Anacá's POVIt was a bad idea to allow him to pack with me. The moment I dumped the dresses he bought for me into the trolley bag, I noticed where his attention was. It was on the matching lingerie that came with the outfits. What was there to look? Wasn’t he the one to buy them for me? But how did he know my size? God! It was so creepy!I was acutely aware of his presence near me. It felt strange to have him in my personal space, in my bedroom. Every time our hands brushed, I jumped. What would I do after the wedding? Would he want me to please him in bed? I panicked, not having thought of it before.Was this a real wedding? Would he claim me as his wife? I had no idea what I was getting into.“There done. Anything else you may need?” He looked around my closet, and I blushed at the mess. What might he think of me?“No. This is all I need for the wedding.” I was bursting with curiosity about his plans. It was necessary to tell him I wasn’t going anywhere with him tonight. My dad need
Anacá's POVMy heart and mind went into overdrive at the prospect of facing him. I wasn’t mentally prepared to face him now. Just when I had thought I would meet him at the altar, he had to unsettle me. Why did he need a first look?“Do we have the time for a first look?”Theia sighed at Eros’s impossible request. “If you decline him, he’ll go crazy, Anacá. He has always been that way since childhood.”I opened and closed my mouth like a goldfish, unable to form words. I wanted to ask her so many things.“Done, ma’am. Do you need anything else?” asked the attendant, who was fixing my veil.I came out of my daze and gazed at my reflection in the mirror. It was strange that the wedding dress fit me perfectly. But how? I hadn’t found the time to try it on even once. The illusion neckline, back, embellished bodice, and swirling full-length a-line silhouette made me look almost ethereal. My mom’s diamond earrings matched the look, and so did the hairdo. With a few tendrils framing my face,
Anacá's POVI watched him lean towards me. With his hand holding mine and tugging me towards him, I didn’t know what he was planning to do. I gave him a hesitant look as his lips drew closer to mine. My heart stopped for a minute as I waited for him to claim my lips before everyone. With pin-dropped silence in the chapel, I was sure my heartbeats could be heard loud and clear.Unable to control my heartbeats, I closed my eyes and waited. A feathery peck at the corner of my mouth was all I felt, and we were announced as man and wife!I opened my eyes in confusion. Was that all? He pulled me out of the chapel and waited at the backside to greet the guests one by one as they left. Afterwards, they all gathered and threw rice at us, as was customary. I noted the tears of happiness in Dad’s eyes and smiled back at him.We left the church premises and entered the main building. With my heart pounding in my chest, I was still in a state of daze. Was it over? Where was he taking me?“Congratu
Anacá's POVEros’s rebuff rang in my head. I understood there was a lot hidden beneath his charming exterior. He wasn’t what he portrayed. Then why did he marry me?I wanted to revolt. Did he think he could get away with that? He hadn’t bought me. I was in this only for my dad. Or with all his riches, Eros Nikolaou could go fu*k himself! As if sensing my thoughts, he tightened his grip around my waist, plastering me to his side like before.I didn’t want to be paraded like a plastic trophy wife, but one look at my dad’s smiling face made me give in. I could do anything to make him happy.Eros introduced me to his extended family. There was his father’s younger brother, Enriquez Nikolaou; his wife, Delphine; and sons, Victor and Amadeus, who glared at us as we greeted all the guests. It didn’t look like they were happy with our union.The other family was Damian’s. His mom, Odessa, was Eros’s aunt, his dad’s older sibling. It was difficult to understand her as she pulled me into a cust
Eros's POVI glared at Lydia, wrenching my hand free of her hold. “Stop pursuing me, Lydia. I’m a married man.” I was tired of her tagging along wherever I went. It had nothing to do with love. She was after my money and the luxurious life I could offer her. But I wasn’t one to be fooled by her lies. Unknown to her, I had seen her with Victor entering a hotel room while still claiming to love me. It had brought me to my senses. The bitch was desperate to get into our family.“It makes no difference to me, Eros. I know you don’t love her. You’re gonna sleep around, anyway. Then why not with me?” She gripped the lapels of my tuxedo to pull me towards her.I eased her grip and shoved her backwards, this time not gently at all. She staggered on her heels and glared daggers at me.“You’re wrong, Lydia. I’m planning to stay true to my wife. I’ve stopped sleeping around. Anyway, you disgust me. I know your secret little rendezvous with Victor at Hotel Imperial Plaza. Does it ring a bell?”He
Anacá's POVHe lunged forward and grabbed my hand before I could reach my room. I was seething at Lydia’s insult. I hadn’t expected him to disappear with the bitch at his wedding. How could he do that to me? Shouldn’t he have ended his affairs before marrying me? “There’ll be no annulment. We’re married, and we’ll stay that way. Don’t make me force you, Anacá. You know nothing about my life. So stop overreacting to someone else’s venom and get ready to leave for Paris with me.” I glared at him, trying to yank my hand away from his hold. “I’m not going anywhere with you. You can go f*ck yourself on your honeymoon.” Lydia’s words echoed in my head. Do you think he can stay true to you even for a day? He sleeps with every woman available, changing them like he changes his clothes. Get a grip on yourself. He only married you for the business. His grandfather has screwed him before dying. He won’t get the family business in his name if he doesn't marry and produce an heir. He would hav
