Wearing the Greek Millionaire's Ring

by Jennifer Faye

  Roberto had reminded her that she hadn’t died with Lukos, even though it had felt like it at the time. Roberto had let her enjoy herself without the guilt of still being alive while Lukos wasn’t. Roberto didn’t rush her. He didn’t expect things of her. He just accepted her as is.

  Stasia moved off to the side of the deck, out of the way of the returning tourists, and turned to Roberto. He’d been so different since they’d cleared the air last night. She hadn’t known it was possible to be so jealous. And it had all been for naught. Thankfully.

  “You know, if you’re not careful, I’m going to fall for all of your compliments.”

  Roberto’s eyes reflected his playful mood. “You deserve to be complimented every single day and night.”

  She shook her head and lowered her gaze, feeling uncomfortable with his blatant flattery. “No, I don’t.”

  Roberto placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted until their gazes met. “I mean it, Stasia. You are very special.”

  And then his head lowered, capturing her lips with his. Her heart pounded with excitement. She leaned into his embrace. It would be so easy to believe this was the beginning of something—something special.

  The echo of voices faded into the background. The fact they were standing in a crowd of people while kissing didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered in that moment was him and her.

  “Roberto.”

  The stern, disapproving male voice had them jerking apart. Stasia immediately missed the feel of Roberto’s touch. She longed to sidle up next to him—to wrap her arms around his trim waist—to lean into him.

  Instead she turned to find his grandfather frowning at them. It appeared his grandfather didn’t believe in public displays of affection. That was too bad because she couldn’t promise she wouldn’t give in to her desire to share a kiss with Roberto in public again.

  “I’m surprised to find you out here.” His grandfather’s voice held a note of disapproval. “I’ve been looking for you. I called your cell but it went to voice mail.”

  Roberto smoothed his fingers over his mouth. “Hello, Grandfather. My phone died.”

  When a strained silence ensued, Stasia spoke up. “We just got back from sightseeing. Did you have a chance to visit Crotone?”

  His grandfather’s gaze flickered to her. “I did not.” Just as quickly, the older man’s attention returned to his grandson. “I attempted to catch up with you this morning, but it appears you had other priorities.”

  “I just wanted to see the sights with my fiancée.” Roberto reached out and took her hand in his.

  His grandfather’s suspicious gaze moved between the two of them. “Are you trying to tell me this relationship is real? It’s not just a ruse to keep your grandmother off your case?”

  “What?” Roberto’s gaze moved to her before returning to his grandfather. “Of course this is real. You just saw us kissing.”

  It was like the sweetness of the kiss had been wiped away and now the kiss was nothing more than part of their charade. Was that right? Was she just getting caught up in the show they were putting on? Or was there a genuineness to what they’d shared last night?

  The frown lines on his grandfather’s face smoothed. The man turned to Stasia, who remained by Roberto’s side. “I’m sorry for interrupting your day. It looks like my grandson makes you very happy. And you do the same for him.”

  “He does—make me happy, that is.” Stasia smiled brightly as though to confirm her words. It wasn’t a lie to keep the charade going. It was the truth.

  “I’m sorry to intrude—” his grandfather took on a more serious tone as he turned back to Roberto with a direct stare “—but I wanted to discuss those files with you. I assume since you have time for sightseeing that you’ve completed the project.”

  Roberto’s body tensed. His grip on Stasia’s hand tightened. His grandfather was calling him out for not spending every moment working and it was her fault. She was the one who’d lured him out for a day of leisurely strolls, delicious food and good times beneath the Italian sun.

  The tension coursing between the two men was palpable. Stasia’s mind raced for something—for anything—that would break the rising tempers.

  “It’s my fault,” she uttered. Both men turned to her and she knew she had to keep going. “I asked Roberto to go sightseeing today. If you’re angry with anyone, it should be me—”

  “It’s not her fault.” Roberto gave her a stern look as though telling her to back off—that this was his fight. “I should have stayed and worked today.”

  Not one to be warned off, she said, “But I promised him that I would help him—”

  “Help him?” His grandfather’s gray brow arched. “Is that true, Roberto? Do you need help?”

  Stasia inwardly groaned. “That isn’t what I meant—”

  “Stasia, stop.” Roberto released her hand. “You don’t owe my grandfather any explanations.”

  Immediately her lips pressed together in a firm line, holding back all the words she now wanted to say to Roberto. She’d been trying to help him. If he didn’t want her help, she didn’t know what she was doing here.

  Roberto straightened his shoulders. “You didn’t say how I was to complete your project. In fact, I don’t even have to work on this thing for you.”

  Now she could see why Roberto had opted to work with her brother. Both Roberto and his grandfather had iron wills. Neither wanted to back down.

  “Are you saying you’re quitting?” his grandfather asked.

