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Her head jerked up. “Business? Tonight?”
“My work is never done.” As the music was coming to an end, he danced her over to her parents’ table and let her go. “Thank you, Althea. Theo asked me to mingle so if you’ll excuse me, there’s one more person I should dance with before I leave.” The lie had just come to him.
While she looked at him with genuine disappointment, he smiled at her parents before he moved through the crowded room toward the rear of the ballroom. In order to prove he hadn’t told an untruth, he looked for any woman at one of the tables who didn’t have an escort, whom he could ask to dance.
At the round table nearest the rear doors he saw a woman sitting alone. Another couple sat across from her, but it was clear she didn’t have a man with her. Knowing Althea was still watching him, he walked toward the stranger. Maybe she was waiting for someone, but he’d take his chances.
Closer now he could make out classic features beneath hair an incredible light gold with a natural hint of red. He’d only seen hair that color on one other woman. His breath caught. She wore a pale blue silk suit jacket with a small enamel locket hanging around her neck. He imagined she was in her mid-twenties. He saw no rings.
Akis approached her. “Excuse me, thespinis. I see you’re alone for the moment. As best man of this wedding, if you’d permit, I’d like to dance with you.”
Her eyes lifted to his.
Those eyes. They were the same eyes he’d looked into yesterday, but tonight he discovered they were a stunning shade of lavender blue and he found himself lost in them.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t speak Greek.”
Her comment jarred him back to the present. What was this American beauty doing at Theo’s wedding reception? Switching to unpolished English he said, “We passed in the street yesterday.”
“I remember almost bumping into you,” she murmured, averting her eyes. He noticed with satisfaction that a nerve throbbed in her throat above her locket. She was as excited as he was by this unexpected meeting. “I came close to knocking you down because I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
He smiled. “No problem. Just now I asked you to dance, but perhaps you’re waiting for the man who brought you.”
A delicate flush filled her cheeks. “No. I came alone. Thank you for the invitation, but I was just getting ready to leave.”
He wasn’t about to let her go a second time. “Surely you can spare one dance with me? I need rescuing.”
“Where’s your wife?”
“I’ve never had a wife. As for a girlfriend, I haven’t had one in months.” It was the truth.
“Then who was the woman with the long black hair you were dancing with moments ago?”
So she’d noticed. “You’re very observant. She was the maid of honor. It would have been unkind not to dance with her.”
With a twinkle in her eyes, she leaned to the right and retrieved a pair of crutches from the floor. She stood them on end. “Unless you’re prepared for your feet to be impaled by one of these, I’ll do you a favor and exit the room.”
She’d surprised Akis. This had to be a very recent injury. Her legitimate excuse to turn him down only fed his determination to get to know her better. Yesterday he’d wanted to pursue her, but hadn’t dared for fear of alarming her. “Then let me help you.”
Without hesitation he took the crutches from her and waited until she got to her feet. She was probably five foot seven, with enticing curves. The matching suit skirt covered womanly hips and slender legs. His gaze fell lower to the left ankle that had been wrapped. She wore a sandal on her foot and a low-heeled shoe on the other.
“Thank you.” She reached for the crutches and fit them beneath her arms. The delicate fragrance emanating from her assailed him. “Why don’t you ask the other woman at my table to dance? I’m sure her partner won’t mind.”
“I’d rather help you to your room.”
“I’m not staying here.”
That was interesting. He’d helped Theo make arrangements for all their out-of-town guests to stay here. “Then I’ll walk you outside and take you wherever you’d like to go.”
“As long as you’re offering, I wouldn’t say no if you hailed a taxi for me. I’m craving my hotel room so I can elevate my leg.”
“I’ll do better than that.” Akis accompanied her from the ballroom and down the hall to the foyer. The woman at his side managed her crutches with little trouble. En route he phoned his driver and told him to come to the hotel entrance.
As they walked outside, flashes from the cameras of the paparazzi blinded them. Chloe and Theo’s wedding would be the top story making the ten o’clock news on television. Video of prominent guests and the best man attending the reception filmed by TV news crews would be included.
