The Renegade Billionaire (12 page)

“If I stay in this bed any longer, then I'll pay a price for giving in to my desire. It'll be too heavy a price considering I'll be gone soon. It's already tearing me apart to imagine leaving you. But my agony will never end if I sleep with you tonight. After knowing your possession, nothing will ever be the same for me again. I know myself too well.”

Stavros propped his head on his hand to look at her. “You're talking about Ferrante.”

“No. When Ferrante found out I'd never been intimate with a man, he said he wanted me to be his wife before he took me to bed. I loved him for loving me that much. For several months after his death, I was angry because I felt I'd been cheated and it was my own fault.

“But because I didn't have that memory, I'm convinced it helped me to heal. Otherwise, how can I explain falling in love with
you
so fast? After meeting you, I can't imagine loving another man again whether we sleep together or not.”

He smoothed some hair off her forehead. “So what are we going to do about us? Does your father expect you to stay with him for always?”

“It isn't a case of expect, Stavros. I'm the one who doesn't want him to be alone.”

“Why? It's normal for a grown woman to fall in love with a man and set up her own household.”

She buried her face in his neck. “I know, but— Oh, you just don't understand.”

“Try me. Please.”

“He's so selfless and has never asked for anything for himself. I can't bear to think of him alone to live out the rest of his life. His parents were killed in a train accident when he was young. He had to live with an aunt, but she died before he met Mom. Then she died giving birth to me. I'm all he has left in this world.”

The words came out in heavy sobs. Stavros held her closer, kissing her hair and cheek. Ferrante had loved her enough to know what he had to do to keep her. Maybe there was another way around what seemed to be an insoluble problem, because Stavros flat-out refused to lose her.

* * *

When the sobs subsided, Andrea rolled away from him and stood up, realizing she'd taken him by surprise. “I've given you all the honesty I have in me, but now I know what I have to do. I'd only be torturing myself to stay the rest of the night with you. Our meeting at the quarry was accidental. We've had some very precious moments together, but we need to get on with our lives since they're going in different directions. Try to get some sleep. We have two more quarries to visit tomorrow.”

Andrea hurried to bed. She tossed and turned most of the night. After awakening early, she dressed and slipped out to bring breakfast back. She avoided Stavros's eyes as she put their food on the table in his room and reached for a roll. He'd dressed in white lightweight trousers and a collared tan shirt. He looked terrific and could walk a lot better this morning.

After eating, she packed up the duffel bag and turned to him. “Have you taken your medicine?”

He reached for his coffee. “I took it when I got out of bed. Thank you for the reminder and the food.”

“You're welcome. I'll just take this bag out to the car and wait for you.”

“I'll be right there.”

In another few minutes, he climbed into the passenger seat next to her and they drove away.

“Are you sure you wouldn't be more comfortable in back?” After driving around in the Jeep with him, it was a strange experience with him sitting next to her in his elegant car. She was so aware of him, it was hard to concentrate.

“I'm fine. But after we've stopped at the next quarry, I want to go back to the house. I've decided I can accomplish much the same thing by making phone calls from home.”

She frowned. “Do you wish you hadn't come?”

“No. It was necessary for me to see if my physical presence has made a difference. But in every case, the person I really need to convince isn't on the premises. Part of the reason I wanted to do things this way was so I could spend more time alone with you.”

She'd loved this time with him more than he would ever know.

“However, since I don't need any more help, and because being together has put an unbearable strain on both of us, I'll let you get back to your office. The helicopter will be waiting to take you. I daresay your boss will be thrilled to see you walk in.”

Andrea's heart plunged to her feet. Stavros admitted he'd fallen in love with her, but sometime between last night and this morning, he'd had some sort of epiphany. She knew what he was like. Once he'd made up his mind, that was it. He'd made a decision about the two of them, the only one that made sense.

There was no going back to the way they had been before last night and they both knew it. But she was so devastated it took all her strength to focus while negotiating the mountain roads. Stavros worked on his laptop, not interested in talking to her. They'd run out of words. He was able to freeze her out, an ability she'd give anything to possess.

By noon they'd visited the quarry before heading back toward Panagia. She had no idea if he'd felt it was a successful morning or not. En route, they stopped for food, which they ate in the car. He turned on some typical soft rock music, his way of letting her know the music wouldn't bother him while he did work on his computer.

They arrived at his villa just after two o'clock. His fabulous house felt more like home to her than any furnished apartment she and her dad had ever lived in over the years. Her heart was in so much pain, she wondered if it could literally break.

Andrea let Stavros off in front. Even if he was walking better, he shouldn't have to climb a lot of steps yet. After he shut the door, she drove around to the back and parked the car next to the Jeep. His posh Mercedes had been a sheer pleasure to drive. When she let herself in the back door, she found he'd gone straight to his den.

Taking advantage of the time, she went to his bedroom and unpacked the duffel bag. Toiletries in the bathroom, medicine on his side table. As for her own packing, there was very little to do. In ten minutes, she was ready to go. The sooner, the better, because she was on the verge of breaking down.

On her way to the kitchen with her bag, the front doorbell rang. Maybe Raisa had come to the house for some reason, but didn't want to just walk in on them. Since Stavros was still in the den, she walked through the alcove to the door and opened it.

A stern-faced man in some kind of uniform handed her an express mail envelope. “Are you Andrea Linford?”

“Yes?”

“This is for you and Kyrie Konstantinos. See that he gets it.”

What on earth? She watched him go down the steps before she shut the door.

Stavros was right behind her as she turned around. He caught her in his arms. For a moment, she saw the torment in his eyes. It matched her own.

His fingers kneaded her skin before he released her with seeming reluctance. “Who was that?”

