Claimed by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders, Book 2): Duke Ryder

by Melissa Foster

  She introduced Georgette to Duke, and just as he had with everyone else, he fell right into an easy conversation, asking Georgette all sorts of questions about how long she’d worked there—forever—and who her favorite authors were—Harper Lee, Dorothy Allison, and Kathleen Grissom. Georgette and Duke agreed that the classics were always good fallbacks.

  When they left, Duke carried a book by Kathleen Grissom, borrowed from the library, under his arm.

  He’d taken so much time with each person she’d introduced him to, Gabriella wondered if he’d done it just to be cordial, like he was somehow obligated, or if it was part of his plan to win over the residents in his pursuit of the island. But he’d seemed too interested in each of them for that to be true. She was beginning to think she’d completely misjudged him.

  “Thank you for taking so much of your time to give me a tour,” he said as they headed back toward where they’d left the golf cart.

  “It’s actually been a nice distraction. When I was a teenager I showed tourists around just for fun.”

  “You really do miss living here, don’t you?”

  “I do. I know the lack of tourism is an issue for many reasons, but to me it’s better now. I love the solidarity of the community, and when it’s quiet, I get more time with family and to just…be present, you know?” She waved to a few of her friends across the street.

  “Your love of the island definitely shows, and the people here obviously adore you,” he said with a smile. “My life rarely slows down enough for simply being present, but it sounds like a wonderful idea.”

  She realized he’d been smiling all afternoon. It wasn’t the panty-melting seductive smile she’d seen earlier. This smile was easy, casual, like he hadn’t a care in the world, but it was having the same effect as the panty-melter. She didn’t know what to make of that, or of the fact that she’d spent the last few hours giving a tour that usually took about an hour max.

  He stopped walking by the Sip ’n’ Chat coffee shop. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee as a thank-you for the tour?”

  Her goal had been to turn him off to the town, and he was asking her out for coffee? Her plan was definitely not working. As she met his kind gaze, she realized that her plan wasn’t working for her, either. She wanted to have a drink with him. She wanted to learn more about the man who dressed like he belonged on Wall Street but was as gentlemanly as a small-towner. She felt like she’d known him for much longer than just a few hours, but she could see that he had that effect on everyone. And when his lips curved up, waiting for her answer, her stomach dipped and flipped. This wasn’t good. She needed to pull out all the stops and bring in the big guns, for both their sakes. It was time for Liakos overload. Surely a good dose of her family would send him running back to the mainland.

  But did she really want him to leave? You need to scare him away, no matter what your body is thinking.

  “I’m not a big coffee drinker, but I could go for a glass of wine.” She pointed down the road to her brother’s restaurant.

  “Ah, the taverna. Now, that’s a Greek word I know.” He lowered his hand to her back again as they walked the short distance.

  She didn’t flinch against his touch. In fact, she found herself warming to it and enjoying the heat a little too much.

  They walked past the crowded taverna patio, where customers ate at tables covered with red and white tablecloths. As one of the few restaurants on the island, Liakos Taverna was always busy.

  Duke held the door open for Gabriella, and she was greeted by the scents of her youth—grilled meats and patatas. Patatas, she thought. French fries. She’d practically grown up on them. She heard her brother’s deep laugh coming from the kitchen and spotted her uncle behind the bar. She missed being here, missed her family, missed the scents and warmth of family and love.

  “Let me grab a carafe and we can sit out on the patio.” She felt the heat of his stare burning a hole in her back as she went behind the bar. She kissed her uncle Chris on the cheek and grabbed glasses from a rack, stealing a glance at Duke. Her heartbeat quickened when she saw that he was still watching her.

  “Who is the stuffed shirt watching you with eagle eyes?” Chris asked in their native tongue. He was her father’s brother, in his early fifties, and like the rest of her family, he hardly ever kept his thoughts to himself.

  “Investor.” She was glad Duke couldn’t understand the language. “We’re going to sit on the patio.”

  “It’s warm out there,” Chris said. “Sit in here, in the air-conditioning. Or you’ll run him off.”

  “I’m counting on the full Liakos family treatment, the late-afternoon heat, and the loud customers to do exactly that.” As she said the words, her chest tightened. She might not want her grandfather to sell, but she was definitely attracted to Duke. I wouldn’t mind if he stuck around for other reasons.

  She glanced over her shoulder, and Duke lifted his chin, as if to say, I’m right here. She felt herself smiling as she filled the carafe with wine, unable to look away from him. The sun had already kissed his face and heavily muscled forearms. She wondered if the rest of him was as well defined and delicious-looking.

  Duke’s eyes widened seconds before she felt wine spill over the top of the carafe.

  “Shit,” she said sharply.

  Chris swooped in and wiped it up with a chuckle. “Someone’s taken with our handsome investor.”

  “Tsk. No, I’m not.” She grabbed the tray and stepped around the bar before her uncle could read the lie in her eyes. Duke took the tray from her hands, carrying it single-handed, while his other hand found its new home on her lower back.

  God, that felt good. He felt good, with heat rolling off of him as they walked toward the door to the patio.

  “You okay?” he asked quietly as they headed outside.

  Not even close.

  “Sure,” she managed. “I was just thinking of a hundred things in there.” Like how when I look in your eyes I see so much more than a stuffed shirt.

  Out on the patio, Duke set the tray on the table and pulled out Gabriella’s chair for her.

  “You look really beautiful today. That might not be appropriate for me to say to my tour guide, but…”

  Holy cow. He was doing it again, looking at her like she was the only person around, when there had to be at least twenty other people on the noisy patio.

