In desperation he walked around to the manager’s office. It didn’t open until seven thirty. He waited outside where he could keep an eye on Zoe if she came out. Eventually a fiftyish-looking man came to the door and unlocked it.
Andreas went inside. “My name is Andreas Gavras. Here’s my business card.” He pulled it out of his wallet. “I’ve been trying to reach the American woman Zoe Perkins in flat seven. She’s not answering. Would you ring her room?”
The man shook his head. “She checked out last night and paid her bill.”
Though instinct had already told Andreas she’d gone, his heart still fell to his feet like a stone at the confirmation of his worst fear. “Did she leave a forwarding address?”
“I’m afraid not, but I could tell she was upset.”
“Did you see her leave?”
“Sorry, Kyrie Gavras. Someone else came by here last night asking about her and woke up my wife, but she’d already gone.”
That would have been one of Gus’s people. “Thank you for your help. If she comes back or gets in touch with you for any reason, will you call me at that number, please?”
The manager nodded before Andreas went back out to his car and drove to his office. Work was the only panacea while he waited to hear from Gus and Yorgos, but it was almost impossible to concentrate.
Zoe had probably taken a taxi to the airport and could be in the air right now headed for her apartment in Los Angeles. He didn’t know her address there. In order to find her, he’d have to contact the English department at the university. But he wanted to catch her before she left Greece.
If he didn’t hear from Gus soon, he’d phone the Decorvet estate in Burgundy and ask her friend Abby if she knew Zoe’s plans.
She clearly thought that by sacrificing herself, it would appease Lia, but nothing could be further from the truth. The law would take care of that situation. Zoe was his life!
Come on, Gus. Find her for me...
* * *
Zoe spent a wretched night at the Adonis hotel while she sobbed for most of it. When she finally got up, she carried through on her plans to book a night flight to New York, and from there to Los Angeles.
Once that was done, she showered and left the hotel to get breakfast at a sidewalk café down the street. She took some hotel stationery with her to write a long letter in the sunshine to Andreas and tell him everything that was in her heart. It went on for pages because they’d done so much together and the memories kept pouring out of her.
At the end she wrote that she loved him, but knew it was best for him and his son that she leave Greece for good.
Around eleven she walked back to the hotel and posted it to his office address. She gathered up her bags and went down to the lobby to pay her bill. She asked if she could wait in the lounge and make a call before taking a taxi to the airport.
By now Andreas would have been up taking care of Ari for hours. This time with him was so precious. On Sunday he had to fly him back to Athens. Every parting had to be gut-wrenching for him.
It was gut-wrenching for Zoe. Just the thought of their having fun together without her started the tears again. She ached for him so terribly, she felt ill.
Andreas—how am I ever going to survive without you in my life? Everything is over.
“Kyria Perkins?” She lifted her tear-drenched face. It was the man from the counter. “Your taxi is waiting out in front.”
She wiped the tears with the back of her hand before standing up. “Thank you for telling me. I can’t believe it came this fast.”
The man picked up her suitcases and followed her out of the hotel. Zoe looked for the taxi, but all she saw was a familiar silver Mercedes parked in front with the trunk raised.
Lounging against the side was the Greek god of her dreams come to life dressed in a crew neck shirt and jeans. Between the black fire in his eyes and a self-satisfied smile that said she could never get away from him, she almost fainted.
“Andreas—h-how did you know where to find me?” Shock and joy caused her voice to falter. She couldn’t believe he was here, bigger than life.
“I have my ways. Don’t ever think of trying to run away from me again, because I’ll find you and bring you back every time. Let’s go home and plan our wedding. The announcement has to go in the paper today so we can be married. My grandparents will be coming for dinner. They want to meet the woman who has turned my life around and brought the sunshine back.”
Her heart was racing out of control. “What wedding? You’re not divorced.”
“But I am. I’ll tell you everything in the car.” In the next breath he straightened and opened the front passenger door for her while the hotel clerk put her bags in the trunk.
In a daze, she climbed in. Andreas brushed her mouth with his before shutting the door. After he got behind the wheel and drove into the main stream of traffic, he grabbed her hand.
“I’m not letting go until you give me the answer I’ve been waiting for.”
Zoe knew the question he was talking about, but her throat had swollen from all her feelings rushing in so that she could hardly talk. “You know I want to be your wife more than anything on earth.”
“Will you marry me next week?”
A few minutes ago she’d thought it was the end of the world. “I’d marry you this second if we could. How did this miracle happen?”
“Yorgos met with Lia’s attorney in the judge’s chambers. Once he revealed her secret, the judge—disgusted by her flagrant lie—shamed her into signing the papers, giving immediate consent to the divorce.
“Even more, he promised to expedite the case through the courts so we can marry and honeymoon. It’s still extremely quick, but we’re going to get our hearts’ desire. We’ll also operate under the eight-day visitation arrangement until such time as more changes are needed.”
“Oh, Andreas. I’m delirious with joy!”
