Rich laughter burst from Andreas. “After talking it over with my father, I bought the property and hired the scientist to help me find the right people to get it started.”
“I can’t comprehend putting a business like that together.”
“It was an enormous undertaking. I had to fund employees with insurance and benefits. Besides making the product, I had to decide where to sell it. Advertising costs had to be entered into the budget in order to get it off the ground. That meant hiring a marketing manager to laud the features of sea salt. Did you know it provides electrolytes that maintain water balance and assist in nerve and muscle function?”
She laughed. “You know very well I know nothing about it.”
“Neither did I, which was why I had to surround myself with experts. After deciding I would sell to clients in Europe, I had to make arrangements to ship our product using trucks and trains. In order to reach the countries around the Mediterranean, I had to negotiate with different shipping lines that would come to the port of Messolonghi.”
“This isn’t lip service when I tell you it’s a marvel what you’ve done.”
He leaned over and kissed the side of her brow. “If I’ve loaded you with too much information, there’s a reason. Ten years ago I did business with the CEO of Norville Shipping out of Marseilles, France. It’s been going strong ever since.”
“Wait a minute, a shipping line in Marseilles?” She gasped the name once she’d connected the dots. “Do you mean that Ari’s dad is...?”
He nodded when he saw she’d figured it out. “How’s that for a twist of irony? Out of all the men Lia could have picked...”
“But you never met him.”
“No. The CEO I did business with was probably his grandfather. They have the kind of money that would enable him to come after Lia if he finds out she had his baby and didn’t tell him.
“I’m waiting to hear how soon the judge will rule on my change of visitation petition. If Lia does anything to hold it up, then I’m not going to wait any longer to meet with Norville.”
Her stomach clenched in worry for him.
“Zoe? I’d like your input on how best to approach him.”
“Oh, Andreas—I don’t know.”
“I can’t think of anyone whose opinion I would value more. And I’d like you to go to France with me.”
While she stood there speechless, he found a tray, cutlery and two plates. It dawned on her the food was ready. Together they served up the fish and potatoes. She put on a lemon garnish and fresh plums and added some Halloumi cheese rolls.
He gave her a sideward glance. “I’ll carry this up if you’ll bring the wine and glasses.”
Zoe fairly trembled as she gathered those last items and followed him to the deck. They sat on a banquette with the tray between them. She found a spot for the glasses and Andreas poured them Moschofilero white wine he’d said came from the finest vineyards in the southern Peloponnese region of Greece.
He raised his glass to her. “You’ll taste peppermint, rose and citrus, elements of my homeland. It will enhance the flavor of our little two-year-old cod fish, born and raised here in Grecian waters.”
“Two-year-olds?”
“Their great-grandparents are around here somewhere and probably six feet long by now.”
She chuckled softly and lifted her glass. “To hope and new beginnings.”
He touched her glass with his own. “Thank you for coming with me.” His deep voice resonated inside her body.
“It’s a privilege for me, Andreas.”
After they drank some of the delicious wine, they began eating. It tasted so good she couldn’t stop until there was nothing left. He’d eaten all of his, too.
She lifted her eyes to him. “You probably won’t believe me, but that’s the best meal I ever had in my life.”
“You just read my mind. Now, take a look at the horizon.”
She turned to the west just as the half-moon started sliding into the water. The surreal night was so mystical, she felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck.
“What is it about beauty that makes you hurt?”
“That’s what happens to me when I look at you.”
“Too much wine again,” she quipped, “but I’m a woman who likes to hear it anyway.”
“You have a hard time accepting a compliment.” His gaze studied her profile, making her restless. “What’s your answer, Zoe?”
She felt her heart palpitate. “To which question?”
“Both. How to approach Norville and if you’ll come to France with me? I’ve made inquiries through a private detective I’ve used and trusted here in Patras, Gus Paulos. He told me Guion lives in Nice. Apparently he worked in the shipping business, then real estate. Now he dabbles in other things.”
“Is he married?”
“Twice, and separated from his second wife.”
Zoe sucked in her breath. “So he’s had a divorce.”
“Yes.”
“Does he have children?”
“One from each marriage, so Gus tells me. Tomorrow I’ll find out if my attorney has good news for me and Lia has agreed to the terms. If not, then I’m going to take matters into my own hands. I want you with me.”
After Andreas talked to the other man, he would learn he had another child.
“I can hear what you’re thinking,” he murmured. “This couldn’t be a more difficult time for Norville to get news like this.”
“No. But I don’t suppose there’s ever a right time.”
Andreas looked out over the water. “Knowing what I’ve told you, do you still feel he should be told?”
“I wish you hadn’t asked me that. I’m seeing this from Ari’s side. If he learns through you about his birth father, he’ll love you for being honest no matter how shocking the news is to him. But if he finds out first that you’re not the one who gave him life, I imagine he’ll feel betrayed by both you and his mother.”
