Single Daddy's Valentine

by Amanda Horton

  Gemma couldn’t help but be delighted with the passing scenery. As they drove, Alexi told her about his country. “Thessaloniki is the second largest city on the main island of Greece. The city is immersed in the varying cultural influences that resided here throughout its rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire.”

  She watched as Alexi drove towards several monuments, her artist’s eye not missing a thing. “Hey, is that the Hagia Sophia?”

  He grinned. “Very good. It is one of the fifteen UNESCO World Heritage sites located right here.”

  Gemma’s eyes couldn’t take in everything, but she tried. As Alexi drove them through the crowded streets, filled with sightseeing tourists and residents going about their daily lives, her anger started to slip away. They didn’t stop at any of the sites, but Alexi promised her she was welcome to return to any of them at a later date.

  The city was enormous, with tall buildings, and a multitude of docks and ports. “What does your family’s company do, exactly?” she asked.

  “We are in shipping.” Alexi pointed to several large freighters. The Greek characters on the helms were unidentifiable to her. “Those are some of our fleet.”

  “Fleet?” Gemma gulped. “Just how big of a company…?”

  “We are the largest shipping company in Greece and in this part of the world. We transport everything from oil, to cars, to building supplies. If it can be moved from place to place by traversing the ocean, Moustakas Shipping can handle it.”

  “You sound like an advertisement.”

  “No, it’s just a mantra that has been drilled into my head since I was a young boy. Speaking of boys, how is Damien doing?”

  Gemma cast a look over her son’s sleeping face. “I think he’s still recovering from the time difference. He’s been asleep since we left your home.”

  “Ah! Well, when he wakes he will be hungry and anxious to move around. Shall we have a picnic on the beach?”

  Gemma shook her head. “I didn’t bring anything appropriate for the beach.”

  “That has all been taken care of. My cousin, Kassi, was a great help. You haven’t met her yet, but you will.”

  “Your cousin lives with you?”

  “For the moment. Her mother was my father’s sister and passed away quite a few years ago. Kassi lived with her father until he passed away last year from a heart condition. She just turned twenty and is enrolled at the university to begin her classes this fall. In the meantime, she spends her days shopping with her friends. When I mentioned my plans for this excursion, she was happy to call her favorite store and have them deliver a selection of suits for you to choose from.”

  Gemma’s mouth dropped open. “She called her favorite store…and they just brought over a bunch of clothing?”

  Alexi smiled at her, nodding. “Yes. That is the way it works.” He turned the vehicle off the main road.

  Gemma realized that while they’d been talking, he’d driven them up and out of the city, heading towards the ocean. He paused at a wrought iron gate and used a keycard to open it. “Where are we?”

  “A private beach. We will be undisturbed here and away from the masses of people who crowd the public beaches this time of year.”

  “A private beach? Is this like a club or something?”

  “Or something.” When she raised a brow, silently asking for more information, he relented. “My family owns this strip of the beach.” He parked the car and she glanced out the window. The green-blue ocean stretched out before them, ending in pristine white sands and several bungalows scattered just above the waterline.

  “Do you come here often?” she asked as they climbed out of the car. Damien had yet to wake up. She reached for him, calling his name to slowly wake him up. “Hey, little boy. Time to wake up.”

  Damien blinked at her and then at Alexi. He held out his hands to her. She unbuckled him from the child seat and realized he needed a diaper change right away. She grabbed his diaper bag and used the seat to get him cleaned up and into dry pants once again.

  She looked up to see Alexi watching her with a look in his eyes she couldn’t quite explain. When she opened her mouth to question him, he stood up. “Hey, Damien. Let’s go see the ocean.”

  Damien responded to the excitement in his father’s voice. He went to him, pointing to the ocean. “Water.”

  “Yes, that is water. Neró. The ocean. Okeanós.”

  Gemma laughed as she followed them. “You know he’s not going to remember a thing you’re trying to teach him?”

