Roberto slowed down, unsure what to do. Maybe Stasia knew the man. Maybe she’d welcome the company. As Stasia smiled at the man, Roberto’s body tensed. He knew it shouldn’t bother him. It wasn’t like the guy was horning in on a date. They’d merely bumped into each other.
Maybe he should head over there and take his seat. After all, this was his time with Stasia. Was that a thing? Could friends claim time with each other?
Or perhaps he should head to his cabin. He could get some work done before meeting up with his family for dinner. Just then his phone vibrated, letting him know a new email had landed in his inbox.
But instead of withdrawing his phone to find out what required his attention, he continued gazing in Stasia’s direction. He wanted to be sure everything was all right before he moved on.
Stasia’s smile faded. He couldn’t hear what was being said, but the shake of her head let him know she was no longer interested in the man’s company. And yet the man didn’t move on. Instead the man reached out to touch her. Stasia quickly withdrew her arm.
That was it. The decision had been made for him.
Without giving himself time to reconsider what he was about to do, Roberto headed across the busy deck, weaving and bobbing around the vacationers. He did his best to keep an eye on the situation—it was what Xander would want him to do.
He wondered if Xander had picked this cruise specifically for his sister because he knew Roberto would be on it. If so, it was strange that Xander hadn’t mentioned anything to him.
The young man made himself comfortable in his chair and that wouldn’t do. Roberto walked up to Stasia. The easiest and fastest way to get rid of her newfound admirer was simple.
“Sorry it took so long, darling.” Roberto placed the coffee on the table and then kissed Stasia’s cheek.
He noticed the softness of her skin and wondered if her lips would be just as soft. The thought of sneaking in another kiss crossed his mind, but just as quickly he dismissed it.
As Roberto straightened, he noticed the gentle floral scent of her perfume. It was pleasant and fresh like spring. It so suited her because anytime he’d been around Stasia, she’d been sunny and energetic.
The man across the table sat there with his mouth slightly agape as his gaze moved between the two of them. Was it so hard to believe they were together? Sure, he was a few years older than Stasia, but he wasn’t an old man by any stretch of imagination.
“I...uh...” The man practically tripped getting to his feet. “Gotta go.”
And that was it. The guy turned and made a quick retreat to the bar. Roberto could only wonder if he was seeking a drink to calm his nerves or if he was about to try his luck with one of the young women sitting at the bar.
“What did you do that for?” Stasia’s eyes reflected her confusion.
The lack of a smile on her face led him to wonder if he was in trouble. “I saw the guy bothering you.” The guy had been bothering her, hadn’t he? He hadn’t misread her agitation with the young guy, had he? “You weren’t interested in him, were you?”
For a moment, Stasia didn’t respond. Roberto started to worry he was going to have to track that guy down and apologize. That was about the last thing he wanted to do on this trip.
At last, she shook her head. “I think he was hitting on any available woman on the cruise. I tried to tell him I wasn’t interested, but he was the type that didn’t take no for an answer.” And then her gaze narrowed in on him. “And you couldn’t think of any other way to get rid of him other than to act like we’re a couple?”
Roberto smiled. “It worked, didn’t it?”
She sent him a funny look as though she wasn’t sure what to say. Luckily, she didn’t know how that innocent kiss had affected him. He’d make sure not to do that again. Getting sucked into Stasia’s orbit did strange things to his mind.
* * *
Had that just happened?
Stasia resisted the urge to touch her cheek where just moments ago Roberto’s lips had been. They’d known each other for years, but they’d never shared a hug, much less a kiss. Usually, it was a passing hello or a nod of recognition.
And it wasn’t like he was the first man to kiss her cheek. Why was she letting it get to her like this? When he’d kissed her, her heart had pounded, her mouth had gone dry and her palms had dampened. Sheesh! She really needed to get out more.
She assured herself that it was just the shock of Roberto acting like her significant other. It had caught her completely off guard. Everything would be fine now.
Stasia’s mouth suddenly felt dry. She took a large gulp of the strong coffee. That might not have been her brightest idea. She coughed.
Roberto sent her a concerned look. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, then coughed again. “Swallowed the wrong way.”
She took a more conservative sip and it calmed her throat. “I should be going. There’s so much on the ship to explore. I’m not even sure where to begin.”
“They have an app. Did you load it to your phone?” When she looked at him with a blank look, he said, “Could I have your phone?”
She pulled it from a pocket in her black purse and handed it over. He quickly downloaded the app and handed it back to her. “There you go. It’ll give you a schedule so you know what’s available. Oh, I almost forgot. You should switch your phone to airplane mode to avoid premium roaming charges.”
She swiped her finger over the phone until she had the right screen. “Got it.”
“And one more thing. You’ll want to hook up to the ship’s Wi-Fi.”
He talked her through the process, and in no time, she was set to go. “Thank you. I wouldn’t have thought of that. You must go on a lot of cruises.”
