Читать книгу Ultimate Romance Collection - Rebecca Winters, Amalie Berlin - Страница 96

CHAPTER FOUR

LYS AWAKENED EARLY the next morning. She’d been restless during the night, otherwise her comforter wouldn’t be on the floor at the side of her bed. The unexpected advent of Takis Manolis in her life had shaken her world.

The fact that he would be co-owner of the hotel with her for the next six months wasn’t nearly as disconcerting as the man himself. He was a Cretan Adonis who’d gotten under her skin and had turned her insides to mush the first time she’d laid eyes on him. She wished to heaven she weren’t excited to be meeting him for breakfast, but she couldn’t turn off those hormones working madly inside her body.

There was nothing professional about her feelings for him. She had no idea how she was going to be able to work with him and not reveal how susceptible she was to his male charisma. No woman alive could be indifferent to him. Somehow she needed to be the exception. But she feared that it would be an impossible task.

Once she’d showered and washed her hair, Lys changed her mind five times about what to wear, something she never did, which proved he was in her head. She eventually settled on pleated navy pants with a navy blouse edged in navy lace and matching sweater.

Not only would she continue to wear dark colors to honor Nassos’s memory, but she refused to dress in order to attract Takis’s attention. Other women probably did it on a regular basis. But his appeal had affected her so greatly, it was embarrassing. She had no idea how long Danae would wear black before returning to her normal wardrobe. Lys would follow her example.

Once she’d brushed her hair and put on a soft pink lipstick, she left the hotel driving one of their service vans so she wouldn’t be recognized by the paparazzi. She headed out of town under an overcast sky to the little settlement of Vlahiana southwest of Heraklion. She took in the beauty of the hills and vineyards rolling in the distance. Several villages clung to the hillsides, beckoning her toward them.

Takis had lived on Crete until he was eighteen and probably knew every inch of it. She was pleased he’d wanted them to meet at the small country inn hidden away where there wouldn’t be any press around.

Nassos had once brought her and Danae here, explaining about the building that had been completely restored with ancient stones, a perfect blend with the near-white bleached wood. The artist in him had liked what had been done to it. She didn’t wonder that Takis had chosen this same place to talk.

To her surprise, she saw his tall, well-honed physique walking toward her as she pulled up in the small parking area. He could have no way of knowing what she’d worn, but he’d dressed in charcoal-colored trousers and a navy sport shirt open at the neck, looking marvelous.

“We match,” he said after opening the van door for her. As she got out, the scent of the soap he’d used in the shower assailed her senses. Her arm brushed against his chest by accident. The slight contact sent a thrill of excitement through her body. “I’ve already ordered our breakfast. It’s waiting out on the back patio for us.”

It turned out they had the area to themselves. The trellis roof above them dripped with shocking red bougainvillea. He helped her to sit at the small round table before he took a seat opposite her. The sight of so many delicious-looking items told her he was a typical Cretan who loved his food. There were sausages, smoked pork, eggs with staka, cream cheese pie and coffee.

She bit into a piece of pie. “If I ate this way every morning, pretty soon I wouldn’t be able to get through the doors to the office.”

“That will never be your problem, and I happen to think it’s much nicer to eat while we talk business.”

“I won’t argue with you there.” Her awareness of him made it difficult to keep her eyes off him while he devoured his food.

As he drank his coffee, he asked, “Were you running the hotel singlehandedly before Nassos died?”

“Pretty much, along with the general manager. Nassos spent most of his time watching over his other investments, which are now Danae’s. But there’s no question Nassos kept his eagle eye on everything. Since he’s been gone, I’ve continued to do things the same way, but I’ll admit I worry that I’m missing something.”

“Do the staff know you’re the new owner?”

“No. I’m sure they think that Nassos gave the hotel to Danae even though he divorced her. I know the manager assumes as much.”

His piercing gaze stared directly into hers. “How do you feel about having to share the business with me?”

