One Week in Greece

by Demi Alex

  “What happened? Tell me.”

  But Bethany walked out, wrapped in a towel, and he saw how distracted Paul was by her cute little butt swaying its sweet way to the nightstand for a pair of panties.

  “Not yet,” Paul said. “We need to talk all together.”

  “We can order room service,” Bethany said. “I don’t mind staying in.”

  “No. Get your things. We’re not staying here. We’re spending the night at Christo’s villa,” Paul repeated. “The three of us, as it should be, with no interruptions or concerns. Just the three of us.”

  “I can’t think of a better way to spend the night.” Justin smiled at Paul and walked over to Bethany, running his finger along the edge of her towel. “We can have breakfast in bed. Once again, the three of us.”

  “Please let Bethany dress,” Paul said. “We seriously need to talk, and I can’t think past the two of you in towels.”

  “Talk can be overrated. And I’ve got all morning for breakfast,” Justin continued.

  “I’m meeting Christo at eight,” Bethany said.

  “That would be nine,” Paul and Justin said in unison.

  She laughed and the whole room appeared to temporarily brighten. “Fine. Nine. I’ll text him to let him know.”

  “I’ll do it. You go get ready.” Justin pulled off the towel as she attempted to walk away. “Paul is right. I can’t think with you strutting around all naked.”

  She giggled and walked into the dressing area.

  “It would be nine, if you were meeting him,” Paul added. “I don’t think you will be though,” he called. “We have a lot to discuss.” Paul stepped to Justin and placed his hands on his hips. “But fuck, no matter what shit happens, she feels right. How did we get so lucky with her?”

  “I think it’s a three-way charm,” Justin said, sealing his mouth to Paul’s and kissing him long and slow. “I love you, Paul.”

  “I love you more.”

  Justin turned and found Bethany standing in the doorway in only her panties.

  “Sorry,” she said, looking away, discomfort in her defensive stance. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I forgot my bra.”

  “No sorry needed,” Justin said, extending his arm. “Please come here.”

  She didn’t move, she simply stared, and a solitary tear slid down her cheek.

  Paul went to her and pulled her into his embrace. “Don’t ever, ever think you’re interrupting anything. We don’t hide from each other. Okay?”

  He tipped her chin up and she nodded.

  “But baby, we have a problem.”

  “I know,” she whispered. “It’s okay. I knew from the start.”

  “You don’t know,” Paul insisted, pressing his palm against the side of her neck, tangling his fingers into her hair, and looking into her eyes. “Your father is here.” He turned to Justin. “I met with him in the office.”

  Justin’s blood rushed through his veins and pounded in his head. Edward Michaels had once again superseded his plans.

  “He’s not sup…supposed to be he…here until the day after tom…tomorrow,” Bethany, stammered.

  “He’s here,” Paul said.

  She pushed out of Paul’s arms and scrambled to the armoire, before tossing clothes on to the bed. “I have to see him. Talk with him.”

  History wasn’t going to repeat itself. No fucking way.

  “No,” Justin said, wrapping his fingers around her arm like a man in need of a life ring, and insisting she meet his gaze. “You will not see him until we’ve talked. I need you to hear me. Paul needs you to hear him. Your father will not fill your head with bullshit again. You’ll hear us out. This is about us.”

  “It’s okay.” Trembling, she looked from him to Paul, and worried her lower lip. “I know,” she said. “It’s obvious. You don’t need to explain.”

  “Good,” Paul said, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re all in agreement.”

  “We are. We’re good.” Smoothing her hand over Justin’s bicep, she gave a meek smile. “We thought we had more time, but now it’s up.”

  “Nothing is up,” Justin replied, his body going stiff at her wrong assumption. “Nothing.” Realizing his hold was too strong, he loosened his grip and smoothed over her soft flesh. “Paul said we’re heading to the villa to be alone. Your father doesn’t get to see you until we’ve had our say.”

  “Where is he?”