  There was a moment of silence as though Roberto was weighing his options. “I plan to work on your reports the rest of the evening. And before you ask again, yes, Stasia is assisting me.”

  “Those are confidential reports.”

  “And I trust her explicitly.” He turned to her. “Would you mind giving us a minute alone?”

  Stasia nodded before walking away. She hoped the two men would make peace with each other. Everyone needed family—whether it was by blood or by choice.

  * * *

  Roberto’s back teeth ground together.

  Instead of his grandfather being grateful for the help, he could only criticize the way he’d gone about accomplishing it. Roberto remembered exactly why he’d quit working for his grandfather all those years ago.

  Once Stasia was out of earshot, Roberto turned to his grandfather. “Don’t ever do that again.”

  “Do what?” And then his grandfather’s eyes widened in understanding. “You really do care about her. Your grandmother said it was real. I should have trusted her instincts. She’s pretty good at spotting these things.”

  “Not when it came to my parents,” Roberto muttered under his breath.

  “That was different.”

  Roberto hadn’t meant for his grandfather to hear him, but now that he had, Roberto had some questions. “How was it different? My parents can hardly stand to be in the room together.”

  “What you don’t know is that your grandmother and I vehemently opposed their marriage. But the harder line we took, the more insistent your parents were about marrying.”

  Having a very strained relationship with both parents, he would never broach this subject with either of them. “So why don’t they get divorced?”

  His grandfather sighed. “That’s a question I’ve asked myself many times. And the only thing I can figure out is that they truly love each other.”

  “No.” Roberto shook his head. “I’ve seen them. They don’t touch. They hardly talk to each other.”

  “But when you see them, they are with the family. They feel awkward and don’t want any pressure put upon them.”

  “And what? They get along when they are off on their own?”

  His grandfather smiled and nodded. “Your father told me they’ve found a way to be happy together.”

  “But
without me.”

  His grandfather walked over to him and briefly touched his hand to Roberto’s shoulder. “I am sorry about that. Not all people are meant to be parents. Your grandmother and I, we did the best we could, but we weren’t your mom and dad. And...and I worried that I’d make the same mistakes with you that I made with your father. So I overcompensated by being harder on you. Too hard. I... I’m sorry.”

  His grandfather’s explanation and apology were like a balm on his scarred heart. Maybe there was a possibility for a new beginning for them. He could finally allow himself to admit that he missed his family.

  As frustrated as Roberto had been with his grandfather, he loved him even more for always being there—even when Roberto didn’t make the choices his grandparents wanted him to make.

  “Thank you for being the steady presence in my life.”

  His grandfather was quiet for a moment. “Maybe this can be a new start for us.”

  Roberto nodded. He liked the thought of being closer to his grandfather—of returning to the family business.

  His grandfather gave his shoulder another squeeze. “I should be going. Your grandmother will be looking for me.” His grandfather started to walk away but then paused and turned back. “Don’t plan your future based on your parents’ choices. You are your own man and quite capable of anything you set your heart and mind on.”

  And that was it. His grandfather moved toward the interior of the ship, leaving Roberto to grapple with the realization that his parents loved each other in their own way. Maybe he should have seen this—should have suspected this, but he’d been so angry with them most of his life that he was oblivious.

  Even though they loved each other, he would never want a life like theirs. And he knew that Stasia wouldn’t want that lonely life either. Not that he was considering truly marrying her or anything.

  There were still a few more days of the cruise. And he knew that when the ship made port in Athens this whole fantasy would come to a screeching halt.

  He wasn’t ready to deal with that now. He had enough on his mind with his grandfather and his looming deadline.

  Together, he and Stasia quietly made their way to his cabin. Once the door closed, Stasia asked, “What in the world happened back there?”

  “My grandfather was just being himself.”

  “But he was so kind and friendly before.”

  “And he was trying to get me to do something for him. Now that I’m doing what he asked, he doesn’t have to play nice.” He didn’t want to discuss what he’d learned about his parents. He was still trying to make sense of it.

  Stasia pursed her lips. “Is it possible it was something else?”

  “Something like what?”

  “Like he’s worried and anxious to find out what you’ve learned.”

  Instead of quickly rejecting her speculation, Roberto paused. Did she have a point here? He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know. I’ve been butting heads with him for so long now that there’s where my thoughts naturally go. But maybe you’re right. I do know that he looks more tired than I’ve ever seen him.”

  “Is it possible there’s more to those reports than a few transposed numbers?”

  “I know there is. My grandfather wouldn’t send me on a fool’s errand. There is something definitely wrong. I can feel it in my gut. But it might be more serious than I originally suspected.”

  “Or maybe you want there to be something there for you to find so you can prove yourself to your grandfather.”

  There she went again, seeing more of him than he wanted anyone to see. “I don’t have anything to prove.”

  “Says the man working at another company instead of his family business.”

