Читать книгу Cherish Collection January 2014 (Books 1-12) - Rebecca Winters - Страница 31

CHAPTER FOUR

AFTER A FEW minutes of enforced solitude, Stephanie could feel the yacht moving. Good heavens! Nikos had really meant it. They were leaving the port and she was his prisoner! It certainly wasn’t because he was enamored of her. She’d changed physically since they’d been together, making her less attractive.

His looks had altered, too, but in his case the weight loss and dark brooding behavior didn’t detract from his virulent male charisma. If anything, those changes made him even more appealing, if that was at all possible.

By now she’d passed the stage where she still believed she was having a nightmare. Rage and bewilderment had been warring inside her, but her greatest need at the moment was for food, so she wouldn’t throw up again. No matter what was going to happen, she needed to take care of herself and her baby.

Taking him at his word, she walked to the galley. He’d stocked his fridge well in a kitchen that rivaled that of even the most rich and famous yacht owners. Anything she could want was here. But after she’d eaten, she started going crazy with nothing to do, and decided to go up to the top of the stairs for some fresh air.

To her dismay the tough-looking seaman, Yannis, probably in his sixties, barred her way. “Go back down, Ms. Walsh,” he told her in a heavily accented voice.

“Just let me stand here for a little while and breathe some fresh air.” There was no sign of her baby’s father. The sun had fallen below the horizon.

“Nikos doesn’t want you up here until we’re out on open water. It’s for your safety. I promised him that I would take care of you.”

There’d be no point in begging his guard dog to let her walk around on deck. “All right.” She turned around and went back to the dimly lit passage below, and finally Nikos’s bedroom. Stephanie couldn’t believe this was the same man she’d fallen madly in love with.

Since he wasn’t working at Vassalos Shipping right now, what was he doing on this yacht? Needing to figure out why he was being so cruel and secretive, she opened his closet, but all she found were casual clothes. Nothing that told her anything. The clothes in the dresser didn’t reveal anything, either.

Needing answers, she left the bedroom and went along the passageway to the next door, on the left. It was another bedroom, with a queen-size bed and its own bathroom.

She tried the next door, but it was locked. Maybe it was the bedroom of the man who was crewing for Nikos. Stephanie’s gaze darted to the lounge across from it. One end contained a couch, table and chairs, and an entertainment center. The other end had been made into a den, equipped with a computer and everything that went with it.

After checking out his desk, she came across sets of maps and charts with Greek words she couldn’t read. Stephanie was afraid she’d be caught snooping and it would intensify his anger. Quickly, she put them back in the drawers and hurried down the corridor to his bedroom.

Once she’d shut the door, she leaned against it with a pounding heart while her mind tried to make sense of what he was doing on the yacht. When she’d calmed down, she was so exhausted she stretched out on the bed. In case he came to check up on her, he would think she’d been sleeping instead of exploring the yacht without his permission.

Emotionally spent, she closed her eyes for a minute, trying desperately to put all the disjointed pieces together. The man at the reception desk had told her Kyrie Vassalos was out of the country and wouldn’t be back in the foreseeable future. It was a blatant lie, since Nikos had obviously been living on this yacht for some time. Why?

Stephanie racked her brain for answers until she knew nothing else. When she next became aware of her surroundings, the yacht was still moving. To her surprise Nikos had thrown a blanket over her. How long had she slept? Her watch said it was 11:00 p.m., Greek time.

When she rolled over to get up, she realized he’d removed her sandals. At the end of the bed she saw her suitcase. That meant he’d already sailed to Chios, and had no doubt taken care of her hotel bill.

She started to tremble. No one in the world knew where she was right now. No one would be looking for her yet. Stephanie was being held against her will in the middle of the Aegean Sea by a man she didn’t begin to know.

After slipping on her sandals, she left the bedroom and walked down the hall to the stairs. No one met her at the top. She walked to the railing and looked all around. Night had descended. In the distance she could see lights twinkling from land far away. Though the sight was beautiful, she shivered to think she’d been so foolish as to climb aboard the boat of a perfect stranger. In Greek waters, no less...

Didn’t Greek mythology tell of Pandora, the first woman on earth? Zeus had given her a beautiful container with instructions not to open it under any circumstances. But her curiosity had prevailed and she did open it, letting out all the evil held inside. For what she’d done, she’d feared Zeus’s wrath.

Another shudder rocked Stephanie’s body. Today she’d opened that container, knowing she shouldn’t have. The action had seemed so small at the time. But what she’d done, in order to find the father of her baby, had turned out to have severe and far-reaching consequences for her, inciting Nikos’s wrath.

