Stay With Me (28 page)

A
FTER THANO LEFT
the bathroom, I dashed out of the closet and into his room. Shit! My clothes were in the bathroom but I wanted to hear why his mother was here. Seeing one of Thano’s T-shirts, I slipped it on.

What in the world was his mother doing here? Was this a common thing for her to just show up?

Oh. My. Gawd!

What if we had been in the bedroom having sex and not the shower? She would have walked in on us. I already felt like I was walking on the edge with her.

“Masturbating is a very normal thing, Athanasios.”

Taking a few steps back, I slammed my hands over my mouth to keep my laughter in. She thinks Thano was masturbating in the shower!

Tears were forming in my eyes as I fought like hell to not lose it. I could only imagine Thano’s face right now.

“What?” he practically shouted.

“It’s not the first time I’ve caught one of my boys in the act. It’s perfectly normal . . . ask your father.”

Stumbling back to the bed, I grabbed a pillow and buried my face in it as I laughed my ass off.

“Mama! Really I don’t need to hear this and I wasn’t masturbating!”

My head lifted as my eyes widened.

He wouldn’t.

“Athanasios, please, I understand I was young once.”

Thano moaned and I covered my mouth again.

“It’s not like that.”

“She’s a very beautiful girl, that Kilyn.”

I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.

“There is no reason to be ashamed that her body makes you feel things.”

“Mama! Please stop talking.”

Standing, I sunk my teeth into my lip and stood over by the door.

“Now, she could stand to drop a pound or two.”

My mouth gaped open as I looked down at myself. What the hell? I weighed a healthy one hundred twenty-four pounds for my five-foot-three body!

“Oh, Jesus Christ,” Thano mumbled.

I took a step away from the door when I heard his mother walking.

“You do not use the Lord’s name in vain, or I’ll put a bar of soap in your mouth.”

Frowning, I shook my head. She does realize her son is a grown man . . . doesn’t she?

“Mama, I don’t know how to tell you this but I’m almost twenty-nine. You can’t wash my mouth out with soap anymore and Kilyn is perfect. And why are you here?”

The silence that followed had me chewing on my thumbnail.

I heard Katerina take in a deep breath. “I needed to make sure you were sure this time.”

My heart stopped I was positive.

“Sure of what?”

“Kilyn.”

Oh. Shit.

“I know with Savannah you were trying to prove a point with her not being Greek. I won’t lie and say I’m a bit disappointed you’re not with a Greek girl.”

“Mama, can we talk about this tomorrow?” Thano pleaded.

“No. I need to know if you are with her for the right reasons. I actually like this girl. She’s funny and you can see she has a love for life. Now don’t get me wrong, I adored Savannah. She grew on me after a while, but this Kilyn O’Kelly. There is something about her that I like.”

My hand covered my chest as I felt it tightening.

“Mama, she’s here right now.”

Closing my eyes, I shook my head and cursed under my breath. Just when I had the Greek mom on my side he goes off and blows it!

Katerina’s voice quivered before she attempted to lower her voice. “Wh-what? Kilyn’s here?”

“Yes. She’s in my room.”

“Oh, dear. So that wasn’t you . . . oh . . . I need to sit down.”

“Let me go get her.”

What! No! No! No! Don’t go get me! Are you insane?

Spinning around, I scanned the room. Where could I possibly hide? Frantically running around the room, I spied a pair of Thano’s sweatpants. I started to put them on when I heard Thano talking again.

My head snapped over to the door when I heard it open. I lost my balance, causing me to stumble and run smack into the dresser hitting my head straight on.

“Kilyn! What in the hell are you doing? Are you okay?”

Thano rushed over to me as I rubbed my head and moaned. “I hit my head.”

Kissing my forehead, he chuckled. “What were you doing?”

“Trying to put your sweats on and then I panicked because I knew you were going to come get me and I hadn’t gotten all the way dressed.”

He placed his hand on the side of my face as I leaned into it. His smile somehow calmed my nerves instantly.

