Chapter 7

7

T hey arrived at the restaurant at 8:25 and let a valet take the car. They were meeting at the five-star restaurant within the Hotel Grande Bretagne, and Paige felt a wave of nausea as Apollo took her arm. Dressed in the beautiful red dress with brand-new red heels that matched perfectly, as well as a new coordinating evening bag, she momentarily panicked. This wasn't her world and these were possibly the most important clients of Apollo's career. If she messed things up for him, she would never forgive herself .

"It's going to be fine," he soothed, taking her arm and leading her inside. "You're beautiful, intelligent and work in sales—that's essentially what this is. No one expects you to know about the shipping industry, so any thoughtful comments about business in general is the extent of what you'll need to contribute. I know you well enough to know you're smart and care about your career, so your sales and marketing knowledge can only be a bonus. Don't worry ."

"I don't want to screw this up for you!" she whispered. "And what's our relationship ?"

He smiled. "Since you don't have a ring, and I told them I was dining with a friend, let's say we had a college romance if it comes up and that we've rekindled it. That way, we're covered if I find it necessary to take you into the restroom and bend you over the sink !"

She nudged him with her elbow. "Not tonight, big guy—all you should be thinking about is closing this deal. And maybe—" her eyes danced with mischief, "—you'll get something like that later if you do ."

He kissed her full on the mouth, careful not to smear her lipstick. "Promises, promises ."

The Italian businessmen were already seated with their wives and Paige scanned them quickly. The older couple, Pio and Clara Carozo, were probably in their mid-50s and seemed both classy and austere. Clara was dressed elegantly but not overdone, and Pio wore a simple suit without a tie. The younger couple, Fabrizio and Maria Romano, screamed arrogance and new money. She guessed them to be in their late thirties, but it was hard to tell with the amount of makeup and obvious plastic surgery she'd had and his almost too-noticeable attempt to be casual and modern. Her dress was so low-cut her breasts nearly spilled out of the top and her lips had so much filler they didn't look right with her tiny nose and eyes that had already been lifted to the point they seemed to be squinting .

Keeping her smile friendly but reserved, Paige sat next to Maria and three seats down from Clara. They were strategically placed so that the couples were next to each other, but since the table was round they would be able to converse freely. Apollo was on Paige's other side and he rested his arm on the back of her chair as they ordered wine and exchanged pleasantries .

"What do you do, Ms. Carter?" Pio asked, genuine interest on his face .

"I work in the marketing department for a professional sports team in Las

Vegas," she replied, grateful she could pick up her wine glass and take a sip .

"The new hockey team?" Fabrizio actually focused on her now. "They just won a championship, did they not ?"

"They did." She nodded .

"Ticket sales must be soaring ."

She nodded again. "Absolutely. It's quite a feat for a team that's only been in existence for two seasons ."

"Did you study marketing at university?" Clara asked, her English slightly more stilted than her husband's or his partner's .

"I did. I love it ."

"Don't most American women go to college to find a husband?" Maria asked, her eyes almost pitying as she met her gaze .

"Maria…" Fabrizio murmured under his breath .

"It's okay." Paige pretended to think it was funny. "You're right—a lot of women go to college with the hopes of finding a husband. I come from a family of academics, though, so I had a bit more pressure to get the degree ."

"We dated long-distance in college," Apollo spoke up without warning, his voice completely level though a vein in his neck began to throb. "So she really didn't have the chance to go husband-shopping since she had a boyfriend ."

"But you didn't marry her," Maria pointed out, a smile playing on her lips as she blatantly looked him over .

"We had a disagreement," he shrugged. "I'm a year older and I was in an accelerated program, so I was finishing my master's while she was finishing her bachelor's. She had a job opportunity she wanted to take while I had to come back to Greece to start working in the family business. We were young and foolish, but I'm hoping to rectify that this time around ."

"Are you planning to move to Greece then?" Pio asked. "I'm sure your marketing background would be useful to Lakkas, International ."