  He stepped up to her. He needed to look her in the eyes when he set the record straight. “I work with your brother because he’s my friend and I like what I do. You don’t know me as well as you think.”

  Stasia’s eyes grew round as her mouth slightly gaped.

  He inwardly groaned. That had come out much gruffer than he’d intended. He didn’t want to hurt Stasia’s feelings. In fact, that was the furthest thing from his mind.

  He just needed her to stop pulling back the scabs on his life’s traumas. One by one, she was revealing the real Roberto, and he felt exposed. It was not a situation he was used to finding himself in.

  The truth was he never left the family business because he wanted to leave. He’d done it to stop the daily arguments with his grandfather. He’d never said he wouldn’t go back. It just had to be on his terms.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “No. I’m the one who’s sorry. Sometimes I forget myself and I venture into subjects that are none of my business.” She glanced off to the side. “Maybe I should leave.”

  He sighed. He was single-handedly ruining this most perfect day. But it wasn’t over yet; there was still a chance to salvage it.

  “Don’t go. I know I took my frustration with my grandfather out on you. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  Stasia hesitated. “And I pushed you more than I should have.”

  “How about we start over?”

  “Do you think it’s possible?”

  “I could order us some dinner,” he said.

  “And I could get started on those reports.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I want to.”

  He smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”

  DAY THIRTEEN

  Sicily, Italy

  THIS WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

  She was standing on a volcano.

  Stasia felt giddy inside. It was exciting to push herself and try new things. A year ago or even five years ago, she would have played it safe. Lukos had been a cautious man. When she’d push for them to be more adventurous, such as going on a weeklong hiking trip along the Amalfi Coast in Italy, he’d countered with a long weekend in wine country in a five-star hotel. She hadn’t argued, perhaps she should have, but she’d preferred to make him happy. And the spa at the hotel had been out of this world.

  But thanks to Roberto, she was finding she was capable of so much more. He didn’t hold her back. He encouraged her to explore—to take chances.

  Stasia couldn’t believe she was seriously considering Roberto’s idea of starting her own foundation. The man seemed to have a way of convincing her she was capable of doing anything she set her mind to. As this trip went on, she was learning that she was capable of far more than she’d previously given herself credit for. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  Still, she worried about letting herself get closer to him. She had to learn to count on herself for her happiness. But as her gaze moved to Roberto, she had absolutely no desire to put any distance between them.

  And then his gaze caught hers and her stomach dipped. He flashed her a smile, causing her to smile back at him. If it weren’t for Roberto, she wouldn’t have thought to challenge herself—to go beyond what she thought were her limits.

  “What has you smiling?” Roberto’s voice cut into her thoughts.

  “You. You have me smiling.”

  “I do?” His voice came out as an enticing deep growl. He moved to stand in front of her. His hands wrapped around her waist as her hands came to rest on his shoulders.

  She nodded. “Standing at the foot of a massive volcano is something I never thought I’d do. I’m beginning to feel like anything is possible.”

  “You can do anything you set your mind to.”

  As the breeze rushed past them, she leaned her head back. She stared up at the clear blue sky. She couldn’t believe this cruise was almost over. She wanted to make the most of every moment they had left.

  It was then that she felt Roberto press his lips to her neck. A shiver of excitement coursed through her body. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who wanted to make
the most of the time they had left.

  When she straightened up, she realized their tour group was getting away from them. “We better hurry across this lava field before they leave us behind.”

  “Would that be such a bad thing?”

  She lightly slapped his arm. “Seriously? And miss the best part.”

  “The best part?”

  She started walking. Roberto fell in step next to her. She moved as quickly as she could, considering they were in a lava field.

  “Don’t you want to wear a helmet and take a flashlight to explore a lava cave?” She glanced over at Roberto, who was smiling and shaking his head. “What? It sounds exciting.”

  “Until something creepy and crawly comes out and attacks you.”

  She visibly shuddered. “It doesn’t matter what you say—it’s not going to stop me.”

  “Are you sure? I hear the spiders down there are big. Really, really big. With long, hairy legs and googly eyes—”

  “Stop!” She frowned at him. “How did you know?”

  “That you’re afraid of spiders?” When she nodded, he said, “It was a calculated guess.”

  “Calculated? Are you saying I’m predictable?”

  “I’d never say that. Because I never would have predicted you’d become my fiancée.”

  She smiled. For just that moment, she wanted to give in to the fantasy, imagine what it’d be like to really be Roberto’s true love—his destiny. Her gaze moved to the heirloom diamond on her hand. It was meant for Roberto’s wife—the woman he was meant to spend the rest of his life with.

  In that moment, she realized that she never wanted to give up the ring. Because to surrender the ring would be to surrender the blissful fantasy. And she didn’t want this to end.

  The breath stilled in her chest. Her heartbeat slowed. What was she saying? Did she really want this engagement to continue?