by Sun Chara
“No.” She shook her head, but she did believe now…realizing that even the eyes could deceive. At last, she understood the measure of the man she married. She wished… Breath rammed in her breast, and in a gutsy move, she crushed the wistful notion beneath her words. “It was a—”
“You’d already pegged me as a no good s.o.b.”
“Y-yes.” She skimmed his stern features, and dropped her gaze to the crystal clear waters. “Oh!” An unbidden smile curved her mouth in delight at the tiny fish darting by, but when she raised her eyes, he still looked grumpy. The sexiest grump…but still unsmiling.
“Yet, you included this.” She waved the envelope in his face. “Drawn up between my mother and your uncle, making me half owner of the Leonadis Boat Rentals—”
He curled his lip. “Worth a mere one thousand euros at the time.”
“But now worth billions.”
“Yep.” He shrugged.
She squinted up at him. Hmm, a little too casual…and if she knew anything about the man she married, she knew he did everything with purpose. “Why?” she asked, her words a challenge.
“You need to ask why?”
“I do.” At first she’d felt bought, cheap and her pride kicked in, and all she wanted was to hurl the papers at him…and oh, yeah, skip town.
Skip town. Exactly what her mother would’ve done. She cringed.
This time though, she doubted he’d follow her. But after the chat with Maria, she realized a man like Michalis wouldn’t shirk his responsibilities, which obviously included her. “Kinda hefty giving away half the company as a divorce settlement, even for you Michalis.”
He laughed, a hard almost cruel sound.
“Or is it a one time all inclusive for spousal support?” That way he’d never have to set eyes on her again, would he?
A pang of such utter desolation washed over her, that she had to shift to get a better footing on the ocean floor. But for some perverse reason she wanted to hear the words from him.
“You’ll have to figure it out,” he said, tone gruff. “I’m fishing.”
“No, you don’t,” she exclaimed. “You owe me an explanation, and you’d better deliver.”
“Or?”
“Uh…the fish’ll get away?”
A reluctant smile cracked his mouth, and then his cool reply nabbed the flitting amusement. “You believed what you wanted to, Julia.”
“Do you blame me under the circumstances?”
A tug on his line intercepted his more than likely acerbic response, and she was glad of the reprieve, no matter how fleeting. The fish flip-flopped at the end of the hook, trying to escape its fate, but was no match for the man gunning the rod. As she’d been no match for the global shipping magnate, Michalis Leonadis. Rubbing her arms with her hands, she nipped her lip with her teeth, and felt her feet sinking down into the sand. This time, she’d stand her ground and do the right thing and clear her conscience.
Even if she lost him.
She’d bat the past far and away into the stratosphere…she was not Lolita. A garbled hiccup got snared in her throat. She was Julia Armstrong Leonadis. She clutched the documents in her nerveless fingers, inhaled a shallow breath, and exhaled sharply. “I’m sorry, Michalis.”
He stilled, resisting the pull of the fish and…her.
The fish put up a heck of a fight, and Michalis had to concentrate not to let it get away. He grunted, every sinew in his body taut, his fingers choking the reel so hard he wanted to snap it in half. A boisterous wave swelled in with force, slamming against his legs, but he was so rigid it didn’t move him, but it did her.
A surprised giggle, and she jumped the wave, missed, got splashed and rammed against him. Ocean spray spritzed his face, and his tight facial muscles began to thaw. Her giggle filled his ears, her subtle perfume… roses with ocean scent filled his senses, and he wanted to haul her into his arms.
Instead, what had he done? Punished her…but grilled himself more.
Foolish guy.
He cast her a covert glance. The waves swished against her legs, and she looked so forlorn with her cotton dress soaked to the waist, that he wanted nothing more than to tear it off her and lose himself in her.
Fueling his lungs with sea air, he blasted out an anguished sound.
He should be whipped for allowing his stubborn pride to dictate his actions, overriding his common sense to the point where he’d allowed her to go it alone this last year. And now he was nearly pushing her out the door with that sham billion-dollar deed via her mercenary mother. Since it hadn’t been properly recorded it’d come to naught in a court of law. But Michalis had set the trap. He had to know.
Know the truth.
What would Julia do when she held a fistful of billions…his billions in her hot little hand?
His gut coiled inside him like a repellant. She might come to hate him anew. But to set them both free from the past, he’d had to take that risk.
Julia’s mother had done a number on her, and indirectly on him. As much as he had to test her on this, perhaps more so, Julia had to know for herself. When faced with the same temptation as her mother—what would Julia do?
It was the greatest gamble of his life. He risked all…on her…on them…their future.
Never had he been so reckless with anyone, anything before he’d met Julia. Why had he behaved in such an asinine manner? He’d always been in control— then he braked, getting rammed in his solar plexus.
She’d gotten under his skin…and for the first time in his life, Michalis Leonadis couldn’t control the situation, or her. And that had left him vulnerable. A growl deep in his throat cued he was still denying the revelation…the inevitable.
