Free Surrender: The Greek Affair Series Book One by Diana Karezi

her. He gives her that cheeky smile of his as if to say, “I know what’s going on”… there is nothing going on except in her wayward body. The song finishes. Jason holds her hand and leads them back to their table.
    “Hey guys, can we call it a day or night if you like,” Pétro voices wearily.
    Simultaneously and in one breath they all say, “Ok. Let’s go”,
    Jason asks Hope’s friend where he is staying so he can drop him off. Hope begins to panic. Hell, she’s going to be left alone with Jason at night. What is it about the night? Meeting on a bench in the afternoon when he was always in a hurry, that was easy. This is another ball game altogether!
    They get into Jason’s car and all are silent. It’s late and they are tired. Jason takes Pétro to his hotel room and he and Hope make a date for the next day to ring each other. Jason drives Hope back to her house. It’s about 3am and not one word is exchanged between them. The air is heavy with anticipation and electricity that is radiating from both of them; two opposite poles cause this energy.
    Hope feels lost. She has no idea what she is doing, out so late with a Greek god and Greek gods have so much power! Jason needs a cigarette so badly he is not sure if his palpitations are from that need, or the closeness of Hope. Maybe from both! He must stop smoking, but he must have Hope. They both get out of the car and walk to the gate of Hope’s staircase, leading to her upstairs flat.
    “Thank you so much for everything tonight. You have been truly wonderful company.”
    Jason stands in front of her staring into her iridescent eyes. He gently takes her face in both his hands and kisses her on the mouth very softly, barely touching her lips, he stands back dropping his hands, looks at her with a questioning look, as if asking for permission and waits.
    Hope moves and kisses him back in the same tender way. He moves closer without touching her and runs his lips on her lips, and over her face where the sun has bleached the fuzz on her fine delicate skin, their hearts pounding in unison.
    Hope feels foolish. The age difference rears its ugly head. She starts to chastise herself in her mind and tries to compose herself. And so, she pulls away. He stands there as cool as ice and she thinks, ‘stay in control’, while her knees are turning into jelly and she can feel all the hairs on her body doing a dance.
    He is barely in control, but he knows he has to hold it together, because he might not get another chance like this. They say nothing, standing there for a while. Hope is fidgeting with her hands, with her head bent, while Jason stands there looking at her, his heart in his stomach, waiting for her approval.
    After a minute or two Hope in a hypnotic condition takes his hand, and leads him through the Iron Gate up the stairs to the front door of her home. He comes willingly, but she is telling herself all this time, ‘What the hell are you doing, Hope? Get a grip,’ she grips his hand and leads him.
    She lets go of his hand to search for her keys from inside her clutch bag, a bag that Pétro had made for her. She doesn’t turn the outside light on, as she is too embarrassed about what she’s about to do. She finds the key, puts it in the keyhole and turns the lock. This seems to be going in slow motion and she has lost the will to think.
    She’s running the engine on something called lust.

Chapter Eight

    They enter the house without turning on the lights; there is enough light streaming in through the verandah glass doors from the moonlit-lit night. Hope slides open the verandah doors and lets in the sultry summer breeze. It’s a full moon and they can see each other well. He looks around her flat and she avoids looking at him while she fiddles with things that need not be fiddled with. She is not actually doing anything, just pretending he’s not there and he gives her the space she needs to adjust her feelings. Hope feels vulnerable and at a loss as