Chapter 12

12

T he next night they went out in a big group. Though Apollo loved having her to himself, it was becoming clear that they were going to try to stay together and that meant becoming immersed in each other's lives. Paige already got along well with Melina and now he wanted her to meet some other important people in his life. His closest friend in Greece, Xristos, wanted to meet her, as well as a handful of other friends. He wished Sophia wasn't being such a bitch, but after Melina spilled the beans about her ex-boyfriend yesterday, she'd kept her distance. Even without Sophia and Giorgios, though, they were a big, noisy group that settled across several tables at George's Steak House in Glyfada .

"We eat family style here," Apollo whispered in Paige's ear as Dimitri began to order .

"It sounds like he ordered enough to feed an army," Paige whispered back, chuckling when Thespina ordered a beer .

"He did." Apollo chuckled too. "And wait till she gets tipsy—it's a hoot ."

Paige had been a little nervous about being with a large group of Apollo's friends and family, especially since most of the conversation was in Greek, but when the waiter brought an order of something called saganaki, she forgot all about that. It was a kind of cheese that was melted and fried, and when the waiter poured some kind of alcohol on it, setting it on fire, she was enthralled .

"Oh my God!" she whispered. "That looks amazing !"

"You have no idea." Apollo cut a section off the seared cheese and put it on her plate. "Go on—take a bite ."

Paige did and had to close her eyes as the flavor sent her taste buds into culinary nirvana. This took the idea of mozzarella sticks to a whole new level and she let out a slow moan of delight .

"That's almost how you look when I make you come," Apollo murmured in her ear .

She glanced at him with a grin. "And it's almost that good—damn, it's probably a good thing you're coming to the U.S. instead of me living here… I'm going to weigh a thousand pounds by the time I get home !"

"Nah." He nibbled her neck. "We'll work off those calories in the bedroom ."

She flushed, but it was a happy feeling, and she settled in with the group, suddenly feeling like she belonged. Maria and Dimitri laughed and joked, behaving much differently than they had the other day at dinner. Tonight they were relaxed and very much a couple, holding hands and occasionally whispering as they looked into each other's eyes. Melina and Xristos were obviously good friends, enjoying casual banter and switching back and forth from Greek to English. Thespina was by far the life of the party, keeping everyone in stitches as she told stories half in English, half in Greek .

Then the food arrived. From the most basic—French fries—to the meatballs Apollo had told her about, she couldn't seem to try everything fast enough. It was the meatballs that did her in, though. She couldn't even describe the flavor—garlic and onions and meat so tender she wanted to moan. They were bigger than Italian-style meatballs and oval shaped; she'd never seen or tasted anything like it. Though she protested when Apollo dropped five on her plate, she ate every crumb. Along with Greek salad, more saganaki , French fries sprinkled with cheese and some kind of fried eggplant that made her mouth water. There was bread, pita and tzatziki , along with beer, wine and soda. She ate until she could barely move and then looked at Apollo apologetically .

"I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to get naked tonight," she whispered in his ear. "I think I'm going to explode ."

He chuckled, brushing his lips across hers. "That's okay, koukla . We can wait till morning ."

When the waiter brought out complimentary watermelon, she took a bite, surprised at how refreshing it was. "This is the best food ever," she sighed. "I may have to move here just for that ."

"You like the food better than you like me?" he pretended to pout .

"Not a chance—but it's close!" She laughed as he nuzzled her cheek .

"You two are pretty disgusting," Melina said with a smile .

"I don't think I've ever seen you quite so enthralled with a woman," Xristos said in Greek .

Apollo shrugged. "Well, it was time, eh ?"

"Speak English!" Melina nudged Xristos. "You speak just fine !"

"My accent—is bad!" He shook his head .

"If Yaya can speak English," Apollo pointed out, "you can too !"

"English!" Thespina held up her beer and laughed, letting out a loud burp as she did .

"Maybe it's time to go home and leave the young people to have fun," Maria said with a wry smile at her mother-in-law's antics .

"Yes, is time," Dimitri nodded, getting to his feet .