  Alexi looked at her over his shoulder. “Who says I’m trying to teach him?”

  Gemma blushed, seeing the heat in his eyes. He set Damien down near the water’s edge and she watched him experience the ocean for the first time. Alexi was a watchful caretaker, making sure the waves didn’t send Damien sprawling as they receded, pulling the sand from beneath his feet in the process.

  She settled on the sand, content to soak up some sun and listen to her son’s joyful giggles. When Alexi and Damien returned, she smiled at Alexi. “You’re very good with him.”

  Alexi looked stunned by her compliment. “If you watch him, I’ll retrieve the blanket and lunch the kitchen staff prepared for us.”

  “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”

  “I hope so.” He jogged back up the beach.

  She stared after him, loving the way his body moved so gracefully. He was like a fine animal, his concealed energy just waiting to burst forth. She vividly remembered the way he moved when they had sex. Suddenly her body was on fire for him.

  He returned with a large blanket, which he spread on the dry sand. He then settled a large basket in the corner and beckoned her and Damien to join him. “Come and eat.” He began removing things from the basket.

  Gemma felt her eyes open wider and wider at the array of food he set before them. There were small containers of marinated olives, grape leaves stuffed with rice and herbs, spiced chicken and a platter full of cheeses and breads. There was a salad made of tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, Kalamata olives and feta cheese. Gemma laughed when Damien discovered he could put the olives on his small fingers and then eat them off. Olive spread and a lemon sauce to dip the stuffed grape leaves in completed the meal.

  “Here, try this.” Alexi handed her a crystal wine glass filled with a rich, red wine.

  Gemma sipped it and then smiled. “It’s good. What is it called?”

  “Krasí. Wine. It comes from a local vineyard.” Alexi grinned at her as she took a second sip. “You like?”

  She nodded, feeling her cheeks heat. She looked away, seeing that her son had eaten his fill and was now lying on the blanket. His eyes looked sleepy once more. Gemma instinctively reached out and felt his forehead, afraid he was coming down with some illness. To her relief, he was simply tired. “Do babies get jetlag?” she asked, with obvious concern in her voice.

  Alexi nodded. “Everyone gets jetlag. It can take a day or two to bounce back. His day has been exciting and worn him out. Let him sleep for a while.”

  Gemma followed Alexi to one of the bungalows where he laid the child down on a large cushioned surface. “Sleep, Damien. Your momma and I will be right here when you awaken.”

  Gemma watched Alexi with her son. She felt a wave of tenderness fill her. She’d often seen babies with their fathers in the park and regretted that Damien would never know such affection. Now, it seemed the fates had changed course. Can I give up everything I know so that Damien can have a relationship with his father?

  “What are you thinking about so hard?” Alexi sank down onto a neighboring cushion. He pulled her down to kneel by his side. He smoothed her hair back, releasing it from the plastic clip and running his fingers through her auburn tresses. “Your hair is like fire.”

  Gemma flushed beneath his gaze, “What are we doing?” She couldn’t resist voicing the doubts plaguing her mind. Her body yearned for his touch, but her mind warned her there would be a price to pay for giving into
her lusts. Can I pay it? That was the question.

  *****

  Leo watched her. In his mind he heard his father’s demands that he secure her hand in marriage and rectify the stock situation. He could see the mounting desire in her eyes. With only a little work, he could stoke that fire and keep her focus on the feelings he evoked in her body.

  He wanted her. There was no doubt about that. He let go of her hair and slipped his palm around the back of her neck, drawing her mouth towards his own. He kissed her lightly at first, but soon she gripped his shoulders, wanting to get closer to his heat.

  He pulled her down beside him, stretching her body out along his entire length and making sure she knew how badly he desired her. He used his hands and his mouth to map his way around her body, removing items of clothing as he went.