“You’re not supposed to be up here.”

At the sound of Nikos’s deep voice, a cry escaped her lips and she spun around. The warm night breeze flattened the T-shirt against his well-defined chest, ruffling his black wavy hair. Despite his hostility, his male beauty captivated her.

“I was looking for you.”

“It’s dangerous to walk around at this time of night. You’re lucky I didn’t set the wireless security system yet, or you would have received the fright of your life by the noise.”

Her hand clutched the railing. “I’m used to being on boats,” she said defensively.

His lips tightened into a thin line. “Go back down. Now.”

Nikos’s mood was too dark and ominous for her to dare defy him. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and walked back to the stairs, which she descended. She felt him following her, all the way to the bedroom.

After he came inside, she looked at him. “Was the alarm set this afternoon while I was waiting to talk to a crew member?”

“Yes, even if that part of the marina is Vassalos private property. There are some people who will trespass no matter what.”

She lifted a hand to her throat. She’d considered going on board, but had held back, thank goodness. “You mean all those other boats belong to your company?”

“That’s right.” His chiseled features stood out in stark relief. “I must admit I’m surprised you didn’t step on the Diomedes without permission. When we were together on Providenciales, I noticed what an adventurous person you were, unafraid to explore the depths where the others held back. I guess it doesn’t really surprise me you would show such tenacity in trying to find me, regardless of the consequences.”

Her softly rounded chin lifted. “That’s because I was on a sacred mission.”

“Sacred?” he queried silkily. “What an interesting choice of words.”

Salty tears stung her eyelids. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

Stephanie shook her head. “You’ll only mock me, so there’s no point.”

“You’re trying my patience, what little I have left,” he said, his voice grating. He lounged against the closed door. The stance looked familiar, but she had an idea he needed the support. Stephanie wished she didn’t care about his condition, but the signs of his suffering, both physical and emotional, had gotten to her. “I’m waiting.”

“When we were in the Caribbean, you asked me about my father. I told you he and my mother never married and she raised me alone. But I never went into the details.”

“Why was that?”

She sank down on the side of the bed. “Because it’s such a painful subject for me to talk about, and because I barely knew you. Eventually I would have told you everything, but we ran out of time.” Her voice shook.

His jaw hardened. “That must have been a shock to your carefully laid plans.”

“I didn’t have any plans, Nikos. I don’t know why you won’t believe me. You say you want answers, so I’m trying to give them to you. Mom met my father on a winter skiing holiday in Colorado. They spent a glorious week together before he said he had to leave, but would fly to Crystal River to see her.

“She worked in hospital administration. He could have found her at any time, but he never called or looked her up. Mom had her pride and waited in vain for him to get in touch with her.”

Nikos eyed Stephanie skeptically. “If she knew where he lived, why didn’t she seek him out?”

“By the time I was born, she was so ashamed of what she’d done, she made up her mind that I would never know his name or where I could find him. She felt he didn’t deserve to know he was a father. I was put in day care and she raised me with the help of my grandparents until they passed on.”

Struggling with the rest, Stephanie sprang to her feet. “Since you left me at the resort, I have a crystal-clear understanding of what my mother went through and why she was so shattered. But she forgot one thing. She didn’t realize how important it was for me to know who my father was, if only to see him once and understand my own genes, to gain more of an identity.”

Stephanie heard Nikos take an extra breath in reaction.

“Mother robbed me of that. It’s the only thing in our lives that caused pain between us. I loved her. Though she was the best mom in the world, I had a hard time forgiving her for that. However, I finally have. Still, her omission has left scars, because I’m my father’s flesh and blood, too. When she died, her secret died with her, leaving me in agony and always wondering about him.

“Do I have grandparents who are still alive? A half brother or sister? Does my father like doing the things I like? Do I look like him? Those are questions for which I have no answers. Unfortunately, I’ll never be given them.”

She clutched her arms to her waist. “Such is the story of the Walsh mother and daughter. We were both open to a good time, until it was over. I can’t believe I’ve repeated my mother’s history, but they say experience is the best teacher.”

Stephanie threw her head back. “How I’ve learned! I had to believe it when the doctor told me I was pregnant. He said a good condom hardly ever fails, but it can slip. That’s probably what happened with us.”

By now Niko’s countenance had grown dark and lined.

“Believe it or not, my very first thought when I learned of my pregnancy wasn’t about you or money, but about the life we’d created. I felt all the joy of being told I was going to be a mother, and I loved my baby instantly.

