Читать книгу Ultimate Romance Collection - Rebecca Winters, Amalie Berlin - Страница 101
ОглавлениеAS LYS PULLED the van behind Takis’s car at seven, she saw the surprise he’d mentioned. An attractive wrought iron railing with a motif of grapes and leaves had been installed on the terrace. He got things done so fast it was scary.
When she went inside, she was astounded to see Takis had put the primer on everywhere. It looked like a new house already!
She heard him call to her. “Come on up and bring the food!”
Lys needed no urging to dash upstairs. “Oh, Takis—this is fabulous!” she cried when she walked out on the terrace. It was even better than what she had imagined earlier.
He relieved her of the bags and put them on the table. She ran over to the swing and sat in the middle. “I love it!”
Takis followed her down so he was half lying on top of her. “So do I.” He devoured her mouth until she was breathless. “I’ve been waiting for this since the moment I bought the house.”
With his rock-hard legs tangled around hers and their bodies trying to merge, Lys had never known such euphoria. He was male perfection and she couldn’t get enough of him. They lost track of time in their need to communicate.
“What if someone sees us?” she asked after coming up for breath.
“They won’t. It’s dark now, so I can do what I want.” He bit her lobe gently.
“Takis—not here—”
“Are you afraid for us to make love?” He teased, kissing her throat.
“I thought that was what we were doing.”
His deep laugh rumbled through her. “You say you had three boyfriends?”
She hid her face in his neck. “I did, but—”
“But it wasn’t like this?”
Lys trembled. “We should eat. The food will be cold.”
“Not until you tell me the truth. You’ve never been to bed with a man. Admit it.”
“You’re right. I haven’t.”
He kissed her with such tenderness, she couldn’t believe it. “You have no idea how that changes my whole world.”
“Why?”
“Nassos did the perfect job of protecting you so you could wear white to your wedding. Until we’re married, I promise to honor his wishes for you.”
She couldn’t wait to lie in bed with him all night while they loved each other into oblivion. But what if he didn’t love her the same way?
He kissed her lips once more. “You’re so quiet. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she muttered. Lys should never have admitted the truth.
“I think my fiancée is hungry.”
“I think it’s the other way around.”
He gave her another deep kiss before standing up. “Come on.” He reached for her hands. “Let’s sit at our new table to eat.”
After he’d set everything up he said, “I had a conference call with my partners this morning and there’s news. We’ve been invited to Dimi Gagliardi’s wedding in June. I don’t know the exact date yet. He’s Vincenzo’s only cousin and one of my favorite people.
“He’s marrying the best friend of Vincenzo’s wife, Gemma, Filippa. We’ll be flying to Florence for the ceremony.”
“That sounds exciting.”
He darted her a searching glance. “Now we have more important things to talk about. Next Tuesday evening the priest would like to meet us at the church.”
Would he talk to the priest if he didn’t love her? If he didn’t want to marry her? She had to believe he meant what he said, but it was hard. “I think I’d better go. When I left the office, I still had some work to do.”
He wiped his mouth. “In that case I’ll follow you back to Heraklion and help you.”
“I thought you didn’t want to be seen.”
“That was before our wedding announcement went in the newspaper. No one will think anything except that I’m so crazy about you, I can’t stay away from you. For personal reasons, I want to make sure you get home safely. You’re the most important person in my life.”
No, she wasn’t! Takis’s father took priority, which was the reason they were in this situation now. Lys got up from the table and helped clean it off before going inside and down the stairs. Only a few minutes later, she had left the house and climbed into the van.
“Drive safely.” He leaned in to kiss her hungrily. His touch caused her to melt before she turned on the engine and headed for Heraklion. Takis drove right behind her. At the hotel she parked the van and Takis parked in the empty space next to hers that Nassos had once used.
With his arm around her shoulders they took the elevator to the main floor and walked to her office. Along the way he kept her so close, anyone seeing them would assume they were lovers. By now the staff already knew.
Magda smiled her greeting before they disappeared down the hall to Lys’s office. Takis walked her inside and pulled her into his arms. “I’ve got to have this before we do anything else.”
She saw the blaze of desire in his eyes before he covered her mouth with his own, giving her a kiss that couldn’t disguise his need. The slightest contact with him set her on fire and she found herself responding, helpless to do otherwise.
