Page 7 of A Grecian Getaway

His accent was thick, but his English was perfect.Where do I know that voice from?They walked at a fast pace, and it was hard for her to keep up in the sand. This man was much taller than her, and his long strides were daunting.Why the heck are we going so fast? Doesn’t he notice the difficult time I’m having trying to keep up with him?

“Um, excuse me, could you please slow down?”

After some grumbling, he slowed his pace.What’s his problem? I’m thankful for his help, but still... Could you be a little nicer, dude?She was at her wit's end with annoying men tonight.Dang it, don’t start crying now, Noelle.She stood tall and marched on, frustrated and angry at the turn of events.

Chapter 5

WE MEET AGAIN ~Demetri~

Demetri walked as if he were in a race, with his hands balled into fists. He shook with anger. He’d seen Giannis and this beautiful woman, the innocent woman he’d talked to on the boat, dancing together at the club.How had that little shit moved so quickly?He could hear her sniffling. He didn’t need to see her to know she was crying.

“You only just arrived on the island earlier today. You don’t know who Giannis is, but I do. He picks up single women visiting the island,” he rambled, going back and forth between English and Greek. “Most women he meets want the same thing as him. But you are different.” The way she’d interacted with Giannis only cemented his first impression of her. She was shy and inexperienced.

Demetri paused and glanced back at her.

The woman had stopped walking. “I’m sorry. How do you know I arrived on the island today? I heard you say that in between your Greek and English ranting.” She had her phone out as she typed furiously, not bothering to look his way. She still did not know who he was.

“There are taxis up ahead. Come,” he said in English as he pointed to the commotion near to them.

He walked on, and to his surprise, she followed. Demetri continued ranting in Greek. “You are not for me. You are innocent, and I am far from it,” he reminded himself. Her scent intoxicated him. “Why do you have to smell so good? Like peaches.” He fisted his hands and stared ahead as he marched on. Giannis was an asshole. Demetri hadn’t been able to just let her go with him. He’d felt an urge to protect her, unsure of why. He’d followed them on their walk, wondering if she knew what she was doing. “I knew Giannis was going to pull something like this. He is such a shit.” He’d been damned sure he wouldn’t allow her to be taken advantage of by Giannis. “I should have been closer to you, but I tried to stay back and out of sight, just in case you could handle him. I stepped in as soon as it appeared you needed some help. He is lucky he still has his hands after touching you. I will deal with him more later.”

They were on the crowded streets now, and it was much busier. As Demetri walked, the frustration inside him bubbled up like a volcano, ready to erupt. His grumblings in Greek became louder and louder. “What were you thinking? Coming to an island and going to a remote place with some stranger you just met? Do you have any experience at all? Any common sense at all? What would have happened had I not been there?” He didn’t think Giannis would force her, but the bastard had a way of convincing women, and he might have convinced her too. She clearly didn’t know how the world worked.

“Hey! Hey, parakalo!” she panted, “please,” as she grabbed his hand. He felt an immediate spark and pulled his hand from hers.

“Are you finished? I don’t know who you think you are, but I can only assume you’re lecturing me. For your information, I don’t speak Greek. I have no idea what you’ve been saying. And another thing, mister,” Noelle said. “You didn’t answer my question. How did you know I just arrived on the island? Are you some kind of stalker? Hey, turn around!” She tugged at his shirt sleeve.

Demetri turned to face her, and her tear-streaked cheeks glistened under the lights from nearby businesses. He saw the realization of who he was as it hit her. A soft sigh escaped her lips. He didn’t answer right away. He reached down to wipe away her tears.Don’t touch her. You can’t have her. You can’t feelwhatever it was you felt before when she touched you.He quickly withdrew his hand before he made contact.

