“That’s something I’d like to see.”
“I’ll show it to you when we get home.”
“Speaking of home, we’d better leave for the airport, Andreas. I’ve kept you walking around in here for hours. I know you’re anxious to get back.”
“If I’m anxious, it’s so we can be strictly alone.”
There was nothing Zoe desired more, but Andreas wasn’t out of the woods yet where Lia was concerned. As they walked out of the elegant villa to the waiting limo, she knew they were getting to the point of no return.
If after all this Lia still proved to be difficult, even knowing her lie had been exposed to Guion, then Zoe needed to leave for California. She absolutely refused to be the reason he couldn’t have the visitation he’d petitioned for.
They boarded the Gavras private jet and ate dinner. Andreas made some business calls to his assistant and one of his uncles. When they arrived in Patras, Andreas walked her to his car. But on the way into the city, he followed a freeway sign that led to an area called Kalamaki. Zoe hadn’t been there but knew it was an exclusive neighborhood of the city.
“I thought you were taking me to my apartment.”
“I want you with me tonight. I’m taking you to my villa.”
She sucked in her breath. “No, Andreas. I’ve told you this before. Much as I’d like to see where you live, I don’t dare. Lia could have people watching. All she’d need is another picture of you and me together walking into the house where she lived with you, and it would inflame her more. Your visitation petition needs to be ruled on first.”
When she saw Andreas grip the steering wheel tighter, Zoe knew she’d upset what had been a beautiful afternoon and evening. In the next block he made a U-turn and they headed back to the freeway that would take them into the city.
“I’d hoped to leave you at the villa where you could laze and swim in the pool while I’m at my board meeting tomorrow. Instead when I come by to pick you up after it’s over, I’ll discover you’re not there.”
“Andreas—” She’d really done some serious damage to his trust when she’d flown to Italy without preparing him. “I’m not leaving Patras. While you’re busy at your meeting, I’ll do some errands. Please don’t be upset.”
“You don’t seem to understand. I don’t want you out of my sight.”
She closed her eyes tightly. “I love every minute we’re together, too, but while you’re in this visitation battle, we have to be careful. What if something goes wrong and it’s all my fault?”
He pulled up in front of her apartment and turned off the engine. “Look at me, Zoe.” She turned to him. “How could you possibly be to blame for anything? Lia can’t deprive me of being with my son. Her tactics won’t hold up. In another few days it will all be settled.”
“I want to believe that, too, Andreas. That’s why I’m going to say good-night to you now. Please stay in the car. There’s probably some private detective working for her who’s been lurking around here. Let’s not give that person any more incriminating evidence than they already have. I’ll run in my flat alone.” She started to get out.
“Wait—”
“No,” she insisted firmly. “It’s better if I go in alone. I’ll be waiting for your call tomorrow. Go home and get the sleep you need so you can be at your best during the meeting.” She fought not to tear up. “Being with you today was the highlight of my entire life. I’ll never forget it.”
He called her name, but she shut the door and ran to her flat before she broke down and begged him to come in with her. This situation couldn’t go on much longer.
Her body ached for him. She was so in love, she hurt with the pain of it. Zoe knew he loved her and was in pain, too, but it was a different level of love than the one he had for his son. As he’d told Guion, Ari was his life, and that life was more important than what she and Andreas had together.
He’d said it would be a few more days and everything would be settled, implying that they could then be together without worry. But she had deep reservations on that score. Zoe wasn’t blind. Lia hadn’t given up on Andreas and was fighting to regain the love he’d once felt for her.
Zoe took off her clothes to shower and wash her hair. Once she’d gotten ready for bed and dried it, she climbed under the covers, praying sleep would come. For once she didn’t feel like talking to anyone about this. No one could solve this problem.
Andreas’s wife had felt threatened to see Zoe in his hotel room in Athens. If she hadn’t gone with him... But it did no good to go over it in her mind.
Zoe turned over on her stomach, burying her face in the pillow. Tears started to trickle out of her eyes until she began sobbing. Though she’d told Andreas she wouldn’t leave, she’d only meant that she’d be here for him tomorrow.
Zoe’s gut feeling was that in the end, Guion wouldn’t want visitation rights and would put it in writing in order to save his marriage. As for her and Andreas, she intended to tell him goodbye for now. One day he’d obtain his divorce. Then they could be together because he’d be a free man. That’s what she intended to tell Andreas before oblivion took over.
CHAPTER NINE
AS SOON AS the Thursday board of directors meeting had come to an end, Andreas hugged his grandfather, then hurried out to the parking lot and got in his car. It was noon. Zoe had to be wondering what was taking so long.
When he heard his phone ring, he checked the caller ID and was surprised to see that his housekeeper was on the other end. She came to the villa a few hours every day to keep things up.
He clicked on. “Gaia?”
“Please excuse me for disturbing you, Kyrie. I know you’re in a meeting, but I’m sure you’ll want to be told about this.”
“That’s no problem. It’s over. What’s wrong? You sound distressed.”
