by Sarah Morgan
‘One day you will have a family, Lily.’ Kostas Zervakis surveyed her with misty eyes and Nik observed this emotional interchange with something between disbelief and despair.
His father had known Lily for less than five minutes and already he was ready to leave her everything in his will. It was no wonder he’d made himself a target for every woman with a sob story.
Callie had spotted that vulnerability and dug her claws deep. No doubt Diandra was working on the same soft spot.
A dark, deeply buried memory stirred in the depths of his brain. His father, sitting alone in the bedroom among the wreckage of his wife’s hasty packing, the image of wretched despair as she drove away without looking back.
Never, before or since, had Nik felt as powerless as he had that day. Even though he’d been a young child, he’d known he was witnessing pain beyond words.
The second time it had happened, he’d been a teenager and he remembered wondering why his father would have risked putting himself through such emotional agony a second time.
And then there had been Callie...
He’d known from the first moment that the relationship was doomed and had blamed himself later for not trying to save his father from that particular mistake.
And now here he was again, trapped in the unenviable position of having to make a choice between watching his father walk into another relationship disaster, or potentially damaging their relationship by trying to intervene.
Lily was right that his father was a grown man, able to make his own decisions. So why did he still have this urge to push his father out of the path of the oncoming train?
Emotions boiling inside him, he glanced across the table to his future stepmother, wondering if it was a coincidence that she’d picked the chair as far from his as possible.
She was either shy or she was harbouring a guilty conscience.
He’d promised he wouldn’t interfere, but he was fast rethinking that decision.
He sat in silence, observing rather than participating, while staff discreetly served food and topped up glasses.
His father engaged Lily in conversation, encouraging her to talk about her life and her love of archaeology and Greece.
Forced to sit through a detailed chronology of Lily’s life history, Nik learned that she’d had three boyfriends, worked numerous low-paid jobs to pay for college tuition, was allergic to cats, suffered from severe eczema as a child and had never lived in the same place for more than twelve months.
The more he discovered about her life, the more he realised how hard it had been. She’d made a joke about Cinderella, but Lily made Cinderella look like a slacker.
Learning far more than he’d ever wanted to know, he turned to his father. ‘What is the “news” you have for me?’
‘You will find out soon enough. First, I am enjoying having the company of my son. It’s been too long. I have resorted to the Internet to find news of what is happening with you. You have been spending a great deal of time in San Francisco.’
Happy to talk about anything that shifted the focus from Lily, Nik relaxed slightly and talked broadly about some of the technology developments his company was spearheading and touched lightly on the deal he was about to close, but the diversion proved to be brief.
Kostas spooned olives onto Lily’s plate. ‘You must persuade Nik to take you to the far side of the island to see the Minoan remains. You will need to go early in the day, before it is too hot. At this time of year everything is very dry. If you love flowers, then you will love Crete in the spring. In April and May the island is covered in poppies, daisies, camomile, iris.’ He beamed at her. ‘You must come back here then and visit.’
‘I’d like that.’ Lily tucked into her food. ‘These olives are delicious.’
‘They come from our own olive groves and the lemonade in your fridge came from lemons grown on our own trees. Diandra made it. She is a genius in the kitchen. You wait until you taste her lamb.’ Kostas leaned across and took Diandra’s hand. ‘I took one mouthful and fell in love.’
Losing his appetite, Nik gave her a direct look. ‘Tell me about yourself, Diandra. Where were you brought up?’ He caught Lily’s urgent glance and ignored it, instead listening to Diandra’s stammered response.
From that he learned that she was one of six children and had never been married.
‘She never met the right person, and that is lucky for me,’ his father said indulgently.
Nik opened his mouth to speak, but Lily got there first.
‘You’re so lucky having been born in Greece,’ she said quickly. ‘I’ve travelled extensively in the islands but living here must be wonderful. I’ve spent three summers on Crete and one on Corfu. Where else do you think I should visit?’
Giving her a grateful look, Diandra made several suggestions, but Nik refused to be deflected from his path.
‘Who did you work for before my father?’
‘Ignore him,’ Lily said lightly. ‘He makes every conversation feel like a job interview. The first time I met him I wanted to hand over my résumé. This lamb is delicious by the way. You’re so clever. It’s even better than the lamb Nik and I ate last week and that was a top restaurant.’ She went on to describe what they’d eaten in minute detail and Diandra offered a few observations of her own about the best way to cook lamb.
Deprived of the opportunity to question his future stepmother further, Nik was wondering once again what ‘news’ his father was preparing to announce, when he heard the sound of a child crying inside the house.
Diandra shot to her feet and exchanged a brief look with his father before scurrying from the table.
Nik narrowed his eyes. ‘Who,’ he said slowly, ‘is that?’
