“In what way?”
She had his attention at last. “How you throw a ball, and some of the sounds you make while you’re teasing each other. If you’re afraid he doesn’t look like you, that’s the least of your worries. A lot of people don’t resemble their parents. But take it from me. I know a good-looking man when I see one, and he’s already a heartthrob.”
Just like you.
Andreas sat back, staring at her through narrowed lids. “You always manage to say the right thing. Thank heaven for you. If you’re not sick of me yet, would you consider taking a little trip with me after we get back to Patras?”
It was a good thing he wasn’t sitting next to her. His question caused a sudden surge of adrenaline igniting her body he would surely have felt. “Is it for your work?”
“Sometimes I do things for pleasure. I’d like to take you out on my boat overnight. I’ll show you the delights of the gulf and beyond. It’s home to the striped and common dolphins, a treat you’ll enjoy. We’ll do some swimming and snorkeling. Anything we want. How does that sound?”
Too good to be true. “Can you take that time away from the office?”
A frown marred his striking features. “Is that your way of saying you’d rather not come with me?”
“Andreas—” She sat forward, gripping the sides of the chair. “I’m trying to be considerate when you have so many calls on your time.”
“Then I’ll ask you again and would like a simple answer.”
He really was in a mood. “Yes. I’d love to go.”
“That’s all I needed to hear. We’ll eat lunch on the plane. When we get back to Patras, I have to go into the office, but only for a few hours.”
“I thought so.”
“I promise I won’t be long. After I come by for you, we’ll pick up some groceries and drive to the port. I’m a pretty good cook.”
“That sounds exciting. But if we’re going to be on the water, then we’ll share the meal making. Can we fish?”
“I know spots to find red snapper and cod with my spinning rod.”
“Fabulous. We’ll eat what we catch. I wish we were there already.”
“I’m way ahead of you.”
CHAPTER SIX
“YOU CALL THIS a boat?” A light sea breeze tousled Zoe’s dark blond hair as her gaze darted everywhere.
Andreas had just given her a tour. “That’s what it is.”
“You’re a master of understatement. This is a sleek, oceangoing, state-of-the-art yacht.”
“It only has two bedrooms.”
She rolled her eyes, more brilliant a blue than the gulf itself. “Plus two bathrooms, a closet, a kitchen with a washer and dryer, and a sitting room with built-in office equipment.”
“Yet it’s small enough I can man it myself. I don’t want a crew.”
“I don’t blame you. When you want to escape, you have a self-contained world that’s all yours. I noticed the name on the side and wish I could read Greek. Will you translate it for me?”
“Amphitrite, goddess of the sea and Poseidon’s wife.”
“I should have known it would be something deliciously Greek.”
Not as delicious as she was. Andreas handed her a life jacket from one of the cubbies on the top deck near the banquette. She put it on over her stunning figure clad in jeans and a white pullover.
“Does Ari love it already?”
“I haven’t brought him out on it.”
“Why not?”
“Lia had a brother who never learned how to swim and drowned years ago. After Ari was born, she made me promise we wouldn’t take him on the Amphitrite until he could swim without a life preserver.”
“I can understand that. How sad for her and her family.”
“I’ve moved him around in the villa pool. When visitation is changed and he’s home with me for whole weeks at a time, I’ll start to have fun in the water with him.”
“He’ll adore it.”
“We’ll see how soon he learns to swim. For this trip I’m looking forward to swimming with you. Come and sit near me.” He’d undone the ropes and was ready to cast off.
She did his bidding. “You don’t know how excited I am. It’s wonderful to be finished with the research project and not worry about anything for a while.”
“I need time off, too.”
“Since knowing you, I’ve seen how hard you work. You have the energy of a dozen men.”
Andreas flashed her a smile. He’d wanted to be with her like this after he’d first met her, but instinct had told him to go slow. When she’d left him so suddenly for Venice, he’d felt too gutted to believe it. But she’d come back! There was no way he was going to let her go again.
“I’d like to reach a certain cove where we can lay anchor and catch some cod for our dinner. They’ll be biting this time of evening.”
Andreas turned the key and eased them out beyond the buoy. The engine ran so quietly, he felt and heard her suck in her breath with pleasure when he opened up the throttle. They flew across the water.
“That dial says the temperature is a fabulous eighty-six degrees! With the gulf so calm, this would be the best possible place to water-ski.” Her enthusiasm for everything enamored him. She loved life and he loved being with her.
Strange how he’d thought his love was strong for Lia before their marriage. But he hadn’t met Zoe then. The speed of his feelings for her had taken him by complete surprise. Her strength of character, her compassion and kindness made her a woman above others. In every atom of his body he knew he wanted to go through life with her.
“I’ll take you tomorrow with dolphins swimming all around you.”
A full smile broke out on her beautiful face. “Now I know I’m dreaming. Please don’t ever let me wake up.”
Not a chance. His exhilaration at being with her was over the top. “I’m in it with you, remember?”
