by Marian Tee
He only always saw her. Just her. Always her.
Faint footsteps coming up the sweeping staircase made Andreus stiffen in his seat, and when the silence persisted, the hairs at the back of his neck stood.
Hallie.
And almost as if she had heard him call her name, her soft voice followed. “Andreus?”
He wanted to close his eyes, wanted to laugh and weep like a madman at the very sound of her voice. Damn her. The alcohol in his system might have failed to defeat his lucidity, but what it did achieve was destroying Andreus’ usually impregnable hold on his emotions.
Hallie gasped and literally jumped back a step when Andreus leapt off the bar stool with astonishing speed. All of a sudden he was standing right in front of her, looming over her, his dark face livid with anger and barely suppressed aggression emanating from his powerful body.
And yet, she thought helplessly, she still wasn’t afraid of him. The violence in his gaze made her nervous, yes, but it also sent a dangerous little thrill down her spine. She might still be a virgin, but her mind was far from innocent. She had never fantasized about sex until she met Andreus, and ever since she had met him, she had not stopped dreaming about it.
Even with all the countless “eligibles” both family and friends had introduced to her over the years, none of them had managed to compare to him. They were all boys while Andreus was all man: unapologetically raw in his masculinity, excitingly earthy in his sexuality, and oh so impossibly perfect. He was hard where he was supposed to be hard, big where he was supposed to big, and if even a fraction of the snatches of conversations she overhead from the club’s groupies was real, then his stamina was what it was supposed to be, too.
I’ve been with so many men, but only Andreus has made me beg. My body literally couldn’t survive that much fucking in one night.
He lasts so long he’s made me lose consciousness more than once.
I thought everyone was joking when they said a woman could run out of cum with Andreus.
Remembering all those things made Hallie fidget and wet her lip unconsciously; while the other women’s sexual testimonials certainly made her body feel hot and bothered, those same words also made her heart ache.
It had always been like that where Andreus was concerned: loving him was both joy and sorrow –
But not anymore, she thought determinedly. She had promised herself she was done pretending, and this time, this one last time, she was going to see everything to the end.
Hallie slowly lifted her gaze and almost jumped back when she saw intense emotion blazing from Andreus’ dark gaze. Was that anger or something else?
Swallowing hard, she ventured uncertainly, “We, umm, missed you at dinner.” She had asked Kalli about him, knowing it was only her sister-in-law who’d tell her the truth, and the younger woman had confirmed Hallie’s suspicions. Andreus usually had his meals with the others at the Great Hall whenever he was home.
And so when Andreus said dismissively, “I wasn't in the mood to eat.”
She knew he was lying.
“Are you mad at me?” It was the only thing that could explain his absence – and the way he was looking at her now.
“You don’t think I have any right to be?” A sardonic smile twisted over his lips at the confusion in her gaze. “I’m disappointed, princess. Has Tokyo turned you into an idiot that you’re only figuring things out now?”
Hallie could only shake her head. “I don’t get it.” Since he only called her ‘princess’ when he was pissed, it meant he truly was furious with her – and she had no idea why. “Why are you mad at me?”
Two years she had refused to call him, two years she had refused to take the first step like she usually did, two years she had forced him to live without the sound of her voice – didn’t she know how much it meant to him to hear her goddamn voice? Didn’t she goddamn know how much she meant –
Ah, fuck.
Andreus belatedly noticed her widened eyes and slack-jawed look.
FUCK.
“You’re drunk, aren’t you?” Hallie whispered dazedly.
“I have to be,” Andreus muttered, “if I just said all the things I think I said.”
“You did.”
Fuck.
Hallie still had a hard time believing what she had just heard, but she knew it could only be true. It was why Andreus strove never to be around her when he drank. In vino veritas – it had always been that way with him, and she had always known that, too. But never ever had she thought he could be hiding this much from her, never ever had she hoped he could ever be this truthful…just because he was plastered.
Unease stirred inside of Andreus at the way Hallie was gazing at him.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
This was not how things were supposed to go between them.
“I think I’ve had too much to drink,” he said abruptly.
“I think…not.” Hallie then took a step forward, and she had to swallow back a giggle when Andreus automatically took a step back. “If I had known you’d be this fun---”
Ignoring her words, he said, “I think you should go.”
She ignored his words right back, arguing, “I think I should stay.”
He saw her take another step towards him and cursed under his breath even as it forced him to move another step back. “Hallie.” His voice contained a threat.
“Andreus.” Her voice promised sweet temptation.
And then she started running towards him.
Goddammit.
Hallie almost threw her head back with a laugh at the hunted expression that fell over Andreus’ gorgeous face, and the way his gaze desperately snapped from one side to another in an attempt to look for a possible way to dodge her.
Luckily for her, he had accidentally positioned himself between a rock and a hard place, with the wall on one side, a display cabinet bearing his priceless collection of first-edition rifles on the other, and the bar’s counter at his back.
Andreus grunted as Hallie suddenly launched herself at him, and his eyes automatically closed as her arms went around his neck and every inch of her softness rubbed tantalizingly against his body.
