Читать книгу The Greek's Ready-Made Wife - Jennifer Faye - Страница 9
ОглавлениеTHE MOST LOGICAL thing to do right now was to keep walking.
Yet there was that note of desperation in Cristo’s voice. Something told her that he didn’t say please very often.
Kyra hesitated, her back still to him. Why was this most bizarre plan so important to him? What secrets was he holding back? And why did she care? This wasn’t her problem.
“If I didn’t really need your help, I wouldn’t have proposed this arrangement. I swear.” Weariness laced his every syllable. “I will make it worth your while. If that wasn’t enough money, name your price.”
Why did it always come back to money? “I’m not for sale.”
She headed straight for her cart of cleaning supplies. She dropped the feather duster back in its proper spot. Her curiosity got the best of her. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Cristo had followed her into the hallway.
He hadn’t. She breathed easier. What in the world did they put in the water around here? Because there was no way that whole scene was normal. After all, they were strangers. No one would ever believe they were a couple.
As she prepared to push her cart to the next suite, she recalled the large dollar figure he’d named and the offer to make it bigger if necessary. Okay, she may not be a gold digger, but that didn’t mean she’d turn her nose up at some extra income. But could she really play the part of his fiancée?
Could she pretend to be something she wasn’t?
Wouldn’t that make her a hypocrite?
Kyra paused in front of the next suite. She recalled how many times she’d gone round and round with her mother in the past year since her father’s death about putting on a show for her mother’s country-club friends. When her father had died, so had their silver-spoon lifestyle.
Kyra felt sorry for her mother—first losing the love of her life and then having to go back to work after twenty-plus years as a stay-at-home mom. With her mother buried beneath a mountain of debt, Kyra had moved back in to help meet the mortgage payments. And though this new position in Greece took her away from home, Kyra reconciled it with the fact that it paid more so she could send more money home.
The one other reason Kyra had taken the position was to help her mother—even if her mother swore she didn’t need help. With her father gone, her mother was depressed and lonely as her country-club friends had less and less to do with her. With no other family in New York, Kyra had hoped to locate her father’s extended family. If she could forge bonds with them, maybe she could make a life for her and her mother here in Greece. By once again being part of a warm, supportive family, perhaps her mother wouldn’t feel so alone.
One thought after the next rolled around in Kyra’s mind as she cleaned the remaining suites on the floor. All the while, her thoughts moved back and forth between doing what she felt was right and earning enough money to help her mother, who had always been there for her. Did Kyra’s principles outweigh her duty to help her mother?
And the fact she was in Greece gave her the freedom to make decisions she wouldn’t normally make. Being thousands of miles from New York City meant her chance of running into anyone she knew was slim to none. Well, there was one person at the Blue Tide that knew her, her best friend, Sofia Moore. But Sofia would keep her secret.
Speaking of her best friend, Kyra could really use some advice right now. If anyone could make sense of this very odd opportunity, it would be Sofia. Once the last suite on the floor had been put to rights, Kyra paused next to the large window overlooking the private cove. She pulled out her phone. Her fingers moved rapidly over the screen.
Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): Hey, you’re never going to believe this. I met someone.
She just couldn’t bring herself to admit that she’d been proposed to by a stranger, only to learn later it was their boss. Somehow, it sounded desperate on his part. And she felt sorry for Cristo.
Seconds turned into a minute, then two, and still no response. Where was Sofia? Probably still cleaning the exclusive bungalows that lined the beach. But Sofia always had her phone close at hand.
MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): As in a guy?
Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): Yes.
MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): What? But how? You swore off guys.
Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): I know. But he found me.
MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): And it was love at first sight?
Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): Not quite. More like a business deal.
MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): He offered to pay you to be his girlfriend?
Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): Yep. A bundle.
MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): You can’t be serious. Is this a joke?
Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): No joke.
MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): Is he cute?
Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): Very.
MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): Is he rich?
Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): Very.
MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): And you accepted?
Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): Not yet.
MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): Why not?
Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): You think I should really consider this idea?
MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): Sure. It’s not like you have anything better waiting in the wings.
Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): Thx for making me sound so pathetic.
MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): Oops! My bad. Go for it. Gotta run. Talk soon.
Kyra blinked and read Sofia’s last message again. Go for it. Was she serious? Then again, ever since Sofia had caught her boyfriend in bed with another woman, Sofia’s attitude had changed drastically. When it came to men, she didn’t trust them and she refused to get serious, but she was open to having a good time. Kyra was happy that Sofia had regained her spirit and was getting out there and trying different things. But should Kyra do the same? Then again, wasn’t that part of the reason for this trip to Greece? Trying something different?
Maybe it was time she quit living life so conservatively. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to color outside the lines, just a little. Mr. Kiriakas’s tanned, chiseled face formed in her mind. It certainly wouldn’t be so bad being his fiancée for a night or two. She had enjoyed talking to him the other day, and when he smiled, it made her stomach quiver. Sofia was right. She had nothing to lose. It might actually be fun.
Before she could chicken out, she turned in her supplies and rushed to the small apartment she shared with Sofia in the employee housing. Once she had showered and changed into yellow capris and a pink cotton top, she rushed to his suite. She didn’t have any idea if he’d still be there.
Her knuckles rapped on the door. She hadn’t been this nervous since she came home from school with a below average grade on her report card. She didn’t know why she was so jittery. Cristo certainly was nice enough. Besides, this whole thing was his idea.
The door swung open and there before her stood her almost-fiancé, all six foot plus of toned muscle. She tilted her chin upward in order to meet his gaze. “I...I thought over what you said earlier, and I have a few questions for you.”
He hesitated and then swung the door open. “Come in.”
She glanced around, making sure they were alone. As she did so, she took in the difference in decor between this suite and the other units. For one thing, the standard black upholstered furniture was leather in this suite. The art on the walls consisted of prints in the other suites, but in here everything was original, one-of-a-kind paintings. And lastly, the suite definitely had a lived-in feel—a sense of hominess to it.
Behind her, she could hear the door snick shut. It was just the two of them, alone. Suddenly Kyra didn’t feel quite so confident, so ready to strike a business deal. Right now, even the memory of Sofia’s encouraging words sounded foolish. After all, she didn’t go out on limbs and take big risks. She liked to play it safe.
Cristo cleared his throat. “Should I take your presence to mean you’ve changed your mind about my offer?”
She forced her gaze to meet his. “It depends on your answers to my questions.”
“What would you like to know?”
Comfortable that she’d left herself an out, should she need it, she leveled her shoulders. “The pretense of being your fiancée, it would only be a show for others, right? You don’t want me to, um...sleep with you?”
“No. No. Nothing like that.”
She breathed a little easier. “And how long would I have to pretend to be your fiancée?”
“I’ll be honest with you. I’m not sure.”
“So this is going to take longer than a day or two?”
He hesitated. “Yes, it will. But only until my business deal is concluded. It could be a few weeks or as long as a couple of months—”
“Months?” Kyra shook her head. No way. He was simply asking too much of her. “That’s not possible. I can’t pretend to be your fiancée for that long.”
“Are you planning to return to the States before then?”
The easiest way out of this mess was to say yes, but in truth she wasn’t leaving Greece until she had a chance to track down her father’s family. And since she didn’t have a starting point, she didn’t know how long that would take her. “No. I’m not leaving yet. I...I have things to do here.”
“Anything I can help you with?” When she cast him a skeptical look, he rushed to add, “There are no strings attached to that offer. I like you. You make me smile, and it’s been a while since anyone did that. Whether you agree to this plan or not, I’d like to help you out, if I can.”
Now, why did he have to go and do that? It would have been so much easier to say no to a man who was pushy and arrogant. None of those descriptions quite fit Cristo Kiriakas. He was more like a really hot, Grecian...gentleman.
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you. But not necessary.”
“It may not be necessary, but I’d like to help. What has you here in Greece?”
His eyes told her that he was serious. He was really interested in her. So what would it hurt to open up and share a little with him?
