by Marian Tee
Deeper and deeper, I succumbed like a moth drawn to a flame. His hands started to move, and every caress had me feeling hotter and weaker until it was like I was delirious with fever, one only he could infect me with.
Dimly, I felt his fingers moving. Snap, snap, the buttons of my jumper were released, and before I knew it, his hands were inside my shirt. His fingers grazed my skin. Every part of my body that he touched burned, so, so much I wouldn’t be surprised if he left handprints all over me. Just thinking about Kellion leaving a mark on my skin had me blushing and wanting him more at the same time. Oh, who knew? Who knew I could ever want another person this way?
His hands were moving up, closer and closer to my heaving breasts. His fingers were right under them now, and my chest started to tighten. In a good and bad way, in a way that had me swallowing, gasping—
He cupped my breasts.
My senses spiraled out of control.
It was too much, too fast, too soon, and I expired. His hands on my aching flesh left me breathless.
I meant it literally. I literally could not breathe.
Panic set in, and my fingers dug into his shoulders. “Stop.” The word burst out of me.
Kellion immediately froze. I had never known a drunk like him existed – someone so sensible and yet so different at the same time. His eyes were wild with desire, but there was also a glimmer of concern. The same worry underlined his tone as he asked, “What’s wrong?”
I couldn’t answer, too busy self-curing my oxygen-deprived state.
His eyes cleared, a boyish smile appearing on his lips. “My kiss made you breathless?”
Even as I wheezed, I couldn’t help making a face at him. Do you have to sound so pleased?
“Sorry.” But even as he apologized, his smile had widened even more.
I rolled my eyes, but the way he was looking at me, the way he was smiling at me, made it so hard to remember why I was even annoyed in the first place.
He traced my lips, his touch tender and careful, like I was something precious. Without thinking, I whispered, “Why?” Because he still hadn’t answered my question, not the way I needed him to. “Why did you suddenly…stop?”
Kellion’s green eyes darkened.
When he answered in Greek, I shook my head, unable to understand a word he was saying.
His gaze moved towards the bedside table, and I realized he was looking at his phone. Taking it, I saw that the screen was left open on a message – one sent the day we had gone to Disneyland. The day I saw him last.
The message on his phone was also written in Greek, but I recognized the name of the sender. Carina Argyros. It was his mother.
Over my head, Kellion said in a voice thick with bitterness, “She said there…she forgot to tell me – her son…” Kellion spat the last words out. “– that she was pregnant. She was already five months pregnant and she only remembered to tell me when a reporter asked her how I felt about it.”
Kellion looked at me, his eyes dull with pain. “What do I have to do to make them see me? They only remember me when I do something…cool. Nobody sees me. Me. Kellion. Not the biker. Not the senator’s son, not the heir to a billion-dollar fortune.”
His voice turned savage. “Why can no one see me?”
It was as if I was hearing Ashton speak if he had just been a little older, just been a little more coherent.
“My whole life…they never remember.” Memories of Kellion’s past made his accent thick, his English broken. “They never cared if I was sick. When I fought for my life in the hospital because of pneumonia, they never came inside my room. They look at me, they think I’m a good son, but they don’t…” Kellion’s eyes closed.
So much time had passed that just when I started to think he wouldn’t speak anymore, he whispered, “That’s why I left. If you hated me, at least you would always see me.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Dear Ashton,
Do you remember when you were two and we were trying to make ice cream and desserts with clay and you thought they were real? You cried so much because I didn’t allow you to eat them. I ended up taking a small bite and pretending to die so you’d know it was bad.
I just wanted you to know I remember that. I remember everything about you, kiddo. Everything.
Love¸ Your Big Sis
KELLION
The noise coming from the private kitchen for the club’s officers was not unusual. What was unexpected was how everyone became quiet when he joined them.
Since his hangover was still fucking with his mind and last night was a complete blank, Kellion didn’t bother to mince words. Taking his customary seat at the President’s right, he asked right away, “Did I do anything last night to apologize for?”
MJ gasped.
Kellion flinched. “That bad?”
Before MJ could answer, Helios said in a flat voice, “It is not to us you should apologize.” In the periphery of his eye, he saw his wife’s head swing towards him, and his lips compressed. It was all he could do not to smile, but he was determined to see this through. Kellion had enjoyed a good deal of amusement at his expense during the times things were more than rocky between him and his woman.
Now, it was payback time.
Helios’ answer had him frowning. It was not the President’s style to be vague unless…
Kellion swallowed before forcing himself to look at Hallie.
Hallie shook her head quickly.
“If you had, don’t you think I would have killed you by now?” Andreus Economou, seated next to Kellion, muttered under his breath.
“I believe that should be my line,” Yuri, the club’s Secretary, said gently, his words making both his sister and the Treasurer flush.
Kellion leaned back against his seat, unsure whether to be relieved or even more worried. “Will you just fucking tell me who I should say sorry to?”
MJ looked down at her plate, knowing her face would reveal the truth if Kellion saw it.
Helios said carefully, “I’m not sure if there is something you should apologize for. But what we all know is that a girl had just left your bedroom in tears.”
