“You need to know what to expect when we reach Athens and are driven to the hotel. Lia always brings Ari to the private Gavras suite on the third floor. When it’s time for him to go back with her, she comes to pick him up. It’s her way of hoping I’ll change my mind and want to get back together.”
“Would you rather I went to my own room and wait until you phone me?”
“Unless you’d be too uncomfortable, I’d like you there with me. I’m positive she knows about you, but it will be a surprise to meet you. Don’t let anything she says intimidate you.”
“If you want to know my greatest fear, it’s that I’ll say or do something that will upset your son. Since I only know a few words in Greek, you’ll have to translate.”
“That’ll be a pleasure. When you hand him the gift bag, he’ll be too excited with the present to notice anything else. You were inspired.”
“When I bought it, I had no idea I would ever meet him. He sounds like a typical child.”
“Besides toys, Ari loves games, especially hide-and-seek.”
Before long they reached the airport and he helped her up the steps of the jet. Andreas asked the steward to serve them breakfast once they were in the air. The flight lasted only forty-five minutes and there were things he needed to talk to her about before they landed.
After the trays had been removed, he walked her to one of the couches and pulled her down next to him. “I have a fear greater than yours, Zoe. I’m taking you into what could be a difficult situation, but I despise secrets.”
“You’ll get no argument from me there. I imagine this has to do with Ari’s birth father.”
“You told me I was intuitive, but I think it’s the other way around. Lia wouldn’t talk about it, so through the PI I hired, I learned he comes from a well-known French shipping family from Marseilles, but I don’t know his name.
“Depending on what kind of a man he is and his circumstances, he might want to share custody of Ari. Or there’s the possibility he might fight for full custody of him. Then again, he might not be interested at all. That’s what Lia believes—or would like to believe, anyway.”
Zoe lowered her head. “I can’t imagine a father not wanting to claim his own flesh and blood, but there must be thousands of cases where we know it happens.”
Andreas nodded. “The point is, Lia doesn’t want him to know anything. She’s terrified of scandal and how it will affect her parents, who are well-known in Athens society. She has begged me to take her back.”
“I don’t doubt it for a second, Andreas. I’m sure she does regret what she did.”
“Obviously. But what she needs to realize is that he has a right to know he has a son.”
“He does!” Zoe blurted with all the emotion in her.
“When I warned Lia I’d discovered Ari’s father’s identity and would let the man know the truth if she didn’t, she threatened again to sue for full custody.”
Zoe turned to him. He could feel her body trembling. “She couldn’t take him away from you.”
“True. The law wouldn’t allow it, but she turned the situation ugly when she left for Athens. She knew my headquarters were in Patras.”
A sigh escaped Zoe’s lips. “If she thought to defeat you by making it harder for you to be with Ari, then she didn’t know you at all.” Those blue eyes darkened with pain for him. “Did this Guion know she was engaged to you?”
“Lia said she took her ring off at the party, but I can’t imagine him not knowing.”
“I can’t either, not when she was going to be married to someone as renowned as you. Everyone in her circle of friends who attended the party had to know she was playing with fire. What kind of a man would do that?” Zoe sounded angry.
“I don’t know what he’s like,” Andreas muttered. “He had to have been acquainted with Lia’s best friend, Eliana, who held the yacht party. I asked Lia if she thought Eliana knew Ari wasn’t mine. She said she probably did, but Eliana would never say anything. You and I both know she could tell him at any moment.”
“But if that were true, don’t you think you would have heard from him by now?”
“I don’t know, but I refuse to live my life worrying that one day down the road, I’m going to get a phone call from his attorney because Lia kept the truth from him. She doesn’t realize that if she stays silent and he finds out anyway, it could turn on her.”
Zoe moaned. “If handled wrong, it would be traumatic for all three of you, not to mention the turmoil on the birth father’s side.”
“That’s why he needs to know the truth right away.”
“I couldn’t agree more, Andreas. The news might bring him joy, even if it’s tearing you apart.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “I knew you’d say that. You’ve had your whole life to wade through the depths of not knowing your parentage. Don’t worry about me. I’ve had time since the day of the operation to consider the fact that I might have to share Ari’s love.”
“Do your grandparents know?”
“Yes. They’re devastated, but they understand it has to be done. Naturally when Ari is old enough to comprehend, he’ll be told. Maybe by me or Lia, or by the father himself. After hearing your heart-wrenching story, I want Ari to know everything he can about the blood flowing through his veins when he’s ready. He has grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, maybe half brothers or sisters he isn’t aware of.”
Zoe hugged him, but he had to let her go. The fasten seat belt sign had gone on. Andreas kissed the side of her face before helping her buckle up. “We’ve started our descent.”
“I didn’t even notice the sign.”
“That’s because you were too busy comforting me.” Zoe’s compassion was a revelation to him.
In a few minutes they landed and the steward carried their luggage to the limo waiting for them. The three-story Gavras House—Athens was built along nineteenth-century neoclassic lines—was hardly the place for a growing toddler, but it served Andreas’s purpose for the time being. He’d arranged for Zoe’s room on the second floor near the elevator for easy access.
