Page 20 of Slightly Married (Irresistible #2)

I was sitting on the balcony with my laptop, finalizing the digital collage of outfit pairings I’d created for Yiorgos, when the distinctive purr of Konstantin’s car engine caught my attention.

Through the trees lining the driveway, I caught a glimpse of his white Icarus convertible sports car approaching the house.

My heart jumped into my throat. Four hours. He’d been gone exactly four hours—long enough for the reconciliation with Stella I’d been dreading.

I snapped my laptop shut and scrambled inside, diving under the covers like a teenager caught breaking curfew.

The silk sheets rustled as I arranged myself into what I hoped resembled peaceful slumber.

Through the open balcony doors, the gentle rhythm of waves provided a counterpoint to my racing heartbeat.

I’d spent most of the afternoon distracting myself with work, organizing outfits for Yiorgos by event category, complete with accessory suggestions. The project had given my hands something to do while my mind churned with uncertainty.

Konstantin’s unhurried footsteps sounded through the hallway, and I squeezed my eyes shut, wondering if he’d walk past to one of the guest rooms.

Our bedroom door creaked open instead, and I forced my breathing to remain even while listening to the soft thud of his Italian leather shoes hitting the floor and the whisper of expensive fabric being removed. The mattress dipped under his weight, and the air shifted as he settled beside me.

I concentrated on keeping my breathing steady, fighting the urge to add a dramatic snore for effect.

“You might as well talk to me,” he said.

I abandoned the charade, sitting upright and fixing him with my most direct stare. “How did you know?” I demanded, not bothering to hide my annoyance at being caught.

“That’s for me to know and for you to never find out,” he answered, the corner of his mouth lifting.

“What are you doing back here, anyway?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Did Stella finally wise up and tell you to kiss her entire ass goodbye? Or did you just come back to collect the rest of your things?”

His laughter rumbled through the room, which only stoked my irritation. Here I’d been torturing myself for hours, imagining his hands on Stella’s body, his mouth at her neck, the two of them planning their future while I became nothing more than his baby mama.

“You find this funny?” I demanded, hating how my voice sounded.

“Guess what, Konstantinos? If you think I’ll allow your infected dick anywhere near me again, you’ve got another thing coming.

I’m making an appointment with the fertility clinic first thing tomorrow. We’re going back to the original plan.”

He raised a single eyebrow. “This is news to me. Since when has it been infected?”

The confidence in his voice made me want to throw something. Instead, I twisted my wedding ring.

I was self-aware enough to recognize my fear of him being with another woman far outweighed any actual health concerns, but admitting that vulnerability was out of the question. My pride was already hanging by a thread.

“I mean it, Konstantin.” My braids brushed against my shoulders as I shook my head. “You and I will never—”

Before I could finish, he gripped my waist, flipping us over until I was pinned beneath him. His weight felt treacherously good.

“Get off me!” I protested, pushing against his chest without making any real progress. My body was already betraying me, responding to his proximity like it had been programmed to do.

His mouth captured mine in a kiss that was both punishment and promise, hard and deep. When he finally broke away, his lips traveled to my throat, teeth grazing the skin just below my ear. “If I’m infected, my dear wife,” he murmured against my pulse point, “it will be because of you.”

I gasped, partly from outrage and partly from the sensation of his warm breath against my skin. “How dare you?”

He continued his assault on my senses, his lips trailing fire across my collarbone.

“Apart from you, I haven’t had unprotected sex with anyone.

I’m very meticulous about that. I have a full health workup every six months, and haven’t been with anyone except you for the past six months.

So if you want to talk about exposure... ”

He pulled back, his dark eyes meeting mine, lips curving in a self-assured smile, making me want to simultaneously slap him and kiss him senseless.

My brain snagged on his claim of not having slept with anyone else. It didn’t make sense. “What about Stella?” I managed to ask as his attention shifted to my breasts. “You’ve been living with her since we arrived in Greece.”

“Says who?” He was attacking my nipples now, his tongue circling one peaked bud while his fingers teased the other.

The dual sensation sent jolts of pleasure straight to my core, making coherent thought increasingly difficult. Still, I forced the words out. “You’re such a liar. You and Stella...”

“Had sex only once,” he murmured against my skin. “Six months ago. It was Theo’s birthday. I was drunk, she was there, and well...”

His admission brought momentary clarity through the haze of desire. “But you’ve been living with her,” I insisted, my fingers tangling in his hair, uncertain whether I wanted to pull him closer or push him away.

“No,” he stated firmly, his eyes holding mine with an intense focus, making me feel like I was the only person in his world. “I’ve been staying at a hotel. I was being respectful of you both.”

The sincerity in his gaze made my heart stutter. “But you were in Italy together,” I countered, needing to understand, to make sense of what he was saying.

“The suite had two bedrooms,” he replied, his voice matter-of-fact.

“Stella has always felt more like a sibling than a lover. After our night together, I thought proposing was the right thing to do.” His expression grew more solemn, the lines around his mouth deepening.

“She is Theo’s sister, and I was his best friend.

I believed it was what he would have wanted. ”

I sat up abruptly, the silk sheets pooling around my waist as the reality of his words sank in. The sincerity in his eyes was unmistakable.

“When I saw her earlier,” he continued, “it was to end our engagement.”

“What?”

I couldn’t process his words. Relief flooded me so intensely my fingers trembled against the sheets. I hadn’t realized how much the thought of him with Stella had been weighing on me until it lifted.

“You actually ended things with her?”

