Tiana (Starkis Family #3) (13 page)

I thought of some of the things I’d said to her last night, the way I’d made love to her. “She knows.”

“Yet you couldn’t get through to her. Maybe if she thinks she’s blown her chance with you, she’ll start to see things differently.”

“I don’t know if—”

Before I could finish, Deacon beckoned Justine over. I’d met the stunning blonde several times, and each time she’d made it obvious she was interested in me. Before Eleni had caught my eye, I may have taken her bait, but everything was different now.

“Justine, you remember my brother, Damon?” Deacon asked.

“Of course I do,” she said, giving me a thorough onceover. “I have to confess I was hoping you’d be here tonight, Damon.”

“Nice to see you again, Justine,” I said, taking her outstretched hand as I forced a smile.

“Well, I’ll leave you two alone,” Deacon said. “I have to get back to my bride-to-be.”

“Later, Deacon.” Which was really a silent warning that I intended to get even later.

Justine and I made small talk at the bar for a few minutes before she invited me to dance. I agreed since Eleni was already dancing with her date.

“I didn’t know you had a thing for Eleni,” she said, looping her arms around my neck.

“What makes you say that?”

“It’s pretty obvious.” She smiled. “You’ve barely taken your eyes off her all night.”

I appreciated Justine’s directness. Aside from Eleni, it had been awhile since I’d met a woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. “She’s a great girl. We’ve gotten close since my brother and Mia got together.”

“I’ve known Eleni a long time. She’s great.” When I didn’t respond, she said, “But I have to ask, why is she here with Miles instead of you?”

As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t go public with our relationship without feeding into Andra’s belief that I wasn’t ready to be a father. “We’re friends. Nothing more.”

“Hmm.” She didn’t look convinced as her eyes traveled to Eleni and her date. “I don’t know if I buy that.”

Before I could defend my position, Eleni appeared at my side. “Hey, girl, you mind if I cut in?”

“Not at all.” Justine gave me a kiss on the cheek before she winked. “Have fun, Damon. Thanks for the dance.”

Eleni was stiff when she slipped into my arms. It was obvious something was bothering her.

The silence stretched for the duration of the song before I said, “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew Miles?”

I should have known that would come out eventually. “I don’t know. It never came up.”

“I told you I was dating him that day at the restaurant,” she said, tipping her head back to look me in the eye. “Seems to me that would have been the perfect time to tell me the two of you were business associates.”

“We weren’t business associates then.” My hands slipped lower, gliding over her back before circling her waist. Her breath hitched, and I could tell my touch reminded her of the way I’d made her feel last night. Turned out Miles’s new club was a good investment, and I planned to move forward with it, deciding it would be in my best interest to keep my rival close. “I just decided to invest in his L.A. club recently.”

“Did your decision have anything to do with me?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowing then releasing. “And don’t even think about lying to me. I have zero tolerance for liars.”

“You want to talk about who’s lying?” I asked, tightening my grip on her as I bent my head to whisper in her ear. “You’re here with another man and pretending we’re little more than casual acquaintances. Did you tell Miles where you went when you left him last night? Does he know you made love to me?”

“Stop it,” she whispered fiercely. “Are you crazy? We can’t talk about this here.”

“Tell him it’s over.” I focused on her eyes, trying to read her emotions, but she gave nothing away.

“I already have.”

My entire body relaxed as a slow smile spread across my face. “You have? When?”

“A few minutes ago.”

I looked around, noting my
partner
was nowhere to be found. “You made the right decision.” Though judging by the way her body molded to mine, she already knew that.

“Contrary to what you might think, I don’t sleep with more than one man at a time.” At my quizzical expression, she continued. “After what happened last night, I figured we still have some unfinished business.”

“You think we’re going to have sex a few times and what…? You’ll get me out of your system?”

She refused to respond, but her arched brow challenged me.

“You’re wrong. What we have is different. Connections like this don’t come around twice in a lifetime.” I waited for her to dispute my claim, but she held her tongue. “You’d be a fool to keep fighting it.”

“Or I’d be a fool to give in to it.” She bit her lip, her confident façade slipping. “The jury is still out.”

