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While I sensed a part of him was teasing, there was a hint of truth to the words as well. “As any good mother should do. I’m just not certain what I’d tell her.”
“The truth. If you lie, she’ll know it. I could never get away with anything as a child.”
“You too?” I said, laughing easily again. When I took another bite of the apple, his nostrils flared. As I chewed, I eased the fruit in front of him, wrinkling my nose in curiosity of what he’d do.
His hooded eyes stared back at me as he gripped my wrist, holding my arm steady as he took a bite. As he pulled the apple away, his entire chin was covered in remnants of it. I acted on impulse, rising onto my toes and licking it from the stubble, my tongue finding his lips seconds later.
He pulled me into a tight embrace, immediately taking control. As he crushed his mouth over mine, the desire rushing through me allowed my body to take over, arching my back as he swept his tongue inside. I was crazed with need, the longing more intense than before. But just as I’d felt the same urgency in both of us to be carried away to the surreal fantasy we’d shared, it was gone.
My body stiffened, my mind shutting down the limitless possibilities that had already threatened to derail my life. I wanted him more than I had before, yet if I dared fall into his trap, I’d never manage to escape. I pulled away from the intimacy, fighting with myself for ending the kiss.
He sensed my tension, lifting his head and staring at the tree. Then he backed away completely, giving me space. My cheeks were hot from lust as well as embarrassment. I did what I could to snap the remaining anger, reminding myself of where I was and why. And still, his scent was woven in every molecule, infused in the air I breathed. The forest and spices, rich and dark. “I can’t.” There was no reason to say the words. If he even cared or heard me.
Evidently, he had. He shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at me with the intensity of a wild animal. His jaw was more angular when he scowled. “As I said before, Whitney. You’re allowed to walk the grounds and the house at your free will.”
When he turned to walk away, I took a single step forward. Then I stopped myself.
Maybe he’d sensed that I was second guessing my actions, chuckling in his dark and demanding way as he stopped short, swinging his head over his shoulder. “Whether or not you choose to accept it,omorfiá, you will soon learn that you belong to me.”
The words were said in finality, no longer lingering as an unanswered question but a statement that would never change. His dark eyes held a look of unabashed possession, but I witnessed something else, a fleeting hint of the man inside.
Tortured pain.
The reason he’d closed off his heart.
* * *
Phoenix
“It would seem my son has something else on his mind.”
Smirking, I shifted from my perch on the expansive master terrace at my parents’ home, noticing the open grin on my father’s face. He’d already heard about my harrowing experience, which meant he was giving me a certain latitude in ignoring the conversation. As usual, he was holding court in his favorite chair, the overstuffed outdoor seat made specifically for him.
In one hand was a glass of ouzo, in his other a Cuban cigar. My mother had yet to put down her foot on the nasty vice of smoking. I was surprised given she’d been alone with him for months in Florida.
Stavros stood with a bottled beer in his hand, basking in the sun as he usually did when given the opportunity. While I couldn’t tell for certain because of his dark shades, I sensed his annoyance at being called to the meeting.
“Don’t I always, Pops?” I countered, finally heading for the bar. He’d made certain his family’s favorite libations were well stocked.
“Yes, an aftereffect of your genius level IQ.” His tease was met with groans from both Nico and Stavros, my brothers over the constant teasing about my intelligence.
“Where his intelligence is superior, Dad,” Nico started, “he lacks in common sense and grace.”
“And I suppose you believe you have both?” Stavros threw in.
I shifted a gaze at Jonas, his amusement clear. At this point, he was considered a member of the family, but only with regards to business meetings. No other soldier had been allowed inside the inner sanctum up to this point.
My father was old school, his rules strict and not to be ignored. I noticed a faraway look in his eyes and sighed. He was having difficulty concentrating even today.
At some point, I’d need to discuss his deteriorating condition with my mother, but not today. It was the first time the family had been together in over six months. We were celebrating as well as planning an execution.
The way of the syndicate.
My thoughts drifted to Whitney as they had been all morning. Against my usual tendencies, I’d left her alone after the incident in the grove, allowing her to take some time to herself. Or maybe the sadistic man in me had wanted her to suffer in silence. When she’d pushed me away, a streak of possessiveness had crashed into my system, so much so it had taken everything I had to pull away. Even now, I ached so deeply for her that I was running out of excuses as to why I couldn’t concentrate on business.
Without a doubt, Stavros sensed it. He knew me far too well, anticipating my dark moods before I did. And I was in one hell of an obsidian hole, unable to drag myself to the light. It had been long enough that it had caught me off guard, keeping me tossing and turning the night before. I’d been drenched in sweat, the sheet tangled around my legs when I’d awakened from the two hours of sleep I’d gotten.
All because I hadn’t been able to get her off my mind.