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “I couldn’t keep stringing her along when my priorities shifted.”

My mind raced through the implications. “How did she take the news?” I asked, thinking of Tia’s struggles with Santo’s ex. “Should I be worried?”

“She was upset,” he acknowledged, his thumb absently tracing circles on my ankle. “And she thinks I’ll change my mind.” His tone made it clear he wouldn’t. “I believe after some time she will realize ending the engagement was for the best. She’ll find someone who suits her better.”

I drew my knees up to my chest. “This is a lot. Did you tell her about us? About what’s been happening between us in Corfu?”

“I told her I couldn’t commit to her when my feelings had changed. But I didn’t share details about us. That’s between you and me.”

I tried to sort through the tornado of emotions swirling inside me. Relief, confusion, hope, and suspicion were all competing for dominance.

“Why end things with her now?”

“Because pretending became impossible.” His hand reached for mine, and I surprised myself by not pulling away. “Every day with you here made it clearer Stella and I were making a huge mistake. It would hurt us more if we went through with the marriage.”

My defenses instantly flared. “So I was your little experiment in authentic connection before you made your final decision?”

To create distance between us, I scooted back against the headboard. But he followed, capturing my legs.

“No, Michaila.” The way he said my name never failed to affect me. “You were the unexpected variable that changed the entire equation.”

“That’s a very CFO way of looking at relationships.”

“Fair enough.” He smiled. “Let me try again. Being with you made me realize I was settling for comfortable rather than genuine.”

“We hardly know each other.”

“Don’t we?” His eyes held mine. “I know you take your coffee with one sugar and just enough cream to turn it caramel-colored. I know you talk in your sleep. I know you’re fiercely loyal to your sister, and you pretend to be tougher than you are.”

I swallowed hard, unsettled by how closely he’d been paying attention. “That’s just surface stuff.”

“I know you’re afraid of trusting me because of your divorce.” His voice grew quieter. “And I know I want the chance to prove I’m different.”

“Words are easy, K.” I looked away.

“Not for me.” He turned my face back toward his. “But consider what I did. I ended my engagement and came back to you. I’m here, Kayla, choosing you.”

“I just don’t want to be stupid about this.”

“Trust me, I didn’t expect any of this either. You’ve completely disrupted my life.”

“I have a talent for that.”

“Yes, you do.” His answering smile reached his eyes, crinkling the corners in a way that made my heart skip. “And somehow I can’t imagine my life without that disruption anymore.”

His honesty disarmed me. My hand moved of its own accord to touch his face, tracing the line of his jaw.

“I’m still mad at you,” I whispered, but there was no heat behind the words.

“I know.” He turned his head to kiss my palm. “Let me make it up to you.”

Before I could formulate a response, his fingers slipped down my hips and found their target, stroking me rapidly to life. The sudden shift from emotional confrontation to physical intimacy left my body and mind at war.

I’d always been slow to arousal, needing patience and skill from the men I’d bedded, but Konstantin had somehow mapped every sensitive spot on my body like he’d been given exclusive coordinates.

With a flick of the wrist, a careful circular motion of his fingers while his thumb applied just the right pressure, and I was soaking wet.

The sunlight caught the gold of my wedding ring as my fingers clutched at the sheets, a glinting reminder of the complicated arrangement that had somehow evolved into something neither of us had anticipated.

“I promise you,” he murmured, as he nudged my knees apart with his own, positioning himself at my core. “I’ve wanted you since you stormed into your father’s office.” His thickness pressed against me, making my breath catch. “I’ve never felt like this for another woman.”

His words triggered memories of another time, another man. “You’re different from anyone I’ve ever met,” Josh had whispered against my neck the night he convinced me to leave Japan. “The connection we have is special.”

I’d believed him then, had packed up my life and followed him back to New York, only to discover after a year of marriage I was just the wealthiest in a long line of women he’d charmed with the same lines.

Konstantin’s intense gaze held none of Josh’s devious charm, but how could I be sure? Men were experts at making women feel special until they weren’t anymore.

When he finally entered me, my doubts receded into the background and my entire body welcomed him with a sigh. The golden Corfu sunset bathed his features in amber light and shadow.

As Konstantin began to move inside me with those purposeful strokes, my mind surrendered to sensation.

All I could feel was him, hard and deep, his hands grasping my ass with unquestioned possessiveness.

The air cooled the perspiration forming on our skin, creating a delicious contrast to the heat building between us.

“Damn you, K,” I gasped, my voice rising and falling with each thrust. “Why do you always—God, right there—why do you always have to feel so good?” The confession of pleasure mixed with accusation as my body betrayed every attempt at maintaining distance.

“You can’t just—oh my God—you can’t just give me orgasms whenever you want. ”

His hand slipped between us, his thumb finding my clit and circling it in time with his thrusts. The dual sensation sent me spiraling as the first waves of orgasm hit.

“Konstantin!” His name tore from my lips, a cry of pleasure and surrender.

He captured my mouth in a fierce kiss, swallowing my cries as his body shuddered against mine, his groan of release vibrating through me. His sperm flooded me as he rode out his climax.

“I meant what I said, Kayla,” he whispered. “I’ve never felt like this with anyone else.”

His choice to end things with Stella meant a lot. Part of me still held back, a small, scarred piece that remembered the devastation of believing Josh’s promises.

Konstantin’s arm tightened around me, and I found myself willing to step cautiously toward trust, one day at a time. Not rushing, not diving headfirst, but not running away either.