6. Santo
“Quiet, agorí mou,” I commanded, but Zeus continued pacing at my bedroom door.
The events of the previous night came rushing back. Katalina’s shrill accusations, Tia’s mortified expression and the way Zeus had chosen to stand beside her rather than me.
After Tia had gone to change, Kat had sidled up to me .
“I forgive you for having sex with Tia,” she said, running her fingers down my chest. “I won’t hold it against you.”
Her hand came to rest on my thigh, and I couldn’t help it. I laughed in her face.
“You forgive me?” I repeated, incredulous. “I don’t need it.”
“Please, Santo.” She rolled her eyes, leaning closer. “Don’t you remember how good we were together?”
I removed myself from her reach. “No.”
She followed me as I left the bedroom, the click of her heels echoing against the marble. “You can’t possibly be interested in her,” she hissed, grabbing my arm. “She’s fat.”
I stopped and turned, looking down at her hand until she removed it from my biceps.
“Voluptuous,” I corrected, enjoying the way her eyes narrowed at the word. “And yes, I find her infinitely more attractive than you.”
Her face contorted. “You can’t, possibly. You’re joking, right?”
“Believe what you want,” I said, already turning away. “I’ll be stopping by your house tomorrow to pick Tia up for a date.”
“She won’t be there,” Kat called after me.
Zeus barked again, bringing my focus to the present.
“What is it?” I muttered, padding barefoot across the cool floor. As I opened the door, Zeus bolted into the hallway, then stopped abruptly and looked back at me, his tail wagging expectantly .
“Not now,” I grumbled, rubbing my temples. The pounding in my head matched the rhythm of his excited barks. “We’ll go for a run later.”
He whined, pawing at the ground insistently, but I wasn’t in the mood for his shenanigans. My thoughts were too consumed with Tia’s warm brown eyes and the way her curves had been outlined by my silk robe.
“Mésa!” I commanded, pointing back into my suite.
Zeus ignored me and trotted off. Unusual behavior for him.
I considered going after him, but the shower called to me more urgently. Zeus knew his way around the villa. The staff would redirect him if necessary.
“Fine,” I muttered to the empty room. “Have it your way.”
I headed for the bathroom, stripping off my pajama pants. A shower would clear my head, wash away the stale smell of whiskey clinging to my skin.
The water pressure was perfect, as always, the temperature scalding just the way I preferred it. Steam filled the spacious marble shower as I braced my hands against the wall, letting the hot water cascade over my shoulders, down my back.
I turned off the water after soaping my body and yanked a towel from the heated rack. Wrapping the towel around my waist, I padded back into the bedroom and dressed quickly in a t-shirt and jeans. I would have a quick breakfast, then pay Tia a visit.
A knock at my door drew my attention. At my invitation, one of the housemaids opened it, letting me know that my father requested my presence downstairs.
I exhaled in irritation. If this was going to be another lecture about responsible driving or my duties to the family business, I wasn’t in the mood.
Despite my reservations, I trudged to the main dining room, where I heard voices. The staff had worked overnight, clearing away any traces of the party. Now, it was as if the party had never happened.
“What did I do this time?” I asked, stepping inside to find most of my relatives gathered in an untidy cluster. Then I froze. “Tia?”
“Hi.”
She sat at the long table, looking both out of place and somehow right at home with Zeus planted firmly beside her with his chin resting on her thigh as she absently stroked his head. He looked utterly content under her touch.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, moving closer.
My father stood by the window, arms crossed, his expression unreadable as always. Uncle Dimitrios leaned against the marble mantelpiece, watching the scene with undisguised curiosity .
Theia Irida stepped forward, arms crossed. “Maria found her walking the Kastraki road alone, just after midnight,” she said. “It was unsafe. And unnecessary.”
“What do you mean, walking?” I interrupted, looking from Maria to Tia. “You left in a car with Katalina.”
My father pushed away from the window, taking three steps toward the buffet. “Your friend was abandoned on a deserted road.”
“Katalina and I had a disagreement,” Tia said, her voice calm despite the emotion in her voice. She folded her hands neatly on the table. “She kicked me out of the car.”
The implications of her simple statement forced me to take a step back. Katalina had abandoned her—alone, at night, on a rural road miles from anywhere.
And it was entirely my fault.
“The poor girl was trembling with fatigue,” Yiayia said softly. She moved behind Tia, resting both hands on her shoulders. “We offered her a room after what she’d been through.”
Tia’s hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, and she wore linen pants and a blouse. Despite the circumstances, she looked remarkably composed.
“Exhausted is an understatement,” Dimitrios said. “The girl walked nearly five kilometers before Maria found her. ”
Irida’s brows drew together, her tone frosty. “She was left without identification. No money. No way to call for help.” She clicked her tongue.
I scrubbed my hand down my face. This was not how I’d wanted to start my morning.
“I just need to get my things from Katalina’s and figure out my next move,” Tia said.
Yiayia’s voice warm but firm. “You’ll stay here, agori mou,” she said to Tia in English. “No more cold roads or darkness. Not while you’re under my roof.”
My father nodded in agreement. “You saved my son’s life,” he said, his accented English carrying the weight of sincerity. “You’re welcomed to stay here for as long as you like.”
“Thank you all very much.” Tia’s eyes were bright with unshed tears, making me inexplicably want to pull her into my arms. “I promise to be out of your hair as soon as possible.”
