Taleela's POV Karanos looks so handsome this evening, and I am sure I'll be warding off women for the whole night. His dark hair is slicked back and shiny, and as he leads me to his car, his other hand rests on the small of my back as he guides me. "Wait, I'll open the car," he says, and I stand to the side, waiting as he opens his car door. Retaking my hand, he leads me into his car before closing it and going over to the driver's door to slide into the car. He swerves out of the parking lot into the street, and as he drives, I can't help but wonder why he's the one driving and not his chauffeur. Before I know it, I'm asking him. "Karanos, why are you the one driving?" We both burst into laughter at the same time, sharing the humor of the whole situation. While still laughing, Karanos gives me a reply. "I want to recreate the oldies type of date. Employing a driver seems too extravagant, and again, we'd be able to spend time with each other without bothering about
Kal's POVThe night is not getting younger, and I lead Jemmah towards my car so that I can drive her home. She's slightly drunk, and her words are slurred. She's laughing a lot and making different kinds of jokes. I never knew she was this funny, and I laughed heartily as I settled her into the car and tucked her in. Shutting the passenger door, I hurry to the other side and pull my car door open before slipping inside and closing it. Jemmah's head is resting on the headrest of her seat, and she turns her head to give me a look as I rev up the car's engine. She looks so pretty, and even in a drunken state, she still has a way of making my groin tighten. "You look so sexy," she says. Her hand stretches out and rests on my cheek, the pad of her thumb rubbing against my cheek. Her hands are so soft. "I'm slightly drunk but not drunk enough to talk nonsense. I am aware of what I am saying, and I am saying all these because my tongue is loose, and I can say whatever I want to say
CHAPTER 57 Taleela's POV; Susan is over at my place today. In her words, she's here to help me select the sexiest dresses in my walk-in closet for this one-week vacation I'll be having with my boyfriend, Kal. It's amusing that Susan, who I have a higher fashion sense than, thinks she can beat me at bringing out sexy dresses and underwear, but I'm going to let her have her moment. I know the actual reason why she's here. She's not here to help me pick out any dresses (talk about her lying on my bed and texting Achilles as she smiles like a high school girl). She's only here for gossip. She wants details of how my tip will be. Sighing, I walk out of my closet with a bundle of free clothes in my hand. I give Susan a look before shaking my head and walking to the bed where she's seated to dump the clothes on my rumpled sheets. "Susan," I begin. She looks up at me, quite distracted. Her eyes dart to her phone from time to time, and she's trying to balance typing and looki
Kal's POV "Oh my goodness," Jemmah gasps. "This place is so beautiful," We are just stepping out of the car, and the driver has gone around to the back of the car. He opened the trunk and took out our luggage. Jemmah's, actually. She had packed a whole lot for just a week's vacation. Women. A duffel bag is all I came with, and that's enough for me. Besides, I still have a few clothes in here from the last time I was here with my parents for spring break. The lawns are neat, and the house looks well-kept. Thanks to our old gardener who has dedicated his life to taking care of this place. He does it well. He should. He gets quadruple the amount he's meant to be paid, thanks to my mother, who is annoyingly empathetic at times. Jemmah is busy taking a look around and taking selfies. In one of her selfie sessions, she leans against me, and I smile at the camera before she snaps. Jemmah is now standing before me and scrolling through her gallery as she smiles. Then
Taleela's POVThis place is so beautiful. The designs are modern. Before we stepped into the house, I noticed that this place is built in a streamlined form with a simplistic layout and features that flow easily throughout the whole area. I haven't gone to the back, but I can hear the sound of water pouring, and I'm sure it's from a waterfall nearby. The beach is not too far from here. Just a few minutes' walks and I can smell it from where I am standing in the middle of the room. The whole place is bright due to the white painting. The designs here are minimalistic, and the floorboards are made from bamboo wood. This home is so beautiful. I feel like I am living close to the beach, and that's because I can see everything going on outside from where I am. I can also smell the ocean. The rooms are bright and airy, making me feel relaxed and at peace. I am in one of the rooms, as I have decided to take a self-tour while Karanos is asleep. He's tired from the flight he
Taleela's POV We're out of the ocean now and lying on the flat of our backs on the towel I spread earlier. Karanos is sipping a glass of burgundy while I eat cookies from a cookie jar. We're silent as we listen to the ocean waves roll back and forth. It's night already, and the skies are lit with tiny dots of stars scattered across like pieces of glitter illuminated by the full moon. I love the scenery, and I want to enjoy it to my very best. "The sky is beautiful tonight," Karanos says after taking a sip from his flute. He turns to face me, his elbows propped up to hold his head in place. I look up at the sky again and throw a broken cookie into my mouth, and munch while I speak. "Yes, it is," "Beautiful, just like you are," He whispers. I turn to look at him, smiling. Karanos rarely uses flowery words. He's always direct, and I'm so used to it. But him being poetic right now is making my heart warm. So, I finish up my last cookie and close up the jar before sitting