They went to hers first.
“Look at those fresh flowers!” she exclaimed in delight when they walked in the sitting room off the bedroom. “Daffodils and daisies.” Zoe turned to him. “You had these sent to me?”
The smile on her face made the effort worth it. He lowered her suitcase. “In Greece the two together express hope and new beginnings. Today represents both since you’re about to meet my son.”
For a moment her eyes searched his. “How beautiful! I love them. Give me a moment to freshen up. I’ll be right back.”
True to her word, she was gone only a couple of minutes. After walking over to inspect the flowers one more time, she went with him to his suite on the floor above.
When they walked in the front room, she halted. “You’ve transformed this into a child’s paradise!”
“Hardly that. All I’ve done is replicate what he was used to at the villa. It’ll go back with us when visitation is changed.” He carried his suitcase over to the couch. After he pulled out the gift bag, he put it on the coffee table. “Excuse me for a minute.”
Andreas took his suitcase in the bedroom. When he returned, he noticed she’d been drawn to the drum with the large colored circles. She’d knelt and was pressing one sound after another. Zoe smiled up at him. “I’ve never seen such a cute toy. Does he love it?”
“Not as much as that wooden wagon with the blocks. He has a routine of taking a few out, leaving them and moving on before he removes some more. When they’re all on the floor, he methodically starts picking them up.”
“Maybe he’ll run his own delivery service one day. A chip off the old block. Gavras International Express Mail,” she teased.
“That’s a thought.” While they both laughed, he heard
the familiar knock. “They’re here,” he murmured. Zoe got to her feet, still holding the drum. “Ready?”
She nodded.
* * *
Zoe’s heart thudded as he opened the door. She watched his dark-headed boy reach for Andreas, who swept him up in his arms. He spoke Greek to him in endearing terms and heard Ari say baba several times as they hugged.
Lia, a tall, stunning brunette, walked past them dressed in a becoming pink sundress with spaghetti straps. She’d seen Zoe and made her way toward her. Thank heaven Andreas had prepared her for what Lia might do.
He closed the gap, still carrying Ari. “Lia? This is Zoe Perkins, a friend of mine from the US. She’s a professor of English literature at UCLA.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Andreas had been right. His wife had already been informed.
“Zoe? May I introduce Ari’s mother and our son.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Kyria Gavras.” His wife was still a Gavras.
“How do you do, Kyria Perkins?” Lia spoke English well.
“You have an adorable boy.”
“Thank you.”
Zoe smiled at their son. “Yassou, Ari.” She’d been practicing a few words, “hello” being one of them.
Ari stared at the drum she was holding and squirmed to get down. Andreas lowered him to the floor. Zoe immediately handed it to him and he sat to play with it. She had an idea he hadn’t liked her holding it. Deciding now was as good a time as any, she reached for the gift bag on the coffee table and put it on the floor in front of him.
He was so cute when he looked up at her in surprise. Zoe hunkered down and pulled out the gift Andreas had rewrapped. “This is for you.” She started to undo it, then left it to him to finish, all the while aware his mother was watching.
Ari made fast work of it and out came the three ModMobiles on wheels. With the same methodical precision Andreas had told her about, he lined them up and pushed them around on his hands and knees. Zoe intercepted a warm glance from Andreas.
“How long will you be in Greece?” This from Lia. The tension was growing.
Zoe stood up, needing an answer to that herself. “I’m not sure.”
To her relief Andreas said something to Lia in Greek and started walking her to the door. For the moment Ari didn’t seem to notice. He was too concentrated on his new toys.
When Andreas stepped out in the hall, Zoe got down on her knees again and turned one of the toys around. Next, she pushed it against the second one. Ari lifted his head and stared at her before he pushed the third one into hers. She reached for the first one and war broke out. Every time she hit one of his, he laughed a little and hit back.
Pretty soon Andreas joined them and turned it into a battle until Ari laughed so hard he got the hiccups. Clearly he adored his daddy.
“It’s time for his lunch. Let’s go down to the restaurant. Then we’ll come back and play until he’s ready for his nap. I set up a crib in the second bedroom with his favorite stuffed bear and rabbit.”
“I can tell it won’t be long before he climbs out of it.”
Andreas grinned. “I’m expecting to hear a thump any day now. When he’s back home with me, he’ll have a regular bed.”
Lunch turned out to be a hilarious experience. Andreas made a game out of everything. The love he showered on his son was something to behold. After they returned to the living room, Zoe straightened things while he put his son down.
“Sorry it took so long.”
She looked up at him from the couch. He stood there with his legs slightly apart, her idea of the ultimate male. “It’s not surprising. If I’d had that much stimulation from a doting father, I would never have wanted to go to bed either. He’s precious, Andreas.”
“You were wonderful with him.”
“Thank goodness he didn’t act frightened around me.”
“Anything but.”
“Was Lia upset?”
“Yes. After seeing you, she informed me she needs more money before she can move. I told her there was no more and I’d see her the day after tomorrow at the same time when she comes for Ari.
