Colton

Luna's delightful presence made my day significantly better. Not only is she stunning, but her smile has the power to make my heart do somersaults, just like a fish floundering out of water. It has been difficult to find an opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with her, but I really need to talk to her. I socialized with the men, while she preferred the company of the ladies.

Yeah, we sat together, and I was totally aware of being close to her. I did something super embarrassing. My face got stuck on her neck and my lips accidentally touched her soft skin. Oh man, I didn't want her to think I did it on purpose. It was one hell of an accident.

Her scent was heavenly. My face just wanted to stay glued to her neck, and my lips were dying to explore and run my tongue all over her throat. Then I'd play with the sweet spot behind her ears and make her moan with pleasure. But we knew if I did that, she would totally flip out, and everyone would think I'm the biggest jerk in Stavrakos guest history.

Together with the men, we were casually sipping wine on the balcony. I was feeling sleepy, so I followed Sweet to the kitchen. She was cleaning up the kitchen counter and putting stuff in the fridge.

"What do you need?"

"I'll take a glass of water, thanks." Then I plopped down on a stool behind the kitchen counter. "The wine made me sleepy."

She gave me a glass of cold water, then asked. "So, what's up?"

"Hmm, nothing much. Right now, I want to talk to Luna."

"Oh..." She raised her eyebrows and gave me a teasing look. "What about?"

"Come on, sis." My lips got all twisted up. "You know I'm helping her with her business."

Until I gather concrete evidence on Cox's questionable business practices with their company, I cannot disclose my plan to Sweet or Sebastian regarding breaking up Luna and Cox. The guy was skilled at concealing his unfavorable behaviors, and unless the Stavrakos put in considerable effort to investigate, there was no chance they would discover his secrets.

"I'm just being curious, you know." She snickered. "No worries. You'll have time to talk to her later. She's still discussing her wedding plans with the ladies."

She opened the fridge and shoved the condiments in. And then she brought out a chocolate cake and placed it on the kitchen counter, right in front of me.

"Woah, that looks yummy."

The cake looked incredibly tempting, with the chocolate ganache dripping down the sides.

"I'm sure of it. I'll serve it outside later. You want some now?" Her eyes rose. She knew I couldn't resist eating a chocolate cake.

"Sure. Just a small slice, please."

She gave me a little, and I devoured it right away.

"Dang, this is really delicious. Can I have another slice?"

"No problem." She sliced another small portion of the cake. Just as she was about to hand it to me, she looked up and said hi to someone behind me.

As I turned around, much to my surprise, Luna was standing right in front of me. When our eyes briefly met, she greeted me with a friendly "hi" and then redirected her attention to Sweet.

I see this as the perfect moment to have one-on-one time with her. What can I do to prevent her from leaving?

"I'll get Mom a glass of water." Luna said.

"Don't bother. I'll bring it over to her." She gave me my second slice of cake and then asked Luna. "What some?"

"Thanks, but no." She smiled and shook her head.

"You might as well stay. Colton wants to talk to you," Sweet said, then went to get a glass of water from the fridge.

What the heck, Sweet! That was too obvious. But it worked. Still thanks to her.

Luna stayed, and Sweet left us in the kitchen.

We were quiet for a sec, but then I broke the silence by offering the cake.

"You should totally try it out. I'm telling you, this cake is the absolute best."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Come on, try it."

"I'm stuffed. But thanks for the offer and the kind words. Actually, I made it."

"Seriously? It tastes so good." I raised my hands, giving her a little bow. "Just so you know, I'm on my second slice."

"Oh. I'm glad you like it."

She took a seat right beside me. She had her arms leaning on the counter and her hands clasped together. I couldn't resist checking out her engagement ring.

"Nice ring."

She said "Yeah, it is," and stared at the ring with heart eyes.

If you only knew. I shook my head. I couldn't tell her the truth about the ring now and let her down.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" She asked, and I was speechless.

As I exhaled heavily, my mind immediately went to my carefully crafted plan. In order to ensure that it doesn't overwhelm her, I need to exercise caution and take things slowly and discreetly. Considering that we have recently started becoming friends, it would not be wise to disclose all the negative details about Cox at this time, as she is not yet ready to hear them.

"I had fun talking with you last time. I wonder if we still have that connection."

She smiled and gave me her full attention. "Same. I never thought I'd be able to talk to you without fighting. I had a feeling you really enjoyed annoying me."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Maybe cause you get annoyed so easily."

"Am I?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

I gave a brief nod. I held onto the truth cause it was the only way to get her to notice me. She always acted like I wasn't there. I didn't want her to forget that once upon a time, we shared a room.

"And you look super cute when you're mad." I couldn't help but chuckle when she rolled her eyes.

