Tiana (Starkis Family #3) (15 page)

This wasn’t just sex. I’d had great sex, but this was a soul-deep connection unlike anything I’d ever experienced. No, that wasn’t true. I’d experienced it for the first time last night. But in the bright light of day, I’d conned myself into believing that had been my mind playing tricks on me, making it seem more powerful in retrospect. But it
was
real. What we had was real.

“I love this,” she muttered, almost incoherently, as I thrust into her, holding her in place. I felt another orgasm gripping her on the heels of the last. “God, no one has ever made me feel like this.” She moaned as her chin fell to her chest. “Yeeeesssss…”

That sound, the echo of her bone-deep contentment, was the most satisfying strain I’d ever heard. I wanted more. “I love…”

She held me tight, waiting for me to find the words.

“The way you feel.” That was a cop-out. We both knew it. But I sensed she was relieved I hadn’t said something that would have inevitably led to an awkward silence. I erupted inside her, filling her before spurring her final release.

Our eyes met and held, the fear of what was happening passing between us before she scooted over to her seat to re-dress. I watched her, waiting for her to say something yet terrified she would say the one thing I wasn’t ready to hear. That she was done with me. That it had been fun but she had to move on before one or both of us got hurt.

“Damon, I hope you don’t mind,” she said, knotting the dress at her side, “but I’m going to have to take a pass on the overnight. I’m really tired, and I don’t want to let Mia down tomorrow. It’s her day, and I don’t want to be too wiped to get through it.”

Logically everything she said made sense, but I couldn’t shake the sense there was so much more she wasn’t saying. “Are you sure there isn’t more to it?”

She laughed lightly. “What more could there be? We just had
the
talk about where this was going and agreed it’s going nowhere. What more is there to say?”

That was when I realized she was disappointed I’d given in. She’d expected me to fight for her, for us, and I’d hurt her by letting her believe this was just about the sex. Damn it. “Eleni, what you said earlier, is that really what you want?”

She ran her fingers through her tousled hair, looking out the window when headlights shone into the alley between the two buildings. “Of course it is.”

“But what if—”

“Please,” she said, sighing. “I’m tired. I just want to go home. Can we talk about this some other time?”

Pushing her now would only result in pushing her further away, so I said the only thing I could. “Yeah, sure. Later.”

***

Eleni

“You and my brother looked pretty cozy last night,” Tiana said, nudging me in the ribs as we made our way through the racks of clothes the stylist had selected for Mia. “What was that about?”

Mia had already been banished to the fitting room with a stack of clothes suitable for her honeymoon in Belize, so at least I didn’t have to worry about them ganging up on me and demanding answers I couldn’t give. I should have been relieved that Damon and I had come to an understanding about our relationship, but it had left me feeling empty and confused. I knew I shouldn’t want more from him, but I couldn’t help wondering what it might be like just to test the waters.

“We’re just friends.” God, I was beginning to hate that word.

“Friends with bennies, huh?” Tiana giggled when I rolled my eyes. “Ha, I knew it!”

“Knew what?” Mia asked, walking out of the dressing room in a long purple halter dress.

“That Eleni and Damon are hooking up,” Tiana supplied, her dimples flashing as I narrowed my eyes at her.

Trying to ignore Mia’s shocked expression, I took in the dress. “That’s a keeper. The color is great on you.”

“Hold on a minute,” Mia said, raising her hand. “Back the hell up. Did I just hear right? You’re sleeping with Damon? Since when? And why did you bring Miles to the party if you’re sleeping with Damon?”

Sinking into one of the two armchairs in the posh boutique’s dressing room, I reached for my iced coffee and took a sip as I gathered my nerve. Normally I would have waited until Mia and I were alone to spill my guts, but I suspected Tiana could give me insight Mia couldn’t. After all, she’d known Damon her entire life. Who better to spill his secrets?

“Come on,” Tiana said, sitting on the ottoman in front of me. “Tell us everything. I’m dying to know.”

I smiled at her enthusiasm. She really was adorable. It was no wonder Deacon’s best friend, Blake, had his sights set on her. “There’s not much to tell. We went out for lunch and ended up back at my place. He got a call and left pretty abruptly. I still don’t know what that was about.” Looking at Tiana, I asked, “Do you know where he went last week? He was pretty evasive when I asked him.”

