JASON and KEANNE (4 page)

  A silent gasp of pain was wrenched out of Keanne.

  “Dress yourself,” she heard him bite out before leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.

  One thought hammered inside her brain.

  She had gambled…and she had lost.

“Rehabilitation has been slow, but it’s unsurprising, considering how often she throws tantrums.” Reid Chalkias, the so-called Prince of Darkness of Christopoulos University and one of the few childhood friends that Jason had, spoke in a bland voice as he described the current condition of the middle-aged woman Jason had entrusted to his care.

  Reid was seated on the leather couch in his patio facing the vast garden of his home while Jason was seated adjacent to him. A shy-looking girl hovered in the background, her eyes darting every so often to Reid in seeming concern. Jason couldn’t help noticing the girl – she looked very much at odds in a place that was notorious for being a hedonist’s paradise.

  “Don’t mind her,” Reid said in Greek. Like Jason, Reid was half-Greek, and it had been the common denominator that bound Reid, Jason, Nick, and their other friends together during their boarding school days. His Mediterranean heritage was evident in his dark hair and skin, but instead of blue eyes, Reid’s were the shade of emeralds, and the expression in it was as hard as the gemstone it appeared like.

  The tone had Jason raising a brow. Although his friend’s tone was dismissive, there was also an undercurrent of possessiveness that surprised him. Reid was known to prefer having multiple partners at a time and never demanding faithfulness from his women.

  He was very curious about the girl, but Jason knew Reid well enough not to expect any explanation. As someone born into a family with too many criminal ties, Reid had been raised to use silence as a weapon, never saying anything that would betray his innermost thoughts or feelings.

  Jason’s thoughts returned to the matter at hand. “Has she said anything about Davos yet?”

“No. But she demands to talk to you all the time.” Reid’s cultured tone was underlined with contempt.
Eye for an eye, life for a life.
That was one of his principles in life, and for that reason he had no pity for the woman who currently resided in the basement of his home, which many likened to a military fortress because of the number of guards that constantly patrolled its perimeters.

  When Jason had come to his home last month with a woman in tow, Reid had not hesitated to let them in. The woman had been badly beaten, her face bleeding from knife wounds, her legs permanently crippled by the blows from her tormentors.

One look at Jason’s face and Reid had known that his friend partially blamed himself for the woman’s fate.

 
Which was fucking stupid
, Reid thought, his jaw clenching. The woman deserved everything that happened to her – and more. She was a bitch, a fraud, and worst of all, a nymphomaniac pedophile who preyed on young boys.

  “Please keep me posted about any changes,” Jason said. “I know in my fucking guts that Davos is planning something and the more time he has to plan, the worse it will be.”

  “Of course.”

  Silence followed, with Reid and Jason tossing back their drinks. Noting the grimness on his friend’s face, Reid asked casually, “Heard anything from Nick and Lilac?”

  “They’re still in love, if that’s what you’re asking.” Jason’s voice was just as casual.

  “You’re still talking to her then.”

  Jason’s head jerked sharply towards him.

  Reid said flatly, “For your sake, my friend, I urge you to find a way to let her go. She is not for you.” When Jason’s lips only compressed in response, Reid knew it was because a part of Jason refused to believe his words. Most people thought that it was Jason who was the easygoing one, but they had it all wrong. Jason was the hard one, the twin whose will was inflexible once he made up his mind.

  It was plain to see that Jason had made up his mind that he was in love with Lilac, and if he had, then only something short of a miracle would make him believe otherwise.

  “Does Nick know?”

  A sharp nod, one that spoke clearly of Jason’s feelings. He did not want to hurt his twin, but he did not want to lose Lilac in his life even more.

  “You know this will not go anywhere, Jason.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “She is not the only woman capable of loving you.”

  Jason stiffened. Reid’s words made him uncomfortably recall what had happened earlier, and he laughed, the sound hollow. “That’s not the problem, Chalkias.” His fists clenched as he remembered the look of hurt confusion on Keanne’s face. “I’m afraid that she is the only woman
I
am capable of loving.”

****

Jason woke up the next day with a hangover. He cursed when he realized it was already noon. It was not his habit to drink himself to sleep, but last night it had been his only way of escaping thoughts of---

  His breath hissed out.

 
Keanne.

 
If he closed his eyes, he would be able to see her beautiful body, her lovely breasts bared to his gaze, her nipples begging to have his tongue lave them with heat.

  He opened his eyes with a snarl.

  This was Keanne, dammit.

  He shouldn’t be thinking about her like this.

  Jason grabbed his phone from the bedside table, a part of him hoping to find a missed call, an email, or a text message – anything from Keanne that would tell him they could go back to what they were in the past.

  But there was none.

  This had been the longest time they had not spoken, and the thought did not sit nicely with him, unease clawing at Jason’s heart. Why was it that he was only realizing just now how much he had relied on Keanne’s friendship?

  A future without Lilac by his side already felt so fucking dark, but if Keanne was gone, too, he might as well be…
dead.