"I had no idea you and Nadia were dating." She said, changing the topic. "She's one of our freelance models."

Talking about Nadia made me feel uncomfortable. "I wasn't seeing her romantically. We only hooked up a few times before, nothing more. We're done now."

I got really defensive, clarifying that Nadia, and I were not dating. We don't have any connection or whatever. I needed to make sure Luna didn't get the wrong idea about me and Nadia.

"But it seems like she's not yet over you."

"Well, one can't force certain things, you know. Especially if the other person is unwilling."

"Yeah, I agree with you." She nodded.

We stayed quiet for a while, and just looked at each other.

Alright, time to start slowly putting my plan into action.

"Why did you turn yourself into a blond?" I asked her. "Your natural brunette hair suited you better."

"Come on, not again. Why do you like bringing up my hair?"

"Just wondering, you know? I'm 100% sure you won't dye your hair just for style or anything."

"Hmm... So you think you know me well enough to say that?"

I gave a nod. "Way more than you realize. Sharing a room for two months, and arguing with you every day, helped me understand who you are. Your likes and dislikes. Your struggle to be independent from your family and show them you can make it on your own."

"Okay, fine. You're right. I'm doing it for the company's sake. For the promotion of our brand."

I had a little smirk. "That's absolute nonsense. I've never heard of that before, not even with my previous clients in makeup and hair products businesses. What's the connection between your hair color and the company's marketing? You don't even model, you just stay in your office."

"It's Barry's idea, okay? He thinks I look better with blond hair."

I knew it. Cox had something to do with it. I'd make her realize he was manipulating her.

"He's most likely into blondes. There are guys who completely change their girlfriends to fit their dream girl image. Dyeing hair, getting boob jobs, butt jobs, nose jobs, and stuff like that."

"If you truly knew me, you'd realize I wouldn't go that overboard. Just so you know, Barry won't suggest that to me. He's all about me, no matter what I look like. And for the hair, it's just a color. Everyone's doing it nowadays. It's not a big deal."

I pressed my lips together. I felt like I had failed to convince her.

"That's good to know," I nodded, and tried to think of something. "But seriously, you're beautiful as you are, especially with your natural brunette hair."

"Thank you for saying that. That's very flattering." She smiled.

"So, are you excited about your wedding?"

"Very. There's just so much to do, you know. We still have to handle some things and decide, even with wedding coordinators. It's a tremendous step for us, and we should get involved."

"Definitely. I'd feel the same if I tied the knot. It's a one-time thing, so I have to be hands on for most of it." I was trying to get it through to her that her fiance should be involved in the wedding prep. Cox told me that Luna was doing everything alone, like he didn't give a damn.

But it looked like she didn't catch on, because she diverted the topic to me.

"It's nice to know you're that kind of person. I'm sure your future wife would appreciate that."

"I hope she will. But marriage is too far from my mind, you know." I chuckled. "Anyway, if you need help, just ask me, okay?"

"Sure. I'll remember that." She answered.

We shifted our topic to her favorite. Cooking. I wanted to tell her to go for it because she's amazing at it, and not listen to Cox. But that would just create tension and it would be too much for her.

"You really don't want any cake?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I could use some sugar." She stood up and took a plate from one cabinet. "You want another slice?"

"Just a tiny one. I love anything chocolate and this one is very... irresistible." Just like the one who made it. I murmured to myself.

"Same. Chocolate is my happy pill." She said, putting a small piece of cake on my plate.

"Is Cox into this chocolate cake as well?"

She shook her head and grinned. "Nope, he's not a fan of chocolates or anything sugary. He's all about the bitter and salty stuff, which isn't my thing. He's a big fan of the coffee shop across the street from our office."

"That one, huh? He brought me a cup of their coffee. It was gross, like drinking brewed charcoal."

"I thought the same thing! Like powdered charcoal." She shook her head, and we laughed together.

"What else does Cox like?"

"Hmm... he's definitely into fashion, loves flashy clothes with bold designs. That's his thing. And that's a huge plus for our brand. He enjoys hanging out with people, hitting up parties and bars, having a few drinks and exploring places. He's super outgoing."

"You two are like night and day, cause you are an introvert. You don't really do parties or bars. You're not a drinker, right? You're all about basic clothes and neutral colors as well." I shook my head. "I wonder how you two would make it as a married couple. You know, it's a commitment for life."

"Well, we've proven it already. We tested the waters. We've been together for three years and counting. Opposites totally attract, you know? Look at how we're doing!"

My tactics to show her she's not compatible with Cox were a total fail. She always had her reasons for marrying him.

I needed a fresh strategy to wreck her engagement with Cox ASAP.