After hanging up she told Danae what happened. The older woman cocked her head. “Who else could it be but Takis? Aside from Nassos, he’s the most exciting man I’ve almost ever bumped into.”
Lys chuckled.
“The man’s charm is lethal. I have no doubt it rattled Giorgos, who, according to Nassos, was interested in you from the moment he came to work.”
“You’re kidding—”
This time it was Danae who laughed. “When Nassos realized Giorgos was invisible to you, he stopped worrying that he’d hired him.”
“I had no idea I was that transparent.”
“There were two or three men you dated that gave us concern because you seemed so swayed by them. We felt you were too young and we ran interference for your sake. But it was when you started seeing Kasmos Loukos, whose father owns the Loukos Shipping lines in Macedonia, we grew very nervous.
“That spoiled young man had already been seen with too many wealthy celebrities. Nassos knew Kasmos was shopping around for the best female prospect to build on his father’s fortune. When we saw the way he went about seducing you, we were fearful you might really be in love with him. The problem was, you were an adult. We couldn’t do anything about it, and only hoped you could see through him before it was too late.”
“Which I did. One night he started talking to me about Nassos, asking questions that were none of his business. That’s when a light went on and I remembered all the lessons you’d tried to teach me. I was no longer blinded and told him I didn’t want to see him anymore. You should have seen his face—”
“Thank goodness that relationship didn’t last! I’m afraid neither Nassos nor I ever thought you’d met your match. Speaking of which, I think you’d better take the helicopter back to the hotel so you can meet up with this mystery man before you die of curiosity.”
Heat crept into her cheeks. “I’m not dying,” Lys muttered.
“You could have fooled me.” She reached for her phone. “I’ll alert the pilot.”
Lys checked her watch. Ten after one. She’d been here a long time. The two of them were closer than ever. They were family and needed each other while they mourned their loss. No longer did Lys want to go to New York except for a visit to the Farrells’. Her life was here. Takis was here and not going anywhere. Joy.
She walked over to hug her. “Have a lovely evening with Stella. Don’t get up. I’ll see myself out.”
“Let me know how this ends.”
“You know I will. Love you.”
After leaving the villa, she walked out to the pad and climbed on board the helicopter. Within fifteen minutes the pilot landed on top of the Rodino Hotel. She took the elevator to the third floor and freshened up in her suite. With the blood pounding in her ears, she went down to the lobby.
If Takis was here and waiting in the lounge, he’d see her. But since he still hadn’t phoned her, she began to think it must have been some other man. Lys couldn’t think who that would be unless it was a high-tech salesperson not wanting to go through Giorgos to reach her.
Magda, one of the personnel on duty at the desk, waved her over. “Giorgos told me to watch for you. I’ll get him.” The woman hurried off before Lys could tell her not to bother.
A second later he came out of his office and walked toward the counter where she was standing. At the same time, she felt two hands slide around her waist from behind.
“Forgive me,” Takis whispered. “I have my reason for doing this.”
The intimacy brought a small gasp to her lips. She whirled around, meeting those intense hazel eyes that were devouring her.
“Don’t look now, but Giorgos is having a meltdown,” he murmured. She wouldn’t have understood what he meant if she hadn’t just had a certain conversation with Danae about the manager. Their mouths were mere centimeters apart. His warm breath on her lips excited her so much, she forgot that she was clinging to his arms. “I’ll answer your questions later. Come with me first. We’re going for a ride.”
Her heart nearly ran away with her as he kept an arm around her shoulders and they left the hotel. Instead of walking her to a taxi, he helped her into a black, middle-of-the-line Acura parked in the registration check-in line. Leon, one of the staff members outside, stared at the two of them in surprise.
Takis started up the engine and darted into the heavy main street traffic in front of the resort. When she could find her voice she said, “This smells brand new.”
He flashed her a smile. “I just drove it off the lot. I’m here for the next six months and need transportation.” His choice of car made total sense considering the modest income of his family.
“My driving must have frightened you more than I realized.”
“Are you saying you would have agreed to be my chauffeur day and night? If so, we’ll drive back to the car dealership and turn it in.”
Lys laughed gently while he drove them along the harbor road to the Venetian Fortress of Koules. He pulled into a parking space where they could watch the boats.
After shutting off the engine, he turned to her, stretching his arm along the back of the seat. “I owe you an explanation. Thank you for going along with me back there.”
“I take it you wanted to make a statement. So why did you do it?”
“In order for us to be together so no one knows the underpinnings of our relationship, I’m proposing we do something shocking. How would you feel about getting engaged to me?”
Engaged?
Lys looked away, literally stunned by what he’d just said.
“Hear me out before you tell me how outrageous I’m being. It could be the one thing that will make it easier to help us achieve our main goal.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you agree the most important one is for us to get through the next six months honoring Nassos’s wishes?”
Her pulse had started to race. “That goes without saying.”
