CHRISTIAN “Oh my God!” Olivia shrieked, clapping her hands excitedly and squirming in her simple jeans and blouse. I turned to her, rolling my eyes. Again? This was the tenth thing she’d found cute in the past three minutes. We hadn’t even made it halfway through Pyros Village, and already, she was fawning over everything, her eyes wide with wonder, and her lips curved in a bright, wide smile. Little things. It was ridiculous how much they made her happy. Lydia, one of my ex’s, had never been like this. She was impossible to impress. A tour of Pyros Village wouldn’t have even made her blink. She preferred yachts, exotic islands, diamonds, lots of them. But Olivia? She was now crouched in front of a turtle, staring at it like it was the most significant thing she’d ever seen. I watched as she quickly whipped out her small camera, taking pictures with a beaming smile. “Christian,” she called, beckoning me over with a flick of her fingers, her gaze still fixed on the small scree
CHRISTIAN The woman nodded, still smiling, and lifted the camera, snapping a few shots. “You make a wonderful couple,” she remarked casually. I felt my hand twitch in shock. Couple? “Oh!” Olivia blurted, startling me. She let out a nervous laugh, pointing between us. “Us?” she asked, almost like she was disgusted by the idea. “No, no, we’re not together. Never. Ever.” She shook her head with such force it almost looked offensive. My eye twitched. The woman’s brows furrowed in surprise as she glanced between us, clearly confused. But I barely noticed her. I was too busy glaring at Olivia, replaying her words in my head. Never, ever? I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to scoff. I didn’t want her to see how much those two careless words had gotten to me. But why did she say it like that? Like I wasn’t good enough for her. Many women dreamed to be with me, to spend a night in my bed. So why did she act like she wasn’t one of them? “Oh… I see,” The woman stammered awkwa
CHRISTIAN I paced the suite, restless as hell. I couldn’t shake off my conversation with Olivia, no matter how hard I tried. Her words echoed in my head, going against every belief I held. Kindness. I scoffed, tightening my grip around the wine glass. What the hell was kindness? When I asked Olivia what she looked for in a man, I expected the usual answer I’d heard from most ladies: wealth, power, good looks. The things that mattered. Not… kindness. What the fuck did kindness have to offer? Did it own penthouses? Yachts? Billion-dollar empires? Did it command the sort of respect I did? Did kindness even look half as good as I did? Fuck as good as I did? I needed Olivia to answer that last part, especially. Was she even thinking straight? Choosing kindness over every other advantage a man could offer? Or did she intentionally say that because it wasn’t in my top ten qualities I mentioned? Was she messing with me? I bit down on my bottom lip, my gaze drifting
CHRISTIANThe waiter arrived with a bottle of wine, set it on the table, and stepped back. “Thank you,” Olivia said with a small smile. He gave a curt nod before walking away.I leaned back in my chair, watching her. Why did she thank him like he was doing her a favor? He was being paid. And the smile, was that necessary?“We should order now,” She said suddenly, breaking into my thoughts.I gestured toward the menu. “Go ahead.”She picked it up, flipping through the pages with a slight frown. “I don’t recognize anything,” She muttered, pouting.“Keep looking.” I answered, my gaze still fixed on her. She did, her lips pursed, and brows drawing tighter with every turn of the page. “What’s Kakavia?”I gave her a shrug.She leaned back, exasperated. “You travel often so you must have had one of these before, haven’t you? Just recommend something decent. Please?”“Pick something random,” I said, rubbing my jaw. “If you don’t like it, order something else.”She sighed loudly and waved th
OLIVIA I glanced over at Christian, watching him curiously. He was deep in his usual morning routine—sipping coffee, standing silently by the floor-to-ceiling window, eyes fixed on the view outside. Everything about him looked composed. Calm. Normal. But I could tell something was off. It started right after dinner last night. My gaze shifted away from him as memories of the evening came rushing back. When we’d returned to the suite, he’d suddenly hovered around me, almost too close, his attention focused on my ankle. “Are you badly hurt?” he’d asked, like he was worried. “Hurt at all?” The concern in his tone had caught me off guard. Christian didn’t do concern. Still, he’d crouched down and inspected my ankle like it was the most natural thing in the world. I remembered staring down at him in confusion, trying to figure out what had triggered this shift. Since when did he care enough to check for injuries? Now, seated across from him, I stole another curious glance. S
OLIVIA I scrolled through the photos on my camera, pausing on the ones I’d taken earlier at the beach. A smile tugged at my lips as I stared at the bright, carefree grin stretched across my face in every shot. I looked… genuinely happy. Truly. And Christian? Well, he looked bored out of his mind in every single one. “Why are you smiling?” The voice startled me. I glanced up, almost dropping the camera, my gaze darting toward the closet. Christian stood there, leaning casually against the door frame, wine glass in hand, watching me with hooded eyes. I shrugged, regaining my composure. “Just looking at the pictures we took earlier.” He sighed, like the memory of today was enough to drain him. “I still can’t believe you made me do all that nonsense.” I smirked, tilting my head slightly as I studied him. “Oh, come on,” I said. “You loved every second of it.” I held up the camera with a teasing grin. “And I have proof.” He let out another exasperated sigh, glaring at me. “Don’t
