The Millionaire's True Worth

by Rebecca Winters

  He helped her off his lap. The last thing she remembered was the black fire of his eyes as he said good-night.

  Her legs almost gave way from the blaze of desire she saw burning there and practically stumbled her way to the steps leading down to the galley. She was still out of breath when she finally climbed under the covers. Akis was the one who had the incredible self-control she lacked. Hers had deserted her the first time he’d taken her in his arms.

  The frightening realization had come to her that to know his possession would change her life forever.

  Forever...

  Akis was a male force no woman could resist. There was no one else like him.

  * * *

  As Akis had done many times before, he slept on the top deck of the cruiser. But he couldn’t sleep yet. When his father had talked about meeting the right woman he’d said, “Akis? You’re only in your teens and you’ll meet a lot of women before you’re grown up. When you find the one, you must treat her like a queen.

  “Your mother was my queen. I cherished and respected her from the beginning. She deserved that because not only was she going to be my wife, she was going to be the mother of our children.”

  There was no question in Akis’s mind that at the age of twenty-nine he’d found the one. What tormented him was the fear she wouldn’t think he was the one. How could he possibly measure up to the educated men she worked with and knew? Maybe that was why Vasso had cautioned him to be careful. Because he knew there was a vast chasm of knowledge separating Akis from Raina.

  But when he awakened that morning, he felt the sun’s warm rays on his face chasing away the disturbing fears that had come during the night. A burst of excitement radiated through him knowing Raina was only as far away as the bedroom below.

  After he’d made breakfast in the galley, he called to her. He’d taken a swim first and was still dressed in his trunks. And needing a shave. She appeared minutes later looking a knockout in leaf-green shorts and a sleeveless white top. Those amazing lavender eyes smiled at him.

  “I’m glad you’re up, Raina. How are you feeling?”

  “Fantastic. Something smells marvelous.”

  “It’s the coffee.” But she’d just come from the shower and brought her own intoxicating scent with her. “How’s the ankle?”

  “I’ve forgotten about it.”

  “Good. Come and sit down.” He’d made eggs and put out fruit and pastries. “After we eat, I’ll take us to Lefkada Island, your birthplace.”

  She chuckled and sat down in one of the pullout seats beneath the table. “Didn’t we pass over it?”

  He nodded. “Katsiki Beach will be a sight you won’t forget. We’ll swim to our heart’s content.”

  She munched on a pastry and sipped her coffee. “I know I’m still dreaming and pray I never wake up.”

  “I’ll do my best to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

  Raina’s expression turned serious. “You’ve been so good to me and have done all the work. I don’t begin to know how to repay you. I’ve never been waited on like this in my life, but have done nothing to deserve it. Before our vacation is over I intend to wait on you.”

  “We’ll take turns.”

  “While you pull up the anchor and get us underway, I’ll start now by cleaning up the kitchen.”

  He walked around and kissed her luscious mouth. “See you on top in a few minutes.” This was happiness in a new dimension. To make it last presented the challenge. If he wanted the prize, it meant not making mistakes along the way. Vasso’s words still rang in his ears. Slow down.

  Once he’d pulled on a clean T-shirt from his bag in the bathroom, he bounded up the steps to the deck and got everything ready. Raina appeared a few minutes later with a couple of beach towels and sunscreen. Beneath her beach robe he glimpsed the mold of her lovely body wearing her orange bikini and had to keep himself from staring.

  “You’ll need to put this on.” He handed her the life jacket.

  “Even if you swim like a fish, you have to wear one, too.”

  He flashed her a smile. “Tell you what. For you, I’ll wear a belt.” He opened a locker and pulled one out.

  “Put it on, please.”

  “Nag, nag.”

  “Your command of English is remarkable.”

  “I heard the word enough times when an American husband and wife came in the store. His wife would tell him what she wanted and he’d walk around muttering the word under his breath.”

  Raina laughed so hard, her whole body shook. “Welcome to the US.”

  His black brows lifted. “I’m afraid it’s the same here.”

  She nodded her head, drawing his attention to the gleaming red and gold strands of her hair in the sunlight. “Certain things between men and women will never change no matter the nationality.”

  “Like getting into each other’s space until there’s no air between them.”

  Raina had a tendency to blush. To avoid commenting, she poured the sunscreen on her hands to apply to her face and arms. “Would you like some?”

  “Thanks, but my skin doesn’t look like fine porcelain.”

  Her eyes traveled over his face. “You’re right. You have an olive complexion that highlights your black hair and makes you...drop-dead gorgeous.” She put the sunscreen on the seat.

  His brows furrowed. “Drop-dead?”

  “It’s an American expression for a man who’s so attractive, a woman could drop dead from a heart attack just looking at him. And there’s another expression women use. They say ‘he’s jaw-dropping gorgeous.’” She touched his unshaven jaw with her left hand. “You know. Sometimes when you see something incredible and your mouth opens in shock?”