Maria, Dimitri and Thespina left and Melina leaned back with a grin. "Let's take her to Lake Vouliagmeni—it's beautiful at night and we can have a drink or a coffee ."

"I don't think I can eat or drink anything," Paige moaned .

"It's beautiful and romantic," Melina winked. "It's actually the remnants of a cave after the roof collapsed. The waters are supposedly therapeutic and during the day it's part of a spa. In the evening, they light up the walls of the rock on the opposite side of the lake—it's stunning ."

"I'd forgotten about that place," Apollo admitted .

"'Cause your wife was thousands of kilometers away," Xristos chuckled .

"There is that!" Apollo laughed. He looked at Paige. "You want to go ?"

"Sure." She nodded. "It sounds wonderful !"

Paige and Apollo left on his motorcycle while Melina took Xristos and Thanos, one of her and Apollo's cousins, with her. Paige wrapped her arms around Apollo's waist tightly, turning her head to the side so she could rest it against his back as they rode alongside the darkened beaches. It was eerie but beautiful at the same time and she realized that as frightening as it was to think about moving to Greece, she was going to miss this. There would be no motorcycle rides like this, no amazing Greek food, and definitely none of the carefree summer nights. Though she knew realistically winter had to be different even if they stayed here, she couldn't imagine being anywhere else, with anyone else, doing something that wasn't this . She was so immersed in Apollo and this life they'd somehow built in just over a week, she didn't know how she would leave him .

"You okay?" he asked as he pulled to a stop at a red light, glancing back at her .

"I'm wonderful!" she whispered, holding him tighter .

"Me too." He closed one hand over one of hers that was clenched around his waist .

They got to a large but somewhat dark parking area and Apollo locked up their helmets in the trunk on the back. Then he grabbed her and pulled her against him, finding her lips with his. It was both tender and animalistic, his mouth somehow doing things to hers that left her feeling exhilarated, frustrated and aroused beyond belief. She was panting, her fingers digging into the leather jacket he wore as she tried to pull him closer .

He had no idea what had her so turned on tonight, but her eyes had been brighter than usual at dinner and on the way here she'd clung to him as if she would never let go. Now she was kissing him with unbridled heat, her tongue so deep in his mouth he could barely keep up with her .

With his cock shifting into high gear, the sound of another car pulling into the gravelly lot made him pull back even though he didn't want to. Her whimper of distress told him she didn't either, but there was no help for that now. He put a hand on her cheek, looking down into her eyes, and whispered, "A couple of hours, baby, and then I'm going to make this up to you ."

"I don't know what came over me," she flushed, looking up almost guiltily .

"Me either," he grinned, "but I hope you keep it up !"

She glanced down at the erection poking through his jeans. "Me too !"

They laughed softly, and he paused to adjust his zipper before draping an arm across her shoulders and moving towards Melina, Xristos and Thanos. Joking and laughing, they made their way inside, finding a table near the water. Paige was once again mesmerized, staring at the beautifully lit scene before her. There was a lake she could barely see, but on the other side, the remnants of the cave resembled a mountain with colored lights illuminating it from the bottom. The dock and deck area seemed to make a semicircle, giving the lake shape and allowing visitors to feel immersed in the lake and the caves, even though it was completely open .

As they settled into chairs around a table, she was once again overwhelmed with the thought that she would have to leave soon. No matter how many times she tried to tell herself she was jumping into this, her entire being rebelled against it. She was meant to be with Apollo; it didn't make sense, but sometimes things didn't. That didn't make them wrong. In fact, in her mind, it made them better. Her life with Apollo had started three years ago and they'd foolishly almost lost it. This time, she had to do better. She didn't know how, but she refused to let this fall apart without doing everything she could to make it work .

Staring across the table as Melina and Xristos laughed and told jokes, she suddenly felt part of something real. This might have started out as an adventure, but it had become much, much deeper than a holiday fling; this was her husband and these people were going to be her family. She could feel it right down to her bones and for the first time since she'd discovered they were legally married, she was ready to accept it. She had a thousand questions, a hundred concerns and probably a dozen issues to resolve, but the moment she looked at Apollo's relaxed, happy face, she couldn't imagine doing anything differently .

