Chapter 7 - Deanna
I’d managed to avoid being alone with Aristides Christakis for almost a week since learning our children were engaged. Those days, I spent touring the city with Tia and having deep conversations about her future.
When we visited the Christakis estate, I made sure Aris and I were never alone. Still, every night I returned to my villa with Tia, trying not to think about the man whose body I’d explored all summer.
Now here I sat at one of Athens’s finest restaurants—Aris’s favorite—with Aris and our ridiculously happy children, who had no idea their parents had been sleeping together.
We’d been here several times over the summer. Those times we shared the Agiorgitiko and left before dessert because neither of us could wait to get back to my place.
Tonight was different. Tia sat across from me, glowing with happiness, while Santo held her hand on top of the table. Meanwhile, under the table, Aris’s hand rested on my bare thigh.
Each time I shifted away, his hand followed. Like some kind of game.
“Are you joining us at the gala, Deanna?” Santo inquired.
“Gala?” I repeated, refocusing on the conversation and not the heat radiating from the man beside me.
“Oh!” Tia’s eyes widened. “I completely forgot to mention it.” She looked distressed. “It’s this big charity event the Christakis Foundation is throwing this Saturday. Chrys only told me about it a few days ago.”
“We would be honored if you attended, Deanna,” Aris chimed in. “Come as my guest. You are mother of my son’s fiancée, yes?”
“I’d love to, but I didn’t pack for galas,” I said.
“Kayla will help you find something!” Tia bounced in her seat. “She knows lots of great places in the city to shop, and I want to spend as much time as I can with you before Monday.”
“What happens Monday?” Aris inquired.
“That’s when she’s flying back to America,” Santo answered his father.
Aris’s fingers dug into my thigh. “This is too soon.”
“This trip to Greece was sudden and unexpected,” I said carefully. “My business needs me back.”
That was a lie. My business could be run from anywhere in the world as long as I had internet access. I just needed to put an ocean between myself and the man sitting next to me before I did something stupid.
Aris loosened his grip, and his fingers slid upward, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. My breath hitched as he skirted the edge of my dress until his fingers finally reached the apex of my thighs.
A slow burn bloomed across my skin, spreading like wildfire, and just like that, I was wet. How did this man still have this power over me? Even now, when everything about us was forbidden.
“Will you come to the gala, Mom? Please?”
Three pairs of eyes locked onto me. Four, if I counted the amused gleam in Aris’s that told me he knew exactly how cornered I felt.
“Well...” I stretched the word out, searching for an escape hatch that didn’t exist. “I suppose I could attend.”
Tia clapped her hands, while my stomach did somersaults. All I could think about was the impossible challenge of spending an entire evening as Aris’s ‘guest’.
The Acropolis Museum’s grand hall had been transformed for the gala, its marble gleaming under chandeliers. Servers circulated with trays of tiny phyllo pastries and glasses of champagne, while Greece’s elite moved through the space in designer finery.
I allowed the charming hotelier to twirl me around the dance floor, grateful for the excuse to escape Aris’s presence. Even from across the room, I could feel his eyes on me.
It had been like that all evening. His possessive gaze tracked me everywhere while I feigned interest in meaningless conversations.
When he detached himself from Dimitrios and moved toward me with that smooth, unhurried stride, I knew my reprieve was over. He spoke to my dance partner in rapid-fire Greek, and immediately the man apologized before stepping away.
“What did you tell him?” I demanded as his hands found my waist and drew me into the dance.
“I told him you were with me, yes?” His tongue traced a fast, scandalous flick at my ear. “Mine.”
The possessive claim sent a powerful current cascading through my body.
“I’m not yours,” I reminded him, keeping my voice steadier than my pulse. “I never was.”
His broad hand splayed across the small of my back, fingertips tracing the bare skin revealed by my new golden gown.
“You are goddess tonight,” he said. “Aphrodite, she would envy this dress on you.”
“Stop,” I warned, though my body betrayed me by leaning closer. “We agreed this was over.”
“Did we?” he countered, his deep voice carrying that overbearing confidence. “I agreed to no such thing.”
As we turned, I caught sight of Tia and Santo swaying together on the other side of the ballroom. My daughter’s head rested against his chest, her eyes closed with contentment as Santo looked down at her with adoration.
Santo truly doted on my little girl. Whatever doubts had driven me to Greece had evaporated upon seeing them together. They were genuinely in love. At least something good had come from this trip.
Then my eyes fell upon Katalina cutting a path through the crowd in a tight red gown. The little bitch had been tormenting my daughter since she arrived in Greece.
I broke Aris’s hold, drawing a low sound of protest from him. It didn’t matter. I would go over there and check that girl.
Then the ballroom plunged into darkness, and the music stopped, causing startled cries from the guests. A rectangle of white light from a projector appeared on the far wall.
Before anything appeared on the screen, strong arms grabbed me from behind. Aris’s distinctive cologne enveloped me as he maneuvered me through the crowd despite the darkness. The man must have night vision.
“Aris, what are you doing?”
“Come with me.” Not a request.
I should’ve pulled away. Should’ve done literally anything except let this man guide me through the darkness like I was his to command.
Soon we were in the lobby. I shot Aris a questioning look as he steered me toward the exit.
“We can’t…”
His mouth crushed mine, demolishing my protests before they could form. He kept me close as we moved outside, his lips never leaving mine until we reached the waiting vehicle.
The door closed behind us, cocooning us in leather and darkness. I broke away only long enough to ask, “Did you stage the blackout to kidnap me?”