“We need a swing in here too,” he whispered, kissing her eyes, nose, virtually every feature until he captured her mouth once more. “I’ll arrange to have one sent from the store.”
“Takis—” Lys finally found the strength to ease away from him. “I thought you wanted to help me work.”
“I lied. Now that we’re engaged, I don’t want to be apart from you. I want you with me day and night.”
“Please don’t say that.”
He caught her face in his hands. “Why? Because you know you want the same thing?”
“This is all happening so fast!”
His eyes gleamed like lasers. “That’s not true. I saw you at the funeral and was determined to meet you the next time I came to Crete no matter what I had to do. Can you deny you felt something for me in my office in Italy?” he demanded before devouring her again.
Something in his tone convinced her he wasn’t lying about his feelings. They’d both felt the chemistry between them when she’d flown to Milan. But a strong physical attraction didn’t mean he loved her the way she loved him. Once they were married and he’d been reconciled with his father in his own mind, how would he feel then?
But for Lys, she’d never be able to love another man again. There was no one who came close to Takis. If their marriage didn’t work out, she’d be like Danae and live a single life. With the money from her father, she could buy a place on Kasos near Danae. They could travel together, work on philanthropic projects together. But at this point the thought of Takis not being in her life was impossible to imagine.
“Lys?”
Startled, she tore her lips from Takis and turned her head to see Magda in the doorway.
“Sorry to intrude, but we have a problem.”
“What is it? You can speak in front of my fiancé. Let me introduce you to Takis Manolis.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Kyrie Manolis. Congratulations on your engagement.”
“Thank you, Magda. I’m afraid you’ll be seeing me around here a lot. I have a hard time staying away from Lys.”
The other woman smiled before looking at Lys. “The finance minister Elias Simon from Athens has just checked in and was led to believe he could have the penthouse suite for the rest of the week.”
Lys shook her head. “I can’t imagine how that happened since we’ve never let guests sleep there. When Kyrie Rodino was alive, he used it for VIP meetings, nothing else. Tell the minister we’ll put him in the Persephone suite.”
“Will you tell him?” Her eyes pleaded with Lys, who understood her nervousness. Kyrie Simon had a forbidding presence.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you.”
After she hurried away, Lys turned to Takis. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll come with you.”
The minute the two of them walked out to the front desk, the finance minister took one look and burst out, “Takis—”
“Elias—” The men shook hands.
“What are you doing here instead of New York? On business again?”
“I’ve moved back to Crete for good and got engaged.” Takis grabbed Lys around the waist. “I’d like you to meet my gorgeous fiancée, Lys Theron, the former ward of Nassos Rodino. Now that he has passed away, she owns the hotel.”
The other man’s dark eyes fastened on her in male admiration and they shook hands.
“I envy you, Takis. If I were thirty years younger...”
“I’m a very lucky man.”
“That certainly goes without saying,” he said, smiling at her.
“Kyrie Simon? I’m sorry that there was a misunderstanding about the penthouse. It’s not a guest room, but we’d love you to stay in the Persephone suite.”
“No problem.”
“Magda will check you in. Now if you will excuse me, I have some work to attend to back in my office.”
“Of course. That gives me time to chat with Takis. You realize you’re going to marry one of the most important men in the country. Has he shown you the hospital he built and funds in Tylissos? It provides such invaluable free medical care for the patients. There’s another one being built in Athens as we speak. He’s a remarkable man.”
What?
“I’ll tell you later,” Takis said in an aside and kissed her cheek.
She went down the hall and sat down at her desk, but she couldn’t concentrate on a thing. He’d built a hospital here? Another one was going up in Athens? How long had that been going on?
While she was alone, she phoned Danae, who was still awake. After catching her up on the latest news, she asked the older woman what she knew about a hospital in Tylissos that had been built and was free to the patrons.
“Only that it’s a children’s hospital for those parents who can’t afford big medical expenses. Stella told me about it last year and wished the government would build one here in Heraklion.”
Lys was stunned. “The government has nothing to do with it. I just found out tonight that Takis is the one who had it built and pays for everything.”
A long silence ensued. “Your Takis?”
If only he were... She gripped the phone tighter. “Tonight Kyrie Simon, the minister of finance from Athens, checked into the hotel. He saw Takis. They appear to know each other well and it slipped out during their conversation.”
