Scorned (5 page)

“Yes. Wear a damn bra!” he shot out before opening the car door and leaving me more enraged than I already had been.

Like I care! Just because we’re in his country, didn’t mean he had become my rhyme or reason. I wasn’t going to bend over and let a man give me orders about what I wore or couldn’t wear. Didn’t he know me already? I wasn’t to be trifled with because I would do the total opposite.

His villa sat atop a hill with a breathtaking view of the magnificent Acropolis far ahead. It had a massive pool and a beautiful garden with all sorts of roses of different colors. The blossoms’ intoxicating fragrance added to the setting. Dimitris’s home was grand and beautiful. I stood there, appreciating everything, but couldn’t help thinking that he probably had chosen this home for Claudine, or maybe they chose it together.

Thea, the sweet, aged woman who told me she had been Dimitris’s nanny since he was a baby, greeted me kindly, but there was something about the way she looked at me that made me uneasy, like she was measuring me up or something. Knowing Dimitris told me that it was only his grandfather that knew about our marriage, I found it odd for Thea to be acting this way. Maybe she liked Claudine and thought I was usurping her? By the way she spoke about Dimitris, or
Kýrios to them—the master of the house.
It didn’t take much to know that she was simply in awe of him.

“
Kýrios
told me to put you in this bedroom. His is right over there, the last one to the right.” Thea pointed out kindly, her accent made me warm to her. She reminded me of those ladies that ran the taverna’s along the shores of Aspasia during my summer here last year. They were amazing and loving women.

The room overlooked the garden and I was delighted for the thoughtfulness of Dimitris. Though he may hate me, he still remembered how much I liked the smell of flowers.

“Someone will be here shortly to bring you your things, along with some refreshments.” Thea bid me goodbye then, while I stood there, feeling at a loss.

Everything felt different this time in Greece. Last year, everything was new to me and I was very much excited about everything. Now, I really felt like I didn’t belong, as if I shouldn’t even be here.

Seven days. How hard could it be? I was almost assured that it’d pass by in no time and then I would be back home to live my life as Lindsey Mason, newly divorced and single.

Chapter 6

I was on the nice settee in the garden, watching the sunset with a glass of chilled white wine when Dimitris found me. He was dressed in white chinos, a polo shirt that matched his eyes and soft-leather Italian loafers.

“Kalispéra,” he greeted formally as he joined me, taking the seat next to me prior to pouring himself a glass of wine. He waited until he took his first sip before he started talking to me again. “So, how do you like my new home?”

Why, you want to rub that you and Claudine are getting serious or what?
I thought loathingly, looking away. “It’s nice,” I murmured, not able to help the biting tone it came with before continuing with more bitterness. “I’m sure Claudine loves it.”

“I’m sure she will, when she sees it.”

That made me look at him, frowning. “She’s never been here?”

He looked at me, dead-panned. “No, this is the first time I’ve brought her back, due to my parents’ persistence of wanting to meet her.”

Interesting. Mommy and Daddy were getting involved with his love life, big shocker there. I’d bet his mother followed his love life to a T.

“Ready?” he asked, standing up, offering his hand towards me, but I ignored it. Touching him after the incident on the jet was risky business.

Reaching over to the other seat for my purse, I was disconcerted to find him suddenly almost against me, eyes wild.

“Go upstairs and wear a bra, Lindsey!” he hissed. His eyes kept flicking at my breasts then back into my face.

“It’s not even that obvious. Stop staring at them because you’re making it obvious. Besides, I didn’t bring one.” I was wearing a silk-chiffon dress that had a slit up the side with triple lining across the breasts, so it was safe to say that I could pass without wearing a bra. Of course, Dimitris was probably hunting down the outline of my nipples. They were harmless; I didn’t know why he acted as if they were going to cause an uproar. Seriously.

“We’ll remedy that problem very soon.” He started walking and I followed silently behind him, uncaring of his foul mood.

