Chapter Four
How dared she?
Ares refused to swear, which meant he couldn’t actually breathe.
If he opened his mouth there’d be an outpouring of vitriol and that was not happening in front of his damned ‘family’ let alone all these business connections.
He hugged Bethan close, swiftly leading her back to the elevator.
He kept holding his breath as they finally descended to the basement.
His waiting driver glanced up as they walked towards the car, read his expression and immediately fired the engine and activated the privacy screen.
‘What was that?’ Bethan shot the second they got in the car.
‘You’re angry with me?’ Ares retorted as he messaged his driver his instruction.
‘You all but admitted what we’d been...’
Ares’s brain slid off course, distracted by the discovery she still blushed when discussing sex. He dragged in a deep breath and forced focus.
‘You’re the one who said that we’re together,’ he goaded, furious she’d let those people believe something so outrageous. ‘I was being supportive and not contradicting you in public, like the good husband I am.’
Her eyes flashed. ‘Did you stop the elevator on that floor deliberately?’
‘What?’ Why would he ever? And how could she even think something so crazy? Stunned, he just snapped. ‘Of course not.’
He swore, long and loud in Greek, and it barely released any of his frustration.
He’d been too distracted to notice anything—frustrated as hell because he’d seen a harrowing hurt in her eyes that he still didn’t understand.
Because he had pleased her—she’d been wet and hot and she’d chanted his name as her orgasm hit.
Pleasing her was so bloody rewarding, but that best of moments had turned to acrid, bitter ash in seconds because he’d been unable to see it through.
He would never run the risk of impregnating her.
He was never having children. A failure of a son to his mother, he would be a failure of a father too—as his had been to him.
For a few days just over two years ago he’d thought he could fake it—but then Bethan had questioned and he’d been unable to answer.
But in all this current mess, he’d completely forgotten there were drinks at the office for clients tonight.
Stepping into that room had been an automatic response because he was Ares Vasiliadis—in control and unaffected, high-performing heir and CEO.
He’d been whipped into shape by that damned dysfunctional family in less than five years and he would never do less than excel in front of them.
He would always remain in control around them.
He’d seen Gia and Dion home in on Bethan like circling sharks.
He’d been about to intervene but he’d briefly stilled because Bethan’s chin had lifted.
She’d smiled—so politely, so confidently.
Her cheeks had still been flushed from passion and her eyes had gleamed proud—magnificently.
He’d been awed by her quiet dignity until he’d come to his senses and stepped in.
Too late, damage done. They’d needled her.
He’d not been bothered by them. He was immune to their reluctant tolerance and wouldn’t give them power.
Not showing a hit—a hurt—had never been a problem until Bethan.
But somehow a poker face was impossible around her.
Her belief he’d set that elevator to open on that floor got beneath his armour and he was too outraged to hide it.
‘You really don’t trust me,’ he said bitterly. ‘Why would I want any of them to see me with you again?’
‘Maybe it wasn’t about them.’ Her expression pinched. ‘Maybe it was about humiliating me because you’re still angry I walked out on you.’
He was wildly angry with her, but not for that reason. His problem was that he still wanted her to a shockingly uncontrollable degree.
‘So you told them we’re back together?’ he growled, stuck in a maelstrom of conflicting emotion.
He couldn’t believe the chaos she’d caused in a few minutes. She’d turned an already difficult situation into a public spectacle at the worst possible time.
‘I didn’t tell them, they saw us,’ she argued. ‘What was I supposed to do?’
‘Be honest,’ he snapped.
‘I was,’ she shot back. ‘And you were the one getting handsy in the elevator.’
He glared at her, which was unhelpful given she was infuriatingly beautiful.
And yes, she probably hadn’t told anyone she was back with him.
Gia would have manipulated the moment, just as she tried to manipulate everything.
And he hadn’t been getting ‘handsy’ with Bethan, he’d wanted to know if she was okay. Why did he damned well even care?
Because now he wasn’t okay. He wasn’t able to stop thinking about how she’d gone up in flames in his office.
How swiftly he’d lost control. How soft and hot she’d felt.