  Studying the curving lines of her mouth almost gave him a heart attack. “You mean the way mine did when you looked up at me on the sidewalk? Does an American man say ‘she’s jaw-dropping gorgeous’?”

  An impish twinkle lit up her eyes. “The phrase can be used to describe a woman or a man. And there’s another more modern expression. ‘He’s hot.’”

  “Which also works for a female. I’ve heard that one. Thank you for the vocabulary lesson. I’m indebted to you.” But no matter how hard he could try to catch up to her intellectual level, he would never succeed.

  “Maybe you can teach me some Greek, but I know it’s a very difficult language to learn.”

  “You mean right now?”

  “If you’re willing.”

  “Then you’ll have to sit close to me while I steer the boat.”

  She shot him a side glance. “How close?”

  He gripped her hand and pulled her over to the captain’s seat. After sitting down, he patted his leg. “Right here.”

  “Akis—” She chuckled. “You won’t be able to drive.”

  “Try me.”

  As she perched on his leg, he grabbed her around the waist. “The first word I want to teach you is the most important. If you never learn another one, it won’t matter.” He started the engine and they skimmed across the water.

  “What is it?”

  “Repeat after me. S’agapo.”

  She said it several times until she got the intonation just right. “How am I doing?”

  “That was perfect.”

  “What does it mean?”

  “Say it to Nora and Socus and surprise them. By their reaction you’ll know what it means.”

  “S’agapo. S’agapo.” She kissed his cheek and slid off his leg. “You’re a terrific teacher, but you need to concentrate on your driving. We’ve been going around in circles,” she teased.

  “That’s what you’ve done to me,” he quipped back. “You have me staggering all over the place in a dazed condition.”

  “Then I’m going to leave you alon
e until we get to that beach you told me about.”

  “And then?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You can’t leave me hanging like that. Once we’ve arrived at our destination, I want to know what you propose to do to me.”

  She let out a devilish chuckle. “I’m considering several options, all of which require your complete attention.”

  The way Akis was feeling right now, they weren’t going to make it another ten yards. “Shall we forget going anywhere and head back to my beach?”

  Her smile filled all the lonely places inside him. “What kind of a tour director are you?”

  “I can’t help it if my first passenger surpasses any sight I could show her. If you don’t believe me, just watch the way men look at you when you walk by. I’m the envy of every male.”

  She rested her head against the seat, soaking up the sun. “Women do the same thing when they see you.”

  “I’m talking about you. Did you know the newspapers have printed photos of us leaving the Grand Bretagne? The headlines read, ‘Who was the beautiful mystery woman seen with one of the Giannopoulos brothers?’”

  She turned in his direction. “Chloe’s wedding made the publicity inevitable. Knowing her like I do, I’m sure she didn’t want it. She’s the sweetest, kindest girl I’ve ever known.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. Theo has a similar temperament. They’re a perfect match.”

  “Isn’t that wonderful? Tell me more about him.”

  “He’s a vice president of the bank now.”

  “Good for him, but I want to know why you like him so much.”

  The more he got to know Raina, the more he realized how extraordinary she was, not only as a woman, but as a human being. “You’re a lot like Theo. You look beyond the surface to the substance of a person.”

  He could feel her eyes on him. “I’m so glad he saw inside of you and was willing to take a risk for you. That’s because you’re such a good man.”

  “He’s saved my back more than once.”

  “In what way?”

  “We signed up for the military at the same time and served together.”

  Raina sat up. “How did you manage that?”

  “His father had connections. I couldn’t believe it when he was assigned to my unit.”

  “I take it that’s where your friendship flourished.”

  “In unexpected ways. We grew close as brothers.” He would have told her more, but talking about it would touch on a painful subject he didn’t want to bring up today. “When he introduced me to Chloe six months ago, I worried she might not be good enough for him. But nothing could have been further from the truth.”

  Raina’s eyes closed for a moment. She was so crazy about Akis, the thought of his breaking her heart caused her to groan.

  “I had the same fear when she phoned to tell me about Theo. I knew her heart from long ago and didn’t want any man breaking it. But getting to know you, I’m convinced he must be her equal, otherwise he wouldn’t have come to be like family to you. I’m anxious to meet him when they get back from their honeymoon.”

  He had to clear his throat. “We’ll definitely make that happen, but we’ve got a lot of living to do before then.”

  She sat back again. “I’m loving all this, but I’m afraid I’m keeping you from your work.”

  “I’m entitled to a vacation and have covered for Vasso many times.”

  “I haven’t had a real one in years. It sounds like we’re a pair of workaholics. But I have to admit work has saved my life since my grandfather passed away.”

  Akis filled his lungs with the sea air. “What do you say we forget everything and concentrate on having fun. We’re coming to one of the most famous beaches in all of Greece.”

