Tiana (Starkis Family #3) Read Online Free PDF

down, to convince her I wasn’t as callous as the picture the tabloids painted of me, but that would have taken weeks, a month tops.
    I could tell she was feeling it too. We wanted each other, and I didn’t know how much longer I could deny either of us. David said I didn’t have to remain celibate, just discreet, which meant I could scratch the itch with the occasional one-night stand who knew the score, but one night with Eleni would only fan the flames. I’d want her again and again. Regular sex would inevitably lead to dating, which would have to be on the down-low for reasons I couldn’t explain to her. Numerous dates would lead to the discussion of exclusivity, which clearly wasn’t an option given my circumstances.
    I hated the thought of lying to her, even by omission, which was why I’d kept my distance. But something had changed between us today. I saw it in her eyes. Consent. She was acknowledging what we could no longer deny and inviting me to act on it. If only it were that simple.
    When I knocked on the door to my brother’s office, I considered breaking down and telling him everything, but one look into his unyielding eyes reminded me that my brother didn’t tolerate fools. I’d already made enough mistakes to earn the title of family jester. I couldn’t stand to see that look of frustration and disappointment in his eyes one more time. Deacon believed I was working hard to become a better man, though I knew when the truth came out, my family would view my secret as the ultimate act of selfishness and betrayal.
    Deacon chuckled. “Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to come in?”
    I realized I’d been trapped in an endless loop of torturous thoughts again, playing out the worst-case scenario as if it were a given, so I forced myself to match his easy smile as I closed the door. “Hey, I was just going to take Eleni to lunch, and I—”
    “You’re taking El to lunch?” Deacon frowned before his look of concern was replaced by one of amusement. “Mia and I placed a bet last night on when your first official date would be. It seems my fiancée won.”
    “I don’t know if I’d call this a date,” I said, wondering if Eleni would agree. Was it a date? If so, what did that mean? Would her expectations change? Should I play it safe and let her know I’d invited her as a friend simply because I didn’t relish the idea of eating alone?
    “Good.” Deacon grinned. “Tell that to Mia. That way I’ll be the one who can cash in on our little wager.”
    Knowing my brother, he stood to gain a lot more than money if he won their bet. I had no doubt payment would come in the form of a sexual favor, and judging by the faraway look in his eyes, he was calculating how quickly he could clear his schedule so he could collect. I would have given anything for what Deacon had. An honest committed relationship with the woman he loved. A future based on shared dreams and goals. There was a time when a life like that would have felt like a life sentence to me, but seeing how happy Deacon and Mia were made me believe it may be the answer I’d been searching for.
    “I talked to Dad today.”
    Deacon slipped the unyielding mask back into place at the mention of our father. Their relationship had always been contentious, even more so now that our parents were trying to turn Mia and Deacon’s wedding into the social event of the season without any thought to what the bride and groom wanted. Deacon respected and honored our traditions and culture, as did Mia, who’d agreed to convert to Greek Orthodox prior to the wedding, but that didn’t mean they intended to be slaves to custom. They wanted to put their personal stamp on the wedding, to honor their love as well as tradition. Which I respected. My parents, however, thought the happy couple was being petty and obstinate.
    “What did he want?” Deacon asked. “Or do I want to know?”
    “He wanted to know what’s going on with me, why I’ve