Lea shook her head and placed a protective hand over her abdomen. “I won’t use my baby that way. If my parents and I work this out, it’ll be because they want to—not because it’s the only way for them to get access to their only grandchild.”
“You say if they want to, but what about you? Do you want to work things out?”
That wasn’t an easy question to answer. “Yes. And no.”
His brows rose. “Care to elaborate?”
She sighed. “My parents lied to me, both by omission and with flat-out lies. They didn’t tell me about this island—about my grandparents and aunt. They knew if they told me I’d insist on coming here—on meeting and knowing my extended family.” Just mentioning it made her body tense. “And now they are all dead and all I have are the pictures and notes that are here on the island to give me a clue what these people were like. It wasn’t fair. My parents robbed me of a piece of my life—something I’ll never get back.”
“I had no idea. No wonder this island is so important to you. But surely your parents had a good reason to keep it all from you.”
“According to them, my grandparents forbade them to marry and said if they did that they would disown my mother.”
“Maybe that’s why they didn’t mention this part of the family. They had written your grandparents out of their lives.”
“But what about my aunt? She didn’t disown anyone. In the end, after my grandparents died, she was left on this island without any family. She was alone when she died. It wasn’t how she wanted it.”
“How do you know?”
“Because there was a letter to me in her will. She told me that over the years she’d tried to reach out to her sister, but the letters were always returned unopened. When the internet became a thing, she found out about me, but before she could contact me, the attorney told me that she died of cancer. Can you imagine dying all alone with no family?”
Xander reached out and pulled Lea close until her head rested on his strong shoulder. He didn’t say anything. Instead he just sat there for a bit holding her until she had her emotions under control.
When Lea pulled back, she did so reluctantly. She hadn’t allowed herself to remember how good it felt to be held in Xander’s arms. And now as she leaned back on the barstool, she missed his warm and comforting touch.
“I should get to the office. I have a lot to do.”
He nodded in understanding. “And I told Joseph that I would help him today with a bungalow on the other side of the island.”
Joseph was a very loyal employee. He’d been working on the island for more than twenty years and he was a very talented man—a jack of all trades. But he wasn’t a people person. He would rather keep to himself unless he knew you well.
“So you and Joseph hit it off?”
Xander nodded. “Is that a problem?”
“No. Not at all.” She was just surprised. She wondered what Joseph saw in Xander to take him under his wing so quickly. “I’ll see you this evening.”
“We still have more to discuss.”
As Lea let herself out the door, she reminded herself that the tender moment hadn’t meant anything other than that Xander was a caring friend. She couldn’t allow herself to read more into the moment—it’d only lead to more heartache for her. She knew that sooner or later the people closest to her would let her down.
If she allowed Xander into her life, she had to make sure to keep him at arm’s length. That would prevent hurt feelings and misunderstandings. She told herself it was best for their baby. Two parents who could coexist in peace was worth the sacrifice of not finding out if there could be more with the man who made her heart race with just a look.
CHAPTER NINE
HE COULDN’T JUST let her walk out of his life.
Move to the other side of the world.
The following afternoon, Xander frowned as he entered Lea’s empty office. Sure, he was rich and could travel, but he couldn’t relocate his real estate conglomerate to the States. Nor could he afford to be gone for long stretches of time. And then what would happen? He’d have to choose between the empire he’d built and his child?
Could he do that? Could he choose between the two things that meant the world to him? His child? And his life’s work?
It seemed as if it didn’t matter which he chose. He would be losing a piece of himself. But he refused to give up. There had to be another solution—something he wasn’t seeing—something within his power to resolve. Because he couldn’t stand the thought of another man raising his child.
As the thought of someone else taking his place in his child’s life took root, he realized that would mean another man would also play a significant role in Lea’s life. Suddenly the image of a man holding and kissing Lea’s tempting lips filled Xander’s imagination. His body tensed as his hands balled up. That couldn’t happen.
Maybe if he stuck around and showed her how good they could be together as friends—as business partners—she would change her mind about leaving. It would mean spending even more time here on Infinity Island. And that would mean complications with his business and his sister. Still, he had to make Lea and the baby his priority.
And with that thought in mind, he removed his phone from his pocket. His fingers moved rapidly over the screen as he wrote a message to his sister.
Unavoidably detained. The plans for the Italian resort will have to be put on hold. Sorry. Will make this up to you.
As though Stasia had been sitting there with her phone in her hands, waiting for him to send a text, his phone rang. Caller ID let him know that it was in fact his sister. He knew if he answered it wouldn’t be a short conversation. Not by a long shot. So he let it go to voice mail.
The truth was he felt guilty and that was not something he felt often. He was used to making the tough decisions—the decisions others didn’t agree with. But this time his decision was affecting someone he loved. It was a tough thing to swallow.
