Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Cassius
“Good morning, Mr. Lykaios,” my assistant, Landon, said as he approached me with a to-go cup of coffee. “The team is onsite and awaiting your arrival.”
Now, it was a blank canvas without a structure, ready for a build-out of something to rival the grandest establishments seen to date in Vegas.
“Are Mrs. Lykaios and Mrs. Kipos here?”
“No, sir. They did send this message.” Landon passed me a folded paper.
You got this. Make us proud.
-Henna and Anaya
A sense of calm settled over me. Having Henna’s and Anaya’s complete trust meant the world to me. The sisters always believed in me, even when I hadn’t known which side was up.
I should have felt a shit-ton of pressure, but for some reason, I had none. I’d spent years in the background, watching and learning.
This felt right.
Although, I’d keep my ulterior motives for taking on the endeavor to myself.
Releasing a breath, I adjusted my suit and moved in the team’s direction. They all gathered near a large trailer that would stand as the central hub for the construction team until a proper facility was constructed.
As I approached, I noticed how everyone listened intently to everything Naomi said as she directed them to various points on a rolled-out paper across the hood of a large black truck.
Gone were the tailored suits she’d worn to work in Greece and the sexy, stylish outfits she’d worn when we were together.
In their place were jeans, a button-down shirt, and sturdy work boots.
Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and dark sunglasses covered her eyes to shade her from the blazing Nevada sun.
This woman was all business on a construction site and would punch someone in the face if they undermined her in what was traditionally a man’s job.
Immediately, I felt my body respond and my cock grow hard.
How the fuck had I never seen her like this?
Yeah, I knew why. Because I hadn’t told her who I was in Mykonos. Maybe if I had, I would have seen her in work mode and gotten a chance to fuck her like this.
As if she’d heard my thoughts, her attention shifted, focusing on me. Her lips parted for the briefest of seconds, and an intense charge of lust passed between us. We’d shared this sexual attraction from the first time we’d met at my club in Ibiza.
The very same thing about her pulled at me now as it had done back then.
She took me in, scanning my body from top to bottom and up again, connecting with my eyes.
It was plain to see that her night out hadn’t taken the edge off as she’d expected. More than likely, the need to fuck drove at her body.
Akari Otta’s clubs were known as hedonistic escapes of music, drinks, and entertainment.
A slight flush crept over Naomi’s cheeks before she reined in her reaction to me, stepped back from the truck, and said something to the group.
“Please excuse my tardiness. I was delayed due to a conference call.”
“Mr. Lykaios, welcome to the site of Incognito. Would you like a tour?” She gestured to the open area.
The team laughed, considering everything around us was construction equipment and a trailer.
“First, let’s look at the schematics and then we will walk the site and prepare for the official start of construction.”
Three hours later, I exited the Incognito foreman’s trailer, having dissected every minute detail of the plans and initial build-out phase.
“Sir, I need to step up my game regarding my skills as your assistant.” The awe in Landon’s voice had me shaking my head.
“Ms. Kumar is definitely meticulous.”
I hadn’t realized the organizational level she expected from everyone on her team.
She had lists for lists, with each having status schedules and planning.
She’d given everyone electronic tablets with applications and software designed to update constantly.
And because of this, she expected results and wouldn’t accept excuses.
During the discussions, I’d suggested alternative viewpoints.
Naomi listened and took them in, weighing everything from costs, expected timetables, and delays.
She agreed with fifty percent of my recommendations and implemented them into her plans.
For the others, she’d given solid reasons why they wouldn’t work.
None of her points were unreasonable, and as soon as we settled on a matter, she moved on to the next issue to review whether she would give concessions or not.
“At least she wasn’t completely rigid with the change orders we requested.”
I smiled at the request part. Landon had seemed almost scared to hand Naomi the list of changes our vendors wanted to be made to their build-out locations.
“As you saw, she’s reasonable when the alterations aren’t outrageous. But even I would put my foot down at a complete revision of a store layout because the vendor decided it wouldn’t fit his pet’s bed.”
Landon nodded. “True. I warned Mr. Sterns that the answer would likely be no. He still insisted I send in the request. I almost pulled the paperwork from the stack this morning.”
“It’s your job to bring the change orders. She reviewed them with her team and gave you her opinion.”
“She didn’t say anything. She smirked, rolled her eyes, set her coffee cup on top of the supporting documents Mr. Sterns sent in, and waited for you to move on to the next topic.”
“Am I detecting some admiration in your tone?”
Landon flushed and then admitted, “Absolutely. As I said, I need to step up my game.”
So did I. So did I.
Physically, I had everything in the bag. We couldn’t get enough of each other. Our attraction flowed back and forth as if it were a heady, living thing.
Naomi’s take charge, “I will fuck you up” boss side turned me on like nothing else. And my presence had affected her the same way. Every time our eyes connected, the surge of unquenched lust pulsed between us.
She refused to admit that she experienced the primal need and possessiveness one felt for the person who made them whole. A fire had blazed in her dark brown gaze when a few of her female team members stood a little too close to me.
She wanted to claim me. I’d accommodate her.
But of course, she’d never make it so easy.
She kept her distance from me, ensuring one or two team members stayed between us at all times. Professional to the core, no matter the situation or her level of jealousy.
Although, if she hadn’t, I had no doubt everyone around us would have seen the undercurrent of what lay between us.
That energy between us constantly pulsed. A combination of lust, desire, secrets, stories, and connection.
Even in Greece, we could be within a crowd of friends, and strangers would have no issues figuring out we were the couple among the group, no touching necessary.
“Do you need anything else before I head out?”
“No, I’m going to head to the office and meet up with the family.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I nodded to him, and at that moment, Naomi stepped out of the trailer assigned to her as her onsite office. She slid glasses over her eyes, set a hat atop her head, and then strode toward a group of people waiting for her.
As if sensing my stare, she stopped and focused in my direction.
She licked her lips, making me want to smile.
There it was, the longing, the need, the hunger. She could deny it all she wanted.
I pulled out my phone and sent her a message.
ME: You know where I am, psychi mou. All you have to do is find me. I’ll take care of you.
I waited to see her reaction.
She lifted her smartwatch, read the message, frowned, pulled out her phone, and responded to my text.
NAOMI: What you offer comes with strings. I’m not a woman who likes to be bound to any man.
ME: Liar. I’ve tied you down enough times to know how much you LOVE it.
NAOMI: With Cassius Dimitri, maybe. But you’re not him.
I clenched my jaw.
ME: We’re one and the same. Want me to prove it again to you?
NAOMI: Sex isn’t all there is, Mr. Lykaios.
ME: We have more than that, and you know it.
NAOMI: Do I? From where I’m standing, you know all about me, but I’m not sure I ever knew you.
ME: Then get to know me.
NAOMI: No. I don’t believe I will.
She started to move in the direction of the people waiting for her.
ME: Whether you want to or not, I’m not giving up.
She glanced down at her watch again.
NAOMI: Sex is as much as you’ll ever get from me again. So you might as well give up.
If that was how she wanted to play it. What we had went beyond sex, and she knew it.
ME: If that’s what you’re offering, I’ll take it.
NAOMI: It wasn’t an offer. It was a fact. I’m not an idiot when it comes to our attraction.
ME: You believe sex with no strings will work with us?
NAOMI: That’s how we started.
ME: Liar.
I waited for her retort, and when none came, I glanced up and caught her watching me. Almost immediately, she turned away.
NAOMI: Let’s face it. We’re both liars. That means we aren’t right for each other. You want to fuck. We’ll fuck. But I’m not giving you any more of me than that.
With those words, she tucked her phone into her back pocket and joined her group.