He found his binoculars to help her search, but couldn’t refrain from admiring her legs. Everything about her appealed to him.
“This is the experience of a lifetime. Oh—look! Two of them, jumping together!”
“The dolphins love the sun, too. If you’ll notice, their beaks are short. They’re the common dolphins. We might see some striped ones later.”
For a half hour they watched at least six of them cavorting. Zoe made excited noises and used her cell phone to take pictures. When the activity stopped, she sat down next to him on the banquette and handed him the binoculars. “That was spectacular. Thank you. I never expected to see a sight like that.”
“You can see it most days if you catch them at the right time.”
“Especially if you’re out in a boat like this with a skipper who knows where to look.”
He chuckled. “I’ll take us for a ride. We might spot more. Since you expressed a desire to see the sea salt plant, I’ll head farther along the coast and show you where it’s located.” He walked over to the bridge and raised the anchor. “Later we’ll come back and swim. How does that sound?”
“What do you think?”
“I think you have an extraordinary nature that sees the best in everything. You’re very easy company, Zoe. I thought it from the moment of the taxi accident. Your only concern was for the driver. If you’ve ever complained about anything, I haven’t heard it.”
She smiled. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, but thank you.”
After going ashore in Messolonghi for lunch, Andreas drove her to the huge, modern sea salt plant in a rental car. Over the years he’d had renovations made.
“Your parents must have been so proud of your accomplishments running the hotel business and all this, too. I wish I could have met them.”
“They would have loved you. Mother especially would have been delighted to know that you’re an expert on Lord Byron, and teach literature at UCLA. It might interest you to know she was a whiz at math before she married my father.
“Like you she taught it as a graduate student at the University of Patras for several years. Later on she worked for a company that did computational math and informatics.”
“It might interest me?” Zoe blurted. “How come it’s taken until now for you to tell me? No wonder your parents gave birth to one of the most successful men in Greece.”
Deep laughter rolled out of him.
“Laugh all you want, but your modesty is one of your most admirable traits, Andreas. I’m thrilled to know about your mother’s background and thrilled to be shown around your world.”
“She was disappointed she couldn’t have more children and found her work satisfying.”
“How did your father feel about it?”
“He encouraged her. She was easy to get along with, too. They made a good team, better than most because they understood each other’s needs.”
“You’ve just described what went wrong in the marriage of my adoptive parents. Nancy got so caught up in children, I’m pretty sure Bob couldn’t take it any longer. What drove her drove him away in the end. But both of them sacrificed a lot to raise me and the other kids. For that I’ll always be grateful.”
“Amen,” Andreas declared before driving them to the dock where he left the car to be picked up. “On our way back to the cove, I’ll pull you waterskiing if you’d like.”
“Maybe another time. It’s too soon after that incredible lunch. Thank you for suggesting it, though.” He was doing everything possible to make this trip unforgettable, but she knew he was brooding over a situation that was impacting his entire life.
Once in the boat she put on her life jacket. “Andreas—you’ve been wonderful to me, but I’d rather we returned to Patras now and swam another time. With the trip to France coming up in the morning, I know you need to go by your office and have a lot to do first.”
He studied her intently. “Why this sudden change?”
“Not sudden, but that phone call from your attorney changed the stakes, and I’m one of the reasons why. Lia saw me with you and it made her livid because she wants you back and thinks I’m standing in her way.”
“It’s past time she sees that I’m moving on.”
“But I can tell you’re preoccupied even though you hide it well. You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t worrying about Ari’s birth father. What will be his reaction to meeting you? What kind of a man is he? Most of all, what kind of a father will he make if he wants to be one to Ari.”
He pulled her close and kissed her until she was dizzy with longing. “The researcher in you constantly seeking for more truth has given you superhuman insights. At this point I don’t know how I functioned until you came into my life.”
Zoe hid her face against his shoulder. “I don’t know how you can say that.”
Andreas kissed her hair. “Because it’s true. To be honest, it’s going to be hard flying to Nice without you. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone. The fear that you’ll decide to leave in order to uncomplicate things for me never leaves my mind.”
Zoe realized that this strong, amazing man was admitting his vulnerability to her. She wondered if anyone had ever seen this side of him. The revelation broke her down.
“You shouldn’t have to worry about anything on a mission this earthshaking. If it’s what you really want, I’ll go with you to Nice, Andreas.” Zoe hugged him, hoping she wasn’t making another big mistake. The first was going to Athens with him, giving Lia ammunition to use against him.
He crushed her tighter, muttering something in Greek against her forehead that sounded heartfelt. “Now I know everything’s going to be all right.”
She wished she did, but he was going into a situation with no guarantees. When she thought of all the help he’d given her while she’d been doing research, she couldn’t turn him down when she loved him so desperately.
