by Sotia Lazu
She stopped holding back her tears. Crying was purging; the sooner she cried Bull out of her system, the better. She’d cry for the amazing sex they had. For never feeling perfectly sated again. For losing the connection she and Bull shared. For giving up a stunning, kind guy, who happened to be an exceptional lover and didn’t shy away from that connection.
8 a.m. rolled around, and with it came the unshakeable feeling that she’d fucked up.
Chapter Nine
Elina perched on the stone fence and slipped off her high heels. For a pair that cost half her salary, they weren’t made to be worn longer than the hour the ceremony lasted, and they sure as hell weren’t comfortable on any terrain but tile. She wiggled her toes. Yup, definitely lost feeling on her little ones. Felt good to focus on something other than missing Bull.
And there he was again, taking over her thoughts, with his super-wide shoulders and his narrow hips and his large hands and his long, thick cock—that’s good, focus on the sexual—and those expressive amber eyes of his that spoke directly to her soul. Shit.
It was still the first day; Sunday would be easier, and once she was working again, she wouldn’t have time to think of how he strummed her every chord as if she were a violin tuned to pleasure.
Xenia handed her a flute of champagne. “It was a lovely ceremony. And the place looks great.”
“If you do say so yourself?” Elina laughed. Xenia had organized the evening, on top of being Marianna’s koumbara. Marianna had met her through work, and the two were inseparable till Kostas came along.
“What? I did an amazing job, under all that stress.”
“No denying that.” The garden of their summerhouse was turned into a dreamscape, with white roses and Calla lilies
“Upset you weren’t the first to go?” Xenia asked.
“Huh?” Technically, Elina was the first to go. She left Bull behind on the beach and wished she could turn back time and hold on to him for as long as possible.
“The guests are taking bets on why you look like your puppy got run over. The nastier among us say it’s because you weren’t married first,” Xenia said.
This was what she meant? “That’s bullshit, and you know it.” Elina’s retort lacked bite. She couldn’t muster the strength to be pissed off. “I’m happy for Marianna. She and Kostas adore each other, and they’ll be happy together.” While Elina would die alone, because she refused to give her number to the sexy cowboy her lucky stars tossed her way.
Sofia wandered to where they sat, holding a plate of starters from the buffet—as well as most male guests’ attention, in her sea-blue, sequined mini dress. “Why are you sad, boss? Missing your boy toy?”
Xenia snorted. “Right. She’s heartbroken over the stripper. Nah, she’s just contemplating life as an old spinster. She nudged Elina with her elbow. “Don’t worry, filenada. We’ll be cougars together.” When Elina didn’t speak, Xenia studied her face with narrowed eyes. “You’re kidding me. You’re still thinking about him? I know he’s gorgeous, but he’s a stripper. He gets laid more than a tablecloth.”
Bile rise to Elina’s lips. “He dances for women. He doesn’t sleep with them.”
“If that’s what you want to believe. Anyway, you had fun—good for you. Now snap out of it, and if you need a guy, find someone you can introduce to your family.” Her beautiful face was contorted in rage. “If Bull were here tonight, what would you tell your parents? Mom, Dad, this is a guy named after an animal known for its temper and its horns, who takes his clothes off for a living?”
“You’re right.” Elina downed half her drink. “Of course you’re right. It’s just that I really liked him.”
“You didn’t know him,” Xenia shot back. “He had a big cock, and he knew how to use it. You can find that locally too, and with the same level of commitment.”
Elina nodded, but Sofia said, “Malakies.”
Xenia frowned. “I’m only trying to help Eli—”
“No you’re not. This has nothing to do with Elina.” Sofia’s glower was fierce. “This is about you, fucking the wrong man. Repeatedly.”
Xenia recoiled like she’d been slapped. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re projecting. You’re lecturing Elina about her choices and her feelings because you’re too self-centered to realize you want to scold yourself. Plus, making Elina feel like crap makes you less of an idiot for sleeping with a married guy for months. And yes, I know who he is.” Sofia raised her voice.
Elina looked around in alarm. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene tonight.
Marianna was nearby but apparently oblivious of the tension. She looked like a princess in all that chiffon and lace, but what made her glow was her smile, as she thanked guests and posed for photo ops with her husband. She and Kostas looked happy.
Elina wanted to experience this sense of completion the radiated.
Or she could focus on things that were actually possible, and diffuse the situation. “Sofia, I love you for trying to protect me, but whatever her reasons, Xenia’s right. I had a two-day fling. It was flung. It’s now over. I can’t linger on might-have-beens.”