“A girl?” Kellion asked sharply. He couldn’t remember inviting anyone to his bedroom when he had started drinking last night.
“I believe her name was Aria—”
Helios didn’t bother continuing, not when his Vice President had already left. Kellion Argyros had always reminded him of a lazy big cat, one whose movements were of languid grace. But now? Helios hadn’t seen Kellion walk so fast in his life.
When they heard the elevator doors swoosh shut outside the kitchen, they all looked at each other.
MJ said uneasily, “Was it really necessary to make him worry like that?”
Almost in unison, the three remaining officers around the table smirked, making them all look even more handsome, devilishly so.
With a sigh, Hallie reached for a piece of toast. “Get used to it, MJ. They’re all kids at heart.”
ARIA
“Good morning, Aria.” The evil redheaded queen appeared to be in a very good mood when I got to the office of the Sign Language Club the next day after classes. Seated at the head of the club’s twelve-foot custom-designed table, Bobby was all smiles as she spoke, even lifting her cup of coffee in greeting.
Taking a seat next to her, I scribbled on my board. WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU DO TO BOBBY GRANGER?
Normally, that would have her snarling and snapping. Maybe it was because her fiancé Leandro Christopoulos was seated next to her, but Bobby only kept smiling. It was terrifying, to be honest. Everyone knew she had the shortest fuse in the entire student population, after all.
“No matter what you say, you won’t be able to make me mad.” Her voice turned sly. “You should be in a good mood, too, right?” Before I could answer, she added, “A little birdie told me someone came out of a guy’s bedroom at seven in the morning.”
Aaaargh!
I scribbled on my bo
ard and nearly shoved it in Bobby’s face. YOU SET ME UP LAST NIGHT.
“But you stayed so long, so the risk must have paid off.”
Grr. I hated it when Bobby acted so smug, and I hated it even more when she had reason to.
Beside her, Leandro said, “You are so wonderfully ungraceful in your victory, megaira.” His voice was mildly reproachful, but I wasn’t fooled. The way his blue eyes glittered with desire as his gaze rested on the queen, it was clear he found her attitude more attractive than a turn off.
Yuck.
Bobby must have caught the disgusted expression on my face because she was suddenly laughing. “You can look at me like that all you want, but I bet given a few weeks, you’d be even more sickeningly affectionate. It’s only to be expected when you have Kellion as a boyfriend—” She paused when I started scribbling on my board.
HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND.
Bobby shrugged. “It’s only a matter of time.” Her tone became serious. “But you guys got to talk, right? Really talk?”
I gave her a small nod.
“And you get it now?”
HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIS PARENTS.
Leandro’s lip curled when he read my answer. “Unfortunately, two of the shallowest individuals I have ever met in my life. I’ve always thought it a miracle that Kellion managed to stay sane the whole time he was with them.”
I nodded firmly, remembering what Kellion told me. I remembered another thing, not as important but something that had long confounded me. WHAT DOES TERATAKI MEAN?
Bobby shrugged. “My Greek still sucks.” She glanced at Leandro questioningly.
“Why do you ask?”
IT’S WHAT HE CALLS ME.
“Ah.” Leandro had always been described as aloof by the media, unlike his more easygoing cousin Derek, but right now, it was as if he was having great trouble keeping a straight face.
He said almost apologetically, “It means ‘little monster’, I’m afraid.”
I let out a silent gasp of outrage. That great big jerk!
Bobby burst into laughter. “Can I please call you that, too?”
Before I could answer, the door to the club burst open behind me, the door slamming so hard against the wall I almost expected to hear its hinges breaking and the door to crash towards the floor.
“Aria?”
I froze at the sound, knowing whom it belonged to. A second later, Kellion was kneeling in front of me, his face white while his gaze was wild and panicky. His hair was badly mussed, like he had come here straight from bed, and he had day-old stubble darkening his jaw. He was breathing hard, too, as if he had tried to beat the world’s record for getting here.
Gazing at him, I was torn between embarrassment and worry. It was hard looking at him in the eye, with the way my mind had suddenly started replaying X-rated scenes from last night. A part of me still couldn’t believe that we had kissed. That he had touched my breasts.
“Aria?”
The uneven tone had me blinking, my embarrassment receding in the face of my confusion. What’s wrong? My confusion deepened when I saw how Kellion had to swallow several times before he was able to speak. “Aria…” And then nothing.
I glanced back at the engaged couple with a questioning look, hoping they knew something I didn’t, but they appeared just as surprised as I was.
Kellion suddenly gripped my hands. “Aria…”
I cocked my head to the side. Yes?
“Were you really in my room last night?”
Gaaaaaaah.
This was so not the confession I wanted to have an audience with. I stood up and tugged on his hand, telling him to get to his feet, too. He seemed to pale upon realizing I wanted a private moment with him, which of course left me even more bemused. Really, what was wrong?
Bobby pointed to the door to her right, saying helpfully, “No one’s inside the study lab. You guys can talk there.”
“Thank you.” Kellion’s voice was extremely grim. He opened the door for me, and when I preceded him inside, he took his time locking the door, as if he was reluctant to face me.