“A—a courier,” she stammered and handed him the envelope.

He ripped it open and pulled out an official-looking document. She watched him as he read it and saw lines of anger mar his striking features. For the first time since she'd known him, she heard him let go a curse.

Andrea got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Stavros? What is it?”

His eyes went hard as flint when he looked at her. “Draco Nasso is suing me for breach of promise to his pregnant daughter Christina and naming
you
corespondent. We're both to appear before the judge day after tomorrow in Kavala.”

She shook her blond head. “You didn't promise her anything! He has no just cause!”

“That doesn't matter to him,” he said in a gravelly voice. “He most likely owns the judge in question. Come in the den with me while we get my attorney on the phone. Everything's coming into play even faster than I had thought.” His gaze shot to hers. “With Draco on the warpath, my father's threat will be realized. Thank providence you were here to help me get around to those quarries.”

This couldn't be happening, but it was. “While you do that, I'll be happy to call the quarries we didn't get to visit on the mainland and set up conferences on Skype for you.”

She heard him inhale sharply. “How did I ever function without you?”

How am I going to live without you, Stavros?

They walked to the den. “Go ahead and sit at my desk. The file is open with all the phone numbers. Call the ones that don't have a check by them.”

Andrea was thankful to be able to help and got busy making the calls. Stavros sat in one of the chairs near his bookcase and got on the phone with his attorney. He was still on the phone when she'd finished lining up appointments.

“Andrea?” He covered the mouthpiece of his phone. “Since you're sitting in front of the screen, would you be willing to speak with my attorney over Skype now? He can take your deposition this way and present it in court without you having to be present.”

“I'll do anything you ask.”

His eyes thanked her before he spoke to his attorney once more. In another minute, they rang off. Stavros walked over and set everything up. His hands slid to her shoulders from behind. He squeezed them gently.

“I know how horrendous this is for you,” he said in a low voice near her ear.

“It's you I'm worried about,” she murmured shakily.

“It's another form of harassment to wear me down, but it'll be over soon. My attorney's name is Myron Karras.”

Within seconds, Mr. Karras appeared before her. “I can see you just fine, Despinis
Linford.”

“I can see you too, Kyrie
Karras.”

“Fine. We'll do this in a question-and-answer format. If you're ready, we'll start now.”

She eyed Stavros. “I'm ready.”

“Please state your full name, nationality, age, marital status, address and occupation please.”

Andrea complied.

“When was the first time you met Stavros Konstantinos.”

“At quarry three on Thassos Island.” She named the date and time.

“Why did
you
specifically come to the quarry?” After she'd explained, he said, “When the teen wasn't found, what did you do?”

Her cheeks went hot. Stavros had sat down on another chair, studying her through veiled eyes.

“Though the police had started a search for him, Kyrie
Konstantinos said he was going to go look for Darren because he knew the mountain well and felt somewhat responsible.”

“Why would he say that?”

“Because he was the one who gave permission through the quarry manager to let our tour groups come to the quarry. I asked if I could go with him because I'm the one who planned the student-teacher tour to the quarry in the first place and also felt partially responsible.”

“Did you two go alone?”

She shivered. “Yes. I followed him to his villa, where I left my rental car. He packed a hamper of food and we left in his Jeep. We were out all night looking for him and eventually found Darren hiding in a truck on the morning ferry ready to leave Thassos for Keramoti. The police lieutenant in charge of the case took Darren into custody.”

“What did you do then?”

“Kyrie
Konstantinos drove us back to his villa, where I got into my rental car and left for Thessaloniki.”

“Why did you arrange for tours to go to that particular quarry?”

“My father, Paul Linford, took me to quarry three when we first arrived in Greece. He said it produced the whitest marble of all. I thought it should be added to the tour agenda and made arrangements through the quarry manager, Gus...”

“Patras,” Stavros whispered.

“Gus Patras. He got permission from the Konstantinos Corporation to allow tour groups to visit.”

“Before you were hired by PanHellenic Tours, where did you live?”

“Italy.”

“Before that?”

“Venezuela, and before that French Guiana, Paraguay and India.” She rattled it all off to get it over with.

The attorney's brows lifted at that bit of information, producing a half smile from Stavros.

“So you'd never been in Greece before.”

She and Stavros exchanged a silent glance. They both knew where these questions were leading. “Never. Because of my father's work, we were sent to Greece and got an apartment in Thessaloniki. I went to the university there, then was hired by PanHellenic Tours.”

“Who hired you?”

“Sakis Manos, the owner.”

“How did you happen to go to Thassos Island at all?”

“My father is a chemical engineer, interested in the history and geology of Greece. Thassos fascinated him because he said it was a big lump of marble.”

“What else can you tell me about him?”

“He works for W.B. Smythe, an American engineering company based in Denver, Colorado, where I was born.” After explaining his job, she said, “We traveled around when he had time off. He told me the marble quarries had existed anciently and I should visit them. Since he's the smartest man I've ever known, I was eager to see them.”

Stavros's attorney smiled. “To your knowledge, did your father ever meet Kyrie Konstantinos or talk to him?”

“No.”

“Tell me the date, time and circumstances involving you and Kyrie
Konstantinos that prompted the 911 call.”

No wonder Stavros had told her she shouldn't have mentioned his name to the dispatcher. The news traveled so fast, it had reached the ears of Tina's father in no time. She explained everything the best she could.

“So you were there to take him home and nurse him.”

“Yes. His stingray wound needed watching.”

“When did you first meet Christina Nasso?”

Oh, no.
Andrea mentioned the date and time.

“What were the circumstances?”

“I was in his house when she came to visit him unexpectedly.”

“Did you see her?”