pools, common areas or kitchens. When they docked at the island, Nikos sent word to Gina he would be tied up for a little while but urged the Fregulias to go on ahead and he’d catch up, if the situation could be resolved soon. Tapping his fingertips on the desk, he chafed at the distance between him and the resort. He wanted to be right there finding out what had gone wrong, handling the emergency. With the portable phone held to his ear, he went to the cabin’s wide windows.
It was market day on the island. Colorful canopies lined the streets, fluttering in the breeze, shading the wares and goods for sale. The small population seemed to turn out in force to see what bargains they could get, and he watched as Gina happily went down the gangway with her parents and the Onetas, the other couple cruising with them. Soon they were lost from sight as they began exploring the market.
Fifteen minutes later he’d been briefed on the cause of the outage—a power cable severed by road construction near the outer perimeter of the resort. Nothing to be done except wait. The generators had been started and for the most part the resort was operating as usual. Nikos instructed his assistant to keep him informed and hung up. Nothing he could do from the ship.
He started to leave to find his guests when he realized he hadn’t seen any of the crew disembark when he’d been at the window. He’d given instructions they were to have the afternoon off. Glancing at the bridge, he saw it was empty. He went to the kitchen to see if any were there. Pausing at the doorway, Nikos’s gaze went straight to Sara. She was even prettier in daylight. He frowned. He had no business thinking about her at all.
She was wrapping a platter while Stefano lounged against one of the counters chatting. When he saw Nikos, he straightened up, almost coming to attention.
“Did you need something, Mr. Konstantinos?” he asked.
Sara looked at him. “Did you want lunch? I had it nearly prepared when I heard the change in plans. Are you hungry?”
He looked at the sandwich wraps artistically arranged on a platter. Stepping closer, he reached beneath the plastic wrap and took one. Biting into it, he recognized good Greek cheese and olives. And a hint of some spice he wasn’t familiar with. It was delicious.
“As it happens, I have not eaten. There was a minor crisis at the resort, so I sent my guests ahead. Perhaps you could prepare me a plate and bring it up.” He’d eat lunch before leaving the ship. No sense in wasting food, or her efforts.
“Yes, sir, right away, sir,” Stefano said.
Nikos’s eyes met Sara’s. “Actually, I thought Miss Andropolous could bring it up. It would give her a chance to see more of the yacht. The captain has also gone ashore, so I could show you the bridge, as well.”
She glanced at Stefano and shared his look of surprise.
“Thank you, I would love to see the rest of the ship. I can bring you a plate in ten minutes,” she replied. “The crew decided to eat on board and then we’re all going exploring.”
Nikos nodded once and then left. He wasn’t sure why he’d made the offer. He’d never done so before. But then, he’d never had a woman chef before, either. For a moment Nikos wondered if he’d lost his mind. He was considering marriage to Gina Fregulia. He’s spent less than a total of ten minutes with Sara Andropolous. Yet he could postpone finding Gina to show a stranger his ship? Maybe the sun was getting to him. To single out a crew member went against everything he normally did. Yet there was something fascinating about the woman. And she was only bringing his lunch.
Sara knocked on the door in exactly ten minutes. He heard her say something and wondered if she’d needed Stefano to guide her to the suite.
He opened the door and caught a glimpse of Stefano disappearing around the bend.
“Come in.” He stood aside as she entered, carrying a tray with his lunch—a plate piled high with delicacies and an iced beverage.
She looked around and headed for the low table in front of the sofa. Placing the tray carefully, she straightened and smiled in delight as she walked straight to the windows. “Wow, this is fabulous. You are so much higher than our quarters. What a great view of the harbor. What island is this?”
“Theotasaia, a small island whose inhabitants depend upon fishing for a living. Today is market day. The perfect entertainment for my guests.”
“They like to shop?” she asked, still looking from the window.
Nikos crossed to stand beside her. The colorful market was spread out before them, the canopies still fluttering in the breeze.
“I do not know them well,” he said. “They seemed content enough with the suggestion.”
Sara looked at him. “You did not go with them.”
“I was needed here. There was a power outage at the resort.” He briefly told her the situation. He turned back to the plate she’d prepared. There was plenty of food.
“Did you eat?” he asked.
“I nibbled as I was preparing lunch. May I go out to the upper deck? I’ll wait there until you eat—for the tour.”
“I’ll be along in a few minutes.”
Sara let herself out of the stateroom and hurried to the upper forward deck. Being around Nikos Konstantinos was unnerving. She couldn’t forget she was hoping he’d get her access to her grandmother. But he disturbed her equilibrium. She vacillated between wanting to stay away, lest she let something slip, and getting to know him better. On the surface he was just the kind of man her mother had run away from—wealthy, self-assured and maybe a touch arrogant. And in the midst of arranging a marriage to a woman who matched his fortune. Did Gina Fregulia really want a marriage like that?
Stepping out onto the deck, Sara immediately felt the warm breeze blowing from the sea. The sun was almost directly overhead, the sky a cloudless blue. She went to the railing and looked down. It was quite a distance to the sea’s surface. Gazing around, she looked behind her at the wide windows of the bridge.
If her mother had married the man her father had picked out for her, would she have enjoyed luxurious yachts and visits to Aegean Islands? The reality had turned out far differently from what her mother had once envisioned when she’d run away with Sara’s father. But her pride had kept her from admitting a mistake and returning home to seek forgiveness.
Sara still hadn’t come to any conclusion when Nikos joined her a short time later.
“Come, the captain is not on the bridge. We can see everything and he’ll never know,” he said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
She laughed, intrigued by the hint of mischief in her boss. “You’re not afraid of your captain, are you?” she asked as she followed him to the side door and stepped inside.
“He does not consider the bridge a sightseeing stop for guests. I do what I can to keep him happy,” Nikos replied.
She couldn’t imagine the man afraid of anything. He carried himself with such an air of competence and assurance, she knew he could do anything he wanted. Interesting that he humored the captain.
The bridge had a 360-degree view. The wide windows had been tinted slightly to keep off the glare from the sea. The wheel was more like an automobile’s than the wooden spoke-handled ones of old. With all