Some of the paparazzi called out questions about the beautiful woman with Akis. He hated the attention though he was used to it, and kept walking her to the smoked-glass limo without answering them. He took her crutches so she could get in, then he followed and shut the door before sitting opposite her. “Are you all right?”
“I am. Are you?”
“I am now. The press is unrelenting. Tell me where you’re staying and I’ll let the driver know.”
“The Diethnes.”
A lot of tourists on a budget frequented two-star hotels like that one. Until he and Vasso had started making money, he could never have afforded to stay at any hotel. Period. Akis gave his driver directions and they pulled away from the Grand Bretagne. “When did you have time to injure your ankle?”
She let out a sound of exasperation. “It happened right after you and I passed on the sidewalk. I had a headache and was on my way to a store for some medicine. While I was inside, I slipped on the wet floor. It was such a stupid accident, totally my fault for not paying attention. The clerk was incredibly kind and called the ambulance for me.”
Akis mulled over her answer. Had she decided it would be easier to attend the reception rather than the wedding because of her injury? If she’d been at the church, he wouldn’t have been able to take his eyes off her during the ceremony.
“Are you in pain?”
“Not really. It’s more a dull ache until I rest it.”
“I’m sorry you had to fall, especially the day before the wedding.”
“Funny about life, isn’t it?” she murmured. “You never know what’s going to happen when you get up in the morning.” The almost haunted tone in her voice intrigued him.
“How true. When I left for the wedding, I didn’t know I was going to meet the lovely stranger who’d passed me on the street yesterday.”
“Or be chased by the maid of honor tonight,” she said in a wry tone. “Am I mistaken, or were you taking flight?”
“You noticed that.”
“It was hard not to.” She chuckled without looking at him. “I would imagine a man with your looks and minus a wedding ring needs rescuing from myriads of females.”
He blinked. “My looks?”
“You know very well you’re the embodiment of a Greek god.”
Akis frowned. “Which terrifying one are you referring to?”
At this point she laughed. “I didn’t have any particular god in mind. It’s something American women say when they’ve met an exceptionally good-looking man.”
“Then they haven’t seen one of our Greek statues up close or they’d run for their lives in the other direction.”
Her laughing continued. He decided she was somewhat of a tease.
“I don’t know. Despite your fearsome expression, the female pursuing you tonight didn’t seem turned off by you. Quite the opposite, in fact.”
That’s exactly what Althea had been doing for weeks. Maybe he’d misjudged her, but it didn’t matter because he hadn’t been attracted. “You saved me from being caught. For that, I’m in your debt.”
“I’m in yours for giving me a lift to the hotel,” she came right back. “We’re even.”
Akis had never met a woman like her. “Are you a friend of Theo’s or Chloe’s? I don’t even know your name.”
“Let’s keep it that way.”
Her remark shouldn’t have bothered him, but it did...
They continued down the busy street. “Oh— Look—” she cried softly. “See that store on the right? Alpha/Omega 24?” He nodded. “That’s the one where I fell. My hotel is in the next block.”
* * *
Raina couldn’t believe that the incredible man she’d seen on the street yesterday was none other than Theo’s best man. It was an amazing coincidence. She was actually upset with herself for having any feelings about seeing him again tonight.
Since her divorce, there’d been no man in her life and she’d purposely kept it that way. She didn’t want to fall in love again and take the chance of being hurt. For this man to have already made an impact on her without even trying was disturbing. After the pain she’d been through because of Byron, she never wanted to experience it again.
When the driver drove up in front of the hotel, Raina was relieved that the striking Greek male sitting next to her had gone quiet and didn’t pressure her for more information. That was good.
She found that when she used a man’s tactics of a little false flattery on him, the fun went out of it on his part. Knowing Raina could see through his strategy, his interest had quickly waned. She wanted to leave Greece with no complications. Already she knew this man was unforgettable. The sooner she could get away from him, the better.
“Thanks again for the lift,” she said in a cheery voice, needing to escape the potency of his male charisma.