Xenia still looked shell shocked. “I’d never try to hurt one of you. I may be a bitch, but you’re my tribe.”
Sofia stuffed a mini quiche in her mouth and spoke while chewing. “I believe you didn’t do it consciously, but you were hurting her.” To Elina, she said, “A blind woman could see you were falling for the guy, and I’m really sorry you’re never gonna see him again, because he was good for you. Your smile was different when you looked at him. And he never once looked at my boobs. I jiggled them in front of him on purpose, to check how into you he was.”
“You really like him?” Xenia asked.
Marianna reached them and wrapped an arm around Elina’s waist. “Say cheese.”
The photographer took what felt like a couple hundred shots, before Marianna waved him and Kostas away. “Who are we talking about?” she asked Xenia.
“Her cowboy,” Sofia said and clapped her hands.
Marianna sighed. “What’s not to like? I mean, have you seen the guy?”
“If you don’t care about what people will say, why not just keep seeing him?” Xenia asked.
Elina was used to Xenia’s bluntness, and hadn’t taken her outburst to heart, but now irrational anger clawed at her chest. “Because he’s leaving tomorrow.”
Xenia rolled her eyes. “Yeah. For Mykonos. And he’ll be back in a month. You can do without his magic cock for four weeks.”
Elina’s brain stalled. She heard the words, but they didn’t compute. “What are you talking about? He’s going back to Texas.”
For the first time in the years they’d known each other, Xenia spoke carefully. “If that’s what he told you, maybe I understood wrong.”
“It is. No, wait. He never said he was going home. He said he was leaving, and I filled in the blanks. Oh my God. He wanted us to stay in touch because he’d be in Greece for another month?”
Xenia waved over a server and got another glass of bubbly. “More like five. He’s not flying to the States till early October.”
She had to be kidding. “How do you even know all this?”
Marianna arched an eyebrow. “She hooked up with one of his friends last night.”
“His stripper friends,” Sofia said with a smug smile.
“Yeah, well, that was only a fuck. I don’t plan on seeing him again,” Xenia replied.
Why were they bickering about such insignificant things, when Elina had kicked away her chance to spend months with Bull? “He tried to tell me, and I didn’t listen, and now I’ll never see him again because I’m an idiot.” She wanted to rub her burning eyes, but the tons of mascara prohibited it. “Do you know what time he’s flying out?”
Xenia shook her head.
“How many companies have flights to Mykonos? I’ll go to the airport straight from here. Wait till he shows.”
“Or
I could call Luis and ask,” Xenia said.
“Luis?” Elina asked.
“The stripper,” Sofia said. “The one who was just a fuck? He was so unimportant, she took his number.”
Xenia scoffed. “It’s my job to know people. I have everyone’s number.”
“Can we please focus, gamoto?” Elina wanted to smack them. She held out her palm. “Xenia, phone.”
Xenia unlocked her Android and handed it over. “He’s in Recent Calls,” she said sheepishly.
Chapter Ten
“Go for Luis.” Despite the loud music on her end of the line and his, Elina could tell the man’s accent was thicker than Bull’s.
“Hello, this is Elina. Bull’s—”
“Man, it’s your girl on the phone,” Luis yelled.
A heartbeat later, Bull’s drawl caressed her ears. “Hold on. Don’t hang up.” It sounded like he covered the receiver, and when he spoke again, he was some place quiet. “Elina? You still there?”
His girl. Luis hadn’t said her name, but Bull knew it was her. She was his only girl. “It’s me,” she said.
“I didn’t expect to hear from you. Are you okay?”
Relief flooded her. She hadn’t fucked up entirely. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I was a bitch this morning.”
“It’s all right.” He sounded more guarded. “You don’t owe me anything. Ships passing in the night, and all.”
She deserved this, but that didn’t keep the knot from forming in her stomach. He’d opened up to her this morning. Her turn. “You know we were more than that. You—”
“Do I? Do I know that, Elina? I thought I did, but this morning you said you didn’t want more. That there was no room for me in your life. I get it. It’s fun to fuck the bad boy who doesn’t play by the rules, but God forbid you’d date a guy who swings his cock for cash.”
That’s what he believed this morning was about? That she refused him because of his freaking occupation? “Come to my sister’s wedding,” she said. “Well, to her wedding reception. The actual getting-hitched part is over.”
“Do what now?”
“I’m so sorry I made you think I didn’t want to be seen with you. Please, let me prove you wrong. My entire family is here, and I’m ready to show you off.” She forced out an uncomfortable laugh. “No pressure.”
He chuckled, but recovered immediately. “Then I don’t understand why you acted the way you did. Is there someone else?”
