The Renegade Billionaire (HQR Romance)

by Rebecca Winters

  His soft top was loaded with everything else they might need: blankets, a small tent, a bedroll, a couple of fold-up camp chairs and extra petrol. He was always prepared in these mountains. Whether they found Darren tonight or not, they’d be comfortable.

  Stavros had never taken a woman camping with him. It was going to be a novel experience. He realized he was looking forward to being with her. When he’d walked out of the board meeting for the last time earlier in the day, little had he dreamed that by nightfall he’d be searching for a runaway teen with this lovely woman.

  When Andrea saw him coming, she relieved him of the coats and sweaters so he could carry everything else. They left the house and hurried out to the Jeep. By the time they were packed up and ready to go, twilight had fallen over the lush landscape.

  He started down the road toward another one that would lead to the Dragon Cave. “Did you talk to your boss?”

  “Yes. He’s already informed Darren’s parents. They’ll be on the next plane to Thessaloniki.”

  “Could they shed any light concerning their son?”

  “No. He’s a scholar who’ll be attending Yale in the fall. They’re baffled and in agony.

  “Sakis told me not to come back to work without the boy. That’s how anxious he is.”

  “We’ll find him.”

  “Since this is your backyard, I believe you.”

  Her faith in him was humbling. “How about digging in that hamper for a couple of sandwiches. My housekeeper makes them up for me.”

  “Sure.”

  She turned around on her knees and reached in the hamper behind his seat. Her movement sent a faint flowery scent wafting past his nostrils, igniting his senses, which had been in a deep sleep for longer than he cared to remember. After handing him one and taking one for herself, she pulled out two ice-cold bottles of water.

  They rode for a few more minutes before she asked, “How high up are we?”

  “About four thousand feet.”

  “That’s high for an island. Have you climbed to the top of Mount Ypsarion?”

  “Many times.” He darted her a glance. “Have you ever climbed a mountain?”

  “Yes. Mount Kilimanjaro.”

  At her unexpected answer, Stavros let out a whistle. “That’s over nineteen thousand feet high.”

  “I found that out when I needed to stay on the oxygen above fourteen thousand feet. My dad took me up while he was working in Tanzania.”

  Fascinated, he said, “Does he still work there?”

  “No. From there he was sent to French Guiana for two years, then India for three. Later he spent two years in Paraguay and another two in Venezuela. From there he was sent to the Brusson area of northwestern Italy for three years. Then he came to northern Greece. We live in Thessaloniki, where I got my degree in history and archaeology from Aristotle University.”

  Stavros marveled. “What does your father do?”

  “He works for W.B. Smythe, an American engineering company in Denver, Colorado, where I was born. Gold practically built the state. His company designs and fabricates modular plants and equipment for the extraction of gold and silver. As of this year, they’ve established a global presence in twenty-four countries. From the time I was born, I’ve lived with my father wherever he was sent.” He’d be going to Indonesia next.

  “How many languages do you speak?”

  She let out a sigh. “Besides the obvious, I’m fluent in Italian and French, and speak some Hindi, Afrikaans, Swahili, Spanish and Guarani. It’s no great thing. You have to learn a country’s language while you’re there if you hope to survive. Lucky for Darren, a lot of your countrymen speak English.”

  “Amen.” He cleared his throat. “What about your mother?”

  “She died giving birth to me.”

  He smothered a moan. No mother...

  “Dad and I have been nomads, traveling the globe. He was the one who taught me about the white marble quarries here.”

  The feminine fountain of knowledge sitting next to him was blowing him away. Everything about her had already gotten under his skin. “What exactly did he tell you?”

  “Besides the fact that the quartz crystalline structure resembles freshly fallen snow and is only quarried on this island?”

  “Besides that.”

  “He passed on a piece of trivia I found interesting. The visual effects team working on the American films of the Twilight saga used very fine pure white Thassos marble dust, which they added to the face paint. That’s why there’s this incredible sparkling effect when sunlight touches the vampires’ skin! Trust my dad to know details like that. He’s the smartest man I ever met.”

  Stavros filed the information away. “Have you told him that lately?”

  “All the time.”

  “Lucky man.” Since Stavros’s father already believed he was the smartest man living, Stavros had never paid him such a compliment.

  “I’m the lucky one to have a father like him.”

  “You know what I think?”

  She flicked him a curious glance.

  “Despinis Linford is the smartest woman I ever met.”

  “Hardly.” Another troubled sigh passed her lips. “Please. Call me Andrea.”

  “Then I insist you call me Stavros.”

  “The sign of the cross. A holy name.”

  “My parents regret giving it to me. I’m afraid I’m the apololos provato of their brood.”

  She turned her head to look at him. “You? The black sheep of the Konstantinos family? Why would you say such a thing?”

  “Maybe because I choose to do things other than live up to my father’s dreams for me.”

  “It sounds like you have dreams of your own and think for yourself. There’s nothing wrong with that. You ought to wear it as a badge of courage rather than a curse.”

