A steward appeared as we approached, saying something in Greek. Aris responded in the same language, his voice taking on a more authoritative quality.
“You sound different when you speak Greek,” I observed.
“Different how?” he asked, guiding me forward.
“More... authoritative. There’s a musicality to it, but it sounds powerful.”
Greek is language meant to be commanded, not merely spoken,” he said with a smile. “Perhaps I will teach you few phrases.”
He led me through the main salon, and I tried not to gawk at the furniture, artwork, and panoramic windows reflecting our images against the darkening sea.
On the aft deck, the staff had transformed the space into something out of a romance novel. Candles flickered in hurricane lamps, casting a warm light across white linen. Wine chilled in an ice bucket and covered dishes waited on the sideboard.
But the view—the lights of the coastline curving away to the left, the vast darkness of the open sea to the right, and above, a canopy of stars impossibly bright against the deepening blue—stole my breath.
We settled at the table as night claimed the sky. Aris served me first, revealing grilled octopus glistening with olive oil, delicate dolmades, and sea bass that had been caught just hours earlier.
The wine caught the candlelight as he poured; its pale gold shimmer matched the distant shoreline lights. We talked as easily as we ate and drank, the conversation flowing without awkward pauses.
“You built your marketing agency from nothing?” he asked, looking impressed.
“From less than nothing.” I set down my wine glass. “I was eight years old when I entered foster care. Bounced around a lot before I was sixteen. I worked night shifts for several years as a nursing assistant and after my divorce began taking psychology classes during the day. People told me I was being unrealistic when I mentioned starting my company. They said I should be grateful for my steady work and health insurance, but I had a daughter watching me. And I’d be damned if I was gone teach her that other people get to decide what she’s capable of.”
Aris didn’t say anything right away. Just watched me over the rim of his glass. Most people rushed to fill that silence, but he didn’t. I appreciated that.
“Your daughter, she is fortunate to have you.”
I smiled, reaching for my wine again. “She’s got her own dreams now. Working on them this summer, actually.”
We kept talking about my work, about raising children who believed in themselves, and about how damn hard it was to let them go when everything inside you screamed to keep them close. The food disappeared, the candles burned lower, and the night wrapped around us.
When we finished eating, I stood and moved to the railing, taking in the view stretching endlessly before me. “It’s breathtaking,” I said, feeling rather than seeing him approach.
He moved behind me, close enough to feel his heat without him touching me. “Yes,” he agreed. “Breathtaking.”
I leaned back, letting my shoulders brush against his chest. “Are you always this smooth?” I asked, trying to sound amused but hearing the undercurrent of need in my own voice.
His hands spanned my waist completely. “Only when I am properly motivated.”
I turned within his arms, looking up at his face. “And what’s your motivation tonight?”
“To learn every sound you make when you come on my cock.”
I couldn’t stop the sharp inhale at his words, or the moan that followed when he dragged his mouth along my jaw and down the side of my neck. I gripped his shoulders to anchor myself to his solidity.
“I’m not looking for anything serious,” I warned.
“Suits me perfectly.” His teeth grazed my earlobe, and Lord help me, I couldn’t contain another moan.
Aris slid down my zipper with agonizing slowness. The tangerine dress loosened around my shoulders, and he peeled it away, drawing the fabric up until it gathered above my head.
With a final tug, he swept the fabric over my head and let it fall. I stood before him completely naked, except for my heels.
“Theó mou,” he breathed. His eyes traveled down my body, taking in every inch. “You obeyed.”
“I did, and I expect you to make it worth my while.”
He shrugged out of his shirt, then pulled me against him. Skin to skin. I gasped at the contact, enjoying the feel of his hard chest against my softness.