She sat back in the chair. “To be honest, when the attorney gave me Nassos’s letter and I read what was inside, I almost went into shock. But by the time I flew to Italy, I’d managed to calm down.”

“Your anger didn’t show.”

“I never felt anger. Not at all. If anything I felt hurt for Danae, who should have inherited the hotel. They met years ago while she’d been working at another hotel. She would be a natural to run everything, but he was too blind to see what he was doing.”

He lowered his coffee cup. “You didn’t expect to inherit?”

She frowned. “I didn’t expect him to die, but I know what you meant to say. I had no expectations. I imagined that in time I’d meet a man, get married and years from now lose Nassos. Instead, he’s gone and he has made you co-owner. That’s all I know. But to answer your question, no, I’m not angry.”

“What did you mean he was too blind?”

Lys shouldn’t have said what she did. Now he’d dig until he got the answer he wanted. At this point it didn’t matter if he knew the truth. In fact it would be better if it did.

“Tell you what. If you’ve finished eating, why don’t we go to the hotel?” She was enjoying this time with him far too much. “If I show you the letter Nassos instructed the attorney to give to me, then you’ll understand and won’t have so many questions. I wish I had brought it with me. Did you bring a car?”

“No. I came in a taxi from home.”

“Then I’ll drive us back to town and we can talk in my sitting room at the hotel. Would it bother you if I’m behind the wheel?”

His half smile gave her a fluttery feeling in her chest. “I’m looking forward to it.” He put some bills on the table before helping her up. It had been a long time since she’d been with a man, let alone have one to help her into the van.

The thrill of being with him was like nothing she’d ever experienced. She wished they were going off and not coming back. A silly thought, but one that told her she was in serious trouble where Takis was concerned.

Before long she pulled into the private parking space in the hotel garage and they rode the elevator to her floor. They’d done this before when she’d welcomed him inside her room. After telling him he was welcome to freshen up, she went into the bedroom to get the letter out of the side table drawer.

Once she’d made a detour to her own bathroom, she entered the sitting room and handed it to him before subsiding in one of the upholstered chairs around the coffee table. She’d never invited a man into her hotel room before. But with Takis, everything was feeling so natural.

* * *

Takis felt her eyes on him as he opened it to read. Within seconds he couldn’t believe what Nassos had written to her. Near the end of it came the part where Takis’s name was mentioned.

Before you take possession, you must give the sealed envelope to Takis Manolis. You’ve heard me and Danae talk about him often enough. When he came to Crete periodically, we’d discuss business on my yacht, where we could be private.

You’ll know where to find him when the time comes. The two of you will share ownership for six months. After that time period, you’ll both be free to make any decisions you want.

By the time you read this, he’s probably married with children and grandchildren too. I’ve thought of him as the son I never had.

The son Nassos never had?

“What’s wrong, Takis? You’ve gone pale.”

He must have read the whole letter half a dozen times before he realized he wasn’t alone in the room. His head swung around. Takis had gotten it all wrong. He could throw the idea of pity out the window. Nassos had looked at him as a son. More than that, he’d looked on Lysette, his French nickname for her, as his daughter.

This letter explaining the reason for the Rodino divorce helped him understand why Lys had been hurt for Danae’s sake. It showed his love for Lys and hinted of the affection and regard Nassos had felt for him.

Takis sucked in his breath. Nothing about the hotelier’s actions where Takis was concerned had been the way he’d thought!

His friends had tried to convince him that the gift of the hotel had been Nassos’s way of honoring him for making a success of his life. They’d been right. But without this letter, he’d have gone on threshing around for reasons that had no basis in truth.

He handed it back to her. “Thank you for letting me read it.” His voice throbbed. “It’s a gift I didn’t expect. Because of your generosity I was allowed to see into Nassos’s mind. Bless you for that, or I might have gone through the rest of my life being...unsettled.”

Those heavenly purple eyes played over his face in confusion. “Why?”

“It’s a long story.”

“I’d like to hear it. Won’t you sit down?”