“But I have to tell you, I damned myself and you for the weakness that caused us to reach out for pleasure without marriage or commitment of any kind, without really knowing the most basic things about each other. We were both incredibly selfish, Nikos.”

“You’re right,” he admitted, with what sounded like self-loathing.

“In hindsight I realize I don’t hate you for what you did, leaving without a personal goodbye. I took a risk with you. We were equal partners in doing what we did. That’s why I did everything I could to find you and let you know you’re going to be a father. To not tell you would be an even more selfish act.

“I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t admit that I wanted to be with you the moment we met in the Caribbean, and I made no secret about it. That time was beautiful beyond belief and something I will always treasure. It’s the reason I don’t want to make something ugly out of something that was sacred to me at the time, even if it was illicit. I still don’t know if you have a wife or other children.”

“I don’t,” he whispered in a bleak tone.

“If that’s the truth, then I’m glad I don’t have to carry that burden, too. You’ve accused me of coming after you because of the great Vassalos fortune. Let me say now that I wouldn’t ask for money or take it under any circumstances. What we had together wasn’t love. It couldn’t have been, since it was based on a lie.”

At her comment his features hardened.

“You owe me nothing, Nikos, but you have the right to know we’re going to have a child. When the baby’s born, I plan to give it the last name of Walsh. But I did want to be able to tell our daughter or son your true name—that it wasn’t Dev Harris, and that you come from a fine established family from Egnoussa, Greece, and not New York.

“That’s why I did everything possible to find you and learn your true identity. I realize I’ve gone where angels fear to tread, even to trying to find out about you from someone working on your yacht. But I’ve done it for our child, who doesn’t deserve such selfish parents.”

“It’s very noble of you to take on partial blame.” But his mocking tone robbed the sentiment of any meaning.

“Once you let me off this luxury vessel, I’m going back to Crystal River, knowing I’ve done my best for my baby. One day, when our child asks about you, I’ll tell him or her all I know and learned about you during those ten days we spent together. They were the happiest days of my whole life.

“It will help satisfy our child’s great need to know about his or her beginnings. Every human born wants to know who they are and where they come from. Were they wanted? I want our child to know he or she was wanted from the second I found out that I was pregnant. Once grown, it will be up to him or her if you meet. I’ll play no part in it.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom again. After I’ve gotten ready for bed, where do you want me to sleep?”

“Your bedroom is the next one down the hallway, on the left. I’ll show you. You can freshen up in your own bathroom.”

He picked up her suitcase and took it to the guest bedroom she’d looked in before. “Get a good night’s sleep. It appears you need it,” he muttered. The unflattering observation shook her to the foundations.

* * *

Nikos had told Yannis to drop anchor off Oinoussa Island for the night. Afraid to go below and fall asleep, where he might have one of his flashbacks and Stephanie would hear him, he opted for a lounger beneath the stars, and covered himself with a light blanket.

All was quiet except for the frantic pounding of his heart at every pulse point of his body.

For the rest of the hours before dawn he lay there in torment, going over their conversation in his mind.

Even if he’d used her while on vacation, Stephanie had claimed she wanted him to know in person that he was going to be a father. At the heartbreaking story of having all knowledge of her own father kept from her, Nikos had been moved beyond words.

To go to so much trouble and expense to find Dev Harris—to risk her health in the process—led him to believe she must be telling him the truth. Otherwise she would have sought out the other man she’d been with, if there was another man.

But if she’d been with another man before Nikos, no one had proof of paternity. Only a blood test after the baby was born would prove it. Any earlier attempt would be a risk to the unborn baby and possibly cause a miscarriage. He didn’t dare insist on it. Much as he wanted to believe he was the father, and that her true reason for coming to Greece was to inform him of the fact, he was still riddled with doubts.

Nikos closed his eyes tightly. When Kon had been confronted with a similar situation, before they’d gone into the military, he’d believed the nineteen-year-old girl who’d told him she was pregnant. Kon had gotten in over his head with an attractive French girl he’d met on vacation in Corsica, but before returning home, he realized he wasn’t in love, and had ended it with her while they were still together.

To his chagrin, she’d showed up a month later with a positive result on a home pregnancy test, claiming he was the father. She was terrified of having her parents find out. What should she do?

Kon was an honorable man and had been willing to take responsibility, so they got married privately at the local church, where Nikos stood as one of the witnesses. His parents accepted her into the family and they’d lived with them until Kon could afford to find a place for them to live on their own.

