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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 (#u065cae28-6dd8-51d4-a1e5-f75126899cdb)
“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.
