“Isn’t that something your assistant could do?”
Since when did his employees second-guess him? Even if Roberto was right. Xander’s back teeth ground together. He got Roberto’s veiled message: Xander wasn’t giving him tasks worthy of his position.
Xander’s grip on the phone tightened. “Amara won’t know what all needs pulled. Once you have the information gathered, give it to Amara. She’ll see that I get it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thanks. I don’t know when I’ll be back. You can reach me on my cell if anything comes up.”
“In the meantime, is there anything I can do?”
Xander had always been on top of everything. He didn’t see a reason to change that now. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to give Roberto a little more responsibility. After all, Roberto was a good man and quite capable. “Yes. Make sure nothing goes awry while I’m out of the office. We have a number of deals in the works. Are you up for the task?”
“I am.” There was absolutely no hesitation in his voice.
“Keep me in the loop.”
“Yes, sir.”
They went over a couple of other open items and then he was transferred to his assistant. In addition to other tasks, he requested she send him clothes—casual clothes. He had no idea how long he’d remain on Infinity Island.
For the moment, Xander was free to focus solely on Lea and the baby. And his first order of business was to tell Lea that he would invest in her island, even though he didn’t believe in what it stood for—infinite love. That kind of love didn’t exist. But he’d keep that last part to himself.
* * *
“What do you mean Xander’s here?”
Lea really didn’t want to talk about this latest development in her personal life, but Popi wasn’t about to let it go. Lea looked over the top of her computer monitor and took in her friend’s pink top that said, “Precious Cargo Onboard.” Popi had volunteered to be a surrogate for her sister and brother-in-law.
Before Lea answered her best friend’s question, which inevitably would lead to another one, Lea had a question of her own. “Where did you get that top?”
Popi sent her a puzzled look before glancing down. “I ordered it online. And their stuff is so comfy I’ve ordered more.”
“Do they have anything more professional? I hardly fit in any of my clothes.” The truth was she didn’t fit in them, at least not the way they were supposed to be worn.
Popi nodded and then gave her the web address. “Now, stop changing the subject.”
“What were we discussing?” Lea knew perfectly well the topic of conversation, but she was amused when Popi became frustrated and pinched her lips together like she was doing right now.
“You were about to tell me what Xander’s doing here?”
Lea sighed. “I told him about the baby. I had to. I couldn’t live with myself if I kept it from him.”
“You did the right thing. But I thought you said he wasn’t a family man. You said he was all about the business and had no room in his life for kids.”
“That’s what he told me when he was here last time.”
“So once he found out he was going to be a father, he changed his mind?”
Lea shrugged. “I don’t know. I told him about the baby last night and today he’s here. I don’t know what he wants from me. Your guess is as good as mine. But he is acting rather strange.”
“Strange how? He wants to marry you? He wants to take the baby away from you? He’s moving in?”
“I told you I don’t know.” She seemed to be saying that a lot lately. “The only thing he has told me is that the island is slowly falling apart and I don’t have the funds to fix it.”
“Ah... So he’s still after the land. He thinks he can force you into selling it to him now that you’re pregnant.”
Lea wanted to disagree with her—to tell her that Xander wouldn’t stoop so low. But could she really argue the point? It wasn’t like he’d talked about much else, other than how the island wouldn’t be able to sustain them.
Popi was about to say something else when the office door swung open. There stood Xander, looking more casual than she was used to seeing him. Though Lea’s attention was zeroed in on Xander, she could feel Popi’s gaze moving back and forth between the two of them.
“I’ve got something I need to do,” Popi said hesitantly. “I’ll, uh, just catch up with you later.”
“Sounds good.” Lea continued to stare at Xander as he stared right back at her, making her heart race.
She wondered if she should have introduced Popi and Xander, but it was already too late as her friend had rushed out the door as though the office was on fire. Besides, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like Xander was on the island for a social call. Was Popi right? Had he come here because he thought he had a real chance to buy the island out from under her now that she was in a difficult position?
“You missed the ferry.” She forced her gaze away from him and stared blindly down at her monitor. “The next one won’t be here until tomorrow. But I can request a seaplane to pick you up.”
“I won’t be needing it.”
That got her to lift her head. “You can’t just stay here indefinitely. Whatever needs said can be done via the phone.”
“It’s better face to face.”
She didn’t agree. Being so close to him distracted her. “There’s no room available. And...” Her rapid thoughts tripped over each other. “And there’s a wedding this weekend. And we’re booked solid.”
He stepped forward and made himself comfortable in one of the two chairs facing her desk. “I’ll guess we’ll be bunking together. Again.”
Immediately her thoughts went back to the time when they had in fact bunked together, but there had been no sleeping done that night—no sleeping whatsoever. And not much the following night. Heat swirled in her chest and rushed up to her face. She immediately squelched the very steamy memories.
