by Pamela Ann
What was I doing? There was only one way I wanted the night to end and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be inside Libby. I needed to see Trista. What had happened this afternoon was stupid. I wasn’t sure if it had been my pride or something else that was hurt more from her blatant admission, but I was over it now.
I had to leave Libby and the party circuit. I wanted to be with her. Even though the woman I craved in my blood was in love with another man, I tried to not think much about the unconcealed fact. We were continents apart, and here in Greece, at least she was with me. With me with her body, but not her heart and possibly not her mind either. These barely leave me satisfied, but I found it difficult to resist when larger things rule my mind and simple common sense. When your libido and emotions come into play, there’s not much I could do but ride with the tide.
Now I was here, in her room, looking over her sleeping form, contemplating if I should wake her up or not. After this afternoon’s incident, I wasn’t sure if she would still let me touch her. Even with that knowledge, I found myself on the bed, shoes and all, continuing to stare at the sleeping hellcat. My eyes glanced at the pillow where a large, soaked spot marked her shed tears, tears of sadness, sorrow and love for the very special, Harry, perhaps?
A part of me wanted to ease some of the anguish she was in. I guess the man in me wanted to protect her, but another part wanted to make her see that a man who was too weak to fight for your love simply didn’t deserve all the love and admiration that she seemed willing to keep throwing at him. I wanted to make her understand what a real man could make her feel, what he could elicit from her tempting body.
I knew I smelled of alcohol amongst other things, but I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out to stroke her cheek, nor could I stop myself from leaning over and kissing her softly on the lips. My lips moved to her jaw and onto her neck. “Trista,” I croaked out, my body responding to the smell of her. My hand roamed about and rested on her ass, cupping it as I pushed her body against mine. “I want you,” I whispered against her soft skin.
Since I knew nothing was going to hinder my lips from seeking her wet depths, I immediately moved downwards, parting her shapely legs along the way. The tip of my tongue stuck out to get a taste of her. She tasted so fucking good, and I wanted more. I was working my way around her wet folds when she instantly bolted up. “Taylor?”
“Yes?” I asked, still working on her.
Trista brushed her hair to the side, staring at me with a shocked expression. “The brunette ditched you, didn’t she?”
Was that jealousy I detected? I dotted kisses up her thighs as I moved my body and lips upwards to greet the she-devil. “No, I believe it was the other way around. I apologize for my despicable behavior. I’m making amends. I’m sorry for treating you that way. It won’t happen again.”
“You sure you’re not here just to get laid?”
“Okay, that, too, but I really am sorry, Trista. What you did was wrong, but I shouldn’t have reacted and treated you in such a way. You didn’t deserve that.” Hell, I was a total dick this afternoon. I had no clue where my anger had come from, but it seemed like wherever Trista was concerned, nothing made sense to me.
“As long as you promise not to be a prick again, then we’re good. Come here and give me a kiss, you idiot!” She pulled me by my neck and kissed me passionately. “You sure nothing happened with that brunette? She’s more your type.” She spoke in between kisses as she pulled me in between her legs.
So that brunette comment I made to Lindsey back in Aspasia had gotten to her. I found myself liking the fact that it did bother her. “Nothing happened with Libby, promise. I used to like brunettes, but I assure you, with all that I believe in, I want you with everything in me. Brunettes be damned.”
Trista bit my bottom lip before she heatedly said against my ear. “Good, cause I’d skin you alive if something did happen. Take your pants off, I need you.”
Here was the siren being bossy again. Despite this, I wanted no one else to spend my nights with other than this very alluring woman who I had no real hold on.
Chapter 20
Trista
The next day, we were anchored close to the island of Mykonos after having already visited the island of Keros, Naxos and Paros earlier in the day. The captain had a large circular net attached to the back of the yacht. The rounded space was large enough for us to swim and play around. Kayaks, jet skis and a floating trampoline were all out for us to enjoy. We were amazed at having all of these things at our disposal.