Once he let her go, she sat down on the banquette and they sped back to the port where he’d left his car. Though she saw more dolphins, her mind was on his ex-wife. Lia had entered into her marriage concealing a lie and the guilt had lost her Andreas’s love even before the truth came out. Still, Zoe could tell Lia’s love for her son was total.
It pained Zoe that she was now the other woman in Lia’s eyes. The volatile situation had become a triangle she hadn’t wanted any part of. But fate had brought her and Andreas together under the most innocent circumstances. The moment he’d told her he was separated with a child, she should have stopped seeing him.
Nancy would have told Zoe not to get entangled. Find a man without baggage.
However, life didn’t work that way. Zoe’s heart had a mind and will of its own. When Andreas had come over to the taxi to see if she was hurt, it was as if she’d been instantly melded to him. It was more than physical attraction. She’d felt a connection she couldn’t explain and knew would never go away.
Until he found Ari’s birth father and all the visitation issues were settled in court, Zoe would stand by him while he did the right thing for his son. She loved him too much to do anything else. But as far as their future was concerned, she would leave Greece so Lia couldn’t keep on using her as a weapon against Andreas.
Zoe could hear his argument that Lia would fight him as long as any woman was in his life. She feared that was true. Andreas’s life would never be an easy one. A lot of divorced couples had troubles for years where financial fortunes and children were involved.
Once visitation had been permanently resolved, he could let go of the past and start living out the life destiny intended for him. Zoe didn’t see herself as a part of it, only a means to different ends for both of them.
She’d met a man a breed apart from other men. She could never have imagined it in her dreams. He’d told her he was in love with her. She knew he’d meant it for the present and she’d been
reveling in it from the beginning.
But she didn’t trust first love feelings from a man who wasn’t divorced yet, who hadn’t yet explored all the possibilities for romantic involvement still awaiting him. At thirty-one years of age, he had years of living ahead of him filled with beautiful, remarkable women of his own country who would do anything to be loved by him. At least then, Lia wouldn’t worry that he would leave Greece with his American lover and Ari.
“What’s going on in your mind to put such a fierce expression on your face?”
Zoe had been so deep in thought she hadn’t realized they’d reached the port and pulled into his private slip.
“Divorce can be so ugly, even if it’s necessary.”
“Don’t worry, Zoe. This will pass.”
“I don’t know how you hold it all together.”
He shut off the engine. “You haven’t been listening. You’re the reason I’m able to handle everything. Maybe the time will come when you’ll believe me.”
She wanted to believe it now, but she was afraid. “I’ll go below to get my things.”
“I’ll come with you.”
Mindful of his rock-hard body right behind her, she gathered her bag and cosmetics. They met on the dock. He brought the flowers with him. After he tied up the boat, they walked to his car and left for the city. But he took a different route that led to Kalamaki, the exclusive area of Patras she’d heard of but had never been to.
“Where are we going?”
“To my villa. I’d like you to see where I live.”
“No, Andreas. Lia saw me in your hotel suite in Athens. She has people watching you, but so far you haven’t taken me to the home she shared with you and Ari. It’s too personal. She’s just waiting to get something else on you that will look damning to the judge. I want to stay out of this as much as possible until he renders a final decision.”
Zoe thought he hadn’t been listening to her until he made a turn midblock and headed back to the freeway, taking them into the center. With a population of over two hundred and sixty thousand, Patras was the third-largest city in Greece.
“Please don’t think I’d rather not see it. You know I do, but it’s not wise. I’m already a stumbling block for you. Let’s not make it any worse.”
She noticed he gripped the steering wheel tighter. “I’ll take you to your apartment right now and come by for you at six in the morning.”
With the tension thick between them, he parked in front of her flat and carried in her bag and flowers. This time he walked all the way inside to put the arrangement on the coffee table.
Zoe felt terrible. “Andreas? Tell me you understand.”
His black eyes flashed fire before he put his hands on her shoulders. “I understand a lot more than you think I do. Lia has tried to get in my head, but instead she has gotten in yours. I’m too thankful you’re going to Nice with me to fight that right now.”
Before she could take a breath, his head descended and his mouth devoured hers until she was weaving in his arms. She let out a protesting moan when he lifted his lips from hers. “I love you, Zoe, and I’ll keep repeating it until you feel it in the very depths of your DNA.”
He left the flat so fast, she clung to the nearest chair so she wouldn’t collapse. Andreas, her heart cried.
* * *
Once in the car, Andreas headed straight for his office. If he hadn’t left Zoe’s flat when he did, no telling if he would ever leave. Much as he’d wanted to take her home with him, she wouldn’t have been comfortable. Her guilt was too great for having been named as part of the reason Lia was being vindictive.
The judge couldn’t make a definitive ruling soon enough for Andreas. He was counting the hours. After he reached the office, he placed another call to Gus and had to leave a message. While he waited for a response, he dug into the paperwork piled up on his desk requiring signatures.