  Gemma wasn’t a passive observer. She tugged at his t-shirt and the fly of his shorts until he was clad only in his boxers. He sat back on his haunches, watching her as she lay there clad in only her underwear. Her breasts were high and tight, their fullness and the slight stretch marks on their undersides a testament to the fact that she had nourished her child.

  Her nipples were peaked and begging for attention. He lowered his head, tugging one into his mouth and laving it with his tongue until she clutched his head to her breast. He gave her other nipple similar attention. Only when she moved restlessly against the cushion did he start his downward journey. He kissed her ribs, her slightly rounded stomach, and then trailed wet kisses down one hip until he reached her knee.

  He lifted that leg, pushing her thigh up, opening her center for his perusal. He did the same with the other leg. Soon he feasted his eyes on the sweet pink flesh between her thighs. She was damp with her lust for him and he leaned forward, keeping her thighs spread with his shoulders as he made a feast of her.

  He played her like a fine instrument, driving her to the pinnacle of passion, but never letting her fall off the edge.

  “Please…” She moaned as he stopped, refusing to give her that final touch that would send her out into space. Her body was tight with tension, shaking with her desire for him.

  Leo couldn’t wait another moment. He moved up her body, holding her eyes as he slid all the way home. She raised her knees around his hips and he began to move within her. When she would have closed her eyes, he touched her temple with a finger. “Keep your eyes on me.”

  She did so. He felt himself fall into her eyes, the feelings they created together more intense than ever. Leo had never experienced anything like this. He had the sudden urge to keep her by his side forever. He increased his speed, loving the little gasps she made as he sent them both soaring into bliss-filled oblivion.

  He rolled to his side, pulling her against him. I guess cuddling after sex has its benefits. Leo had never been one for wanting to linger after sex, not until Gemma. Even that first night so long ago, he’d had the urge to hold her close as they settled into sleep. A first for him.

  He felt her body relax as sleep claimed her. He turned so that he could watch her. She was gorgeous and not just in a physical way. There was a sweetness and a compassion within her that came forth, even when she was angry with him. And yesterday she’d been so very angry. Petrina hadn’t helped. Leo was afraid more attacks from that quarter would be forthcoming. Petrina wanted his surname and was willing to do much to accomplish her goal.

  The sooner you get your ring on Gemma’s finger, the sooner you can put that particular worry aside. Only one worry consumed more of his thoughts. She thinks I’m my brother. How will she react when she learns the truth?

  Leo extricated himself from her arms. He paced the bungalow, coming to a halt in the doorway, a frown on his face.

  “What is bothering you?” Gemma placed his arm on her shoulder.

  Leo turned to find her standing beside him, a thin sheet wrapped around her body. He shook his head. “Nothing you can do anything about.”

  He needed to figure out a plan. First, he needed to get her to the altar, quickly. Second, he needed to figure out how to tell her he wasn’t Alexi. His parents had agreed to keep his secret for as long as necessary, but he knew Gemma would want to hear the priest’s words translated into English.

  “We should go back,” he said. “Can you wake Damien while I pack up our lunch?”

  Gemma gave him a weird look. “Of course. We didn’t mean to take up so much of your time.”

  Leo could hear the hurt in her voice, but right now he needed to distance himself enough to form a plan. If he let her stay close, he’d end up taking her back to bed and that wouldn’t solve anything. “We need to return. My parents are expecting to spend time with Damien. I will have someone take you to where the painting is stored while they visit and you can give me your new assessment of it.”

  Gemma’s expression shut down. The closeness they’d felt only moments before disintegrated like smoke in the wind. Leo steeled his heart against the pain her look caused him. He concentrated on packing them up for their return to the estate. She had looked at him like she’d suddenly realized she didn’t know him at all. I can’t let her figure out my small deception until we are legally wed. But how?

  Chapter 12

  Hours after returning to the estate, Gemma was still trying to figure what had happened to evoke such a change in Alexi. One minute, they’d been snuggled on the cushions together. The next he’d been cold and dismissive. And then they’d arrived back at the estate and he’d separated her from Damien.