"We hadn't discussed it," Paige began .

"She probably doesn't know the first thing about international shipping," Maria laughed. "And what woman wants to be involved in such a stodgy industry anyway? She'd be smart to get herself pregnant !"

"Actually, I find the industry fascinating," Paige said sweetly, ignoring the sarcastic insinuation that she wasn't smart enough to work for the company. "As I started to say before, we haven't discussed my becoming involved in the company itself, but just yesterday I was telling Apollo about my ideas for a new marketing campaign that could modernize their branding and capitalize on the fixed prices of the modified repurchase structure..." That was a lie, of course, but Maria was rubbing her the wrong way and she wouldn't stand for it .

Apollo almost choked on his wine, listening to her explain an idea she had to be coming up with on the fly. There was no way she'd had time to do any research and she'd spent maybe five minutes in the reception area of the office. Pio and Fabrizio were listening to her intently, obvious respect on their faces as Maria sat back in her seat with a huff .

After nearly 15 minutes of Paige holding court and completely selling his company—and her new branding ideas—to the businessmen, Apollo was ready to drop to his knees and ask her to stay with him forever. His spring break fling from Las Vegas was much, much more than a pretty face, sexy body and sweet personality. She was an absolute barracuda in business, and he knew without a doubt she'd just sealed the deal for him. Even though her ideas had nothing to do with their contract or the agreement they'd come to, it was beyond obvious that she'd impressed them enough to solidify the deal because he'd offered them a fair contract that came with a stellar reputation, and she'd somehow shown them that his company had a future .

"Can we talk about something else?" Maria muttered, raising her empty wine glass and looking at her husband pointedly .

"Of course, mi amore ." My love . Fabrizio hastily summoned the waiter and business discussion was dropped .

The waiter came to take their orders then and conversation turned to food and other topics. As everyone chatted, Apollo leaned over to whisper in Paige's ear, "You have no idea how much what you just did means to me ."

She gave him a quick, confused glance. "Are you sure it wasn't overkill ?"

"It was so perfect I could kiss you…" He pressed his lips to the soft spot behind her ear and smiled as she shivered. He was going to enjoy making love to her tonight, and that was all he could think about as the evening wore on .

B y the time they'd completed a five course meal, finished several bottles of wine, shared luscious desserts and sat around sipping brandy and cognac, it was clear that Pio and Fabrizio were on board for the deal. As they walked out to their waiting car and driver, Pio shook Apollo's hand .

"It's been a lovely evening. We are looking forward to working with you ."

"Thank you." Apollo shook his hand. "I look forward to it as well ."

" Bella ." Beautiful . Clara smiled warmly at Paige as she hugged her and whispered in her ear. "Whatever is problem with Apollo—you fix. He is good man; you will have excellent life together." She winked and got in the car .

Apollo shook hands with Fabrizio and Maria, and stood with his arm around Paige as their car disappeared down the busy street .

"You did it!" she whispered happily in his ear .

" We did it!" He turned to kiss her soundly on the lips .

"Is it really a done deal?" Her eyes shone with happiness for him. "I mean, is it possible they go home tonight and change their minds ?"

He shrugged as they waited for his car to come up. "Anything is possible, but not likely. Pio's been in the industry a long time and is known to be a straight shooter—tough as nails, but honest and fair. I doubt he would give me a handshake with a definitive answer and then jerk me around ."

"I'm so excited for you!" she said .

"Baby, it was all you." He bent to kiss her and she moved up against him .

"You've never called me baby before," she murmured .

"Don't you like it ?"

"I like koukla better, but with your accent, baby is really sexy ."

"Yeah?" His smoldering eyes met hers and he felt the twitch in his slacks that reminded him how badly he wanted her. "So when I make you come tonight, which one do you want me to use ?"

Her breath hitched in anticipation but she didn't break his gaze as she whispered, "Both of them ."