***

Eleni

I was surprised when Demetrius asked me to dance. My curiosity got the better of me, so I agreed, in spite of Damon’s obvious displeasure.

“My son has told me a great deal about you,” Demetrius said, drawing me closer than I would have liked. “He did not exaggerate. You are as beautiful as he said you were.”

Ignoring the compliment and the stirring of excitement I felt knowing Damon had mentioned me to his family, I said, “He’s told me a lot about you too, Mr. Starkis.” I wanted him to know that I had his number.

“Please call me Demi.” He smiled, revealing teeth too perfect to be real. “You are Greek, yes?”

“My parents were born in Greece. I’m American.” I knew he wouldn’t appreciate that I tried to distance myself from his native land, but I didn’t want to think about my family tonight. I hoped my distinction would bring the conversation to an abrupt halt.

“They live here?” he asked, clearly not getting the message.

“My mother passed away years ago,” I said, refusing to allow my voice to quaver in front of a man I was convinced was looking for any sign of weakness. “I’ve barely seen my father since.”

“You raised yourself.” It wasn’t a question but a statement. “I did as well. My parents were hardworking people. They were gone from morning ‘til night most days, trying to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. As the oldest, it was up to me to take care of the younger children.”

I was surprised to see sincerity in his bright gaze, perhaps even a hint of respect. “That must have forced you to grow up quickly. I know what that’s like.”

“I suspect you do.” He smiled. “Being left alone forces you to be independent. It infuses you with a fighter’s spirit.”

“That it does.” I decided to pretend I knew nothing about the man beyond what I’d read in newspapers and magazines. His son’s opinions had colored my own, and I wanted to see beyond that, see the man Mia claimed had become like a second father to her. “Is that what made you so hungry to succeed, Demi? Seeing the way your parents struggled?”

“I suppose so.” He smiled. “I wanted to give my children opportunities I never had.”

“It seems you have.” I glanced at the three Starkis children huddled together and talking, Anyone looking at them would have known they’d been born to a life of affluence. “Your children are wonderful.”

I’d gotten to know Tiana in recent months because of her friendship with Mia, and she was everything I hadn’t expected her to be: sweet, unassuming, fun, and compassionate. She’d welcomed Mia into their family, and that alone made me want to befriend her.

“Thank you. I think so too.”

“Do you?” I tilted my head, trying not to smile. “From what I’ve heard, you’re their harshest critic.”

Instead of being offended, he laughed. “We live in a society where people believe you have to coddle your children to show them love. I believe in being tough on them, teaching them to stand on their own two feet, then telling them I’m proud of their accomplishments. Take Deacon for example. Do you think he would have accomplished as much as he has if I hadn’t pushed him?”

“I guess not.” I knew Deacon’s success story would rival his father’s one day, and he had to be grateful he’d had this man as a role model. “But Damon is another story, right?” I was curious what he would say about his younger son. I told myself I wasn’t prying, just making conversation, but I knew it was more than that.

“Ah, Damon.” He grinned. “That boy will send me to an early grave.” He chuckled. “Deacon is more like me. Damon, on the other hand, has always been his own person. He’s the free spirit, the one who does whatever he pleases without caring what anyone thinks about it.”

I was surprised to hear the pride in his voice when he spoke of Damon’s rebellious attitude. “And you admire that?”

“I didn’t always. He used to get in a hell of a lot of trouble. He probably still does. He’s just gotten better at hiding it from me.”

I smiled, thinking Demi was probably right. “Would you have tamed him if you could have?”

“No. Taming Damon would have been like trying to tame a wild stallion.” He shook his head grudgingly. “Nearly impossible and perhaps a bit of a shame. He is who he is.”

“And who is he?” I asked, anxious to hear his father’s take.

“I suspect you may know better than I do. He confides in you, yes?”

“He does, but you’ve known him his whole life. I’m sure there are things you could tell me that I don’t already know.” It was troubling to think that for the first time ever, I wanted to know everything there was to know about the man I was sleeping with.

“He has a big heart.”