  “He’s on the terrace having dinner with his assistant. They’re making up your old room for him as we speak,” Paul said, stepping up and twirling a strand of her hair in his fingers. “Rachel will be getting this room. We’re leaving. Christo told him you’re on an island excursion, so he’s not expecting you to answer calls or meet with him tonight. Keep your phone off.”

  “We have one more night?” Bethany asked, moisture glittering in her eyes.

  “We don’t want one more night, sweetheart,” Justin said.

  “We want everything,” Paul clarified.

  * * *

  “Please, koukla mou.” Paul offered her his hand, squatting beside the car door and staring at her. “Give us a chance, Bethany. Please.”

  She placed her hand in his, but didn’t move. Bethany didn’t trust her legs to walk into the villa. She couldn’t. She’d run from her life for one more night of fantasy…a fantasy her heart ached for and couldn’t deny.

  Paul leaned in, secured his arms beneath her knees, and lifted her like it was nothing for him to carry her in hold.

  “Don’t think so much,” Justin said, as he came to them and touched his lips to her forehead. “We’re going to make this happen. No one will stand in our way.” He glanced up at Paul and nodded. “Door’s open. I’ll get our things.”

  Not willing to miss out on a single moment they had left together, she wrapped her arms around Paul’s neck and rested her cheek against his chest. “Can we watch the sun set?”

  “Anything you want,” he said, carrying her inside the home and directly to the terrace. He kicked out a chair, and still cradling her, he sat. “We’ll deal with your father in the morning. Let’s celebrate tonight.”

  It was the last night of completion for her, so celebrating seemed a bit difficult.

  “She didn’t hear us, love,” Justin said. “We may be talking together, but we’re hearing different things.” He placed a single wine glass on the table and poured from a carafe. “We’re going to start from the beginning.”

  “You don’t need to explain,” she said, squirming to sit up. She’d known what she was getting into, and she didn’t expect them to reciprocate her feelings and desires. It was naïve to think it possible for them to fall in love.

  “Fuck,” Paul said, squeezing her hip. “I’m so dense. I just realized why you’ve been quiet and sullen.” Then he laughed, laughed loud, and playfully nibbled on her neck. “I’m such an ass. I thought you were worried about your father. Don’t be. Trust me.”

  She looked into his amber-colored eyes for clarification. Gold specks danced in the brown, and she saw the twinkle of relief.

  “What are we in agreement about?” She closed her eyes and braced for the truth.

  “Look at me, Bethany,” Justin said, caressing her hand. “I loved you years ago, but I fucked up and I lost you. I never thought I’d be able to love or let myself be loved again, until I met Paul. I love him, and I’m so damn lucky he loves me.”

  “I know,” she said, biting her lip to keep it from trembling.

  “But I love you more today than I did all those years ago,” he continued, clasping her hand in his and bringing it to his mouth. He placed a kiss in the center of her palm and looked into her eyes. “I’m asking you to love me.”

  Sucking in a breath, she blinked to keep his face in focus. “You know I do. I’ve always loved you, J.”

  She not only loved him, she was in love with him.

  “Baby, I never thought I’d fall for someone else th
e way I had for Justin. I was wrong. So very wrong.” Paul closed his hand around both of hers and Justin’s. “I have. I love you so deep it hurts to think I could wake up without you. So like Justin, I’m asking you to love me.”

  Bethany couldn’t see past the blur of tears. “I do love you.”

  She was in love with two men.

  “Then breathe,” Justin said. “Just breathe, honey.”

  “You love me, too?” Paul asked, hugging her close and crushing that breath Justin had insisted she take. “You really love me? Not a convenient love by association? But like in love with me? Like I’m in love with you?”

  “Of course I’m in love with you,” she said, giggling as he rubbed his nose against hers. “I love you, Paul Lallas. I do.” Running a fingertip along the stubble on his jaw, she smiled against his mouth and sealed her lips to his, pouring every feeling she’d held back into the man.

  No longer worried that she could love only one man or concerned that only one man could love her.