“Kyria Gavras just arrived at the villa in a taxi with the little one.”
Andreas’s mind reeled. Lia had flown here with Ari? Obviously the news that he’d met with Guion Norville had caused her to do something unprecedented.
“I let her in because I didn’t know what else to do. She went straight to Ari’s bedroom.”
“It’s all right, Gaia. Thank you for telling me. I’ll be home in ten minutes.”
He’d been headed for the apartment, but changed directions. En route to the villa he phoned Zoe.
“Andreas—are you still in the meeting?”
“It’s finally over and I was on my way to the bedsitter, but something else came up. My housekeeper just phoned to tell me Lia has arrived at the villa with Ari.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Our visit to Nice must have shaken her.”
“That’s good news, don’t you think? If she’s here to talk, maybe you can get everything straightened out and not have to go through your attorneys. Don’t worry about me. I’ll grab a bite of lunch in town and wait for your call.”
He loved Zoe so intensely, he was going to lose his mind if they couldn’t be together permanently before long. “I swear I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. I couldn’t live without you.” His voice shook. “Remember that.”
He hung up and broke the fifty-mile-an-hour speed limit to get back to the villa. Once he’d pulled in the circular drive and let himself in the front entrance, he raced through to Ari’s bedroom.
Looking on from the doorway, he saw Lia seated on the double bed watching their son, who was asleep in his crib. She’d pulled out his box of little wooden trains. He could see them lined up. It was a familiar sight. The remembered scene brought a pang to Andreas’s heart to see him back in his own room. It had seemed like forever.
Lia must have noticed Andreas because she suddenly stood up and walked into the hall with him. Her jaw grew taut. “Gaia didn’t waste any time telling you I’d come.”
“Shall we go out in the sunroom
to talk?” he suggested in a low voice. “If he wakes up, we’ll be able to hear him.” She followed him to the room that looked out over the garden and sat down on one of the couches. He preferred to stand. “If you’d let me know you were coming, I would have rescheduled the board meeting and been here to let you in.”
“I didn’t make up my mind about it until early this morning.”
That sounded like Lia, who had an impulsive nature. How odd that he’d once loved this woman, but now he truly felt nothing for her.
“Why are you here, Lia?”
“My attorney told me you’d been to Nice. I want to know what Guion said he was going to do. I’d rather hear it from you than through our attorneys. I’ll need to prepare my parents if the worst has happened.”
Lia was more frightened of their reaction to her lie than anything else. She needed their backing to survive.
“He’s separated from his second wife. However, it’s my opinion he wants to preserve his second marriage and won’t ask for visitation rights.”
“That means my parents might never have to know,” she murmured.
“You’re right. Guion already has two children by different wives. But I suppose he could change his mind before he signs any legal document. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Her features looked drawn. “What are your plans?”
“Certainly not to fly to the United States and take Ari with me. If you thought I could do that to the mother of our son, then you never did know the real me.”
“Yes I did.” Her voice broke. “I only said those things because I was hurt you found someone else so fast.”
“It wasn’t fast, Lia. I found you first, the only woman I ever asked to marry me. I planned to make a whole life with you. But you shut me out the moment you slept with Guion. We were estranged from that moment before we ever took our vows.”
“I told you it never meant anything.” He believed her. Like Guion, she’d been drinking heavily, too.
“It did to me. After talking to Norville, I believe he’s as guilt ridden because of that night as you are. It’s my guess that guilt over your infidelity ruined our marriage and his. What’s your excuse for calling me unstable and demanding I be denied visitation while I undergo psychiatric evaluation?”
She averted her eyes. “My attorney came up with that idea to scare you so you’d give up Kyria Perkins. He knows I want to get back together with you.”
“But you and I both know that’s never going to happen. Have you moved into your villa?”
“I’m in the process.” Andreas could tell she was trembling. “The renovations are almost done.”
“That’s good.” Better than good.
“Are you going to marry her when the divorce is final?” she blurted.
“If she’ll have me.”
“Then you can’t promise me you won’t take Ari away.”
Andreas took a deep breath. “If and when the time comes that she’ll agree to be my wife, perhaps there’ll come a day when we’ll take a trip to Santa Monica, California, where she was raised by adoptive parents. But if we go, Ari will have to be older and able to handle a week’s trip.”
Her dark eyes widened. “She doesn’t have real family?”
“They’re real, just not blood. If we marry, our life will be here in Patras and you and I will go on working out visitation for the rest of Ari’s life.”
“How can you consider marrying someone like her?”
Andreas studied her hardened features. Much as he wanted to tell her it was none of her business, he couldn’t. Naturally she was curious about the woman who might be helping raise Ari if Andreas had anything to do with it.
“If I started listing her virtues, I wouldn’t know where to stop. Zoe married early, but it only lasted a year and half because her husband was unfaithful to her. They didn’t have children.”
Lia turned away from him.