“I’m here to find my extended family, or what’s left of it.” Cristo’s brows rose with surprise, encouraging her to continue. “My father passed away a little more than a year ago. He’d always wondered about his extended family and had promised one day we’d take a trip here to see what we could learn. Now that he can’t finish our research, I’m taking up where he left off.”
“It sounds important.”
“It is. For me, that is. My mother doesn’t understand my need to do this.” In fact, her mother had done everything in her power to curtail Kyra’s trip, from pleading to offering up excuse after excuse until she finally resorted to a big guilt trip.
“I know some people who go by the name Pappas—”
“You do?” Could it really be this simple? “How do I find them?”
He held up a hand. “Slow down. Pappas isn’t exactly a unique name.”
“Oh.” She’d known that from her research, but after hitting so many dead ends, she just wanted some hope.
“Do you have much family in the States?” Cristo’s voice halted her thoughts.
“There’s just me and my mother. The rest of my mother’s family, small as it was, passed away. I thought my mother would understand my need to find out more about my past, especially after losing my father. But all she did was get angry and resentful any time I brought up a trip to Greece. Finally, I just stopped trying to make her understand.”
“So you thought by taking a job here that you would have the perfect excuse to investigate your family’s roots?”
She nodded. At the same time, her phone chimed. Expecting it to be Sofia, she grabbed it from her pocket. The caller ID said Mom. Kyra forwarded the call to her voice mail before slipping the phone back in her pocket.
“If you need to answer that, go ahead.”
“It’s not important. I’ll get it later.” The last thing Kyra needed right now was to talk to her mother in front of Cristo—a man who had a way of short-circuiting her thoughts with just a look. No man had ever had that kind of power over her. And she wasn’t sure she liked it, but another part of her found him exciting—exhilarating—unlike any man she’d ever known.
“Suit yourself.” He moved to the fully stocked refrigerator and removed a bottle of water. He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Would you care for one, too?”
What would it hurt? After all, he was being nice enough and she was a bit thirsty. “Yes. Thank you.”
Her phone chimed again. It wasn’t like her mother to call right back. Kyra did a quick time change in her head and realized that her mother should be at her second part-time job. Perhaps she was just checking in on one of her breaks.
When Cristo handed over the bottle, their fingers brushed. Their gazes met and held. The breath caught in her throat. She’d never gazed into eyes so intense, so full of energy. She’d heard people talk about instant attraction but she hadn’t really known what they were talking about until now. Sure, she’d noticed some really good-looking guys, but they’d always been easily forgotten. Something told her that Cristo would not be so easily dismissed.
He stepped back. “If you’d like something to eat, I could order from the restaurant downstairs.”
“No, thanks. I’m fine.” With the flutter of nerves in her stomach, there was no way she could eat a bite of anything. “About the arrangement. Will we have to be seen in public together?”
“Definitely.” His gaze narrowed. “Will that be a problem? Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No. No boyfriend.” She glanced down at her casual clothes and then at his designer suit. “But I don’t have anything appropriate in my wardrobe.”
“No worries. A new wardrobe and accessories will be part of your benefits package.”
Just like that he could arrange for a new, designer wardrobe without even a thought. Wow. How much was this man worth?
With a slight tremor in her hand, she pressed the cold bottle to her lips and took a small sip. She tried to recall the other questions she’d wanted to ask, but her mind drew a blank. At least she’d asked the important ones.
He walked over and placed his bottle on the bar. “I know this is rushing things, but I really need to know your answer to my offer.”
“You definitely don’t give a girl much time to weigh her options.”
His voice grew deeper. “Maybe I just don’t want to give you time to find an excuse to back out on me. I can already tell you’re going to make my life interesting. You, my dear, are quite intriguing. And I find that refreshing.”
“Is that all you find attractive?” The flirtatious words slipped over her lips before they registered in her mind.
His eyes lit up as the heat of embarrassment swirled in her chest and rose up her neck. What was she doing? She barely even knew this man. And yet, she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, but if she wasn’t cautious, she’d get burned.
