Page 39 of Love on the Rocks
When I came back into the living area she was poking around the kitchen, opening the many cupboard doors.
“There’s a fridge!” She gasped when she saw that it was full. I’d asked Sofia, my neighbor and occasional housekeeper to fill it this morning. “And it’s stocked!”
She shook her head and leaned back against the counter. “It’s crazy to think I’d gotten used to living without a fridge and a hot shower. I am really going to give Gaz an earful over this.”
Then she started to put two and two together. She turned toward me very slowly. “Wait, whose house is this?”
“It belongs to Yiannis’s family.”
“And it just happened to be available? I’ve been after Yiannis since I got here to find me an apartment.” I waited for her to connect all the dots, bracing myself. So much for the truce we’d established.
“Actually, this has always been the house that was rented for you. I convinced him to put you elsewhere.” I decided to come clean. There was no point in hiding it anymore.
“You!” she growled I had never seen a more coldly furious look. If looks could kill, as they say, I’d be on the boat to the underworld.
“You had him put me in that hovel? With holes in the roof, no electricity, no hot water, no toilet? I couldn’t lock the door! I woke up with demon goats dancing on the tin shed. I could have been murdered, or worse. And you let me stay there for ten days!” Her voice was steady, frighteningly so.
“In my defense, I was counting on you leaving after the first night.”
“And when I didn’t, you left me there. You wanted me to suffer. I’m surprised you didn’t knock me over the head and throw me overboard when we were out on your boat. That would have solved your problem!”
“It wasn’t an easy decision to leave you there. I didn’t know you were so stubborn.”
“And then you sent your dog to terrorize me!”
“He was there to protect you.”
“Protect me? From whom? The only person I need protecting from on this island is you!” I flinched because it was true. Every word of it.
“Look . . .”
“No, I don’t want to hear any more. Just get out.” When I didn’t budge, she lost it. “Go! I would call the cops, but you’re probably the sheriff too. Just get out now!”
She shoved me toward the door, and I tried to calm her down, but it was no use. It was like she was possessed. “All right. I’m leaving, but when you’ve calmed down, I’d like to explain . . .”
“There’s nothing to explain. You’re a bully. And I loathe bullies.” She slammed the door in my face.
Chapter 16
Freshly bathed and oiled, Mia waited for Angelos to come to her room. He strode in confidently, shirt untucked and open nearly to his navel. His eyes ran over her half-naked body, and she tried to pretend she wasn’t quivering with longing at the sight of him. Squeezing her eyes shut, she said, “Let’s get this over with.”
- One Week with the Greek
CALLIE
Iwanted to break something. How dare he target me like that?
When I thought of how scared, lonely, and frustrated—how filthy!—I’d felt since arriving here, rage burned inside me like the molten core of the volcano that had formed this island thousands of years ago.
And beneath it all, I just felt sad. Hurt that he would have wanted to humiliate me. To think I’d begun to soften toward him, to begin to understand his reasons for being so opposed to the construction of the resort. I even sympathized with his desire to protect what he loved from change, even though I still believed that change was exactly what the island needed. After our conversation this morning, I’d made up my mind to talk with Gaz about modifying the plans for the resort, but now . . .
I just wanted to pull up in front of his house in a mega yacht blaring dance music and flashing neon lights.
I should have trusted my gut when it came to him. Instead, I’d once again been blinded by physical attraction. Why, oh why, was I always drawn to self-absorbed assholes?
My arms were aching from angrily hopping around the room on my crutches. The crutches I wouldn’t even be on if it wasn’t for him!
“Bastard!” I shouted as I collapsed onto the sofa. I grabbed my purse on the side table and pulled out my battered phone. For once I had perfect reception. “I’m going to murder him. Lure him up to the rocks and then push him into the sea.”
