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.
I’m in love with him.
Loving him wasn’t a mistake.
When they reached the ladder, he got in the boat first, then helped her up and wrapped her in one of the beach towels. He kissed her on the side of her neck, on her chin and nose, her cheeks, eyelids, earlobes.
Before he reached her mouth she said, “I’m going to fix our lunch while you relax. After we’re full, I’ll give you a big kiss for dessert.” Raina was afraid that if she stayed on deck with him another instant, she’d forget everything else.
“Coward,” he whispered against her lips before letting her go.
She hurried down the steps to the bedroom and dressed in another pair of shorts and a top. There was nothing she could do about her hair until she showered later.
In the fridge she found the ingredients to fix a Grecian-style sandwich. She made a fresh pot of coffee and put everything on the table with a couple of oranges. Akis joined her. While they finished off their orange sections, he told her they were going to head to Cape Lefkas, the inhospitable part of the island with cliffs seventy meters high. The lighthouse was built on the old temple of Apollo. From there you could view incredible vistas including Kefallonia Island.
He got up from the seat first and pressed a passionate kiss to her mouth. “That’s the sweetest dessert I ever tasted. Save me more because tonight I’ll be starving.”
Akis could have no idea of the depth of her hunger for him. She didn’t know how much longer she could go on without loving him completely. If she did that, then she’d never want to leave him. But what did Akis want?
Her experience with Byron proved to her that living happily ever after with the same person you married didn’t necessarily happen. She couldn’t bear the thought of a long-term relationship not working out with Akis. For the moment they were in a short-term situation because soon she would have to go back to California and once again take on the weight of her responsibilities.
If he wanted a life with Raina to continue, could a long-distance relationship back and forth from Greece to California work? A week fit in here and another week there throughout the year with months of separation in between?
Raina knew she was getting way ahead of herself, but every second spent with him was condemning her to be fatally in love with him for the rest of her life.
There was one thing Raina refused to do. Become so desperate that she’d marry someone else who came along in the future just to be married and have children. She could meet dozens of men and none of them would ever measure up to Akis. If her grandfather were still alive and could know this bigger-than-life man, he’d understand why Raina would never be able to settle for anyone else.
Her only choice was to spend this precious time with the man she loved and see what happened. Stop analyzing this to pieces, Raina.
He wanted to show her his Greece, so go with it and let come what may. She’d come to Athens for Chloe’s sake and had found joy beyond belief. If it meant that she could only experience it for a little while, then it was worth it. Casting any worries aside, she hurried up on deck and felt two arms grab her from behind.
“It took you long enough. I’ve been waiting for this.” He turned her around and lowered his head, covering her mouth with his own. Once again she was swept away. They’d started devouring each other when Akis unexpectedly lifted his lips from hers. “I can’t get enough of you, Raina.”
She let out a shaky breath. “I’m in the same condition.”
His hands gripped her shoulders. “I thought I could do this, but I can’t.”
When she saw the torment in his black gaze, she shuddered. “What’s wrong?”
With a sound of reluctance, he let go of her. “I’d intended to vacation with you, but it’s not working. Do you mind if we go back to the house?”
Raina took a step away from him. “Is it me? Something I’ve done?”
His answer was a long time in coming. “It’s nothing you’ve done. I want to make love to you more than you can imagine, but I don’t have the right.”
Afraid her legs wouldn’t support her, she found the nearest banquette so she could sit. Filled with anguish, she couldn’t look at him. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re wonderful, Raina, and you’ve changed my life to the point I don’t know where I am.”
She threw her head back. “Since you asked me to dance at the reception, my life hasn’t been the same, either. Taking a vacation probably wasn’t a good idea, but I’ll never regret the time we’ve spent together. If that’s what you want, then by all means let’s go back to Anti Paxos.”
His face was an expressionless mask. “It isn’t what I want, but I don’t see another alternative for our situation.”
She didn’t know what was driving this latest decision. But if by situation he meant that not making love to her had ruined the trip for him, then she agreed there was no point in prolonging it.
“All right.” In a quick move she reached for the life jacket and put it on. “While you get us under way, I’ll go below to clean things up in the kitchen and pack.”
He didn’t try to stop her. After getting the work done, she stayed below the whole time and rested her leg on the bed, knowing he would prefer to be alone. Her pain