Stay focused. Don’t let him rattle you.
“That isn’t going to happen again.” She maintained as firm a tone as she could muster.
A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “That’s a shame because it was quite an unforgettable night.”
He’s definitely right about that.
She gave herself a mental jerk. Stay focused.
She tilted her chin upward. “So, you see that leaving is the only option.”
“Actually,” he said, leaning back in the chair, resting his elbows on the arms and steepling his fingers, “you have an empty guest room. I’ll just stay there. And then we can talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” Liar. Liar.
The look on his face said he didn’t believe her. “Even you don’t believe that.”
She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Fine. We can talk now. You start.”
“I’ve had a look around the island and it needs numerous repairs and updates to bring it back to its former glory, as I’m sure you know.” He sighed. “I don’t want to make this sound harsh, but if you’re already struggling, how are you going to handle things when the baby comes?”
She lifted her chin ever so slightly. “I have a plan.”
His eyes filled with interest. “Mind sharing the details?”
“Actually, I do mind.” Anxious to wrap this up, she said, “Now if there’s nothing else—”
“There is something else.” He leaned forward. “I’m willing to invest in the island.” She shook her head but he continued. “You can’t afford to turn me down.” And then he named a staggering sum of money.
She didn’t know anyone that had that sort of wealth. The things she could do with it. The island would once again glow like a rare Mediterranean jewel. They’d be able to take on twice the number of weddings.
But in the end, she kne
w what her answer must be. “No. This is my problem. I’ll fix it on my own.” She stood. “I really do need to get back to work.”
A distinct frown settled on his face. “Why are you refusing my help?”
“Do you really need to ask?”
“Apparently I do.”
It boiled down to one simple fact. “If it’s your money, you’ll want to call the shots.”
“And if I said the money came without strings—”
“I wouldn’t believe you. We aren’t talking about a small sum of money.” She noticed how he didn’t argue that point.
“And that’s it? There’s nothing I can do to change your mind?”
“No.” She opened an email and started to respond to it.
He turned and started for the door. His hand rested on the handle when he turned back to her. “This isn’t over.”
“I didn’t think it was.”
“I’ll see you later at the bungalow.”
When he was finally gone and the door was closed, she took her first easy breath. Why was he sticking around? She wanted to believe that it was because of the chemistry arcing between them. But she refused to let herself go there.
CHAPTER FIVE
THIS IS GOING to work.
Lea had told herself that all the next day. An older couple, Mr. and Mrs. Kostopoulos, flew in that morning. To Lea’s surprise, they’d decided against being silent investors. Instead, they were entertaining the notion of buying the island to run as Lea’s family had done for decades—bringing two hearts together for infinity.
Selling the island wasn’t what Lea ultimately wanted. But she was running out of time and funds. If she could find a buyer that wanted the island as it was, it would be better than selling to a developer like Xander, who was only interested in making money and cared nothing about preserving her family’s legacy.
After a comprehensive tour of the island, they stopped at the Hideaway Café to get refreshments. Lea was so nervous about this working out that her hands trembled ever so slightly as she held her iced decaf caramel latte, a Lea-suggested addition to the menu.
The three took their refreshments outside to sit at one of the tables shaded by umbrellas. She couldn’t tell if the couple was still interested in purchasing the island or not. Their comments throughout the lengthy tour were mixed. Her impression was that they liked much of the island, but she noticed how they were quite hesitant about the amount of work that needed to be done to bring the island back to its glory days.
“I hope you enjoyed your tour,” Lea said to get the conversation started.
“We did,” Mrs. Kostopoulos said. “It’s so beautiful here. You’re lucky to have such an amazing home.”
“Thank you.” Lea turned her coffee cup around. “I think this is the most beautiful place on earth. That’s why I want someone who loves it as much as I do to take it over.”
“I understand.” Mrs. Kostopoulos smiled. “If this were my home, I would want the same.”
Was that a gentle way of letting her down? Lea’s stomach twisted in a knot. She glanced at her coffee, but she had no desire to drink it.
“What my wife is trying to say is that we love the island, but with us nearing retirement age, there’s more work here than we are up to doing. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but I’m sure you’ll find the right person for this place.” Mr. Kostopoulos paused. “Unless you already have—”
“Hello, everyone.” Xander’s voice came from behind her.
What was he doing here? Lea stifled a sigh. Why should she worry? It wasn’t like he could do any damage now. The Kostopouloses had already turned her down. But Xander didn’t know that and she wasn’t in the mood to enlighten him.
* * *
Everyone looked pleased.
Was this it? Had Lea found people to run the island just as she wanted?
Xander’s chest tightened. If she had, then his chance of being close to her and the baby was slipping through his fingers. She wouldn’t need anything from him and she could go anywhere in the world.