“It’s definitely not the only attractive aspect of this arrangement. Not even close—”
“The money you offered, is it still part of the deal?”
He nodded.
“And can you pay me weekly?” She wanted to pay down the mortgage as soon as possible.
His brows rose. “If that’s what you’d like.”
“It is.”
She made the mistake of gazing into his eyes and noting that he looked at her with genuine interest. Did she really intrigue him? Her heart fluttered. Would it be so bad to have a gorgeous fiancé for just a bit? After all, you only live once. What did it hurt to have a little adventure?
And aside from the money, he’d mentioned helping her to search for her family roots. Now she had to make certain it was part of the deal. “And you agree to assist me in the search for my extended family?”
“I do.”
She stepped up to him and extended her hand. “You have yourself a fiancée.”
Instead of accepting her hand and shaking it, he lifted it to his lips. His feathery light kiss sent waves of delicious sensations coursing through her body. Much too soon he released her.
“When, um...do we start?” She hoped her voice sounded calmer than she felt at the moment.
“Right now. You have a wedding to plan and we need to get to know each other much better if we are going to convince others that we’re a genuine couple.”
Her phone chimed. It was her mother again. Something was definitely wrong. Kyra couldn’t deny it any longer. “Excuse me for a moment while I answer this.”
He nodded in understanding.
Kyra moved toward the wall of windows that overlooked the white sandy beach and aquamarine water. She pressed the phone to her ear. Before she could utter a word, she heard her mother’s voice.
“Kyra, why didn’t you answer your phone? I didn’t call to talk to your voice mail. Do you even listen to your messages? If you had, you’d know this is important—”
“Mom, stop. Take a breath and then tell me what’s the matter.”
“Everything.”
Her mother had a way of blowing things out of proportion. Please let this be one of those times. “Mom, are you all right? You aren’t in the hospital, are you?”
“The hospital? Why would I be there?”
Kyra exhaled a relieved sigh. “Just tell me what’s wrong.”
“My life. It’s over. You have to come home.”
Not melodramatic at all. “I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
“How would you know? You don’t even know what’s the matter.”
Kyra fully expected this would be another engineered guilt trip. “Mom, just tell me.”
“I would if you’d quit interrupting.”
Keeping her back to Cristo, Kyra rolled her eyes. Why did talking to her mother always have to be an exercise in patience? Her father must have had more patience than a saint. “I’m listening now.”
“They let me go. Can you believe that? After all I did for them. Is there no longer any such thing as loyalty and respect?”
“Who let you go?”
“The cleaning company. They said they lost some contracts and had to downsize. How can they do that? Don’t they know I have bills to pay?” Her mother’s voice cracked with emotion. “Kyra, you have to come home right away. I need you.”
She should have known it’d come round to this. “I can’t. I have a job to do.”
“But we’re going to lose our home.” There was an awkward pause. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m all alone.”
“Don’t worry.” Kyra may not agree with everything her mother said and did, but she still loved her. And her mother didn’t deserve to lose her home—no one did. “You won’t lose your home. I’ll help you.”
Kyra, realizing that she’d said too much in front of Cristo, wound up the phone conversation. She promised to call her mother back soon.
Not sure how much Cristo had overheard, her body tensed. Her mother always did have the most amazing timing. Still, there was no undoing what had been done.
She turned to him. He was staring at her with questions reflected in his eyes. She couldn’t blame him. If the roles had been reversed, she would have been curious, as well. “Sorry. That was my mother.”
“I take it there’s a problem.”
Kyra really didn’t want to get into this with him. “There is, but it’s nothing I can’t deal with.”
He arched a dark brow. “Are you sure about that? I mean, if you have to leave Greece, it’s best that we end our arrangement now—”
“No. That won’t be necessary.” And she didn’t add that the money he’d been willing to pay her for her time would be a huge help with her mother’s plight. Her doubts about whether she really wanted to move forward with this plan had just been overturned. She owed this to her mother. “I’m all yours—so to speak.”