I waited until we were inside the limo and stuck in traffic before I confronted him about it. “Quit being such a baby. If they bother you too much, just don’t look at them. It’s that simple.”

He stopped reading his messages on his phone and slid it inside his pocket before facing me. “Do whatever you like. It’s not like my needs or wants ever mattered to you anyway. It was always you. ‘
Me this. Me that.
’ You’re a selfish brat, who grew up not caring about other people. Go ahead and rebel all you like. I can’t wait to be rid of you after this week is over.”

My twitchy palm smacked across his cheek. My hand was tingly from the impact as we stared each other down. I wasn’t going to apologize because he deserved it. He didn’t know my life, so how dare he accuse of me being brat. “Don’t you dare start with me, Kosta!”

He rubbed the spot where I slapped his skin, burning. “Apologize to me now, Lindsey!”

“Dream away,” I shot back, ready to tackle him.

“I will as long as you’re not in it because, if you are, it wouldn’t be a dream. I would call it a nightmare,” he gritted out, eyes flashing icily at me.

“I’m a nightmare?
You’re calling me a fucking nightmare?
How dare you!” I grabbed my purse and smacked his shoulders with it. I knew I was going crazy, out and beyond postal, but I couldn’t seem to stop it. Dimitris just kept pushing my buttons and I wasn’t going to let him win.

He brashly pushed me against the seat, my head pressing against the door while his hands were holding mine with a death grip.

“You need to learn restraint because—” He was hissing at me before pausing, eyes on my heaving breasts. When I looked down, I was doomed when I saw that my dress shifted, exposing a nipple, attracting his attention. My ears were ringing while my heart accelerated at the sight of Dimitris, knowing that if he touched me, I was done for.

He swore something in Greek before lowering his head to capture it, letting his tongue tease the pebbled form. Encouragingly, I arched my back, letting him have his fill, moaning while his other hand started to push the other cup to the side, exposing my other breast.

It was a maddening case to want a man and yet hate him all at the same. Maybe that’s why it was exciting. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t stop him even if I knew I should. Dimitris felt too good to resist. My body didn’t lie. It had missed the Greek’s touch.

With my eyes shut, I barely noticed when he hoisted me up, making me straddle him; his lips, tongue and teeth glued to my breasts while my hands raked his hair, pushing his head against it, slowly rocking my hips against his rigid length as it pressed against my crevice. “Dimi…” I trailed off, lost to the world; not even caring that though the windows were tinted and a separator existed between the driver and us, he could still feel the rocking motion I was making.

“More,” I demanded, unabashed by my very aroused state.

I was bewildered when Dimitris let go of my breasts, looking around, noting that the car was slowing down. Quickly, he fixed my dress before looking at me, with something close to confusion written across his face. Although, I couldn’t pin down exactly why at that hazy moment. “We’re almost there,” he murmured before I slowly slid off his lap, missing the hard heat of him already.

“What do you want to do about what just happened?” he asked, reaching out for my hand before kissing it and linking it with his.

Weren’t we just having fun? Why was he getting all serious about it? “Nothing. Why?”

“Nothing. Nothing really comes to mind,” he said, before kissing my hand and delivering it to my thigh, leaving it there.

I glanced at him, giving him a tight smile before looking away.

“Did you call your boyfriend yet? Let him know that you arrived safe?” he asked before I saw the villa come into view, making my stomach drop and turn into knots.

He knew Brody’s name and yet he never used it. Nonetheless, it irritated me on certain levels. “Yes, I did make a quick call.”

“What an amazing girlfriend you are; thoughtful,
loyal
…
honest
,” he angrily gritted out.

“You’re one to throw accusations. You were with me all the way a few minutes ago. You wanted it just as much as I did. If you’re feeling guilty about Claudine, then that’s
your
problem,” I finished before the car came to a full stop.