“How did you and Bass meet?” I questioned Bass and Taylor as we swam together.
Taylor shrugged as he tried to climb onto the big, mustard colored trampoline. “Boarding school in Switzerland. Our parents were actually friends back in Los Angeles for a few years until my mother remarried again and moved to Paris.”
“Over the years, we kept in touch. Taylor didn’t like Paris so I suggested he come back to LA. It worked great for both of us, I guess.” Bass added as he swam towards Taylor who was jumping on the trampoline like a little kid.
“Wanna join the little munchkins?” Emma asked smiling as she watched the two grown men jump up and down with entertained and child-like expressions.
“You go ahead, Doll; I want to jet ski with Lindsey and Dimitris.” Those two were splashing each other with water, showing off their mad skills. I hardly had any skills with the machine, but today was fun and I wanted to try new things.
Before we knew it, the three men had us riding behind them as the jet skis roamed playfully around the sea, making a loud ruckus while circling the large yacht.
Lindsey went loco, jumping from her jet ski to land in the sea. She swam towards where Emma was clinging onto Bass then strategically pulled the other woman’s leg, making her fall off and land in the water next to her. “Swim with the sharks, woman!” she laughingly teased her while Emma panicked and started to swim towards the yacht. “Dude, I was just joking! There are no sharks here!” She screamed at the still swimming blonde, but Emma wouldn’t have any of it. The rest of us joined the hilarious situation.
“She’s only joking! Come back and join us!” Bass interjected as he tried with all of his might not to bust out laughing, but Emma just sat on the edge of the boat’s footer.
Emma merely shrugged, nonchalant. “I’m good.”
Emma was scared of sharks, she couldn’t even stand watching shark week when it came on TV, so that joke was going to traumatize her for a while. Heck, it was funny, though.
Taylor carefully shifted himself so that he could sit the other way, facing me. “I have an idea. I was hoping you’d want to spend the next two days with me here.”
“Here, here? Mykonos?” I double checked, taking in how the tan he’d gotten over the last couple of days made his eyes stand out all the more. He looked utterly and decadently divine in my eyes.
“Yes, Emma and Bass need to get back to filming, but you and I are on vacation. I want to spend more time with you.” He then leaned over and kissed my sea-salted lips.
Summer in Greece sure as hell was changing me. The hurt, the pain, the darkness and the ongoing battle of evil that lurked in the depths of me were all slowly diminishing. Whatever it was—the heat, sun, having fun—that was causing the change, I liked it. I felt lighter. Each day I woke up with less heartache to weigh me down, when it used to sink its claws into me and try to drown me with it. Now, I felt like I was floating, as if those shackles were actually attached to buoys now, instead of anchors, keeping me afloat. It all reminded me of my past sins and actions, but purposely drove me to look into the future.
The past had taught me, the present I could continue to learn from, and the future I could embrace. “Sure, why the heck not? I’m honored to be invited to spend the next few days with you.”
His eyes crinkled as he beamed at me. His hand tucked a wayward hair behind my ear. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re easy to please? I love how little things make you happy.”
I hadn’t been easy to please before, but when I started dating a married man, I had learned that it was the little things I needed to be grateful for. “You’re an amazing guy, Taylor and I’m one lucky lady to be spending this summer with you.” Oh, I was bitchy at times, but that didn’t make me blind of the fantastic things when they occurred. I definitely noticed.
“I can be more than amazing. You have yet to find out.” The man kissed me, baring me—exposing me to him—slowly and deliberately. It reminded me of that expression “kissed by the gods” since it sure hell felt like I was being kissed by one.
The first day in Mykonos was practically spent indoors. When the next sunset rolled in, Taylor didn’t want us to spend another evening in bed ordering room service, so here we were, arms around each other, walking the cobbled streets of Mykonos as we figured out where we wanted to eat dinner. We weren’t in a hurry, we checked out each restaurant as we passed. When we spotted a nice, cozy, candlelit diner by the edge of the water, we both agreed to dine there.
