Going over everything one last time, I gather everything I’m going to need for our meeting, including my big girl panties and five-inch heels, and head over to Aris’s office. His secretary has rescheduled me twice now, so hopefully this meeting sticks. I could’ve told Kostas the games Aris is playing, but I almost think that’s exactly what he wants me to do—run crying to my husband, who I know will tell Aris to stop his shit. So, I haven’t told Kostas anything, except that I’m, as Aris said, ‘Getting my ducks in a row.’
“Talia, how are you?” Carlene, Aris’s secretary greets me.
“I’m good. How are you?”
“Ready for five o’clock to come.” She laughs good-naturedly. “I have a date tonight.” She winks playfully, reminding me of my friends back in Italy. Maybe Carlene and I can hang out some time. “Mr. Demetriou is ready for you. Just go on back.”
“Thanks, Carlene. Have fun on your date tonight.”
When I get to Aris’s door, it’s slightly ajar, but I still knock, not wanting him to give me another lecture on business etiquette.
“Come in.”
When I enter, he stands and gives me a sincere smile. I swear the man is bipolar. “Have a seat, Talia. I can’t wait to hear what you have for me.”
Against my better judgement, I have a seat, and Aris sits back in his. I hand him my business projection binder—I made three copies—and he starts flipping through it. He stops at the restaurant name but doesn’t ask questions. Unlike Kostas, he’s not educated in Greek mythology, so he won’t get it. I wait with bated breath as he flips through the pages until he gets to the end. Then he closes it and grins.
“I see you’ve come more prepared, Talia. This is great work. We’ll need to make a copy for Hilda—”
“Actually, I made one.” I hand him one of the other copies I made, and he chuckles.
“Very good.” He types something on his laptop and then the printer starts up. He grabs the papers and hands them to me. “These are the billing instructions and credit card info. Everything gets charged to this card, unless it’s over ten thousand, then it needs to be submitted and I’ll use our business account.”
He circles the information, then says, “Your estimated opening date is at the end of August. That’s only eight weeks. We’ll need to meet every couple weeks to make sure you’re on track to finish on time. We can’t open the reservations if the work isn’t going to be completed on time.”
Mother. Fucking. Asshole. Of course he wants to meet every two damn weeks. So he can kill me with kindness.
Not letting him see that my blood is boiling, I plaster on my sweetest smile and say, “Sounds good.”
After we finish our meeting, I head straight over to the restaurant to take another look at the place and begin placing orders. If I’m honest, this part of the hotel is my favorite. Unlike the other parts of the hotel, which are built up with pools and gyms and walkways, this side has a more natural feel to it. The trees cover the entire area, giving it privacy. Nora had started designing the area, so there’s a few hammocks hanging from palm trees, which overlook Mirabello Bay. While I’ve been working on designing the restaurant, lying in these hammocks has become my new favorite pastime.
After spending the next few hours calling various places to get things scheduled, I call the contractor I’ve chosen to confirm a walkthrough with him and his team. I need to make sure everything can be done in time.
“Tomorrow at noon is perfect,” Mr. DeSantis says.
“Thank you. I will see you then.” Just as I’m hitting end on our call, a masculine voice speaks into my ear, and I jump slightly in the hammock, almost tipping it over.
“There’s my wife,” Kostas says, his voice deep but playful. “I was beginning to forget what you looked like.” He leans down and gives me a soft kiss. “Were you planning to come home tonight?”
I glance at my phone and see it’s already almost six o’clock. “I didn’t realize how late it was. And you just saw me this morning…in bed…naked.”
Kostas leans against the wall that separates the hotel from the bay. “I can’t help that I can’t get enough of my wife.” Kostas hits me with a boyish grin, the one I’m beginning to think he saves only for me. It never ceases to amaze me how Kostas can be so cruel and cold one minute, and then turn around and say something so sweet.
“Who were you speaking to on the phone?” he asks, changing the subject.
“The contractor. We begin construction on Pomegranate tomorrow.”
Kostas smirks wickedly at the name of the restaurant. Of course he gets it. “That’s what you’re calling it? Pomegranate.”
I climb out of the hammock and step in between Kostas’s legs. “It seems fitting.” After all, pomegranate was what the Greek god, Pluto, of the Underworld conned Proserpina into eating to keep her by his side for all eternity.
“I would happen to agree with you. Come, wife, I’m taking you to dinner.” He grips the curves of my hips and pulls me in closer, his lips finding mine. My body sinks into his and he deepens the kiss before he pulls back and whispers, “And then I’m going to have you for dessert.”
Kostas
It’s been a week since construction started on Pomegranate. A week too long of losing my wife to the leering stares of workers as she flits about bossing everyone around in a way that gets my dick hard. She fought me on working late tonight too, but I pulled rank and told her we’re dining with my family whether she wants to or not.
“You don’t have to be so smug about it,” she sasses from the passenger seat.
I reach over and grip her silky, tanned thigh just below the hem of her sparkly navy dress. “About what, zoí mou?”
She shakes her head but doesn’t push my hand away. I smirk as I pull into the driveway at my father’s estate. Aris’s gray 911 GT2 RS sits parked crooked in front of the six-bay garage. It makes me want to park close enough that Talia’s door dings the car he adores. In the end, I’m an adult and choose to park directly behind him instead to block him in.
“Close enough?” Talia asks, laughing.
“He worships that stupid Porsche. He’s lucky I don’t do worse just to fuck with him.”
She simply smirks and climbs out. I follow after her, drinking in how goddamn hot she is today. After being on site all day, she’d scrubbed away the grime, ditched the jeans, and dolled up for me. Her long blond locks hang in messy beach waves down her back, nearly coming to her ass that has my full attention. The dress is just short enough on her long legs to seem risqué. I’m torn between wanting her to change and demanding she bend over so I can see what color panties she’s wearing.
I do neither because Aris steps out to greet us. One look at the proximity of my car and the murderous scowl on his face is enough to send satisfaction thrumming through me. My pleasure at his annoyance is cut short when he rakes his gaze up and down my wife. She stalls to a stop. I prowl up behind her and wrap a possessive arm around her middle.
Aris, the little bitch, laughs. “Calm down, killer. I wasn’t checking out your wife. I was thinking she and Selene must have shopped at the same boutique for their dresses.”