Irresistible Greeks: Unsuitable and Unforgettable: At His Majesty's Request / The Fallen Greek Bride / Forgiven but not Forgotten?. Jane Porter
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have some work to check on, just real quick, and then … and then we can do whatever we want. Because that’s what we’ve decided to do, isn’t it? Whatever we want for the next month.”
He smiled at her and her heart felt like it tightened in on itself. She could do a month. A month was short enough. Short enough that he wouldn’t start wishing she could be a million things she could never be.
ANYTHING he wanted turned out to be much more low-key and much less in bed than she’d imagined it might be.
Stavros took her on a tour of the ruins just outside the city, and then down to the open-air markets to shop. The market ran just outside the boundaries of the packed harbor, small stalls crammed between buildings, the ocean just beyond them.
Stavros could have taken her anywhere in Piraeus. To the more modern quadrants of the city, to exclusive boutiques with cutting-edge fashion.
But he’d taken her here. Because he knew what she liked. He understood what she enjoyed. She did her best to ignore her constricted lungs and turn her focus to the items for sale.
There was an eclectic mix of trash and truly exquisite treasure on offer. Things she would have found at an average yard sale in her home town, fresh seafood and antiques all mingled together. She bought a necklace fashioned from fishing line and glass beads, and earrings made from old coins.
“It’s certainly vintage,” Stavros said, eyeing her purchases later at an outdoor restaurant.
“Yes, most definitely.”
“You need a pallas to go with it.”
She pulled her necklace out of the bag and held it up so that the afternoon sun filtered through the glass beads. “All right, what’s that?”
“The traditional draped dress. It would look beautiful on you.”
“Not my typical style though, draped clothes.”
“No. Not at all.” Today she was in a full white skirt that went down past her knees and a red button-up top. All very crisp and tailored.
“It makes for an intriguing thought.”
“Yes, but you don’t like my clothes.”
“No, I like your clothes very much, it’s just that I find them a distraction. And now that I have permission to be distracted … well, I like them even more.”
Her cheeks heated. He made her feel … he made her feel so new. Like this was fresh. Flirting, and eating together. The anticipation of sex. And she was anticipating it. Big-time. She smiled and looked down at her plate.
She ignored the little hint of fear that pooled in her stomach. If she felt so close to him now, what would happen after? She really hadn’t ever been a fling girl. She’d been one and done. She’d met her husband right out of high school, and he was the man she’d married.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
He reached over and took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her face up. “What?”
It was hard meeting his eyes. Intimate, suddenly. “I’m happy. I haven’t … enjoyed anything like this in a long time.”
“I haven’t, either.”
“Stavros, why is this marriage so important to you?” She wasn’t sure where the question came from, only that it seemed essential, suddenly. “I mean, I know why you need to do it eventually. But it’s more than that, I can tell. I just … want to know why.”
He frowned. “I’m the only one, Jessica.”
“I know.”
“When Xander left, everything was chaos. My father was a wreck, my mother was gone. Eva was just a child. There was only me. My willingness to step in. I was a teenager, but just that show of strength and solidarity, and the years I spent after building up the economy, that made the difference. I need everything to be as it should be. I need it to have balance and order. I want it to.”
“And Victoria will help with that.”
“Victoria is only a piece of the puzzle. I’ve been setting all of this in place for years.”
“I know,” she said, looking away from him again. “Plans … I wish sometimes that some of mine had worked out. And sometimes … I’m glad they didn’t.”
Really, today was the first time she was honestly glad to be in a different place. With a different man. She hadn’t loved her ex for years. But very often she’d longed to go back to a time when she did love him.
A time when her life had been full of possibilities. Instead of a time when so many of her dreams had died.
“Mine have to work out,” he said. “For my people.”
“Has Xander officially abdicated?”
“No. And he won’t until after my father dies, which doesn’t look like it will be soon. I am thankful for that.”
“But you’re playing chess,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“I actually suck at chess, but I have a brother who plays very well, and he used to talk me into playing when we were younger. I could never win, because I was always responding to his moves. He knew all of his moves from the beginning. And he had back-up maneuvers just in case I failed to be predictable, but mostly, he just followed the strategy he’d had since the opening move. You already know your checkmate.”
He laughed and placed his hand over hers, his thumb blazing a trail of heat over her skin as he moved it back and forth. “But this is a move I did not see making.”
“Do you regret it? Because we haven’t done anything we can’t take back.”
He shook his head. “I don’t. I should, I’m certain of that. This is unfair to you.”
It was her turn to laugh. “How? I’m not some young, inexperienced girl. I’ve been married, I’ve been divorced. I’ve done love and loss. I’m a bit too cynical to get hurt by a temporary affair.” She hoped that was true. She’d certainly believed it of herself before she’d met Stavros. Before she’d started caring for him.
How had that happened? He was so far removed from her. A prince, for heaven’s sake. And a client. They shouldn’t connect on any level. Yet, she felt like he was the one person who had a hope of understanding her. She felt she understood him. How had he started to matter so much?
He nodded. “I know. But your husband hurt you. I don’t want any part of that. Of hurting you.”
She forced out a laugh and lifted her wineglass to her lips. “By that logic, you should worry about yourself. Yes, he hurt me. But I hurt him, too. Marriage is a two-way street, and very rarely is everything the fault of one person. I’m capable of breaking a man’s heart, Stavros, so perhaps it’s me who should be giving you an out.”
“I don’t have a heart to break, Jess.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“When have I had time to worry about my feelings? I have to take care of Kyonos. While my father took his rage and grief out on Xander, while Xander wallowed in his guilt, someone had to push it aside and stand up. I have made it my mission to never allow emotion to dictate what I do. It has no place in me.” His eyes met hers, the blankness in them frightening. She was so used to his charming glimmer that seeing him now, flat, empty, made her feel cold. The problem was that it rang far truer than the charismatic charm ever had. As though this was really him. The real depth of him. “It is what I must do, to be the best king I can be. To be better than my