  Damien had been escorted to his grandparents’ private quarters while she’d been tucked into the back of a limo and driven to a warehouse in the middle of the city. The discovery that the large Monet awaited her did nothing to lift her spirts. She was so upset with Alexi’s treatment of her and Damien that she struggled to accurately assess the restorative work the painting needed.

  She’d finally demanded to be returned to the estate, only to discover that Vasil and Tressa had taken her son off the estate grounds. With the language barrier, she didn’t know where they’d gone or when they would be returning. She’d called Alexi’s phone, but it had gone straight to voicemail.

  In desperation, she called Aimee. “I don’t know where Damien is.”

  “What do you mean, you don’t know where he is?”

  “Alexi wanted his parents to spend some time alone with him and…I should have put up more of a fight. What if they don’t bring him back?”

  “Whoa! Calm down now. Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little bit? Alexi hasn’t done anything to make you think he might steal Damien away, has he?”

  “No… But, I get the impression he means to keep him here. In Greece.”

  Aimee was quiet. Gemma grew even more worried. “What am I going to do?”

  “Sweetie, there’s nothing you can do until Alexi shows himself.”

  Hearing a noise, Gemma turned her head. “Speak of the devil. I’ll call you back.” She ended the call and made a beeline for Alexi. “Where is my son?”

  Alexi looked taken aback by her tone. “He’s with my parents. Why?”

  “Where is he? Where did they take him?”

  Alexi spoke to a maid standing nearby and nodded at her reply. “They took him down to the park to show him off to their friends.”

  “I want him back right now. I can’t do this anymore. We are going back to the States. Someone else will have to restore the Monet.” She turned, intending to go pack their bags.

  Alexi’s grip on her shoulder stopped her.“You are not going anywhere. Have you forgotten our bargain? You committed to staying here for three months, not three days.”

  “I’ve changed my mind. We are going home. Today.”

  Alexi shook his head. “I cannot allow that to happen. Damien belongs here and so do you. In fact, I was coming to discuss our future. I believe we should get married. Immediately. I’ve already spoken to the priest—”

  “What?” Gemma exploded. “Marry you! No!”

  Alexi
stared at her. His expression hardened. “Damien is staying here regardless. I am giving you a chance to stay here as his mother. Of course, if you wish to leave and return to the States without him, I can have a plane ready in an hour.”

  “What? No! I’m not leaving my baby here.”

  “And I’m not prepared to let you take him away.”

  They were still staring each other down, neither prepared to give an inch, when the front doors opened. Alexi’s parents walked in, each of them holding one of Damien’s little hands in their own. Their obvious happiness hit Gemma like a physical blow. She rushed forward, barely managing to hold back her tears as she scooped Damien up.

  Vasil spoke to his son. Alexi responded and a heated exchange followed.

  Gemma decided to appeal to Tressa, hoping that the bond of motherhood could traverse the language barrier. Alexi had told her his parents understood more English than they spoke. God, I hope that is true. “Mrs. Moustakas, please. You have to help me. Alexi is threatening to keep Damien here against my wishes.”

  Tressa spoke sharply to her son. She gave Gemma a look full of compassion, speaking in very hesitant English. “Our apologies.”

  Gemma studied the older woman. She seemed genuine. “For what?”

  “For my son. We have suffered a great loss and I’m afraid he and my husband have not handled things very well.”

  Gemma was still confused. “I don’t understand.”

  Tressa reached for her hand. Tears welled in her own eyes. “Alexi was lost at sea. He is presumed dead.”

  Gemma stared at her. The words registered, but she couldn’t have heard them properly. She looked at Alexi. No! That’s not right! Who is he? “Who—”

  The man who’d been pretending to be Alexi stepped forward. He gave her a slight bow. “My name is Leonidis Moustakas. Alexi was my twin brother. My friends and family call me Leo.”

  “Twins?” she stammered, disbelief muddling her thought processes.