H e drove home on autopilot—although downtown Athens on a Saturday night always required at least a little concentration—thinking about all the different ways she'd made him happy in just two days. She continued to surprise him, and he wasn't sure why. He'd known she was special the moment they met, so his reluctance to admit that she was the one for him had to stem from a subconscious fear that she didn't feel the same. She wanted him—the sexual tension was practically palpable—but she was holding back. She still hadn't even entertained the possibility of staying in Greece, and that's what scared him. He knew two days wasn't nearly enough time to decide to spend the rest of your life with someone, but he couldn't imagine letting her go now that he had her back. Convincing her to stay would be something else entirely, though .

"Did you call Melina?" she asked as they drove. "You promised you'd tell her what happened ."

"I sent her a text," he smiled. "And told her I was taking the morning off unless Pio or Fabrizio called ."

"Are we sleeping in?" she asked innocently .

"We don't have to sleep," he shrugged. "But you're going to be tired ."

"I don't know what you mean," she pretended to look confused. "But I do need to make a phone call when we get home. If you want me to stay a little longer, I have to talk to my boss. I sent an email but he hasn't responded ."

"Of course," he replied. "You should take care of that right away ."

His plan had been to carry her up the stairs and ravage her, but getting her to stay in Greece longer was more important and he respected her wish to be up front with her boss. He wasn't sure what his plan would be if her boss refused and she tried to leave in two days, but if he had to, he'd get on the flight with her and spend a week or two in Vegas. Once this contract was inked, he'd deserve a week's vacation .

They walked inside and he led her to his office. He booted up his computer and told her to log in to anything she liked before he headed upstairs to give her privacy. He hung up his suit and lounged against the pillows on the bed, pulling out his phone to check messages; three from Melina, one from Tasos, and two from his mother. He would have to talk to his mother soon—he'd been avoiding her since Paige had arrived—but certainly not this late. It was after midnight and the only thing on his mind tonight was Paige. Though he desperately wanted to be inside her and make her scream his name a few times, it wasn't truly about sex. He just wanted to be with her, continue getting to know her and enjoying the little nuances that made her special. Sex would come; of that he was sure .

He heard her steps on the stairs and put down his phone, surprised to see her dejected face when she came through the door. She kicked off her shoes and threw herself down on the bed, resting on her stomach and folding her arms under her head .

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Weren't you granted any more time ?"

She made a face. "My fucking ex! Ugh!" She sat up, sitting back on her haunches and folding her arms across her chest .

"What happened?" He had an uncomfortable feeling in his gut, but didn't want her to see it .

"The way we met was through my job. The first week I started the team had an open house, where we invited local businesses and celebrities to a special evening. The players were all there and they turned on the charm, a total booze fest intended to sell VIP boxes and top-of-the-line season ticket packages. Tom was already a rising star accountant at his firm, and when one of the junior partners couldn't go because one of his kids was sick, Tom took his place. He zoomed in on me the moment he saw me and when I told him I wouldn't go out with him, he said he'd get his firm to sponsor a box in exchange for one date—no sex, no pressure, just that I would give him a chance and get to know him ."

Apollo shook his head. "And of course you said yes, because for a brand new employee in the sales department, that kind of sale immediately gave you status ."

She nodded. "And he's a genuinely nice guy. I'm not in love with him, but it's not because he's an asshole or anything… I just don't think he's the right guy for me ."

"That makes sense." He already hated this Tom guy, but the last thing he wanted to do was behave like a possessive jerk .

"Anyway, apparently Tom is trying that again. He's a junior partner now and he called today to talk to me. When he got my voice mail message stating that I'm on vacation, he called my boss and said that his firm was interested in two sets of premium season tickets—but the catch is that he and his partners want me to go in and personally make the presentation ."

" Ksekoliaris ," he muttered under his breath. Asshole .

"I don't know what that means, but it's probably not something I should learn this early in my Greek lessons." She tried to smile but couldn't quite manage .