“She grew up a scholar and babysat for people to earn money. After winning awards and grants, she put herself through college and graduate school while working at the college bookstore. She’s a professor at UCLA and was awarded a singular honor for her contribution to a film being made in Hollywood about Lord Byron while he was in Greece raising money to help fight the Turks.”
Lia wheeled around. “How did you meet?”
“Quite literally by accident downtown. A truck ran into the taxi she was riding in. My limo was behind the truck and I called the paramedics. The last thing I expected that day was to meet another woman when our separation was only two days old. The two of us became friends first, pure and simple.”
“I don’t want to hear any more about this paragon,” she broke in.
“The ball is in your court, Lia. Where do you want to go from here? Back to court? I’ll undergo a psychiatric evaluation if that will satisfy you. What else must I do in order to have my visitation time with our son?”
He heard her sharp intake of breath. “You can have it starting right now for the next two days while I return to Athens. I’d like nothing better than to take Ari back with me right now, but because he’s looking forward so much to seeing his baba, I’m not going to do that to him. Then you can fly him back on Sunday. I brought some of his things.”
“Thank you for that, Lia.”
“I’ll tell my attorney we’re waiting to hear from Guion. Everything hinges on him should he decide to exercise his rights and turn this into a public scandal. Until his attorney talks to mine, don’t plan to come to Athens to see Ari or I’ll have a restraining order filed against you.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Watch me. You started this by insisting on telling Guion.”
His insides froze because she couldn’t see reason. Lia was terrified of the unknown with Ari’s birth father in the picture. But she couldn’t hold off Andreas for long.
“Did you hear me?”
“I did.” He’d give it until Monday to see what developed on Norville’s side before he asked Yorgos to take action.
“The limo driver is waiting to take me to the airport. Since Ari is asleep, I’ll leave now. He’ll be ready for juice and a snack when he wakes up.”
He watched her disappear from the sunroom before he walked back down the hall to Ari’s bedroom to check on him. His son was still crouched on his stomach in his white shorts and blue sailor top not moving, but he’d be awake before long. Taking advantage of the time, he phoned Zoe.
She picked up on the second ring. “Andreas?”
The anxiety in her voice told him she’d been worried. He needed to reassure her.
“Zoe? Lia has gone back to Athens and she left Ari with me until Sunday. I’ll explain more later. Where are you?”
“Back at the apartment.”
“Stay put. The limo will be by for you within ten minutes. He’ll drive you here. Pack a bag and bring your swimsuit. When Ari wakes up from his nap, we’ll go out to the pool.”
“You’re sure it will be all right?”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“You know I do,” she cried. “You must be overjoyed to see him!”
“Her arrival was a gift. I’ll see you soon.”
“He’s so adorable.” So was she. “I can’t wait.”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
Once they hung up, he called his limo driver and told him to pick up Zoe at her apartment. After that he phoned Yorgos to tell him what had happened with Lia.
“Let’s just hope Norville acts quickly to bring this thing to an end, Andreas. If he doesn’t, then your only choice is to inform Lia’s parents of the truth. That’ll be the end of the problems.”
“I don’t want to do that if I don’t have to,” Andreas said with a frown.
“That’s your decency talking. We’ll stay in close touch.”
With both calls made, he hurried to his bedroom to change into his trunks and a T-shirt. Then he gathered towels and sunscreen for them.
Andreas was finally going to be alone with Zoe and his son in his own home. It had taken a long time to reach this point. One day soon he planned on getting his heart’s desire. Being married to Zoe was all he could think about.
* * *
Zoe gasped softly as the limo drove along the seashore to Andreas’s cream-colored villa with a red tiled roof, spread out over the property like a one-story exclusive resort. It overlooked a beach with a fantastic view of the entire bay of Patras. Everywhere her eyes wandered she saw olive and citrus trees with sweeping flower beds, grass and plants.
When the limo drove up the circular drive to the entrance where she saw his Mercedes parked, Andreas was waiting for her dressed to go swimming. Every time she saw him, it was like the first time and she struggled to catch her breath. He was beyond gorgeous in so many ways. How Lia could have been unfaithful to him made no sense to Zoe.
She assumed things had to be better with his ex-wife or she wouldn’t have brought Ari to Patras and left him.
“Thank heaven you’re here,” he exclaimed after opening the door so she could get out. He reached for her bag and walked her inside the large foyer. You could see through to the swimming pool beyond the glass that formed the other side of the exquisite foyer filled with potted flowering plants.
“Oh, Andreas—” But those were the only two words that escaped before he crushed her in his arms and kissed the daylights out of her. She had no idea how long they tried to appease their hunger for each other. It didn’t matter. This was where she wanted to be, in his home, in his strong arms. The ache to be loved by him was reaching its zenith.
He picked her up like a bride and carried her through part of the villa and down a hall to the nursery where Ari was sleeping. Smothering her mouth with another deep kiss, he followed her down on the double bed and began devouring her in earnest.
Wedding The Greek Billionaire (Holiday With A Billionaire Book 3) Page 12