He drove the boat up the coast while she soaked in the scenery. When they came to his favorite spot in a quiet cove, he shut off the motor. Next to an outcropping of rocks was a sandy patch of beach. Andreas was pleased no one else was here and they could be alone.
Zoe let out a squeal of delight and walked over to the side of the boat. After he lowered the anchor, he moved behind her and kissed the back of her neck. That brought her around into his arms where he wanted her. “I can’t wait for this any longer.”
“Andreas—”
He smothered her cry, needing to taste her the way he needed air to breathe. She melted against him, going where he led, giving him kiss for kiss. They both lost track of time and place, trying to satisfy their needs.
When he realized they needed to breathe, he relinquished her luscious mouth. “I could engulf you, Zoe. This life jacket is the only thing saving me from losing complete control.”
With her hands on his chest, she gazed at him with a come-hither smile she couldn’t have been aware of. “But you’re not wearing one.” She slid her hands around his neck and began kissing every part of his face. The touch of her roving lips against his skin spiked his desire. If he’d wanted proof that her hunger matched his, he didn’t need to wait any longer.
A fire had been lit a long time ago. It had been burning steadily beneath the surface, finding an opening here and there to allow bursts of flame to escape and grow. “Will it frighten you if I tell you how much I want you?”
His question caused her to stop kissing him. She looked into his eyes. Her hands slid back to his chest. “I confess that the instant we met, I was strongly attracted to you, too. That has never changed. But it frightens me that the time will come when your ardor for me cools.”
Her honesty caused his body to tauten. He clutched her tighter. “Do you know something I don’t?”
“I’ve gone into this with my eyes wide open, Andreas. Unless yo
u weren’t telling me the truth, I’m the first woman you’ve been with since the moment you told your wife you were divorcing her.”
“Are you saying you doubt me?”
“No. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here now. But it’s common knowledge that divorced people need time to find out who they are. I’ve been single a long time. At this point I know who I am. Unlike you, I’ve had opportunities to meet other men. So far none have been important to me.
“However, you’re still reeling from your separation that only happened recently. You haven’t had enough time to get your feet on the ground.”
That was where she was wrong. “Try nearly twenty-two months. Perhaps I haven’t made it clear that the sexual side of our marriage was never satisfactory. After Lia told me she was pregnant, there was no intimacy between us, not ever again. And now we know why. I’ve had a lot more time to think about the future during my soulless, defunct marriage than you can imagine.”
Zoe averted her eyes. “I didn’t realize that, but it doesn’t change the fact that other women will come into your life while you’re making a home for you and Ari.”
“I’ve been surrounded by beautiful females for years, wherever I’m working.”
“I don’t doubt it, but you know what I meant.”
“Whatever you were insinuating, you’d be wrong. Don’t confuse me with your ex-husband.”
She closed her eyes tightly for a moment. “I promise I’m not, Andreas.”
He believed her. “Tell me something. Where do you think you’re going to be while I’m getting my feet firmly on the ground?”
A tiny nerve throbbed at the base of her creamy throat. “I have a job to return to in California.”
That’s what you think.
Being a foster child had deprived her of a feeling of permanence before she’d been adopted. Add to that, a marriage at a young age with a pilot who was incapable of putting down roots had made her skittish.
Andreas didn’t question why she’d kept herself from getting too close to any man again. Many opportunities had to have been there. The more he thought about it, the more he realized it was a miracle she’d come back to Patras after she’d fled to her friends in Venice. He didn’t care what excuse she’d used for her return. Deep in his soul he knew she hadn’t been able to walk away from him.
“What’s your timeline?”
“I don’t have one, not yet. Right now I’m here with you and loving every minute of it.”
The frank admission, not easily given, sent a new burst of longing to reveal things she still didn’t know, but he had to take it step by step. “I’m glad to hear it. We still have a lot to talk about, but we’ll do it later because I’m getting hungry for dinner.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Me, too.”
“What do you say I put the right lure on the line of your pole and we’ll see what’s out there?”
He led her to the back near the transom where he kept his spinning rods. Andreas opened his large tackle box.
“Good heavens—you have so many different lures, you must fish a lot.”
“I’ve done my share over the years with friends and family. While you inspect them, I’ll go below and bring up a small cooler filled with ice.”
He hurried down the gangway and was back in a minute. “Have you found one you like?”
“This black one with the pink spots speaks to me.”
“I’m afraid that little beauty won’t catch cod, maybe a sea bass. But they don’t hang out here.”
“So which of these has the magic?”
“We’ll try this one.” He reached for the orange eel jig and fastened it to the line. “If I put on a bullet weight, it’ll sink to the right depth. After you cast and start to reel in, the eel will wiggle and flash, driving the cod crazy.”
She let out a happy laugh. “I can’t wait to watch it work. Will you cast first? I want to see you do it.”