"Just means asshole," he said gently, sitting beside her and reaching for the zipper at the back of the dress. "Come on, get comfortable and we can talk ."

"I'm not really in the mood anymore…" she murmured sadly .

"I didn't say anything about sex, did I? I'd have to be an idiot not to know that the mood is ruined for you ."

"I'm sorry." She sighed as he unzipped the dress and gently pulled it over her head. Even though she was in nothing but her panties and strapless bra, she barely noticed that she was half-naked in front of him; all she could think about was having to leave him in a few days .

"So what did your boss say?" he asked softly, leaning back against the pillows and bringing her with him so she could rest against his chest .

"That of course my personal and professional life are separate, but that these types of sales make management happy and could mean another nice bonus for me ."

He grunted. "How much of a bonus? I'll give you the money to stay !"

"About two thousand dollars ."

"That's it?" He shook his head. "You're definitely wasting your talent there, Paige. The way you wowed Pio and Fabrizio tonight, you should be running a marketing department at a big company somewhere ."

"I need a few more years of experience under my belt before anyone like that would hire me ."

"I'd hire you in a heartbeat ."

She smiled wanly. "You want to sleep with me ."

"I'd hire anyone who did what you did at dinner tonight ."

She just sighed again, nuzzling into his chest. "I don't want him to manipulate me," she whispered. "But I don't want to get fired. Even if everything fell into place and I could stay here forever, I'd want to leave my job like a professional—and a lady ."

Pride surged through him as he listened. Damn, she was something else. Though he wanted her to stay with him, he respected her desire to leave her job in good standing; that showed integrity and told him a great deal about who she was on the inside. He'd already sensed that about her, but hearing it made him want her even more .

"So how did you leave it?" he asked after a moment .

"I said that I hadn't used all my vacation last year and wound up losing several days, and that I felt Tom was trying to manipulate me into getting back together with him. He asked if I would consider coming back for the meeting and perhaps returning to Greece later in the summer." She rolled her eyes. "Not that he offered to buy me another ticket !"

"So you're being forced to return on Monday ?"

She nodded miserably .

"You know, sometimes you have to fight for yourself," he said slowly. "This morning, Pio and Fabrizio put me through hell. They asked every dumb question in the book and then came up with more ways to waste my time and delay the deal. Finally, I'd had enough and told them so. I explained that I would talk about the contract or answer specific questions about the deal itself, but otherwise the meeting was over. When I did that, Pio laughed, said he liked a man who stood up for himself or some such shit, and the meeting was over. Maybe they're testing you because they can. Is there a higher-up you can contact ?"

She frowned. "I have a good relationship with the team's general manager, who's essentially everyone's boss, but I think it'll piss off my immediate supervisor if I go over his head ."

"Your boss sounds like a greedy jerk who doesn't see what's happening here. If you and Tom remain broken up, is he going to force you to go out with him once a year so they renew their season tickets? You're setting a bad precedent going forward—and I'm sincere when I say that, Paige. I can easily afford to buy you a ticket to come back later in the summer if you truly want to get back to make this deal. But it feels smarmy to me ."

She nodded slowly. "It does to me too." She looked up into his face. "Thank you ."

"For what?" He looked surprised .

"Listening. Not judging. Giving me genuine, practical advice that not only shows respect for me, but also for my job. I know you want me to stay, but you didn't try to make me feel bad or tilt the situation in your favor. You're the most amazing man I've ever known." She leaned up so she could touch her lips to his just as he reached down to run his fingers through her hair. Their mouths came together slowly, eyes locked, breath getting shorter as they touched .

"Baby, if you start this, I'm not going to be able to stop," he whispered .

"I don't want you to stop. If I have to leave…we only have 48 hours left to make love and I'm not sure that's long enough ."

"I thought you weren't in the mood ?"

She flushed prettily. "My husband is such a great guy, I can't seem to help myself ."

