“Tia, we’re engaged,” he reminded me, gesturing to the diamond. “We are serious. I want us to have a place of our own. Here. In Athens.”
I withdrew my hand slowly, needing space to think.
“Chrys, my life is in the States. You have a large family, but my mom only has me. Plus, I’ve only been here three months.”
His jaw tightened. “And in two weeks, you’re supposed to leave. Fourteen days, Tia.”
“It’s not that simple—”
“Actually, it is,” he interrupted. “You either want to be with me or you don’t.”
“That’s not fair. You’re asking me to give up everything.”
Chrys’s jaw tensed. “I would move in a heartbeat if I could. But that agreement with my father—”
“I know,” I said tiredly.
His expression softened as he reached for my hand again. “We’ll visit your mother often. Buy her a house here. Anything.”
My heart twisted. I wanted to say yes, to leap without looking as he did. But the ocean between my old life and this new one seemed impossibly wide.
“I just need more time,” I whispered, hating how his face closed off at those words.
“Time,” he repeated, the single word carrying the weight of his frustration. “Of course.”
I watched the disappointment shadow his face, and I couldn’t bear it. Reaching across the table, I recaptured his hand.
“But time doesn’t mean no,” I said softly. “And it certainly doesn’t mean I don’t want you.”
His eyes lifted to mine.
“What if we start with something… temporary? A rental? While I figure things out?”
His irresistible, panty-dropping smile returned. “A rental,” he repeated. “With a big bed.”
I laughed, feeling the heaviness between us dissolve. “With a very big bed,” I promised, leaning forward to kiss him properly.
On the drive back, Chrys placed his hand on my bare thigh, his fingers stroking my skin. The contact sent waves of heat through my body despite the cool air from the open convertible top. By the time we made it back to the estate, I was ready to drag the man into my bedroom.
Only the moment we stepped through the ornate front doors, a maid approached us. “Mr. Christakis, Miss Massey,” she said quietly, “you’re requested in the study immediately.”
My stomach dropped. At this hour? Nothing good ever came from a late-night summons.
“Let’s go.” Chrys’s hand tightened on mine as we made our way to the study.
When the door opened, I saw Katalina. She was red-faced and teary-eyed, looking broken. One look at her teary face, and I knew she was on some bullshit.
Beside her stood her father, a man I’d only briefly met during the time I stayed at their family’s home. His face was as red as his daughters, only with rage rather than misery.
I looked beyond them, and my stomach sank when I realized they were ringed by the entire Christakis family. Their expressions were somber and unreadable.
Domna was seated between Irida and Kayla on the couch. It seemed like Chrys’s grandmother was holding back tears and I wondered briefly if someone died.
“I demand you marry my daughter,” Kat’s father barked at Chrys, clenching his fists as if prepared to follow up on his speech with a visual demonstration of his ire.
What?
I might have been confused, but Chrys was amused, at least on the surface. His laugh was dismissive and harsh.