“Your fiancé is a dark horse in many ways. What a lovely thing to find out about the man you’re going to marry. If Nassos were still alive, he’d be bursting with pride.”
“The man who should be overjoyed is his father, but I’m sure he doesn’t know anything about all the great things his son has accomplished. It kills me that Takis lives with this terrible pain. I love him so much, Danae.” They spoke a little longer before she hung up.
After another minute, Takis came back in her office. Her gaze fused with his. “I just got off the phone with Danae. Why haven’t you told me about these hospitals?”
He stood in front of her with his legs slightly apart, so handsome, so masculine, she couldn’t look away. “I would have gotten around to it.”
“You told me your niece had to go to the hospital for an asthma attack. You had it built for her.”
“For all children with medical problems whose parents struggle to make a decent living.”
She shook her head. “But no one knows you were the one.”
“I want it that way.”
“Even your parents?”
“Especially them.”
“But these hospitals aren’t hotels. Your mother and father would be so thrilled and proud if they knew what you’ve done. And you’re building another one?”
“I’d rather remain anonymous.”
“Takis—they deserve to know more about your life!”
“They didn’t deserve to be abandoned by their son.”
Lys got to her feet, upset by his comment. “What can I say to convince you that they love you and never thought any such thing?”
His brows furrowed. “You can’t. I’m sorry Elias let that information slip.”
“I’m not. Don’t you know how proud I am of you?”
“Thank you for that. But I know I can trust you not to say anything when we go to the family party tomorrow evening.”
They weren’t getting anywhere with this conversation. She took a deep breath. “Thank you for helping Magda out of a difficult situation. You’ve won her devotion.” Takis had a rare potent male charm that had made mincemeat of Lys.
“It was my pleasure. Elias can be very intimidating. That’s why he’s in his particular position. Between us I think he makes the president of the country nervous.”
Lys chuckled. “By tomorrow morning Magda will tell everyone that my fiancé is on first-name terms with a top-level Greek government official. You’ll have elevated me to new heights in our staff’s opinion.”
His eyes narrowed on her mouth, sending darts of awareness through her. “Didn’t you know it’s the other way around? Elias insists on being invited to our wedding. He has a worse case on you than Basil. I didn’t think that was possible.”
She chuckled despite her out-of-control desire for him. “Don’t be silly.”
“Do you still have work to do, or shall I walk you to your hotel room?”
Lys wanted to be alone with him. She was bursting with feelings she was dying to share. “I’d like that.” She grabbed her purse and left the room, turning out the light. They nodded to Magda and walked down the hall to the elevator. By the time they reached her suite, her heart was jumping all over the place.
Lys unlocked the door. “Come in.”
“I’m afraid I can’t.”
She swung around in surprise. “Do you have to go right now?”
“Yes.” Lines darkened his face.
“Why? Is something wrong at home?”
“No. The only problem is the way I feel about you. If I come in now, I’ll make you my wife tonight and forget the ceremony. As it is, if I thought you’d say yes, I’d ask the priest to marry us in three weeks instead of three months’ time.”
Those words brought her close to a faint.
“Think about it and give me your answer tomorrow when I come to get you.” In the next breath, he walked down the hall to the elevator, leaving her totally bereft.
She didn’t want him to go. “Takis?”
He turned.
“Please don’t leave yet.”
“You’d better think hard about what you’re asking. If I cross over your threshold, I won’t leave till morning. Is that what you want after everything Nassos did to protect you from moments like this?”
For once in her life she was going to be honest and throw caution aside. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because—because I need you and don’t want to be alone tonight.”
He moved closer, causing her heart to leap. “I need you too, but that’s not a good enough reason to break all the rules.”
“We’ve already broken several.”
“But not the most important one.”
“In my office earlier you said you wanted to be with me day and night.”
“I do, once we’re married.”
His moral strength astonished her. “Nassos is no longer alive.”
“Which leaves me to watch out for you. Weren’t you the one who told me he probably gave me half ownership of the hotel to help keep you from making a mistake?”
“He didn’t mean the kind of mistake we’re talking about right now and you know it!” Her cheeks had grown warm. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you.”
“Say what?” he murmured. “That you love me? That you can’t live without me?”
The blood pounded in her ears. “You’re a man who didn’t plan to marry right away. I wonder what you’d do if I said those words to you.”
