Illicit Night with the Greek

by Susanna Carr

  She snapped her mouth closed. She had made that promise to herself that she would always tell him the truth. Even if it didn’t protect her.

  Jodie felt jittery and cornered. She bent her head and walked to the water’s edge. Stergios was at her side, quiet but alert. They strolled side by side for a few minutes as she tried to put the words together. “When I said that I would only marry for love, I meant that my husband would reciprocate how I feel. It shouldn’t be one-sided.”

  Stergios gave a long-suffering sigh. “Why are you making this so complicated?”

  “You’re right. It is complicated,” she declared, tossing her hands in the air. “Because if you say you love me, I won’t believe you. I’ll think it’s because you need to get married and this was the quicker way to get results.”

  They fell into a tense silence as they walked on the sand. He eventually slowed to a stop and she stood beside him. When Stergios turned to her, she lifted her head to meet his inscrutable gaze.

  “Jodie, you will get married out of love. I will get married out of duty to my family.”

  He clenched his jaw and a muscle bunched in his cheek. “You are in love with me but I don’t love you. I can’t.”

  Deep down she had always known this but it hurt to hear the words. She exhaled slowly as the pain bloomed inside her.

  “I don’t allow anyone that close to me. I never could, not since the kidnapping and finding out my father was behind it. However, I can pledge my commitment to you.” His voice was low and earnest. “I will put you and our children first. Above all else. Above my relatives and my work.”

  He was making a vow to always respect and care for her. He promised to make her a priority. She wanted to believe him but she’d had too many promises broken to accept this vow at face value.

  He reached for her hand. She found his fingers warm and steady. “I will protect and provide for you and our family. I will be faithful and I won’t betray the love and trust you place on me.”

  She frowned at his solemn tone. Did he see her love as an obligation or a burden?

  “And when you marry me, you will give me the same courtesy.” His voice took a hard edge. “You will be faithful, you will protect our family, and you will put me and our children first. Do you think you can do that? Can you live that kind of life?”

  Heaviness settled in her chest. This man knew her better than anyone else. He could offer commitment, family, protection and attention. Everything but love.

  Why couldn’t he give that, as well? She knew she was being greedy, but what was holding him back? What was it about her that he couldn’t make that leap?

  Jodie knew she shouldn’t think that way. He was offering her a good deal but the disappointment pulled at her, trying to drag her down. Why was that? After all, when Stergios made a vow, it was unbreakable. How many women had a guarantee that their husband would put them first?

  But was she willing to make a lifetime commitment to a man who could not love her? Give her love to her husband knowing that she would not get it in return? Could she enter a loveless marriage for the sake of her child?

  “Yes, Stergios.” Her mouth trembled as the tears burned her eyes. She had to accept, once and for all, that she was unlovable and nothing would change that. Now was not the time to be greedy. Why hold out for something that she could never have? “Let’s get married.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  STERGIOS STOOD IN the entrance hall of the Antoniou estate. He felt the bite of frustration as he looked for Jodie. Their engagement party was coming to a close and he was eager to have her to himself.

  He should have been able to spot her instantly or hear her bold laugh from across the room. Dressed in a purple chiffon gown and wearing the Antoniou amethysts, his fiancée was an intriguing mix of a mischievous pixie and a regal queen.

  Fiancée. Finally. There were moments when her stubbornness outmatched his tenacity, but she had accepted his proposal. Triumph and pride flared inside him along with the unfamiliar sense of satisfaction and peace.

  Stergios shook his head. Peace was not related to Jodie Little. The woman tested him, pushed him to the limits. He didn’t have to wear a mask around her and pretend. And yet, when he was with Jodie, he was the man he wanted to be.

  His need for Jodie brought him little comfort. If anything, the knowledge had shaken him to the core. He knew better than to allow anyone that close to him but Jodie had slipped through his defenses. It was a constant struggle to maintain a wall between them when he ached to have her close. Was this what falling in love felt like? If so, he couldn’t let that happen. For his own survival, no one should have that kind of power over him.

  “Well, thankfully that is over,” Mairi Antoniou said as she glided to his side. She wore a black evening gown that was the perfect backdrop to her diamond jewelry. “I hope the wedding happens soon.”

  “It will,” he said as he took the last sip of his champagne. He was looking forward to starting his life with Jodie. Make everything official. He didn’t want any delays.

  “I don’t think you should have given her that diamond ring for your engagement,” his mother said from the side of her mouth. “It’s an heirloom. It’s priceless!”

  “The wife of the Antoniou heir wears it. It’s tradition.” And, more importantly, it meant that he recognized Jodie as family. As an Antoniou. A smile tugged on his mouth as he remembered giving it to Jodie. She had recognized the heirloom and understood the symbolism. She had been deeply honored. From the tears that had clung to her eyelashes when he’d placed it on her finger, the sense of tradition had meant something to her.

  “But she’ll try to keep the diamond when you two break up,” Mairi insisted. “You need to get a written agreement that she gives it back in the divorce.”

  Sharp coldness invaded Stergios’s chest. The more he had stayed on his island getaway, the more he had realized how his family had tried to chip away at his happiness with Jodie.