"So I got a message from Mick today," Apollo was saying, snapping Paige back to the present. "He's going to come to Athens for a few weeks before he starts a new project in Santorini ."

"Mick's coming to Athens?" Melina blinked, looking slightly startled .

Apollo cocked his head. "Yeah—you guys always got along, didn't you ?"

"Yes, of course, I just…haven't seen him in ages." She took a sip of her coffee .

"He and I were roommates at Yale for four years," Apollo explained. "He's still one of my closest friends—like the brother I never had ."

"He's a lot of fun," Melina said with a smile. "I went down there a few times for Apollo's birthday and other special events and that boy can drink !"

"I seem to recall you getting pretty shit-faced as well," Apollo chuckled .

She flushed. "Well, we were in college—what was I supposed to do ?"

He laughed. "It'll be good to see him ."

"Where does he live?" Paige asked .

"Technically, San Francisco, but he's been in Prague and Tokyo the last couple of years, and now he'll be starting a project in Santorini. He only gets home during the holidays. He loves his work and has moved up the corporate ladder quickly ."

"What does he do ?"

"Architect," Apollo said .

"Good one," Melina said lightly, glancing at Paige. "I've followed his work online and he's really talented ."

"I look forward to meeting him," Paige said, wondering why Melina looked so strange. It was the first time she'd ever seen her sister-in-law look out of sorts and she couldn't help but wonder if Apollo's sister had a crush on his best friend; it wouldn't be the first time something like that had happened. Apollo seemed oblivious, moving on to other subjects while Melina stared off into space .

"So you're really going to move to the U.S.?" Xristos asked him when Paige and Melina went to the ladies' room .

"Why not?" Apollo asked, leaning back in his chair. "She's amazing and I love her. It might be a little crazy, but we only have one life to live—why not have as many adventures as possible ?"

"Are you sure about her?" Thanos asked quietly .

Apollo frowned. "You mean, am I sure she's not after my money or that she won't slice my throat while I sleep ?"

Thanos chuckled. "Perhaps. I just meant, are you sure she, and the U.S., are what you want ?"

"I want her, no doubt about that ."

"And the U.S .?"

Apollo sighed. "My father did something really unnecessary and although I think I could work past it, it feels like this was a sign that it's time for me to do something new. Paige is nervous about moving here, and I understand that. She's a woman and she would be here all alone. No job, no money of her own, and she doesn't even speak the language. I not only speak English, I have degrees from a prestigious university I have my own money, and friends I could turn to in case anything ever happened. It's a lot scarier for her. If we can do this in the U.S. for a couple of years, it will give me time to boost my professional résumé and reputation, teach her some Greek, and give her time to truly trust me. I think it's a fair trade ."

Thanos nodded. "You're right—I hadn't thought about it from her perspective. If it was my sister, I'd be dead set against it ."

"Exactly." Apollo took a sip of coffee. "I'm going to miss you guys, though. My family…the beach ."

"You never see the beach," Xristos said dryly. "All you do is work. Maybe America will be good for you ."

"You'll work even more in America," Thanos interjected. "They don't get much vacation there, not like we do here ."

"I haven't had more than a few weeks' vacation in two years," Apollo shrugged. "We own the company and my father hasn't been able to work so there was no way for me to leave ."

"Just make sure she's the one," Thanos said quietly. "She seems lovely—beautiful, educated, smart, and very sweet. But is that enough ?"

"Is there anything else?" Apollo asked curiously .

"Compatibility beyond the bedroom ?"

Apollo just smiled. "I think I've got this under control ."

I t was late when they got home and even later when they finished making love, but Paige couldn't sleep. Her mind raced with thoughts about leaving Las Vegas, actually living life as a married woman—as Apollo's wife, no less—and moving him thousands of miles from his family. Intellectually, she knew one of them had to make the move but she couldn't help the guilt she felt that it would be him. Technically, he had the better job, owned a home and had more money, but she would be taking the bigger risk. However, the latest development with his father had changed the plan and it was eating at her .

