race. “That goes without saying.”
“An engagement will give us the perfect cover. While you run the hotel, I’ll spend real time with my family. When I whisk you away for a little personal time together, or spend time in your hotel room, no one will know I’m helping you behind the scenes.”
Lys struggled to sit still. Nassos had told her Takis was a genius with vision, but this proposition went beyond the boundaries of her imagination. The thought of being engaged to him robbed her of breath.
“The only way the manager will understand why you and I are spending time together and not become suspicious is if he thinks we’re romantically involved. I was simply setting the scene.”
A thrill of alarm passed through her body. “There’s no doubt you accomplished your objective a few minutes ago,” she said in a tremulous voice.
“It had to be convincing. Tell me something. When you flew to Italy, did the staff know you were leaving the country?”
“Only Giorgos, but I didn’t tell him where and let him assume what he wanted.”
“That’s perfect. Just now it didn’t hurt for him and other members of the staff to see us meet in the lobby and assume we have a history away from Crete. When we walked out of the hotel with my arm around you, it no doubt created a new wave of gossip.”
“You know it did.” Being that close to him practically gave her a heart attack.
“If we’re engaged, it’ll be about you and me for a change. I’m aware the old gossip came close to crucifying you. An engagement would put an end to it.”
“I can’t imagine anything more wonderful than changing that particular conversation.” She took an extra breath. “I’ll admit it was awful for Danae too.”
He studied her for a moment. “Neither of you deserved this. It pains me for both of you. The new gossip you and I create will cause people to see you in a new light. With a ring on your finger from me, the old news will be forgotten.”
She closed her eyes tightly. He was making it sound possible and that increased her nervousness. If this proposal had come from his heart, she’d be in heaven. But it hadn’t, and she needed to remember that.
“Lys?” he prodded.
“Can you tell me what you’ve decided to do about your other businesses?”
“I’m already in negotiations to sell my chain of hotels in New York and invest the money. After talking it over with my partners, I’m going to stay committed to them. The castello hotel-restaurant will be the only asset I own and I’ll fly to Milan when necessary.”
“I’m sure they’ll be happy about that.” Her voice shook from emotions sweeping through her. “Do your parents know what you’ve done?”
He nodded. “I’ve told them I’ve come home for good and want to help out at the family hotel. My father hasn’t said anything about that yet. Lukios has indicated I’m not needed. He explained they would have to let someone else go who must keep their job. I understood that and told him I’d be happy to do some advertising around Crete to bring in more clients.”
“What did he say?”
“He shook his head and left the living room with the excuse that he was needed at the front desk and we’d talk later.”
“I’m sorry, but these are early days. Your mother must be ecstatic!”
“I think she’s still in shock that I haven’t gone back to Italy yet.”
“You’ll have to give your family time before everyone accepts the fact that you’re home permanently. But you have to know she’s thrilled, and she’s the one to work on. After all, your mother was the one who begged you to come home permanently. In the meantime, you can offer to do little things for her.”
Takis studied her intently. “You’re a very intuitive woman, so I’m going to take your advice. A few more days and they might be more receptive to the idea of my helping around the hotel. Maybe I’ll be able to break my parents down enough so they’ll start confiding in me.”
Lys moistened her lips nervously. “I’m sure things will get better for you, but I’m afraid you haven’t thought out your proposition carefully enough where I’m concerned.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you were to tell them we’re engaged, it could make things a lot worse for you. I’ve been in the news recently. Have you thought they might not approve of me?”
His brows furrowed. “If you’re the woman I’ve chosen, they won’t say anything no matter their personal feelings. I know that if my mother heard your whole story, she’d be thrilled. Besides, deep down she’s had a fear I’d end up with some foreigner and as you’re half Cretan, she’ll be overjoyed.”
“I am part foreigner,” Lys murmured. “How would you explain our meeting?”
“That’s simple. We met at the castello hotel in Italy while you were on vacation a while ago. It was love at first sight and we’ve been together ever since.”
His words sank deep in her psyche. It might not have been love at first sight, but a powerful emotion had shaken her to the core when he’d walked in his office to find her there. That emotion continued to grow stronger until she knew he was the man she’d been waiting for all her adult life.
Lys looked away from him. “How will you explain it when we break up in six months and call off the engagement?”
“I don’t know. Right now I’m trying to navigate through new waters because of what Nassos has done to us. This situation could have happened forty years from now, but it didn’t. You and I are both vulnerable for a variety of reasons and we need to think this through carefully if we’re going to do it right.”
“I agree.”
“Isn’t it interesting to realize Nassos had no way of knowing that he’d done me a favor when he deeded me half the hotel. It has forced me to come home and try to make a difference for my family, something I should have done a long time ago.”
Lys could feel his pain. “I’m sorry you have the worry of their health on your mind.”
“I’ve been living with it for a while. Maybe I’ve been wrong and misread what I thought about mother. Just because she has aged a little doesn’t mean she’s ill.”
“That’s probably all it is.”
“Cesare has accused me of leaping to conclusions. Still, if one of them is ill, I need to find that out. But they’re so closed up, it’ll take time to pry them open if they’re keeping a secret from me. Nothing else is as important to me right now.”
“I can relate,” her voice trembled. “After Nassos hit his head, he pretended that everything was fine, but I could tell he wasn’t himself and it gnawed at me. So I can understand how disturbed you are by your mother’s plea that you move back here.”
He flicked her an all-encompassing glance. “No matter what, it’s my worry. The decision