‘That’s the news I was telling you about.’ His father turned his head and watched as Diandra returned to the table carrying a toddler whose tangled blonde curls and sleepy expression announced that she’d recently awoken from a nap. ‘Callie has given me full custody of Chloe as a wedding present. Niklaus, meet your half-sister.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
LILY SAT ON the sunlounger in the shade, listening to the rhythmic splash from the infinity pool. Nik had been swimming for the past half an hour, with no break in the relentless laps back and forth across the pool.
Whatever had possessed her to agree to come for this wedding?
It had been like falling straight into the middle of a bad soap opera.
Diandra had been so intimidated by Nik she’d barely opened her mouth and he, it seemed, had taken that as a sign that she had nothing worth saying. Lunch had been a tense affair and the moment his father had produced his little half-sister Nik had gone from being coolly civil to remote and intimidating. Lily had worked so hard to compensate for his frozen silence she’d virtually performed cartwheels on the terrace.
And she couldn’t comprehend his reaction.
He was too old to care about sharing the affections of his father, and too independently wealthy to care about the impact on his inheritance. The toddler was adorable, a cherub with golden curls and a ready smile, and his father and Diandra had been so obviously thrilled by the new addition to the family Lily couldn’t understand the problem.
On the walk back from lunch she’d tentatively broached the subject but Nik had cut her off and made straight for his office where he’d proceeded to work without interruption.
Trying to cure her headache, Lily had drunk plenty of water and then read her book in the shade but she’d been unable to concentrate on the words.
She knew it was none of her business, but still she couldn’t keep her mouth shut and when Nik finally vaulted from the pool in an athletic movement that displayed every muscle in his powerful frame, she slid off her sunlounger and blocked his path.
‘You were horrible to Diandra at
lunch and if you want to heal the rift with your father, that isn’t the way. She is not a gold-digger.’
His face was an uncompromising mask. ‘And you know this on less than a few minutes’ acquaintance?’
‘I’m a good judge of character.’
‘This from a woman who didn’t know a man was married?’
She felt herself flush. ‘I was wrong about him, but I’m not wrong about Diandra, and you have to stop giving her the evil eye.’
Droplets of water clung to his bronzed shoulders. ‘I was not giving her the evil eye.’
‘Nik, you virtually grilled her at the table. I was waiting for you to throw her on the barbecue along with the lamb. You were terrifying.’
‘Theé mou, that is not true. She behaved like a woman with a guilty conscience.’
‘She behaved like a woman who was terrified of you! How can you be so blind?’ And then she realised in a flash of comprehension that she was the one who was blind. He wasn’t being small-minded, or prejudiced. That wasn’t what was happening. She saw now that he was afraid for his father. His actions all stemmed from a desire to protect him. In his own way he was displaying the exact loyalty she valued so highly. Like a gazelle approaching a sleeping lion, she tiptoed carefully. ‘I think your perspective may be a little skewed because of what happened with your father’s other relationships. Do you want to talk about it?’
‘Unlike you, I don’t have the desire to verbalise every thought that enters my head.’
Lily stiffened. ‘That was a little harsh given that I’m trying to help, but I’m going to forgive you because I can see you’re very upset. And I think I know why.’
‘Don’t forgive me. If you’re angry, say so.’
‘You told me not to verbalise every thought that enters my head.’
Nik wiped his face with the towel and sent her a look that would have frozen molten lava. ‘I don’t need help.’
Lily tried a different approach. ‘I can see that this situation has the potential for all sorts of complications, not least that Diandra has been given another woman’s child to raise as her own just a few days before the wedding, but she seemed thrilled. Your father is clearly delighted. They’re happy, Nik.’
‘For how long?’ His mouth tightened. ‘How long until it all falls apart and his heart is broken again? What if this time he doesn’t heal?’ His words confirmed her suspicions and she felt a rush of compassion.
‘This isn’t about Diandra, it’s about you. You love your father deeply and you’re trying to protect him.’ It was ironic, she thought, that Nik Zervakis, who was supposedly so cold and aloof, turned out to have stronger family values than David Ashurst, who on the surface had seemed like perfect partner material. It was something that her checklist would never have shown up. ‘I love that you care so much about him, but has it occurred to you that you might be trying to save him from the best thing that has ever happened in his life?’
‘Why will this time be different from the others?’
‘Because he loves her and she loves him. Of course having a toddler thrown into the mix will make for a challenging start to the relationship, but—’ She frowned as she examined that fact in greater depth. ‘Why did Callie choose to do this now? A child is a person, not a wedding present. You think she was hoping to derail your father’s relationship with Diandra?’
‘The thought had occurred to me but no, that isn’t what she is trying to do.’ He hesitated. ‘Callie is marrying again and she doesn’t want the child.’
He delivered that news in a flat monotone devoid of emotion, but this time Lily was too caught up in her own emotions to think about his.
Callie didn’t want the child?
She felt as if she’d been punched in the gut. All the air had been sucked from her lungs and suddenly she couldn’t breathe.