They both knew if he didn’t fly to Italy the following week to close the important deal they would lose their initial investment and any future chance to take part in such a promising venture. But he would make sure his sister wasn’t out any money—even if his own company took a significant financial hit.
It was only then that Xander realized he was gambling with his future for a woman who didn’t even seem to want him around. That had never happened to him before. He was venturing into uncharted water without a life vest. And he was very likely to sink—
“Something on your mind?” Lea’s voice interrupted his troubling thoughts.
He turned to her as she crossed her office to take a seat behind her desk. “Yes. I wanted to let you know that we’ve hit a bigger problem than was first suspected with the Seashell Bungalow. In this case there actually wasn’t a leak with the plumbing.”
“But the wall had all of that water damage.”
“It’s actually a leak in the roof.”
“But the ceiling looked fine.”
“The water bypassed the ceiling and made its way down the wall, causing problems with the wall and floor.”
A frown pulled at Lea’s face. “That sounds like an expensive problem to fix.”
“Don’t worry. I have this all under control.”
She arched a brow. “You do roofing work, too?”
“No. But I know people that do and I’ve called in a few favors.”
“Xander, no.” She got to her feet. “You can’t be doing that. This isn’t your problem. And...”
“And what?”
She averted her gaze. “Nothing.”
“It was definitely something. And what?”
Her gaze met his. “And I don’t want to be indebted to you.”
He could feel himself begin to sink and there wasn’t a life vest anywhere in sight. She didn’t want to be indebted to
him, meaning she didn’t want to be involved with him. The knowledge hit him with a sharp jab that left a piercing pain in his chest. If Lea let him into her life, it would be because she wanted to...not because she had to.
His parents had let him remain in their lives after his sister was born because they had to—because they were already obligated. Not because they loved him—not like they loved his sister. Growing up, he’d seen it was all about his sister this and his sister that. Even now the memories hurt, but he shoved aside those thoughts, refusing to get caught up in something that he couldn’t change.
“You won’t be.” He said it with certainty.
She looked at him with skepticism reflected in her beautiful eyes. “Then why would you do it? Why put off getting back to your business?”
“Because you need help and I can help you.” He sighed. “Lea, I know our relationship is complicated, but I’m not the enemy. I’m not here to pull off some elaborate scheme and steal your island away from you. I promise.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, as though digesting his words—weighing them. He willed her with his eyes to believe him. He’d never had a problem getting a woman to believe him before—but Lea wasn’t just any woman.
“If I was smart, I’d turn you down.” She no longer looked upset. “But as my mother used to say, a beggar can’t be choosy. And if you mean it about lending a hand, it just might help me land a buyer.”
That wasn’t exactly what he had in mind, but he could only deal with one problem at a time. For the moment, he had Lea’s blessing to remain in her life. He didn’t miss the enormity of the event. But he also realized that in order to keep Lea in his life, it was going to take more of a commitment from him than he’d originally planned on.
So he’d have to move this thing with Lea along—his plan would now have two parts. First, he would find a way to pay off her debts, as this island was special. It truly was starting to grow on him. And second, he needed to do something for the baby—something more than providing financial support. The thought churned in the back of his mind.
But he had to know exactly what he was up against. “How is the search for a buyer going?”
“I’ve actually had a number of inquiries. But none have panned out.”
“Have you given more thought to contacting your parents?” Xander didn’t want her to leave Greece—with each passing day he was certain it was a big possibility. It might be the only thing he was certain of at this moment.
“I... I haven’t had a chance to speak with them. I’ve been so busy with the sale of the island.”
“I see.” But he didn’t. Not really.
“What?”
He sent her an innocent look. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to. You have that look on your face.”
“What look?” He was a master at the poker face. It had played a large role in getting him to the top of his profession.
“The look that says you don’t believe me.”
“Why wouldn’t I believe you? Or maybe I should ask why I shouldn’t believe you?”
Lea turned to the window, keeping him from reading the emotions reflected in her expressive eyes. “I’ve been busy. I haven’t had time to think about it.”
So she was procrastinating. As much as he wanted to keep Lea in his life, he wanted her to have the support of a loving family—something he’d had a glimpse of when he was very young.
“You should call.”
She turned to him with her arms crossed over her chest. “Aren’t you being a bit bossy?”
He wasn’t going to be distracted. “I mean it, Lea. Life is unpredictable. And it’s short. Don’t waste this time.”
Her gaze changed. “You aren’t talking about me anymore, are you?”
“Of course I am.”
“I’m pretty certain you’re not.” She approached him and stared deep into his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Xander rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn’t wanted to get into this. For many years he’d pretended that his parents didn’t exist. Which was a reason he’d avoided his sister for much of that time. She loved the memory of their parents and was forever touting their parents’ merits. He never corrected his sister when she said how much their father loved him. It wouldn’t have done a thing to make either of them feel better.