He opened the door and took her crutches to help her from the back of the limo. She put them underneath her arms and started for the entrance. After pushing the hotel door open, he accompanied her as far as the foyer. She kept moving toward the elevator. While she waited, she turned in his direction.
“Like you, I appreciated being rescued.” The lift door finally opened. “Good night.” She stepped inside without looking back, praying for it to close fast in case he decided to go upstairs with her.
Raina willed her heart to stop thudding. She hadn’t been kidding when she’d said he looked like a Greek god. From his black hair and eyes to his tall, powerful build, he was the personification of male perfection. She hadn’t been able to take her eyes off him all evening. His image would be all over the television tonight, causing legions of women to swoon.
Chloe had raved about Theo’s looks, but he couldn’t hold a candle to his best man. What had she called him? Akis something or other. He had a self-assured presence, bordering on an arrogance he probably wasn’t aware of.
The maid of honor who’d danced with him earlier had looked pained when he’d left her side and made a beeline to Raina’s table. Here Raina had tried so hard to be invisible during the reception. But at least no one recognized her.
So far the only photos taken of her were because the best man with his Greek-god looks had helped her out to the limo. Until now Raina had managed to escape any notoriety. The paparazzi were following him, not her. Chloe’s beautiful day had gone perfectly without a marring incident of any kind. If ever a bride looked euphoric...
Grateful for the reception to be over, she let herself into the room. To her surprise there was a light blinking on the phone. It couldn’t possibly be Chloe. Maybe it was the front desk. She used her crutches to reach the bedside and sat down to find out if something was wrong.
When she picked up, she listened to the message from Nora Milonis, Chloe’s mother. She was sending a car for Raina in the morning and insisted she spend the rest of her time in Athens with them. Be ready at 9:00 a.m. Absolutely no excuses now that the wedding was over!
She’d known the invitation was coming. It warmed her heart and put her in a much better mood.
Once she’d called for ice and was ready for bed, she elevated her leg and turned on the TV. But her mind wandered to the man who’d brought her home.
He spoke English with a deep, heavy Greek accent she found appealing. The man hadn’t done anything, yet he’d disturbed her senses that had lain dormant since she’d discovered her husband had been unfaithful to her. The way he’d looked at her both yesterday and tonight had made her feel alive for the first time in years and he hadn’t even touched her!
Why this man? Why now? She couldn’t understand what it was that made him so fascinating to her. That was the trouble. She didn’t want to find him fascinating because it meant a part of her wanted to see him again.
She’d planned to fly back to California soon, but her sprained ankle prevented her from leaving for a while. How wonderful that she’d be able to spend time with Chloe’s parents after all! Raina needed family right now, even if it wasn’t her own.
The doctor had warned her to keep it supported close to a week for a faster recovery. She’d planned to do work on her laptop and get in some reading.
Anything to keep her mind off Theo’s best man.
CHAPTER TWO
“KALIMERA, GALEN.”
The clerk’s head lifted. “Kyrie Giannopoulos—what a surprise to see you in here this morning! I didn’t expect a visit before next week.”
Galen reminded Akis of himself at an earlier age. He was eager for the work and anxious to please. So far, Akis had had no complaints about him. “I came by to find out if you were on duty the day before yesterday when an American woman slipped and fell.”
“Yes. Mikos and I were both here. How did you know?”
“That’s not important. Tell me what happened.”
Akis listened as his employee recounted the same story the exciting woman had told him last night. “Did she threaten to sue?”
“No. She claimed it was her fault.”
“Did you fill out an incident report?”
“Yes. It’s on the desk in the back room. I told the ambulance attendant the store would be responsible for the bill.”
“You did exactly the right thing. Thank you.”
Akis walked behind the counter and entered the small room, anxious to see what was written. He reached in the Out basket and found the injury report.
June 3, 1:45 p.m.
Ginger Moss: American, age 26
Athens address: The Diethnes Hotel.
Customer fell on wet floor after purchasing some headache medicine. She limped in pain. I called an ambulance. She was taken to St. Michael’s Hospital. Signed: Galen.
Ginger... He liked the name very much. He liked everything about her too much. She’d caused him a restless night despite the fact that the whole wedding day had been exhausting. Ginger Moss had that effect on a man.
