One Week in Greece

by Demi Alex

  “Don’t get that look, sweetheart. He’s not referring to us.” Justin glanced at Paul, and Paul shook his head. “What happens between the three of us, two of us, two of you, well, all that is…well, it just is. And, fuck, but I get hard at the thought of the two of you together. It’s one of the few fantasies I could imagine while I’m working myself.”

  “I’m down with that,” Paul said, flashing her a big grin. “I’m not putting a number requirement on what happens between us. Two. Three. I’m happy with that. I don’t feel the need for anyone else. Justin and I have had the opportunity to discuss what we want from a family, so I believe he feels the same.”

  “I do,” Justin agreed. “All I want and need is the two of you. But Bethany, do you want something different?”

  They both looked at her, uncertainty and concern written all over their faces. The irony of the situation didn’t escape them, so they felt the same guilt she’d had at the previous thoughts. Damn, she loved them. Loved the way they loved each other. And loved the way they loved her.

  “No. You are what I want.” They released synchronized breaths and the fist squeezing her chest also released. “I want you. Need only you.” And then she couldn’t hold back the tears. “Tears of happiness,” she managed between sniffles. “You’re everything I could ever want. Even more.”

  “You and Paul are my world, I will do everything in my power to deserve you.” Justin’s thumb feathered over her cheek.

  She turned into his hand and placed a kiss in the center of his palm. “This is crazy, but I’m totally and completely in love with two men.”

  “Yup. It’s great.” Justin grinned and Paul laughed.

  She took their hands and led them inside. “Where?”

  “Upstairs,” Paul said. “Second door on the left.”

  * * *

  Tis Agapis H Folia was everything Justin had hoped for. They looked across at the illuminated windmills and the lights of the harbor glittering on the water, enjoying their first meal as an official…couple…threesome…team…whatever…the name didn’t matter. They were them. Pure and simple. Together.

  “I knew there was a reason I always preferred peanut butter and jelly as my afternoon snack. It’s just like our initials say. Together we rule the world.”

  “Hey, I like that,” Bethany said, a big smile warming his heart. “That’s what we are. We’re an official PB&J. That’s us. Just us.”

  “PB&J? I think the two of you have had too much wine,” Paul said, laughing and shaking his head. “But, hey, I’ll stick.”

  “And then will you drive us home and take advantage of us?” Bethany cooed, sounding so cute and corny.

  “Sweetheart, I think it’s you who is going to take advantage of us.”

  She nodded in eager agreement, and once again they all laughed.

  Paul raised his hand and cocked his head, a sober look settling on his handsome face. “I hate to put a damper on our night or stop the laughter, but we have some serious decisions to make.”

  “I may be the one obsessed with details, but he connects the dots on the whole picture.” Justin smoothed his hand over Bethany’s nape and urged her to relax. “Go on. We’re listening, love.”

  “Being on the island, having the villa to ourselves, and enjoying time alone has the tendency to shield us from the daily challenges we’ll encounter.” He poured water, rather than wine, and drank the whole glass. He was clearly feeling the strain.

  “Okay,” Justin said, resting his forearm on the table, because the same concerns had played on a continuous loop in his mind since the moment Paul and he had realized that Bethany was not an option, but a necessity for them. “First, we need to agree on where to live.”

  “Where do you live in New York?” Bethany asked.

  “We’ve been renting near the office,” Paul said. “It’s nice. Large enough for all of us, and we can—”

  “I just bought a place on the Upper East Side,” she said. “It’s in need of a lot, and I mean a lot, of work, but it has three bedrooms and a killer view.”

  It was Justin’s turn to stress, but clearly sensing his hesitation, Bethany placed a hand on his arm and squeezed.

  “J, it’s mine, not my dad’s,” she said in a low voice. “I know how you feel about accepting anything from anyone else, but it’s part of me. Me—not a stranger. If we’re doing this, we accept what we each bring into this relationship. I bought the coop knowing I wouldn’t be able to fix it for a long, long time, but it’s a sweet little piece of heaven for me. I want that little piece of heaven for us.”

