“Can still be bought.”
Her parents came to mind, and her smile faded. “I guess.”
Mykolas was stunned at Velvet’s agreement. And though he would never admit it, he was bothered by it, too. He didn’t like seeing the dark look in her eyes, didn’t like at all the thought that she had to suffer to understand his words were true.
“It is your turn. Tell me something about yourself that no one else knows about.” And he had a feeling there were quite a lot, for Velvet had long proven herself to be a woman who held her cards very close to her heart.
Velvet couldn’t help but laugh at the arrogant command. “And what if I don’t?”
“Then I do this.” Before she could react, Mykolas had captured her wrist and tugged her down, causing her to fall on him, her br**sts squashing his face. He readily took advantage of course, and when he started to suck on one bikini-covered nipple, that was when Velvet realized how she would pay if she didn’t agree to his demand.
“Okay, okay,” she yelped as pleasure threatened to take over and make her forget everything but the agonizingly sharp pleasure of his mouth on her breast, “I’ll tell you one thing.”
Reluctantly, Mykolas released her nipple.
She immediately pulled away, and just to be safe, she inched back to keep herself out of reach.
“Tell me.”
“It’s not nice either.”
“I’m tough, agape mou.”
Velvet’s lips twisted. “Well, that’s the thing. That’s my secret. I’m not tough at all.”
Pain.
Too much pain in her jade-green eyes that it made him swear and pull her close. As she fell on top of him, he demanded, “Who has hurt you?”
She shook her head. “It’s not some kind of breakup heartache. It was just that…there were people I thought I could trust, only to find out that they weren’t trustworthy.” She forced a smile as she met his gaze. “So I guess, I believe the same thing, too. Given the right incentive, people can be made to do things that you believe they could never be capable of doing…” Her voice trailed off, Velvet biting her lip in time.
She did believe in the same thing. How could she not when her parents had chosen themselves over her?
But then there was Mykolas.
For some stupid, inconceivable reason, her heart was trying to convince her that Mykolas Sallis could prove her wrong. That maybe, maybe with Mykolas Sallis, she had found someone who would never betray her – never choose anything or anyone over her.
Because now she knew…
Oh my God!
Velvet fell to the floor.
“Cristo!” In the next second, Mykolas was out of the lounge chair and bent down on one knee as he helped a dazed-looking Velvet up. “Are you all right?”
“I…I…”
I love you.
Shiiiit!
Velvet bit her lip hard.
No, no, no!
How could she be in love with Mykolas Sallis when today was the first time they had met? That was impossible! Impossible!
But was it really, an inner voice asked. Today may be the first time they had met, but hadn’t they known each other far longer than that? Hadn’t Mykolas proven himself in many different ways that he treasured her over others?
She remembered the one time she had to stay up late, working on her lesson plan to present to the dean, and he had stayed up late with her because she had stupidly confided to him that she was worried about falling asleep.
“Wake up, Velvet.”
“I wasn’t sleeping.” But actually, she had been.
“Of course you were. Focus on me, Velvet. Focus on my voice and if you are really feeling sleepy, focus on my long hard c**k going into your beautiful sweet mouth. If I have your mouth stuffed with my cock, you wouldn’t be able to sleep, would you? You’d be too busy sucking.”
“You are so f**king obsessed with sex!” But his trick had worked, and she hadn’t been able to sleep because she had then been too busy trying not to think of her going down on him.
She remembered the time she had been suffering from a bad case of migraine. The pain had been so great she had been forced to take a day off.
“You sound like you are dying, dammit. Let me send a doctor to you.”
“Too tired. Argue. Please.”
“I can’t just do nothing when you’re clearly about to die!”
“Not. Dying. Asshole.”
Mykolas had laughed, but the sound had been shaky, making Velvet realize even in her weakened state that the Greek billionaire really was worried about her. “Will be. Okay.”
“Tell me what to do. Anything.”
Eyes still squeezed shut at the pain, body curled in a ball, she whispered without thinking, “Sing.”
“The f**k?”
“Sing…Taylor Swift.”
“I’m going to put the phone down now.”
She didn’t say anything.
A few moments later, “Are you f**king serious?”
“Please.”
“God. Damn. You.”
Vaguely, she heard Mykolas’ fingers tapping on his device.
“If you tell this to any living soul, I’ll strangle you. No, better yet, I’ll f**k you in front of the entire school and you will never find a job as a teacher again.”
Somehow, she had found the strength to smile. “Because you’re. An ass**le. Two. Taylor. Swift. Songs.”
“God. Damn. You.”
But Mykolas had ended up singing three Taylor Swift songs that night.
“Velvet?”
Mykolas’ low frantic voice had Velvet crashing back to the present. Mykolas was cupping her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Answer me, Velvet! Are you all right?”
Oh God.
She was in love with him.
Velvet looked at Mykolas and wanted to burst into tears. How could she be so stupid as to fall in love with a Greek billionaire? Hadn’t she learned anything from Mairi? Her friend had also fallen for one, and now she didn’t even have a job, and everyone thought she was Damen’s mistress.
She made herself look into Mykolas’ eyes. His eyes…those eyes…she wanted to drown in those—
Velvet almost groaned.
Oh my God, had she just thought she wanted to drown in his f**king eyes?
“VELVET!”
She stammered, “I’m okay.”
Mykolas scowled. “Something’s not right. Why did you fall?”
I fell because I love—
Velvet clamped her mouth shut.
His scowled darkened. “You are worrying me—”