OLIVIAI let out a small breath as I walked through the hallways, a smile tugging at my lips as last night’s memories came rushing back.I could still feel Christian’s hands gripping my waist under the water, the way he thrust into me again and again, each movement sending a wave of pleasure through my body.Sighing, I tried to push the thoughts away. It was over, and I was back here. Whatever happened in Greece was part of the contract, a way to make sure I got pregnant fast. That was it. Nothing else.But as I took a few steps, his words pushed through my mind again. “I love spending time with you, Olivia.” My fingers tightened. I wanted to forget them, to erase the way they made me feel, but I couldn’t.My mind wanted to know why he loved spending time with me. My body questioned why I loved that he felt that way. And every inch of me was distracted.“Get a grip, Olivia,” I told myself.I could’ve stayed home. The jet lag alone was a good excuse. But instead, I came to school, ho
OLIVIAI walked out of the lecture hall, fists clenched at my sides, and my thoughts spiraling with disbelief and frustration.Everything Miss Elowen said during her lectures replayed in my head, my anger rising.All this time, all these years, and she had the nerve to stand there in front of the class and call my work perfect? The hypocrisy burned.“Olivia!” I had just turned toward the cafeteria when I heard my name. I stopped and spun around to see Miss Elowen hurrying up behind me.Talk about the devil. What did she want now? And since when did she say my name without that familiar tone of disdain?“How are you?” she asked as she reached me.I raised an eyebrow.Since when did she care how I was?“I’m fine,” I said casually, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. “Although I have to say, it’s surprising that you even care.”Her brows pulled together. “What do you mean?” she asked, trying to sound genuinely confused.“That was my work, wasn’t it? On the projector?” I said, getting str
OLIVIAHe sat down heavily, his glare burning into both of them before turning it directly onto Christian. “I don’t think you have enough reasons to turn Miss Hale’s offer down.” Christian exhaled. “I understand you’re the chairman, Grandfather,” he said. “But I’m the president of Blackwood Hotel and Air. I have the full right to make these decisions.” He let the words settle in the heavy silence. “And frankly, having this discussion right now is an insult to my relationship and I won’t tolerate it.” His gaze slid to Lydia, his jaw clenching. “I won’t accept her investment, and I sure as hell won’t bring her onto my board. Not just because she’s an insufferable, exhausting human being but because she has no place there. Quite frankly,” he added. “She knows nothing about business. So why bother?” Lydia looked stricken, her mouth hanging open like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. And for once, I could actually savor the silence that followed. Just then, Ophelia broke the
OLIVIA “I’m glad you could join us, Lydia.” I looked from Mr. Blackwood to Lydia, who beamed at each other, a slow burn of rage and discomfort working its way up my spine. When Christian had mentioned this dinner, I didn’t expect Lydia to be attending too. If I had known, I probably wouldn’t have come because now, all I could think about was leaping across the table and clawing her face off. Sliding into the seat next to Michael, Lydia flashed me a sly grin. I didn’t bother acknowledging it, my gaze instead drifting to notice something else: Michael’s wife was absent tonight. I narrowed my eyes slightly. Was Lydia the reason his wife wasn’t here? At the far end of the table, Ophelia sat stiffly, shooting daggers at Lydia. Guess no one really wanted her here except Mr. Blackwood and Michael, judging by their faces. Christian, on the other hand, sat beside me, completely unbothered, as if no one of any significance shared this table with us. Letting out a silent breath, I wis
MICHAEL “When’s he getting here?” I glanced at Lydia, who was tapping her foot against the gazebo floor, clearly losing patience. I let out a small sigh, scratching my brow. “Any minute now.” She turned away, and for a few moments, silence hung between us. “So let me get this straight,” I said, eyeing her. “You promised your parents some kind of partnership with my family in exchange for their investment in Blackwood Hotel and Air. More specifically, you promised them some connection to a Blackwood.” She glanced at me from the corner of her eyes, letting out a sigh. “Did you really think this was just about Olivia? She’s standing in the way of something bigger than she’ll ever know.” I raised an eyebrow. “Well, I think this started because you couldn’t handle the rejection, especially because of her.” I leaned in slightly. “And in your desperation to get closer to Christian, you made a deal with your parents. I wonder how they’ll react when they find out you’re no closer to gett
