by Demi Alex
“Paul agreed with you?” Sheridan asked.
“Of course. He seems reasonable, and he knows how to separate business from pleasure. I get the impression that he’s not a pushover or a go-with-the-flow-just-because kind of guy.”
“Paul backed you over Justin?” Sheridan voice rose an octave.
“Yes. He speaks his mind. And it wasn’t the first time he made Justin back off.”
“Shit, sis. You’re in big trouble,” Sheridan said, her words laced into a long moaning sentence. “Fake an illness—bad summer flu—they’re the worst. Tell Dad to send a replacement. Get home.”
“I’m not running away because of a man,” Bethany said, glancing at her suitcase.
She really should unpack and make it clear she wasn’t going anywhere. She stood and walked over to her suitcase, before lifting it to the luggage rack. She unzipped it and threw back the cover.
“Hello…it’s two men,” Sheridan said.
“No. I’m staying right here and getting what I came for. I’m the one who found this place. I’m the one who’s been speaking with Mr. Lallas for the past two months. And I absolutely adore Greece. I honestly believe that Luxury Homes will have a diamond in this property, and Dad will finally acknowledge my business savvy.”
“No argument there. It’s your heart I’m worried about.”
“What heart?” Bethany found the white bikini Sheridan had given her for the trip and pulled it from the case. She held up the crocheted bottom and studied it. “I’m using my head for the deal and having a blast with the rest of me. Bethany Michaels, aka party girl, will be making appearances at off-property pool bars during off-work hours, and I’m going to have a carefree and amazing week.”
“That’s a fictional character you’re talking about,” Sheridan said. “I should know. I made her up. You may have fooled everyone else with that supposed wild streak, but I know you’ve been celibate for almost a year now. You’re not going out to party.”
“Well your girl is putting on her bikini and heading to the Enigma beach bar.” She tossed the suit on to the bed, then pulled her dress over her head and lobbed it on to a shelf in the wardrobe closet.
“That’s the wine talking,” Sheridan insisted.
Yeah, the wine was talking. Bethany reached for the new Max Mara dress she’d carelessly tossed aside and carefully settled it on a hanger. There was no use in abusing her clothing to prove a point.
“But it’s not just the wine. I’ve decided to let loose and have some fun.”
“You’re such a fake,” Sheridan said. “You think that just because you hooked up with a few guys in the past century I can’t see right through you?”
“What are you talking about? I’m a heartless bitch who has no problem enjoying a man and walking away in the morning,” she lied.
“Right. Remember the Swede we met at Dana’s Fourth of July party?” Sheridan asked, but didn’t give her a chance to answer. “I saw him again at a Labor Day BBQ. He wanted to know where my friend, Leah, had been hiding. Then that guy from Stephen’s Halloween party?”
“Yeah, Luke,” Bethany said with a longing sigh. She remembered Luke well. Charming and extremely well-built, he had been wonderfully adventurous, making her rethink her one night only policy. “He had lots of talent.”
“Right,” Sheridan quipped. “Luke wanted to reconnect with the beautiful Mara.”
Laughing, she almost choked on her wine. “So?”
“Listen, you geek, not being real with handsome men doesn’t make you a cold-hearted bitch. It makes you a wimp.”
Sure she had a thing for Star Wars characters, and maybe she did take the easy way out of explaining who she was, but she wasn’t a wimp. She was a Jedi. Raising a pretend lightsaber, she slashed doubt in half and cut a doorway to opportunity. The geek in her couldn’t help but giggle. She liked it.
Bethany laughed more, and felt relieved and much better than at the beginning of the conversation. And she almost had Sheridan convinced she could handle the fiasco when they disconnected. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror and gave herself a thumbs-up.
“I’m going to make this deal happen and have a good time doing it—right after I sleep off the wine.”
Bethany dove on to the plush mattress, pulled a feather pillow against her body, and closed her eyes. But once again, the quiet didn’t last.
* * *
“Bethany, are you in?”
She pulled a second pillow tight around her ears, choosing to ignore him.
“You know I can see you through these shutters,” Justin said. “Come on, open the door and let me in. I come bearing a peace offering.”
Just wonderful. He could see her, sprawled on the bed, still in her panties. “Turn your back to the door and give me a minute.”
She glanced at the narrow opening between the shutters, and when she was sure he had turned away, she got up and pulled the dress she’d worn earlier off the hanger. Slipping it over her head, she walked across the room.
“What can I do for you, Justin?” she said, pulling on the heavy door.
He turned and offered her a frothy iced coffee. “Freddo cappuccino? Sweet and with plenty of extra milk.”
“Thank you,” she said, accepting the treat. “You didn’t have to.”
“I did. Actually, I had to have an excuse to knock on your door,” he said, looking every bit as heart-stopping as he had earlier. The difference was the humility in his eyes. “I know I was off-base during lunch, but I didn’t see a problem with our knowing each other. I still don’t. However, I do see your point and accept it.”
Holding the tall glass, she folded her arms across her chest and looked into his chocolate-colored eyes. The same loving and sincere man she’d known stared back at her, melting away any opposition she had to him. No hidden agenda. No ulterior motive. He was here to make things good between them, and she hated she could see that.