“So am I. Now I’m going to give you another piece of information that’s going to make you happy. Guion met with an attorney. Lia’s attorney just heard from him. Norville has given up his parental rights to Ari with one proviso. That if there comes a day when Ari wants to get in touch with him, he has permission as long as it goes through the attorney and Guion’s wife never knows about it.”
The news caused Zoe to break down again. This time it was in pure gratitude for a prayer answered.
“You got through to him, Zoe.”
She nodded and lifted a beaming face to him. “Somehow I know that one day Ari will have questions and the beauty of it is, he’ll be able to approach his birth father, even if it’s only for one time. Your son won’t have to live his whole life wondering about the man responsible for bringing him into the world.”
“It’s a miracle, and you made it happen. At the lowest ebb of my life, there you were in that taxi, as if you’d been delivered just for me.”
She gripped his hand tighter. “To be honest, I thought maybe the crash had made me hallucinate. The door opened and I saw my idea of a real Greek god who’d come to my rescue.”
“What is this Greek god business you’ve referred to?”
“You have to be an American woman born in my time who always fantasized about a man like you. When my girlfriends and I were young, a Greek god was our idea of male perfection. It’s the reason I was so excited to be assigned to Greece instead of Italy or France. Magda didn’t have any idea how thrilled I was when we were told where we’d be sent.”
His deep chuckle sent darts of delight through her body. “I’m going to have to meet this Magda and thank her for sending you to me.”
“She’ll have a heart attack when she meets you. Don’t be surprised if she asks you to be the leading man in one of her new films. I can promise that your female following will be legion.”
“I only want one female in my life.”
> For such a renowned businessman, Andreas’s modesty endeared him to her. “You’ve got me forever. I’m going to try to be the best stepmother in the world to Ari. I love him already.”
“You’re already winning him over. Did you notice how many times he kissed you in the pool?”
Oh, yes, she remembered, and nodded. “There’s another blessing in all this, too, Andreas. Lia’s parents never need to know what she’s been terrified of them finding out. I’m sure they adore Ari and can go on loving him without her being afraid.”
“A happier Lia will make life so much easier.”
“I agree. She’s a beautiful woman. One of these days we can hope she meets a man she can love. But no woman will ever love any man the way I love you.”
“Our honeymoon can’t begin soon enough for me, Zoe. I need you in my arms and my bed nonstop. I’ll ask Lia to keep Ari for two weeks. I’m going to need that long to believe you’re actually mine. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Where would you like to be married, darling? Anywhere except Athens.”
His first marriage had been celebrated there. “You mean out of all the beautiful places I’ve been while doing my research?”
“It’s your decision.”
“I’d consider it another dream come true to make our vows in that exquisite church in Santorini. The one with the blue dome and dazzling white walls. To me that’s the closest place to heaven.”
“Now I know we’re meant to be together,” he said in a shaken voice, twining his fingers with hers. “When I was eighteen, I worked on getting a hotel built there and visited the church you’re talking about. It had a beauty I’d never seen anywhere else. A wedding was going on at the time and I decided I’d like to be married there one day.”
She swallowed hard. “Are you serious?”
“I couldn’t make it up.”
“I know that. I’m just sitting here trying to take this all in, but I’m afraid it’s not real.”
“I promise you it is. Do you think your friends will be able to come? What about your adoptive parents and siblings? Would you like me to fly them over?”
“If we’re getting married in a week, I doubt any of them could come.”
“Then why don’t we have our own private ceremony, and in a month we’ll invite everyone to a reception at the villa. All the people we care about.”
“That would be so amazing I can’t comprehend it.”
“We’ll do it. Besides all my extended family, I have a few close friends through business I’ll invite. You haven’t met any of them yet.”
“That’s not surprising. You’ve been too busy putting your life together under the most painful circumstances.”
In a few minutes he pulled up in front of the villa. He grabbed her bags and they went inside. This time as she crossed over the threshold, she realized this was going to be her home forever and she was going to be Kyria Gavras.
The housekeeper heard them come in. She and Ari walked into the foyer. Ari took one look at them and came running while he babbled their names. This adorable child was going to be her son. Forget the stepson business. When he was in her care, that’s the way she would feel about him.
Zoe kissed him before Andreas swept him in his arms. “Zoe? Meet Gaia Salas. Gaia, I’d like to introduce you to Kyria Zoe Perkins from Los Angeles, California. Zoe? Gaia has been my housekeeper for years and I trust her with my life. I want her to be the first to know you have agreed to be my wife. We’re getting married in a week.”
The older woman put two hands to her mouth. “So soon?”
“It’s not soon enough for me.”
A broad smile broke out on her lovely Grecian face. “It’s time you were happy again. I’m so happy to meet you, kyria.” She spoke amazingly good English. That made Zoe happy.
“I feel the same way. Do you have family?”
“A husband and two children, both married.”
“How about grandchildren?”
“Four. All are older than Ari.”
“How wonderful. Do they live here in Patras?”
“Yes.”
“I’d love to meet them one day.”
“Thank you.”
“Her family is always welcome here,” Andreas explained. “Has Ari had his nap?”
“No. I was just going to put him down.”
