Blackmailing Aria [Book 1 of the Stavros Series]

9

A mature scene starts and ends with this sign "..."

His eyes grow wide as saucers for a second before he pulls me into another kiss.
I'm trapped in his arms, but I don't want to leave. This isn't like the other kiss we had in front of my former friends. This isn't for show, it's real.
I kiss him back with more need than he's giving me. I need this kiss more than he does. He doesn't understand how badly I've wanted this for the past four years.
I needed him to be there with me, to comfort me and tell me it would be okay. Instead, I was afraid and that formed into anger, even though I was the one who never came back.
His coat is clutched between my fists as I pull him deeper into my kiss. His hands are gripping my hips, forcing them into his own, trying to get as close as possible.
Suddenly, he moves an arm down to my thighs and raises me up against him. I'm surprised by the action, but I love it. I love all of this.
He walks us back until my back hits a wall. Then, with his lips still attached to mine, he maneuvers his arms so both of my legs are wrapped around his waist.

...

His tongue barely flicks into my mouth, and suddenly I'm reminded of how much I love that. My fingers find their way to his hair and pull gently, as my lips move against his with a fever so strong it's close to burning us.
I need him. This isn't enough.
I move my lips to his neck and start my assault there, while one of my hands wander down to the space between us. Thank god there's a slit up the side of my dress, so I can easily push the fabric to the side so I'm even closer to Xander.
I go back to kissing his lips, which he meets halfway a new need of his own. He kisses me hard and long, nearly making me forget my own desires.
My hips wiggle a bit, just to be a little loose so I can scoot further down the wall. Then, I grab his hips and pull him towards me. I gasp into his mouth when I feel what I've been missing for so long.
"Aria," he whispers huskily, drunk on desire.
I kiss him softly, as if we're fragile enough to break. "Xander," is the only thing I have to say, before he quickly reaches down and unzips his pants.
I watch as he does so, helping him pull down his boxers just a bit. Our eyes meet then, in a silent agreement.
His fingers slowly trail across my thigh, getting ever so closer to my underwear to move it out of the way. I keep my eyes latched on his while he moves the fabric to the side. In one slow and agonizing movement, he slides inside of me. I gasp as enters, wanting more.
I greedily move further down him, which he meets me halfway in. I nearly scream as he fills me up, going further than ever.

...