Karanos' POVI'm still lying on the flat of my back as I wait for Jemmah to come out of the closet with whatever plan she has in mind. When she asked if there were loudspeakers in the house, I got more confused at that point, wondering why she had asked that question.A few minutes later, I hear the closet door opening, and the light is turned off. I sit up in confusion. How did she locate the switch?She comes out, but she's still naked with stings of ropes in her hands.Raising my brow, I ask. "Where did you get these ropes from?"She shrugs and begins to untangle it with so much concentration. "While you were asleep, I looked around and found this in the attic.""God, you're such a smart woman," I respond and place myself properly on the bed. I am tall enough for both ends of my body to be the same length with the fore and rear bedposts. Jemmah smiles at me and calls me a good boy before beginning to tie the ropes around my ankles. I feel the ropes tighten around my ankles before
Jemmah's POV"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Karanos says, his voice thick with emotions. "I wish I could make all this stop. You're hurt. You're crying."I jolt awake at the sound of his cries. Looking out of our window momentarily, I see that it's still midnight. Looking back at Karanos lying on the bed, I notice he's sweating a lot, even under the air conditioning.He's having a nightmare.So I move close enough till my skin touches his, and I gather him in my arms. As soon as he feels me close, his arms wrap around me, and he buries his head in my chest.He keeps talking and even starts to sob, making me confused. Why is he having nightmares? What did he experience in the past?But I don't ask him all that. I am more concerned about his well-being, so I wrap my legs around his lean waist, placing my chin on his head while I rock him comfortingly."You'll be fine, baby. You'll be fine," I say in my most quiet voice. "It's just a dream, and you'll wake up soon. I love you so much, Ka
Taleela's POVIn the evening, Karanos proposed to me; I wasn't expecting it. I had just been coming down the stairs for dinner when I found him down on one knee with a plush red box that was open and had a diamond ring sitting on it.I had nearly toppled down the stairs when I saw him in that position, and it had him bounding up the stairs in sheer panic.We had both erupted into laughter, and I had kissed and kissed and kissed him, bursting into tears as he took a second kneel before me.It's a memory I will never forget in a rush. The slow sex we had after his proposal, how he handled me gently, how he made me feel like the most special woman in the world.For the first time in my life, I felt a rush of love I had never felt for so many people.We had kept the marriage proposal secret, but somehow, Susan had spread the news across to everyone in her family and also Kal's family. What shocked me the most was how Achilles, Susan, and Karanos' mother conspired to plan a joint wedding.
Susan's POVI ask, fully dressed, but Achilles seems to have difficulty buttoning up his shirt. Frowning, I walk toward where he's standing and help him to button his shirt up."Why are you suddenly shaky?" I ask.Achilles shakes his head, and a lock of his hair falls on his forehead. I push his hair back to its normal position and kiss his lip before leaning back to look at my beautiful husband.He's dressed in a dark shirt, and slacks cling to his long powerful legs. It's not tucked in. Just the way I like it. Patting his chest, I kiss him again."You're nervous, babe," I say to him. "I can see that you are."Achilles sighs and picks up his perfume bottle from the vanity table behind me. "Yes, I am. What if your mother threatens me and decides to send me off without you? What if she dislikes me? What if—"But I place a hand on his lip to shut him up. "Shh. It's okay, Achilles. My mother isn't going to do anything funny. Yes, she might be strict and all that. I think she'll like you
Jemmah's POVThree days later.Greece.I don't know why Karanos wants us to drive to his parent's home. I already told him I'm feeling quite sick, but he's bent on doing what he wants."Can we stop by the hospital before seeing your parents, babe?" I ask as we almost get to the city clinic.The flight we took last night messed with my rhythm, making me highly uncomfortable.Karanos sighs and finally agrees. As he turns at the intersection, he says, "Baby, we all know it's your pregnancy and nothing else. We even got a book to guide us through your trimesters. Isn't that enough? My mum doesn't like latecomers,"I frown at him. "Mummy's boy?"I notice Kal's jaw shift. I know he's trying to react calmly to what I just said. Since my pregnancy, he has been considerate, and I find it weird."Babe, you know that's not true. I love my mother, but I don't suck up to her,""But you sure look like you're doing so!" I say to him,Karanos visibly blows out a breath. "No, I am not! That's how we a