He couldn’t. Takis was too wired. If anyone deserved to know what had been going on inside him, she did. Her honesty and willingness to share something so private humbled him.

“Let me just say I thought Nassos pitied me because of my poor background.”

She got to her feet. “I’m sure he did. The grandfather who raised him was ill and so poor, Nassos had to sell the fish he caught from a rowboat so they could live.”

Takis’s head reared. “I didn’t know that.”

“I’m not surprised. It pained him to talk about it. My own father’s parents died in a ferry accident and a near-destitute aunt took him in, but sadly she too died early. My father and Nassos joined forces and started catching fish to sell so they wouldn’t starve.”

What she’d just told Takis blew his mind.

“No doubt when he discovered you were working at the hotel and showed such amazing promise after coming from a similar background as himself, he was glad to help you. He was always kind to people.

“If he’d known he was going to die this soon, I have no doubt that he would have given the hotel to you outright. He knew I’d be coming into my inheritance soon and would be able to make my way in the world just fine.”

The more she talked, the more ashamed Takis felt for being so far off the mark. These revelations changed everything for him. He cleared his throat. “Do you like running the hotel?”

“Yes, but I haven’t known anything else. When I flew to Italy to find you, I thought I might have to track you all the way to New York. My mother’s best friend still lives on Long Island. When she came to the funeral, she invited me to stay with her for a while. I’ve toyed with the idea that if you wanted to work here and be by your family, I’d find a different kind of job in New York.”

The thought of her not being here in Crete disturbed him more than a little bit. “You think I need breathing room?”

She cocked her head. “I don’t know. Do you?”

What Takis needed was to put his priorities in order. His family took precedence over every consideration. Nassos’s gift had opened up a way for him to have a legitimate reason to be on Crete for the next six months. But it was vital that as co-owner, she be the visible owner on duty while he was the invisible co-owner who helped behind the scenes.

“I’m going to share something I’ve never shared with anyone but my two best friends and business partners. Except for visits to my family, I’ve been gone from Crete for eleven years. On my last visit here when I attended Nassos’s funeral, my mother begged me to come home for good.”

“That sounds like a loving mother,” Lys said softly. Her genuineness made him believe she was truly happy for him.

“But they’ve never asked me for anything, or wanted anything from me, whether it be financial or something else. Now I’m worried about them and their health. Maybe I’m wrong about that. Nevertheless I’m planning to sell my hotels in New York and move here permanently to be near them all the time.”

“I suspect they’ve been hoping for that for years.”

“If that’s true, I’m the last to know.” Lys was easy to talk to. She made it comfortable for him, but the warning bells were going off that he was getting in over his head.

“Then you should move here and find out. It would be perfect for you and me. While you run the hotel and live around your parents, I can leave. If I find a new career in New York, then I might not want to buy out your half. In that case, when the six months are up, I’d rather you invested my half of the money from the hotel. Nassos’s trust in you is good enough for me.”

“I’m flattered that you have more faith in me than I do.” But he shook his head, not liking that idea for any reason. Takis didn’t want her to leave. It stunned him how strongly attracted he was to her. She was in his blood and he hadn’t even kissed her yet. But that day was coming.

“In truth I don’t want or need another hotel. The last thing I want is for anyone to know I’m co-owner. Yet for another half year that’s the way it has to be and I plan to live out the rest of my life here. So unless your heart is set on going to New York, I’d prefer it if you would call the staff together and tell them you’re the new owner of the hotel.”

She got to her feet. “But that isn’t the truth.”

How strange that a few weeks ago he hadn’t wanted this gift. Yet in just a short period of time everything had changed. Takis knew himself well and wondered if he could fallen in love with her in such a short space of time. He was overjoyed that for the next six months they’d be forced to remain joined at the hip so to speak.

“No one else needs to know that. I’ll explain to Kyrie Pappas why I don’t want any mention of me as the co-owner.”

Her arched brows knit together. “I don’t understand. You’re being so mysterious.”