 
Jason dialed Keanne’s number. He and Keanne often fought, something that was expected considering her fiery French temperament. But more often than not, Keanne would be the first to say sorry, the first to woo him out of his black mood. And on the rare chance that he would be the first one to say sorry, she had never made him suffer, never made him wait. Always, she would be wonderfully expressive, her big eyes filling with tears as she expansively threw her arms around him even as she would scold Jason in her French-accented English about being such a bastard to her.

  Her phone started to ring.

 
Pick up, ma petite.

 
But she did not.

  He dialed her number again, his knuckles whitening with how hard he was gripping his phone.

 
Tell me I have not ruined our friendship, ma petite.

 
But she did not.

“Mademoiselle Keanne has already left, I’m afraid.” Cathy Ellison did her best not to look guilty as she spoke the lie that her employer – or more specifically, her employer’s daughter – had asked her to speak in case the handsome Christakos heir dropped by in search of Keanne Summers.

  “I see.” A mocking smile touched Jason Christakos’ lips, and though she had seen him quite often coming and going in Amie Summers’ magnificent home, Cathy still couldn’t prevent her heart from skipping a beat at the Greek billionaire’s sheer gorgeousness.

  Unlike his twin, Nick Christakos, who was quite famous for his cool sophistication, Jason was all rugged sex appeal, dressed often in casual shirts and jeans. Occasionally – like now – he would be seen wearing a leather jacket, which only made him look even more irresistibly wicked.

  For a moment, Jason considered charming or – hell – even seducing the truth out of Amie Summers’ personal assistant. The thought was rejected a second later, his common sense and understanding of how the Summers’ household operated reasserting itself. Although Amie may appear as a flamboyant rich widow in many people’s eyes, she was anything but weak and ruled her empire with an iron hand. She personally vetted every employee on her staff, which meant all of them were staunchly loyal to her.

  “Would you like to leave a message?”

  Jason looked up. “Please tell Mademoiselle Keanne that she cannot hide from me forever.”

****

Hidden indeed in her mother’s private study, Keanne let out a choked gasp as Jason Christakos’ searing blue eyes stared straight into the lobby’s CCTV camera.

  The damn man knew she was watching him!

  She shook her head, a sense of hysteria rising in her. What did he expect? That she would welcome him with open arms after his rejection?

  She may be in love with him, but she would not let him treat her like that.

  With that thought uppermost on her mind, Keanne threw herself back into her work. With only a few days left before her first year in college started, she had to hurry and finish her book. There would be even less time for her to draw once she had classes to attend.

  Keanne drew for hours, a concentrated frown on her face as the little girl she once was and the sun god Jason had always been came to life on her sketch pad.

“Why do you push me away?” the little girl asked with a sniff.

The Sun God had a bleak look on his face, and his brightness faded in the face of the little girl’s sadness. “Because you forget who I am.”

“You are the Sun God. I know that.”

“Then, my beautiful little girl, you must remember that if you come too close, you will get burned, and I do not want that for you.”

  Keanne straightened in her seat, unsurprised to find her fingers wet when she touched her face.
Stupid drawings
, Keanne thought even as the tears fell faster. They were supposed to cure Keanne’s misery, not make her more in love with Jason.

  Someone knocked on the door and Keanne hastily wiped her tears away. Clearing her throat, she called out, “Come in.”

  It was Cathy. “It’s already five in the afternoon, Mademoiselle. It is time to prepare for tonight’s show.”

  “Oh.” She had forgotten all about the special one-night show staged by a popular European opera company. Amie was its major sponsor, with Keanne expected to attend in lieu of her mother.

  “Will I be seated with anyone?”

  “A box has been reserved for your private use.” Normally, Jason Christakos was Keanne’s escort to such events, but after what happened earlier today, Cathy was at a loss as to who would serve as the young girl’s date for the night. She said awkwardly, “Would you…” Her voice trailed off. What was the right thing to say here?

 
Parties such as tonight’s event were always an occasion for competition among the rich and famous. Keanne’s peers would always be vying against each other as to who would look the prettiest, who wore the most expensive jewelry and – most importantly of all – who had the most gorgeous date.

  Everyone would expect Keanne to attend tonight’s event with Jason Christakos. Everyone would start talking behind her back if she came without him, and the only way to stop people from gossiping was for Keanne to find a date who could compare to the famous Greek billionaire.

  But then, that wasn’t really possible, was it?

  “It’s okay, Cathy.” Keanne’s calm voice made Cathy look up. “I have no problems going alone.”

  Less than two hours later, Keanne was trying to convince herself that she meant what she had said earlier. She did
not
mind that people were wondering why she was not accompanied by Jason Christakos.

She knew what they were all thinking. She was Keanne Summers, the heiress who once had an affair with her married teacher and had caused the death of his hapless wife. She was Keanne Summers, the wild child who did not deserve to have Jason Christakos as a champion. She was Keanne Summers, an incurable flirt just like her Mama.

All eyes were on her when she entered her private box in the auditorium. Keanne lifted her chin. They could stare all they wanted. She was not going to give them the satisfaction of knowing they made her feel self-conscious and ashamed.