  “I love you, Justin Bentley,” she said, resting her forehead against Paul’s chin as she turned to look at the tall, dark, and handsome man who had held her heart for over a decade. “I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  Justin raised his arm high in the air, high-fived Paul as if he’d just won a prize, then scooped her into his arms, pressed her to his chest, and twirled her until she was dizzy with joy. He placed her on Paul’s lap, wrapped his arms around both of them, and crushed his mouth to hers.

  Laughing Paul held them both, and Justin looked up and reached to pull him close. Bethany’s heart swelled as their lips met, tongues stroked, and sensual growls came to the surface.

  “I may not deserve this much happiness, but I’m not a fool to let it slip from my hands.” With a finger on her chin, Justin turned her face up to Paul’s, and kissed them both. “I love you.”

  The “you”…well, it was in its plural form, and it was perfect.

  “There’s a reason for everything,” she breathed against their lips. “Everything. All those years I’d thought Justin had done me wrong I’d loved him.”

  “There’s a fine line between love and hate,” Justin admitted.

  “Wait. Hear me out,” she insisted. “You said you thought you’d never find love again, yet you love Paul, and Paul loves you. It’s because of what happened that we’re all together now. We, I, have Paul, too. It’s the three of us.”

  “I would have found you both,” Paul said, straightening his back. “I’m not about to thank your father for that. I have a difficult time being in the same room as him after what he did to you.”

  Justin could identify. No longer the insecure college student, he wanted the opportunity to confront the man. But the look of despair in Bethany’s eyes kept him levelheaded and focused. He had her.

  “Don’t worry, Bethy. We know he’s your father, and we know you love him,” Justin said, watching the hope bloom in her gaze. “We won’t do anything stupid, but we will not let him or anyone else keep us apart. Do you hear me? You’re ours and we’re yours. That’s what counts.”

  She sighed, and looked to Paul. He nodded.

  Then her phone sounded from inside the house.

  “Do not answer it,” Paul said, tightening his hold on her hip.

  “I want to. It’s Sheridan. I texted her on the way up.” She scrambled to her feet and ran for the phone. “Hello?”

  Paul had stood up and was beside Justin, arms crossed, watching her through the door. She nodded and paced, but her expression was surprisingly tolerant.

  “Are you sure?” Bethany asked, sounding just a little panicked.

  Paul started for her, but Justin placed a hand on his arm.

  “Sheridan is great. They’re very close. And Bethy loves her so much. Actually, she even loves the dickhead. So, we cannot isolate her from either one. We need to find the right answer,” he said in a low voice.

  “Layover in Zurich…when….now? You’re boarding?” Bethany asked. She turned and looked at them, then covering the microphone, she pointed to the ground. Sheridan is coming, she mouthed

  “Okay, sis. No problem…I’m fine…Really.” She rummaged through her laptop case and pulled out a business card. “Yes. It’s still the same. He’ll keep it on. I’m turning my phone off, so write down Paul’s number, too. Just in case.”

  They walked to her and leaned in on either side. Justin held out his phone and snapped a picture.

  “Sheridan, is your number still the same?” Justin asked.

  “Yes,” came from the phone.

  “Don’t power off yet,” he called, and selected her contact. “I’m sending you a picture.”

  He typed:

  Fly well, little sis. Send me flight info. We’ll meet the plane. Love you, J.

  He hit send, and sent both the picture of the three of them standing in Christo’s living room and the text message. He also sent Paul Sheridan’s contact info.

  I love you, J. We’ll keep Paul, too. He’s hot. Now take care of my sis…or I’ll have to kick your butt. xoxo

  “I think we need more wine,” Bethany said, then snaked her hands around Paul’s waist and leaned into him. “Daddy already knows about you…both of you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Good,” Paul said. “That should make it easier on you when we meet with him.”

  Bethany inhaled and closed her eyes. We meet with him? She hadn’t expected that and hadn’t considered the outcome of such a meeting. It would be best to get him one on one and pave the way to such a meeting.

  “I’m not sure—”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Justin said, not waiting for her to complete her thought. “You’re not going alone. Don’t say it. Don’t even think it.”

