Blackmailed By The Greek's Vows. Tara Pammi

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СКАЧАТЬ mio, the strength of his sheer masculine appeal hit her like a punch now, shaking her up, turning her inside out.

      His white shirt stretched tight across his broad shoulders, enhancing his raw, rugged appeal. His expansive chest tapered down to a narrow waist, over leaner hips and then he was all legs. Hard, muscular thighs followed by those runner’s calves that had once driven her crazy.

      His hair was cut into that short style he preferred. Her fingers twitched, remembering the rough sensation of it, and she fisted them at her side. His gaze flicked down to her hands and then back up her body, slowly, possessively.

      Those silvery eyes lingered on the long stretch of her legs, her thighs, noted the short hem of the dress, up to her waist, lingered again over her breasts, moved up her neck and then settled again on her face.

      If he had run those hands over her body with that rough urgency that he’d always mastered before he lost control, she couldn’t have felt more owned. With one look, he plunged her into that state of mindless longing, that state of anticipation he had become used to expecting from her.

      Shivering inside her skin, forgetting all the misery he had inflicted on her, Tina lifted her chin in defiance.

      He had never liked her to dress provocatively. Had never liked her easy attitude with other men, that almost flirty style of talking that was her nature. They had had more than one row on the subject of her dresses, her hair, her shoes, her style, her attitude and even her body.

      One of the blondes she had genuinely liked earlier—Stella of the big boobs and even bigger hips—tapped his arm. A smile curving his thin lips, he sliced his gaze away in clear, decisive dismissal.

      Tears scratched up Tina’s throat and she hurriedly looked away before someone could see her mortification.

      Nine months ago, she’d have slapped the woman’s face—she cringed at the memory of doing that to her sister-in-law Sophia, having been induced into a jealous, insecure rage. She’d have screamed and made a spectacle of herself, she’d have let her temper get the better of her and proved to everyone and Kairos how crazy she was about him.

      Nine months ago, she’d have let the hot emotions spiraling through her dictate her every word, every move.

      Nine months ago, she’d been under the stupid delusion that Kairos had married her because he wanted her, because he felt something for her, even if he didn’t put it in words.

      But no, he had married her as part of an alliance with her brother Leandro. Even after learning that bitter truth, she could have given her marriage a try.

      But Kairos didn’t possess a heart. Didn’t know what to do with one given into his keeping.

      She had humiliated herself, she had prostrated her every thought, every feeling at his feet. And it hadn’t been enough.

      She hadn’t been enough.

      * * *

      “So you’re truly over with him...that glowering husband of yours.”

      “Si,” Tina said automatically. And then wished she hadn’t.

      When the party began winding down, she had slipped below deck with the excuse of visiting the ladies’ room and hidden herself away in the lovely gray-and-blue bedroom, her nerves frayed to the hilt at the constant awareness of Kairos.

      It was tiring to play the stoic, unaffected party girl. To stuff away all the longing and hurt and anger into a corner of her heart.

      But Nikolai had followed her downstairs.

      Although over the last couple of months she’d realized that Nikolai was harmless, he was drunk now. Her brother Luca had taught her long ago never to trust a drunken man.

      “A taxi for you,” she said to Nikolai, pulling her cell phone out of her clutch.

      From the foot of the bed where he made an adorably pretty picture, Nikolai stretched his leg and rubbed his leather boot against her bare calf. “Or we could spend the night here, Tina, mi amore. Now that things are truly over between you and the Greek thug—”

      Using the tip of her stiletto, Tina poked his calf until he retreated with a very unmasculine squeal.

      Her head was pounding. She’d barely drunk any water. Her body and mind were engaged in a boxing match over Kairos. The last thing she needed was Nikolai hitting on her.

      “Kairos and I are not divorced. Also, I’m not interested in a relationship,” she added for good measure.

      “I noticed him tonight, cara mia. He spared you not a single glance.” A claw against her heart. “As if you were total strangers.” A bruise over her chest. “He seemed pretty interested in that whore Stella.” Bile in her throat.

      Just like a man to use the woman and then call her crude names. Oh, why had she come tonight? “Per favore, Nik, don’t call her that.”

      “You called Claudia Vanderbilt much worse for marrying a sixty-year-old man.”

      Tina cringed, shame and regret washing over her like a cold wave.

       She had.

      She’d been privileged and pampered and had behaved so badly. She should keep Nikolai in her life. If nothing, he’d keep reminding her what a bitch she’d once been.

      While Valentina held up her phone and walked around the bedroom looking for a signal—she’d spend the night here if it meant avoiding seeing Kairos leave with one of the women, not that he’d need to pay for the pleasure—Nikolai had moved closer.

      Valentina froze when his hands landed on her hips. She arrested his questing hands. “Please, Nikolai. I would like to keep the single friend I have.”

      “You have really changed, Tina. Transformed from a poisonous viper to a—” his alcoholic fumes invaded her nostrils while he tilted his head, seemingly in deep thought “—an innocent lamb? A lovely gazelle?”

      Christo, the man was deeply drunk if he was calling her innocent.

      Before Tina could shove Nikolai’s hands away—she really didn’t want to plant her knee in his groin like Luca had taught her—his hands were gone. Whether he skidded due to his drunken state or was pushed, Tina would never know. He landed with a soft thump against the bed, slid down it and let out a pathetic moan.

      Tina whirled around, her breath hitching.

       CHAPTER TWO

      KAIROS STOOD AGAINST the back door, not a single hair out of place.

      There was that stillness around him again, a stillness that seemed to contain passion and violence and emotion.

      And yet nothing.

      Emotions surged through her, like a wave cresting. But just like a wave broken by the strongest dam, Kairos had come pretty close to breaking her.

      Ignoring СКАЧАТЬ