The Gavras House Hotel board of directors meeting was scheduled for Thursday at 9:00 a.m. Today was Tuesday. That gave him tomorrow to find Guion Norville and talk to him.
He made a call to his grandparents to check on them. They wanted to see Ari. Andreas told them he was working on redoing his visitation. It wouldn’t be long before his son was spending a whole week at a time with him in Patras. Then he let his grandfather know about the board meeting. The second they hung up, Gus phoned him.
“Andreas?”
“Thanks for getting back to me tonight, Gus. I’m leaving for Nice at six in the morning. Is there anything else you’ve learned?”
“I just found out he has a cousin living in Nice, Philippe Norville, who owns a Peugeot dealership. If all else fails, you might try him.”
Andreas wrote down the address. “You’ve been a great help, Gus. I’m putting a check in the mail to you tonight.”
“Thank you. Let me know if you make contact with Norville.”
“I will.”
After they hung up, he phoned Yorgos to let him know he was headed for Nice in the morning. “Once I’ve made contact with Guion Norville, I’ll call to let you know the situation. If he has an attorney, I’ll give him your information.”
“Good luck, Andreas.”
He rang off and headed for his villa. Zoe had agreed to go with him tomorrow. She’d become necessary to his existence. With her he knew he could handle anything that came along in life.
But the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if she had deeper feelings for him than she’d been letting on. She still hadn’t said the words he was desperate to hear. If she only understood how deep his love was for her.
* * *
After the two-hour flight, the Gavras jet landed in Nice at 9:00 a.m. under semicloudy skies. Andreas helped Zoe down the steps to the limo waiting for them and gave the driver instructions where to go.
“There’s a real change in temperature from Patras,” Zoe remarked as Andreas slid in next to her and grasped her hand. She’d worn a summery café au lait suit with short sleeves and a white blouse. He loved her dress sense. She looked breathtaking in anything, and the strawberry fragrance from her hair brought his senses alive.
“It’s seventy-five degrees this morning, but it’ll warm up a little.” He studied her profile. “Are you all right? You’ve been quieter than usual.”
Zoe turned to him. “I was going to ask you the same question. I bet you didn’t get any sleep last night.”
“You’re wrong.” He kissed her beautiful mouth. “Knowing you would be with me today helped me get my first sound sleep in a long time.”
She squeezed his hand tighter. “I admire your strength, Andreas...and your goodness,” she whispered.
“What do you mean?”
“I know I’ve said this before, but not everyone would be prepared to make this sacrifice.” He heard a tremor in her voice. “Instead of hiding behind a secret for the rest of your life, you’re prepared to do anything for your son.” Tears welled in those glorious blue eyes. “He’s so blessed to have a father like you.”
Andreas’s throat swelled with emotion. “That’s how I’ve felt since you came into my life. Your incredible story helped me understand that Guion Norville has to know the truth.
“In the beginning I was struggling with the thought of telling him because I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Ari. But after meeting you and our talks, I knew I had to be fair to Guion. One day Ari will have to be told, too. Without you, I don’t believe I would ever have seen things as clearly. I’m the one who’s thankful.”
The limo took them alongside the Promenade des Anglais lined with varieties of palms next to the beach. “What a magnificent shoreline, Andreas. I can see why this part of the French Riviera attracts people in droves.”
“It has a unique ambience all its own. If Norville wants to know Ari and have a relationship with him, then this city will play an importa
nt part in his life.”
Andreas had told himself over and over again that he would be able to handle it. But as he took in the famous Mediterranean scenery with its mixture of French and Italian architecture, he experienced pain that one day Ari would learn to love this city through Guion’s eyes. The two of them would have experiences no one else would share. Andreas wouldn’t be a part of it.
The hand he’d been holding pressed his hard. He could swear Zoe knew what was going through his mind. It was as if she’d just said, This isn’t about you. It’s about your son, who will thank you for this one day.
“Where are we going first, Andreas?”
“To his realty office. It’s coming up here on Boulevard Napoleon III.”
“When we get there, I plan to stay in the limo and wait for you.”
He knew she would say that. The fact that she’d come with him at all was more than he could have wished for.
“The crowds are big everywhere. Earlier I told the driver to find a parking space and wait for my phone call.” In another minute they pulled up in front of the address Gus had given him and came to a stop.
Zoe drew in a breath before giving him a kiss on the jaw. “All my hopes go with you.”
“That’s what is helping me.” He brushed her lips with his own before getting out of the limo.
Walking between two parked cars, he approached the entrance to Norville Riviera Realty on the corner. But before he even tried to open the door, he saw the sign reading Closed Permanently set in the glass. Andreas peered inside. All he saw was a folding chair and an empty desk.
He walked next door to the travel agency on the east. Several tourists were inside looking at brochures. A woman at the counter smiled at him. “Can I help you?”
“Could you tell me how long the Norville Realty company has been vacated?” he asked in French.
Wedding the Greek Billionaire Page 10
