This isn’t anything new. I’ve heard variations of this same speech my whole life. Greece is special, Georgios is special, my family is special, and out of my entire family, all the uncles and aunts, cousins, siblings—hell the dogs and cats too—I’m the most special. I’m the hope, the future, the darling that everyone attends to. And suddenly, for the first time ever, I’m not sure that what Christos is telling me is right. I’m not sure that I deserve the deference, the preference, all the special treatment. Maybe outsiders don’t understand because none of it makes any sense.
I turn away from him now, ready to head to my room for the rest of the night. Everything is jumbled in my head, and the ouzo didn’t help matters any.
“Niko.” Christos stops me with a hand on my shoulder. “Come out with me tonight. We’ll go to the club, have drinks, dance, meet up with some girls. I’ve heard there’s a group of sisters and their friends who are staying at the Anderson villa for the month. I’m sure they’ll show up to the club at some point. Fresh tail, a few shots, you’ll be good as new.” He winks at me. “Say yes.”
I think about it for a moment—imagining lying in my bed, pining away over Tess, who I hardly know, and therefore shouldn’t really care about this much. My chest hurts, and all I want is the oblivion that more ouzo will bring. Too much alcohol and pounding bass might drown out the voices in my head—Tess’s voice in my head—nothing else has during the last twenty-four hours.
“Fine,” I say. “But call my dad’s house and get a car sent up. I’m drinking until I pass out.”
Christos grins. “That’s my boy,” he jokes, slapping me on the back. I don’t return the smile.
“I’ll be ready at nine,” I tell him. Then I head to the kitchen for the ouzo and a clean glass. Let the road to oblivion begin.
* * *
When we stumble into the club it’s nearly ten, and I’m feeling lighter than air, like I might float away. It’s the ouzo. It’s a different drunk than other hard alcohols or beer give me. I don’t always like it, but tonight it’s exactly what the doctor ordered.
“Which waitress do you want?” Christos asks. He’s been exceptionally attentive tonight, making sure the car was stocked with ouzo and ice, telling the driver to take us around the island for thirty minutes while we drank more and he called some of the girls we know who are always up to party. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’m drinking tonight not scoring. I can’t imagine screwing one of the usual party girls right now. My head’s too mixed up.
“I don’t give a shit,” I mumble at him as I stagger toward the staircase to the VIP area. I’m not surprised to see that Christos has appropriated the entire area. Only our closest friends and cousins are sitting up there. I take my usual place at the table with the best view of the floor. In mere seconds one of the waitresses is there, fawning over me. I switch from ouzo to scotch and ignore her otherwise.
Christos brings over a couple of girls along with our cousins Marco and Dmitri. They’re a few years older than us and work in the operations division—meaning they deal with the actual ships and equipment we need to run the company. Big shit. Maintenance, acquisitions. I’m scheduled to take over that division as COO next year sometime when my great uncle retires.
My three cousins and the two chicks they’re with try to jostle me out of my ill temper for a while, but when I don’t respond, they leave me alone, continuing some dumbass drinking game Christos has devised that insures the girls will have to take turns removing bits of clothing. I can’t see it lasting long as neither of them was wearing much to begin with.
I let the scotch slide down my throat, burning its way into my consciousness along with the words that Tess spoke to me. I know it shouldn’t matter—she shouldn’t matter—but somehow she does. That she thinks so little of me—a girl I immediately admired so much—is painful. And I can’t help but wonder how much of what she said is true. And if it is, how much should I care?
The dancers on the floor below me bump and grind to the techno music, bodies winding together like some sort of animal with hundreds of legs and heads. It’s nearly impossible to make out an individual person in the chaos, but my eyes are drawn to a figure in white, her undulating form like a vision in a fantasy. She’s pressed against a guy dressed all in black, so her fair hair and white dress stand out, and even from this distance I can see that she’s not completely steady on her feet. I think the guy might be holding her up as much as dancing with her.