The thought of her moving far away didn’t sit easy with him. It didn’t sit well at all. He could only think of one desperate move to make—marry her.
As quickly as the thought came to him, he dismissed it. There had to be something he could do that was less drastic. He just couldn’t think of what that might be at the moment. But he wasn’t giving up. He wasn’t a quitter—especially when the stakes were this high.
Xander shook hands with the Kostopouloses as introductions were made. And then as quickly as possible, he drew Lea aside.
“Why would you sell the island to them and not me?” he asked. “If it’s the money, I will top what they’re offering you.”
Lea’s expression didn’t reveal her reaction. In a calm voice, she said, “It isn’t about the money. What the baby and I need can’t be bought and paid for.”
He studied her for a moment. Was she saying that she wanted a family? With him? Impossible. She’d already made it clear that she could get by on her own.
Still, he thought she was being foolish for clinging to her pride instead of taking the money. In his business, he hadn’t met many people who didn’t value money above most everything. But the better he got to know Lea, the more he realized she was unlike anyone else he’d ever known.
“I need to get back to my guests,” she said.
As she began to turn away, he instinctively reached out to her. His hand skimmed down her forearm and caught hold of her hand. She turned back with a surprised look in her eyes that were more green than blue today.
And then her gaze lowered to their clasped hands. He reluctantly let go of her. He was surprised by how much he missed her touch.
“Lea, please reconsider.”
“I don’t want to be indebted to you.” She shook her head. “It wouldn’t work.”
She walked away before he could figure out his next words.
He remained at the café and purchased a black coffee while Lea escorted the couple to the seaplane waiting in the marina. He wondered if she’d made the deal. He couldn’t tell. From where he stood by the railing of the café that looked out over the cove, he was able to see them on the dock. Lea shook hands with the man and the woman gave her a hug. It was a very friendly exchange.
Xander’s jaw tightened. He had to make some big decisions and quickly. The first being, how far was he willing to go for Lea and the baby? To his surprise, he didn’t have to think very long. The truth was he’d known the answer all along. He’d do whatever it took to keep them in his life.
Trying to invest in the island wasn’t working. It seemed like Lea would rather let it fall into complete and utter ruin rather than take his money. He supposed it was because she felt a protectiveness toward this place. He’d never felt that sort of connection to any place. His lack of connection was what had made it easy for him to buy properties and sell them without any hesitation. Even his parents’ home hadn’t been hard for him to sell after their deaths. His sister, on the other hand, had an awful time parting with it. And for her sake, he had let his sister set the pace of the sale.
But Lea hadn’t grown up on the island. It wasn’t steeped in childhood memories for her. And yet she seemed to have automatically bonded with the island.
However, the more time he spent here, the more solace he found in its peacefulness. There was no rush-rush, no aggressive traffic with the angry horn blasts, and everyone was so friendly and helpful.
He needed a Plan B. That was how he’d gotten to the top of his professional world. So if he came at this from a business view, the first thing he needed to do was more research. He needed to learn how this island and Lea’s business worked. It might just give him the insight he needed.
CHAPTER SIX
HIS GAZE FOLLOWED HER.
She could sense it.
She resisted the urge to glance over her shoulder. She’d made her decision and she wasn’t going to change her mind now. It wouldn’t work having Xander overseeing her every move and second-guessing her plans. He was used to being the one calling the shots and eventually he’d take over the operation of Infinity Island—just like Charles had attempted to take over her life.
Charles had been her boyfriend in college. At first, she’d thought it was cute how he would order for both of them at the restaurant. But then his opinion started to override hers in other areas of her life, from what movie to watch to what vehicle to buy. Eventually her voice was drowned out.
It took her roommate pointing this out for Lea to see what she’d let happen. And then she’d dumped him. He hadn’t taken it well, telling her that she didn’t know what she wanted—that she was allowing her friends to influence her. That last part would have made her laugh if he hadn’t just done that very thing to her.
When Charles had pleaded with her to take him back, she’d given him the short answer. No. Unable to accept rejection, he’d persisted. She’d firmly held her ground. Eventually he’d gotten the message.
She had a voice and she wanted it to be heard. She had opinions and she wanted them to matter. She could make choices and she wanted people to respect them.
“Is this how it’s going to be between us?” Xander’s voice came from behind her.
She straightened her shoulders and turned. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m simply doing my job.”
He nodded toward the plane that was just beginning to lift into the air. “Did you have a good meeting?”
Lea hesitated, trying to decide how much to tell him. She finally sighed in resignation. “You might as well know that they didn’t make an offer for the island.”
“Really?” Genuine surprise echoed in his voice. “May I ask why?”
Carrying the Greek Tycoon's Baby Page 5