But two months later his friend realized she’d lied to him and there was no baby. He got medical proof from the doctor at the hospital. She was forced to admit she’d made up the fabrication because she loved him and didn’t want to lose him. If he thought they were going to have a baby, then they could get married. As it turned out her plan had worked...for a while.

Betrayed to the point he couldn’t look at her anymore, he divorced her and put the whole ghastly affair behind him. But there’d been a heavy emotional price to pay, and the divorce had cost him a great deal of money, which Nikos insisted on funding from his own savings account. It was the least he could do for his friend.

After the agony Nikos had seen Kon go through when he’d realized he’d been deceived, the possibility that Stephanie was lying, too, gutted him. He didn’t honestly know what to believe.

Short of making love to Stephanie to learn if she was truly pregnant, which wasn’t a viable option for too many reasons to consider right now, he could phone her doctor. Yet somehow that idea was repugnant to him.

The only sure thing to do was wait for physical signs of her pregnancy. In order to do that, he would have to keep her close for the time being.

When Nikos thought back to their first meeting, he recalled he’d been the aggressor. Unlike her friends, who worked at a local hotel in Crystal River, Stephanie had done nothing to come on to him. While they’d flirted with him, she’d kept her distance and been totally serious about diving.

It turned out they didn’t have her skills and snorkeled only part of each day. Oftentimes they preferred to laze on the beach and go shopping in town. Not Stephanie. Quite the opposite, in fact, which was why he’d asked her if she’d be willing to be his diving partner for the duration. He’d felt her reluctance when she’d said yes, but it was obvious she loved the sport and couldn’t go diving without a partner.

Scuba diving wasn’t for everyone, but she was a natural. Together they’d experienced the euphoria of discovering the underwater world. Besides her beauty, there was an instant connection between them as they’d signaled each other to look at the wonders exploding with color and life around each gully and crevice.

When they’d had to surface, he hadn’t wanted it to end, and had asked her to eat dinner with him. She’d turned down his first invitation, but the second time she’d agreed. That’s when he’d learned she’d grown up along Florida’s Nature Coast. She’d learned to scuba dive early with her mother. After college she’d gone to work for a water tour company that took tourists scalloping and swimming with the manatees. It explained her prowess beneath the waves.

If he was truly the only man she’d been with, then her news represented a miracle. Nikos was sterile now, the hope of ever having a child from his own body having gone up in flames during the explosion.

Yet he could feel no joy if she’d set him up—no elation that a deceitful woman would be the mother of his child. If indeed he was the father...

But what if you are, Vassalos?

Think about it.

Your own flesh and blood could be growing inside Stephanie. The only son or daughter you’ll ever have.

More thoughts bombarded him.

After his last mission he’d hoped to resign his commission and go after her, marry her. What if she truly was innocent of every charge, and he’d totally misread the situation? If that was the case, then one misstep on his part could hurt her emotionally and damage any chance at real happiness, with their baby on the way.

He got up from the lounger and walked over to the railing, watching the moonlight on the water. His training as a SEAL had taught him that you had to set up your perimeter and have everything in place before you mounted an assault. This time Stephanie was the target. Unfortunately, after leaving her behind, he’d unwittingly planted an almost impenetrable field of land mines and booby traps that would destroy him if he wasn’t careful.

If his suspicions about her were correct—that she’d calculated every move since meeting him at the resort, in order to trap him—it meant maneuvering through them with surgical precision while he waited to see if she was pregnant, then awaited the DNA results.

How would he begin making it up to her if he was wrong?

In retrospect, Nikos realized he’d accused her of duplicity, when he’d been the one who’d committed a multiple number of sins. Not only had he forsaken her on the island without giving her an honest explanation, he hadn’t tried to reach her during his stay in the hospital.

The moment his father had handed him those snapshots, Nikos had been carried away by his own suspicions that she was after his money and the lifestyle he could provide her. His anger had quickly turned to white-hot pain at the thought she’d been only using him during that time on vacation. In retaliation, he’d treated her abominably.

Nikos let out a groan. Was he turning into his father? A man who’d believed the worst about the wife who loved him, because of a rumor? Whose doubts and suspicions had turned him into an impossible man to live with, catching Nikos in the crossfire?

Stephanie’s words still rang in his ears. What we had together wasn’t love.

But what if it had been love on her part, and it was only her anger talking now? Otherwise why would she have gone through all she’d done to find him?

He owed it to both of them to discover the truth. Otherwise he might be dooming himself to repeat his father’s history. Until Nikos had proof, he decided he would believe her story, because his entire happiness could depend on it.