“No.” She waved as if her brother’s unplanned trip was of little consequence. “So? What happened next?”

“He texted me as soon as he got home, said he wanted to see me.” Talking to Tiana about this should have felt weird, but somehow she just felt like one of the girls. I could see how Mia had adopted her as the little sister she’d always wanted. “I was out with Miles, so I told him I had to go and meet a friend.”

“You didn’t tell him it was Damon?” Mia asked, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.

I could tell she disapproved. I hated like hell when she made me feel like a disobedient child. “No. I didn’t think it was any of his business. It’s not like we’re exclusive.”

“Don’t tell me you’re sleeping with Damon and Miles,” Mia said, wrinkling her nose. “That’s just wrong.”

I scowled at my friend. I didn’t want Damon’s sister to think I was easy. “You know me better than that! Or at least you should.”

At least Mia had the good grace to look remorseful as she shifted from one foot to the other.

“I told Miles last night that I couldn’t see him anymore,” I said.

Tiana squealed, clapping. “Yay! That means you chose Damon. Does he know?”

“He knows I’m not seeing Miles anymore,” I said hesitantly. “But that’s only because I have a policy against sleeping with more than one guy at a time. I weighed my options and decided I could have more fun with Damon.” I was trying to make it clear I wasn’t in it for a long time, just a good time.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Mia asked, looking concerned. “You’re my best friend. He’s going to be my brother-in-law. That has ‘awkward holiday dinner’ written all over it.”

“Oh, please.” I sat back, crossing my legs as I tried to act as though I didn’t have a care in the world. “Damon and I are adults. We’ve both been around the block a time or ten. It’s not like we’re going to be stupid enough to fall in love. We’re just having fun, scratching an itch, so to speak.”

“That sounds romantic.” Tiana fixed me with a long, hard look, all signs of playfulness and excitement gone. “I think you may be underestimating my brother’s feelings for you. I was there the first time he saw you at the Alabaster’s fashion show. To say he was mesmerized would be an understatement.”

“It was physical attraction,” I said, thinking of my reaction to him. It was physical, but it was also visceral and indescribable. Not that I’d share that with the girls. “Don’t make it out to be more than it is.” I gestured to Mia. “If you’re looking for your Cinderella story, there it is. This girl doesn’t believe in fairy tales,” I said, pointing at my chest.

“She’s right, Tiana,” Mia said with a heavy sigh as she faced the full-length mirror. “I’ve been trying to convince her not all men are scum since the day we met. If I haven’t convinced her yet, I doubt I ever will.”

“I don’t think all men are scum.” I thought about how attentive Damon had been in bed, not to mention the fact that he’d cared enough to hunt me down the next morning. “Just the ones who are.”
Like my father.

“So what’s your opinion of my brother?” Tiana asked, clasping her hands around her bent knee.

“I think he’s sweet and fun.” I blushed when I realized I sounded like one of those cheesy commercials for an online dating site. “He accepts me for who I am, and he doesn’t lie to or try to change me. That’s a big deal to me.”

Mia’s eyes met mine in the mirror. She, of all people, knew that was one of my pet peeves with men. Either they didn’t believe me when I said I wasn’t looking for a relationship or lied about having a girlfriend just to get into my panties.

“And you get him. Believe it or not, not every woman does.” Tiana laughed. “Damon is a nightmare when it comes to relationships. He’s usually bored inside a week. When we were living at home, girls used to call at all hours of the day and night. We even had to change our phone number a few times.”

“Why didn’t they just call his cell?” Not that I really wanted to know the answer. I wasn’t interested in hearing about all the hearts Damon had broken before he met me.

“They did, but he turned it off when he’d had enough.” Tiana laughed. “My father would stomp around the house, ranting and raving about how Damon always attracted the crazy bitches.”