"My wife is so incredibly sexy I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off her ."

When he kissed her again, it was with passion he'd been holding back for the entire three years since they'd last slept together. Now that she'd given him the okay, he was going to make every last second of their time together count, and he wanted most of it to be spent in bed .

H is kiss went through her like a spark igniting a flame, and she was fully prepared to burn. This had been a quietly simmering ember for more than three years and she was ready to turn up the heat. She loved him for respecting her and wanting to be a gentleman, but that ended now. Her frustration with her boss, with Tom, and with the sudden end to her time with Apollo left her aching for something only he could satisfy. This was so much more than sex, so much more than having an orgasm and definitely more than a spring break or summer fling. He was a piece of the puzzle of her life that made her complete. She'd known it the first time she'd met him and she knew it now. It seemed that fate would continue to conspire to keep them apart, but nothing could keep him out of her soul .

She reached down, running her hand along the erection poking out of his boxers and gently squeezed. His mouth was still greedily fastened to hers but she slowly moved away, pressing her lips to his skin and nipping little sections as she moved down his chest. The dark, wiry hair tickled her face but she could only inhale deeply, trying to memorize his scent, his taste, the way his muscles tensed beneath his skin when she touched him. She slid her mouth wetly down his stomach, fascinated by how flat it was and the neatly trimmed curls at his groin .

"Paige, is that something you enjoy?" he asked in a rough voice, his fingers threading into her hair and tugging lightly .

"I do with you," she whispered, gripping the elastic of his boxers and pulling them down when he raised his hips .

"Do you know how beautiful you are with your hand around me like that?" he asked, watching her slowly stroke him .

Her only response was to reach down with her other hand to cup the taut, heavy sacs beneath his throbbing penis. He shuddered against her as she toyed with them, squeezing a little and then running her fingernail lightly across the surface. She waited until he was breathing hard to lick just the tip of his cock, smiling when he trembled ever so slightly. Using both hands now, she stroked him until he was beautifully thick and erect. With patient precision, she traced the vein that ran along the top with her tongue, making him moan. She could feel the muscles in his thighs tightening as she moved over him, sucking gently on each of his balls with unhurried motions until he was shivering against her. When he growled her name, she kissed her way back up to the head and ran her tongue over the slit at the top. Keeping the pressure light, she watched his reaction as she let him slide in a little deeper with each stroke of her mouth. She sensed he liked it when she went faster, so she slid him between her lips with hard, fast bobs of her head. She alternated sucking and gliding her tongue along the soft, velvety skin until he started to tense. With her hands firmly around the base, she kept up a rhythm that made him groan. It seemed like he'd gotten bigger with each passing second and she knew he was straining to hold back .

"Not the first time, koukla mou ," he growled, pulling out of her mouth and dragging her up across his body so her lips were right against his. "When we do this, I want to be deep inside you, watching your face as we come together ."

"That sounds like a wonderful plan," she sighed .

He flipped her onto her back and covered her body with his. Digging both of his hands into the hair on the sides of her head, he pulled it up to meet his heated kisses. Their tongues clashed together, twisting and curling until they couldn't get any closer .

"So beautiful…so sexy…so mine." He panted out the words between kisses, nipping and licking her lips until she was gasping with need. Desperate to feel all of her, he lifted to his knees and used one hand to lift her torso as well. With one flick of his fingers he unsnapped her bra and tossed it aside, looking down at her breasts with sheer pleasure. They were exactly as he remembered; sweet round globes that fit perfectly in his hands, with raspberry nipples that puckered the moment he touched them. He lowered his head to suck one deep into his mouth, chuckling when she gasped and seized a handful of his hair .

"Still sensitive," he murmured, easing back and letting his tongue trace lines around the areola while he pinched the other nipple between two fingers .

"Oh!" Her chest arched up into his mouth and he sucked a little harder .