  “Edward Michaels is not going to tell you what he thinks he knows about us without Justin and I being at your side. That’s just something you’re going to have to get used to. We’re not stepping away for anyone.”

  Her insides quivered, and while she should have been annoyed with the caveman attitude, she liked it.

  “Sweetheart, look at me,” Justin said, squeezing her hand and standing silently at her side until she looked up. “I know you love your father. And while we do not like the man, we will respect your wishes when it comes to any relationship you want with him.”

  “I’m not sure—”

  “We’re sure,” Paul said. “We want you happy, so we’re not going to make you choose. We’ll find a way to deal with what we feel.”

  Justin led them back to the terrace, bypassed the chairs, and indicated a lounger. Justin straddled the seat, with his back against the cushion. She sat between his thighs, and Paul straddled the length of the seat facing her, placing her legs by his hips. Intertwining her fingers with Paul’s, she leaned her back on Justin’s chest and stared at the setting sun.

  Justin reached for their glass and held it while Paul poured. They sat, passed the glass hand to hand, and sipped on the homemade wine, not speaking as the sun disappeared beneath the horizon.

  “Am I supposed to feel upset, apprehensive, and nervous as crap?” Bethany finally asked, gaining puzzled looks from both men. Instead of bursting into tears, she burst out in laughter. “Call me crazy, but this feels real good right about now.”

  Downing the glass of the wine, Justin shook his head and smirked. “You, my love, are a real wonder.”

  “She certainly is,” Paul said, laughing with her, caressing her thighs, and falling on to her. “If we didn’t have Mr. Serious watching us, I’d show you exactly how good it could feel.”

  “Show me. Go for it,” she said, cupping his jaw and planting a noisy kiss on his lips. “I swear, either I’m totally nuts, or the wine is really potent.” Free and comfortable, she kissed Paul again, then turned her face up to Justin.

  “It’s called shock,” Mr. Serious said. “Sweetheart, you’re in shock.”

  She stopped laugh
ing and let the thought sink in. Maybe it was shock? Not only was she in love with two men, but she actually believed she had a chance in hell of getting her father’s blessing.

  “Then what am I supposed to do?”

  “Well, we missed the catamaran sailing, so we can stay here and harp on your father ruining our immediate plans, or we can enjoy a night out on the town and celebrate how much quicker we’ve realized what’s meant to be,” Paul said, standing and holding his arms out to them.

  “Celebrate,” Justin said, cupping her butt and lifting her off the seat. “Take us to that cute little Love Nest perched on the top of the hill that overlooks the port. I’ve wanted to go forever, but for one reason or the other, we’ve never been there.”

  “Bethany is that reason,” Paul said, taking her hand and pulling her up to him. “Tis Agapis H Folia is meant to be our special place. The first place we eat as an official…”

  “Ménage a trois?” she offered, searching for the right term. “Couple threesome? Triad? Affair? Relationship?”

  “No, baby. The name of the place actually translates as Love Nest. And there’s not a term good enough to define what we have. This is not a temporary physical tryst.”

  “We’re in this together. Always,” Justin added. “No definitions or restrictions on what we have. There’s no giving up on us.”

  “What about other people?” Bethany asked, her chest going tight anticipating their response. “You said no restrictions. Did that mean no commitment—no exclusivity?”

  A growl rose in Paul’s throat. “Call me a selfish asshole, but I’m not good with that. I want it to be us. Only us.” His gaze narrowed and fine lines formed on his forehead. “Fuck it. You may think I’m easy going and open to everything, but I’m not. I want my family to be my family. I want you for myself.”

  Her thoughts flitted back to the morning. She’d been alone with Paul, made love with Paul, and Justin hadn’t been there. She’d awakened to Paul and Justin entangled in a passionate kiss, and she’d liked it. A lot. There’d been no jealousy or possessiveness. Then, she’d been with Justin in the pool, and there was no denying how good it felt to be wrapped around him, kissing him, loving him. If it wasn’t for the conference call, she was sure they would have ended up doing more than showering together.