I laughed lightly, pretending it didn’t bother me in the least to know that Damon had a habit of playing fast and loose with fragile hearts. “I’m sure he’s matured since then.” I wasn’t sure at all, but I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“He has been laying low since he got back from Greece,” Tiana admitted. “To my knowledge, you’re the first girl he’s been with since.” Mia raised an eyebrow as she turned to face us, prompting Tiana to add, “I’m sure he’s been
with
other girls. My brother doesn’t do celibacy, but I’m talking about dating, you know, the kind of girls he’d introduce to his family.”

“Has he brought many girls home?” I didn’t know why I was torturing myself by trying to extract information that could only hurt me, but I had to know.

“God, no.” Tiana bent her head to check the messages on her phone when it buzzed. “He didn’t want the folks to get the wrong idea. If he’d brought home an acceptable girl, my mother would have ordered the wedding invitations, and my father would have booked the church. They think if Damon meets a nice girl, he’ll settle down and start taking things seriously. Personally, I love him just the way he is. He’s the fun one. Deacon is the serious one. I couldn’t imagine having two brothers like Deacon.”

“Hey!” Mia cried.

“No offense,” Tiana said, smiling. “You know I love Deacon, but he’s a lot like my father in that he has pretty strong opinions about the way things should be.”

“Do you mean about the guys you should date?” Mia asked.

“That too.” Tiana sighed. “Damon isn’t like that. He gets that I’m an adult and can make my own decisions. He’s the one I call when I want to go out for a drink and just talk, you know, about the fact that our parents are making us crazy.”

I loved that Damon was Tiana’s go-to guy. The fact that he was always there when she needed him gave me hope that maybe he could be there for me when the chips were down too.
Wait! Where the hell did that thought come from? I don’t do needy!

“Personally, I think you should just tell your parents and brother to mind their own damn business.” Mia smiled at the stylist who rolled in another rack of clothing for her to peruse. “It’s your life, not theirs, and they need to realize that.”

“Easier said than done,” Tiana muttered.

I didn’t envy Tiana. At least I didn’t have family to pressure me about making decisions based on what they felt what was best for me. It was one of the advantages of being all alone. I got to think for myself. Of course, there was a downside to it, but I tried not to dwell on that.

“I’ve already told Deacon he needs to back off and let you make your own decisions,” Mia said. “And I think I’m getting through to him. But you need to work on your parents. Let them know this whole arranged marriage is a bad idea and you’re not going to stand for it.”

“Arranged marriage?” I asked, gaping. “What the hell? Why is this the first I’m hearing of this?”

“Because I try not to think about it,” Tiana said, wincing. “My parents have this guy lined up for me. I’ve been back to Greece a few times to hang out with him, but there’s just no chemistry. He’s nice, even good-looking—”

I reached for her hand. “But he’s not the guy for you, right?” I’d seen her with Blake. Their chemistry was ridiculous. It was no wonder this poor guy couldn’t measure up.

“We want the same things out of life,” she said, purposefully avoiding the question, almost as though she was trying to sell herself on the idea. “Christos has a business degree. He’s looking to come to America and put it to use. According to my father, he has a lot of potential. Dad thinks he’ll be a good addition to Starkis Inc., maybe even work alongside Damon to take the company to the next level.”

I thought of my conversation with Damon last night. I hoped he would pursue his own interests instead of doing what he felt would make his father happy. He wasn’t the type of man to bow to pressure, but he obviously felt he owed it to his parents to make up for some of the grief he’d caused them.

“It doesn’t matter what your father thinks,” Mia interjected. “What matters is what you think. If this guy isn’t for you, you need to tell your parents that.”

“It’s not that easy.” Tiana looked me in the eye. “You understand. Tell her about the expectations in our culture.”

Tiana and I were friends, but we’d never talked about our childhoods. She knew that I’d moved to New York with Mia when we were teenagers and that Mia’s parents had come with us, but she’d never asked about my parents. She obviously assumed we were still close because a nice Greek girl cutting ties with her parents was unheard of.

“Deacon has made me very well aware of the expectations, given the fact that you’re the youngest and their only daughter, but that doesn’t mean you have to concede.” Mia looked sympathetic as she rushed in to save me. Mia fisted her hands on her hips as she stared down her future sister-in-law. “Stand up and fight for your right to make your own decisions, to choose your own husband, for God’s sake!”