The glassy surface of the Aegean Sea was still tonight, the full moon high; stars dotted the darkened skies, glittering the treasured island with bewitchery and magical allure. The heady essence of romance was everywhere. It caressed and enchanted me. I was moved and most definitely spellbound. The man before me romanced me just as much as our surroundings. I couldn’t help being a little amused watching as he was rather entertained with the candle in his hand, playing with it as he watched my face.
The intense, mossy depths of his eyes seared into me—touching me—sparking me alive and setting me on fire. “Do you know the candle highlights your beautiful face perfectly? Whichever angle I place it in, it shows off your contoured exquisiteness.”
Blushing really wasn’t my favorite thing to do, but tonight I was beet red. “I’m not—I’m pretty in a way, but not like Lindsey or Emma.”
“Why would you want to compare yourself to them? You’re your own kind of beauty. I see it, I appreciate it and I love experiencing it. Never underestimate yourself, my perfect little vixen.”
Taylor had the key to my head, and he sure was screwing with it. For the longest time, tonight, I was incandescently happy because he made me feel like the only woman in the world that mattered. Not only that, but I felt like the most beautiful woman. In Taylor’s eyes, I was, and that was enough.
We had just finished an excellent meal and were enjoying our wine as we waited for our dessert to arrive when Taylor asked me a significant question. “What are you thinking about? You’re in deep thought.”
“I’m not too sure you would want to know, actually.” My thoughts were kind of my kryptonite, sadly.
He studied me a moment, considering where this conversation could lead to, before carefully responding to me. “I do want to know, if you care to enlighten me.”
“I was thinking how different it is when you’re not seeing a married man.” I gave him a sad smile, before returning my gaze back to the sea. “Harry was married to my cousin. I was his mistress.”
Taylor’s eyes didn’t leave my face. I could see my words sinking in to that pretty face of his. When the waiter brought out our dessert, I graciously thanked him, but no words came out of Taylor’s mouth. “It’s true. Now, I’m not so pretty anymore, huh?” That was only the half of it. I could only imagine what he would think of me once he found out the other truth.
“That explains a lot of the bitterness, but not its entirety. It sure as hell explains a lot. With your cousin’s husband though, Trista? Isn’t that a—”
“Bitchy move? Yes, it was. Not that Becka wasn’t a bitch in her own right but I didn’t care. I wanted to be with him. My stupidity sure ended up making me pay, though. Trust me, karma didn’t ask for an even exchange, but a full fucking refund. I’ve learned the hard way.”
“I’m not really a fan of cheating, but I believe you when you tell me that you’ve learned from your experience. I hope that someday you are able to make wiser decisions. I understand that some things can’t be helped, but there are other things that we can prevent from happening. Sometimes being selfless is good for the soul,” Taylor said thoughtfully. Selfless, when it came to Harry, I was not.
For the rest of the night, Taylor didn’t bring up the subject of Harry and our affair. It seemed that the man was content with whatever information I had already shared. I appreciated that he gave me time to be comfortable sharing such shameful facts about my past with him instead of pushing for every last detail.
What I was truly grateful for was that he wasn’t repulsed by what I had said. He never once passed judgment about my reckless and frivolous actions. People and society aren’t as forgiving, but it pleased me to know that Taylor reserved his judgment, at least for now.
Chapter 21
Trista
After a week and a half of our arrival in Greece, the main casts of the movie were being interviewed. I couldn’t be any more excited about it. The other side of the island was transformed into a nice setting for the Behind-The-Scenes interview. Lindsey, Taylor and I were standing behind one of the screens that showed Emma, Bass and Dimitris with a beautiful lady named Jill, who was the interviewer. We all had headphones on as we watched the whole thing with a front row pass.