“While he’s asleep I’m going to phone Yorgos. He’ll fax my change of visitation petition to her attorney today and demand the soonest court date possible for the ruling.”
She feared the agony Andreas suffered would continue for a long time yet. “What if she won’t agree to it?”
“For all the obvious reasons, the judge will rule in my favor and she’ll have to comply. Will you excuse me while I disappear in my bedroom for a few minutes?”
“Of course. I have a phone call of my own to make.”
“Abby or Ginger?”
She chuckled. “Neither one. The new Signora della Scala is still on her honeymoon. When she returns, we three girls will have a long conversation. In the meantime it occurred to me I haven’t checked in with Harriet at the office in months.”
“Harriet?”
“The secretary at UCLA. She’ll know if the August date has been set for the faculty party the dean gives to start off the fall semester. If there’s any interesting news, Harriet will pass it on. The department couldn’t function without her.”
He was quiet for a moment before he said, “After being away from teaching this long, are you anxious to get back to it?”
What would Andreas say if she told him she never wanted to leave him? “To be honest, I’ve been having such a wonderful time here with you, I haven’t really thought about it.”
“That’s good because I have more things planned for us with Ari, and when we’re alone,” he added in a low tone. Her heart turned over. Those words would have filled her with pure joy but for the presence of Lia. His wife wasn’t through trying to convince Andreas to make their marriage work. Why else was she doing everything possible to hang on to him?
“I can’t wait to see Athens with the two of you. It’ll be much different from when I was living in a apartment here doing research.”
“That I can promise.” His black eyes gleamed. “Ari won’t sleep more than an hour. One of these days he’ll outgrow his naps, too.”
“I did a lot of babysitting and know it happens faster than you think.”
“Which is why I want him for longer periods.”
“I totally understand that.”
“When he wakes up, we’ll go to the zoo and ride the train. With you along, it’ll make a whole new, exciting adventure for him.” He paused. “Miss me while I’m in the other room?”
Andreas...
The next two days turned out to be the happiest Zoe had ever known. Andreas was so relaxed while they played with Ari, he seemed to have thrown off his concerns and looked younger. Zoe never forgot for a second she wasn’t Ari’s mother, but she treasured these moments he allowed her to share with them.
After Ari went down at night, they spent both evenings in his suite watching home movies taken at his breathtaking villa. They showed Ari at every stage of development. Zoe saw his grandparents and other relatives. Lia appeared in them, too.
They were the picture of the perfect family, but Andreas announced there were no more movies once they’d taken Ari home from the hospital. Learning the truth had made a total shambles of his world. As soon as Ari had recovered from the operation, he’d filed for a divorce and Lia had moved to Athens. How to be with his son was all that had consumed him.
Both nights when Zoe left his suite for her own room, he walked her to the door and kissed her hungrily. But he didn’t pull her back into his arms and keep her there. This trip to Athens had been primarily for her to meet Ari.
Zoe also suspected he was anxious for Lia to see that Ari would always be an integral part of his life while he moved on with other women. Though Zoe had been the first since Andreas’s divorce, she still had no idea what the future held for
either of them.
If there was any trauma, it happened when Lia appeared at the hotel door to pick up Ari. Zoe hung back while Andreas walked him to his mother. She quickly reached for him and said something in Greek, giving him a kiss.
Ari kissed her back, then wiggled to get down. Lia held him tighter and he started crying out baba. Then he saw Zoe and she heard him call out her name for the first time.
It thrilled her because Andreas had been teaching Ari to say it. But for his son to do it in front of Lia probably killed her. She loved her little boy. That much was clear before she hurried away with him. Even though Andreas shut the door, they could both hear him having hysterics in the hallway.
Andreas turned to her. His pained expression tore at her heart. “Let’s go down to your room for your suitcase. The limo is waiting out in front.” He couldn’t leave Athens fast enough and she didn’t blame him. More than ever Zoe understood why he wanted his son for longer periods in his own villa in Patras.
She found a plastic bag and brought the flowers he’d given her with them.
On the way to the airport she brought up something maybe she would regret, but she couldn’t bear to see him this stressed. This time he sat across from her, totally preoccupied.
“Would it be impossible for you to move your headquarters here and buy a home until he’s a little older? You could see him two or three times a week and every other weekend with no flying involved.”
She heard him groan. “That was Lia’s grand design when she moved here, but Athens isn’t my home. I identify with my western roots and want that for Ari. To uproot the company and my other business would be pure folly, and—” He stopped short. “Forgive me, Zoe. You have the misfortune of seeing me at my wretched worst.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. When Ari had to leave you a little while ago, he wasn’t in the greatest mood either. Talk about two peas in a pod.”
He shook his head. “Have you forgotten we’re—”
“Don’t say it!” she broke in on him. “You are father and son. I was there. That vital, emotional bond forged before he was born is DNA deep. He idolizes you. I saw moments when he tried to imitate you.”
Wedding the Greek Billionaire Page 7