I continue to watch them, fascinated by the way her golden hair shimmies with her body, and how her legs look in the sky high platform heels, when the music breaks before the drop, and she tosses her head back for a split second, her hair falling away from her face at the same time. It’s Tess. Fucking Tess. The Tess who handed me my ass yesterday. The Tess who has haunted my every waking moment since.
I’m on my feet before I even realize it. Moving away from the table toward the staircase to the dance floor.
“What’s going on, Niko?” Christos calls from behind me. I wave my arm over my head to let him know it’s all good, and keep moving.
When I reach the floor, my drunk mind is momentarily confused by the chaos of the pounding bass and gyrating bodies, but somewhere in the back of my head I must have a Tess compass, because it only takes me a few seconds to orient myself and remember which part of the room I saw her in.
As usual, the crowds part to let me through, and when they don’t a quick tap on someone’s shoulder does the trick. Before I know it I’m standing next to the guy who’s dancing with her, and I lean down and say in his ear, “I want to cut in.”
He looks up at me, confusion clouding his face. He’s not anyone I know, probably a tourist or summer resident. Tess hasn’t noticed that I’m here, and his hands are still on her hips as she moves to the music. I glance down at them wrapped around her tiny frame and have the urge to peel his fingers back as far as they’ll go—then a touch farther—one at a time until he’s no longer touching her, and as a bonus, is screaming in pain.
“Uh, you her boyfriend or something, man?” he asks.
“Yeah. I am,” I say. Whatever will get him away from her the fastest.
He looks me up and down once, obviously calculating that I’m the bigger guy, then steps away, giving me a little salute before he moves on to another girl dancing with her friends a few feet away. I slide into his spot, right as Tess turns to see where the hands that were all over her a moment ago have gone.
I can tell that she’s been drinking, her lids are heavy and her cheeks are flushed. She jerks in surprise when she sees me, but I put my hands on her waist and pull her gently back into me, lowering my head to her shoulder where I say, “Don’t think, just dance with me for a minute.” My voice is rough, and I feel her shiver when I hold her. I can’t help but notice that her hair smells like cinnamon, and it’s silky on my cheek as I start to sway with her.
I move my hands around to her front, placing them flat against her abs. She’s so tiny that my thumbs reach to the bottom of her breasts and I can’t stop myself from moving them along the plump curve that rests there. She sighs and arches back against me, forcing her delectable ass into my groin, which hardens immediately.
As the bass continues to thump and the lights flash blue and red, blinking off and on, strobing one minute and sweeping the room in the next, I hold Tess flush against me and we move together like two pieces of a puzzle. I bend my knees and grind against her ass, not caring in the slightest if she feels that I’m as hard as a chunk of concrete. I bury my nose in her hair and breathe deep, whispering my lips up the side of her silky neck.
After a few minutes I’m so hot I’m afraid I might blow my load right on the dance floor. I’m drunk, and angry, and more turned on than I’ve ever been in my life, and it’s all because of this woman. She’s making me crazy and if I don’t have her soon I might explode.
I lean down again and say, “Come with me,” as I grab her wrist and pull her along behind me, mov
ing off the dance floor and into a back hallway of the club, where the offices and storage rooms are.
She follows, without resisting, but I can feel her stumble a couple of times, and it reminds me that she’s obviously been drinking. It probably doesn’t take much at her size.
I stop, putting her back to the wall and facing her while I keep ahold of both her hands
“Hi,” she says, her cheeks pink and smooth.
“Hi,” I whisper, leaning my forehead against hers while I try to catch my breath. I’m not sure what I’m doing here, but she makes me feel better, and I’ve felt really crappy since yesterday, so I’m going with it.
After a moment I raise my head, looking her in the eyes. “Who are you here with?”
“My roommate and her boyfriend,” she answers, not returning my gaze.
“Tess,” I say, putting a fingertip under her chin so she’s forced to look at me. “I’m sorry I made you angry yesterday.”
