Chapter 29
Defiance
Into the Unknown
Once more, Anton was not at the auction. I feel a twinge of concern, even though he has sent me flowers and communicated with me through texts.
As Leōn escorts me out of the auction room, Headmaster Wallace walks up to speak to him.
“Congratulations on your successful bid, Leōn.”
“Thank you, Headmaster Wallace. I was determined to win tonight.”
The ease of their conversation helps to reduce my apprehension somewhat.
“Enjoy yourself…both of you,” the Headmaster states.
I take his statement as his personal endorsement of this pairing.
Burning with questions I expect to have answered before we ever start the scene he has set up for me, I follow Leōn out of the hotel and wait for the valet to retrieve his vehicle.
Instead of a hot sports car, Leōn opens the door to a royal blue Honda Accord.
It’s obvious by the small dents and scratches on the door that this car isn’t new.
It makes him more relatable to me, and I reluctantly consider it a positive sign.
Knowing that he is not financially independent and has to work for a living, just like I do, softens my heart…a little.
A random thought hits me as we weave through the traffic. Although Leōn doesn’t drive as aggressively as Rafael did, he certainly knows how to handle a car. Whether the analogy is true or not, both men are also experts in knowing how to coax my “engine.”
I chuckle softly, causing Leōn to ask, “What are you thinking, jewel? You have my permission to speak.”
“I’d rather not say until we can talk face to face.”
He smirks. “I like the sound of that.”
If he knew what was coming, Leōn might turn around right now and beg the auctioneer for a refund.
I’d assumed he would take me to a BDSM club or his apartment. Instead, I’m surprised when we end up at the same airport the limousine normally heads to.
“Are we leaving New York?”
“You sound surprised.”
“I…I thought we were staying here, Leōn.” My plan for a safe exit begins to crumble before my eyes.
He smiles. “I want to take you to my favorite place in the world.”
“Where’s that?”
Leōn gives me a teasing wink. “It’s a surprise.”
I stare into those sea glass eyes, drawn in by the undeniable attraction between us. “Kiss me,” I demand, wanting to see if our chemistry remains as strong, and to eliminate the possibility that he might be the twin. I know I am playing with fire either way.
Instead of reacting negatively to my obvious breach of conduct, he orders, “Get out of the car, and I will.”
A bundle of nervous energy, I do as he says, and he strides up to me.
Without a second of hesitation, he grabs my face with both hands and plants his lips on mine, kissing me deeply.
The kiss is equally aggressive and tender as the pressure of it increases.
I surrender to his passionate embrace and moan, responding to the intensity of our kiss.
When he finally pulls away, I feel weak and unsteady on my feet.
I am certain now that Leōn stands before me, not his twin, but my doubts about his intentions remain. Rather than waste time mincing words, I ask him, “Is it true that you’ve only dated slender women your whole life?”
He steps back, seemingly surprised by the question, and eyes me suspiciously. “Where is this coming from?”
“I want your answer before I’ll step a foot on that plane.”
“Yes,” he answers without apology.
“Then he was telling the truth…” I say sadly, looking at Leōn with a heavy heart.
“Who?” he demands.
“Your brother.”
His eyes immediately flash with anger. “How do you know Petros?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me,” he states, his voice as cold as ice.
Seeing his countenance change frightens me.
“Tell me!” he demands.
Unwilling to be bullied, I snarl, “I was at a rave.”
He furrows his brow. “Did you buy drugs from him?”
“No! Of course not!” I tell him. “I approached him because I thought he was you.” Then I add accusingly, “I had no idea you had a twin.”
He clenches his jaw, snorting like a bull. “We may be blood, but he is not my brother.”
The hate he has for Petros is obvious, and it is so tangible that it startles me.
“Nothing good ever comes from knowing him,” he warns me.
While I agree with him, it doesn’t negate the things Leōn has just told me. “What do you want with me?”
He frowns. “What are you asking?”
“If you’ve never dated someone my size…why now?”
“I don’t know what you are insinuating, but the answer should be obvious.”
I frown. “Well, it’s not!”
“Then let me remind you again.”
A soft sigh escapes my lips when he kisses me with the same passionate intensity, leaving me breathless afterward. I find I can’t think straight, and my entire body is longing for more of the same.
He glances at a strange-looking jet waiting on the tarmac. “I will answer all of your questions, but only if you step onto that plane before it leaves. We have no time to waste.”
I glance at the super-thin jet with triangular wings that looks more like a rocket than a plane and ask, “I’ve never seen any airplane like that before.”
“It’s a supersonic jet. The only mode of travel capable of getting us there in the time we have for this auction.”
“Where are we going?”
He takes our overnight bags from the car before holding out his hand to me. “You must board the aircraft to find out.”
This is one of those moments that defines your life, I realize, whether for good or for bad.
Certain I would regret not going with him, I grab his hand tightly and let fate decide if I’ve made the right choice or not.
This aircraft is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. It looks like a narrow tube with an aisle down the middle and a single leather chair on both sides. There are large windows for each seat, which is the only saving grace of this plane.
Leōn carefully buckles me into the chair, making sure the belt is tight but not uncomfortable, and then takes the seat on the other side of the aisle. This was not what I was expecting from our seating arrangement.
Although there are a few passengers at the back of the jet, Leōn informs me that we will be the first stop on the leg. “Instead of a thirteen-hour flight, we will only be flying for five and a half hours.”
I can’t believe it! “That’s a considerable difference. Will I be able to feel it when we break the sound barrier?” I ask, suddenly nervous about this flight.
“No, it’s a gentle transition and most passengers never even notice it.”