“In other words, whatever Norville’s circumstances, you’re still of the opinion I should tell him.”
“Yes.”
“I feel exactly the same way. Now I’m trying to decide how I’d like to be contacted about this if I were Norville. Any thoughts you have on the matter will be greatly appreciated.”
“Let me think about it tonight, Andreas.”
“Will you fly to Nice with me?”
She got up from the banquette and reached for the glasses and wine bottle that was still two-thirds full. “I’ll tell you my answer in the morning.”
Zoe went down to the galley and started to clean up. In a minute he joined her and put their plates in the dishwasher. When she’d finished, she turned to him. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to bed. I don’t have to tell you it’s been a glorious day.”
Lines darkened his features. “It was until I mentioned Norville.”
Her head came up. “How could you not? Your life can’t move on until this issue is resolved. To my mind the sooner the better. Ari is the most important person in this whole equation. Good night.”
Zoe walked past Andreas to reach her cabin. He didn’t try to stop her. Long after she got ready for bed, she lay there in a quandary thinking about her own life. Her birth parents had disregarded her. As for her first set of foster parents, the only thing Nancy had told her about them was that they had run into financial difficulties and the state had needed to step in to find Zoe a new home.
Though her situation and Ari’s were entirely different, she knew he would face some struggles growing up and it was vital that Andreas focus on him right now rather than Zoe.
Andreas had been so intent on being with her since they met, she wondered if it was his way of distracting himself from the stressful things going on in his life right now. Given time, he might not even want or need Zoe in his life t
he same way.
She’d thrown caution to the wind and had come back to Patras desperate to see Andreas once more. All it had accomplished was to prove how deeply in love she was with him. Meeting his son had added another layer to cement her feelings for him.
But in asking her to fly to France with him, he’d put her on a precipice. There was no safety net below. No guarantees where their relationship was headed.
To put her heart at risk again was asking too much when so much more stood in the way of her happiness with Andreas. Not knowing what was in store, Zoe was frightened to get any more involved with him. She couldn’t do it and slept poorly the rest of the night.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ANDREAS SPENT AN agonizing night on deck. He doubted that he’d slept at all. Before Zoe left the galley, he should have stopped her and told her everything going on inside him. Instead, he’d asked her to go to Nice with him to face an uncertain outcome involving his son.
He thought back to the moment when Zoe had returned from Italy. When he’d pressed her, she’d admitted to having developed deeper feelings for him and had been afraid of them. But she’d had to come back to tell him.
Her honesty had overjoyed him because of his love for her. But he hadn’t said or done enough to reassure her about the future he wanted with her. With his life so unsettled, how could she be confident of anything?
Once the sun rose over the horizon, he went below to shower and shave. After putting on khaki shorts and a white T-shirt, he went in the galley to fix breakfast for them. They would eat at the table.
An hour later she appeared at the entrance dressed in pink shorts and a white T-shirt. Their tops were the same, but her feminine shape almost caused him to drop his coffee mug. Could there be a more beautiful woman?
“Mmm. Something smells mouthwatering.”
“I’ve made you my recipe for Greek coffee to start our day. The kind with the grounds on the bottom and foam on top. Sit down and I’ll serve you.”
“Thank you. After that dinner last night, I can’t believe I’m hungry again.”
“I’m glad. I’ve put out pastries and yogurt to go with the eggs.” He brought everything to the table he’d already set.
She flashed him a smile before sitting on one of the chairs. He straddled one opposite her and they both began to eat.
Halfway through their meal she said, “My compliments to the chef. This is delicious.”
“Thank you.”
“I meant it. To what do I owe this honor? Is there anything you can’t do?”
He’d finished the last of his pastry. “Let me ask you a question first. A while back you said you’d been single a long time and at this point knew who you were.”
A confused expression broke out on her face. He’d caught her off guard. “I remember.”
“Do you know yourself well enough to imagine spending the rest of your life with me?”
If he wasn’t mistaken, she lost some color.
“Zoe—it should be patently clear by now that I’m in love with you.”
She shook her head. “You think you are. It’s always that way in the beginning of a relationship, especially if you’ve just come out of an unhappy marriage.”
He could see he had a fight on his hands. “Forget that I haven’t had three years to find out who I really am. That’s not me. My big mistake was letting you leave for Venice without telling you how I felt from the start. But with certain matters in my life not yet resolved, I worried the truth would scare you off. When you came back, I knew someone upstairs was on my side.”
She couldn’t meet his eyes. “I should have gone to France with Abby.”
“Maybe you didn’t hear me the first time. I want to marry you, Zoe Perkins. Because of circumstances, it won’t be today or tomorrow, but soon. Last night I made another mistake by asking you to fly to Nice with me without you knowing my deepest feelings.”