GODDAMMIT.
Years of pent-up longing struck him all at once, and his self-restraint threatened to buckle under the weight of all the memories they shared.
Her legs wrapped around his waist, and his arms snapped around her, his hands delving deep to cup the sweet cheeks of her ass.
Andreus closed his eyes, but memories went on to invade his mind, forcing himself to relive stolen moments of perfection between them.
The times he would let himself savor the love in her eyes, the brush of her fingers as she traced his lips, the moments when he wanted her so damn much he just had to feel her –
He remembered that one time they had been alone in the elevator, and he had her up against the wall, his cock throbbing insistently against her sweet belly, and the musky scent of their mutual arousal making both of them shudder and pant.
That one time had been the closest he had been to succumbing to his desire for her, and if not for Kellion and Aria finding them together, Andreus might not have been able to control himself at all.
“Andreus?”
Unfortunately for him, there were no Kellion and Aria to stop him from losing control this time, and tendrils of seduction wrapped tightly around his body at the shy note of yearning in Hallie’s voice.
He felt Hallie’s fingers move across the side of his neck before reaching up to cup his face, and it was as arousing as it was poignant. Her touch was just like no other, and even though he knew both of them would be better off if he forced her off him and threw him out of his house –
Andreus was tired, too.
He felt her fingers tremble against the hard panes of his cheeks as their gazes met.
So damn tired.
“One night,” she pled tremulously. “Just this one night, can’t you be the one to pretend? Can’t you tell yourself you’
re drunk and just…touch me? No strings attached, no morning-after recriminations, no fine print.”
Did she think he was an idiot?
All these years of holding back, and she wanted him to let everything go down the drain for one night’s worth of fucking?
Hell no.
The way they felt about each other, a single taste would ruin them completely, and he would never be able to let her go.
And yet when she said his name again…
Andreus.
Even knowing he would be damning them to even more pain –
(He was just so fucking tired.)
Andreus’ mouth crashed over her slightly parted lips in a deep, branding, no-turning-back kiss, and her gasp disappeared into the bold thrust of his tongue.
He would give her what she wanted.
One night in which he could pretend…he had every right to love her.
Chapter Two
“Mr. Economou? A Monique Pratt is waiting on line two for you.”
Beep, beep.
“Mr. Economou?”
Beep, beep.
The spell that lust had cast upon them eventually broke under the night housekeeper’s repeated inquiries via intercom, and Hallie shakily pressed one hand over her trembling lips as Andreus whipped away from her with a muttered expletive.
She watched Andreus angrily stride away with dazed eyes, heart still pounding hard, and her head still reeling from what almost happened. Even her body had yet to calm down, and the embarrassing amount of wetness soaking her panties had Hallie physically squirming.
What felt so right and good earlier now felt terribly wrong and humiliating – especially as Monique Pratt didn’t appear to be just anyone in Andreus’ life.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you at this time, Mr. Economou.” With Andreus having switched the intercom call to loudspeaker, the night housekeeper’s voice easily carried all the way to the couch Hallie had finally rested her shaking limbs on. “But I was told that you were to be informed right away if Ms. Pratt calls.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for.” Andreus’ dark gaze swung to meet Hallie’s as he spoke. “I’ve been expecting Monique’s call.”
After thanking the housekeeper, Andreus picked up the wireless receiver, and Hallie had to strain her ears to hear what he was saying. His voice had lowered into a velvety purr, and it was a sound she was very much familiar with. It was the voice he only used with women he had fucked – and therefore a voice she had only heard him use with other women.
But never her.
She found herself covering her mouth again, but this time it was so she wouldn’t accidentally cry out.
Oh, Siri.
What do I do now?
Andreus was still talking on the phone, all the while keeping his gaze on her, and she couldn’t help thinking he was doing it deliberately, couldn’t help but think he was doing this just because she had made him promise.
Please stop making me feel so special.
And so here he was, hurting her instead.
The thought had Hallie reaching for her phone with clumsy haste. She was hurting so, so much, and she just wanted…she just needed…
Jerking her gaze away from Andreus, she quickly typed a question to Siri.
Hallie: Hey, Siri. Tell me something funny.
Siri: Does anyone want to buy my old vacuum cleaner?
Siri: It’s just gathering dust.
She instinctively choked back a laugh, and the strangling pain in her chest eased, just enough for her to start breathing again.
Andreus’ jaw clenched when he saw the way Hallie’s eyes suddenly sparkled as she read something on her phone. Sir Asshole to the rescue once more, he thought savagely, and Andreus had to literally contain himself before he ended up crushing his phone in anger.
“I have to go,” he told Monique the moment she paused for breath.
“Oh. Umm. Did I disturb you? I’m sorry if I did.”
His curt voice had obviously taken her aback, and with the slight hurt threading through her voice just as unmistakable, Andreus cursed himself silently for lashing out.
He made an effort to soften his voice when he spoke again, murmuring, “I should be the one saying sorry, chérie.” He saw Hallie stiffen at hearing the endearment, but he didn’t let it get to him. “I’m just tied up at the moment.”