I was surprised by that admission. I’d seen glimpses of it, but I hadn’t expected that to be the first thing Demi revealed. “He does.”

“Not many people realize that. They think he’s just here for the party, but there’s so much more than meets the eye with that boy. So much untapped potential.”

I thought of Deacon’s comments about his brother. He’d said Damon had been a straight-A student barely cracking a book while Deacon had busted his butt to maintain good grades. “How so?”

“Don’t tell him I told you this,” he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he leaned closer, “but his I.Q. is at the genius level.” He chuckled when my mouth slipped open. “He hates when I tell people that, but how can I not be proud? I am his father. I like to think the apple does not fall very far from the tree.”

“I had no idea he was
that
smart,” I said, glancing at the man in question.

Damon’s eyes zeroed in on his father’s hand caressing my lower back, and I couldn’t help but smile when he rolled his eyes. Obviously his father was getting a little too close for Damon’s comfort, but I knew Starkis senior had no intention of making a play for me. He seemed more interested in selling me on his younger son, though I couldn’t figure out why. I certainly wasn’t a socialite, an A-list celebrity, or an heiress. I had nothing to offer a man like Damon.

“He’s very modest,” Demi said. “That’s why I sometimes brag on his behalf. I’ve spent so much time ridiculing him that I often wonder if he knows how proud I am of him.”

I suspected I was getting a rare glimpse at the softer side of Demetrius Starkis, and it was intriguing. I wondered why he would choose to open up to me, a stranger, about his regrets.

“It’s never too late to tell him,” I said, smiling to soften my words. “I’m sure he would appreciate hearing it.” In spite of Damon’s harsh words about his father’s philandering and treatment of people, I knew he respected Demi and still sought his approval.

“I have pushed him hard because intelligence like his should not be squandered. I wish I’d been blessed the way he was.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am dyslexic. That made it very difficult for me to succeed in school. I had to try much harder than everyone else just to keep up. Of course, there was no diagnosis for what I had then. Teachers just labeled me stupid, and the others kids made fun of me.”

I was stunned someone who had achieved what he had had done so in spite of the disadvantages he’d faced. I couldn’t help but admire him, in spite of my earlier reservations about him. “I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been, learning a new language and getting an education. That’s truly remarkable, Demi.”

“That’s why I was angry with Damon for so many years. Everything came so easily to him: the honor role, Dean’s lists, scholarship offers. He was also an All-Star athlete. So many schools were courting him.”

“I didn’t know that.” I’d seen Deacon and Damon engage in friendly games of tennis, squash, and a little one-on-one on Deacon’s backyard basketball court, so I knew Damon was athletic, but he’d never seemed eager to talk about his school years. “Interesting.”

“There is much my son does not share. I assume it is because he thinks his accomplishments pale in comparison to mine and his brother’s, but he couldn’t be more wrong.” He sighed as one song led to another. “I achieved success because I was tenacious and refused to give up. Deacon achieved success because he is stubborn and had something to prove. Damon could achieve success very easily simply because he has one of the sharpest minds I’ve ever seen. That is why I wanted him to join the family business. If he applied himself, he could take us places even I’ve never dreamed possible.”

“That’s quite an endorsement.” It would be interesting to know more about Damon’s dreams and his plans for the future. He rarely talked about his work, and I wondered whether the family business was his passion or an obligation.

Before I could question Demi further, Damon appeared. “I think you’ve monopolized her long enough, old man. It’s my turn.”

Demi pinched his lips, obviously trying to suppress a smile as he took a slight bow. “It has been a pleasure, Eleni.” To his son, he said, “You can thank me later.”

“What was that all about?” Damon asked, frowning at his father’s retreating back.

“You tell me, genius,” I teased, slipping into his arms as the band played another slow song.

“Oh God, please tell me he didn’t—”

“The question is why you didn’t tell me. It’s not something to be ashamed of.”

“I’ve never put too much stock in arbitrary tests. Just another way to stick a label on you,” he muttered, his cheeks turning a ruddy shade as he scowled. “It meant a hell of a lot more to Demi than it did to me. Getting me tested, stuck in classes with all those gifted students. Do you know what that did to my social life?”