Markos didn’t stop loving her, continued kissing her and caressing her flesh. The voices faded, and Tatiyana knew the security guard had effectively handled the situation. Sighing in relief, she made a mental note to give him another tip. “That was a close call.”
“You have nothing to worry about.” He spoke in a quiet tone, but his confidence shone through. “If someone barges in here, I’ll whisk you away to safety.”
“You sound like an English gent,” she joked. “How noble of you.”
“That’s the Morretti way. It’s my duty to protect the woman I’m with.”
Tatiyana arched an eyebrow. “Even someone you’ve only known for a few hours?”
“It doesn’t matter how long we’ve known each other. We’re together, living in the moment, doing something we both obviously love, and that’s all that matters.”
“You are such a charmer.”
“It’s easy to be charming when I’m with you...”
Their eyes locked.
“I know we just met this morning, but there’s something about you that speaks to me,” he said, brushing her hair away from her face. “It’s as if some unknown force is drawing me to you. It’s so powerful I can’t resist it. Can’t resist you.”
At a loss for words, she sat there, his explosive confession playing in her mind. Markos kissed her, swirling his tongue inside her mouth and his erection between her legs. Tatiyana couldn’t stop the orgasm that rocked her body. She was melting and exploding at the same time, shaking so hard she feared she was going to slide off his lap. In a trance, she couldn’t think straight. Her vision blurred, and her heart was pounding, beating loud and fast. She couldn’t speak, lost all sense of time and place.
Tingling from her ears to her toes, she pressed her eyes shut, riding out the delicious wave rising inside her. Tatiyana felt light, weightless, as if she were walking on air. She’d never experienced anything like it. Never had an orgasm so powerful it stole her breath. Collapsing on his chest, Tatiyana snuggled against him, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking.
Looking drowsy, as if he was struggling to keep his eyes open, Markos wore a lopsided grin on his face. “That was hot.”
“You can say that again.”
“That was hot!”
They laughed, then shared another kiss.
“We better get back to the VIP room before your family comes looking for us.”
“They won’t. Did you see all the dirty dancing that was going on? I’ll be surprised if they even noticed we were gone.” Markos reached out, drawing his fingertips over her cheeks. “Spend the night with me.”
Tatiyana blinked, couldn’t believe what she was seeing and hearing. By all accounts Markos was a player, a man with a bevy of beautiful women at his beck and call, so the loving expression on his face, and his gentle tone threw her for a loop. Tongue-tied, her head spinning, she searched her mind for the right words to say. “I don’t do sleepovers.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to confuse what this was. It was a quickie. Nothing more.”
Sadness flickered in his eyes, but he spoke with bravado, as if he couldn’t care less. “Cool,” he said, coughing into his fist. “No worries. I just thought I’d ask. No big deal.”
But it was. His jovial mood disappeared, and Tatiyana felt like the biggest jerk on the planet. She’d hurt his feelings, and if she didn’t do something to make amends, he’d probably never speak to her again, and she had big plans for them tomorrow night.
Way to go! You pissed him off. Good one!
“We should head back to the party. It’s late, and I’m ready to return to the resort.”
His anger was evident in his narrowed gaze and stiff posture. Standing, Markos discarded the condom, and washed his hands in the sink.
To get back in his good graces, Tatiyana said, “That was amazing. You’re amazing. I hope we hook up again before you return to LA, because that was the best sex I’ve ever had, and I want more.”
“You do?”
“Absolutely. I’m going to have fun getting to know you better.”
Playing it cool, she adjusted her dress and fixed her ponytail. Tatiyana stood, but her legs were wobbly, making it impossible to walk. Scared her knees would give way, she braced her hands against the wall and waited for her limbs to quit shaking.
“Don’t worry, baby, I got you.”
Markos slid his hands around her waist, holding her tight. Gazing at him, she realized he was more than just a handsome face. He was a thoughtful, generous man, and it was obvious she’d misjudged him. He wasn’t the monster her mother had made him out to be—he cared about others, and it was evident in everything he said and did. Still, she couldn’t lose sight of her goals, of why she’d come to Tampa. It wasn’t to make a love connection with Markos, it was to help her kid sister. Her family was depending on her, and she wouldn’t let them down.
On Saturday morning, Markos sat at the oak desk inside his executive suite willing his eyes to focus and his brain to work. At breakfast, he’d had three cups of strong, black coffee, but the drinks didn’t give him the energy boost he needed.
Markos yawned. He couldn’t go five minutes without nodding off, and felt tired and out of sorts. Three hours of sleep wasn’t enough. If his cell phone alarm hadn’t gone off at 9:00 a.m., he’d probably still be in bed dreaming about Tatiyana—his titillating one-night stand with the wicked sense of humor and delicious curves.
At the thought of her, a grin curled his lips. After their tryst, they’d returned to the VIP room and spent the rest of the night partying with his family. They liked her, and Markos did, too. They’d returned to the resort in the wee hours of the morning, high on life and each other. Against his better judgment, he’d invited Tatiyana to his room again for a nightcap. She’d declined, given him a peck on the lips, then disappeared inside her suite. He didn’t like it, wanted to spend the night with her, but had respected her decision. They were playing in the golf tournament that afternoon, but Markos wanted to see her now. She’d blown his mind last night, put it on him so bad he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Markos turned on his laptop and flipped open his monthly planner. If he didn’t finish his to-do list, he’d be swamped when he returned to LA, and he didn’t want to have to work late on Monday night; he wanted to attend Matteo’s soccer game. He loved his nephew and was looking forward to watching him play at Lincoln Park.
Waiting for his documents to load, he stretched his neck from side to side, flexing and cracking his muscles. Enough sitting around. He had motions to write, and he didn’t want to disappoint his clients—or himself. It was a challenge, but he put all thoughts of Tatiyana out of his mind and got down to work.
Two hours later, after several more cups of coffee, Markos had answered his emails, finished drafting a divorce settlement and had a brief video conference with Kassem. Having met while studying in college, Markos had known Kassem Glover for over a decade, and was proud of what his friend had accomplished. Kassem had offered to campaign on his behalf during the next election, and Markos appreciated his support. In his ten years of practicing law, he’d been called everything from a liar to a snake in an Armani suit, but he let the insults roll off his back. His clients appreciated his hard work and dedication, had promised to support his political endeavors and that was all that mattered.