By the time the sun had risen above the horizon, he’d made his plans. The first thing he’d do was shower, then fix breakfast for the two of them. Or the three...

* * *

A knock on her bedroom door brought Stephanie awake. It was ten after eight. She’d slept soundly, likely because of the gentle rocking of the yacht. But it didn’t feel as if they were moving now.

“Yes?”

“Your breakfast is waiting for you in the lounge down the hall, whenever you’re ready.”

She blinked. “Nikos?”

“Of course.”

There was no “of course” about it. Last night he’d told her to fix her own food. This morning it seemed he’d decided to be more civil. That was a good sign, since she needed to go home today, and couldn’t without his cooperation.

“Thank you. I’ll be right there.”

She took all her pills with a cup of water she’d put by the bed, and then got out from under the covers. Once in the bathroom she showered quickly, then brushed her hair and left it loose. A little blusher and lipstick and she felt ready to face Nikos.

Stephanie hadn’t packed a lot. She’d brought extra undergarments and a smoky-blue knit top she wore loose over her khaki pants, which were uncomfortable now. She needed to buy some maternity clothes the moment she got back to Florida.

In spite of the fact that she would have to go through the entire pregnancy alone, she was looking forward to it. Having found the baby’s father, and knowing his real identity, she felt a bit more lighthearted. Soon she’d start getting a nursery ready, and couldn’t wait.

After putting on her sandals, she left the bedroom and moved across the hall to the lounge, where she found Nikos at the table, waiting for her. He stood up when she walked in. She detected the scent of the soap he’d used in the shower. Her senses responded to it, though she tried to ignore them.

“It looks like you’ve made a fabulous breakfast.” He’d fixed coffee, too, but so far she hadn’t been able to tolerate it. “We could have eaten in the galley and saved you the extra trouble.”

“True, but you’re a guest, so I thought this might be more enjoyable.”

“For a prisoner who has to stay below deck, you mean,” she muttered.

He ignored her comment. “Let’s hope there’s something here that you can keep down.” He helped her into a chair before he sat opposite her at the rectangular table.

“Those rolls and fruit look good.” So did he.... This morning he was freshly shaved and wearing a white crew neck shirt with jeans. It was sinful how handsome he was!

While he ate eggs and a roll, his jet-black eyes played over her several times. “Your hair is a little longer.”

“So’s yours.” But she refused to tell him how much she liked it.

He appeared to drink his coffee with pleasure. “What did your doctor tell you about swimming and scuba diving in your condition?”

The question was totally unexpected. “I can do some limited swimming, but diving during pregnancy increases the risk to the fetus, so I’m not taking any chances. Why do you ask?”

One black brow lifted. “Your job. Now that you’re pregnant, the kind of work you do swimming with the manatees will have to be curtailed.”

She munched on a banana. “I realize that and plan to discuss it with my boss when I get back. Which raises the question of when you’re going to take me to Chios so I can get a flight home.”

“That all depends.” He bit into a juicy plum.

Stephanie fought to remain cool-headed. “On what?”

He finished it, then lounged back in the chair, eyeing her for a long moment. “I have a proposition for you.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Surely after all the trouble you took to find me, can’t you admit you’re a little curious?”

“That curiosity died when I didn’t find Dev. You’re the dark side of him, a complete stranger to me with your lies and secrets. I have no desire to listen to anything you have to say, except to hear that you’ll let me go.”

“Be that as it may, you’ve convinced me you were an innocent tourist on vacation in the Caribbean. I take full responsibility for finding you attractive and pursuing you. Since you’re pregnant, it’s only right that I take care of you and the baby you’re carrying.”

For him to say that to her now... Pain ripped her apart. “For the last time, I don’t want your money, just my freedom.”

His eyes narrowed on her features. “You can have it in time if it’s what you want. That’s what divorces are for.”

Shaken by his words, she sprang from the chair. “What are you talking about?”

“Our marriage, of course. You came all the way from Florida to let me know I’m going to be a father. But that’s not all I want. I want my name on the birth certificate along with yours. To a Greek male, it means everything.”

“Since when?” she blurted.

“Since learning that you’ve known nothing about your own father—not even his name. I can see how devastating that has been for you, which makes it more vital than ever that the baby growing inside you has my name so it can take its rightful place in the world.”

Stephanie reeled in place, clinging to the back of the chair. “You don’t want to marry me.” Her tremulous words reverberated in the lounge.

Now Nikos was on his feet. “On the contrary. It’s all I thought about during the night.”

“Why?” she cried in torment.

