Page 63 of The Boss

Willow took her time stepping up into the main room, slowly scanning every inch as she walked closer to the bank of glass doors. It was easy to tell she was remembering the times before, much like I found myself doing. Fate was a prickly bitch and I was still reeling from accepting just how much I craved being in her company.

And driving my cock inside her sweet pussy.

“This is… amazing,” Willow said without looking at me. I’d sensed her surprise and immediate discomfort as soon as I’d given her another rule to follow.

At least I’d controlled my usual tendency to overblow the moment.

“I enjoy being here.”

“Just enjoy? This is where your heart is.” She wrinkled her nose as if trying to remember something. “To spíti eínai to móno méros ópou boreíte na eíste o eaftós sas.”

The Greek saying flowed from her mouth, although with somewhat broken inflection, twisting the blade in my heart.“Home is the one place where you can be yourself. Where did you learn that?”

“Mother told me she learned it from your mother. Mama said it was a touching moment shared between them and something she would never forgot. She used to tell me that when I’d talk about getting my own place.” She laughed and shook her head as the memory continued. “Would you believe she made me learn and recite the quote over the years starting as soon as we returned from that last trip? God, I felt like I was in school, forced to memorize a Dickens poem, but as I got older, I realized how valuable the words truly were.” She unlocked the set of back doors, using all her arm muscles to push the all-glass doors along the tracks. Immediately, the ocean breeze wafted in, a scent I’d taken for granted all these years.

I walked closer, enjoying the way it took her three tries to wrangle her hair behind both ears. She looked so young, so fresh and alive that I was struck even more by her beauty. “How so?”

“Well,” she said as she glanced over her shoulder and backed out onto one of several decks. Of course, I followed her. “You can have all the money in the world, the finest houses and artwork that costs millions of dollars, but if you feel like you can’t relax then it’s not home. Home is where you can laugh at silly things, forget to pick up dishes from the coffee table, and where books remain on the nightstand for months at a time. It’s where you can simply tune out the rest of the world, all the horrors and concerns, lock your doors and refuse to answer your phone and emails.”

“My philosophical fiancée.” I joined her on the deck, taking a few seconds to scan the cliff. Coming here without guards was risky, but I needed time alone for myself.

And with the incredible woman.

Things had gotten out of control, so much so I couldn’t think or process. At least her reflective demeanor kept me sane.

“I think it’s something important to remember. I love this place, but if it doesn’t make you happy then you should get rid of it.”

“It’s been in the family for two generations.”

“But is the house a home for you, Dimitrios? Do you understand what I mean?”

Watching her nose as it scrunched up while she was trying to find words to get through to me was as entertaining as everything else about here. But she was real. Most individuals told me what they thought I wanted to hear. With her, it was exactly what she thought no matter the consequences.

In my mind, that was priceless.

“As much of one as I know, Willow.” I was being truthful with her. Maybe the pain of losing my brother had blocked out recent inspiring memories.

“No soldiers while we’re here?”

“No,” I told her. “Why would I need them? No one knows we’re here except for Nico and my brothers. By all appearances, I’m still handling business in Athens.”

“What if I try and escape?”

I removed my sunglasses, sliding one earpiece into my shirt and turned toward her. As I moved closer, her breathing became shallow. Using just a single finger, I traced down from her forehead to her nose, ending by running the tip across the seam of her pursed lips. “If you do, I’ll find you. No matter where youland or how long it takes. Enjoy the view while I get us both something to drink.”

She leaned into me, keeping her hands from touching any part of my body although I could sense she hungered to do so. When she backed away, taking purposeful steps, my cock twitched just like it had been doing for hours.

Willow was right in that with money and good looks, you could get just about anything you wanted in life. It helped when you had a dangerous persona to back the other two. However, what the attributes couldn’t do was buy happiness or contentment. I’d been taught by my father about entitlement. He’d tried to ensure his children didn’t act as if they were owed anything, but his business tactics had rubbed off on all four of us.

Every child within the Nomikos household had learned most people were sheep, following anyone who gave them direction. We’d been raised as wolves and we were damn good at it. However, that didn’t mean we couldn’t succumb to the horrors that life seemed to drop on you when you least expected. That’s why our parents had kept this home, lovingly restoring every room to its original glory. My mother had called it a sanctuary and for a long time, that’s exactly what the place had become to all of us.

I did love this house. I’d spent more time here than anywhere, even healing here when most people would have stayed away. Memories were funny things. They could either bring joy and satisfaction or sadness. When the images and thoughts parading in your head brought both, the best thing to do was to confront the emotions.

The unlucky locked them down.

That was exactly what I’d done in order to get through every day.

I backed away, still enjoying the picturesque view captured by the bright blue sky illuminating her soft hair.

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