  A curse. That was exactly what it had been like, but she made it sound like something to be proud of. A different way to look at himself? How did she manage to do that without even being aware of her power? The thought was daunting because he realized he could really care about her. That was a complication he didn’t need right now.

  “You’re fortunate to have a father who approves of you.”

  “You mean yours really doesn’t?”

  “Afraid not.” His voice grated. “Your incredulity tells me how different our fathers are. In my whole life, we’ve rarely seen eye to eye on anything. Unless it’s his way, it isn’t right.”

  “But you’re obviously successful!”

  “Not in his eyes.”

  “That’s horrible.” Her voice shook. “How painful for you.”

  “I’m used to it.”

  “Even so, I can hear the hurt in your voice deep down.” Her keen perception astounded him. She studied him for a minute. “For what it’s worth, I approve of you.”

  “Why?”

  “When we first met, you were ready to give me a full interrogation at the quarry. But after I introduced myself, you listened, and in your unique way, you apologized and let me look for Darren with you. I find that admirable and think I like you much better now.”

  Andrea Linford, where did you come from?

  Little did she know he already liked her to the point he was ready to carry her off to an unknown location where they could get to know each other for as long as they wanted, undisturbed by anything or one. It shocked him that he would entertain such a thought when he’d only just met her.

  They’d neared the trail that led to the cave. It was getting too dark for tourists to be out. Stavros had been watching for anyone walking along the winding stone road bordered by heavy underbrush.

  He pulled to a stop. “We’ll have to go on foot from here. Grab one of the parkas. I know it’ll drown
you, but it will also keep you warm. The temperature inside the cave is always cooler, especially at night. Darren might not be here. If he isn’t, then let’s whisper once we get inside while we wait and turn off the flashlights. In case he does show up, we don’t want our voices and lights to scare him off before we approach him.”

  “Understood.”

  Andrea understood about a lot more things than he could have imagined.

  They both got out and put on a coat. She reached for two bottles of water she could carry in the pockets of her parka.

  He handed her the smaller flashlight, making sure it worked, then turned on the big one. After throwing a blanket over his shoulder, he locked the Jeep. Before he knew it, she’d gone down the path ahead of him. Because of the overgrowth of mountain foliage, it grew so narrow in spots that they had to proceed single file. So far, they hadn’t seen anyone.

  Soon, they came to the large mouth of the cave. It looked like a dark hole. He moved past her, flashing his light around the interior for any sign of the teen. They went deeper, until the shaft of light lit up the dragon-like stalactite. Though it was always dark in the cave, the night gave it added menace.

  If Darren intended to hide in here, Stavros doubted he’d go much farther for fear of getting lost. He turned to Andrea and put his lips close to her ear. Again, he was assailed by the delicious scent of her. Maybe it was the shampoo from her wavy dark blond hair, which fell loose to her neck. “Let’s sit here awhile and see if he comes.”

  * * *

  Andrea nodded and edged away in order to counteract the feel of his warm breath against her skin. He hadn’t touched her, but he didn’t have to for her to be intensely aware of him. After he spread out the blanket, she sat down cross-legged. In the next moment he’d taken the same position facing her.

  The last thing she saw before they turned off their lights was the bone structure of his striking eastern Macedonian features. He was fiercely male, all of him.

  Just thinking about all of him made her swallow hard. She felt the cool darkness enshroud them. If she was nervous and disturbed, it wasn’t because they were in a cave that was black as pitch. Something had happened to her from the moment Stavros Konstantinos had alighted from his car looking like a Greek statue come to life. It was so strange because she hadn’t been interested in any man since Ferrante.

  “Do you know what a rare creature you are?” His whisper came out of the darkness.

  Her body trembled in reaction. “Why do you say that?” she whispered back.

  “Because your behavior is so perfect, you’ve forced me to break the silence in order to tell you so.”

  Andrea couldn’t help but smile. “I learned early in life that most men don’t like chatter. Of course, my father isn’t like most men. I loved him and always wanted to go with him wherever he was sent.”

  “Is he waiting for you in Thessaloniki?”

  “No. He stays in a village near the Skouries mine for three weeks at a time. Then he comes to our furnished apartment in the city to see me for a week. While I’m at the office, he cooks up a storm for us. I take time off when he arrives so we can explore the sites together.”

  “Your father never married again?”

  “I once asked him that question because he’s had his share of girlfriends. He told me that because he has to move around the globe every so often, he decided it would be too difficult to be married. Plus, he said, I was the only child he wanted.”

  “I can understand that. Both his reasons make perfect sense. Would you have liked a stepmother?”

  No one had ever asked her that question. “I don’t know, since I never grew up with my own mother. To be honest, I didn’t care for some of his girlfriends and they didn’t care for me, so I’m glad he didn’t marry one of them.”

  She could hear a change in his breathing. “How old are you, Andrea?”

  “Twenty-six. And you?” she fired back, growing more curious to know everything about him.

  “Thirty-two. Tell me about the man you were going to marry.”

