Scorned (20 page)

Paris? Sharing him with Claudine in the same city? Not going to happen. When he was mine, I wanted him all to myself with no other woman to distract him. “No thanks,” I said coldly, slowly pulling off his body and then hunting down my clothes that seemed to be scattered all over the place.

I was getting pissy. I wanted to throttle him and at the same time make love to him and never let go, but my anger was getting the best of me because I was already imagining him with
her
, tonight and for the next few nights. Maybe I should just let bygones be bygones and make this a good one-nighter with Dimitris rather than a longstanding liaison.

With my clothes in hand, I strode towards the sofa and pulled my robe off, knowing that he was watching me change; determined to say my goodbye before I walked out of that door. Now dressed, my eyes scanned the room for my shoes. Where the fuck were they?

“They are right around the bar, remember? I had to take them off because I wanted to suck your toes while I fucked you.” Dimitris calmly supplied the information, eyes not leaving me.

“Great. Thanks.” I strode past him, aiming towards the bar and found my heels. Grabbing ahold of them, I sat on the stool, putting them on as I pushed my hair to the side.

“You’re leaving tomorrow, aren’t you? When do I get to see you again? We can meet in New York next week, if you like,” he spoke behind me.

I did agree to be his fuck buddy—in the middle of a blasted orgasm—begging him not to stop, ever. That was then, and this was now… fickle was my mind. I wanted him like no other, but could I really stomach knowing that I was sharing him with another? Knowing that I’d only be his quick jaunt in between flights before he went back to her? No. Now that I was thinking straight, I wasn’t capable of sharing him. I wanted him for me, mine alone, mine to have at any hour of the day, but most of all, I wanted his heart—the same one I had shattered and sent to Hell. How could I even begin to repair the irrevocable damage I’d put him through?

My body tingled when he placed a kiss behind my ear. “I can only stay twelve hours, though, but I believe that would be enough time to satiate our needs,
ne?
”

“Dimitris, about that—I don’t think I can…” I gently spoke, slowly letting him down.

He growled against me, not pleased at all. “Last night you told me I could have you whenever I wanted. Are you always this deceitful?”

“I don’t—”

“Enough. I should know better than to believe any words that come out of your lying mouth. I sometimes get too caught up with your beauty and how good you feel when I fuck you, but it doesn’t change what you really are inside… just an empty shell of a woman—selfish and only caring for her needs. I guess I should be grateful that you divorced me because I don’t want to be stuck with a woman like you,” Dimitris spat his venom out, volatile. “I’d rather die than be married to you, Lindsey. So, thank you, from the bottom of my blackened heart, I salute you for cutting me the trouble.” After the words parted from his lips, he left, slamming the door behind him, never coming back.

I cried. For the very first time since my parents’ funeral, I cried like I’d never done before. I had lost the only man who loved me, through my ugliness, through my stupidity and stubbornness, I had finally pushed him out for good.

~L~

It had been a week since I got back, and I was still moving around like a zombie. I’d ignored all of Brody’s attempts to talk it out and more so, I ignored Amber’s existence.

Their betrayal latched onto me like a bad vice, but what killed me inside was losing Dimitris because I was being a stupid woman. Acting like a complete bitch was my forte so I continued on being one, pushing everyone away so that they didn’t have to see the cracks inside me. The ones I was paying heavily for because I was in love with a man I couldn’t have to myself.

I was still a piss poor wreck of a woman. For the life of me, I just couldn’t get my shit together, no matter how hard I tried.

In the morning, I got out of bed and took a long hot shower. Thoughts of him were keeping me awake, like flashbacks my mind remembered the good times with him. Greece. It was embedded into my system, into my soul, making us one. Whether I accepted it or not, it was not up to me to decide.

After my long hot shower, I sought something I hadn’t seen in a year. My wedding ring.
Mihi es et tibi sum
engraved inside.
You are mine and I am yours
in Latin. Cradling it in my palm, I kissed it as tears slowly slid down my face.

“Mihi es et tibi sum,” I whispered slowly. “You are mine, Dimitris.”

I silently vowed.

I’m going to fight for you, O sýzygós mou.

Chapter 26

A few hours after I found my wedding ring, I got online and booked myself for the next flight out to London then to Athens. I left my house before the crack of dawn and drove towards LAX, more determined than I had ever been in my life.

I landed in Athens right around two in the afternoon. Checking into my hotel then depositing my things in the room, it was almost five when I got to Dimitris’s office. It was the same one where I had signed my divorce papers. Ha, the irony. The joke was definitely on me.

With purposeful strides, I sought the concierge desk, hoping to see Dimitris.

“What time’s your appointment?” The sleek woman with a dark bob arched her brow at me, bitchy.

Okay, I was going to try and play nice. “I don’t have one. I didn’t think I needed one.”

“Sorry, but you have to make one to be able to see Mr. Kosta. He just doesn’t see anyone. He’s a very busy man.” She went on, blinking her pretty long lashes at me as if I looked too lowly to be able to see Dimitris.

Okay, making myself pretty after a long flight from Los Angeles wasn’t on the top of my list. So this bitch could just suck on it! “Call and tell him that Lindsey Mason is here.”

She shook her head. “Sorry, we just don’t accept random people.”

Mother hell, she was beyond unreasonable. “You better make that call or so help me God I will call Elias Kosta and have you fired right this instant.” The daft woman momentarily paused before muttering something in Greek.

Good, name-dropping Elias’s name had worked. At this point, I’d drop everyone’s name, even Bass’s, to get me through to Dimitris. I was on my last rope here.

“Ms. Mason, his secretary said you aren’t on the list of people that could be put through,” she informed me, eyes glittering with amusement, possibly thinking I was pure bullshit.