She nods. “I’m sorry I was so hard on you.” She pauses, then continues, “But you need to understand that I have a lot riding on my internship. I can’t afford to stay here if I don’t have it, and if I can’t stay here it sets me back a whole semester in school. That’s another semester of student loans, another semester of not earning an income, not to mention I would have missed out on the opportunity to live here and get the professional experience at Stephanos.”
I’m still lightheaded, and now my dick aches to boot, but I watch the earnestness in her eyes, and something inside of me hurts in a way I’ve never hurt before. I smooth back a lock of her hair that’s fallen over her forehead.
“I want you to do your internship, Tess. I can tell already that you’re smart and good at what you do. Everyone’s told me you’re a great addition to the department. Can’t you trust me to keep something between us separate from the job?”
“Trust you?” Her voice is sharp, but her expression is pleading. “I don’t even know you,” she says, “and what I’ve heard isn’t too promising.”
That snaps me to attention.
“What exactly have you heard?”
“I’m not going to name names, but your reputation at the office isn’t spotless.”
Juliet. I sigh. I probably deserve this. I shouldn’t have threatened her job. I had no intention of firing her anyway, I was trying to get her to back off, and it seemed like the most expedient way to do it. Dumbass move.
I lean into Tess, rubbing my cheek along hers, and I feel her sink into me. She wants this too, if I can only get her to admit it.
“I’ve made some mistakes, but I learn from them. I absolutely can keep work and personal separate, and that’s a promise I’ve never made to anyone before, because I didn’t realize it might be necessary. Now I know it is. Come on, you want to get to know me. You do. And I want to get to know you. In every way possible,” I murmur. “Outside the office. Let’s see what happens.”
She gives me a little shove and I back off an inch or two so I can see her face. Her lips tremble. “Please,” she whispers. “I can’t. Please don’t make me.”
Everything inside of me goes stone cold. My heart stops, my limbs freeze, my mind is numb. I step back, shaking my head slowly to try and clear it. Make her? Fuck. Is that what she feels like? Like I’m forcing myself on her? My stomach lurches and I stumble, putting a hand out to the wall behind me in order to steady myself.
I look at her, shaking my head again. “You can’t think…I would never…” My voice is weak and my chest burns, because while I may be an asshole, and I’m not above trying to entice a woman to sleep with me, I would never, ever force myself on one. A guy tried to rape one of my sisters once, and I’ll never forget what she was like for months afterwards. The way my parents looked as they dealt with the police and lawyers. No, I like my partners just that—partners. Willing, enthusiastic, and active.
I look back at Tess, and I think she’s as horrified by the whole concept as I am. Her hands are over her mouth like she’s trying to capture something that’s fighting to get out. Something even more vile than what’s floating in front of us—in between us.
“I’m sorry,” she finally blurts out before she turns and runs down the hall back to the dance floor.
I lean against the wall, my head thrown back and my legs weak. I’m motionless for long minutes, as I contemplate what she’s said, what she’s opened my eyes to. I’m rich—filthy rich—and even though I’m used to that and don’t think much of it, the odds of Tess having ever known or worked for a billionaire are slim to absofuckinglutely no way. I’m her boss yeah, but more importantly, my father owns the company. She’s in a foreign country, no family, hardly any friends. She doesn’t speak the language, she doesn’t understand the culture, and if what she said is true, she needs the money my family provides her to live here for the next year.
It all becomes glaringly clear, like a flashlight has shined on a whole corner of the room I didn’t even realize existed. What the fuck was I thinking? Of course she can’t get involved with me. Of course she feels pressured, of course I’m a selfish asshole for hitting on her. I press back against the wall and swear.
I’m an idiot of the highest order, and I’ve scared the crap out of a smart, beautiful, ambitious young woman who is relying on my family to protect her and keep her safe while she’s here in Georgios. Even after my father warned me, I’ve kept pursuing her. He’d be really pissed if he knew, and I should be ashamed of myself.