  Raina got up and wandered over to the side. “Those tall green hills are spectacular.”

  “You can’t access them unless you climb up the eighty steep steps descending along the cliff. Your ankle is doing better, but I wouldn’t suggest you try that activity for another few weeks.”

  “It’s enough just to cruise around them. I can’t get over how crystal clear the water is. Against the golden sand, you think you’ve arrived in a magical kingdom. I don’t see any other people around.”

  “Without a boat it’s difficult access. Most of the tourists come in July and August. For the moment we’ve got the beach to ourselves. I’ll take us in closer. We can swim to the shore, then come back and eat on board.”

  “I can’t wait!”

  Neither could he. Akis needed her in his arms. When he’d found the right spot, he dropped anchor. She’d already taken off her life jacket. Soon she’d shed her top and shorts to reveal a bikini-clad body she filled out to perfection. Raina turned a beaming face to him. “See you on shore!”

  A second later she climbed over the side and dove in. Now that her ankle had healed, he discovered she swam like a fish and had amazing stamina.

  That’s when a warning light came on in his mind, holding him back. His father’s words came back to him again.

  When you find the one, you must treat her like a queen. Your mother was my queen. I cherished and respected her from the beginning. She deserved that because not only was she going to be my wife, she was going to be the mother of our children.

  As if in slow motion, he removed his life belt, pulled off his T-shirt and plunged in after her. He could hear her squeals of delight. “The water is so warm! I’ve lived by the Pacific Ocean all my life, but you always have to get used to the colder temperature. I could stay in this all day! There’s no kelp or seaweed. What’s below us?”

  “Rocks made of soft limestone.”

  She did a somersault and swam beneath the water. He kept track of her until she emerged further away. “They are soft.” Her laughter was music to his ears before she started swimming parallel to the long shoreline.

  He’d brought her here to spend time with her and love her, but his father’s words wouldn’t leave him alone.

  CHAPTER SIX

  RAINA TURNED AROUND and trod water while she watched Akis coming after her like a torpedo at high speed. While his strong arms cleaved the water, his powerful legs kicked up a fountain.

  Her heart raced madly as he came to a stop in front of her and raised his dark head. She could never get enough of just looking at him. “I feel like a happy little girl who’s finally out of school for the summer and has all day to play.”

  “Except that you don’t look like a little girl. Do you have any conception of what kind of a problem that presents for me?”

  The tremor in his voice told her what he was holding back through sheer willpower. ‘It’s not exactly easy for me, either. I’ve come out to play with a man.”

  Lines darkened his features. “How many men have been in your life?”

  “You mean ones who were important?”

  “Yes.”

  She might as well get it all said now. “There were two. Before Byron, there was a graduate assistant teaching my math class during my freshman year. He held seminars for the most promising students and has since become a professor at a west coast college.”

  “What drew you to him?”

  They swam around in circles, always facing each other. “His smarts. He had a different way of looking at a problem to solve it. I envied him that gift. He fed my ego by telling me I’d inherited my father’s mathematical mind.”

  “Why didn’t that relationship go anywhere?”

  “I didn’t find out he was married until I’d been dating him for a month.”

  “Did you sleep with him?”

  “No. I was waiting for marriage.”

  “Raina...” She heard a tortured sound in his voice.

  “It was over a long time ago.
He didn’t wear a wedding ring. At the end of the term I went to see if my grade had been posted. The head of the math department called me in and asked me if I knew Rod was married. I felt the blood rush to my feet. After I got my second wind, I thanked him for the information.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Rod had a cubicle down the hall. We’d planned to go out to dinner that evening. I dropped in on him. He assumed I wanted to check on the time. I told him to do his wife a favor and take her out to dinner instead. And I added one more thing. I wouldn’t be putting in a good word for him at the jet propulsion laboratory. Then I walked out and shut the door. That was the end of it.”

  A grimace darkened Akis’s face.

  “I made the same mistake with Byron by putting him on a pedestal. He was a published writer who’d traveled to Europe to do art research for more books. I admired someone so intelligent and well-read. He was older and had knowledge on so many subjects. The fact that he wanted to do my great-grandfather’s story was a huge plus.

  “We could talk for hours about the art we loved. I thought we’d never run out of things to discuss. What I didn’t see was his empty bank account and his proclivity for women he could prey on. Have you heard the expression ‘once bitten, twice shy’?”

  “No, but I don’t need a translation,” he stated.

  “In my case I was twice bitten before I learned the lesson I’d been needing.”

  “Enough of the past, Raina. Let’s swim back to the cruiser and have our picnic.”

  Relieved to get off the subject of her pathetic naivety, she swam next to him. He paced himself so she could keep up with him. He did everything right. How she loved him!

  She loved him.

  She loved him for who he was, nothing else. Raina could finally say it and not be afraid. She wanted to shout it to the world.