“I get it,” he said, tipping her chin up with a finger when she tried to look away. “Your father will be his typical asshole self and give you a hard time about my relationship with Paul. Considering our past, and my relationship with Kosta’s nephew, he’d give you a lot of shit and make you miserable. I’m sorry I added to the drama.”
“It’s not drama yet,” Bethany said. “The drama is what I’m trying to avoid.”
“I do get it. Seriously,” he said, motioning for her to come out and join him at the little blue table poolside. “Can we talk?”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded. He’d come to apologize, something she knew he rarely did. Something he rarely needed to do. And, he’d remembered how she liked her coffee. She couldn’t stay annoyed with him, but she wouldn’t allow herself to be susceptible to his charm again.
“We can talk, but you need to accept that this is going to be a trying week for both of us. We need to get along, no matter our past.” She pulled the door behind her and walked to the table, placing the iced coffee in the middle. “Can you do that, Justin?”
“I can do that. I will do that,” he said, pulling over a chair for her to sit on.
She swore she could see hope in his handsome face. He actually looked happy about the situation. She sat, and he placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Now let’s enjoy our coffee and cookies, and we’ll be caught—
“Cookies?”
“Cookies,” he said with a grin. After reaching into the large pocket of his cargo shorts, he retrieved a baggie with mountain-peak-shaped powdered sugar sweets.
“But not just any cookies.” He unzipped the baggie and the delicious aroma of rose water and almonds filled the air. Leaning over her, he removed each cookie and placed it on the makeshift plate from the plastic bag. “Amygdalota. Think of an almond marzipan cookie, with a Mykonian twist.”
“I love almonds.”
“I know.”
Chapter Seven
“I went through hell convincing the resor
t’s baker to let me carry his precious amygdalota in a baggie, so we’re going to eat every last crumb.” Justin raised a fingertip covered in powdered sugar to his mouth and licked it. “They’re a specialty on the island, and a treat in the afternoon.”
“I can smell how good they are,” she said.
He squatted beside her and brushed a sugar-coated thumb over her lips. “Taste.”
It was intimate and familiar, and her need argued with her common sense, but he wasn’t totally off base. Her pulse raced and excitement sizzled to her core. Heat flushed her cheeks, but she didn’t pull back. She tasted, and he smiled.
“Don’t look so scared, sweetheart. I promise that I won’t ask anything of you you’re uncomfortable with,” Justin said, pressing his thumb to her mouth to keep her from objecting. “You’ve chosen your career and your father’s ambitions for yourself, and I respect that. By us breaking up all those years ago, it’s clear you don’t want an intimate relationship with me. We cannot be lovers as we once were, and I respect that, too.”
Pride battled want in her brain, and she was honestly thankful he wouldn’t let her speak. She would probably blurt out the truth and sound pathetic, because as far as she remembered, she hadn’t said anything about not wanting him. Yet, his assumption helped her save face. She’d take it.
“Before we were lovers, you were my best friend. When you wouldn’t speak to me, I thought I’d lost you forever.” He cupped the side of her face and stroked her cheek with gentle fingers. “I miss you terribly, Bethy. I miss my friend, my confidant, and I want to have you in my life again.”
She missed him, too. She leaned into the assurance of his palm. “Do you really believe we can be friends after all that’s happened?”
“I do.”
“And what about Paul? Won’t he mind?” Worried she’d find the answer in the strong set of his jaw, she let her gaze wander over his shoulder to the blue of the sea.
“No. Paul won’t mind anything at all when it comes to you,” Justin said in a contemplative tone. “Look at me, sweetheart.” He moved his palm from her face, down her arm, and took her hand in his. “I have never lied to you, and I’m not going to start now. So, I will admit that we do have a very real problem.”
The nervous flutter filled her belly again, and she tried pulling her hand back, but he held tight and squeezed.
“Look at me,” he repeated.
She met his gaze and shook her head. She could lie to herself all she wanted, but the truth stared her in the face. He mattered to her. He mattered big.
“Okay,” she whispered, wetting her lips and tasting the remnants of the sugar. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and for a second, she thought he was going to kiss her.
He didn’t.
He cleared his throat and sat back on his chair, tugging her slightly forward as he kept her hand in both of his. Justin had never shied away from physical affection, so it wasn’t a surprise when he fit their joined hands between his knees and rubbed his thumb over her wrist.
“I know this will be difficult, but it will only be difficult for the next week or so. Once the resort issue is settled, we’ll be just fine. We’ll get past this together.”
“It can’t happen if it makes problems for you and Paul. I’m not a homewrecker.”
“Stop,” Justin said, his dark gaze going darker with annoyance. “Don’t ever think I would disrespect you in such a way. I would never ask you to compromise a tiny shred of your integrity or values.”
Still holding her hand with his left, he reached for the coffee with his right and offered it to her. When she accepted it, and had taken a sip of the creamy concoction, he reached for his own drink.