Helping me up, Thano reached down and tied the strings on his sweatpants.

With a sexy-as-sin smile, he said, “You sure look adorable in my clothes.”

Feeling my cheeks heat, I looked down. Thano placed his finger on my chin and lifted my eyes to meet his. “Oh, ladybug, how I love you.”

My hands came up to his forearms were I balanced my shaking legs. Smiling, I replied, “I love you.”

He motioned with his head for us to head out to the living room. Somehow, I knew as long as I had Thano by my side, there wasn’t anything I couldn’t face.

The moment we stepped out into the living room I braced for one very angry mother to call me an Irish leprechaun-loving whore.

What happened next surprised the hell out of me.

Katerina smiled a big bright smile and clasped her chest. “Oh, thank God he wasn’t masturbating!”

TWO MONTHS LATER

Pulling the glass dish out of the oven, I smiled.

“That smells so good!” Claire said as she clapped her hands and did a little hop.

I set the glass dish on top of the stove and stared at my creation.

Galaktoboureko.

My heart quickly began to beat faster. “What if I forgot to add something? Does it look like it’s supposed to look? Oh, God!”

Claire laughed and pushed me, causing me to stumble slightly. “When did you start becoming such a freak?”

Turning to look at her, I blew the piece of hair that was hanging over my eyes. “Since Thano’s mother welcomed me into their very Greek family! Sometimes, I feel so out of place.”

“Nonsense, I’m sure they love you, Kilyn.”

With a shrug, I jumped up and sat on the stool . . . staring at the Greek dessert I had made for dinner tonight over at Thano’s parents’ house.

“We’ve only been officially dating for two months so I don’t think we can say they love me. They tolerate me is more like it. And that’s only because of Thano. I swear, if his grandmother tells me I could stand to lose a few more pounds as she is pushing food at me I may scream.”

With a chuckle, she replied, “It’s worth it though right?”

My body warmed as I thought about Thano. “So very worth it. The sex is beyond amazing.”

Claire giggled. “I was thinking more along the lines of he makes you happy, you’ve finally found your happily ever after, you know, something sappy.”

My heart squeezed in my chest as I let out a very dramatic sigh. “Thano always tells me I pulled him out of the darkness. He has no idea how much he did the same with me. I honestly never believed I’d find someone I wanted to fully open my heart to.”

“I see the way he looks at you. It makes my heart happy.”

Looking down, I closed my eyes. “Sometimes I feel like I’m dreaming. It’s all happened so fast, and I try so hard not to overthink things, but sometimes I wonder if I deserve his love.”

“Hey, look at me, Kilyn.”

With a heavy sigh, I lifted my eyes to hers.

“Why in the world would you think you don’t deserve his love?”

My lips pressed tightly together as a tear slowly made a path down my cheek. “I see the way he looks at me sometimes when we are making love. I can’t help but let my imagination run wild.”

Claire frowned, “How does he look at you?”

Shrugging, I responded, “I don’t know. Like he wants to do more but he’s afraid. I think he is a lot more dominant in the bedroom than he leads on.”

She wiggled her eyebrows and said, “Meow. Why does that sound so damn hot? Damn, girl, I’d be all over that shit.”

Laughing, I shook my head and looked away as my face heated.

“Oh, no. What are you thinking about?”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I blurted it out. “I let him tie me up last night!”

Claire gasped. “Shut the hell up! You did?”

Opening my eyes, I nodded like a little schoolgirl while I chewed on my thumb. “Yep.”

She quickly sat down on the stool next me and gave me a wide-eyed smile. “And? Don’t leave me hanging. Did you like it?”

“I was so unsure at first. He started off by only tying one hand and made me hold the other hand up. But once he started and told me I couldn’t touch him . . . oh my goodness, Claire. I have never been that turned on in my entire life.”

“Oh. Oh, this is good,” she said while rubbing her hands together. “What did he do to you?”

“Played.”