“If you’ll do that, Zoe and I are going to be alone for a while.”
“Desma will be here soon to start dinner. I’ll help.”
“Thank you, Gaia.”
He kissed Ari and handed him to her. His son cried hard as she carried him down the hall. Andreas turned to Zoe. “This is one time when you come first. Let’s take your bags to your bedroom.”
“But he sounds brokenhearted.”
“He’ll live. I won’t if I don’t get you in my arms in about ten seconds.”
Zoe decided he made it in nine before he pulled her down on the bed and then started kissing her close to oblivion. No kiss was long enough. They couldn’t get close enough.
“You’ll never know how much I want to make love to you.” His voice was husky. “But we need all day and night alone.”
“Darling—” she kissed him over and over again “—we have the rest of our lives. With your grandparents coming, and Ari, who might not take a nap after all, we don’t have this luxury no matter that I’m dying of love for you. Didn’t you say we have to get a notice sent to the newspaper today?”
“Yes. We’ll go to my study to send it.”
“I can’t wait!”
“I don’t deserve you, Zoe, but I swear I’ll love and honor you all the days of our lives.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE FLIGHT TO Santorini took only an hour. Two limos were waiting for the wedding party when they landed. Another gorgeous, sun-filled day greeted Zoe as she left the private Gavras jet.
Andreas’s grandmother Hebe, named after a mythical goddess, had gone shopping with Zoe during the week leading up to the wedding. After picking out her wedding gown, they decided on a stunning, eggshell-toned dress with a beaded hem on the elbow-length sleeves and neckline for her to wear to the Gavras hotel before and after the ceremony.
Hebe chose a soft pink, two-piece jeweled suit that went beautifully with her silver hair she wore swept back in a French roll. Andreas’s grandfather Leonidas, a tall man with a lot of silver in his dark hair, wore a white wedding suit. The two made a striking couple and would serve as their witnesses.
Ari was back in Athens with his mother. They would see him when they got back from honeymoon.
Once the limos arrived at the hotel, Andreas carried Zoe’s wedding dress to the bridal suite. “I’ll see you at the church, my love. Are you ready to take my name?” His eyes almost impaled her with emotion.
For an answer, she kissed him hungrily. He could probably feel her heart jumping around with nervous excitement.
After she let him go, he disappeared with his grandfather to his grandparents’ room to dress in his formal gray wedding suit. Within a half hour she would be married and had to hurry to put on her dress. Hebe helped her fasten the buttons in the back.
“You look a vision in this, Zoe.”
“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” She stared at the image in the mirror. The white tulle floor-length princess-style gown had an overlay of lace from the round neck and cap sleeves and down the bodice. Andreas had given her diamond earrings to match the round solitaire diamond ring set in gold he’d slid on her finger yesterday.
Hebe put a garland of white flowers in Zoe’s hair. She didn’t want a veil. “What’s important is that you look beautiful in it. My grandson will be speechless when he sees you.”
Zoe turned to her before going downstairs to the limo. “I love you already, Hebe. You couldn’t know how thrilled I am to belong to your family.”
&
nbsp; Her brown eyes glistened with tears. “I wish my son and daughter-in-law were alive to see the kind of woman their son has chosen. I’d like to think they and your own birth parents are looking on today.”
Now it was Zoe who teared up. “It’s a beautiful thought.”
“Shall we go? My grandson is waiting most impatiently to become your husband.”
Together they went downstairs and out the foyer to the limo. The drive to the small, exquisite church overlooking the water didn’t take long. The other limo was already parked there. How incredible that Zoe was going to be married here!
Tourists milling around stopped to watch as the driver helped her and Hebe out of the car and walked them up a lot of steps to the inside. Andreas had asked him to take pictures they posed for.
Then the doors opened and there was her husband-to-be, breathtaking in his gray wedding suit and silver tie against a white shirt. “You look so incredible, I’m in awe, Zoe.”
“Then you know how I feel just looking at you.” Their eyes clung while the driver took more pictures of the two of them before Andreas walked her inside. Leonidas was waiting and handed her and his wife a sheaf of white flowers. She kissed him before Andreas took her arm and walked her toward the front of the shrine. He’d explained that Bishop Dumitru of the Greek Orthodox Church would be officiating.
There was a spiritual atmosphere with the candles and the faint smell of incense that transported her to another world for the ceremony. After handing her flowers to Hebe, she joined hands with Andreas. She knew it would mean more to him if the words were said in Greek. Zoe didn’t need to know the translation to imagine what was being said or the vows she was making. But he did speak in English when it was time for her to say “I do.”
When the priest made the sign of the cross, Andreas took her in his arms. “You’re my wife now, Kyria Gavras. I love you.” With those words he kissed her. His fervency made her feel cherished. She’d never known a feeling like it.
He kept his arm around her waist and walked her out to the foyer, where the four of them hugged. Once outside the driver was there to take more pictures. More people had gathered round and clapped for them. It was very sweet.
Wedding The Greek Billionaire (Holiday With A Billionaire Book 3) Page 14