“An engagement will give us the perfect cover. While you run the hotel, I’ll spend real time with my family. When I whisk you away for a little personal time together, or spend time in your hotel room, no one will know I’m helping you behind the scenes.”
Lys struggled to sit still. Nassos had told her Takis was a genius with vision, but this proposition went beyond the boundaries of her imagination. The thought of being engaged to him robbed her of breath.
“The only way the manager will understand why you and I are spending time together and not become suspicious is if he thinks we’re romantically involved. I was simply setting the scene.”
A thrill of alarm passed through her body. “There’s no doubt you accomplished your objective a few minutes ago,” she said in a tremulous voice.
“It had to be convincing. Tell me something. When you flew to Italy, did the staff know you were leaving the country?”
“Only Giorgos, but I didn’t tell him where and let him assume what he wanted.”
“That’s perfect. Just now it didn’t hurt for him and other members of the staff to see us meet in the lobby and assume we have a history away from Crete. When we walked out of the hotel with my arm around you, it no doubt created a new wave of gossip.”
“You know it did.” Being that close to him practically gave her a heart attack.
“If we’re engaged, it’ll be about you and me for a change. I’m aware the old gossip came close to crucifying you. An engagement would put an end to it.”
“I can’t imagine anything more wonderful than changing that particular conversation.” She took an extra breath. “I’ll admit it was awful for Danae too.”
He studied her for a moment. “Neither of you deserved this. It pains me for both of you. The new gossip you and I create will cause people to see you in a new light. With a ring on your finger from me, the old
news will be forgotten.”
She closed her eyes tightly. He was making it sound possible and that increased her nervousness. If this proposal had come from his heart, she’d be in heaven. But it hadn’t, and she needed to remember that.
“Lys?” he prodded.
“Can you tell me what you’ve decided to do about your other businesses?”
“I’m already in negotiations to sell my chain of hotels in New York and invest the money. After talking it over with my partners, I’m going to stay committed to them. The castello hotel-restaurant will be the only asset I own and I’ll fly to Milan when necessary.”
“I’m sure they’ll be happy about that.” Her voice shook from emotions sweeping through her. “Do your parents know what you’ve done?”
He nodded. “I’ve told them I’ve come home for good and want to help out at the family hotel. My father hasn’t said anything about that yet. Lukios has indicated I’m not needed. He explained they would have to let someone else go who must keep their job. I understood that and told him I’d be happy to do some advertising around Crete to bring in more clients.”
“What did he say?”
“He shook his head and left the living room with the excuse that he was needed at the front desk and we’d talk later.”
“I’m sorry, but these are early days. Your mother must be ecstatic!”
“I think she’s still in shock that I haven’t gone back to Italy yet.”
“You’ll have to give your family time before everyone accepts the fact that you’re home permanently. But you have to know she’s thrilled, and she’s the one to work on. After all, your mother was the one who begged you to come home permanently. In the meantime, you can offer to do little things for her.”
Takis studied her intently. “You’re a very intuitive woman, so I’m going to take your advice. A few more days and they might be more receptive to the idea of my helping around the hotel. Maybe I’ll be able to break my parents down enough so they’ll start confiding in me.”
Lys moistened her lips nervously. “I’m sure things will get better for you, but I’m afraid you haven’t thought out your proposition carefully enough where I’m concerned.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you were to tell them we’re engaged, it could make things a lot worse for you. I’ve been in the news recently. Have you thought they might not approve of me?”
His brows furrowed. “If you’re the woman I’ve chosen, they won’t say anything no matter their personal feelings. I know that if my mother heard your whole story, she’d be thrilled. Besides, deep down she’s had a fear I’d end up with some foreigner and as you’re half Cretan, she’ll be overjoyed.”
“I am part foreigner,” Lys murmured. “How would you explain our meeting?”
“That’s simple. We met at the castello hotel in Italy while you were on vacation a while ago. It was love at first sight and we’ve been together ever since.”
His words sank deep in her psyche. It might not have been love at first sight, but a powerful emotion had shaken her to the core when he’d walked in his office to find her there. That emotion continued to grow stronger until she knew he was the man she’d been waiting for all her adult life.
Lys looked away from him. “How will you explain it when we break up in six months and call off the engagement?”
“I don’t know. Right now I’m trying to navigate through new waters because of what Nassos has done to us. This situation could have happened forty years from now, but it didn’t. You and I are both vulnerable for a variety of reasons and we need to think this through carefully if we’re going to do it right.”
“I agree.”
“Isn’t it interesting to realize Nassos had no way of knowing that he’d done me a favor when he deeded me half the hotel. It has forced me to come home and try to make a difference for my family, something I should have done a long time ago.”
Lys could feel his pain. “I’m sorry you have the worry of their health on your mind.”
“I’ve been living with it for a while. Maybe I’ve been wrong and misread what I thought about mother. Just because she has aged a little doesn’t mean she’s ill.”