Sliding out of bed, she slipped from the room and down to his office. It was 3:30 here, which meant it was 5:30 in the afternoon in Las Vegas and her mother would most likely be home getting dinner ready. She walked out onto the balcony and sank into one of the chairs as the phone rang .

"Hello?" Her mother's cheerful voice made her smile .

"Hi, Mom ."

"Paige!" Angela Carter sounded pleased to hear from her older daughter. "Goodness, I've been a little worried! You went off to Greece and then said you were staying longer… Are you okay ?"

"I'm fine." Paige sighed, closing her eyes as she leaned back. "I have so much to tell you, Mom ."

"You met a man." Her mother's voice practically crackled with amusement .

"I met him three years ago. He's the reason I came to Greece ."

"Really." Her mother sound perfectly calm .

"Why don't you sound surprised?" Paige asked suspiciously .

"Because although I didn't know when, where or who, I had a feeling the reason you could never truly get excited about Tom was because there was someone else ."

"I couldn't get excited about Tom because he's not exciting," Paige grunted. "And he doesn't understand adventure ."

"I didn't realize you were so adventurous ."

"It's not that simple." Paige paused, took a deep breath and told her mother everything. When she finished, she was exhausted and ready to sleep, but she had to answer her mother's questions .

"I have to admit this is not what I was expecting to hear," she said gently. "You've been married for three years and too afraid to find out for sure? Paige, that's so unlike you! And this young man—Apollo? Are you sure, Paige? I mean, really sure ?"

"Surer than I've ever been about anything, to be honest ."

"Well." Angela hesitated. "It seems to me I'd like to meet this husband of yours ."

Paige smiled. "But what do I do, Mom? He's been trying to convince me to move here and that makes the most sense—financially anyway. But now he's willing to come to the States with me and it feels… wrong ."

"In what way ?"

"He makes the money—what if he can't in the U.S. and blames me for making him go or ruining his career or — "

"You aren't making him do anything. The change in plan was because of what happened between him and his father. He can't put that on you, no matter what happens ."

"You don't sound upset," Paige said hesitantly. "Like you wouldn't mind either way ."

"I want you to be happy and every time you say his name, your voice changes…you sound like a woman who's found her place in the world. I don't know how else to explain it ."

"But won't you miss me ?"

"Of course!" Her mother burst out laughing. "But there are planes—in both directions—and what makes me happy is seeing you and your sister happy. Let's be honest, Paige—your entry-level corporate job in the sales department is nice but it doesn't make you happy. You should be doing something else, something that allows your brilliant mind and enormous heart to shine !"

"Mom, if I move to Greece I'll be a stay-at-home wife—not even a mom 'cause we're not ready for that yet !"

"If you move to Greece you're going to find a way to help Apollo with the shipping company, just like you did the other night. Didn't you say you helped him close that deal ?"

"That deal was going to close no matter what, so my presence was superfluous ."

"Nonsense. His father set up a test and not only did he pass with flying colors, you did too, even though no one expected you to be part of the equation ."

"If he moves to the U.S. we'll have to move to L.A. or San Francisco and I'll probably get another entry-level position, which won't be any fun ."

"It sounds to me like you want to move to Greece," Angela said lightly .

"I do but …"

"But what, sweetheart ?"

"I'm kind of afraid ."

"Your dad and I are always just a phone call away. There is nothing that would stop us from either sending you the money to leave or coming to get you. No matter how far away you are, you'll never be alone, Paige. We're always here for you ."

Paige felt tears sting her eyes. "I know. I just… As much as I love him, I still feel kind of dumb, like I'm lost in this spring break fantasy and trying to recapture something that should've ended more than three years ago ."

"Then why are you still there? Why did you extend your trip, all but move in with him, risk your job by asking for more vacation time, and already form a bond with one of his sisters and his grandmother? This sounds very real to me, sweetie. You just have to find the courage to do the right thing ."

"How do I know what the right thing is?" Paige asked softly. "For me to move here or for him to come to the U.S .?"

"That's between you and him." Angela paused. "But trust your gut. You're a smart girl and if you really love each other, you'll figure this out ."

"I love you, Mom ."

"I love you, too ."