Demetri had to stay away from her. He wished he hadn’t met her.Why do I feel such an attraction to this woman? What is it about her that is so hard to resist?But resist her, he would. She’d want different things than him, and he wasn’t the dating type. Content being single, and no plans for marriage or for losing a loved one again, he had no problem bedding women who were on the same page as him. He drew the line at sleeping with women who wanted something serious. While they hadn’t talked about any of this, he had a feeling about her. He had a lot of feelings about her, even though they didn’t know each other.She’s spunky yet kind. Beautiful but so unassuming. Tough yet sweet. The way she fought off someone much larger than herself. The way her dress hugs her curves. That white sundress. Innocent yet sexy as hell. White was her color. Her skin looks like mocha, and I want to drink every drop.

The young woman’s long lashes fluttered and then she looked away, most likely embarrassed by her gawking.She shouldn’t be embarrassed. I am doing the same thing to her. I can’t take my eyes off of her. Her lips, so pink and kissable.What would they feel like if I sucked them between my teeth?He rubbed his hand down his face.What the hell is wrong with me? Stop! Get her in the taxi and get her away from me.But first, Demetri was determined she’d make it to her room safely, just in case Giannis might be lurking around.

Noelle turned back around and looked at Demetri.“Syngnomi,”she apologized in Greek. “Sosyngnomi!It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted. I can’t thank you enough for your help. I didn’t realize you were the boat guy. From the boat. I mean, you, the man from the boat. I’m Noelle. If you could please let me just catch a couple of breaths, I’ll be ready to keep moving. I didn’t pay attention to the names of the club or hotel since I was with Giannis and my friends at the start of the evening. It was his parents’ place, the hotel I mean, not the club, obviously. So I didn’t think I had to worry. I really wasn’t expecting him to be such a jerk. I don’t even know where to tell the taxi driver to go. I’m sorry. This is just such a mess. Just please give me a minute to think.” She let outa sigh.

Demetri chuckled after her rant and tried to reel in his urges. He couldn’t help but notice the small beadlets of sweat sliding down between her breasts. Was it from the heat of Greece or the heat volleying between them? He wasn’t sure, but he secretly wished he could calm her and lap up the moisture on her soft skin. “I know Giannis and where his parents’ hotel is located. I will escort you back to the hotel to make sure he doesn’t bother you. Okay?” He paused, and she nodded her approval. “Men like us are no good for you. We don’t do relationships. You need to be more careful. I have a mind to teach you a lesson about being so innocent about such things. But I won’t. I hope you learned your lesson and do not make foolish mistakes like these again.” If the look in her eyes was any indication, he might have gone too far. She looked as if she was about to explode.

Noelle’s eyes were as wide as saucers, and her mouth curved into a firm line. With one hand on her hip and a little sass in her voice, she shook her finger at him. “Mister, um, what’s your name?”

“Demetri,” he replied.

“Demetri, I will admit I was not as cautious as I should have been, but I don’t know why you feel the need to patronize me and treat me like a child. You have some nerve. I’m quite capable of taking care of myself. And while I really appreciate your help, this was an honest mistake, and I would appreciate you being a little kinder and less bossy. I’ll figure out the hotel. I can text my friends.”

Demetri rambled in Greek again, frustrated that the woman continued to fill him with desire. The fire within her was a major turn on.

She balled her fists and shook them at him. “I... I don’t speak Greek!” She bellowed as she stomped her foot.

“Okkoukla,” he said in a softer tone to calm the both of them down. “I am sorry if I offended you. I saw a young woman who appeared to need help, and I was just trying to make sure you got home safely. Since you can take care of yourself, I will leave you.” He pointed down the street to where she could find a taxi.“Kali nichta, koukla.”Get her out of here before she notices the effect she has on me. I cannot hide the evidence much longer.

“Did you… did you just say,‘Good night, doll’to me?”Before he could answer, her fingers were flying over the buttons on her phone. Every move mesmerized him.

Her phone beeped, she read it, and marched over to where she saw a taxi. It was taking a while, and she was flailing her arms around while talking to the driver.

Demetri walked over to them. “Is there an issue?”

She sighed. “I am trying to tell the cab driver where I need to go, but he doesn’t seem to understand what I am saying.”

Demetri smiled and leaned towards the cab, speaking close to Noelle. He conversed with the driver in Greek but didn’t take his eyes off of Noelle. When he finished, he opened the door for her. “I told him where to take you.”

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