I push off the wall. She was right, I am selfish. I don’t know the first thing about what normal people deal with, and it’s embarrassing. I should. I should understand how my employees live and how they view me. The fact that I don’t tells me I’m nowhere near ready to run this company.
An idea begins to form in my mind. I need a crash course on normal, lessons on what life is like for average working people—the people who work for me. I need to be tutored in how the real world works, and I’m hoping that I haven’t offended Tess so badly that she won’t be willing to help me. As much as I want Tess Richardson, I need her more. I need her to teach me how to be a better man. I need her to be my friend.
Tess
As I lie in bed after getting home from the nightclub, I think back to the way Niko’s lips felt as they coasted along my cheek and neck. The way his hands felt as they stroked the underside of my breasts. The way his voice sounded, all coffee grounds rough when he spoke in my ear—hot breath, hotter words. I wiggle in my bed, an ache blooming between my thighs. Cass and Anton dropped me off before they went home to his place, so I’m alone, and I’m hurting—emotionally, mentally, physically.
Saying no to Niko might be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I want him something crazy. But I’m a smart girl, and my head always rules my heart, or in this case, my hormones. It was rough though. That’s why I was nearly begging him to stop tempting me. I knew if he pressed one more minute I’d give in and then what a mess I would have made of my life.
I’m not poor, I know this. In the grand scheme of things I’m very fortunate. I have a loving family who have reliable jobs, we have good healthcare and a nice house. Nothing fancy, but all of it comfortable and safe. Things like private college and study abroad however, are not in my parents’ budget. I’ve had to borrow and work and save for what I’ve done in college, and getting out in four years is part of the plan, so that I don’t go any further into debt than I have to.
I know Niko can’t understand that. I know I was hard on him yesterday, but he needs to accept that he is a risk I can’t take, no matter how many times he promises it won’t impact my job. Yesterday he was so mired in getting his way he couldn’t seem to absorb it. Tonight he was different. I’m not sure if it was all the alcohol I’d had—and I’m guessing by the foggy look in his eyes he was far from sober too—but he was a kinder, gentler Niko. Also a sexier one. The way he seemed to breathe me in, it was like I had some special quality that he needed. Like I was a form of sustenance to him.
; I thrash on my bed again, the alcohol is wearing off and I’m frustrated and sad. It took every bit of willpower I could dig up to turn him away. I close my eyes and feel him. Niko Stephanos might be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen, and I told him no. Maybe I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I’m going to spend an entire year in Greece sexually frustrated, beating myself up about missed opportunities.
“Aaargh!” I yell into the dark of my room before I flop over on my stomach. I slip my hand into my panties and press on my damp, hot clit. I should have taken that discussion about vibrators I had with Cass more seriously. It’s going to be a very long year.
* * *
Monday morning is my first day of classes. From now on I’ll be at classes in the mornings and working at Stephanos in the afternoons. It’s a relief to go to class. School is what I know best, and the American University here is small, easy to navigate, but interesting, with students from all over the world. Classes are taught in English, and by lunchtime I’ve made friends with a pair of girls from Germany, Cristal and Una. They’re both tall and blonde, and I feel like a twelve year old next to their Amazonian bodies, but they’re funny, and they’ve invited me to go on a boat trip with a bunch of other students this weekend. In the meantime, we all go to lunch at the student union building.
“Do you think they’d let us have some more of this fig stuff?” Una asks, scarfing down a mouthful of fruit salad.
“Here.” I slide my plate over to her. “Not a fan of figs—unless they’re wrapped in bacon.”
“Yum, thank you,” she mumbles between bites.
“I wish you didn’t have to go to work right after lunch,” Cristal pouts. “Una and I are going downtown to shop, and then we’re spending a couple of hours at the beach with these guys we met at a bar last night. There’s four of them, so it’s not like you’d be a fifth wheel or anything.”
The Heir: A Standalone Greek Billionaire Romance Page 6