Akis had felt her magic and couldn’t throw it off. Now that he was armed with her name, he planned to seek her out so he could get to know her better. Since he didn’t know her agenda, he had no idea how long she’d be in Athens. The only way to find out was to head over to her hotel.
Galen poked his head in the door. “Is everything all right, boss?”
“You two are doing a fine job.”
“Thanks. About that American woman who slipped and fell?”
Akis turned his head to look at his employee. “Yes?”
“Mikos had just mopped the floor before she came in. We did have the caution sign set out on the floor.”
“Good.” He nodded to his two employees and went back out to the limo. “I’ll walk to the Diethnes from here,” he told the driver. “Follow me and wait in front until you hear from me again.”
A few minutes later he entered the hotel lobby and told the concierge he’d like to speak to one of their guests named Ginger Moss. The other man shook his head. “We don’t have a tourist staying here with that name.”
Akis unconsciously ran a hand through his hair in surprise. “You’re sure? Maybe if I explain that the woman I’m looking for was using crutches when I dropped her off here last night.”
“Ah... The one with hair the color of a Titian painting and a figure like the statue in the museum. You know—the one of the goddess Aphrodite carrying a pitcher?”
Yes—that was the precise one Akis had envisioned himself.
He thought back to last night. She’d been elusive about everything. What kind of a game was she playing? He closed his eyes tightly for a moment, remembering her comment about him resembling a Greek god. Touché.
“Would you ring her room and tell her the man who helped her home last night is in the lobby and wishes to talk to her?”
His shoulders hunched. “I can’t. She checked out an hour ago.”
“You mean permanently?” he barked the question.
“Of course.”
“Did she leave a forwarding address?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
“Did she go by taxi?”
“I don’t know. I was busy at the desk.”
“What name did she register under?”
“Unless you have a judge’s warrant, I can’t tell you.”
Trying to tamp down his frustration, he thanked the man and hurried outside to the limo where his driver was waiting.
“Shall I take you to the office?
“Not yet. I have a phone call to make first.” Akis climbed in the back and phoned Theo’s parents. He reached his friend’s mother. After chatting for a moment about the perfect wedding, she mentioned Althea and her disappointment that Akis had needed to leave the reception so soon. Akis reminded her that something pressing in business had come up. Then he got to the point.
“Did you invite an American woman named Ginger Moss to the wedding reception?”
“Moss? No,” she claimed after reflection. “That’s an unusual name, and it certainly wasn’t on our list or I would have remembered. Why?”
So that was the reason why Theo hadn’t arranged for her to stay at the Grand Bretagne. “I’m trying to find her.”
After a silence, “Is she the person who caused you to walk away from Althea so fast last night?”
Akis didn’t mind her teasing insinuation. Theo’s parents were like a second family to him. For the last year both of them had kept reminding him it was time he got married, too. “No. As I was leaving the ballroom, I ran into the woman who was on crutches and needed help out to a taxi.”
“Hmm. Why don’t you check with Chloe’s parents? They must have invited her. If they haven’t heard of her, either, maybe she was a friend of Chloe’s or Theo’s. Perhaps they invited her too late to receive an invitation.”
“Maybe,” he muttered. “She hadn’t been at the church or I would have remembered,” he said quietly. “Thanks. We’ll all have to get together after they get back from their honeymoon.”
“Wonderful, but don’t you dare be a stranger while they’re away!”
“I won’t,” Akis promised, but his mind was on the woman he’d asked to dance last night. He could have sworn there’d been feelings between them. Sparks. Some nuance of chemistry that had happened immediately while they were on the sidewalk and wouldn’t leave him alone. Yet she’d run off this morning.
No matter what, he intended to find her. It bothered him that she’d given him the slip when she knew he wanted to get to know her better. Maybe it was his pride that made him want to prove she had feelings for him, too. One thing was certain. He wasn’t going to let her disappear on him.
Without wasting another moment, he phoned Chloe’s house. The housekeeper said she’d put through the call to Chloe’s father because Kyria Milonis was occupied.
