“We’ll sail there and Yannis will collect them for you.”
“Yannis?”
“He’s a seaman who worked for my family when I was boy. Now he works for me.”
“What do you mean, collect?” she asked in fresh alarm.
“After we leave Chios, we won’t be touching land again for at least two weeks.”
After letting out a moan, she started pacing, then stopped. “Call my obstetrician in Florida. He’ll verify the dates so you’ll have your proof.”
“That won’t prove anything. You could have been with a man the night before we met. Maybe several.”
A gasp escaped. “Surely you don’t believe that! There was only you. Phone Delia. She’ll verify everything.”
“How much did you pay her and her boyfriend to tell me a lie if I called her?”
Stephanie paled more. “Nikos...who are you?”
He raked a hand through his hair, wondering the same thing. After living through a hellish childhood with his father, plus the memory of Kon’s disastrous marriage and divorce, Nikos had developed a much more cynical outlook on life.
Part of him couldn’t help but wonder why Natasa had been waiting around for him all these years, if not to marry money. She’d lived with wealth all her life and needed a rich husband to be kept in that same lifestyle. The thought sickened him.
What if Stephanie was telling him the truth? His black brows furrowed. “Someone who doesn’t like being taken advantage of. You were very clever to try and convince me you found me by sheer perseverance. For the time being you’ll remain with me on the Diomedes.” It was an impulsive decision, one he hadn’t had time to examine yet.
She looked frantic. “Please don’t do this.”
For a moment he was carried back three months in time. She’d begged him not to tease her when he kept kissing her face, but not her mouth. He’d been on the verge of devouring her and couldn’t hold back much longer. Just now that same appeal was in her voice, confusing him, when he needed to keep his wits.
“You don’t have to worry. I’ll let you contact your boss and make it right with him. Tell him your medical condition has made it necessary for you to stay in Greece for an indefinite period. Your boss will have to understand.”
“But Nikos—”
“No doubt your friend Melinda will run by your condo for you and check your mail.” He put his T-shirt back on and slid into his sandals. “As for you, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of in your fragile state. Just be grateful I’m not turning you over to the authorities for trespassing on private property. You wouldn’t last long in one of our jails.”
Her appealing body shuddered.
“It would be interesting to know who told you I was on the yacht. No one knows except my parents.”
“I—I met an older woman waiting for the boat that would take me back to Chios,” Stephanie stammered. “She pointed to this yacht and said it belonged to the Vassalos family.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Because I asked her if she lived here and knew your family.”
“What did she say?”
“That everyone knew your family.”
“Did you exchange names?”
“No! I simply offered her some of my grapes while we were waiting for the boat.”
“So at that point you just decided to walk over to the yacht and see if it met your high expectations, did you?”
“No. My intention was to find out if anyone on board knew where you really were.”
“I guess I’m not surprised you decided to use your beauty to sweet-talk the crew into revealing my whereabouts.”
She stiffened. “There was no crew.”
“Yet having been told I was out of the country indefinitely, you still waited for someone to come to the yacht.”
She moistened her lips. “I was afraid that if you were at work and knew I was looking for you, you’d pretend to be away. It was my last resort to try and reach you.”
“Therefore once again it was pure luck that you didn’t take no for an answer and sought me out at the yacht.”
“It appears that way,” she whispered.
“I’m afraid your luck has run out.” Before he walked out of the bedroom, he said, “Go ahead and fix your own meal. There’s food and drink in the galley. We just restocked everything. You’re paler and weaker than I remember. That couldn’t be good for you in your condition.”
“I notice you’ve lost weight and don’t look as well, either!”
Touché.
“In fact, you—” Suddenly, she stopped talking.
“I what?” he demanded.
Stephanie averted her eyes. “Nothing.”
He’d seen her glance at the cane, and had an idea what she’d intended to say. It angered him further. “Don’t try to go up on deck while we’re leaving port.”
Adrenaline drove him out of the room and down the hall to the stairs. But he paid the price for not taking care because when he reached the top deck, he felt pain at the base of his spine and realized he’d exerted himself too much without support. Damn it all.
CHAPTER FOUR
AFTER A FEW minutes of enforced solitude, Stephanie could feel the yacht moving. Good heavens! Nikos had really meant it. They were leaving the port and she was his prisoner! It certainly wasn’t because he was enamored of her. She’d changed physically since they’d been together, making her less attractive.
His looks had altered, too, but in his case the weight loss and dark brooding behavior didn’t detract from his virulent male charisma. If anything, those changes made him even more appealing, if that was at all possible.
By now she’d passed the stage where she still believed she was having a nightmare. Rage and bewilderment had been warring inside her, but her greatest need at the moment was for food, so she wouldn’t throw up again. No matter what was going to happen, she needed to take care of herself and her baby.
Taking him at his word, she walked to the galley. He’d stocked his fridge well in a kitchen that rivaled that of even the most rich and famous yacht owners. Anything she could want was here. But after she’d eaten, she started going crazy with nothing to do, and decided to go up to the top of the stairs for some fresh air.
To her dismay the tough-looking seaman, Yannis, probably