Her mouth dropped open. “That’s all you’re going to say? Played how? With his hands? With his mouth?”

“Both!” I said before we both fell into a laughing fit.

We sat there and giggled like schoolgirls as I told her how Thano made me come with just his touch on my body.

Claire dropped her head back. “Oh, God! Why isn’t Blake part Greek?” Lifting her hands to the sky, she cried out. “Why? Why?”

Walking in to the kitchen, Blake asked, “Why, what?”

We both jumped up and said, “Nothing.”

Blake gave us a disbelieving look while his gaze bounced between the two of us. “What are you two up to?”

Glancing over to the stove, I saw my dish. “Shit! I’m going to be late! I have to go.”

Claire jumped into action and grabbed a lid to put over the galaktoboureko and then slipped it into a warming bag.

Throwing my purse over my shoulder, I took the dish and smiled. “Wish me luck!”

“You’ve got this! They’re going to love it!”

With a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I made my way out to my car. Setting the Greek dish down in the passenger seat, I pulled out my phone and sent Thano a text.

Me: I’m on my way.

Thano: Did you make it?

I let out a sharp breath.

Me: Yes. I hope I did it right.

Thano: You did, ladybug. Don’t worry.

Not being able to help myself, I smiled. I imagined Thano’s velvety voice calling me his favorite pet name.

Me: Leaving Claire’s now. Are you there?

Thano: Yep! Be careful driving. Love you.

Me: Okay, love you back.

Turning the key, I started my car and headed over to Thano’s parents’ house.

The entire drive over there I kept giving myself a pep talk. I knew how to cook. I simply followed the directions and made it. How hard could it be?

Shit. Maybe I should have made a test one first and tasted it. What if it tasted like ass?

Oh. God. I could hear Thad and Nicholaus, now, saying it tasted like leprechaun ass.

The urge to slam on my brakes was strong, but before I knew it, I was pulling up and parking. There were a ton of cars.

“What in the hell?”

I watched as a whole family, a husband, wife, and three kids, walked into Thano’s parents’ house.

Reaching for my phone I hit his number.

“Deep breath in. Deep breath out.” Closing my eyes, I counted to twenty.

“Hey, are you here?”

Gasping for air, I asked, “You said it was a family lunch.”

“What?”

“Lunch, Thano! You said we were having lunch with your family. In my feeble Irish mind that meant, your parents, your Yiayia, and your brothers. And maybe . . . just maybe if I was lucky . . . one of your brother’s would have brought a girl.”

“Ah . . .”

Rolling my eyes, my head dropped to the steering wheel.

“Phoebe’s here. Does that help?”

I gasped. “Ohmygawd! Are you serious? Thad brought her home?”

“Yeah, and I’m sure she would really love to have you in here since she is the newbie now and not you.”

Nodding my head, I squared off my shoulders. “I’m coming in!”

“That’s my girl! I’ll meet you at the door.”

By the time I got out of my car and around to the passenger side, another couple with two young kids walked up. Lifting my hand, I smiled and called out, “Hello!”

They kindly returned the gesture, but kept right on walking.

With shaking hands, I walked up to the door. Thano was talking to the guy I just waved to.

“Man it’s been a long time, Marios. How have you been?”

The man laughed. “Busy. Eva is pregnant with twins.”

I couldn’t but notice how Thano’s face lit up. “No Kidding! Man that’s great! Congratulations.”

When he looked over Marios’ shoulder, he flashed me that beautiful smile of his that made my stomach feel like I had a group of dancing butterflies in it.

Slapping Marios on the shoulder, he quickly made his way over to me. With shaking hands, I held up the galaktoboureko.

“You delivered it! It was made by your hands and my mother will love that! Come on she’s in the kitchen.”

Please let it be good. Please, dear Lord, let it be good!

We snaked our way through all the people and finally ended up in the kitchen. It was packed full of women. My eyes widened in shock. Katerina was standing at the stove stirring something in a pot as was Yiayia.