Jemmah's POVThree months laterWell, I got pregnant!Isn't that good news?At first, I didn't think it was. I wasn't ready for a baby, and I didn't plan for it.I didn't see myself pregnant this year. I had never really given having a baby thought, and I was pretty disoriented when the doctor told me I was pregnant.Karanos was in the country for a three-month vacation and a company merger. So, he was running around and setting things up while I relaxed. He didn't want me stressed out.I told him a week later while we were on a date. I knew it wasn't the perfect timing, and I hadn't crested one, so I thought informing him on a date would spice things up since he was in a happy mood.Well, it spiced things up. Kal leaped to his feet and kicked his chair back as he walked towards my seat. He lifted me and twirled me around. He was thrilled, but I wasn't quite sure I was.Okay, here's the thing.I was just so confused about the pregnancy thing, and I wanted to burst into tears, but Kal
Taleela's POVThere's a party tonight, and Karanos has forced me to come to Greece. Anyway, it's not something I'd be stubborn about because I want to be there while he celebrates his partnership with us.That's what his father wants, and Karanos has to do it for him. The man is sick and needs some requests to be granted.Susan already called hours ago to tell me the dress code. It was annoying because I had already prepared a dress to wear tonight, and Susan was calling to tell me that Linda had already picked a dress code for the party.Well, it's no problem because I have already ordered a new dress that'll be delivered in hours at Susan's apartment. I'll be going to the airport with nothing but my purse and a few clothes to stay in over the weekend.I miss Karanos. It's just been a week, but it feels like years.On the morning after the night I had gotten drunk, Tobias pulled out from the deal, and I asked Nikolai to put assigning the contract to anyone on hold because I already h
Taleela's POVHe picks up.Wherever he is, there is a flurry of activities, but he still picks up anyway. That's a good thing. I hope he listens to me because I am extraordinarily drunk and about to pass out."Jemmah," His voice comes. Soft and filled with so much worry."Kal," I say, and my voice breaks. "Kal, photos of me in the strip club back in Greece got released on the internet," Then I begin to sob."Jemmah, I need you to stay calm for me, okay?" He says. "I'll be at your apartment in less than an hour,""But you're in Greece," I choke back tears. "How will you get here in less than an hour?""Don't worry, my love. I'll be there in no time. Don't drink more than what you already have consumed, okay?"I nod. "Yes," Even if I know I will drink till I pass out.When he ends the call, I take another swig from the bottle before leaning back into my couch and thinking about how my life is already a mess within a week of Karanos not being in my life. I have to admit, but he brings s
Taleela's POVI'm scrolling through the internet, and all that fills my news feed are pictures of me and Karanos and headlines talking about our breakup and how it affected our business relationship. Even discussions about the deal being called off.How the hell did these people know about all this? Did Karanos tell them in a press conference or something?Shaking my head, I know that Karanos is not that type of person. He's primarily private, apart from the unfortunate pictures taken by the paparazzi and some ladies that want to leech off him.I lean away from the back seat and tap my driver's shoulder. He turns for a bit. We're almost at the intersection, so I must tell him quickly."Can you take the longer route? We're going to enter my apartment from the back," I say. "The paparazzi will be waiting for me,""Okay, ma'am." The driver says and immediately swerves into the other intersection that leads to the longer route.When we get to my apartment, many reporters are standing in f
Karanos' POV"Jemmah, listen to me," I say as I follow her out of the beach house. We haven't even been here for half a week, and all this is happening. I feel so frustrated and aggravated at myself.But Jemmah doesn't even give me listening ears. She hikes her tote bag higher and continues to drive her luggage toward the door. Pulling the door with all her might, she steps out and nearly swings it shut in my face, but I am quick to hold the gate and follow her outside.She already booked a ride about an hour ago, and the driver is already here with his car purring. As soon as he sees her, he climbs out of his car and takes her luggage from her. Jemmah steps into the back of the car while she waits for the driver to place her stuff in the trunk.She doesn't spare me a glance throughout the ordeal. Her jaw is set, and I see that she's trying so hard not to break down.I climb down the porch steps when I see the driver wasting a bit of time in the trunk and go over to the side of the wi
Jemmah's POV"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Karanos says, his voice thick with emotions. "I wish I could make all this stop. You're hurt. You're crying."I jolt awake at the sound of his cries. Looking out of our window momentarily, I see that it's still midnight. Looking back at Karanos lying on the bed, I notice he's sweating a lot, even under the air conditioning.He's having a nightmare.So I move close enough till my skin touches his, and I gather him in my arms. As soon as he feels me close, his arms wrap around me, and he buries his head in my chest.He keeps talking and even starts to sob, making me confused. Why is he having nightmares? What did he experience in the past?But I don't ask him all that. I am more concerned about his well-being, so I wrap my legs around his lean waist, placing my chin on his head while I rock him comfortingly."You'll be fine, baby. You'll be fine," I say in my most quiet voice. "It's just a dream, and you'll wake up soon. I love you so much, Ka