too far away to hear him.
He’d walked away from his brother, not intending for it to be forever, but that’s exactly what had happened. He would never again speak to Nile, argue with him or take comfort in his brother’s concern for his well-being. Without Nile, he utterly felt adrift in this great big world.
And then when he’d been informed about Nile’s child—his last living link to his brother—Apollo knew in that moment that he had to set things right. Or as right as was possible. He owed Nile that much and so much more.
In the next breath, the attorney had informed him that Popi was seeking custody. If he didn’t stop her, he would lose a tangible link to his brother—his only chance to do the right thing as far as his brother was concerned.
Apollo had vowed then and there to never walk away from the baby. It was all the family he had left. He would learn from his past and not make the same mistakes again—the stakes were too high.
Apollo was generally straightforward, but with a baby involved perhaps a gentler approach was in order. His father had been a very blunt man. Apollo knew how it felt to be on the receiving end of that bluntness. He wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
Maybe a bit of charm and a few kind words would smooth the path to claiming his niece or nephew. He didn’t know if it’d work, but it was worth a try. He didn’t want to make this harder on Popi than it needed to be. But in the end, he intended for the baby to live with him at the Drakos estate.
POPI BARELY ATE her dinner at the reception.
Her gaze kept moving over the crowd of well-wishers, searching for the strikingly handsome man. He seemed so familiar to her and yet she was certain they hadn’t met before, but how could that be?
And what did he want with her? If he was a disgruntled client, he would want to speak with Lea, as she was the owner of the island and the wedding business. But Popi hadn’t noticed a wedding ring on his finger.
Lea leaned over. “Is everything all right?”
Not wanting to alarm the bride on her big day, Popi said, “Yes, of course.”
Lea’s brows drew together. “Then why haven’t you eaten?”
Popi glanced down. At one point, the food had looked appetizing, but now her stomach was a twisted-up ball of nerves. “I...um...was just distracted.”
Lea arched a fine brow at her. “Distracted, huh? With that handsome guy I saw you chatting with?”
Popi’s gaze searched the area, not finding any sign of him. She didn’t know what to say to Lea. She didn’t want the bride worrying about the mystery man.
“Popi?”
She turned back to the bride. “He’s, um, with the movers. There was some kind of mix-up and he showed up a day early. I hope him crashing the wedding hasn’t upset you.”
A look of disappointment skittered across Lea’s face. “So he wasn’t here at your invitation?”
Popi gave a firm shake of her head.
“I’ll have him escorted off the island—”
“No. Don’t.” There was something about his serious tone and the feeling she should know him that had her anxious to learn his story. “I’ve got it.”
Lea looked hesitant. “You’re sure?”
Popi nodded. The truth was she wasn’t sure about anything—especially why this man was so eager to speak with her.
Lea let the subject drop. And with the mystery man now gone, Popi forced herself to eat a few bites of food. The evening moved along with the groom, Xander, dancing the traditional zeibekiko. The crowd clapped as Xander’s arms rose over his head. He snapped his fingers as he moved in a tight circle. He stopped in front of Lea and dropped to his knees, still waving his arms over his head. The crowd loved it, most especially Lea. The smile on the bride’s face lit up the whole room.
One dance led to another. The bride and groom were all smiles, as they had eyes only for each other. Popi considered this wedding a success. She took her first easy breath.
And the next thing she knew, she was being led around the dance floor by the best man, Roberto, who was also Xander’s close friend and second-in-command. She’d met him more than once, and though Lea was anxious for them to hit it off, it wasn’t going to happen. Popi couldn’t put her finger on why. He was definitely handsome and successful, but neither one was into the other. They were becoming fast friends, but that’s all it would ever be.
Partway through the song, there was a tap on Roberto’s shoulders. Popi’s gaze followed the finger up the arm and then her gaze settled upon the sexy stranger’s face. Apparently it was time for their talk. She had to admit that she was anxious to learn his identity and what he had to tell her.
“Can I cut in?” The stranger wore a serious expression.
Roberto, looking caught off guard, stopped dancing. “Um...” His gaze moved to her and she nodded. “Thank you for the dance.” Roberto turned back to the other man. “She’s all yours.”
The man took Popi in his quite capable arms, but there was no escaping their closeness with her protruding abdomen. No one had long enough arms to allow for much room between them—not even this man.
“What are you doing?” Her voice came out in a heated whisper.
“Dancing. With you.” He led her around the dance floor.
“But I don’t know your name. I don’t even understand why you’re at the wedding—”
“Shh... I’ll answer all your questions after one dance. That seems like a fair bargain, doesn’t it?” He smiled at her, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
His words were smooth, but she got the impression there was more going on here than him trying to pick her up. Although, a man with his striking good looks being interested in dancing with a woman almost nine months pregnant was an offer she couldn’t turn down.
She nodded her consent.
His muscled arm moved to her waist while he took her hand in his and held it to his chest. Her heart was racing madly. She assured herself it was the physical activity and nothing to do with the handsome man holding her in his arms.
His gaze met hers and held it. She wasn’t able to read his thoughts, but that didn’t keep her heart from continuing to race. Was it wrong to acknowledge that he was the sexiest man at the wedding? On the island?
As she stared into his blue eyes, she was caught off guard by a glimmer of pain lurking just beneath the surface. Normally when she looked into someone’s eyes, there was a light there, but in this mysterious stranger’s case, it was as if that light had been snuffed out. Someone had hurt him—hurt him deeply. Sympathy welled up in her. She was all too familiar with pain that balled up inside and made it difficult to eat, sometimes to inhale a full breath.
