That was a lie. My business could be run from anywhere in the world as long as I had internet access. I just needed to put an ocean between myself and the man sitting next to me before I did something stupid.
Aris loosened his grip, and his fingers slid upward, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. My breath hitched as he skirted the edge of my dress until his fingers finally reached the apex of my thighs.
A slow burn bloomed across my skin, spreading like wildfire, and just like that, I was wet. How did this man still have this power over me? Even now, when everything about us was forbidden.
“Will you come to the gala, Mom? Please?”
Three pairs of eyes locked onto me. Four, if I counted the amused gleam in Aris’s that told me he knew exactly how cornered I felt.
“Well...” I stretched the word out, searching for an escape hatch that didn’t exist. “I suppose I could attend.”
Tia clapped her hands, while my stomach did somersaults. All I could think about was the impossible challenge of spending an entire evening as Aris’s ‘guest’.
The Acropolis Museum’s grand hall had been transformed for the gala, its marble gleaming under chandeliers. Servers circulated with trays of tiny phyllo pastries and glasses of champagne, while Greece’s elite moved through the space in designer finery.
I allowed the charming hotelier to twirl me around the dance floor, grateful for the excuse to escape Aris’s presence. Even from across the room, I could feel his eyes on me.
It had been like that all evening. His possessive gaze tracked me everywhere while I feigned interest in meaningless conversations.
When he detached himself from Dimitrios and moved toward me with that smooth, unhurried stride, I knew my reprieve was over. He spoke to my dance partner in rapid-fire Greek, and immediately the man apologized before stepping away.
“What did you tell him?” I demanded as his hands found my waist and drew me into the dance.
“I told him you were with me, yes?” His tongue traced a fast, scandalous flick at my ear. “Mine.”
The possessive claim sent a powerful current cascading through my body.
“I’m not yours,” I reminded him, keeping my voice steadier than my pulse. “I never was.”
His broad hand splayed across the small of my back, fingertips tracing the bare skin revealed by my new golden gown.
“You are goddess tonight,” he said. “Aphrodite, she would envy this dress on you.”
“Stop,” I warned, though my body betrayed me by leaning closer. “We agreed this was over.”
“Did we?” he countered, his deep voice carrying that overbearing confidence. “I agreed to no such thing.”
As we turned, I caught sight of Tia and Santo swaying together on the other side of the ballroom. My daughter’s head rested against his chest, her eyes closed with contentment as Santo looked down at her with adoration.
Santo truly doted on my little girl. Whatever doubts had driven me to Greece had evaporated upon seeing them together. They were genuinely in love. At least something good had come from this trip.
Then my eyes fell upon Katalina cutting a path through the crowd in a tight red gown. The little bitch had been tormenting my daughter since she arrived in Greece.
I broke Aris’s hold, drawing a low sound of protest from him. It didn’t matter. I would go over there and check that girl.
Then the ballroom plunged into darkness, and the music stopped, causing startled cries from the guests. A rectangle of white light from a projector appeared on the far wall.
Before anything appeared on the screen, strong arms grabbed me from behind. Aris’s distinctive cologne enveloped me as he maneuvered me through the crowd despite the darkness. The man must have night vision.
“Aris, what are you doing?”
“Come with me.” Not a request.
I should’ve pulled away. Should’ve done literally anything except let this man guide me through the darkness like I was his to command.
Soon we were in the lobby. I shot Aris a questioning look as he steered me toward the exit.
“We can’t…”