Within ten minutes, the jet takes off, and I’m headed off to an unknown destination with Leōn. The plane ride is unusually quiet, allowing for easy conversation despite the aisle between us.
“What would you like to know?” he asks me. “I have nothing to hide.”
Selfishly, I want to see the girls he has dated in the past. “Are you willing to show me all of the women you have seriously dated?”
He looks surprised by the request, but gets out his phone and holds it out so I can see as he scrolls through his pictures. Just as Petros said, every single one of Leōn’s girlfriends appears to be a size six or smaller.
“Which one did you date the longest?” I press him.
He points to a blonde with hair down to her tailbone. Before I even ask, he informs me, “We dated for a year and a half.”
“Why did you end it?”
“She had a career opportunity in Australia, and I was unwilling to leave New York.”
I like hearing that he doesn’t want to leave the city, but after being burned by Noah, I ask, “Do the two of you still talk?”
“Only when she comes to visit New York with her husband and three kids in tow. She’s become quite the devoted mother.”
I snort, liking his answer.
“What about you?” he asks me. “Any exes or long-term boyfriends?”
I wince. “Just one, but it didn’t end well.”
“Who ended it—you or him?”
I watch Leōn’s face closely when I answer. “He cheated on me.”
“I’m lucky he was such a fool,” Leōn says in a low whisper.
My curiosity about his past girlfriends satisfied for the moment, I turn to the other question that has been burning in my brain. “Your last name is Onassis.”
A smirk plays on his lips. “It is.”
“Are you related to my teacher, Mr. Onassis?”
“I am. He’s my uncle.”
My jaw drops. “Mr. Onassis is your uncle?”
“Does that surprise you?” he asks in amusement.
“Yes! I had no clue that families shared an interest in BDSM.”
He chuckles. “It’s not as unusual as you think, but it’s not something my uncle and I bring up. Unless people ask.”
“What about your twin? Petros?”
Leōn snarls when he tells me, “The only thing you need to know about Petros is that he has been disowned by our family.”
“Well, he certainly acted like the two of you were close.”
“Petros treats people like chess pieces,” he states. “They have no value unless he can use them.”
I am beginning to realize I was being played by Petro that night.
Since Leōn claimed I could ask him anything, I hit him with the question, “Why does your brother hate you?”
A scowl darkens his face. “That is something only he can answer.”
It’s obvious there is bad blood between the two, so I attempt to lighten the mood by asking. “Where are we headed?”
He chuckles. “You’ll find out soon enough, jewel.”
Less than five hours later, we’re flying over turquoise water and land on an island just as the sun is coming up. It’s surrounded by a chain of smaller islands.
“Do you know where we are?” Leōn asks me.
I shake my head, smiling sheepishly. Thankfully, the pilot answers the question when he announces we have arrived at Naxos, part of the Greek islands.
Leōn smiles when he asks, “Are you familiar with Greece?’
“Only what I’ve heard in history books.”
Helping me to my feet, he says, “We must change that.”
When I step off the jet, I can see the ocean just beyond the low hills.
It is a mesmerizing aquamarine color that I’ve not seen before.
Leōn walks me to a waiting taxi. The man inside steps out of the vehicle and shakes his hand, grinning at him.
“Nikos!” They obviously know each other as they chat in Greek.
While the man puts our bags in the trunk, Leōn introduces him to me. “This is Marios, a family friend.”
The man shakes my hand warmly, smiling as he opens the taxi door for me. I gaze out the window as we drive, admiring the hills dotted with olive groves and charming villages made up of white houses with splashes of blue accents. He takes us up to a beautiful villa on a hill overlooking the ocean.
It’s the kind of place you’d find on travel sites and drool over.
After saying his goodbyes, Leōn leads me into the house. It’s a spacious open floor plan with white walls, marble tiled floors, and furniture that matches the natural browns and greys of the landscape outside.
I step out onto the terrace to look at the incredibly clear water. The sweeping view of the white sandy beaches contrasts stunningly with the aquamarine of the ocean. It fills me with peace and is somehow even more breathtaking than Rio.
The large terrace spans the entire length of the villa and includes a pool that glimmers with water so clear that it mirrors the sky above. Beyond the railing, clusters of white homes dot the hillside and the picturesque seaside village.
I turn to Leōn. “This is a slice of heaven.”
Patting the marble railing, he tells me, “My great-grandfather built this house for his descendants and called it Ouranós.” He smiles when he adds, “Which means ‘heaven.’”
I’m shocked by the grandeur of this place, as well as the knowledge that his great-grandfather built it with his own hands. “Do you own it?”
He laughs. “No, it was passed down to our family, not any one individual. It’s used as a communal guest house for all of us who have left the island.” Leōn then asked me, “Does that disappoint you?”
“No,” I reply, looking at all of the small details of this extraordinary home. “I find it incredibly beautiful.” I sigh with a tinge of jealousy. “I love the idea of a place where a big family from many generations can gather. It’s a foreign concept to me.”
A troubled look crosses his face. “How so?”
“It’s only ever been my mother and my two brothers after my father died. And as soon as I left, we all went our separate ways.” I look back out at the ocean. “I’ve never had a place to come back to.”
Leōn lightly places his hand on my shoulder. “I am sorry about your father and how it must have fractured your family. I cannot imagine such loneliness.”
I shrug it off. “I found my soul sister, so it’s all good.” Looking up at him, I say confidently, “It’s enough.” Feeling uncomfortable talking about myself, I tease him. “I was expecting to play out some grand scene that you prepared for me, not share a heart-to-heart talk.”
He raises an eyebrow. “I am not the one who demanded to talk.”
I blush. “True…”
“If you are ready, we can begin our scene. But first, you must undress.”