
Her expression shifted to dread. “I’m heading to Thalassía with Aristides and Dimitrios. Santo was supposed to come, but he is training this morning.”
“And you’re worried about facing the brothers alone?” I guessed, noting her anxious fidgeting.
“Exactly.” She sighed. “Santo’s dad is intimidating.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“Really?” Her face lit up with relief. “You would do that?”
“Absolutely.” I shrugged, buttering a scone. “I’m curious to see this famous island, anyway. Besides, what are friends for if not moral support during terrifying meetings with dominant men?”
Tia laughed, visibly relaxing. “You’re the best.”
An hour later, Tia and I made our way to the helipad behind the villa, where three tall figures stood beside the helicopter. My heart jumped when I realized Konstantin was among them. I hadn’t expected to see him, and my body reacted with embarrassing awareness.
“There they are!” Dimitrios called out cheerfully, waving as if we might miss him. “Your chariot awaits!”
I could feel my cheeks warming as I approached the group, especially since Konstantin tracked my approach. I focused on steadying my pulse, flashing Dimitrios a bright smile.
“A chariot? More like a noisy, windy metal bird,” I quipped. “But I suppose it beats swimming.”
Aristides glanced down at my four-inch strappy heels with raised eyebrows. “Interesting choice of footwear for an island excursion.”
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him, walking confidently across the concrete pad. “My feet are used to them.”
The brothers exchanged amused glances as Dimitrios helped Tia aboard.
“After you,” Konstantin finally spoke, gesturing toward the helicopter.
The seating arrangement placed me directly across from Konstantin but beside Tia. As Dimitrios took the pilot’s seat and began takeoff procedures, we all donned headsets. The helicopter rotors whirred to life, building to a vibration I felt through the soles of my feet.
As we ascended, the brothers discussed the island’s history, explaining that Thalassía had been in the Christakis family for generations, a treasured ancestral property passed down through centuries.
“There’s Thalassía,” Dimitrios announced through the headset, pointing to an emerald gem in the sea.
I pressed my face against the window. The island was spectacular with lush green hills crowned with a gleaming white structure, pristine beaches embracing its perimeter, and crystalline waters in shades of turquoise and sapphire.
“It’s paradise,” I breathed, unable to contain my awe.
“It truly is something special,” Tia agreed, her nervousness momentarily forgotten.
“My father considered it the crown jewel of our holdings,” Konstantin said.
Our eyes met, and I quickly looked away, uncomfortable with the realization that my father had traded this ancestral treasure for a grandchild. Had he ever walked these shores? Did he understand what he was taking from the Christakis family when he acquired it? What had driven him to such lengths?
The helicopter descended onto a rugged landing pad. Thalassía stretched before us—wild, beautiful, and untamed. Aristides helped Tia disembark, and when my turn came, Konstantin extended his hands toward my waist.
“I can manage,” I protested, but his strong hands gripped my waist, lifting me effortlessly to the ground.
“Of course you can,” he murmured. “But why should you have to?”
“You can let go now,” I said, placing my palms against his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath my fingertips.
“No.” His eyes dropped to my lips, darkening with unmistakable intent. “Go ahead,” he instructed the others, never breaking our gaze.
Dimitrios smirked knowingly before following Tia and Aristides, who were already engaged in a discussion about restoration priorities.
When they were out of earshot, Konstantin’s grip tightened. “Why do you insist on tempting me?”
I arched an eyebrow despite the throbbing between my legs. “How am I tempting you?”
“With that velvet skin,” he murmured, one thumb brushing along my collarbone, “those full lips,” his gaze tracing them, “these dresses that reveal just enough,” his hand skimmed my hip, “and these heels that make your legs look endless.”
“It’s not deliberate,” I breathed as his fingers danced across my skin.
“I know,” he said, his voice vibrating through me. “Which makes it so much more endearing.”
His mouth found mine with bruising passion, my back pressing against the aircraft’s cool metal surface. My fingers threaded through his thick hair as he lifted me to align our bodies, the evidence of his desire unmistakable against my abdomen.
The kiss deepened, my rational drowning beneath waves of desire. It wasn’t fair that he kissed like this. It wasn’t fair how my body craved his touch and responded to it with traitorous eagerness.
The distant sound of Dimitrios calling Konstantin’s name pierced our bubble of desire. I pushed against his chest, breaking the kiss.
“Your brother’s looking for you,” I whispered, straightening my dress.
Konstantin stepped back, jaw tight. “This isn’t finished.”
“Yes, it is,” I countered, despite my body’s protest. “You’re engaged, remember? We’re business partners, not lovers.”
His expression hardened, but he turned toward his brother’s voice, leaving me breathless and conflicted against the helicopter.
For the next two hours, I avoided Konstantin by staying close to Tia, focusing intently on not breaking my ankles as we walked the wild terrain while trying to ignore his burning gaze whenever it found mine.
When we arrived at Olympus Motors for Tia’s formal presentation, he announced he had another meeting. My relief had been embarrassingly obvious.
Tia shone during her presentation, confidently defending her vision whenever Aristides questioned a detail. I was mentally high-fiving her until my phone buzzed with a notification from a Greek gossip site.