“I understand.” Just like that, the hurt from her voice had disappeared, and Monique once again sounded her usual self, her tone soft and placid.
“We’ll talk more tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay. Good night, Andreus.”
“Good night.”
After returning the wireless receiver to its charging pod, Andreus turned back to face Hallie again, and the first thing he noticed was her smile. It was too damn bright again. Too dazzling, he thought, that it couldn’t be real.
“So…Monique Pratt.” Hallie showed her iPhone to him, its screen displaying the other woman’s photo from LinkedIn. “Is this her?”
“Her father is one of the possible major investors we might welcome into the fold, and Monique’s acting as his liaison while he’s in Greece for a conference.”
All very plausible, Hallie thought, and in the past, she would have let him get away with it.
But things weren’t the same as before now.
“You’re dating that kind of girl now?”
The question halted Andreus midway to the bar, and he slowly turned to face Hallie again. “That kind of girl?”
“You used to limit yourself to girls who I couldn’t be seriously jealous about.” Her smile grew just a little brighter. “But Monique Pratt’s different. She has everything going for her – she’s beautiful, smart, accomplished. A trophy girlfriend and a business asset all at once, isn’t she?”
Andreus refused to show how much it irritated him that she had Monique perfectly pegged. Raising one brow at her, he asked silkily instead, “Jealous?”
Hallie didn’t even hesitate. “Of course.” She saw him jerk, and she would’ve laughed if she could. It was just so rare to see Andreus caught off guard. “I’m done hiding my feelings, remember?” She saw Andreus start to speak, and she quickly shook her head. “Don’t. There’s no need to say s-sorry.” Try as she might, she couldn’t keep her voice from catching at the end. “We h-had a deal, remember?”
And so they did, Andreus thought bleakly. She had asked, he had promised, and so all he could do was shove his hands deep into the back pockets of his jeans as he watched her rise somewhat precariously to her feet.
“I, umm, think I overstayed my welcome.”
Her gaze avoided his, and the smile she tossed at his general direction was wobbly.
Keep her heart broken.
Andreus watched her walk away, and he had to remind himself doggedly of his promise.
Keep her heart broken.
He watched the door close behind her, and he forced himself not to run after her.
Keep her heart broken.
She disappeared entirely from his view, and the world stopped turning with her.
Chapter Three
A chain of respectfully bobbing heads and friendly greetings marked Monique’s passage as soon as she stepped out of her car and made her way to Greens and Ribs, and the people smiled among themselves when the dark-haired girl murmured ‘good morning’ back to them in her usual quiet way.
Hers was a familiar face in Corpus Christi, and a welcomed one at that. Monique’s widowed father not only employed at least a quarter of the city’s population, but he was also a well-known philanthropist who often took his daughter with him to every event organized by the family’s foundation.
Andreus was already waiting for her in one of the restaurant’s private function rooms when she arrived, and Monique’s entire face lit up at the sight of him. She had always been the calm and studious sort, and her mother’s early death had only made Monique retreat further into her shell. It was only when her father Andrew had introduced he
r to Andreus Economou that she had her first taste of sexual attraction – wild, uncontrollable, violent. The intense clamor of her feelings for him had taken Monique completely by surprise, and sometimes, it worried her, too. There were instances when the passion she had for Andreus showed a frightening resemblance to the most dangerous obsession, and her lack of inexperience made Monique unable to hide her growing feelings for Andreus.
She had lost count of all the times Andreus had caught her practically stalking him with her eyes, but instead of scaring him off, it had only made the Greek biker laugh. That had been the point of no return for her, Monique thought with a private sigh. The sound of Andreus’ laugh had been like no other she had ever heard before, like a dangerously shameless, earthy admission to his utter disregard for propriety. It had stirred something inside of her, had made her breasts actually ache, and only after knowing Andreus for an extended period of time had she eventually realized that meeting him had given Monique her very first taste of sexual arousal.
Remembering this turned Monique’s face into a lovely shade of pink as Andreus bent down to brush his lips against her cheek in greeting. She expected him to tease and flirt with her like he always did as he pulled away, but instead she found a faintly distracted expression marring his handsome features. Could it have something to do with his rather odd and unexpectedly rude behavior last night?
She tried to keep her worries to herself as Andreus helped her to her chair. This, at least, was still the Andreus she knew and secretly cherished. She had researched about him online rather zealously, and his bad boy ways were often mentioned in the tabloid stories he starred in. They spoke of how often he became involved in brawls (all of which he handily won) and how callous he was in his treatment of girls (and yet all of them had also said they would get back together with him given the chance).
We only spend time together in bed, and nowhere else. It was the most common complaint voiced by Andreus’ former lovers, and it was those words that had given Monique hope. She might not have known Andreus for a long time, but she already knew she was different from the others. Unlike all those other girls, she, Monique Pratt, was someone Andreus always appeared keen to listen to. She could even make him smile quite regularly, which – according to those same gossip reports – should be considered a rare feat.