“No. Nobody. I thought you were leaving for good”—time to be a big girl—“and I didn’t want to get more attached than I already was. Am. I am kind of more attached to you than I’m comfortable with. Not because it’s with you.” God. “I suck at this. Please come over, and let’s talk?” She sounded desperate but couldn’t help it. She felt desperate.
“I’d love to, but I can’t. I’m working, and then I have to go straight to the airport.”
“I thought you were leaving tomorrow.”
He sighed. “I changed my flight this morning. I’m sorry. I believed—”
“No, it’s okay. We’ll do what you said. I’ll text you my number, and we’ll talk while you’re gone. We’ll video chat. A month will go by in a blink.”
Her lungs constricted when he didn’t answer. Maybe the offer was off the table. He’d reconsidered and didn’t want to have a sort-of-a-girlfriend while he was on the sexiest island in Greece. “Bull?” she whispered.
“Come with me instead. You quit your job; you can take a long vacation. The owner of the club I’ll be working at is renting me a room at his hotel. I’ll sleep the mornings away, but we can spend afternoons together. Get to know each other better.”
This was crazy. She couldn’t run off to Mykonos with a few hours’ warning. She needed to search for a hotel that was near the beach but quiet enough for her to relax. She should go by her place, plan outfits, and pack so her blouses didn’t wrinkle. Did she even have enough clothes here for a month?
Marianna, Sofia, and Xenia watched her unblinkingly.
“What’s he saying?” Sofia mouthed.
“He wants me to go with him.”
“I always believed Mykonos is at its best in June,” Xenia said. “Not hopping with tourists yet, and you may run into celebrities.”
Marianna met Elina’s gaze and spread her hands. “Why are you still here? Go. Run. Now.”
“What time is your flight?” Elina asked Bull.
“Five thirty, with Ryanair.”
“I’ll meet you at the airport at four.”
* * * *
You don’t often get the chance to see a bride drive a Volkswagen to Departures, so it was a treat for anyone travelling to or from Eleftherios Venizelos airport early on Sunday morning.
Elina felt too jittery to drive, and the only one who didn’t drink at the party was Marianna, so she was the obvious choice since Xenia, Sofia, and Kostas wouldn’t stay behind, and all five of them wouldn’t fit in a cab.
Elina hadn’t packed. As Sofia put it, she really only needed a swimsuit, and she could buy that on the island. Unlike the rest of them, though, Elina’d changed out of her wedding clothes and into a pair of jeans and a tank top. Those and a blazer were as casual as her wardrobe got. She’d fix that on Mykonos too.
She all but jumped out of the car the moment Marianna pulled over, and searched for Bull with her gaze. He leaned against the wall, outside Entrance 1, looking straight at her.
“Shit. Wait. I wanna capture the moment.” Marianna fixed her skirt and fished in her décolletage for her phone.
“Hey, you can’t park here. It’s for unloading only.” A cop gestured at Marianna, who said, “It’s okay. I’m leaving in two secs. Just wanna see those two kiss.”
The cop said something else, but Elina had stopped paying attention to them. She’d stopped moving. Possibly stopped breathing too, as she watched Bull push away from the wall and stride toward her with determination. She wanted to close the distance between them but was mesmerized by his panther-like grace.
Bull stopped a hairsbreadth from her and grinned. “Hey, darling.” His face was inches above hers, and he smelled like baby powder and spice.
She wanted to eat him up. “Hey you.”
And then she was clutching his T-shirt and climbing his body and crushing her mouth to his.
Bull grabbed her ass with one hand and fisted the other in her hair, pinning her to him. He returned her fervor, biting her lips and sucking on her tongue, while she tried to crawl inside him.
Cheers reached Elina’s lust-addled brain. She broke the kiss and saw her friends clap and whistle.
Marianna aimed her phone at Elina and Bull. “Got it. Elina, call me when you land.” To Bull, she said, “You, mister, take care of her, or I’m coming after you.”
“And she’s vicious,” Kostas supplied.
Marianna turned to the cop. “See? They kissed. I’m going.” She slid behind the wheel again, and the rest of their group followed suit.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Sofia yelled from her open window, as the car peeled off.
“I like your friends. They’re crazy.” Bull helped her find her footing.
Elina clasped his hand and tugged him toward Departures. “Totally nuts.”
“Your sister too.”
She ginned up at him. “It runs in the family.”
He let go of her hand, to tuck her against his side. “Good. It’ll make the next few months interesting,” he whispered in her hair.
Elina slid her palm into his back pocket and squeezed his perfect ass. “I certainly plan on it.”
The End
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