“Actually, this is my second. But I do a lot of research. It’s one of my hobbies. I research locations, periods in history, all sorts of things. I guess you could say my mind is filled with all sorts of trivia.”
“That will come in handy for you.”
Lukos had always known how to do those types of things for her. It was just one more thing that she needed to learn to do for herself. The more she did for herself, the more confident she felt.
She smiled at Roberto. “Thank you. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”
“I’d like that.”
She reluctantly walked away. If given the opportunity, she would have liked to sit and talk the rest of the morning. Roberto had always been easy to be around.
But she had a life plan to brainstorm. Socializing would have to wait for another time. Besides, she couldn’t impose on Roberto’s time with his family.
DAY TWO
Katakolon, Greece
SO FAR THE TRIP was okay.
Stasia’s image came to mind. Maybe the trip was better than okay. Roberto smiled. Much better.
But then there was his grandmother. She was a lady who didn’t accept the word no from anyone, including him. And right now, she was more interested in his love life than he found comfortable.
Why exactly had he agreed to come on this cruise? Oh, yes, it was his cousin’s wedding. And he loved his cousin. But still, wedding bells and his matchmaking grandmother were not a good match. He really should have given this more thought. Perhaps he could have flown in for the ceremony and had the helicopter wait for him after the reception. That would have been much better than enduring the entire trip.
Still, he did have the opportunity to get to know Stasia better. The thought brought another smile to his lips. She was a nice surprise on this ship. At least he had an ally on this voyage.
It was as though his thoughts of Stasia made her appear. She entered the passageway just ahead of him. This trip was definitely looking up.
“Hey, Stasia.”
She turned.
He rushed to catch up with her. “Did you make plans fo
r dinner?”
Her forehead scrunched up. “Is this something I should check on my app?”
He chuckled. “I meant to say, do you want to have dinner with me? But if you don’t want to or you have other plans, that’s fine—”
“No. I mean no, I don’t have other plans, and yes, I’d enjoy having dinner with you.”
“Roberto! Roberto!”
He didn’t have to turn around to know the perky voice belonged to his cousin. If he had a sibling, he’d want them to be just like Gaia. She was so full of life that it bubbled out of her and spread to those around her.
Roberto paused in the passageway. Stasia stopped next to him and they both turned. His cousin rushed up to him with one of her great big warm smiles. And then she wrapped him in a big hug. He hoped her future husband realized how lucky he was to have Gaia in his life.
When Gaia pulled back, she was still smiling. “We kept missing each other yesterday and I was starting to wonder if you were really on the ship. But I’m glad you’re here.” It was then that her gaze moved to Stasia. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Remembering his manners, he said, “Gaia, I’d like you to meet Stasia Marinakos. Stasia, this is my cousin Gaia, the blushing bride.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Stasia said, holding a hand out to Gaia.
“We can do better than that.” Gaia hugged a surprised Stasia.
Roberto smiled as Stasia experienced the Gaia effect. When it came to making people feel comfortable and welcomed, his cousin knew how to do it. They may be opposites, but he couldn’t love her more if she were his sister.
When the two women parted, Stasia said, “Roberto told me about the wedding in Venice. Congratulations. I’m sure it will be absolutely beautiful.”
Gaia’s dark brows drew together. “You sound like you won’t be there.”
“I... I won’t be.”
Gaia’s puzzled gaze moved from Stasia to him and then back again. “Consider yourself invited. You will be Roberto’s plus-one.” Gaia’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it. “I’ve got to go. It was so good to meet you.” Gaia turned to him and mouthed, “She’s great.”
Without waiting for anyone to speak, Gaia took off down the passageway.
“What just happened?” Stasia’s eyes reflected her confusion.
“That was my cousin. She’s kind of like a force of nature.”
“But she thinks you and I...that we’re a couple. Why didn’t you correct her?”
He smiled. “Because she wouldn’t care what I said. She likes to come to her own conclusions. She’s a lot like our grandmother. She’ll figure out the truth eventually.”
“And the wedding?”
He paused. His cousin didn’t have such a bad idea after all. Weddings made him uncomfortable, especially when his family started asking when he was going to walk down the aisle. His answer was always the same—never.
“What do you think?” he asked. “Would you like to go to the wedding?”
Stasia immediately shook her head. “I couldn’t impose.”
“You wouldn’t be. My cousin is expecting you to be there.”
Stasia paused as though considering the idea. “I always did like weddings, and one in Venice has got to be beautiful.”
“Good. That’s settled.” He glanced at his phone and the growing number of emails in his inbox. “I have some work to do, but I’ll see you at dinnertime.”
They exchanged room numbers and he said he’d pick her up at seven for dinner. Why did that seem so far away? After all, it was already after eleven. After eleven? That meant he didn’t have long to work before meeting up with his family for lunch shortly.
* * *
This is great. Some downtime to relax and regroup. Maybe Xander had the right idea all along.