Anacá's POVHe watched me while I tried hard to ignore him. “Why didn’t you marry Lydia?” I had to know some answers now. Maybe if I could engage him in a discussion, he would forget all about our wedding night. Couldn’t he feel the se*ual undercurrents between us? How was he still so composed and indifferent? How could he just sit there and stare at me when I was going crazy? “She repulses me, that’s why.” I delved deep into his eyes and instantly knew it wasn’t all. There were more reasons.“And I don’t?” I held his gaze, and he winked at me, forcing me to look away. “Who said you’re repulsive? I can show how much I want you.” He chuckled at my jaw-dropped reaction while I shifted away from him. How did he always steer the conversation towards unsafe grounds? I understood his sexual implication but acted aloof. It was the most arduous task, for I wasn’t as unaffected by his sex appeal as I showed. “No thanks. So, what’s the real reason for not marrying Lydia?” He rubbed his chin
Eros's POVThe car sped towards our hotel while Anacá closed her eyes and rested her head on the backrest. I watched her warily. I hadn’t expected her to put up a fight at all. Her innocent face was misleading. I had dreamed of joining the mile high club with her on our wedding night. It was the perfect plan, but she preferred discovering the skeletons in my closet instead. Even after my lengthy explanation about my motive, she gave me a wary look. Was it so difficult to understand I had no ulterior motive? I was a persistent guy who could never take no for an answer. I wanted her and got her. Now I wanted her naked and pinned under me. I would work harder to achieve that, no matter what.The car entered the chic Champs-Élysées neighborhood and stopped right on the hotel premises. Before I could wake Anacá up, she opened her eyes. “Have we reached?”“Yes. Go back to sleep. I’ll carry you.” I leaned in to carry it out, but she jumped as if I were a stranger. “What? No. I can walk. Th
Anacá I watched the jaw-dropped look on his face, and a sense of satisfaction coursed through my body.“Where were you? I looked for you everywhere. I thought you had left.” The fear in his eyes was clearly visible, and it felt good to know he wanted me to stay with him.“I went to grab a bite. After the way she insulted me, I had no wish to tolerate her.” I felt a little foolish for reacting to Acacia.“Oh, the food I ordered was for you. Why didn’t you have it?”“She snatched it from me.”Eros rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Anacá, you had the right to throw her out. You’re not just my PA. You’re the owner of Emerald as well. You should know and understand your rights.”My heart filled with an overwhelming urge to hug him. Did he really consider me the owner of his business? I hadn’t expected him to. “Oh, I am?” I couldn’t stop the urge any longer. Was he for real? We hadn’t been married for even a month, and he had already declared me the owner of his business. I didn’t need a s
ErosRelief washed over me at the sight of my wife in my office. She didn’t flee or bear a grudge against me professionally. She left home to shoulder her responsibilities. Despite having judged her wrong, my heart swelled with pride. Anacá had proved me wrong. She had proved herself. I knew I had made no mistake in choosing her as my PA.“Emergency? Why didn’t they inform me?” My eyebrows pinched together at her explanation.“They did. Your phone was muted, I guess.” She roped in the technical team to explain the situation in brief. “It’s taken care of. You can start your meeting anytime.”The door opened, and Maria from the Marketing team peered in. “Mr. Young has arrived, sir. Shall I escort him here?”“Yes, we’re ready to start.” The technical team walked out, leaving me with Anacá.“Umm, I’ll go to my office, then.” She gave me an indecisive look.“No. Stay here with me. I need you.” I watched her cheeks color at my double-edged words. “To record the minutes of the meeting, obvio
Eros I gazed at her beautiful face, so close to mine. If I dipped my head a few more inches, I could get a taste of heaven. Her lips were beckoning me to continue where we had left off. And then she licked her lips, her nervous gaze dropping to mine. I lost control. “Anacá,” I whispered her name almost like a prayer. “Yeah?” There was a shyness in her eyes that made my stomach tighten with arousal. I knew she wanted the kiss as much as I did. “Let me complete what we started earlier. I can’t sleep.” I could see the hot flush creep up her body, staining her cheeks and neck. It made me warm too, and my co*k responded instantly. “And what do you want to complete?” She tried hard to appear calm, but her hot breath came in gasps while her heart thumped wildly against her chest. I could feel every breath, every beat distinctly.Was she inviting me to do more than just a kiss? I leaned closer, and she gasped with surprise. “We can start with a kiss and see where it goes. Hmm?” “Okay.”