“Let’s go retrieve your belongings,” I offered immediately, seizing the opportunity to make amends.
We made our way outside, through corridors of marble and ancient mosaics. The sun greeted us with blinding intensity, forcing me to shield my eyes as we approached the sleek black SUV sitting idle in the driveway .
We climbed in and I started the engine. The drive passed in silence, the quiet between us neither comfortable nor uncomfortable.
When we drew up to the ornate wrought-iron gates of Katalina’s family residence, I rolled down my window and motioned to the security officer in the booth.
The man approached with slow steps. I leaned out, speaking in Greek while the guard’s face remained impassive. He informed me the family left early that morning and wouldn’t be in residence for a month.
I settled back into my seat, turning to relay the information to Tia who struggled to quell her panic.
“Can I at least be allowed in to collect my things?” she asked.
I passed this to the guard, who shook his head. He wouldn’t let strangers in his boss’ home without their permission, which was understandable. But it didn’t make the situation any less infuriating.
“Everything I own is in there. My purse, my passport, my cards—like, I can’t even call an Uber.” She began gnawing on her lower lip again, the skin reddening under the assault.
I felt a flash of irritation at Katalina, who’d clearly left strict instructions with the guards. How she must be gloating at the discomfort she was causing her friend .
This was bullshit. But I knew from experience that pressing the staff wouldn’t do any good. They’d never risk their jobs.
I reversed the SUV from the driveway, glancing at Tia’s worried expression. After parking under a massive tree that partially obscured us from the security cameras, I unbuckled my seatbelt.
“There’s a way to get your things,” I said, studying the high stone wall surrounding the property.
Tia followed my gaze. “What are you thinking?”
“See that large oak branch hanging over the wall?” I pointed to where a tree limb stretched across the barrier. “I scaled it many times as a teenager. The guest room windows are usually unlocked.”
Her eyes widened. “You want to break in?”
“It’s not breaking in if we’re retrieving your belongings,” I shrugged. “Besides, I know the security blind spots like the back of my hand.”
“Are you insane?” she whispered, grabbing my arm as I reached for the door handle. “That’s trespassing!”
“Only if we get caught.” I flashed her my most confident smile. “And I never get caught.”
She shook her head firmly. “No. Absolutely not. I can’t let you do that. ”
“Aggelé mou,” I leaned closer, “your passport and phone are in there.”
“I get that,” she said and slumped back against the leather seat. “But I’m not trying to end up on a ‘Locked Up Abroad’ episode. I’m good.”
I hadn’t considered how different this might look for her compared to me, with my family name and connections.
“We’ll figure out another way,” she said, softer now, her hand briefly touching mine. “Your family’s already helping me more than I expected.”
The way she looked at me twisted something inside. I’d always been the act now, deal with fallout later guy. Her cautious approach was unfamiliar territory.
“You’re right,” I admitted. “It was a stupid idea.”
Tia’s lips curved up in a grin. “I’m shocked you think so,” she said, her voice soft and playful.
“Want to know something not shocking, aggelé mou?”
“What?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her gaze flickering nervously to my lips.
I reached up, my thumb gently tracing the line of her jaw, feeling her soft skin. “How badly I’ve been wanting to kiss you,” I said.
Her eyes fluttered closed, her lashes casting shadows on her cheeks. She leaned in slightly, her body language screaming her desire. I could see her pulse fluttering in her neck, could hear her breath coming in short, shallow gasps.
I brushed my lips softly against her cheek, feeling her shiver. “Tell me you want it too,” I murmured. “Tell me you want to feel my tongue exploring your mouth, tasting you.”
She hesitated for a moment, the interior of the car silent except for our breathing. Then she nodded, her voice a soft, breathy whisper, sending heat straight to my groin.
“Kiss me already, Santo. Please.”
I cupped her chin, tilting her head up, and leaned in. My tongue traced the seam of her lips, coaxing them open. She sighed, granting me access, and our tongues met in a slow, sensual dance.
My pants grew tighter, my dick painfully hard against the confines of my zipper, as the kiss deepened and became sloppy, urgent. Her hands reached up, clutching my shirt, pulling me closer as our tongues tangled and our breaths mingled.
Just as I tweaked her nipple through her blouse, feeling it harden beneath my touch, she pulled away, breathing hard, her lips swollen. “We probably shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered.
“Why not?” I asked, already wanting to kiss her again, to taste more of her.
“Because,” she said, straightening in her seat, smoothing down her slacks, “I am an alien in this country. ”
I exploded into laughter at her unexpected response, and she joined me, the erotism dissolving into something lighter. “We’ll get you new clothes and contact the American embassy about your passport.”
“What about my phone? My mom’s gonna flip if I don’t check in.” Concern crept back into her expression.
“We’ll get you a replacement and you can use my phone to contact your mother in the meantime.” I reached over to play with the coily ends of her ponytail.
Tia’s shoulders relaxed, the tight lines around her mouth softening. A smile of genuine gratitude spread across her face, transforming her features from worried to radiant in an instant. The sight caused me to smile as well.
“Thank you. I will pay you back, I promise.” Her sincerity was palpable.
“Now that that’s settled,” I said, restarting the engine, the purr filling the space between us, “let’s get you to a cellular provider and a boutique.”