Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“When I get back stateside, I’m going to wear your ass out for that remark.”
“You won’t find my ass. I’m done with your head games, Niko.”
“I’m not playing games. You should know me better than that. I told you to trust me, Emilia.”
“I tried, but some things are just too glaring to ignore,” I bite out. I’m proud of myself. Maybe my father is right, I am a fighter. I am his daughter after all. I think he would be proud of me right now.
“Nothing happened with Katherine.”
“Tell me another one.”
“You can either choose to believe me or not, but I’m telling you nothing happened,” Niko counters, letting me hear that he’s annoyed. Poor guy. He should try having his heart ripped out. Of course, that would be impossible.
He doesn’t have one.
I can admit his voice sounds forthright. I can’t let that weaken me, however. This is the same man who was still dating another woman after getting engaged to me. That reminder is painful. I can’t do this right now. I just can’t.
“I don’t know if I believe you or not, but it doesn’t matter.”
“You’re right, because we’re still getting married.”
“No, it doesn’t matter because she was still in your hotel room while you were in the shower.”
“Emilia—”
“Don’t bother denying it,” I snap, not willing to back down.
“Okay, I won’t. It’s true. That doesn’t mean I betrayed you. Katherine showed up as I was getting in the shower. She wasn’t with me.”
I roll my eyes as jealousy rolls through me. “So, she showed up early for your date.”
“Stop. You’re buying yourself a hell of a lot of trouble for when I get back as it is. She wasn’t invited. I don’t even know how she knew which hotel I was in.”
“Sure, whatever, Niko.”
“Emilia, I wouldn’t lie to you about this.”
“You know what bothers me the most? You think I should just put everything in the past and move on.”
“That’s where it belongs. Katherine has nothing to do with our future.”
“I’m not sure we have a future,” I counter.
“If you think I’m giving you up after the taste I’ve had of you, you’re completely insane. I’m not letting you go, sweetheart.”
“You can’t force someone to stay in a relationship.”
“We aren’t in a relationship.”
“At least we can agree on something.” My heart hurts as tears sting my eyes. It shouldn’t hurt me that he doesn’t think we had anything between us, but it’s like a knife through the heart.
He sighs heavily, taking a moment before he talks again. “I care for you, Emilia.”
His words—even as hurt as I am—have the ability to steal my breath. Niko is the biggest weakness I’ve ever had in my life. Coming from someone who has dealt with panic attacks, that says a lot. It’s the truth, though. I have no defenses when it comes to him.
“Niko…”
“I’m sorry you were hurt, sweetheart, but I promise you, I never touched Katherine. I don’t want another woman. I want my soon to be wife. That’s why I’m letting you get away with calling me a liar. If it were anyone else, I’d either hang up or kill them—probably both.”
I exhale, my heart feeling so heavy it hurts for it to beat. I take a second to collect myself, so my voice doesn’t break. “It’s all from your point of view, Niko. Why don’t you put yourself in my shoes? How would you like it if you called the house late at night and I was in the shower. And let’s say Vic answered my cell. Then you hear me yell out for him to let the phone ring?”
Niko growls, “I’d choke the son of a bitch with my bare hands.”
“I’m tired of being hurt, Niko.”
“Give me a chance and I’ll prove you’re safe with me.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“You need to give me a chance because we are both invested in this relationship. You can’t deny that.”
“I thought you said we don’t have a relationship,” I remind him.
“We don’t. We have a commitment to one another. One that is more binding than the bland term relationship.” My aching heart contracts at his words. I want to believe him, I really do. I’m just afraid.
My father’s words bounce around my head as I take a breath. “I’m still not sure.”
“Emilia—”
“If you want to call me tomorrow, we can discuss it,” I offer, closing my eyes as I jump over the edge of a cliff with Niko.
“You’re going to make me work for it, aren’t you, Em?”
“It will do you good to have to work for something when it comes to a woman,” I grumble.
“At least tell me you’re missing me.”
I almost do. The words on the tip of my tongue before I mentally shake myself. “Call me tomorrow and we will talk about it.”
Surprisingly, he stops arguing. “I’ll call before I leave Greece,” he chuffs out, sounding tired. I can tell he isn’t happy, but it feels like a good thing that we’re ending the conversation this way. “Wait. Why is your security detail calling me?”