  He’d changed the subject fast.

  “Ferrante was Italian-Swiss from Ticino. He came from a large family with five brothers and sisters of whom he was the eldest. I’ve never met anyone so happy and friendly. Some people have a sunny spirit. He was one of them.”

  In the silence that followed, a warm hand reached out and found one of hers to squeeze. “I’m sorry you lost him.”

  His sincerity reached the deepest part inside her, but Andrea wished he hadn’t touched her. Still, she didn’t pull away because she didn’t want to offend him when he was trying to give her comfort.

  “I’m much better these days. What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?”

  He removed the hand that had spread warmth through her body. “Like your father, I’ve had my share.”

  “But so far you’ve stopped short of marriage.”

  “Yes.”

  “That yes sounded emphatic,” she observed. “With a last name like yours, I guess you can’t be too careful.”

  “Your perceptiveness must be a gift you were born with.”

  “I think it’s the influence of my rather cynical father.”

  “So he does have one flaw...” His response sounded almost playful. “I was beginning to worry.”

  “Why?”

  “A perfect father is hard to live up to.”

  “Are we talking about mine?”

  She was waiting for his answer when she heard a faint noise. Andrea supposed it could be a rodent running around, but she hoped it was Darren and jumped to her feet. In the process, her body collided with Stavros, who was also standing, and he wrapped her in his strong arms.

  “Don’t make a sound.” This time his lips brushed her cheek while he whispered. Instantly rivulets of desire coursed through her bloodstream.

  While she stood there locked against his well-honed frame, there was more noise, a little louder than before. Whatever made the sound was getting closer to them. Stavros must have been holding his flashlight because he turned it on in time to see a ferret scurry away.

  Andrea relaxed against him, but Stavros still held on to her. No longer whispering, he said, “It’s past eleven o’clock. If Darren had planned to come here tonight, he would have arrived by now, don’t you think?”

  She eased out of his arms and turned on her flashlight so he couldn’t tell how much his nearness had turned her body to mush.

  “I do.” Until she got herself under control, Andrea wasn’t capable of saying anything else.

  “Since the lieutenant hasn’t phoned me with news yet, that means Darren’s still out there, but I doubt he’ll do any more hiking before first light.” He scooped up the blanket and folded it. “Since he’s not here, it’s possible he took the trail leading away from the quarry that eventually goes down the mountain. There are firebreaks that crisscross it. We’ll take one, then another. Hopefully we’ll locate him.”

  “That sounds like a good plan.” Together they left and made their way back to the Jeep. The slightly warmer air outside the dank cave felt good, but she kept the parka on. Once they’d climbed inside, he started it up and they took off at a clip. He turned on his brights to help them in their search. Andrea drank some of her water, thankful he knew where to drive.

  “Are you hungry, Stavros?”

  “Another gyro sounds good.”

  She turned around and got another one out of the hamper and handed it to him. He’d also packed some plums, so she took one for herself and settled back to eat. “Seeing Thassos Island in the dazzling light of day isn’t anything like driving through this forest at night.”

  “Not so benign, is it?”

  A shiver passed through her. “No. Wherever our runaway is, he couldn’t be feeling as comfortable about his pl
an right now. My boss checked with the American consulate. Darren has never been issued a passport before. Since this is his first trip to Europe, it’s amazing he’d be willing to run away from the tour in a place so foreign to him. He has to be desperate.”

  “Or adventurous and headstrong,” Stavros suggested, “and too spoiled to realize how hard this has to be on his parents or anyone who cares about him.”

  She had a hunch he was talking about his younger self. “We have to find him before the press turns his disappearance into an international incident.”

  “You took the words out of my mouth.” His voice sounded an octave lower and resonated to the marrow of her bones.

  At the first crossroads they came to, he braked and turned right. “While I drive slowly, shine the big flashlight into the trees. We’ll take turns calling out his name. If he’s hurt and needs help, he might show himself.”

  “That’s a good idea, but if he wants to stay hidden—”

  “Then the sound of our voices will make him nervous that people are looking for him,” Stavros supplied. “Hopefully he’ll try to run and in the process give himself away.”

  For the next half hour, he drove them over one rough firebreak, then another. “There doesn’t seem to be any sign of him, Stavros. Do you think it’s possible he hid himself in one of the employees’ vehicles while no one was paying attention? Maybe the back of a truck or the trunk of a car?”

  Andrea noted the grim expression marring his arresting features. “Those are the first places I assumed the police had looked before I got there. But if they weren’t thorough enough...” His voice drifted off.

  “Do all the workers live nearby?”

  “Their homes are in or around Panagia. If that’s what Darren did, then he could lose himself among the tourists in the morning.”

  Andrea nodded. “With enough money, he could buy a bike or steal one. Once in Thassos, he could take the ferry to the mainland.”

  For the second time that night, Stavros clasped the hand nearest him. “Who should have been the detective now?” Heat passed through her system in waves before he let it go. “I’ll find us a place to camp on the outskirts of Panagia.”