“First, Paul is very open-minded. Second, I love him with no limits. He is my partner in every sense of the word, and I see myself spending my entire life with him.” Justin’s demeanor calmed, and the brightness in his eyes when he spoke of Paul put that love on display. “Third, he already knows everything about you and me.”
“Everything?” Bethany interrupted, her cheeks heating at some of the memories of their intense lovemaking marathons. Embarrassment flamed at the remembrance of her admission to wanting to know what it would be like with two men. Two men exactly like Paul and Justin.
As if reading her thoughts, he chuckled and leaned in, brushing his lips over her forehead.
“Everything,” he repeated. “And there is nothing to be bashful about. He gets it, and he really, really, really appreciates it. After you left us on the ferry, he was all into making that double-teamed fantasy of yours a reality.”
“He knows?”
Justin shrugged, dismissing any concern. “Sweetheart, Paul and I have been together a long time. We share everything. A scenario like that fantasy is one of the biggest turn-ons for both of us. Why wouldn’t we talk about it? Is there something wrong with three people sharing something so phenomenal?”
“No,” she said in a whisper, excited at the scene playing out in her mind. “But—is Paul into—ah, I can’t formulate it right.”
“No worries,” Justin said. “He was openly interested in making that fantasy real for all of us, but I explained it was not an option between us. There is too much of a past between us to entertain a temporary physical relationship.”
“Why is that? Is he or is he not bisexual? Is it a one-time fantasy for him to be with a woman?”
“Paul has been with women, can appreciate women, and would absolutely please a woman.” He reached for an almond peak and popped the whole thing in his mouth, giving her time to digest his words while he ate. “It simply cannot work between the three of us.”
“Why not?” She hadn’t meant to speak aloud. She covered her mouth the second the words were out and regretted her innate openness when she was with Justin. Control, she thought. Keep your daydreams private. “Scratch that. Just speaking to myself.”
His intensely dark gaze swept over her, but thankfully he didn’t respond immediately. He swallowed, took a deep breath, and reached for his coffee.
“Sweetheart, there is nothing temporary when it comes to you. You’re an everything and forever kind of woman. Too precious. Too addicting. Too real.”
Studying his body language, she could see he’d been just as surprised by her question as she’d been when she’d heard her own words. She wished she could take it back, but she’d put it out there and he wasn’t the kind of man to ignore it. Maybe, just maybe, she could get what she truly wanted if she went about it carefully.
Since Paul was into it, and Justin and Bethany already knew how good it had been between them in the past, maybe they could make a casual relationship work? Maybe a fling for while they were on the island?
Sipping on her freddo, she considered how and if she should continue sharing. She was a mature woman. She had wants and desires. She didn’t fall apart because sex didn’t lead to a happily ever after. Instead, she’d learned to live in the moment. Why not?
“J, I’ve changed, grown, a lot in the past few years,” she said, nibbling on the delicious cookie and choosing her words carefully. “There’s nothing intimidating about a physical relationship. I’m a big girl now. In spite of this uptight professional appearance, I know how to enjoy my time off, and I do. I plan on enjoying every moment I have to myself in this gorgeous place. Don’t go making assumptions you have no clue about.”
Nodding, he stood and pulled his shirt over his head, exposing a perfectly sculpted chest. Her mouth went dry, and she swallowed at the reminder of how great it would feel to run her fingers over that sprinkling of dark curls. Time had been good to him. Really good.
“Go get your suit on,” he said, “and we’ll continue this heated conversation while we swim. Or we don’t continue the conversation and just swim. Your choice.”
Within five seconds, a decade disappeared. He flicked the button at his waist and let his shorts slip past his slender hips. He wore a bathing suit, but the outline of his i
mpressive package wasn’t lost in the simple blue material.
“Okay,” she said, needing the distance to calm her own reaction. She stopped and turned back to face him. “Snapshot?”
“What?”
“Sheridan is worried. Want to let her know we’re good,” she said, sidling up next to him and holding her phone out.
He laughed and took it from her. “Pirates?”
“Pirates,” she agreed, and smiled for the camera.
He took the snap, selected Sheridan’s contact, and hit share. Before she’d managed to take her phone back, her sister’s reply flashed on the screen.
WTF?
* * *
Tempted, but not fooled, Justin tore his attention from the beautiful woman and walked to the pool’s edge.
He had to think with his head, not his cock, and watching those sweet curves for the few feet it had taken for her to disappear inside the door was difficult. Large pupils, flushed skin, and hard nipples all meant she was just as susceptible as he was, so he had to be the grownup and make sure their reunion was permanent. No matter how much he wanted her beneath him—again.
After diving into the cold water, he swam the length of the pool and willed common sense to return. While Bethany had spoken the words every man fantasized about, carnal ecstasy, with no commitment, he knew better. He knew her.
No sex. No ménage. No fantasy.
It didn’t matter how perfect it would be for him to make love to the two people that mattered most in his life. The need to protect her from potential pain resurfaced and took priority. He found the resolve to stay strong.
Making a flip turn for the fifth lap, he glimpsed her approach in his peripheral vision and swam toward the dark-haired beauty in the crocheted bikini. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she replied, sitting on the edge of the pool.