As such, he’d kept his distance from his sister until she lost her husband. Xander would have done anything to make her happy—even when she came up with this plan for them to go into business together. When Stasia threatened to go into the real estate market with or without him, he couldn’t let her venture into uncharted water without him. He wouldn’t let her lose her entire savings.
“Xander, talk to me.” Lea’s coaxing voice dragged him from his thoughts.
He shook his head, chasing away the memories. “You don’t want to hear this.”
“I do. If you’ll tell me.”
He glanced around the office, suddenly feeling boxed in. “Not here.”
Without waiting to hear if she was going to accompany him, he headed for the door. The memories of his childhood came rushing back to him. He needed to get outside. He recalled how he’d constantly done things to get his parents’ attention, especially his father’s. When good things didn’t garner words of praise, he’d turned to the bad things. Xander squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block the flashes of memories. Still, they kept coming. The good ones. And the bad ones.
He kept putting one foot in front of the other. He couldn’t take a full breath. It wasn’t until he was outside in the bright sunlight with the fresh sea air blowing in his face that his footsteps slowed. At last he could breathe easily.
And then there was a hand on his shoulder. “Xander, what’s wrong?”
He shook his head. How did he allow this conversation to get turned around on him? “This conversation isn’t about me. It’s about you and your family.”
“Talk to me about your family.”
Why did she have to keep pushing this? He never talked about his family with anyone. Not ever. Unable to stand around while having his past dredged up, he continued walking until he reached the beach.
“You can keep walking, but you aren’t going to lose me.” She rushed to catch up with him. “You can’t expect me to trust you—to open up to you—and you not do the same.”
She was right, but that didn’t make him feel better. He kept moving but his thoughts were light-years away, racing through the past. Lea wasn’t going to understand. She was going to think, just like his sister, that he was making too much of things. His sister had never noticed how their parents treated their adopted child differently than their biological child. He didn’t care what happened, but he would never make his son or daughter not feel good enough.
Suddenly there was a hand gripping his arm, pulling him to a stop. “Xander, are you serious about us becoming good friends?”
He stopped. He wanted them to be more than friends—he wanted the family that he’d been robbed of his whole life, the family he’d lost when his biological parents had left him on the hospital steps and his adopted parents had found he couldn’t match up to their biological child.
But he couldn’t rush things. He couldn’t blink his eyes and create the perfect family. And he was beginning to realize this endeavor was going to require so much more of him than he’d ever considered investing. It would mean laying his tattered heart on the line.
He turned to Lea, catching the concern reflected in her eyes. “Yes, I want us to be closer.”
She took his hand in his, surprising him. She drew him over to a large rock where they could sit and stare out at the sea.
When Lea spoke, her voice was soft and coaxing. “Tell me about your family.”
His immediate reaction was to change the subject, but he knew this was
his chance to gain her trust—to take their relationship to a new level. And more than that, maybe his story would convince her of the importance of clearing things up with her parents sooner rather than later.
“I was adopted.” The words just came spilling out.
“I... I didn’t know.”
“I don’t talk about it—normally.” He struggled to figure out where to start. “I didn’t know my biological mother...or father. I was left on the hospital steps when I was a few months old.”
Lea squeezed his hand, letting him know she was there for him. He took comfort in the simple gesture.
“My parents didn’t think they could have children of their own and so they adopted me. For the early years, things were great. And then when I was four my mother got pregnant with my sister. Everyone was excited. Me included. But as my sister grew older, I noticed how they made time for her school programs but not mine. They gave my sister what she wanted but told me that I had to work for what I wanted.”
“That must have been rough, but I’m sure they loved you, too.”
“Really? Because I wasn’t sure.”
“Maybe it was just the difference of you being a boy and your sister being a girl.”
He shook his head. “Don’t go there. I’ve already tried to explain it to myself. But I know different.”
“You know? You can’t know.”
“Oh, but I do. I had it directly from my father.”
The painful words came rushing back to him. He hadn’t thought of them in a very long time. In fact, he had told himself that if he didn’t recall the memories for long enough they would disappear just like a nightmare eventually faded away. But as he recalled the incident, the exact words came rushing back to him.
Lea didn’t say anything as though she was sitting there waiting for him to find the words to explain it to her. Why did he keep opening up more and more to her?
Xander swallowed past the lump in his throat. The best thing was to get this over with as quickly as possible. “I was sixteen at the time. I’d been getting into a lot of trouble at school and at home, while my sister could do no wrong. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my sister. She’s great. But we are as different as night and day. She didn’t have to fight for my parents’ attention.”
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