“Are you done with work?” His fingers moved as he spoke, and I could only nod as he started…playing. It was the only term I could think of, with the way he was running his thumb over my knuckles one moment and then twining his fingers with mine in another.
“Can I take you out for lunch?”
Nope, I thought right away. Just nope, nope, nope. But instead, I heard myself say, “Alright.”
I excused myself to go to the ladies as we stood to leave, and as soon as I was inside one of the cubicles, I plopped down on the toilet seat and had my phone out in seconds.
Aha!
I found his Instagram account right away: Ioniko Vlahos…and that was it. No profile photo, zero photos posted or tagged to his name, and while there were a handful of accounts that followed him, he wasn’t following anyone in return.
What’s up with that?
Thinking that maybe Google would have more to say about him, I typed his name in the search bar…and that was when I realized I was better off not knowing the truth about him.
Ioniko was waiting outside the coffee shop, and I found every female within a five-meter radius staring at him.
As they should, I couldn’t help thinking, but at the same time I also couldn’t help wondering if some of them were like me. Were they simply staring at him because he was the sexiest man to grace their sights or something else entirely? Maybe it was just me who had no freaking idea that Ioniko Vlahos also happened to be…
Gaaaaah.
Just thinking about it was next to impossible, and when I finally came out to join him, some of my uneasiness must have shown since he only had to take one look at my face, and he said simply, “You know then.”
“That you’re a…”
He raised a brow.
“You’re a…” I tried, I really tried to say it. But it was just too surreal that my lips refused to form the word.
His puzzled look faded, and when a crooked grin flashed over his lips, I could only make a face, knowing how ridiculous I was acting. It wasn’t like not saying the word out loud would change anything, and I knew that. Of course I knew that, but…even so.
“It just sounds so ridiculously unreal,” I muttered. I mean, come on. I might write scripts for escapist otome games for a living, but come on. Like, seriously. Even I knew the chances of someone like me meeting someone like him was 1 out of a gazillion.
I was ordinary, he was a billionaire, and fuck if the thought didn’t have me unconsciously lifting my gaze heavenwards. Seriously, God? In all my 27 years of life, there hadn’t been a single man – not a fucking one – that had been able to make my heart race, much less tempt me into offering up my virginity on a platter.
Not once…until Mr. Greek Billionaire here.
I would’ve mentally ranted some more after that, but with Ioniko suddenly reaching for my hand, I was immediately distracted and panicky. His hand felt just as strong and powerful as it had earlier, but this time I also couldn’t help feeling more overwhelmed than usual.
After casting one last look at our clasped hands, I glanced up and told him seriously, “This is stupid.”
His lips twitched. “My holding your hand?”
“No, of course not.” For some reason, my impatient tone seemed to amuse him even more. “I’m talking about you…and me.”
“Ah.”
“I thought you were out of my league, but obviously I was wrong.”
“So I’m no longer out of your league?”
I stared at him incredulously. “Dude.” And again, for some weird reason this had Ioniko grinning. “We don’t even exist in the same world at this point.”
Ioniko threw his head back with a laugh.
“I’m not trying to be funny—urgh.” I could only choke in surprise when he suddenly lifted my hand to his lips.
Oh God.
It lasted no longer than a second, his lips touching my knuckles, but the way my knees knocked so hard against each other you’d think I had survived a massive earthquake.
“You enchant me, koukla mou.”
My toes curled hard even as I forced myself to glower at him. “Ha!” I finally remembered to try tugging my hand out of his hold, but this only had his fingers tightening.
“You can keep trying,” he murmured with a smirk, “but I’m not letting go.”
I gave it one last try anyway, but it was as he said, and my strength was just no match for his. “You’re being horribly unfair—”
“Because you’re being unnecessarily stubborn—” He stopped speaking.
Gaaah.
Ioniko cast a curious glance at me. “Was that—”
“It’s not—” My stomach growled again.
Aaaargh!
When my gaze flew to him in dismay, he said very diplomatically, “I must’ve misheard that, too.”
It was such a smooth response, but at the same time it was funny as hell, too, that a giggle escaped me despite my embarrassment.