OLIVIABut most of them were too small, too fitted and definitely not made for someone with Christian’s build. After a few more minutes of searching and silently cursing myself, I sighed and pushed my hair out of my face. “This isn’t going to work. Everything here would look like a crop top on you.”I turned toward him, already dreading my next words. “I guess… we’ll have to ask James.” He raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained by my discomfort. I ignored him and hurried out of the room. Luckily, James was just stepping out of his room as I reached the hallway. Without thinking, I grabbed his arm and yanked him back inside, shutting the door behind us. “What the hell—?” he started, but I cut him off. “Can I borrow a shirt? And maybe some shorts?” He blinked at me, confused for half a second, then smirked. “For Christian?” I nodded impatiently. He shrugged and walked over to his closet. After a bit of rummaging, he pulled out a pair of loose black pants and a sky-blue flannel
OLIVIA A loud banging on the door jolted me awake. I shot up from the bed and immediately smacked my head against the headboard. Wincing, I clutched my forehead. Who on earth was pounding on my door like that? “Olivia!” my mother’s voice rang out from the hallway. I sighed and slumped back against the headboard. Of course. It was just her. “Go wash up and come downstairs,” she called. “Both of you. Breakfast’s ready.” I heard her footsteps fade away down the hall. Yawning, I stretched my arms over my head, trying to shake off the heavy sleep still clinging to me. Beside me, Christian shifted slightly. I glanced over, expecting him to wake up, but he stayed fast asleep. For a moment, I just stared at him. His face was so relaxed in sleep, the usual sharpness of his features softened. I couldn’t help myself—I reached out and lightly traced the line of his jaw with my fingertip and a small smile pulled at my lips. How could he be this handsome? I like you, Olivia. The words echoe
CHRISTIANIt was the quickest fucking quickie ever, because even though she said it was safe, I wasn’t about to take chances. “That was fast,” she murmured against my skin, her voice sleepy and satisfied. A corner of my lip tilted up in a smirk. “For saying that, I’m going to fuck you for hours after the baby’s out.” As she stared up at me, I realized what I’d just said, and the cheery mood evaporated like smoke. I sighed, shaking my head. “You’re about to say the contract ends once the baby’s out, right?” She shook her head, her big green eyes staring up at me — the same eyes that did something crazy to my heart, making me feel things I used to believe I couldn’t feel. “Why didn’t you…” she whispered, her voice soft, “Why did you turn Lydia away?” I chuckled under my breath. “Is that what you’re thinking about right now?” Her brows pinched together slightly and her lips twisted shyly. “It’s not like you.” She revealed. “I know you always made time for her whenever she showed
CHRISTIAN What am I doing? That’s a fair question. Because if someone had told me months ago that I would find myself in this position—kneeling before Olivia, my only focus on her pleasure, and my own desires secondary, I would have called them crazy. And yet, here I was, overwhelmed by the need to make her squirm, to hear her breath hitch, to watch her lose herself under my touch and consumed by a hunger I couldn’t control. Oh, how I’d missed the sight of her writhing beneath me. It takes a real man to admit when a woman has completely shifted his world and I was that man. So yes, I knew what I was doing, and the end result? It would most likely be her release all over my face. Soon. Slowly, I trailed kisses up her thighs, nearing the place where she pulsed with need and she trembled. “Relax,” I whispered against her skin, and somehow, that made her quiver even more. A groan rumbled in my chest as my eyes caught the sight of her…soft, wet, and waiting for me. I could lose
OLIVIA It was just a simple misunderstanding. And yet it had wrecked me for weeks. I’d cried, sulked, pushed him away, all because of something that was never even real. My eyes stung with embarrassment. I tightened my fingers in my dress and turned away, unable to look at him, memories of every stupid argument flashing through my mind. I remembered all the times he said there was nothing between him and Lydia. And all the times I hadn’t believed him. I thought about that night in the car, the way I’d thrown words at him like knives. I thought about how he had just sat there and taken it. I must have looked like a fool and sounded even worse. I swallowed hard and dropped my head, squeezing my eyes shut, and wishing I could erase everything. Then suddenly, I felt his hand on my shoulder, wrapping me with warmth. I opened my eyes, blinking back tears, just as he pulled me into a hug from behind. The second my back hit his chest, everything broke loose. I started sobbing — ug
OLIVIA For weeks, I’d waited for him to explain their relationship, to show that she didn’t matter, but I never got that. I couldn’t keep waiting for his words to match his actions. “What about her?” He didn’t answer right away, but his gaze didn’t waver either. His eyes searched mine, like he was waiting for me to say more. When I didn’t, he exhaled. “I didn’t fuck her, Olivia.” He took a slow step forward, like he wanted to make sure I understood every word. “Or whatever you think happened.” I shook my head, still not convinced. “Then just tell me the truth.” His eyes softened for a second. “Tell me why you think I’m lying. And say something more than me dancing with her at the ball.” Dancing with her at the ball? Was that all he thought this was about? I lifted my chin. “When I went to shop for a dress… Lydia told me you…” I paused, trying to steady myself. “She said you made her leave your bed that morning. I don’t think that means nothing.” He raised an eyebrow, a