Suddenly, our spell is broken and we hear clapping eerily close.
I gasp and push Xander away on instinct, nearly falling to the floor. Xander catches me before I can make even a bigger fool of myself. He quickly covers himself up while I do the same.
I look over to see a young man dressed in a dark blue suit and dark brown hair slicked back staring at us. He wears a large grin as he claps at the sight of us.
My cheeks turn a fresh red.
"I'm going to kill you," Xander growls, his eyes narrowed into slits of anger.
I push him away gently, trying to get any amount of space I can between us. I briefly catch his glance of hurt towards me.
"Well it will have to wait till later," the stranger says. "Because Mom and Dad want to see us both."
It's my turn for my eyes to widen in shock. I look between Xander and stranger, noticing the similarities.
Xander's brother smiles, showing off his own perfect set of teeth. "I'm Marco, it's a pleasure to meet you," he says, putting extra emphasis on pleasure.
"Marco," Xander yells, clenching his fists.
"What," his brother laughs. "It's all in good fun. Now come on, the elders are waiting."
Xander groans, and then faces me. "I'm sorry Aria, but we have too."
"Meet your parents," I sputter, as he crouches down to grab both of our masks.  Gosh, it's bad enough that his brother caught us in the act.
Oh my god.
I'm slapped with the reality that Xander and I just had sex, however brief it was.
Thank goodness his brother interrupted when he did. That wasn't supposed to happen, ever again.
How could I be so stupid?
A sickening painful feeling sets in my stomach, coming out of nowhere. I grab my abdomen as Xander begins pull me down the hallway.
While we walk, Xander and his brother talk, but I'm too caught up in my own thoughts to listen. I feel disgusted with myself for giving in like that. I've made such a big mistake.
"Does she talk?" I finally tune into reality to hear Marco speak those words.
I step away from Xander's hands and stand straight. I look over at Marco, briefly catching the hurt look in Xander's eye. He slows down just a bit.
"She can talk," I retort to Marco. He whistles and laughs, showing his amusement.
"You've managed to get yourself a lion brother," he chides.
I roll my eyes and speed up my walk, leaving them a step behind. By the time we reach the end of the hallway, they've caught up. Right in time too, since an older couple is lingering right around the corner. I've seen pictures of them sparsely throughout Xander's apartment, so I recognize them immediately.
Mrs. Stavros catches the attention of her husband, by looking at me and saying, "My goodness."
I blush under her scrutiny. I bet my hairdo is all messed up and my lips are swollen by Xander's kiss. Then I begin to internally panic on whether or not they can smell anything.
"Mom, Dad," Xander begins, coming to my side. Maybe it's his near proximity, but I truly want to puke. "This is Aria, my girlfriend."
Mrs. Stavros steps forward, followed by her husband. She comes to stand before me and I worry that my insides will end up on her. Her head tilts to the side as she observes me, looking up and down.
I really hope she can't smell anything.
"You," she says, with a slight accent to her voice, "are beautiful. Bella."
Before I have time to breathe, she pulls me into her tight grip. I nearly suffocate as she hugs me to her chest.
Finally, she lets me breathe, but my stomach begins to hurt more. Maybe it's the guilt of what I did or the nerves, possibly even the alcohol, but I do not feel well.
I can't help, but hold my hand to my stomach to try to cease the pain.
"Maria," Mr. Stavros says, stepping up to grab his wife by the shoulders gently and pull her away. "I don't believe she feels well."
"Aria," Xander softly says, resting a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong?"
I can't contain myself any longer. I leave his touch and run down the hallway, stumbling in my heels. I hold the skirt of my dress in one hand, and my stomach in the other while I sprint down the hallway.
I quickly find the double doors I arrived through and rush through them. I make it all of a couple steps before the contents of my stomach finds it's new home on the tiled driveway of the mansion.
I briefly hear commotion behind me of the Stavros family.
"Aren't you going to help her Xander?" Mrs. Stavros asks, concern lacing her voice.
There is no answer, but a half minute later a pair of hands is holding my hair from my face, and rubbing circles on my back. I fall to the ground, a sob breaking through my barrier that I once thought was strong.
"It hurts," I cry, spitting what's left in my mouth.
"I know," Marco murmurs sympathetically. "It's going to be okay though."
I sob even harder as another strike of pain erupts in my stomach. Marco holds me as I throw up on the ground, my tears mixing into the gross mixture.
Eventually, I calm down with the help of Xander's brother. The crying ceases and the pain in my stomach fades.
"There we go," he whispers, helping me stand up. "It's probably something you ate."
"Maybe," I rasped, my voice throbbing as I speak.
Or it was the alcohol. Or the embarrassment of being caught. Or the plain out guilt for breaking my own promise.
Mrs. Stavros comes to my side, her husband following her as he always seems to be doing.
"Here Stellina," she says, touching a tissue to my lips. My embarrassment spikes as she wipes my face.
Marco leans into me, whispering into my ear, "It means Star in Italian."
I nod my head in understanding, not quite knowing what to say. I'm saved by the bell as a limo pulls up to the curb.
"Well Eddy," Marco sings, "this is your ride!" I look at him in confusion. He catches my look and laughs. He leans over again and says, "It's short for edible."
Suddenly he yelps as his father hits him upside the head. I leave them on that note and rush to the limo. I slide inside without so much of a goodbye or thank you. I just really need to hide under the covers for the rest of my life.
"Go," growls a voice.
I squeal once I notice that Xander sits in the limo as well, one seat over.
"I didn't even see you there," I murmur.
He doesn't answer. Instead, he keeps his eyes focused on his window, staring at nothing in particular. It's clear he's brooding, but I don't care to know why.
I shouldn't care about him at all.
That's how the entire ride to the villa is like. There are no words shared, not even glances. Once we reach the villa Xander rushes inside, without even a second glance. I'm left alone to walk up the long pathway to the front door.
When I close and lock the door behind me, I slide off my heels. I carry them lazily in one hand while my dress trails along the floor of the villa. Before I can walk up the stairs, I catch Xander around the corner at the wet bar. I watch as he drinks from the bottle of vodka, his bowtie already loosened and hanging around his neck. I stay there at the bottom of the stairs while he takes chug after chug.
Finally, I have enough and climb the stairs. I reach my room, then tiredly unzip my dress. It falls to the floor in a pile, which I don't care to pick up. Instead, I throw tank top over my head and climb into bed. Once I hit the pillows, tears begin to fall and I can't stop them. I curl into a ball and sob as the guilt eats away.
I cry and cry for what must be an hour or so, because by the time Xander stumbles into my room, he's drunk. The half empty vodka bottle dangles in his hand, as he leans against the door jam.
"You said you love me," he slurs, glaring at me with such hatred in his eyes it burns. He doesn't care to notice the tears running down my face, nor did he care when we were at the ball. "You," he burps, "fucking lied."
My tears slowly stop, and I come to sit up on the mattress. I can't help but stare at him completely confused. What is he talking about?
He uses most of his strength to point at me. "You," he cackles, "are nothing more than a liar. You lied about loving me and about what happened four years ago. Why do you always lie?"
I square my jaw, feeling anger rise up in my veins. "You would never understand. I lie because I have too!"
He stumbles into the room, flopping down into a seat near the door. His head tilts back and forth as his eyes throws daggers my way. "Try me," he seethes. "I bet you're just scared to love me. Pathetic."
That's all it takes for my walls to crumble down. That one word that I've been so afraid to hear these past four year ruins everything.
Before I can control it, I explode.
"You got me pregnant!"
Silence. Utter and complete silence follows.
But then I ruin that too.
With Xander's jaw dropped to the floor, and his body still as a statue, I whisper the thing that completely shattered my heart four years ago.
"It died within the first trimester."