Julia Leonadis had become his Achilles heel.
And to have chased after her too quickly after she’d left would’ve spotlighted his susceptibility for a woman. He grimaced. Just like his uncle—his uncle who’d been conned by his American Lolita.
So why didn’t you let her go, big guy?
Why had he concocted that ridiculous ‘strategy’ to bring her back to Greece with him? And then set her up—
He tightened his grip on the rod, his catch still floundering in the depths.
Time to own up, Leonadis.
He loved this woman.
He dug his feet on the sandy floor to better stabilize his footing and scratched the hair on his chest. But if he’d come out and admitted all, believing what she did about him, she’d have laughed in his face.
What’s stopping you now?
Not yet, he ground between his teeth. It was her move.
Julia tucked the documents beneath her elbow, scooped a handful of sand from the ocean bottom, picked out the miniature shells, dropping each one back into the sea, and then submerged her hand, the sand washing away in the waves.
If Michalis didn’t do something soon, he and all he valued most in the world would wash away with the tide. And it wouldn’t matter that he’d instructed the legal whiz, Mario to draw up the real documents transferring a substantial portion of the Leonadis fortune to Julia. She’d fly back to Paris and their only connection would be Amy.
Amy, their beloved daughter.
Guilt lacerated his insides; thinking of what Julia must’ve gone through having their baby alone in a foreign country, when he could’ve provided for them both, taken care of them.
“It is I who am sorry, Julia.”
Startled she snapped her head his way, her clear eyes wide with surprise, almost shock.
“I should have taken care of Amy—”
“You didn’t know.”
“…and provided better for you.”
“I wouldn’t let you, remember.” She pulled the envelope from beneath her elbow and clutched it in her hand. “I won’t be bought off, Michalis.” She tore up the documents and tossed them into the sea.
“What have you done, woman?”
“Fed the fish?” she said tongue in cheek, then burst out laughing, the sound
so carefree it wrapped around him like a long forgotten caress.
“An expensive dinner, that.”
She shrugged, and studied him beneath her lashes. He remained silent for so long, she turned to go.
A beat, and he chuckled, the guilt plaguing him, dissipating in the ocean breeze. Time to stop flogging himself and set things right. For even with the Leonadis billions, he’d be a poor man indeed without his family… Julia and their daughter; the real prize was a legacy of the heart.
“Will you let me now?” A splash at the end of the line, but he ignored it, his focus totally on her. “Take care of you…you both?”
“That depends.” She glanced at him over her shoulder, a glint of mischief in her eyes.
He hiked an arrogant brow.
“On how good a cook you’ll be tonight.”
“You doubt my skills, woman?” He played along, and shoved his hand in his trouser pocket, an indignant look upon his face.
“I don’t doubt any of your skills, Michalis mou.”
“Better,” he growled, curling his fingers on the crinkled photo in his pocket. One day, they’d talk about Lolita and his uncle, but not today. Today belonged to Julia…his beautiful Julia, his wife and the mother of his child. Emotion spun into a lump in his throat, and he blinked the sea spritz from his lashes.
“But it might be a challenge even for you without the fish in the pan.” She gave him a tremulous smile, and his heart boxed his ribs. Her smile turned to a laugh, and she pointed out to sea.
The big fish put up a last ditch effort, and Michalis lost his balance, reached for her and together they splashed into the sea.
He surfaced with her in his arms, chuckling. “I’m afraid, dinner’s gone a-sailing.” He inclined his head to the fishing pole bobbing on the surface, and the fish nowhere in sight. “But no matter” –he swept her up into his arms and raining kisses all over her face, he twirled her around to the serenade of the surf— “I’ve got the best catch of the day…”
“Oh, Michalis mou.” She tightened her arms about his neck, tears brimming on her lashes and spilling over, mingled with the ocean spray on her cheeks.
“…and forever, agape mou,” he whispered against her lips.
Also by Sun Chara
Manhattan Millionaire’s Cinderella
All Wrapped Up in You
About the Author
Sun Chara, a multi-published, JABBIC winner for Manhattan Millionaire’s Cinderella, writes sexy, hip ‘n fun contemporary romance, high adventure historical romance, and any genre that knocks at her imagination. Globetrotting for lore while keeping tabs on Hollywood leads, she loves the challenge of creating stories for book and screen. Designer frappuccinos with whipping cream and sprinkles on top make everyday a celebration!
https://facebook.com/suncharaauthorpage
@sunchara3
About HarperImpulse
HarperImpulse is an exciting new range of romance fiction brought to you from the women’s fiction team at HarperCollins. Our aim is to break new talent from debut authors and import the hottest trends from the US, bringing you the very best in romance. Whether that is through short reads for your mobile phone or epic sagas that span the generations we want to proudly publish romance fiction that gets everybody talking.
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