Behind Keanne, she heard the sound of the curtains twitching. She didn’t look back, knowing it was the waiter about to ask what her order was.

A dark shadow fell over her and Keanne looked up, her eyes widening when instead of a uniformed waiter, her gaze clashed with the bright blue gaze of Jason Christakos.

What was he doing here?

 
Shock made it impossible for Keanne to talk while love made it hard for her to breathe. Jason looked incredibly gorgeous in his tux, its perfect fit emphasizing the impressive breadth of his shoulders, the strength of his chest, and his long lean form.

  His voice was warm and apologetic, its tone carrying a great distance, and Keanne knew that Jason wanted to be heard. “I’m sorry for being late.” A smile curved on his lips, but it did not reach his eyes.

  “You do not---”

  “But I do have to apologize,” Jason interrupted her smoothly, a mocking gleam in his eyes. She had been about to tell him that he didn’t have to come to her rescue tonight, and he knew it.

  He took the seat next to her, Jason pretending he did not notice her sharply drawn breath at his proximity. Her perfume tantalized him, a scent that was both disarmingly gentle and seductive, just like its owner.

 
Keanne.

 
He was hard, embarrassingly so, and all because he was seated next to Keanne. Was this fucking normal? Did he really want her so much or was it simply because she was forbidden fruit? Lilac was still in his heart. He knew it as well as he knew his name, but it appeared to be a fact that his body no longer recognized.

  All his body craved was satisfaction – as soon as possible, and the kind that only Keanne could give.

  Her eyes were flashing silver fire at him, and when she opened her mouth to speak, he beat her to it. He warned Keanne coolly, “Do not make a scene. You will regret it.”

  Her lips stretched into a smile even as she demanded, “What are you doing here?”

  “Stalking you,” he answered in a sardonic tone. It was the blasted truth, but Jason knew Keanne wouldn’t take his word for it. And he was glad for that because he did not want Keanne to know how much control she had over him.

 
Stalking her.

 
If only that was true.

  Turning her attention back to the stage, which was still concealed in darkness, Keanne murmured sotto voce, “If you came here to ensure that I will not take my life because of heartbreak, then I give you my word I will not kill myself over you.” A smile played on her lips, one that did not reach her silvery eyes either. “You do not deserve such devotion.”

  “I know.”

  Two words, spoken simply, truthfully, and so readily, and that was it. She was slayed.

  Lights burst out from the ceiling, music pouring out from the speakers. The play had started, but Keanne only had eyes for him, her beautiful Jason, her sun god.

Her heart cried out with such love for him it became near impossible to breathe again. Had she really thought she could push her love away so easily? It was as inescapable as the rays of the sun, which touched every inch of the earth.

  “I hate you.” Before he could speak – before he could agree with her – she said quietly, “You know I don’t mean it.” Her voice caught. “I won’t kill myself because you can’t love me, Jason, but you know I didn’t mean the other thing.” Not looking at him, she continued in a low but vehement whisper, “You are worthy of such devotion.”

 
Eighteen years old.

 
She was so young and yet she could be so generous and emotionally mature, able to say what she felt without any fear of being hurt again.
How far she had come
, Jason thought bleakly. He had done his best to take her out of the darkness, but what she had become far exceeded his expectations. She hadn’t just left the darkness. Now, she shone so brightly, so full of life and vitality that she had become a guiding star in his life, blazing brightly to show him the way.

  “If you truly believe that,” he said in a driven tone, “then you must promise not to avoid me anymore.” He succeeded in keeping his voice calm and flat, nothing to hint at the panic that strangled his heart at the thought of Keanne disappearing from his life.

  He needed her so goddamn much, more than he should, but she did not need to know any of those things.

  Jason expected her to say yes. He needed her to say yes. She was his little doe, his sweet beautiful Keanne, the girl he had guarded zealously over the years.

  But instead she shook her head, and the pain that it brought him stunned Jason with its strength. It was like Lilac rejecting him all over again, only this time the pain was different. Lilac choosing Nick over him was like a long-standing tumor that had finally become cancerous. But Keanne’s rejection was different and unexpected, a stranger in the dark sliding his knife between Jason’s ribs, killing him before he even realized he was in danger.

  It hurt that fucking much.

  “Jason.”

  He stiffened at the sound of his name on her lips and he prepared himself for her final goodbye.

  But instead, she said, “It’s not me who should be making any promises. It’s you. It’s your turn to promise me that you will live for
me
.”

  His head snapped towards her.

  She turned to meet him head on, her gaze unflinching.

  Beautiful brave Keanne.

  Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, and the stranger in the dark stabbed him in the heart again. “
Lilac will never be yours.
But I am. I will always be yours, and I just need you to give me a chance to prove to you t-that…” Her voice faltered, but a second later she spoke again, her tone only the slightest bit shaky, “…you will want to be mine.”

  Her courage took his breath away, and for a while all he could do was gaze at her. What the fuck had he done to deserve this girl’s love? She had everything going for her, and yet she had stupidly chosen to love a man like him. He was not broken. He was just…undeserving.