Page 37 of Slightly Married
“It can’t.” I packed my belongings, checking my watch. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. When you’re ready to return to Greece, contact Andreas. He’ll arrange your flight.”
“You can’t just leave—”
But I was already walking out the door, her protests fading behind me. One call to my pilot confirmed the jet would be ready within fifteen minutes.
By early evening, the plane touched down at Athens International. I instructed my driver to proceed directly to the estate, watching impatiently as the familiar landscape passed by my window.
When I arrived, the butler informed me Kayla was in the garden. I made my way through the villa’s corridors, my footsteps echoing against the marble.
The scene that greeted me in the garden only intensified my earlier irritation.
Kayla sat with an array of hair products spread on a table next to her while her fingers worked through Tia’s hair. Yiorgos lounged across from them, his boisterous laughter suggesting a comfort with my wife.
“Konstantin!” Tia’s voice brightened with surprise.
I acknowledged her with a curt nod while my attention fixed on Kayla.
Without preamble, I approached Kayla, who had yet to acknowledge my presence. “May I speak to you privately, please?”
“I’m busy,” she replied coolly, still not meeting my gaze as she continued working on Tia’s hair.
“I flew back from Italy specifically to speak with you.”
“And I specifically said I’m busy.” Her tone carried a defiant edge.
“It’s okay, Kayla. We can finish my hair later,” Tia offered.
“Absolutely not. I promised you we’d finish this tonight.” She picked up the comb after she was done with the braid and parted a small section of Tia’s hair.
Yiorgos rose from his seat. “Perhaps I should go,” he suggested, glancing between us with a hint of a smile.
“Don’t be silly,” Kayla said, reaching out to touch his arm. “You promised to tell us about your trip to Mykonos.”
Something inside me snapped at the dismissal. The casual way she touched him, the syrupy tone when addressing Yiorgos, and her blatant refusal to acknowledge my request were too much.
I needed her anger, her fire, anything but her indifference. I needed her to feel as much as I did.
I studied her for a moment, weighing options. Then, having reached a conclusion, I lifted Kayla by the waist and threw her over my shoulder.
She shrieked, her surprise quickly transforming into outrage as she pounded against my back. “Put me down right now, Konstantin! This isn’t funny!”
“This isn’t intended to be humorous,” I replied, adjusting my grip to better secure her.
Before continuing, I turned back toward Yiorgos. “I expect you’ll never step foot on this property again,” I said. “And in the future, I suggest you find someone else’s wife to entertain you.”
With the final warning delivered, I resumed my stride through the villa. Kayla’s colorful language echoed through the corridors as staff members paused their activities to stare. The villa’s gossip mill would be working overtime, but that was a secondary concern to the matter at hand.
“Konstantinos!” My mother’s shocked voice cut through Kayla’s protests. “What on earth are you doing? Put her down at once!”
I met her gaze without breaking stride. “Weren’t you recently advising me to spend more time with my wife? I’m following your counsel.”
I carried my furious wife to the waiting car, carefully depositing her onto the back seat before sliding in beside her. Her braids had partially escaped their styling.
“Have you completely lost your mind?” Kayla demanded, eyes flashing with indignation. “Let me out!” She lunged across my lap toward the door, struggling with the handle.
“No.” The single word carried a note of finality.
“You can’t just haul me around whenever you feel like it.” Her chest rose and fell rapidly with anger.
