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The way his eyes never left her made her feel a bit uncomfortable, but not in a sleazy sort of way. It was like they were probing, trying to uncover something hidden. When they finally stood in front of him, he continued to peer at her without blinking. He hadn’t acknowledged Eli’s presence yet.
“Hadrian, this is...”
“Eli. Pleased to meet you.” Without waiting for Arsenio to make the introductions, Eli cut him off by sticking his hand in Hadrian’s face. The man was forced to look at him.
She exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding while under his scrutiny.
“It was very kind of you to offer us hospitality while we’re here in Greece.”
She cut her eye at Eli and wondered what he was up to. He didn’t normally make a bunch of small talk and offer pleasantries. If she had to hazard a guess she wondered if he’d been jealous over how Hadrian had been watching her. It’s not like anyone could have missed that his eyes were glued to her. She couldn’t help smirking at the thought of a jealous Eli. Later, she would tease him unmercifully about it.
Everyone else walked up behind them and Eli told them to introduce themselves. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. The only thing that saved him from being slapped or told off after displaying his need to claim her and mark her as his territory like a piece of cattle was when he looked at her with such a humbling smile. Even though he spoke no words, his expression seemed to tell her that he knew she was the catch and he was lucky to have her. It was hard not to get lost in his dreamy blue eyes. She was glad she wouldn’t have to stuff his toxic masculinity down his throat later.
Once everyone finished telling Hadrian who they were, he turned his attention back to her, like she was the only guest.
“Welcome to the Castellanos Villa. I hope you will be very comfortable here. Rooms have been made up. Arsenio will see you settled.” He took his eyes off of her to nod in the giant’s direction like they didn’t know who Arsenio was. Then Hadrian looked around at the group. “I do hope everything is to your liking. We’ve hired extra staff to help you get ready for tonight’s festivities.” His gaze returned to her. “In your room, you’ll find a gift. A dress for tonight.”
For a minute, his look was so intimate, she was afraid he would lift her hand and kiss it and earn a karate chop to the throat from Eli.
“Thank you.” She squeaked out.
“For all of you, we have provided clothing for tonight. We want you to feel most welcome.” His attention returned to the group once more, then he stepped aside so Arsenio could walk them into the house. She didn’t need to turn around to know his eyes watched her. Reflexively, she cuddled closer to Eli.
Arsenio grabbed a key from his pocket and stepped forward. Once again she noticed the door only had a knocker. Unlike the one on the Walker house, this one was made from gold and in the shape of the Hecate symbol, the goddess of witchcraft. She only knew what that looked like because of reading over Mathilda’s shoulder occasionally on the plane. The minute the door sensed his key a keyhole appeared exactly as it had at the Walker house. He inserted the key and the door opened.
Inside the open floor plan villa, the décor was a multitude of white with accents of cool earth tones and touches of turquoise. In the living room area the French doors that led to a patio and terrace were thrown wide and a gentle breeze blew. He guided them back outdoors where the terrace turned into an enormous courtyard that seemed to connect some of the other buildings. In the center was a swimming pool. Lounge chairs for sunbathing and umbrellas dotted the area. It felt like a luxury hotel and not a witches’ house. It was a huge contrast to the centuries old clapboard house the Walker coven occupied in Salem.
“Phaedra and Max, I do believe you’ll be most comfortable in the outdoor bungalow.” He motioned towards the guesthouse.
No one needed to tell those two twice. Max bounded after Phaedra towards the place where they would be afforded some privacy.
Mathilda stepped forward. “Will I have my own room?”
The teenager could have slapped her mother and it wouldn’t have delivered quite the sting her comment had. Arsenio seemed to falter for a moment. A first, since she’d met him. “I’d assumed...” He looked back and forth between mother and daughter, at a loss for words. Eli was angry and about to speak up when Morgana stepped forward.
“Totally fine. Mathilda and I can share. It will be like one big non-stop slumber party.” Morgana squeezed Zoriana’s shoulder before walking up and standing next to Mathilda. “Just lead the way.”
Arsenio pointed out a bedroom in another direction that was just off the courtyard.
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Zoriana’s face as she watched her daughter walk away without a backwards glance.
That was brutal.
Thankfully, they didn’t have to endure the awkwardness too long. “Your rooms are just inside, if you would follow me.” They followed him back into the house where he delivered Zoriana to her room first before leading them to a suite. With great flare, like he was opening the door to a palace, Arsenio threw open the double doors that led to their room. The bedroom was vast. Her whole apartment back in Nashville could have fit inside the room. She almost missed the three steps that led down into the room when her eyes landed on four nearly nude men. They looked like they had tanned in the sun and then been oiled down. Muscles bulged here and there, chiseled six-pack abs taunted her and the teeny tiny shorts they sported left nothing to the imagination. They were all well endowed.
“I apologize. When we set things up we had no idea the two of you were... together. They were here to bathe you and take care of your needs for tonight’s party.”
It wasn’t everyday someone offered her semi-nude male servants to do her bidding. If she wasn’t already very satisfied and happy with Eli she would have jumped at the opportunity to be the mistress of a harem for the night.
“I’m more than capable of taking care of her needs.” When she looked at Eli his jaw was clenched and his brows were creased together in an angry scowl.
“I’ll just see them out. I’m sure some of the other ladies could use some pampering after your trip.”
Once Arsenio left with the buff male staff in tow, she burst out laughing and fell on the bed.
“What’s so funny?”
“You are babe. You know I don’t want any of them right? I mean they’re cute in all, but you’re all the eye candy I need.” She got up from the bed and took his hands in hers.
“Oh really? Because I could have picked your chin up off the floor and tucked your tongue back in your mouth you were drooling so hard. Maybe I should go ask Arsenio if there were some naked women waiting in the room he had for me.” He teased her and acted like he was going to go after them.
“Stop.” She giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist. “It’s true. You are the only thing I need.”
He pulled her closer, while he glanced over her shoulder. “I think I see a rather large bathing pool in the bathroom, maybe we should test it out before tonight?”
It sounded like a good time, but she couldn’t help stifling a yawn. ‘Yes, let’s do that.”
He leaned down to kiss her, but she yawned even bigger before his lips could land on hers.
“Maybe, you should get some rest. We traveled for a long time. You must be exhausted.”
“I’m sorry. I really want to.” Her hand covered her mouth as she fought off yet another yawn.
He smiled. “We can try it out tonight.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Lay down and get some rest.”
She didn’t argue with him and allowed him to lead her to the bed. Many thoughts flitted through her mind in her drowsy state.
The entire trip felt like a dream. It wasn’t just the dinner they were throwing in her honor, but there was this tug in her spirit from the moment they landed in Athens that became even more amplified the closer they got to Delphi. It ran bone deep... no deeper than that, like it was tethered to the cells that made up her body, her very DNA. There was no other way to express it, other than to say the feeling was like she had finally arrived home. She hadn’t felt that way since her mother passed.
She didn’t remember hearing him tell her, ‘Sweet dreams,’ before she succumbed to a deep sleep.