Dimitris moved to open the door, halting halfway before he darted me a cutting look. “I wasn’t referring to Claudine. I was referring to you, my biggest mistake in life—marrying you when I shouldn’t have because my heart was following a deceptive path, but not any longer. I see you for what you are,” he coldly said, opening the door to let us out.

His words hurt. I wanted to explain myself, at least make him understand, but I knew it was too late to even do that. Deep down, Dimitris hated me, just as I despised him. I guess, on that score, we’re finally meeting eye to eye.

A butler greeted us, leading us towards the salon where everyone was apparently enjoying an aperitif before dinner was served. I was expecting a formal, stuck-up, pompous type of family, but much to my shock, I found an informal atmosphere. Boisterous laughter was shared between an old man and a middle-aged man, who I’m guessing were the grandfather and Dimitris’s father. It didn’t take much since, the men sort of looked the same; the signs of aging were the only thing that separated them. They shared the same facial structure, skin coloring and those same glow-in-the-dark eyes. Intimidating didn’t cut it for me.

“Kalispéra. This is Lindsey Mason, a friend of Emma and Bass. She’s here for a week before the couple comes to get her after their mini vacation at Bass’s island is over.” He pointed towards an elegant looking woman, full of life as she came over and kissed both of my cheeks.

“Welcome to our home, Lindsey. I’m Maria, my son’s gorgeous mother. Can’t you tell? Like mother, like son.” She reached out and pinched Dimitris’s cheek before looking back at me with pure delight. “What can we get you to drink? Is champagne to your liking?” she offered, buoyant, while I was startled by the guilt that was sinking into me, making me feel like a fraud.

Smiling timidly, I responded to her question, “Champagne sounds perfect, thank you.”

His father came next, introducing himself as Leonidas before shaking my hand and urging me to sit opposing the composed looking Claudine. The old man who sat next to me on the loveseat, held out his hand, introducing himself, “I’m Elias, but you can call me Pappou.”

“Pappou?” I nervously asked before thanking Dimitris when he handed me a champagne flute. He nodded and then sat next to Claudine, kissing her on the cheek.

“Grandfather,” Elias said, winking at me then glancing towards the couple who sat across us, noting how Claudine was lit-up like a Christmas tree next to Dimitris.

When a staff member came to announce that dinner was served, I was relieved to escape from the almost-interrogation from Elias. As much as I wanted to ignore Dimitris, I couldn’t help noticing how he treated her like he used to treat me last year. He even went and pulled a chair for her before he took the seat next to hers, across from me.

Was I jealous? Yes, and I wanted to murder Dimitris on the spot. Wasn’t it less than an hour ago that I was on his lap while he toyed with me? However that had been my fault. I was being a cheap slut, allowing myself to be enslaved by my body’s demands instead of seeking what my brain was advising me to do.

Commanding myself to enjoy the delicious meal even though I wanted to throw the lamb chops across the table, I at least took the effort to join the conversation the other adults were having. I was doing okay—no, scratch that, I was managing fine—before Dimitris decided to feed Claudia some delicacy.

“Good, isn’t it?” He was smiling down at her while she agreed like an idiot, looking flushed.

Thank goodness, Maria engaged me in conversation before my rage blew like a geyser and God help me if that ever happened.

“Are you in University, Lindsey? How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?” She was so gentle, but she definitely had fire. It was hard not to like her.

“Twenty-one. Yes, I am in school. I wanted to be in the medical field, in research mostly, but now I’m not too sure.” Ever since last year, my heart hadn’t been in it any longer. Even though I was still getting excellent grades, the passion behind it was gone. I’d been drifting since.

“How impressive. You must be very intelligent. Your boyfriend doesn’t get intimidated by that?” Maria was easy to converse with and I was glad that I was talking to someone that distracted me from the show in front of me.

Maria simply assumed that I had a boyfriend. Instead of correcting her, I decided against it. Well, since Brody and I had been messing around more lately, I guess he somewhat was, in a way. “He doesn’t mind. I grew up with him so he knows me very well. He’s a patient man.”