  “I am not divorcing Jodie,” he bit out. “She is part of this family—part of me—forever. Get used to the idea, Mitera.”

  She pursed her lips. “I know it’s in poor taste to predict the divorce during the engagement party, but you have to agree—”

  “If you can’t support the idea of Jodie and your only son together, then you will see very little of me or your grandchild,” he warned before he walked away.

  Stergios ignored his mother’s stuttering apology as he walked to the door leading to the garden. He wondered how Jodie had survived living in this house when everyone had expected the worst in her. It was no wonder she had become reluctant to marry into this family. And all this time they thought she was trying to become an Antoniou.

  He would protect her from his family, Stergios decided as he walked onto the dark portico. He would demand that Jodie was treated with respect. She deserved no less.

  As he stepped onto the portico, he immediately heard Dimos’s voice. “How long have you had your eye on Stergios?”

  He spotted his cousin standing next to Jodie on the terrace. He was prepared to intervene but something stopped him. He didn’t like the confidential tone of Dimos’s voice as if they were sharing secrets. He should be the only one who knew Jodie that intimately.

  “I was hoping to get a moment of peace before I went back inside,” Jodie said wearily. “Where’s your wife? You’re slurring your words and you should go home.“

  “I don’t want to go home.” Dimos’s voice rose sharply. “I want to know how you could have chosen him. I had followed you around for years and all that time you wanted Stergios. Why?”

  Stergios went still and he found himself waiting for Jodie’s answer. He had done things he wasn’t proud of but that didn’t stop Jodie from loving him. He wanted to know why.

  “He’s cruel and barbaric,” Dimos cont
inued when Jodie didn’t respond. “Ruthless. He thinks this is his castle and we are his minions. I don’t know what promises he made when he bedded you—”

  “Stergios is the best man I’ve ever known.” Jodie’s voice cut through Dimos’s tirade. “He takes care of his own.”

  Stergios frowned. He wasn’t a good man. At times he was a monster. Jodie knew that firsthand. But he was the best man—the only man for her.

  “He is a man of his word,” Jodie continued, her voice vibrating with emotion, “and he would do anything for his family. He is going to be an amazing husband and an extraordinary father. He has restored my faith in men and that is saying a lot.”

  “You could have had me,” Dimos said bitterly. “It would have been a wild ride.”

  Stergios bunched his hands as he saw a mist of red. The idea of Dimos touching Jodie sickened him.

  “No, I couldn’t,” she said in a withering tone. “And do you know why? Because you’re right. It was always Stergios. There was no competition.”

  Dimos’s laugh rang out in the dark garden. “You are delusional, Jodie. The man is only marrying you to claim his heir. He’s going to get bored with you within a month and then he’ll pursue the world’s most beautiful women like he used to. A year from now he will dump you and the brat in some apartment far away from here.”

  “You don’t know Stergios.” Her voice wavered.

  “No, you don’t,” Dimos argued. “He’s telling you what you want to hear. You are infatuated with an illusion.”

  Stergios had heard enough. He didn’t need anyone poisoning Jodie’s mind. He walked past the stone column. “There you are, Jodie,” he said as he watched them both jump guiltily. “It’s late and you’ve been on your feet all day.”

  Jodie didn’t glance at Dimos as she gathered her skirts in her hands and climbed the steps. She reached for Stergios’s hand and laced her fingers with his. She didn’t say anything as he escorted her inside. As they climbed the grand staircase to his bedroom suite, Stergios asked, “Was he bothering you?”

  “He’s a pest, nothing more.”

  “I could always transfer him.” His mouth twisted as he thought of a list of unglamorous locations. “Somewhere cold and rainy.”

  Jodie gave a light chuckle. “It’s a tempting offer. I can’t believe you thought I was interested in him. He’s immature and spoiled.”

  “He’s also closer to your age, handsome and charming.” He remembered how he’d considered Dimos a worthy opponent for Jodie’s attention. At times it felt as if Jodie preferred his cousin’s company. “He’s very popular with the women.”

  “Is he? I’ll take your word for it,” she murmured as he opened the door to their bedroom suite. She reached for his bow tie and drew him into their room. “You were far too popular with the women at the party.”

  He liked the possessive quality of her voice. “No, all eyes were on you.” Stergios lightly brushed his finger against her ear. “You were made for these stones.”

  She gave him a questioning look. “What is it about these amethysts? Is there a story behind them?”

  “There is.” And tonight he would tell her when they were in bed together. Heat flooded him as he imagined Jodie yielding underneath him, wearing only the amethyst earrings and necklace. “Have you heard about the Antoniou legend?” he asked as he kicked the door closed.

  * * *

  Jodie heard the helicopter descend on the island and her smile widened. Stergios was home. She swung the door open and ran lightly on the path. She couldn’t wait to tell him how much the baby had kicked during the day. Maybe tonight Stergios would get a chance to feel the baby move.

  “Stergios!” Her heart felt as though it was going to expand as she saw him walk down the steps. He was a commanding force in his pinstripe suit and red tie. She met him with a kiss and drew back when his mouth was slack against hers. “What’s wrong?”