“Because this baby is already precious to me.”

Her anger flared. “Last night you questioned if it was even yours.”

“Last night I was in denial that a miracle had happened.”

She shook her head. “What do you mean?”

“A lot has occurred since we last saw each other.” He didn’t need to tell her that. Her whole world had been turned upside down. “I was in a boating accident that landed me in the hospital with a spinal injury.”

Stephanie bit her lip, pained by the news. “I knew something was wrong,” she whispered. “Sometimes you’re a little unsteady. I noticed it wh-when you were holding me.”

“Nothing gets past you, does it? Your unexpected presence on the Diomedes gave me away. Fortunately, I’m getting stronger every day and use the cane only when I’m tired. But I’m not the man I once was and never will be. Furthermore, the accident had certain repercussions I can’t do anything about.”

Her mouth went dry. She was almost afraid to hear. “What are they?”

“For one thing, my injury left me sterile.”

Sterile?

A slight gasp escaped her lips, for she knew that kind of news had to be soul wrenching to a man. “Surely it’s only a temporary setback?”

“No.” His eyes again narrowed to slits. “It’s permanent.” The throb in his voice carried its own haunting tale.

Stephanie pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle her cry. “I’m so sorry, Nikos. I hardly know what to say.”

“Perhaps now you understand why your coming here to tell me you’re pregnant, at the very moment I’ve been dealing with my news, made me go out of my head for a little while. After having to give up all hope of having my own child, I suppose I was afraid to believe you were telling me the truth.”

Stephanie’s lungs tightened while she tried to absorb the revelation. “What was the other repercussion?” She feared it was going to be horrible, too.

“My best friend died in the accident.”

“Kon Gregerov?”

Nikos nodded gravely.

“Oh, no...” She couldn’t hold back the tears. They rolled down her cheeks. He’d mentioned his friend several times while they’d been diving. He’d told her they were closer than he was to his own brother. They’d grown up together and would have done anything for each other.

After such trauma, was it any wonder he’d changed so completely in every way? Other than anger over what life had dealt him, Nikos had to feel dead inside. If their positions were reversed, Stephanie knew her life would look black to her.

“Now that you’ve heard the truth from me, here’s my proposition. I want to marry you as soon as possible, and we’ll live here. It will mean having to give up your job. You can either sell or rent your condo, and put your car and furnishings in storage for the time being.

“It’s the only way I can protect you and the baby. But it wouldn’t have been fair to you if I hadn’t told you I can’t give you more children. Millions of other men can. You need to think about that very carefully before you commit yourself legally to me.”

Stephanie was thinking. It was a shock that she was going to have a baby at all. Right now she couldn’t contemplate having more children. Though she knew Nikos wasn’t in love with her, she had proof he’d been deadly honest with her just now. Knowing the only child he would ever have was on the way might give him a reason to go on living.

But there was a part of him that didn’t know if he was the father or not. And she had concerns, too, if a marriage between them was going to take place. She knew so little about him.

“Nikos?” She wiped the moisture off her face. “What is it you do for a living?”

He put his hands in his back pockets. “I used to work for the family shipping business. Now I’m in the process of starting up something new with Kon’s elder brother. It’s a project we used to talk about a lot.”

“What’s his name?”

“Tassos. He’s a good friend, too, and married, with a child.”

“Does it have to do with shipping?”

“No. We’re planning to drill for natural gas in this part of the Aegean.”

She knew Nikos was extraordinary, but to consider such an undertaking meant he was a man with vision. It took away her fear that he may have lost interest in everything, including life. To know he was working on something so vital for his own well-being, not to mention his country, thrilled her. Suddenly all those maps and charts she’d seen in the desk made sense.

“You don’t need to worry that I can’t take care of you,” he said mockingly.

“Don’t be absurd. The thought never crossed my mind. Nikos? Have you ever been married?”

A caustic laugh escaped. “No, although my family has had a girl picked out for me for years now.”

Someone he loved? “You mean a beautiful, well-heeled Greek woman of a good family from your social class. Until I showed up yesterday, were you planning to marry her?”

“No. Natasa wants children. That’s the one thing I can’t give her.”

But he’s given one to me, his only one. Stephanie’s heart rejoiced, despite the fact she knew he wasn’t in love with her.

“When the news gets out that you and I are married, she’ll have to move on,” he muttered.

Nikos hadn’t answered her question, but it didn’t matter. Having another woman waiting at home, approved of by his family, explained why he’d never made a commitment to Stephanie on the island. She had enough charity in her heart to feel sorry for Natasa. Nikos was a prize who stood out from every male she’d ever met.