  Justin met Paul’s gaze. This trust thing had to go all ways for it to work. He nodded.

  “Hold on, Bethy. We can find a place to live that will be that little piece of heaven and won’t need a lot of work. Will that make you happy?”

  “This place makes me happy,” she said, and the bubbly smile, which reached all the way to her eyes, returned. “The view is magical.”

  “It needs work?” Paul asked.

  “It does,” she said, shrugging and fitting her hands beneath her thighs. She rocked side to side as she explained how the balcony was perfect, but the bathroom and kitchen nozzles needed a little extra wiggling to work properly.

  “Renovations don’t scare me,” he said, clearly happy to see her so enthusiastic. “I will take care of the nozzles when we get back. We’ll hire contractors as needed, and we’ll make it beautiful. Your dream place.”

  “Our dream place,” she corrected.

  “Or we can find a place that doesn’t need as much work,” Justin said. “As long as we’re together, I’m happy.”

  “Don’t listen to him, koukla mou.” Paul glanced at Justin and made a slicing gesture across his throat. “You should have seen the dump Justin made us live in until City Wings got off the ground. We’re not leaving the housing decision to him. It’s us, baby. You and me. Not him.”

  “Hey,” Justin said, trying hard to find a compromise and defend himself at the same time.

  “No hey,” Paul said. “It’s two to one, Justin. That’s your compromise.”

  Fuck he was screwed. The man could read his mind.

  After all the years together, after all the compromises Paul had made so Justin could contribute the same amount of money for their lifestyle, it was his turn to compromise. Taking a deep breath, he nodded, and draped his arm around Bethy’s back.

  “Our dream place,” Justin said, touching his lips to her cheek. “Ours.”

  “Finally.” She smiled, turned, and kissed him full on the mouth. “Thank you.”

  From the way she gushed happiness, one would think he’d bought her dream home. Paul just shook his head, beaming like a proud patriarch, because he also knew what it meant for Justin to agree. There was nothing simple about it, but fuck it was worth being subjected to hurt in order to have them. Anything was worth it.

  “Cut it out,” Justin groaned, staring at Paul, but holding Bethy against him.

  She kissed his forehead, then his chin, kissed along his jaw, and returned to his mouth. “I love you, J. Love you so much.”

  “Now that we have a place to live, we need to discuss work, careers, objectives.” Incredibly prepared and discerning, Paul always amazed with his attention to the big picture. “We’re already accomplished and making our way in the business world. And we need to merge our lives, while no one sacrifices anything dear to his or her heart that can cause resentment. I know this kind of talk isn’t romantic. I’m sorry if I’m killing the buzz. I promise a long, sexy getaway…location of your choice…when it’s all settled.”

  “How about Santorini?” Bethany asked. “A cave house on the Caldera?”

  “Done,” Paul said. “Now let’s deal with the boring stuff. I don’t want any more surprises from the outside.”

  “You’re right.” Justin placed his hand palm up on the table and waited for Paul to smooth his own over it. He did, gripping his wri
st in a show of understanding. “And we need to be in agreement on what we want before tomorrow. Details and all.”

  “Yes,” Paul said. Nothing else was needed.

  Bethany placed a smaller hand over both of theirs. “Let’s get down to business.”

  The gold specks in the brown depths of Paul’s eyes seemed to spark, as he cleared his throat and looked at Bethany. “Christo, Sheridan, and most likely Kosta by now, know about our relationship, but I’d like to suggest we tell anyone else that matters together.”

  “Specifically my father,” Bethany said, straightening and pulling back her hand.

  “Your father has separated us in the past.” Justin knew the words hurt her, but he couldn’t ignore the truth. Honest and forthcoming. They had to be. “Whether because of communication, timing, or intent, we were both hurt. I won’t let that happen again.”

  “Neither will I,” Paul said, still holding her gaze.