Stasia decided not to go ashore at Katakolon. Instead she grabbed her laptop and headed to the deck to enjoy some sun while she did research on her computer. It was time for her to make a plan for the future.
She moved to one of the lounge chairs and sat down. She glanced at her phone and thought about checking out the ship’s app. On second thought, she placed her phone in her bag. She didn’t have time for fun. She wanted to have a life plan or at least a five-year plan by the time they returned to Athens.
She wondered what Roberto was doing at that moment. Was he having fun with his family? Or was he checking his phone every minute for a new business email? Probably the latter. She smiled. They’d make a good pair on this voyage—each busy with their own endeavors.
The warmth of the sun was so relaxing. Each stiffened muscle loosened. For just a moment, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
She hadn’t realized until then how much time she’d spent indoors in the past few years. Other than her time on Infinity Island, she’d been inside, at first taking care of Lukos, and then for a number of months after that, she wasn’t sure what she did. It was all a blur of tears, regret over all the missed opportunities and then the finality of the paperwork. She never knew there could be so much paperwork involved with a death.
A gentle breeze rushed over her body, cooling it from the sun’s rays. If she didn’t have so much to do, she could be just like a cat and curl up for a nap in the sun. She really should get to work.
She opened her laptop. Realizing that it was too sunny where she was, she moved to a shaded spot. It was so much easier on her eyes.
She would start with a search engine. She did searches on her interests that included reading and teaching, but she lacked the appropriate degree... Maybe she could go back to school. But the more she thought of it, the more she decided against it.
The afternoon wasn’t without its interruptions. It appeared she must have a sign on her forehead that said Single and Alone. Because she was hit on numerous times. Thankfully, the men were charming and respectful when she said she wasn’t interested. Still, it was awkward and time-consuming. And the last thing she wanted to do was stay in her cabin for the whole cruise. She could have stayed home if she were going to do that.
It was almost time for her to get ready for dinner and she still didn’t have an idea of how she wanted to focus her life. At the age of twenty-nine, weren’t people supposed to have these things figured out? Well, she’d thought she had it all figured out, but then Lukos had been diagnosed with cancer, and it hadn’t just affected his life—hers had changed dramatically too.
She shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind. She had a dinner date. Not a date date, but dinner with a man who wasn’t her brother. The thought spurred her into action. She was actually looking forward to this dinner. Roberto seemed so different outside of the office—much more relaxed and, dare she say it, fun.
* * *
At last it was dinnertime.
Roberto couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so anxious for a meal. He made his way down the passageway toward Stasia’s cabin. His footsteps grew faster.
After a day of touring Katakolon with his family and being introduced to one available woman after the next, he couldn’t wait to have the company of an ally. His grandmother had been so upset when he’d almost gleefully told her that he had dinner plans. When his grandmother pushed, he’d admitted that it was Stasia. His grandmother had given him a suspicious look. He hadn’t revealed any details, letting her think whatever she wanted so long as she didn’t set him up with any other granddaughters of friends.
He had firmly decided that was his last trip ashore with his family. He’d rather stay on the ship the remainder of the cruise than be subjected to his grandparents’ tag-team approach to dissecting his life.
The one question he did want to ask his grandmother was how she was able to get all of these single women on this cruise. But he figured he was better off not knowing and pushed the whole matchmaking scenario to the back of his mind.
He double-checked the note he’d made on his phone to remind him of Stasia’s cabin number. This was it. He’d just knocked on the door when it was jerked open a crack.
Stasia peered out at him. “You’re here?”
He frowned. Had he been so rattled today by his grandmother’s blatant matchmaking that he’d mixed up the time in his head? “Weren’t we supposed to meet at seven?”
“Oh. Is it that late?” The look on her face was one of panic.
He’d never seen Stasia anything but cool and collected—even at her husband’s funeral. Her eyes had told another story, but on the outside, she was elegant and graceful. He’d never known how she’d held it all together so well. If he’d been in her shoes, he’d have been a total wreck, inside and out.
He cleared his throat. “If you need more time, I can come back.”
She worried her bottom lip as though considering what to do. And then she shook her head. “You might as well come in.”
He wasn’t sure what he’d be walking into considering her worried expression. As she swung the door wide open, he took in the sight. On the bed was a pile of dresses that looked like they’d been tried on and then discarded.
“I... I couldn’t decide what to wear.” Her face bloomed with pinkness that looked totally adorable on her. “I haven’t gone to dinner with a man that wasn’t my brother since...well, since Lukos.”
Roberto nodded in understanding. “It’s okay. You can relax. After all, this isn’t a date. Right?”
The look on her face was not telling. “Right.”
“Do you want help cleaning this up?”
She shook her head. And that was when he noticed she was wearing a strapless black gown with a sequined bodice and a flouncy skirt. She looked... He struggled for a word that did her beauty justice.
“You look amazing.” His gaze met hers. The color in her cheeks intensified. “Shall we go?”
“I... I can’t. Could you help me?”
Wearing the Greek Millionaire's Ring Page 3