“If I were to agree to marry you, I wouldn’t want a big wedding, Nikos.”

“That’s one area we fully agree on. We’ll have it take place in private, with only Yannis and the Gregerov family as witnesses.”

Alarmed, she turned to him. “Not even your parents?”

“Especially not them.” Stephanie cringed, there was so much heat behind his declaration. “My father and I have been at odds for a long time.”

“Your mother, too?”

“Let’s just say she’s loyal to my father and takes his part in most everything, to keep things civil.”

That’s why Nikos had never spoken of them on vacation. What could have happened to cause such a breach? “I’m sorry.”

He eyed her soulfully. “No more sorry than I am for you to have lived with the hurt your mother inflicted, even if she did it for what she believed were the right reasons. My father justifies his decisions in the same way, without considering the damage. You and I share a common bond in that regard.”

A world of hurt laced his words.

“After we’re married, we’ll drop by the house for a visit and tell them. They’ll come around after the baby’s born. My parents want grandchildren.”

Stephanie eyed him carefully. “Do they know that the accident made you s-sterile?” she stammered.

Frown lines marred his face. “No. To them, children are everything. I don’t ever want them to know.”

She could understand that. If his family pitied him, he’d never be able to handle it. Stephanie was coming to find out what a private person he was. “Have you considered how they’ll feel about me when we’re introduced? I’m afraid they’ll never see a pregnant American woman from a single family, with no father in the picture, as worthy to be your wife.”

His features hardened. “You’re carrying a Vassalos inside your body. That makes you the worthiest of all.”

Her baby was a Walsh, too, but Nikos had his pride, and right now she knew he was clinging to that one bright hope. More than ever Stephanie realized he was planning on the baby being his. Otherwise there’d be no visit to his family, and her marriage to Nikos would be dissolved.

In order to put him out of his pain, she could swear on the Bible that he was the father, so he’d be reassured, but it would do no good. He needed proof.

Last night he’d told her to go below. She’d thought he was just being mean-spirited, because he was angry. But hearing about the boating accident that had cost his friend his life made her realize Nikos was being protective.

He’d been that way with her scuba diving, always watching out for her. It was his nature. She’d found that trait in him particularly reassuring and remarkable, but she still had reservations about marrying him.

“Earlier you mentioned divorce.”

“That’s because we don’t know what the future will bring after the baby is born.”

“You mean you might not want to live with me anymore, under the same roof.”

He cocked his head. “As I recall, you were the one who said that what we had on vacation wasn’t love. I’m just trying to cover every contingency so there won’t be any more surprises. I’d say we’ve both had enough of them since we met in the Caribbean, and need to lay the groundwork if this is going to work.”

Pragmatic was the operative word. She could hardly breathe. “Where would we live?”

“Because of my work with Tassos, I prefer the yacht for the time being. We’ll dock at various ports so you can go ashore and explore. A little later on I’ll buy us a villa on Oinoussa Island, near the Gregerov’s, where you can set up a nursery. Tassos’s wife, Elianna, and his younger sister, Ariadne, both had babies recently and speak excellent English. They’re warm and friendly. You’ll like them.”

“I’m sure they’re very nice.”

The problem was, Stephanie didn’t speak any Greek. Yesterday she hadn’t known if Dev was even in Egnoussa. Last evening he’d turned into Nikos Vassalos; today he was talking marriage to her. But he wasn’t the man she’d fallen headlong in love with on vacation. That time with Dev could never be recaptured, and she found herself grieving all over again.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have the luxury of shedding more tears. For the sake of their child, it was Nikos, not Dev, who’d proposed to her, in order to give their baby a legitimate name and legacy.

“Any more questions?”

“I’m sure more will come up, but right now I can’t think of any.” She clutched the chair railing. “Is there anything else important you haven’t confided to me?”

He rubbed the side of his jaw. “Yes. If you agree to marry me, then I’ll tell you the rest. But if you would prefer that I set you up on Oinoussa as my pillow friend and a kept woman, so I have access to you when the baby comes, then there’s nothing more you need to know.”

She’d heard the Greek phrase “pillow friend” before. A woman with no claim to the man who provided for her until he tired of her and sent her away. Stephanie couldn’t imagine anything so awful.

“It’s either one or the other, Stephanie, because under no circumstances will I let you leave Greece now.”

Nikos meant it with every breath of his body. As he’d told her earlier, this baby was doubly precious to him now.