This time when she looked at him, her blue eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. There was a frightened woman inside her. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“The hell I don’t! The other day when you mentioned calling the secretary at the university to find out about the faculty party, it was like my worst nightmare. If you think I’m going to let you get away from me again, then you don’t know me. When you left the first time, I had every intention of flying to California to bring you back.”
“You’re saying this now,” she said, shaking her head, “but in time you’ll have a totally different outlook on things.”
“Then we’ll give it time to prove I meant everything I’ve sai—” But he stopped talking because his cell phone had rung. He checked the caller ID. It was his attorney. Talk about timing. “I’ve got to take this. Finish your breakfast. There’s more on the stove. I’ll be right back.”
Andreas slipped out to his cabin and clicked on. “Yorgos?”
“I’m glad you picked up.”
“Tell me you’ve got good news.”
“I wish I did.” Andreas grimaced. “Lia’s attorney has counter-petitioned the judge for full custody of Ari. She’s accusing you of a liaison with Kyria Perkins, who stayed in your hotel room with you on visitation.”
“We both know she had her own hotel room, Yorgos.”
“Of course. I provided the proof, but that’s not the key issue.”
He could feel his blood boil. “Go ahead and tell me.”
“The counter-petition includes the following points in so many words—you’re not emotionally stable this soon after your separation to be a good father. She’s demanding a full psychological investigation. Secondly, she fears that you and your American lover will leave the country with Ari and not return, placing him in extreme jeopardy.”
Andreas leaned against the wall while he calmed down. “Lia thinks I’ll cave and ask her to come back, but she’s just made her fatal mistake. When we hang up, I want you to call her attorney and tell him I’ll be contacting the birth father today. He knows what this will mean to her. It could change everything.”
“You’re right. Consider it done.”
“Thanks, Yorgos.”
He hung up and went back to the kitchen. Zoe had finished eating and was doing the dishes when she saw him.
“Is everything all right?”
“That was my attorney on the phone.”
“I thought so.”
“Lia is trying to hold things up, so I’m going ahead with my plans to tell Norville he has a son.”
He saw that anxious look enter her eyes again. “Before you do anything, I need to answer your question about how to approach Norville.”
Andreas had been waiting. “I’m all ears.”
“You’re such an honest and straightforward person, why don’t you simply approach him at his office like you would any business contact? I can’t see you doing it any other way. I guess it’s my sense of you.”
Relieved she’d finally given him one of the answers he’d wanted, he sat back down and pulled out his phone.
“Would you mind if I made the call right now? It’s ten thirty here, which means nine thirty there. If he’s not at work, I’ll leave my number.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“After the discussions we’ve had, I’ve never been more convinced it’s the right thing to do.”
She stood up. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
“I’d rather you stayed with me. Do you mind?”
“No,” she answered in a quiet voice and sat back down on her chair.
“I’ve already preprogrammed Norville’s realty office number the private detective gave me. It’s the only number he could find.” Without hesitation he pressed the digit.
After four rings, a male voice answered in French. “Oui?”
Andreas thought it odd the person didn’t rep
ly with the name of the business. Speaking in French, he said, “I’d like to speak to Guion Norville.”
The man on the other end took a breath Andreas could hear. “Who’s calling?”
“Andreas Gavras, from Patras, Greece. Is he available?”
After a long wait, “I’m afraid not.”
He frowned. “Can he be reached at another number? If not, would you ask him to call my number? It’s of extreme urgency that I talk to him.”
“Monsieur Norville is no longer available.”
Andreas heard the click. The man had just hung up on him. He darted Zoe a puzzled glance and explained what had happened.
“Do you think he answered and pretended to be someone else when he found out who you were?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Maybe he doesn’t work there anymore. Didn’t you say he dabbled in other businesses?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe he has hired someone to answer the phone.”
“Then again it’s possible he’s in financial trouble. But I can’t imagine him hiding from creditors unless his family has cut off his money. There’s only one solution. I’m going to call the detective agency right now and get to the bottom of it.”
Andreas got back on the phone and asked to speak to Gus. In another minute he came on the line.
“Andreas?”
“Gus? I just had a strange conversation with someone at that realty number you gave me for Guion Norville.” He told him the gist of it.
“That is odd. It’s the only phone number I have for him. I haven’t yet found his wife’s. To my knowledge the name Norville Realty is still on the front door.”
“I need the address.”
“Here it is. In the meantime I’ll make more inquiries and get back to you if I find out any new information.”
“Thanks, Gus.”
“What did he say?” Zoe asked after he hung up the phone.
“He’s perplexed, too. After we get back to Patras tonight, I’ll leave for Nice first thing in the morning and find him. Since this is all I can do for now, let’s go up on deck. We might see some dolphins.”
Andreas left the galley first. He’d asked her to go to France with him, but didn’t hold out hope.
Wedding The Greek Billionaire (Holiday With A Billionaire Book 3) Page 9