His eyes gleamed an intense green. “Why don’t we find out?”
He was toying with her, not helping her out. If he truly loved her, he wouldn’t be so cruel. “To hear them would scare the living daylights out of you.”
Takis cocked his head. “If you don’t say them, we’ll never know.”
You’re a fool, Lys. He was the most aggravating, incredible, beautiful man alive. “So you’re really going to leave.”
“It’s your call. I dare you to sleep tonight, agape mou.”
Two words that meant beloved. Was she his beloved?
“Kalinikta, Lys.”
“Good night!” she snapped at him in English.
She heard his chuckle clear down the hall until he disappeared. He was driving her crazy.
Takis, feeling pure joy, headed for the garage to get his car.
After saying good-night to Elias, he’d waited another couple of minutes outside Lys’s office until she’d hung up from her phone call. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but it had been clear she’d been talking to Danae. That’s when he’d heard the truth come from her own lips.
I love him so much.
Tomorrow evening they’d be with family and the answers to all questions would come straight from their hearts. There’d be no deception, no regrets.
* * *
Early Friday morning Lys’s phone rang. Excited because she knew who it was, she reached for her cell on the bedside table. “Takis?”
“No, Lys. It’s Danae.”
She sat up in bed. “What’s wrong? You sound worried.”
“If you haven’t seen a newspaper or turned on television, then don’t.”
Alarmed by her words, Lys slid off the bed and got to her feet. “Tell me.”
“The paparazzi have taken pictures of you and Takis together. One of the write-ups reads: ‘Lys Theron, heiress to the Rodino fortune, sets her sights on marrying billionaire New York hotelier Takis Manolis. Is there nothing this gold digger won’t do for money?’”
Lys’s thoughts reeled. Though she’d been used to this kind of coverage after Nassos’s death, she hadn’t imagined that it would continue. How had the press discovered their relationship? Could it have been that car she had seen following her a couple of times. It must have been! But what concerned her was the impact it would have on Takis’s parents.
“Thank you for telling me. I love you and am indebted to you. Now I’ve got to phone Takis and warn him in case he hasn’t seen the paper yet.” She hung up and rang him. Pick up. Please pick up.
To her chagrin the call went to his voice messaging. She left the message for him to call her immediately. Without hesitation, Lys took a quick shower and got dressed in a black sweater and skirt. Once she was ready, she hurried to the garage for her car.
Maybe he was painting and had turned off his phone. All she knew was that she had to find him. If the paparazzi were still following her, she didn’t care. What mattered was tonight’s get-together with Takis’s family.
They would have seen or read this new barrage of sensationalizing information linking the two of them. Her desire to protect him from any pain had her pressing hard on the accelerator all the way to Tylissos.
Lys spotted his car at the house before she pulled up behind it. After getting out she ran to the door and knocked. When there was no answer, she tried opening it, but he’d locked it.
“Takis?” she cried out and knocked harder.
Maybe he was over at his parents’ hotel. If Danae had seen the news, there was no doubt he’d seen it too. Possibly his brother might have come over to the house to talk to him and they were out somewhere. Or maybe he’d driven Takis over to the hotel.
She simply didn’t know, but she intended to find out and dashed to her car. It didn’t take long to reach the hotel. She parked near the front entrance and hurried inside. An attractive dark-haired woman manned the front desk.
“May I help you?”
Lys took a deep breath. “My name is Lys Theron. I need to speak to Takis Manolis. Is he here by any chance?”
“You’re Lys!”
“Yes.”
“I’m Doris, Lukios’s wife.”
“Oh—I’m so happy to meet you.”
“We’re all very excited about tonight.”
If Takis’s sister-in-law had seen the news this morning, she was hiding her reaction to it well.
“So am I, but I need to find Takis. Do you have any idea where he might be? I went over to the house and his car is there, but he didn’t answer the door.”
“Let me check with Hestia. She’ll know.” Lys waited while she made a phone call. When Doris hung up she said, “After breakfast he went to the village with his father and hasn’t come back yet. If you’ll wait just a minute, she’s going to phone him and find out when he’ll be back.”
Lys held back her groan. “Thank you.” The poor darling was probably trying to defend her reputation the best way he could, but it didn’t look good.
Doris’s phone rang and she picked up. Their conversation didn’t last long before she clicked off. “They may be gone for a while. Hestia would like you to come back to their apartment. She wants to talk to you. Their door is at the end of the left hall.”
