Consumed by Desire

Consumed by Desire - Chapter 1 Unedited

Face-First

Neo Giannopoulos leaned against the column in a semi-lit corner of the restaurant quietly observing the guests at his brother's rehearsal dinner party. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and the best man should be, too, Neo thought. But he wasn't. Not because he wasn't happy for his brother, but because he was innocuously jealous of the love he had found with Xiomara Davenport.

His brother, Raph, who had never wanted to be in a committed relationship, had inadvertently stumbled on the kind of love and happiness Neo had been looking for for most of his adult life-the kind that took 'till death do us part' literally and seriously. He wanted the whole package-love, marriage, and kids, but the fairytale kept eluding him-always one step ahead and just an inch out of reach.

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Neo loosened his tie and took a sip of his Scotch. Maybe looking was his problem. Maybe he should just sit still and let the perfect woman fall into his lap. Didn't they say that good things came to those who wait?

Those who wait patiently, he added the afterthought, recalling his mother's scolding when he was a little boy. You're too impatient, Neo, she often said.

At thirty-four, Neo still had not learned to control his impatience.

His body tensed as he felt his other brother, Tele, approaching from behind.

"I still can't believe Raph is getting married tomorrow," Tele said, coming to stand beside him.

Five minutes younger than Raph, and two minutes older than Tele, Neo was the middle child of the Giannopoulos triplets. Though they weren't identical, they looked alike: tall, muscular, olive skin, dark hair, green eyes, square chin, and the classic Grecian nose. They were close enough in appearance for people to mistake one for the other. Raph's ears were a little larger than Neo's and Tele's, and his lips a bit fuller and rosier. Tele had inherited their father's dimpled cheeks when he smiled, and Neo's nose wasn't as high and straight as his brothers'.

Those who didn't look closely missed the subtle differences in their features that told them apart. The corners of Neo's mouth lifted in a languid smile as he recalled an incident that took place a few years ago while they were all in Boston on business.

He was sitting in the restaurant of Hotel Andreas, scanning the morning paper, when a woman came up behind him, placed her hands on his shoulders, and whispered in his ear, "Last night was amazing. I think... No, I know for sure, that was the best fuck of my life. You're a god in bed."

Neo merely lifted an eyebrow. Tele had brought Petra, his three-year-old on the trip, and wouldn't have been entertaining women in his suite with her there, so Neo knew he'd been mistaken for Raph.

He turned around, hoping she would realize her mistake once she got a good look at him. She didn't.

"I'm in town for another day, so maybe we can see each other again tonight," she said, her brown eyes brimming with hope.

"Sure, why not?" he replied, with a wicked grin. "Same time, same place?"

"Yes! See you at... Oh my God," she whispered, glancing over his head. "There are two of... Three of you!" Her jaw dropped open and her eyes widened.

Neo turned, his grin deepening at the mortified look on Raph's face when he saw his one-night stand at their breakfast table. Raph merely glanced at the woman as he sat down, the look on his face indicating that he probably didn't even remember her name-as was customary with Raph.

Tele frowned at Neo in disgust, probably thinking he'd cheated on his girlfriend, Brooke.

"Which one of you did I sleep with?" the woman asked, her eyes and a pointed finger darting between them.