How bizarre that she was hesitating, when she’d come to Greece to find her baby’s father and do the right thing for her child. But nothing had gone the way she’d envisioned it. Theirs would be a marriage without love.

“When do you plan for us to be married?”

“Tomorrow.”

So soon! “Isn’t there a waiting period?”

“Not with my contacts.”

Naturally, Nikos knew someone in high places who could move mountains. Of course he did! Stephanie didn’t doubt he could make anything happen, if he wanted it enough. “Where will ours take place?”

“At the small church on Oinoussa, with Father Kerykes, the village priest. He performed Kon’s marriage. The man can keep a confidence and be trusted to honor my wishes.”

Stephanie moistened her lips nervously. At least they would exchange vows in a holy place.

“What’s it going to be, Stephanie?”

As a marriage proposal, it lacked all the passion and romance of her dreams. Without looking at him, she said, “For our child’s sake, I want to marry you to give it your name.”

“In that case, follow me. I have something to show you.”

He left the lounge and walked across the corridor to the locked door, which he opened with a key. It was another bedroom, with two twin beds. “You’re welcome to look in the closet.”

What on earth?

Stephanie stepped past him and opened the double doors. On one side she discovered two military dress uniforms hanging, one was white, the other navy blue with gold buttons and braid. Next to them was a pair of crutches.

When she glanced on the other side, she was startled to discover half a dozen rifles and a special black scuba diving suit, along with a ton of very official looking gear that would be used by someone in the military.

She turned slowly and sought his gaze. “This equipment belongs to you. What does it mean? I thought you worked for your family’s company.”

“I did until I was twenty-two. By then Kon was divorced and we decided to join the Greek navy, much to my father’s chagrin. We were in for ten years, but for the last five we’ve been Navy SEALs doing covert operations for our government.”

That’s why he was such an expert scuba diver.... All those years, Nikos had been fighting for his country. So far every minute she’d spent with him since she’d flown here provided one revelation after another.

“While I was on vacation with you, our unit got called up to do another highly classified mission. Since I can never use my own identity when I travel, and had to leave immediately, the note I left you was the best I could do.”

The memory of that note flashed through her mind. Unfortunately, I’ve had to leave the island because of an emergency at my work that couldn’t be handled by anyone else. Stephanie was so stunned, she sank down on one of the beds for support.

“Two days later the enemy ambushed our underwater demolition team. They bombed out of the water the fishing vessel we were using for surveillance. After it was detonated, I saw one of them swim away, before I could warn everyone. Kon died in the explosion. I was knocked unconscious and would have died if I hadn’t been picked up and flown to the hospital.”

“Nikos—”

“At first I was told the injury to my spine meant I’d be paralyzed from the waist down, but slowly feeling came back to my limbs.”

“Thank heaven,” she whispered in a trembling voice.

“The explosion should have taken me out, too!” His own voice shook with despair.

“But it didn’t, and you have to believe there was a reason you survived.”

His grim expression devastated her. “If you can make me believe that, then you’re a saint.”

Anger swept through her. “Kon didn’t leave a child behind, but you did! Think about the fact that you’re not paralyzed. Otherwise your child would grow up knowing you only in a wheelchair.”

He bit out a Greek epithet before he murmured, “It turned out I’d been deeply bruised, but I could walk.”

“You’re one of the lucky vets, Nikos, and it’s going to mean the world to your child that you continue to get better and stronger. Are you seeing a doctor regularly?”

“Yes,” he whispered.

“What about exercise?”

“Among his many jobs, Yannis helps me do mine up on deck.”

“I can help you with them, too.”

“That won’t be necessary, but since you’re going to be my wife, I wanted you to know about my past. Now we don’t ever have to speak of it again.”

Nikos closed the closet doors and pulled her cell phone from his pocket. “Before we make any plans, you need to talk to your boss and tell him you can’t work for him anymore.” He handed it to her. “While you do that, I’ll be in the galley. Come and find me after you’ve talked to him. If I’m not there, I’ll be in the lounge.”

With her heart thudding, she got to her feet. “Nikos?”

He paused in the doorway, darting her a piercing glance. “What is it?”

With that intimidating look, the question she would have asked him never made it past her lips. In fact, she already did have the answer to what would have happened to them if he hadn’t had to leave the island to go on a covert operation.

Nothing would have been different. Like her father, when he’d left her mother, Nikos would have said goodbye to Stephanie, telling her the lie that he’d see her again, and that would have been the end of it.

Until his accident, Nikos’s future had been tied up with another woman. As he’d told Stephanie a little while ago, Natasa wanted children....