  “I had an emergency meeting with the security team.” He looked pale. Shaken. “They’ve informed me that there’s a credible threat against you.”

  “Impossible,” she said. She knew Stergios spent millions on security cameras, safety features and armored cars. He had put a four-guard detail on her whenever she left the island and he had mentioned getting her a body double to distract the aggressive paparazzi. “Why would anyone focus on me?”

  He leaned closer and splayed his hand on her rounded belly. “You’re carrying my child,” he said thickly. “It’s the best way to get back at me.”

  “What are the threats?”

  He reluctantly pulled away, as if he wanted to keep shielding his child with his bare hands. “I’m not discussing it with you.”

  “Not...” Her mouth gaped as she watched him walk to the house. “I’m not delicate, Stergios. I have a right to know.”

  He held the door for her and ushered her inside. Once he closed the door he went straight to the drink cabinet. She watched him grab a shot glass and the clear bottle of Tsipouro. She knew the threats had gotten under his skin. She had remembered how troubled Stergios had been the last time he had reached for the potent liquor.

  Jodie wrapped her arms around herself as she approached him. “Why would someone tell you what they’re going to do? That ruins the element of surprise.”

  “They do it to instill fear.” The drink splashed in the shot glass. “It’s amazingly effective.”

  “How long have the threats been going on?” she asked.

  He froze, the glass midway to his mouth. She wasn’t sure he was going to answer. “After we made our first public appearance at the museum.”

  She exhaled slowly. “That long? And this is the first time you tell me?” She struggled to lower her voice. “You lecture me about not trusting you and you were hiding this?”

  “I didn’t want to worry you,” he said before he downed the shot and grimaced.

  Jodie shook her head. Stergios seemed to think that his need for security outweighed everything else. “So what are we going to do? Increase security?”

  He paused and set the glass down hard as though it was a gavel. “I’ve decided that you’re going back to New York. You will be far away from the threat,” Stergios said as he walked to the window. He set his hands on his hips. “I’ll have the security team look over your apartment and—”

  “You want our baby born in Greece,” she reminded him. Why was that no longer important? Her pulse fluttered with panic as she saw his grim face in the reflection. “You want me here.”

  “This is only temporary.”

  She tasted fear and swallowed hard. She hated that word. Temporary. It was vague. All of her homes had been temporary. She was finally feeling settled. This was becoming her home and now she had to leave. “What if it isn’t?”

  He was silent. Stergios didn’t turn around. He didn’t move.

  Jodie raised her hand in defeat. “You know what? I’ll go back to your mother’s house. That place is a fortress.”

  “You are going back to New York if I have to drag you there.”

  She’d like to see him try! “What about the wedding?”

  He gave a deep sigh and turned around. “We have to postpone it.”

  The panic that had bubbled inside her was now flowing over. All this time he wanted the security of marriage. Now he had changed his mind. No, she thought bitterly, it was just a postponement. It was temporary.

  “Stergios, you have wealth, fame and power.” She hated how weak her voice sounded. “That is going to attract the good and the bad in people. Once this threat fades, something else is going to replace it. You can’t put your life on hold.”

  “I am not going to allow anything to happen to our child,” Stergios said in a fierce growl.

  “Neither will I,” she promised. “But leaving home because one person made a
threat? Why, when this island is well protected?”

  Stergios raked his hands in his hair. It was as if he had gone through this argument several times before. “The security team thinks this is the best course.”

  “I disagree,” she said as she clenched her jaw. “I think it’s unreasonable. How are you going to conduct business from across the world?”

  “The threat isn’t focused on me,” he said quietly.

  Jodie tilted her head. She didn’t like his carefully modulated tone. She was missing something. “You just said that this is probably a way to get to you.”

  His eyes were inscrutable. “I have to stay in Greece.”

  He wasn’t coming with her. He was sending her away. Dimos’s words echoed in her head. He will dump you and the brat in some apartment far away from here. She tried to block it out as her heartbeat roared in her ears. “I’m not leaving you.”

  “It’s for your own protection.”

  “Stergios, don’t do this, please.” Jodie bit her lip. She knew better than to beg. Her fingers ached to grab his clothes and plead her case, but that would only drive him away. “I don’t want to go.”

  He straightened his shoulders and clasped his hands behind his back. “I wish it hadn’t come to this.”

  “I don’t want to leave you.” She finally found that someone with whom she wanted to share her life. She belonged with him and Stergios belonged with her. “I want to stay here.”

  “But I want you to go,” he said as the harsh lines in his face deepened. “I won’t forgive myself if anything happens to you or our child.”

  I want you to go. The words sliced through her like a jagged knife. He wanted this so-called temporary separation. He wouldn’t miss her. Why should he? He didn’t love her.

  Jodie’s legs shook and she thought she would fall into a heap at his feet. “When am I supposed to leave?”

  He watched her carefully. It was obvious he didn’t trust her flat voice or her sudden acceptance of the situation. “The helicopter pilot is waiting for you.”