“I appreciate your help, Doris.”
Shaking inside as well as out, she headed for the apartment where Takis had been born and grew up. Hestia met her at the door with a hug and asked her to come into the living room. Wonderful smells from the kitchen filled the room.
“I’m sorry to come by now when I know you’re preparing for this evening, but I need to see Takis as soon as possible.”
His mother eyed her with concern. “Something’s wrong. What is it?”
She sat on the couch, folding her arms against her waist. “I wish I could tell you.”
“If it’s about the latest tabloid gossip, I pay no attention to it.”
Lys let out a slight gasp. “Then you know what was in the paper this morning.”
“Takis mentioned it at breakfast before he and his father left the hotel together.”
“I went over to his house, but he’s not there. I—I’m so afraid.”
“What is it?” she asked in such a kind voice, Lys had to fight the tears that threatened.
“He asked me to marry him, but I fear I’m not the right kind of woman for him. That’s what I need to tell him so we can call off this engagement party.”
“My son has never done anything he didn’t want to do. He wants you for his wife.”
“But gossip follows me wherever I go and it will rub off on him. I’d do anything to protect him and your family.”
“Tell me something truthfully. Do you love him?”
Her question brought the tears rolling down her cheeks. “Desperately, but he loves you and your husband with all his heart. He’s been so traumatized all these years for hurting you by leaving Crete, the last thing he needs now is to marry a woman who will bring more hurt to you.”
His mother shook her head. “What hurt are you talking about?”
Lys wiped her eyes. “He carries this terrible guilt that he abandoned you when he left for New York. He can’t forgive himself for it.”
“Oh, my dear—” She came over to the couch and put her arm around Lys. “By the time Takis was a year old, his father and I knew he was different than the other two. He insisted on exploring his world and needed more to make him happy. When his girlfriend died, we knew he had to find his life and were thrilled that Kyrie Rodino gave him that opportunity.”
“You were?” Lys cried. “Honestly?”
“Of course. We’re so proud of what he’s done and accomplished.”
Lys couldn’t comprehend it. “Then he’s the last person to know. He’s been afraid that he’s let you down and can never win your approval. And he’s worried that there’s—” She stopped herself before she said something she shouldn’t.
“That there’s what?” Hestia prodded.
“If I tell you, I’m afraid he’ll never forgive me.”
“Of course he will.”
“H-He’s afraid either you or your husband are seriously ill,” her voice faltered. “He thinks that’s why you asked him to come home for good.”
His mother lifted her hands in the air. “We’re in the best health we can be at our age.”
“Oh, thank heaven!” Lys half sobbed.
“Where would he get an idea like that?”
“Because you asked him to come home. He thought there had to be a vital reason.”
“There was. There is. We love him, and we miss him. We figured he’d made enough money on his hotels that he could come back and do something else amazing here in Crete.”
“He has done that!” Lys jumped to her feet. “You know the children’s hospital where your granddaughter had to go the other day?”
Hestia nodded.
“Takis had that hospital built and funds it completely.” At this point tears spilled down his mother’s cheeks. “He’s building another one in Athens.”
“Our dear son,” she whispered.
“Please, Kyria Manolis. Let him know how you feel. Tell him you’re both healthy. Reassure him you wanted him to find his way in the world. He needs to know how much you love him so he’ll be whole. But he doesn’t need a woman with my reputation ruining his life. Forgive me, but I don’t dare marry him.” She removed her ring and handed it to Hestia. “Please give this to him. Now I have to go.”
Hestia called to her, but she dashed out of the apartment to her car. The tears continued to gush as she drove toward Heraklion. Her phone rang, but she didn’t answer it. When she reached the hotel, she parked the car and rushed to her suite.
Once inside, she ran sobbing to her bedroom and buried her face in the pillow. When her phone rang again, she refused to answer it in case it was Takis. If he knew what she’d done by confiding in his mother, then he might never want to speak to her again.
* * *
Takis was surprised when his mother met him and his father at the back door of the apartment. “I’m so glad you’re home! Your fiancée has been trying to reach you.”
“I know. I tried to call her back, but she hasn’t answered yet.”
“I’m not sure she’s going to.”
He frowned and followed her inside to the kitchen. “What do you mean?”