When he finally did turn around, I was ready. WHAT’S WRONG? I had even underlined the second word, just so he’d know how worried I was.
He swallowed again. “Last night…”
I swallowed, too.
“I’m sorry.”
I paled.
He paled, too. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. I didn’t mean to. I would never want to hurt you, never in a million years. I’m even sorrier that I can’t remember a thing from last night—” He paused, raking a hand through his hair. “I’m just fucking sorry I violated—”
Oh.
My eyes widened in belated understanding. I hastily scribbled on my board. YOU DIDN’T DO ANYTHING.
He blinked. “But Helios—”
I raised a brow.
“He told me…” His voice almost became accusing. “He told me you left in tears, dammit.”
I glared at him, not appreciating the reminder.
“Did you?”
I just kept glaring.
His hands gripped my arms and he actually shook me as he growled, “Answer me.” He took my hand, the one holding the pen, and placed it on the board.
Knowing it was pointless to refuse, I scribbled my answer. YES.
“Why?” But this time, he sounded…sick, and I didn’t like it.
I looked at him, and the look in his eyes mirrored his tone. I wrote again. YOU REALLY DON’T REMEMBER?
He shook his head. “And I’m not even sure if I want to,” he said roughly. “If it means remembering that I hurt you—” He stopped, seeing me writing.
YOU DIDN’T HURT ME, I PROMISE.
“Then why were you crying?”
My fingers stilled, my pen hovering hesitantly over the board. How much should I tell him? Kellion was so proud. Only someone with such great pride would have been able to pretend like he did, would have been able to survive the way he did, without ever uttering a single word against his parents.
It made me think of how I was with my own shitty parents, and my heart ached when I realized just how nice Kellion Argyros was. They had hurt him so badly, but somehow, Kellion still hadn’t allowed himself to hate them, had even managed to still respect them. And love them.
Nice.
He was so, so nice, he had somehow become blind to just how beautiful he was, inside and out. So, so nice, he had really believed someone like me could be capable of being just as blind and as hurtful as his parents.
My eyes blurred but the world became clearer at the word.
Who knew Kellion Argyros, the Afxisi’s ultimate playboy, could be so ridiculously nice?
“Aria?” Kellion’s hands shook as he cupped my face.
My eyes blurred even more at the gentleness of his voice, the same time the world just kept getting brighter and brighter.
I thought of Ashton, of how ridiculously nice he had been as well. Even knowing that our parents hadn’t been able to love him the way they should, he had never stopped hoping, had never stopped loving them.
My heart broke.
It broke and broke, the more I thought about just how nice they both were, these men in my life – one from the past, another whose place in my future was uncertain.
“Say something,” he whispered. Again, that voice. Plea and temptation. And of course it reached me. My heart. My soul.
“You…did…not…hurt…me.”
Kellion’s eyes were wide as he watched my lips move and listened to me speak.
“You…made…me…cry…because…” I touched my own trembling lips so he would see. So he would know. “You…make…me…smile.” The tears started to fall, but I had never seen so clearly. So vividly. I touched his cheek. “I…want…to…make…you—”
“Aria.” His voice broke, as if he couldn’t believe he deserved to hear me say such things.
Stupid, silly, stubborn biker.
This time, I was the one to cup his face. “
Kellion.” I strove for a voice both clear and determined so he would know I meant what I was going to say. “This…time…I want…to…make…you…smile.”
For a long moment, we could only look at each other. And then slowly, he brought my hand to his lips, his mouth warm as it pressed against my palm. I could feel his lips curve against my skin.
Oh.
“You already do.” A ragged voice, exposing his greatest fears. “God help me, but you always do.”
Before I could answer, Bobby was knocking on the door. “Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but I need this room now.”
CHAPTER NINE
Dear Ashton,
I’m sorry for deliberately trying to make you cry before.
Well, okay, I’m not really. It’s just that you’re so cute when you cry, you know? That’s all it was. Because you were soooo cute. And you are still and will always be the cutest baby brother in the whole world.
Love, Your Big Sis
“Tell me what happened. All of it.”
After Bobby had kicked us out of the club’s office, Kellion had immediately taken me to the closest place with a chair and a table. In this case, that was the cafeteria.
Like the rest of the university, the cafeteria was elegantly designed, resembling a hotel lobby more than anything else. Supposedly, it was to give students an environment most conducive to learning, but knowing how the Christopoulos were, I had a feeling it was really just because the Greek family who owned the university didn’t care to let their heirs have lessons in any place that was less than luxurious.
Even though we occupied one of the tables at the back, all eyes were still on us. Reminded yet again of how we were everyone’s focus, I tried getting off Kellion’s lap, but he shook his head. “Sorry, terataki, but I don’t think I’m going to let you go anytime soon.”
I frowned at him in exasperation. Be serious.
His lips twisted. “I feel like if I do, you might change your mind about me and stop talking to me.”
My chest tightened at his words. God. Who knew bikers as stubborn and as silly as Kellion Argyros actually existed? It had to be a crime. How could someone as hot as he was believe that a girl would be capable of resisting him? We could try but in the end, the result was inevitable.