  Bethany worried her lower lip, closed her eyes, and nodded. “Okay.”

  Paul exhaled and rose from his seat, reaching across the table and caressing her neck. He came beside her and lowered his head.

  “Way to compromise, koukla mou,” he whispered against her mouth. “I love you. Never doubt that, Bethany. I love you.”

  Her chest heaved and she closed the distance between them, caressing his cheek and touching her lips to his. “I love you, Paul.”

  Sliding his chair close, Paul sat beside them. “We are three, and there are three things to consider: Luxury Homes, City Wings, and Vaso’s Dream.”

  “Luxury Homes is Bethany’s domain,” Justin said, hoping that Paul would present her with the opportunity to run Vaso’s Dream. “She can deal with it as she sees fit. I have City Wings. Trust me?”

  “Completely,” Paul said, grinning at him. “And I’ll see to Vaso’s Dream.”

  “I guess that means you want me to walk away from the acquisition,” Bethany said, sad, but acquiescent. “You are what matters most to me. I will.”

  “No walking away from what we want. You don’t ever walk away,” Justin said. “Kosta has offered the resort to Paul. Are you okay with spending our summers in Greece?”

  “Yes,” she breathed. “So okay.”

  Paul stood, dropped some bills on the table, and hurried them from the restaurant.

  “You do know the waiter was just bringing out the main course, right?” Justin asked, chuckling as they walked, each with a hand at Bethany’s elbows, her feet barely skimming the ground.

  “My appetite is for something else,” Paul replied.

  Without any objection from Justin or Bethany, he took them home and showed them exactly what he was in the mood for. Hours later, he carried a platter of cheese, olives, sausage, and bread to their bed.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Pavlaki, siko.

  Siko, Pavlaki.

  A beam of light crept into the room, and reflected off the glass featuring the predawn sky. Paul disentangled his leg from between Justin’s thighs and smoothed his palm over Bethany’s shoulder, then turned to look at the open door. Recognizing the broad figure illuminated in the light, calling for him to wake up, he raised his arm in acknowledgement.

  Marveling at how deep they both slept, Paul grinned and left the bed. He reached into his duffel bag and felt for a pair of gym shorts, stepping into them before he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Christo had the briki on the portable gas burner, warming water for Greek coffee.

  “I thought you weren’t coming home tonight,” Paul said, dropping into a chair.

  “It’s morning. Six o’clock. And we have a new problem.”

  “Ochi, pote problima.” Paul looked at his cousin, conveying their situation was never a problem. “They’re mine. Both mine. And I don’t care what anyone thinks about it. No one will hurt my family.”

  “Michaels requested a private meeting. You, me, Theo, and him. His professional demeanor is gone.” He scooped two heaping teaspoons of the dark powder into the water, added four of sugar, stirred, and stared at the mixture. “Family, eh?”

  “Justin, Bethany, and I are together. Forever.”

  “Pavlaki, a fun, summer romance is one thing. Forever is different.” Christo glanced at him. “There are major consequences with such an arrangement.”

  “There are major consequences without it. We’ve thought about it, and we’re willing to deal with anything that comes our way.”

  “Where will you live?” Christo lifted the briki and poured the creamy coffee into two demitasse cups.

  “I’m going to talk with Theo about his offer. We’ll stay on Mykonos for the summer.” It made sense. It gave them the opportunity to adjust and enjoy.

  “What about your company?”

  “Justin is figuring it out.”

  Christo placed the coffee on the table, wiped a palm down his face, and sat across from him. “Okay. So you have a plan for the immediate future and work, but how are you going to deal with society’s judgment down the line? How are you going to deal with her father in half an hour?”

  Paul had dealt with society’s judgment for the past decade, and narrow-minded people didn’t intimidate him. What happened inside his house was no one else’s business.

  “If it were up to me, I wouldn’t care what her father thinks or does,” Paul admitted. “But it’s not, because she cares. So, we’ve agreed to tell him together and deal with him together. What matters is what we have, not what anyone else thinks.”