She glanced at his father. “Both of you need to sit down so we can talk.”
Takis lounged against the counter, unable to sit until he knew what was going on.
“Lys came by the hotel earlier looking for you.”
Takis groaned aloud. “We went into the village to pick up the bedroom furniture you ordered and set it up at the house. I wanted it to be a surprise for her.”
His mother nodded. “While you were busy, we had a very informative talk about many things including the children’s hospitals you’ve been building. I’ll tell you everything, but first I want you to know you’re the luckiest man on earth to have found a woman who loves you so much.”
“She admitted that to you?” Takis was stunned.
“You’d be shocked what she told me.” In the next breath she related their whole conversation, leaving nothing out. After she’d finished, his father spoke first.
He stared at Takis through eyes that glistened with tears. “Your mother and I have loved you since the day you were born. We were so afraid for you after Gaia’s death, we rejoiced when Kyrie Nassos opened a new door for you. We didn’t want to say or do anything to discourage you from leaving, and we’ve never regretted that decision. You have no idea how proud we are of you.”
Takis couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Cesare had been right about everything. As for Lys...
“We’re not ready for the grave yet, son. We expect to enjoy years of life with you and the wonderful woman who loves you enough to have confided in your mother.”
Takis was so overcome with emotion, he could only hug them for a long time. After clearing his throat, he said, “Since Lys was so honest, I have something important to tell you too. You may not love me so much when you hear what I’ve done. It’s about the reason we’re engaged. Nassos left a will.”
Once his whole confession was out, silence filled the room. His father walked over and clapped him on the shoulder.
“I only have one thing to say. The fact that Kyrie Nassos thought so much of you he would give you half his hotel tells me and your mother that you’re the finest, most honorable Manolis we’ve ever known. I think all that’s left to say now is that you go find your fiancée and thank her for making this family closer than ever.”
His mother smiled. “I already love her.” She reached in her apron pocket and pulled out the engagement ring. Takis was aghast Lys had taken it off. “Give it back to her with our love.”
Takis’s heart was running away with him. He looked at his father. “Will you drive me home so I can get my car? I need to go after her before she decides to do something crazy like leave the country.”
“Where would she go?”
“To a friend of her mother’s in New York. If that’s her plan, I’ve got to stop her.”
* * *
Takis broke all speed records driving into Heraklion. It was a miracle he wasn’t pulled over. To his relief, her car was still in its space when he parked his Acura. But she could have called for a limo. There wasn’t a moment to lose.
He hurried to her suite and knocked on the door. When she didn’t answer, he phoned her. Still no response. Without a second to lose, he raced to the front office. Magda was on duty.
“Have you seen Lys this afternoon?”
“No.”
“She hasn’t left the hotel?”
“Not that I know of. Let me check with the manager.” She came right back. “No one has heard from her.”
“Then I need a card key to her room. I’m worried about her. We’re due at our engagement party.”
Magda seemed hesitant.
“Tell you what. Will you come with me and let me in?”
“Yes.” She grabbed a card key. Then she turned to the other woman manning the desk and said she’d be right back. Together they hurried to the third floor.
Magda knocked on Lys’s door and called out to her. After no response, she used the card key to let them inside.
“Lys?” Takis called her name. “It’s Takis. Are you ill?”
“What are you doing inside my suite?” sounded a familiar voice in an unfamiliar tone. He could rule out sickness. Her voice sounded strong.
Relief flooded his system that she hadn’t gone anywhere yet. He thanked Magda. “I’ll take care of this now. I promise you’re not in any trouble.”
“I’ll have to take your word for that.”
After she left, he started down the hall. “I’m coming in the bedroom, so if you’re not decent, you’d better hide under the covers.”
“I’m dressed if that’s what you mean.”
He moved inside. She looked adorable sitting on the side of her bed in a pink robe and bare feet, her face splotchy from crying.
Her purple eyes stared accusingly at him. “How did you get in here?”
“I’m part owner of the hotel, remember?” He sat down on a side chair.
“Nobody knows that.”
“Magda let me in.”
“Of course she did once you used your charm on her. She should be fired!”
“On the contrary, she passed the most important test for me by functioning in a crisis.”
“What crisis?”
“I couldn’t find you anywhere. After the talk with my mother, I feared you might be in here too ill to respond. In my opinion we should make Magda general manager if Giorgos ever leaves.”