‘Right.’ Her voice was croaky. ‘So she gives her up as if she’s a dress that’s gone out of fashion? I’m not surprised you didn’t like her. She doesn’t sound like a very likeable person.’ Horrified by the intensity of her response and aware he was watching her closely, she moved past him. ‘If you’re sure you don’t want to talk then I think I’m going to have a rest before dinner. The heat makes me sleepy.’
He frowned. ‘Lily—’
‘Dinner is at eight? I’ll be ready by then.’ She steered her shaky legs towards her bedroom and closed the door behind her.
What was the matter with her?
This wasn’t her family.
It wasn’t her life.
Why did she have to take everything so personally?
Why was she worrying about how little Chloe would feel when she was old enough to ask about her mother when it wasn’t really any of her business? Why did she care about all the potential threats she could see to his family unit?
The door behind her opened and she stiffened but kept her back to him. ‘I’m about to lie down.’
‘I upset you,’ he said quietly, ‘and that was not my intention. You were generous enough to come here with me, the least I can do is respond to your questions in a civil tone. I apologise.’
‘I’m not upset because you didn’t want to talk. I understand you don’t find it helpful.’
‘Then what’s wrong?’ When she didn’t reply he cursed softly. ‘Talk to me, Lily.’
‘No. I’m having lots of feelings of my own and you hate talking about feelings. And no doubt you’ll find some way to interpret what I’m feeling in a bad way, because that seems to be your special gift. You twist everything beautiful into something dark and ugly. You really should leave now. I need to self-soothe.’
She expected to hear the pounding of feet and the sound of a door closing behind him, but instead felt the warm strength of his hands curve over her shoulders.
‘I do not twist things.’
‘Yes, you do. But that’s your problem. I can’t deal with it right now.’
‘I don’t want you to self-soothe.’ The words sounded as if they were dragged from him. ‘I want you to tell me what’s wrong. My father asked you a lot of personal questions over lunch.’
‘I don’t mind that.’
‘Then what? Is this about Chloe?’
She took a juddering breath. ‘It’s a little upsetting when adults don’t consider how a child might feel. It’s lovely that she has a loving father, but one day that little girl is going to wonder why her mother gave her away. She’s going to ask herself whether she cried too much or did something wrong. Not that I expect you to understand.’
There was a long pulsing silence and his grip on her arms tightened. ‘I do understand.’ His voice was low. ‘I was nine when my mother left and I asked myself all those questions and more.’
She stood still, absorbing both the enormity and the implications of that revelation. ‘I didn’t know.’
‘I don’t talk about it.’
But he’d talked about it now, with her. Warmth spread through her. ‘Did seeing Chloe stir it all up for you?’
‘This whole place stirs it up,’ he said wearily. ‘Let’s hope Chloe doesn’t ask herself those same questions when she’s older.’
‘I was a baby and I still ask myself those questions.’ And she had questions for him, so many questions, but she knew they wouldn’t be welcome.
‘I appreciate you listening to me, but I know you don’t really want to talk about this so you should probably leave now.’
‘Seeing as I am indirectly responsible for the fact you’re upset by bringing you here in the first place, I have no intention of leaving.’
‘You should.’ Her voice was thickened. ‘It’s the situation, not you. You’ve never even met your half-sister so you can’t be expected to love her and your father is obviously pleased, but a toddler is a lot of work and he’s about to be married. W
hat if he decides he doesn’t want Chloe either?’
‘He won’t decide that.’ His hands firm, he turned her to face him. ‘He has wanted her from the first day, but Callie did everything she could to keep the child from him. I have no idea what my father will say when Chloe is old enough to ask, but he is a sensitive man—much more sensitive than I am as you have discovered—and he will say the right thing, I’m sure.’ His hands stroked her bare arms and she gave a little shiver.
She could see the droplets of water clinging to dark hair that shadowed his bare chest.
Unable to help herself, she lifted her hand to his chest and then caught herself and pulled back.
‘Sorry—’ She took a step backwards but he muttered something under his breath in Greek and hauled her back against him. Her brain blurred as she was flattened against the heat and power of his body, his arm holding her trapped. He used his other hand to tilt her face to his and she drowned in the heated burn of his eyes in the few seconds before he bent his head and kissed her. And then there was nothing but the hunger of his mouth and the erotic slide of his tongue and it felt every bit as good as it had the first time. So good that she forgot everything except the pounding of her pulse and the desperate squirming heat low in her pelvis.
Pressed against his hard, powerful chest she forgot about feeling miserable and unsettled.
She forgot all the reasons this wasn’t a good idea.
She forgot everything except the breathtaking excitement he generated with his mouth and hands. His kiss was unmistakably sexual, his tongue tangling with hers, his gaze locked on hers as he silently challenged her.
‘Yes, yes.’ With a soft murmur of acquiescence, she wrapped her arms round his neck, feeling the damp ends of his hair brush her wrists.
The droplets of water on his chest dampened her thin sundress until it felt as if there were nothing between them.