Fucking hell. Whatever. “I’m his ex-wife! Surely, I don’t need to make one?” I screeched at her, enough for that damn secretary of his to have heard me and my rants.

The receptionist’s mouth made a perfect “O” before she alerted the secretary again.

Just like that, things worked my way. A tailor-dressed man escorted me to a private lift. I wasn’t paying attention about where-to or how-to at this point because I was busy rehearsing my speech that I had practiced in my head.

When I arrived on the top floor, I was greeted with silence. There was no one around. Cautiously, I stepped out of the lift, hesitant as to where the hell I was. Where was the damn secretary from earlier?

I literally jumped out of my skin when I heard a booming voice behind me.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Dimitris was leaning against the glass frame, eyeing me with reservation, distant.

Dear God, I’m so in love… and so fucked… and I love it.
How could he go to work looking like that?
I wondered when I saw him, feeling a little crazy already. My eyes devoured him on the spot. How could I even think I could forget a man like him? Where was my brain then? God, I was beyond stupid.

Licking my dry lips, I responded in earnest, “I wanted to talk.”

Without blinking, he effortlessly shot back, “You know my number; you could’ve called.”

I had been too paranoid thinking that he wouldn’t pick up my call, that’s why I had hopped on the next flight out to Athens. Also, the fact that I needed whatever excuse to see him. “Are you busy? I’ll can come back some other time.” Again, I was too caught up in my own mind that I forgot to consider if he was in the middle of something.

Dimitris laughed, darkly. “You think I’d be busy when you announced yourself as my
ex-wife?
You’re here to cause trouble, aren’t you?”

Shit. I didn’t mean trouble, not like that. “I didn’t think—your receptionist was being difficult. What the hell did you expect when she was being a total bitch?” I complained, remembering how difficult the woman was.

He shrugged, nonchalant. “They’re paid to do their jobs.”

Dimitris strode past me towards the bar, making me drool in my mouth and my nether region.

What was I thinking coming here? What did I expect? Just because I realized I was in love with him… he was still with Claudine and hated my guts… maybe some other time, perhaps? When his mood was a tad lighter?

“Um, I don’t feel too good. I’ll be leaving now,” I mumbled, sweaty as I spun around and strode towards the elevator, ready to escape.

“That elevator won’t work without my fingerprint,” he called after me, like a warning that he was about to lose his patience soon. “So, you’re staying until you tell me what made you fly across the Atlantic.”

I just froze, eyes not blinking.
Fuck
.

Dimitris smirked, shaking his head before popping an olive into his mouth. “Lindsey Mason doesn’t have a feisty comeback? Were you in an accident that affected your brain function?”

“No.” I wished I had been, though, because I wasn’t sure my brain was working properly, let along thinking for me.

“I’m waiting for you to explain yourself. Don’t tell me I cancelled a multi-million dollar meeting for this? Don’t anger me more.”

Fucking, fuck,
fuck
. “You
cancelled?
” I squeaked, intimidated.

“This is the first time I’m getting a visit from my beautiful ex-wife. Let’s just say…
I’m curious
.” Dimitris eyed me for a second before directing me a question, “Can I get you something to drink?”

Hell, I was thirsty, for him. “White wine would be good.”

After handing me a glass, he addressed me again, “I don’t have all night to cater to you, Lindsey.”

Okay, here goes nothing, I suppose. “I wanted to talk about what happened in Milan.”

Dimitris’s eyebrow rose, uncaring. “What about Milan? We were both consenting adults, who had too much to drink and enjoyed a night of shagging.” He wasn’t making this easy. His tone and the fact that he was acting like a complete dick made me want to throw the contents of the alcohol on his face again. I was contemplating it while I stared at the contents when he spoke, “Don’t even think about it.”

“I wasn’t,” I lied.

“Enough with the stalling, Lindsey,” he snapped before his cellphone started shrilling in his breast pocket.

When he started speaking in French, I knew without a doubt it was Claudine on the other end, picking up on his subtle tone, just like he used to be with me.

Grow up, Lindsey. Amber was right. Though I still fumed from her keeping that epic secret from me, she was right—not that I would openly admit it—about Dimitris being a good man. I was too messed up to see it. Now, here I was, thinking that I didn’t deserve him, nor did I deserve Brody. I was unworthy of any of them.

Even though I admitted that to myself, a part of me was still bitter and jealous of Claudine. It was stupid because I was the one who demanded it before, but now… things have changed. “Does she know that you’ve cheated?”

He glanced at me, eyes slowly darkening before inserting his phone back into the inside pocket of his jacket. “She knows.”

Claudine does?
Then why are they still talking or even together for that matter? “She’s okay with that?”

“She thinks I’m just getting rid of my rebellious streak. So that once I marry again, I won’t have any.”

Twist the knife in more,
why don’t you?
I deserved it. When he said marry again… did that mean he was planning to marry Claudine soon? How much time did I have? I wanted to puke and die on the spot.

Nervously, I glanced away. Not knowing how to say or put it any other way. “I’ve missed you,” I murmured, feeling like I shouldn’t be even saying these things to him because I was horrible and selfish.

Dimitris thundered towards me, nose almost touching mine. “What do you mean,
you miss me?
” he spat, infuriated.

What the hell? Why did he have to be such a jackass about every single thing I’d said since I got here? He was riling me up, about to blow-up a shit storm if he kept pushing me. “What the fuck do you think it means?” I fired back, incensed. Furious at him for making it so difficult. It was as if he was mocking me somehow, but I was more pissed off that I had been stupid enough to come here in the first place. “You better activate that elevator before I—”