The more Akis thought about it, the more he decided this woman had to be a friend of Chloe’s. Otherwise Theo would have talked about her long before now. He wouldn’t have been able to help himself because even if he was head over heels in love with Chloe, this Ginger, or whoever she was, stood out from the rest.
Why had she sat at the last table near the doors last night? It was almost as if she hadn’t wanted to be seen. Her behavior was a mystery to him. Vasso would be shocked by the strength of his brother’s desire to find the tantalizing female. Nothing like this had ever happened before. No one was more shocked than Akis himself. In case she’d be leaving Athens soon, he had to work fast.
“Akis, my boy!” came the booming voice of Chloe’s father. “Great to hear from you! We’re going to miss the kids. The place feels empty. Come on over to the house for lunch. My wife will be thrilled. We’ll eat by the pool.”
The perfect place to vet Chloe’s parents. “I’ll be there soon, Socus. Thank you.”
* * *
After getting settled on a patio lounger by the pool with her leg raised, Raina smiled at Chloe’s mother who hovered around her like her grandmother used to do. She loved her friend’s parents and drew great comfort from being with them. They couldn’t seem to do enough for her.
“We were always sorry that you didn’t come to live with us after Chloe’s school year with you ended. It was all Chloe had talked about.”
“I would have come, but as you know my grandmother wasn’t well and I was afraid to leave her. Then I started college and met the man who became my husband. When our marriage didn’t work out, I divorced him. Then, of course, my grandmother died and I needed to take care of my grandfather, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer. There was never a good time to come to Greece.”
Chloe’s father patted her hand. “You’ve had a great load on your shoulders.”
“My grandparents raised me. I loved them so much and owed them everything. But I have to tell you, the year Chloe spent with me was the happiest of my life. It was like having a sister. My grandparents adored her.”
Nora smiled with tears in her eyes. “She loved the three of you. Why don’t you consider this your temporary home and stay with us for a time? There’s nothing we’d like more. Chloe would be ecstatic.”
“That would be wonderful, but I have a job waiting for me when I get back.”
“You like your work?”
“Very much,” but she was prevented from saying more because a maid appeared beneath the striped patio awning. She said something in Greek and suddenly the best man walked out on the terrace.
“Akis!” Nora cried with warmth in her voice.
Raina’s heart skipped several beats. In a short-sleeved white crew neck and matching cargo pants, he robbed her of breath, with his rock-hard physique and arresting Greek features.
He hadn’t seen Raina yet and said something in Greek to Chloe’s parents with an aura of authority she was sure came naturally to him. He sounded intense, with no accompanying smile. After he stopped talking, they both started to chuckle and turned to Raina.
The man’s dark head jerked around in her direction. His penetrating gaze caused her body to fill with heat. To her dismay she lay helpless on the lounger in another T-shirt and jeans with her leg propped, hardly an exciting sight. The look of shock on his face was priceless.
“You’re here,” he muttered, rubbing his chest absently. “I went to the hotel but the concierge said you’d already checked out. Theo’s parents claimed they didn’t know you, so I decided to come over here to find out if you were a friend of Chloe’s.”
The knowledge that he’d been trying to find her excited her. Again she was struck by his heavily accented English. For want of a better word, she found it endearing. Raina nodded to him, stunned that he’d gone to such lengths to find her. “Friends from a long time ago. Her parents sent a car for me this morning so we could visit.”
“Which has been long overdue,” Nora stated in English.
He still looked thunderstruck. Raina could read his mind. “Did you think I had invited myself to the reception?”
“No, but I got the feeling you didn’t want to be noticed,” he drawled. She had the feeling nothing got past him.
“While you two talk, I’ll tell Ione to serve lunch out here.” Nora got up from the deck chair and Chloe’s father followed her, leaving them alone.
Raina swallowed hard. She never imagined seeing him again and wasn’t prepared for this overwhelming response to the very sight of him.
He pulled up a deck chair and sat down next to her. His black eyes played over her from head to toe, missing nothing in between. Her pulse raced. “How’s the pain this morning?”