Laughter rumbled in his chest. “I wish I had. I merely took advantage of opportunity.” He lowered his head again, his lips brushing mine.
I kissed him back even as my mind screamed that this was wrong.
“This has to be the last time,” I insisted against his mouth, crossing a line I’d sworn never to cross again.
“The last time.” His words ghosted across my skin.
Then his hands slid to the straps of my dress, yanking them down roughly to bare my breasts before he buried his face between them. His lips and tongue devoured the soft swells, sucking greedily on my nipples, nipping and laving until I moaned for more.
The car came to a stop too soon. Aris pulled back, his breathing ragged as he helped me adjust my dress.
We crossed the lobby with his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. The elevator doors had barely closed before he had me against the wall, his mouth claiming mine again.
The ride up seemed endless, our kisses growing more desperate with each passing floor.
When the elevator finally opened directly into his apartment, we tumbled inside. The lights illuminated luxurious furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the glittering Athens skyline.
My heels sank into the thick carpet as I took in the elegant space, but all I could focus on was the massive bed dominating the room.
Aris braced me against the wall and dropped to his knees, lifting my flowing skirt. When he discovered my thigh-high stockings, he cursed in Greek.
He dug his fingers into the material and began tearing it off. Every rip sent jolts of excitement through me.
When he finally had my legs bare and my shoes off, his lips traced a blazing path along my calf. His tongue dragged up my inner thigh before he reached where I needed him most.
A stifled cry escaped me, and I grabbed his head as he gripped my hips, holding me still.
“Aris—” His name broke on a moan when his mouth finally closed over my mound. He didn’t tease. Didn’t hesitate. He devoured my pussy while his free hand rose to pinch my nipple through the fabric of my gown.
I came with a choked cry, my back arching off the wall as he lifted my leg over his shoulder, opening me wider. His fingers dug into my ass, holding me in place while his tongue worked me through every tremor.
When he finally rose, his mouth glistening, his eyes dark with satisfaction, the wall around my heart gave way.
I loved him.
The thought slammed into my consciousness. This wasn’t just physical. It hadn’t been for weeks.
“Fuck.” I grabbed his face, kissing him hard, tasting the truth I couldn’t speak aloud. The flavor made my head spin.
He fumbled with the zipper of my gown, letting it pool at my feet while my hands were already at his belt. The fabric whispered against the carpet as I stepped free, naked except for the gold bracelet still clinging to my wrist.
Aris shoved his pants down enough to free his cock. It was thick and flushed, the tip already beading. I sank to my knees and took him in until my throat fluttered around his length.
He let out a harsh, guttural rasp, his fingers tangling in my hair as I hollowed my cheeks and pulled back slowly. I took him again. Deeper. The way he liked it.
His hips jerked, his control fraying with every wet, obscene sound I made. When his thighs tensed, I didn’t stop; I swallowed around him as he came with a curse. I swallowed every salty drop.
Aris stepped back, his gaze never leaving mine while he undressed. The jacket hit the floor, followed by his cufflinks. He unbuttoned his crisp white shirt one by one, revealing the powerful expanse of his inked chest.
Despite having seen it numerous times before, my breath held at the sight of the intricate tattoos swirling across his shoulders and arms, and continuing down one muscled leg. He was a masterpiece of strength and sin, and for one more night, he was all mine.
Before I could verbalize my appreciation, he was on me, pulling me toward the bed. The cool sheets hit my skin as he flipped me onto my back, but did nothing to temper the heat of his body as he loomed over me.
His hands slid under my knees before he pushed my legs up and back, folding me nearly in half. The stretch was delicious; the vulnerability intoxicating. His cock pressed against my entrance, and I arched into him with a whimper.
Aris wrapped his fingers around my throat with just enough strength to make me feel the delicious threat of his control. “You will take every inch of me, agápi mou, yes?” he murmured, his voice rough with promise.
My eyes burned. This was the last time. It had to be. After tonight, I’d never feel this again—never feel him again. Never hear that endearment from his lips.
I wanted to memorize his weight above me, the stretch when he filled me, the way his accent thickened when he lost control. Soon memory would be all I had, and I already knew it wouldn’t be enough.
His free hand found my nipple, pinching hard enough to make me whimper before his mouth replaced his fingers, sucking hard. Then Aris thrust inside, filling me in one brutal stroke.
I cried out, my back bowing off the mattress, my legs trembling.
The sensations—his cock filling me to the brim, his teeth grazing my sensitive peak, his fingers tightening around my throat—sent me spiraling.
I could feel my orgasm building, something deeper and more intense than anything I’d ever experienced.
“Aris—I can’t…”
The words dissolved into a broken moan as his hips snapped against mine, his rhythm punishing. My muscles locked, my breath hitched, and then a rush of warmth flooded between us, soaking the sheets beneath me.
My eyes flew open in shock. “Oh my God—did I just—?”
The girls had talked about squirting—Michelle especially, always oversharing after her third glass of wine—but I’d never...
Embarrassment burned through me as I tried to scramble away, but Aris held me in place.
“Aris, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make a mess.”
His dark chuckle sent a tremor through my core.
“Do not apologize.” His voice was thick with male satisfaction.
“You know how fucking beautiful this was, yes?” His thumb brushed my clit, sending aftershocks through my oversensitive body.
“This, it is what I do to you, moro mou. This is how good you feel.”
I stared at him, stunned, aroused, and mortified all at once. At forty-two years old, I thought I knew my body. Thought I’d experienced everything.
Aris proved me wrong.
“You will do this again before I am done with you, yes?” he promised, leaning down to capture my mouth.