Lys lowered her head. “Then your mother told you everything.”
Takis loved this woman with every atom of his body. “Yes.”
She got to her feet. “The headline in the paper has probably ruined everything you’ve tried to do where your father is concerned. For all I know it already has.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong.”
Lys paced the floor, then turned to him. “Why didn’t you answer your phone this morning?”
“I was out shopping for our bedroom furniture with my father and turned it off.”
Lys blinked. “You went with your father to do that?”
“Yes. It’s tradition for the parents. He insisted and we had a lot of fun.”
“Then it means he didn’t see the paper this morning.”
“True, but I did, and I told my parents about it at breakfast.”
He heard her take a quick breath. “Did your mother tell you I’ve broken our engagement?”
“Yes.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out the ring. “Here’s the proof. It would have been nice if you’d told me first.”
“I did try, but you weren’t anywhere around.”
“We’ve got all the time in the world now.”
“You don’t need an explanation. We both know we can’t go on with this lie any longer. It’s not fair to your parents who love you.”
“What lie is that?”
“The only reason two people should get married is because they love each other. Your parents have to know the real reason we got engaged. But since you don’t want them to know about the will, I can’t go on with this deception.”
“You don’t have to. They know about it.”
He could see her swallowing hard. “When did they find out?”
“I told them this afternoon.”
She sank down on the end of the bed. “I don’t understand.”
Takis got to his feet. “I finally had the talk with them you urged me to have. You were right about everything and I was wrong. When I explained about the will, they told me they were thrilled Nassos thought enough of me to give me such a gift.”
“Oh, Takis—” she cried, sounding overjoyed. “Then there are no more shadows? You’re happy at last?”
“No. I’m still waiting for you to tell me if you love me. The other night you wanted me to stay with you. An admission of love would have brought me running to you.”
She looked away from him. “You’re being very unkind, Takis. After talking to your mother, you know I do.”
“You do what?”
“Love you.”
“When did you know?”
“In your office in Italy. But none of it matters because a love like mine needs to be reciprocated, which it isn’t, so I wish you’d leave now.”
“I can’t do that because I love you more than life.”
A gasp escaped her lips. She turned to him. “I don’t believe you,” she whispered.
“Do you honestly think I would have asked you to marry me if you hadn’t turned my world inside out? I knew at the funeral you were the woman for me. The moment was surreal to watch my destiny walk past me. The feeling I had for you transcended the physical. How can you doubt it?”
“Because I’m afraid to believe it.”
He reached for her left hand and slid the ring back on her finger. Then he cupped her beautiful face in his hands. “I can understand that fear. You lost your parents and Nassos. But you’re never going to lose me. We’re going to get married and raise a family.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. The love-light in her eyes blinded him. “I love you so much I don’t think I can contain it.”
“I don’t want you to try.” Driven by desire, he picked up his bride-to-be and carried her over to the bed, following her down on the mattress. “If you had any idea how long I’ve been waiting to love you like this. Give me your mouth, my love.”
Her passionate response was a revelation to Takis, but they’d no sooner started kissing each other than her cell rang, followed by a loud knock on the hotel room door.
He was slow to relinquish her luscious mouth. “I’ll get the door while you answer the phone.”
When he hurried down the hall and opened it, he discovered Danae standing in the hallway, the phone in her hand.
A smile broke out on her face. “I’m relieved you’re the reason Lys hasn’t answered her phone.”
He reciprocated with a smile of his own. “I’m relieved it’s you instead of the manager. Come in. She’ll be thrilled to see you.”
Danae kissed him on the cheek. “Liar,” she whispered.
Lys came hurrying into the living room and gave Danae a hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer the phone earlier.”
“That’s all right. I’m thinking you two need to move up the wedding date. How about three weeks from now? Check with your parents. We’ll have the reception on Kasos.”
Takis had never known this kind of happiness. “You’re a woman after my own heart, Danae. Since you’re here, I’m going to leave.”
Lys darted him a beseeching glance. “Do you have to go?”
This was like déjà vu. Luckily Danae had interrupted them, preventing him from breaking his vow not to make love to her before the wedding.
“Yes.” She knew the reason why. “I’ll be back later to take you and Danae to our engagement party.” He gave her a brief kiss on the mouth before letting himself out.