“That’s probably all it is.”
“Cesare has accused me of leaping to conclusions. Still, if one of them is ill, I need to find that out. But they’re so closed up, it’ll take time to pry them open if they’re keeping a secret from me. Nothing else is as important to me right now.”
“I can relate,” her voice trembled. “After Nassos hit his head, he pretended that everything was fine, but I could tell he wasn’t himself and it gnawed at me. So I can understand how disturbed you are by your mother’s plea that you move back here.”
He flicked her an all-encompassing glance. “No matter what, it’s my worry. The decision of our getting engaged is up to you. If I see one problem, it’s how Danae would feel about it. If neither of you is comfortable with the idea, then we’ll figure out another way to proceed.”
After Lys’s conversation at the villa with Danae earlier in the day, she had no clue how the other woman would react over such an unorthodox idea. But you couldn’t compare Takis in the same breath with any other man. Even Danae had admitted as much.
“I—I don’t know what Danae will say...” Her voice faltered.
“I realize you love and respect her, and you are uncertain with good reason. Even if Danae could see some value in it, she would probably tell you no. Six months of being engaged to me will prevent you from meeting a man you might want to marry. It will rob you of an important chunk of time out of your life.”
“And yours!”
“Let’s not worry about that. What matters most to me is to be back with my family where I’m able to make a contribution any way I can and still be a sounding board for you without anyone knowing.”
Lys was so confused she couldn’t think straight. He’d brought up some valid points that went straight to the heart of their individual dilemmas. But she needed to sort out her thoughts and would have to talk to Danae.
He sat back and turned on the engine. “I need to get home, so I’m going to drive you back to the hotel. I’m in no hurry for a decision. There’s no deadline. I’ll leave it up to you to contact me when you want to discuss hotel business.”
Before long he pulled up in front of the hotel. Lys could tell he was anxious to leave. “We’ll talk soon, Takis. Take care.”
“Just a minute.” He leaned across and kissed her briefly on the mouth. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. “I needed that,” he whispered before she opened the door and got out.
Her heart thudding, she rushed past Leon without acknowledging him. Her only desire was to get to her room where she could react to his kiss in private. After what he’d just done, the thought of a fake engagement to Takis had caused her heart to pound to a feverish pitch. She feared she was already running a temperature. When she could gather her wits, Lys would phone Danae. They needed to talk.
* * *
Takis drove to Tylissos, still savoring the taste of Lys, whose succulent mouth was a revelation. He’d never be the same again.
Before long he stopped by the children’s hospital. After phoning his mother to find out if she needed him to do any errands for her, he discovered that Kori had taken Cassia to the doctor because of another asthma attack. It meant she’d been forced to leave her part-time work at the restaurant. Takis told his mother he’d look in on them.
He found his older sister holding his niece in her arms while she recovered after the medication they’d given her.
“Tak-Tak,” his little niece cried when she saw him enter the room and held out her arms. Takis gathered her to him and gave her a gentle hug, kissing her neck.
“Do you feel better now?”
�
��Nay. Go home.”
Takis looked at his sister, who had the same dark auburn hair as her daughter, the color of cassia cinnamon. “Did the doctor say she could leave?”
“Yes, but I have to wait until Deimos goes off shift to pick us up.”
“But that won’t be until nine thirty tonight. Tell you what. I’m going to slip out and buy an infant seat for my car. Then I’ll drive you to work.”
“You have a car?”
“I bought one this morning. I need transportation now that I’m back for good.”
She stared hard at him. “You’re really going to live here again?”
He nodded. “I never planned to be gone this long. Now that I’m home, I’m staying put.” Just being here to help his sister let him know he’d done the right thing to come back to Greece for good.
Takis handed a protesting Cassia to her mother. “This won’t take me long. When I get back, I’ll run you by the restaurant and take her to the hotel with me.” His mother tended Cassia when Kori had to go to work.
Her face looked tired but her light gray eyes lit up. “Are you sure?”
“There’s nothing I’d love more.” He leaned over to give them both a kiss on the cheek. “See you in a few minutes.”
Takis hurried out of the hospital and drove to a local store, where he bought a rear-facing and two forward-facing car seats. That way he could take all his nieces and nephews to the park at once.
Within a half hour he was back and had fastened Cassia in her new seat. He would put in the other seats when he had the time. Kori sat next to him while he drove her to the Vrakas restaurant, where Deimos cooked traditional Cretan cuisine.
“Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take good care of her.”
“I know that. She loves you. So do I.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Thank you. I’m so glad you’ve come home.” Her love meant everything to Takis.
After she hurried inside, he chatted with Cassia during the short ride to the old Manolis Hotel. He pulled around the back next to his father’s truck. Lukios’s car wasn’t here, which meant he’d gone to his house a block away. Both his brother and sister lived nearby.
Bound to Her Greek Billionaire Page 7