AnacáThe moment the door closed, Eros smiled at me, waving the document in the air. “I’m the happiest man alive tonight. Can you believe it? Dad has finally signed his business over to me. I never expected this day to happen so soon. And it’s only because of you, Anacá.” My jaw dropped to the floor. What? Didn’t his dad threaten to disown him if I didn’t leave him? Then how did this miracle happen? “I’m sure this has nothing to do with me, Eros. It’s your hard work that has paid off.” Maybe his dad didn’t have the heart to disown him. I was sure it had nothing to do with me. “I disagree. Dad had come prepared. If he disliked you, he would have shown his disapproval. He wouldn’t have transferred the business to my name. Instead, he would have asked me to get rid of you. He’s quite stubborn and difficult to please when you try. Surprisingly, he liked you at first sight.” He looked so excited, I couldn’t burst his happy bubble and tell him about my interaction with his dad. It was an
Anacá Dinner was bearable after his dad’s little reminder. I could feel the power he wielded over everyone present here, including Eros. After dinner, he declined the dessert I offered him. It hurt me, but I preferred hiding my feelings. “Dad has diabetes. He stays away from sugary treats.” Eros leaned in to whisper. It cheered me up again. I was glad Eros cleared the misunderstanding on my part. “We’ll leave, bro. Are you staying?” asked Uncle Enriquez. “Yes. I want to talk to Eros. You can go ahead. Eros will see you off.” They left, and Eros went downstairs to see them off. I felt acutely aware of his dad’s shrewd eyes watching me intently. “Come here, Anacá. I wanted to talk to you.” He gestured towards the opposite couch, and I complied. I wondered what he wanted to discuss with me. We just met, and he didn’t like me.” “Yes, Mr. Nikolaou.” My heart pounded in apprehension as I waited for him to start. Somehow, I had the feeling this wouldn’t be pleasant. “Look, I know yo
Anacá “Uh.” My eyes widened as he leaned closer. The world ceased to revolve around me, and it seemed that there were only the two of us in the room. How he looked at me set a flutter in my stomach. I stood transfixed to the spot, watching him with delirious eyes. He pulled my face toward him and brushed my lips lightly with his. The soft touch was enough to send my senses into overdrive. A throbbing started deep down, and I needed the kiss to quell the desire I felt. “F*ck!” He raised his head to look into my eyes, and I gasped at the burning desire I saw in them. His fingers tangled into my hair as he crashed his lips to mine, this time yanking my head back to gain better access. His tongue probed into my mouth, colliding with my tongue, and all my inhibitions flew out of the windows. I needed him as much as he needed me. At that moment, I forgot we had an audience. A moan echoed around us, and surprisingly, it was from him. The kiss grew desperate, and I wrapped my arms around
Anacá I walked into the bedroom while Lucy preferred following Eros to the kitchen. It seemed more than me; his charm had bowled over my pet dog. I entered the enormous walk-in closet that was almost empty. With only one side occupied, I had the rest of the space to myself for my new and old belongings. This was a work I hated, but what choice did I have? I couldn’t call Jess here to help me. In fact, Jess had completely disappeared from my life. Even my calls to her went unanswered. I wondered what she was up to. “Woof!” Lucy trotted inside to rub her body against my legs. I stroked her head and smiled. “Where’s your new buddy? Did you ditch him downstairs?” I chuckled at my joke. “Why? Are you missing me? I’m all yours.” His voice echoed from behind, and I jumped out of my skin. Wasn’t he downstairs making dinner for us? I whirled around to find him leaning against the doorframe of the closet. His words echoed in my head. I’m all yours.He was mine. A warm flush crept up my c
Anacá He drove on with a smug look on his face. It seemed he felt happy to rile me up. His words were so disturbing, they echoed in my head. I had thought he had forgotten about the kiss! So would he expect me to kiss him once we reached his house? More than a kiss, I wondered if I would have to perform my wifely duties now. “What’s got you so worked up?” He chuckled, enjoying my state. “I’m worried about meeting your parents.” I sighed, my heart sinking at the thought. “It’s just dad and my extended family: uncles, aunts, and cousins. They usually avoid me. So you can relax.” He steered the car into a heavily guarded, luxurious four-story condominium in the most sought-after location of the Kifissia-Kelafari neighborhood. “Is this your home or your dad’s?” I needed to be sure. “The building belongs to me. Right now, I only occupy the top two floors. Maybe I will spread out when we multiply.” He cast a mischievous look in my direction, but I ignored his remark. To multiply, we w
ErosI was in a dilemma. While I wanted her to move in with me, I couldn’t overcome my fear of dogs. There seemed no other way than to accept them in my life. “I’m intolerant towards dogs.” She gave me a weird look and shrugged. “I can understand. I’ll head home then. See you tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’ll be here on time.” Anacá was about to leave when I grabbed hold of her hand. She hardly gave me time to get a grip on myself. It was such a tough decision for me. I sucked in a deep breath. What was the worst thing that could happen? The dog would bite me, right? I would end up with shots. But at least Anacá would be near me. At least I could face my dad with pride. He couldn’t mock me for getting married without his permission. But mostly I would get to see Anacá 24/7. “You can move in with your dog. I’ll have your car delivered home. So, shall we go?” The shocked look on her face satisfied me. I waited for her to protest, but she shrugged and followed me out. “Umm, can we go to m