  “I think you’re blinded by your love for them, and you believe what you’re saying, but are you willing to subject them to the nasty bullshit in the world? Questions, sneers, gossip are just the tip of the iceberg.” Blowing out a frustrated breath, Christo shook his head. “There’s more to consider than her father. What if she gets pregnant? What will you do then? It’s not like any church or court would recognize a marriage between the three of you. What will the child have to deal with?”

  Swallowing the coffee like it was battery acid, Paul lowered his cup and met his cousin’s gaze. Christo had a valid argument, but Paul wasn’t about to give up. They’d figure it out when they’d get there. He couldn’t walk away from them. “I know it was a quick fall, but I can’t imagine a day without them. I can’t.”

  “I have your back. Any way you need. They’re now my family, too.”

  “Thank you,” Paul said, knowing his cousin would do anything to keep his family safe from the ugliness of people’s words.

  “No thank you needed between us,” Christo said, shaking his head. He stood and collected the coffee cups. “Let them sleep. Use my bathroom to wash up. Choose anything you want from the closet. And please pick a shirt to cover that hickey on your collarbone.”

  * * *

  Paul had all of thirty seconds with his uncle before a knock sounded on the front door.

  “I stand with you on anything you decide,” Kosta said, tapping his finger over Paul’s heart. “Trust yourself, my boy.”

  Christo swung open the kitchen door and indicated for them to join him and Edward Michaels in the sitting area. Inhaling deep, Paul walked toward the man who had caused so much pain to the people he loved.

  “Edward Michaels, this is my uncle, Constantine Lallas.” Christo made the introduction. “You’ve already met Paul.”

  Refusing Kosta’s outstretched hand, Michaels nodded. “I’ll make this quick. There’s no reason to pretend this is anything other than a twisted and juvenile ploy.”

  The skin on the back of Paul’s neck prickled. He crossed his arms and stared into the cold eyes of a man who embodied the ugliness Christo and he had discussed. Ugliness he wouldn’t let near Bethany.

  “It has come to my attention that Justin Bentley has a personal interest in Vaso’s Dream and has been dangled as bait to lure my daughter to invest in the resort.”

  “Not so,” Kosta said. “Bethany had no idea about Justin’s connection.”
/>   Her father waved his hand in the air. “Regardless, Bentley has no place in my daughter’s future.”

  Christo placed a steadying hand on Paul’s shoulder. “You said together,” he said in Greek, preventing Paul from lunging for the man. Paul shrugged off Christo’s hold, but remained in place.

  “I’m offering double the agreed-upon price for the resort to get his boyfriend out of my daughter’s bed for good. Out of her—”

  “Get him the fuck out of here before I tear his piece of shit heart out of his chest,” Paul said, a primitive growl escaping his chest as he shoved his cousin toward the other man. “This conversation is over.”

  “Double,” Michaels repeated, looking back over his shoulder as Christo pushed him toward the door. “She’s my daughter. Not a plaything for two gay men who want a temporary woman. It took me a little while to make the connection, but I recognized you from the pictures on the internet. You’re not only Bentley’s business partner. You’re his bed partner. And you don’t even bother to hide it.”

  “Why would they hide it?” Kosta asked. “There is nothing to hide about making a life with people you love.”

  “She deserves more than you,” Michaels spat. “She deserves the kind of life I raised her for. A life with proper etiquette and respect. You won’t use her as your beard—”

  “Don’t go there,” Christo warned. “Have more respect for your daughter.”

  Paul’s gut tightened. Pressure pounded in his head and his eyes burned. Edward Michaels had the power to hurt Bethany again. He felt it. He wasn’t exposing her to him again. Not personally. Not professionally. Not until he was certain she’d be safe from the venomous words and archaic beliefs.

  “I will pay double,” Michaels repeated, the veins at his temples pulsing. “Leave my girl to me. In time, she’ll forget about this fiasco. She’ll be happy with the resort. Fuck it. I don’t care about the money. State your price.”