Jill started with the bright star of the film, of course. “Bass Cole, how are you doing today? I’m thinking the Greek sun is agreeing with you, huh? I’m pretty sure America will think so, too.” She was grinning like a lapdog at Bass, eyeing him like he was the most delicious treat in the world.
My eyes glanced at Emma, but she was calm and looked like she was enjoying herself. Was she really?
Bass merely shrugged at that comment before he gave a little laugh. “I’m doing well, Jill. I concur, the Greek sun has been more than agreeable. It’s been fantastic, I love it here.”
Jill’s face lit-up as she looked at him through her lashes, a flirty look in her eyes. “Blasphemous is gaining a lot of publicity due to its content. What made you sign up for a movie that’s so different from your usual endeavors? I heard this movie’s very steamy and graphically raw. Is there any truth to that?”
Bass gave her a winning smile. “Graphically raw, I like that. Yeah, the movie is definitely raw and steamy. I’ve always wanted to make a movie with Martin and, after reading the script, I knew this film was something I wanted to be in and that’s mainly because it is different from all the other ones I’ve made. It’s more dramatic, allowing me the opportunity to show a wide range of emotion that you don’t see in my other films. You could just say that I gave my heart and soul to it, I suppose.”
“The way you described it makes me want to see the movie all the more. Do you two agree with what Bass said?” Jill directed her attention to Dimitris and Emma.
Dimitris chose to respond first. “The movie does need a lot of emotion, be it anger, passion, hate or love. I think this movie as a whole is about passion. I don’t think Martin could’ve done a better job than selecting Emma as the lead. This woman lights up on screen.” He directed his smiling face at Emma.
Emma was biting her lip, blushing and laughing. “It’s not that hard to light up.” She laughed again. “These men are great actors. I’m new to this, but both have been very generous to help out if I needed to make a certain scene better.”
Jill was laughing with her. “I can just imagine. You’ve these terribly good-looking men to share scenes with. Women all over the world would die to be in your spot. How did it feel kissing Bass and Dimitris for the first time? Was it awkward at all?”
Emma looked comfortable on screen. The question barely fazed her. “It was in the beginning, but after the first scene you’re like, ‘okay, here goes.’ Dimitris and I make fun of each other. He’d say something like, ‘I brushed my teeth twice, I’m ready.’”
Jill was now more than eager to pull out more juicy details. “Who kisses better? Bass or Dimitris? You have to give us an answer. We’re all dying to know.”
Emma bit
her lip and took a sneak peek at the two men on both of her sides. “Dimitris is an amazing kisser. He’s very in control and sets the pace. Bass kisses like he’s consuming you whole. Both men are different. It’s hard to scale it that way.”
My left headphone was suddenly moved aside as Taylor leaned close. “Do I kiss like I’m consuming you whole?”
I cocked my head a little so I could do a little consuming of my own with my eyes taking in that gorgeous face. “Why ask if you know the answer, pretty boy?”
His eyes danced as he gave me a few quick kisses. “Just making sure, a guy needs a little assurance once in a while.” Taylor winked at me before he placed my headphones back. I happily sighed when he pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around me. Lindsey caught us and simply stuck out her tongue, smiling.
Jill gave a little blushing laugh after Bass said something I missed. “Bass your fans sent a lot of questions, but we could only choose a few. The first question is from Sheila M. from Seattle. ‘Are you still dating Lydia Cornwell?’”
Bass cleared his throat before answering the question. His blue eyes looked very pronounced on the screen. “No, Lydia and I parted ways a couple of months back.”
“I heard both men are actually single, but not the leading lady. Miss Emma, we did a little digging of our own and we found out that you’re dating a soccer player, Carter Mason from LA Galaxy. Carter’s Facebook was packed with pictures of you both from when you guys started dating. Here, the team made a little video.” All of them were watching the television that was on the left of Jill. Emma was uncomfortable. Bass looked rigid and Dimitris was frowning.