“Much.” Her eyes closed. “When Bronson connected you to Olympus Motors, I thought it was over.”
“I should have seen this coming, yes. I should have prepared for possibility that he would figure out who I am when he mentioned my cousin.”
“Well, it backfired on his ass.” A satisfied smile curved her lips. “Douglas and Maxwell got all excited talking cars with you afterward.”
I brushed my lips against the inside of her knee, then let my fingers work higher, mapping every soft place that made her breath catch. “You were brilliant today, agápi mou. Absolutely brilliant.”
Dede threaded her fingers through my hair. “I’m a woman of my word, Aris.”
“Are you?” I asked, moving my lips higher along her thigh, tasting the shea butter on her skin.
“You helped me get this contract, so I’ll consider marrying you.”
My hands stilled. “What else is there to consider?” I looked up at her. “This weekend, it proved we make great team.”
“After my divorce, I promised myself I’d never marry again.” Her voice grew serious. “I only married Kevin because Mama Nettie pressured him when I got pregnant with Tia. It looked bad for her foster daughter to be pregnant by her son.” She drew a breath. “If I do this again, it needs to be my choice. It needs to be done right.”
Of course, she had a choice. The choice was obvious: marry me. The fact that she couldn’t see the logic was... frustrating.
“How do you suppose I convince you?”
Her hands went to the waistband of her slacks, and she lifted her hips to pull them down. The movement was intoxicating, revealing inch after inch of smooth skin.
“By reminding me last summer wasn’t a dream.”
My breath held as more of her was revealed to me. I could see the curve of her belly where our children grew, the way her skin glowed in the soft lamplight. I wanted to strip her bare and taste every inch of her, but I forced myself to wait.
“Are you sure? Because when we cross this line, agápi mou, there will be no one else. No going back.”
“I know.” She whispered. “Help me.”
I took over, sliding her slacks the rest of the way down her legs, then her underwear, baring her completely to me.
Théa mou.
Gripping her ass, I pulled her to the very edge of the sofa and draped her thighs over my shoulders. The position put her glistening heat on full display as I settled between her legs.
“Look at you.” My thumbs spread her lips wider, my mouth watering. “You are masterpiece, Dede.”
I pressed a kiss to the inside of her thigh, then higher. She whimpered when my tongue dragged through her folds in one long, slow stroke. I groaned against her.
She tasted exactly as I remembered. Like last summer in Athens when I’d worshipped her body on white sheets under moonlight. Like mine.
Five months without her had been too long. I would never let her go again.
Her clit was swollen, begging for attention, and I wrapped my lips around it, sucking gently before flicking my tongue over the sensitive bundle.
Dede’s fingers clenched in my hair. “Oh, Aris—”
Her hips rolled up to meet my mouth, and I flattened my tongue, lapping at her. I savored every sound she made, the way her body tensed beneath me. When she was close, I redoubled my efforts, sucking her clit between my lips and swirling my tongue in circles.
“Aris, I’m—fuck—” Her voice broke as her body bowed off the sofa, orgasm crashing over her.
I didn’t let up, drinking down every shuddering pulse, every desperate moan tearing from her throat. Only when her legs went limp, her chest heaving, did I pull back enough to press a kiss to her inner thigh.
Dede looked down at me. “You’re trying to kill me.”
“No, agápi mou. I’m trying to marry you.” I crawled up her body, bracing my hands on either side of her head. “And if this is what takes to convince you, then I will spend rest of my life on my knees.”