With each thrust of his tongue and pinch of his fingers, she got more and more sensitive, her breasts turning pink as he moved his hands, mouth and stubble over them. Enjoying the sounds she made as he did it, he took his time, not allowing her to move away or shift positions .

"Are you wet for me, koukla ?"

"Yes! Please!" Her chest was rising and falling rapidly .

"Soon, baby." He moved away, reaching for the foil packet on his nightstand and quickly sheathing himself. He slid between her parted thighs and ran his hands along the sexy, soft skin. She was bare now, unlike three years ago when she'd had a patch of sweet, light brown curls. He wasn't a fan of bare pussies, finding them reminiscent of girls instead of women, but he had to admit it was sexy as hell on Paige .

"You shaved," he whispered, kissing the crease of her thigh and then licking little patches of skin as he got reacquainted with her body. He'd only had the pleasure of going down on her once before but he remembered everything about it: her taste, her scent, and the exact spot that made her come. He'd save that for next time, though. Tonight, as promised, they would come together .

"You don't like it?" she asked, almost nervously .

"Normally I don't," he admitted, his eyes meeting hers. "But on you…damn, it's hot." He placed a soft kiss right at the top of her sweet mound, careful to keep pressure light and away from her clit. She was dripping with need and he'd been serious about wanting them to climax together, so he merely teased her with his mouth until he was sure she couldn't stand any more .

Without warning, he pushed a finger into her vagina and nearly lost control when she started to pulse around it. She was so ready, he couldn't wait anymore either. He slid up and kissed her, soft and tender, covering her with his body and letting his weight press them tightly together .

"Do you remember the first time?" she whispered hoarsely, her eyes finding his .

"You trembled," he whispered back, nipping at the skin on her neck. "You asked me to go slow because you thought my size might hurt you… Do you remember what it felt like when I started to put a little inside you?" He pressed against her now, closing his eyes against the feel of her tight entrance clamping around him .

"How gentle you were… How slow we went until …"

He was pushing deeper now, a tiny bit at a time, just as he'd done that first time .

"Until?" he prompted .

"Until I was so desperate for more I begged you to give me all of it," she panted .

Without warning, he drove into her with such force her breath left her in a rush. He nearly lost his mind as she opened to take him, her warmth enveloping his cock like a glove. "Still so tight," he ground out. He moved slowly, letting her adjust, moving in a circular motion that allowed him to touch different parts of her. Her hips jerked against him, and when she wrapped those silky legs around his waist he knew he wouldn't be able to hold out very long .

He put his hands under her ass and squeezed, lifting her against his hips as he started to thrust harder and faster, watching her face each time he shifted into a slightly different position. There, he thought, as her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth fell open .

"Oh! Apollo! Apollo …"

She was close. He could feel her clenching around him now, tighter and stronger as he stroked the spot that seemed to be moving her towards release .

"Open your eyes, koukla mou ," he whispered, working desperately to focus on her pleasure without losing control first .

When those beautiful hazel eyes locked with his, it was all over. He didn't need her pussy to bring him over the edge; he only needed the look in her eyes. It said the words she'd never said aloud, but in that moment he saw it all; her love, her need and her complete devotion to him .

He pumped into her twice more before the world seemed to explode around them both. She was crying out his name, bucking against him, nails digging into his back, all while he crushed her mouth with his. Tangled, sweaty and shuddering with tiny aftershocks, neither of them could move except for a few reflexive jumps each time their joined bodies twitched .

"Just like before," she whispered against his throat. "So different than with anyone else ."

"Different?" He pressed light kisses on her temple as he pushed sweaty tendrils out of her face .

"It's so… boring with others. I think of other things…work, or what bill I forgot to pay, or some movie star I fantasize about ."

"So, it's not boring with me?" he teased, smiling into her face. "You weren't fantasizing about that Thor guy or something ?"

"Chris Hemsworth?" she giggled. "Nah. I don't need a Norse god—I have a Greek one ."