“My family must never know my name is tied to the hotel.”

She moved closer. “Why?”

“Because I’m a Manolis and there’s only room for one Manolis hotel owner on Crete.”

A long silence ensued. “You mean your father.” She’d read his mind.

“If he knew the kind of gift Nassos had deeded to me—the kind only a father would give to his son—it would hurt him in a way you couldn’t comprehend.”

“Are you so sure about that?”

“Not entirely, but I love my father.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I loved mine too. It’s the only reason I went to Crete with Nassos at the age of seventeen when I didn’t want to.”

“That had to have been very hard.”

“It was in the beginning. I had to leave my friends and school, everything I knew. What I didn’t know at the time was that in honoring Baba’s wishes, I would learn to love Nassos. He gave me a new life and protected me because he understood a father’s love and wanted to honor his best friend’s wishes. I get the honor aspect, Takis.”

Lys Theron was amazing. “Do you have any idea how grateful I am that you told no one about the will and came all the way to Italy to talk to me in person? Because of you, the secret is still safe.”

She studied him for a long time. “I’ll keep it. You’re worried that if your father knew the truth, he would believe you had a much greater friendship with Nassos than he’d been led to believe. I can see why you think it could ruin your relationship for life.”

How did someone so young get to be so wise? “I’m afraid it could,” Takis whispered.

“I think you’re wrong about it, but no one will ever know from me. I’ll talk to Danae so she understands how serious this is to keep absolutely quiet.”

No matter his feelings for her, he felt he could trust Lys with his life. “Thank you. But this brings us to our immediate problem. We’ll have to conduct business without anyone suspecting the real reason we’re together at all.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. When I leave you in a minute, I’m headed straight to the airport. I need to fly back to Milan and talk to my partners. Among other things I’ll have to make preparations to sell my hotel chain in New York and will probably be gone at least a week. When I come back, I’ll have a proposition for you.”

“Proposition?” she questioned.

“What goes around, comes around,” he teased, reminding her of their conversation yesterday when she’d made one to him.

“Aren’t you going to give me a hint?” The corner of her sensual mouth lifted, sending a burst of desire through him.

“Not yet. Certain things have to fit into place first.”

“You’re talking about the hotel in Milan. Do you plan to remain part owner?”

“Possibly.” But that wasn’t what he had on his mind while she filled his vision to the exclusion of all else. He had plans for them and knew in his gut that she wasn’t involved with another man. Otherwise he would have to come up with another idea, but nothing had the appeal of the one he had his heart set on.

“Would you like a ride to the airport? I have an errand to run anyway.”

Nothing she’d said could have made him happier. He still wanted to talk to her. “I’d appreciate it.”

“I’ll just ring Giorgos to let him know my agenda.”

“That name isn’t familiar to me. What happened to the other manager Nassos relied on in the past?”

“Yannis? He had to retire because his knee operations didn’t work out well. He was hard to replace.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Is Giorgos a good manager?”

“Six months ago Nassos hired him as a favor for a close friend, but he had one reservation.”

“What was that?”

“He was recently divorced, but he decided to give him a chance.”

“Why would that matter?”

“I asked Nassos the same thing. He said it was just a feeling he had that Giorgos might not be able to concentrate on the job, but only time would tell. After the letter Nassos left for me revealing his torment over divorcing Danae, I suppose his concerns about Giorgos made sense. The man moved here from Athens, where he’d been a hotel manager with an excellent reference.”

Interesting. “How do you like him so far?”

“I think he’s very good at what he does.”

“But?”

“I can tell he’s lonely.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Whenever I start to leave the office, he wants to talk for a while.”

Takis struggled not to smile. “Is he attractive?”

“So-so.”

“Does he have children?”

“No.”

“How old is he?”

“Thirtyish I believe.”

A dangerous age. Giorgos must have thought he’d died and arrived in the elysian fields when he discovered Lys on the premises.

While she made the phone call, the proposition he intended to put to her had grown legs.