This was beyond fun. Andreas set it all up and gave her a demonstration, but the lure came in empty. “I’ll try it again.” In the end he had to cast four times before he felt that tug. “Got one!”
Zoe actually jumped with excitement while he slowly reeled it in. Out came a nine-inch cod. “That’s a perfect size!”
He hit it on the head. Once he removed the lure, he put his catch in the cooler. Then he reattached the lure and handed her the rod. “I’ve caught my dinner. Now it’s your turn. That is if you want to eat,” he baited her.
“Oh, brother.” She squinted her eyes at him. “You just watch.” She imitated his technique as best she could and ended up casting five times without success. “What am I doing wrong?”
“Not a thing. I can tell you’ve fished before.”
“Nate took me out on a boat with some of his friends, but it was a long time ago.”
“Did you have success?”
“Not that I can remember.”
Andreas smiled. “Just keep trying. Maybe a different spot.”
“Good idea.” She turned and cast to the left side of the boat. It wasn’t long before she cried out, “I’ve got a fish!”
“Keep reeling it in,” he said, happy for her.
Pretty soon she lifted it from the water. “It’s smaller than yours, but I’ll keep it.”
“Only by an inch. We have the right amount for our meal.” He took care of the cod, but had to reach for his fishing knife to remove the hook of the lure.
“My poor little fish didn’t stand a chance.”
Andreas chuckled and put it in the cooler. She straightened his tackle box and put it away along with the pole.
“Let’s go below. I’ll gut the fish and put them on the grill.”
“While you do that I’ll start the potatoes and onions.”
“When we’re ready to eat, we’ll watch the moon fall into the sea. There’s no sight like it.”
* * *
His black eyes wandered over her. They gleamed with such intensity, she hoped her legs wouldn’t give out on her. With Andreas, no experience would ever be the same again. Being with him had colored her world for all time.
I’m fatally in love. The worst kind. When I’m back in California it will haunt me forever. But, fool that I am, until I leave Greece I intend to enjoy this time with you to the fullest.
Zoe hurried down the gangway to freshen up. When she entered the galley where she’d put the flowers he’d given her, she noticed he’d already cleaned the fish and was preparing the grill.
“You work fast. Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
He darted her an enticing smile. “I put out the skillet. The potatoes and onions are next to the cutting board. What else do you need?”
“Olive oil and a knife to begin with.”
Andreas found both items for her and she got busy. They worked in harmony. Once the vegetables had started to fry, she reached in the fridge for butter. “I’m going to need salt.”
He handed her a small jar from the shelf. Zoe looked at the label, which was printed in Greek, of course. When she took off the lid, she darted him a glance. “What kind of salt is this?”
“Sea salt, the purest of all salts.”
“I’ve never cooked with it before.” She sprinkled a little over the vegetables.
“It’s healthier than iodized salt and contains essential trace minerals our bodies need to stay healthy.”
Zoe stared at him. “How do you know so much about it?”
One of his black brows lifted devilishly. “If you could read Greek, you’d see that the manufacturer is A. Gavras, Messolonghi, Greece.”
“You’re in the sea salt business?”
He nodded. “At an early age my father warned me not to put my all my proverbial eggs in one basket or depend on the family hotel business to be there forever.”
“Your father was a w
ise sage.”
“I idolized him, so I invested all my earnings growing up and didn’t touch them.”
She smiled at him. “If every child were so intelligent.” The potatoes and onions were almost done.
“Don’t forget I didn’t have siblings. He was my world. In college I had a business professor who challenged the class to look for opportunities that weren’t necessarily high-tech or bitcoin ventures.”
“That’s unconventional thinking.”
“He sounded like my father.” By now Andreas had started grilling the fish. “I’d been working at our hotel in Messolonghi at the time and heard about a failing pharmaceutical plant sitting on property near the port. The owner had fallen into desperate financial trouble.
“On a whim I got in touch with the law firm handling the matter and was given a walk-through.”
“Not a whim,” Zoe broke in. “Sheer inspiration from a fine mind who’d inherited your father’s business acumen. I’m so impressed you can’t imagine.”
“Don’t be. It could easily have failed.”
“But it didn’t, or I wouldn’t be holding this jar in my hand. Tell me what happened.”
“I realized that new ownership could use the facilities for something different, yet substantial. I got in touch with one of the scientists who’d worked there. He told me he would have given anything to buy the whole place and turn it into a sea salt business. But he didn’t have the money.”
Zoe moved the skillet off the burner. “I want to hear the details.”
“We had a lot of conversations. The more we talked, the more I was convinced it could work. There was all the seawater in the world. It was free. But to convert it meant boiling it down. That took fuel, and it costs a lot of money.”
“And Andreas Gavras, being the obedient son who’d saved his money, could provide it and turn it into a business that wasn’t high-tech or related to your family’s business. You’re so brilliant it’s scary.”
Wedding The Greek Billionaire (Holiday With A Billionaire Book 3) Page 8