How badly he’d wanted to pin her beneath him and take her but he couldn’t because no way in hell was he ever having children.
They didn’t need the baggage he would rain down on them.
His whole family were fucked and he refused to screw up more innocent kids.
All he wanted was to expunge this insane desire. He was irate it still burned like this. But he needed to focus on fixing the mess she’d just made. He’d told them Bethan was here for the Melina Foundation, so she would have to attend because he was allowing nothing and no one to ruin that night.
Bethan would have to stay for all of this week.
His bitter frustration simply fuelled the satisfaction that thought brought.
They had unfinished business. Maybe he would drive her mad with want for him.
Maybe he would make her forget any other man she’d had in her bed.
Maybe he would destroy her for any more to come.
..because he absolutely could. It was what she’d already done to him.
His pulse settled into a happy rhythm as he formulated a plan. He would demand this week. It would well be long enough for him to have his cake and eat it too.
‘Where are we going?’ Bethan sharply interrupted his thoughts. ‘I need to go to a hotel.’
He clenched his jaw. ‘We’re going to my place.’
‘No.’ She stiffened. ‘I’m not going back to that compound. Ever.’
Her vehemence surprised him—yet resonated.
The Vasiliadis compound was a palatial residence in the wealthiest suburb in Athens with additional residences either side.
It had everything, from home cinema, to tennis court, two pools, and more.
Of course Bethan would disapprove of the over-the-top consumerist consumption.
While it was filled with riches it was empty of anything warm.
It was also full of bad memories—she’d spent three days there but he’d endured it from the age of thirteen.
Move-in day had been the loneliest moment of his life.
Cut off from contacting his mother, he’d been too hurt, too proud, too stubborn to break that rule.
Gia hadn’t wanted anything to do with him of course.
He’d been isolated, ignored other than to be instructed.
He’d been brought there to learn everything necessary to be the worthy heir.
Despite the fact a bunch of distant cousins lived onsite, he’d been isolated and relentlessly schooled.
And it was where they’d argued. Where she’d walked out and boarded the first flight back to Britain.
Ares hated the place and sure as hell didn’t live there any more.
‘Bethan.’ He inhaled sharply, shutting down those memories. ‘Your “loving wife” act just now changed everything. We need to keep our issues discreet. I am trying to protect—’
‘I don’t need your protection.’
‘This time it’s not about you,’ he shouted.
And he did not want to hear her declare yet again that she needed or wanted nothing from him.
‘We’ll talk when we get to my place and it is not the compound,’ he growled.
They needed privacy and space and he was barely able to contain the energy firing around him. Because he would win this.
Gia, Dion and the other board members bowed to his opinions, given how well the company was doing under his command, but his ‘little charitable endeavour’, as they’d called it, was deeply personal.
They loathed the fact, but the Vasiliadis family would be forced to acknowledge his mother’s existence.
Ares would remind them all not just of his illegitimacy but of his authority.
There was nothing they could do to stop him doing this now.
Because for years he’d not been allowed to mention her, he’d not even seen her—not gaining the strength until it was too late.
But now her name would literally be in lights and in future he wouldn’t allow anyone to be treated the way his mother had been treated by them.
Their ‘dirty little secret’ would be dragged from the shadows.
He needed to do this—needed something to ease his guilt because he’d left her—left it all—too late.
So he would have nothing taint the moment he finally, publicly honoured Melina and if that meant having to have Bethan by his side for the evening, so be it.
The thought actually made him feel slightly better about the whole thing.
Probably because she was his side order of seduction and yeah, he was still a selfish jerk.
Fifteen minutes later he watched her pace about his lounge, her face a picture of displeasure.
‘Why don’t you live at the compound?’ she asked irritably.
‘This is closer to work,’ he muttered shortly.
True enough but not the real reason. He’d bought a penthouse in the city after Bethan had walked out and, honestly, he didn’t like her here. He’d never associated this place with her presence but now it was marked forever. He made a mental note to get his agent to put it on the market next week.
‘I’m not staying with you, Ares. You can’t keep me here. I’m calling a—’