  “Thank you.” She studied him with interest as he settled into the seat across from her and filled their wineglasses. For a moment his eyes swept over the street and the people walking by, and then that calm focus returned and settled solely on her.

  His lips curved up as he lifted his glass.

  She swallowed a sigh. That smile.

  He held up his wineglass. “To being present.”

  As their glasses touched, electricity sparked up her arm, and she swore the temperature rose about a hundred degrees.

  Chapter Four

  EVERY SIP OF wine Gabriella took left her lips shiny and wet, and when her tongue swept across her lips, she got the most seductive look in her eyes. Duke could watch her all night long. Or, even better, he’d like to kiss her, taste her, feel what was really going on beneath that tour hostess facade. But as Mr. Liakos’s granddaughter, Gabriella was off-limits, at least until the deal was done.

  Niko came through the doors from the restaurant and set another plate of food on their table.

  “Gemista!” Niko pronounced the dish yemista. The colorful dish boasted stuffed eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers. It was overflowing with rice, small pieces of meat, and vegetables and garnished with cut-up potatoes and an orange-red-colored sauce. The tops of the peppers and tomatoes rested on the stuffing like colorful crowns.

  “You spoil us, Niko,” Gabriella said, smiling up at her brother with adoration in her eyes.

  “I don’t know how we can possibly eat all of this,” Duke said. Niko had already brought them plates of grilled meats, vegetables, French fries, as well as large bowls of
soup.

  “I’ll help you.” A dark-haired man who looked to be in his late twenties leaned down and kissed Gabriella’s cheek. Then he sat at the table and grinned like a Cheshire cat at Duke.

  Gabriella shook her head. “Duke, this is Dimitri, my younger brother. He’s also Niko’s business partner.”

  Duke extended a hand in greeting. “Nice to meet you. The food is delicious.”

  Niko said something in Greek before returning to the restaurant, and Dimitri laughed. Duke had already met several of the locals, as they stopped by the table to chat with Gabriella.

  “So, you’re the potential investor?” Dimitri said. “What do you think?” He loaded up a plate with food, then took a sip of Gabriella’s wine.

  He reminded Duke of his brother Jake. Young and brazen, with a smile that softened his approach.

  “I’m impressed, actually.” Duke couldn’t help watching Gabriella sipping her wine. Aaaaand…there was the tug in his gut and the awareness beneath his zipper. “The island is far more interesting than I had thought it would be.”

  As Dimitri’s eyes ran between Duke and Gabriella, a shout came from the other side of the patio, where two men and a woman were heading toward the table. They all turned, and Dimitri waved them over.

  “My uncles and aunt,” Gabriella said.

  Duke opened his mouth to respond as the three of them arrived at the table, and suddenly there was a flourish of hugs and loud conversations in both Greek and English, as another group of people joined them. And seconds later, a family with three young children was talking with them, too. Duke was lost in introductions, watching the mayhem and enjoying every second of it. The friendly visitors pulled chairs up to the table, and for the next hour or so, Niko continued to bring out dish after dish. They emptied one wine bottle after another, all while the kids ran around playing on the patio. Even the friends and relatives who were clearly not Greek spoke Greek, and learning the language climbed even higher on his priority list. He didn’t want to miss a second of what was being said, because Gabriella had already blushed about a dozen times, and each time she’d sneak a peek at Duke.

  He loved watching her with her friends and relatives. She was so easy to be with, so sweet and confident, and her love for her family was evident in everything she said and did.

  By the time they left, they’d been plied with enough food and wine for a week. Everyone hugged Duke, just as they hugged Gabriella, and he’d been invited to the birthday celebration so many times he’d lost count. It was no wonder Gabriella loved the island and the people so much.

  It was nearing ten o’clock, and the moon cast a romantic glow over the island. With no hotels and no casinos breaking the night sky, the scents of the sea mingling with the aroma of the tavern had Duke feeling like he was on a Mediterranean island, rather than a hop, skip, and a jump from South Carolina.

  “This is my favorite time of night,” Gabriella said with a sigh. “When the sun’s just set and the air cools and the night sounds of the island come out to play.”

  He’d like to play with her. Duke had learned so much about Gabriella over the course of the day, and it made him want to know more. She’d clearly tried to wear him out, but she had no idea who she was dealing with. Duke didn’t get worn out.

  When they reached the golf cart, he held out his hand for the keys. She stared at his hand as if she didn’t understand the gesture. He guessed she wouldn’t, since it appeared that they didn’t drive much around the island. He curled a finger beneath her chin and lifted her face, searching her gorgeous eyes. His heart stuttered as the moonlight danced off her eyes. Up close he could see she wasn’t wearing any makeup. Her long, thick lashes were all her own. Everything about her was natural and comfortable, unlike the women he was used to in the city. Her dress was pretty and simple, and her sandals were covered in dust from their afternoon walk, as were his shoes and the hem of his slacks, but she didn’t seem to care.

  “I would like to explore your thoughts on this glorious evening,” he said. “But you drank as much as I did, and I’ve got about a hundred pounds on you. I’m thinking it’s not safe for you to drive.”

  “Is this that big brother thing again?” she asked with a hint of flirtation in her eyes.

  He stepped closer, unable to resist placing a hand on her hip, and shook his head. How could he tell her that his thoughts were anything but brotherly toward her? Her hip filled his large palm in the most delicious way. He should move away before the heat working its way through his core became noticeable, but he was powerless to resist tightening his hold on her.

  “Something like that,” he answered, reminding himself that he was on the island for business, not to pick up the most beautiful woman here.

  She looked down at his hand as he reluctantly dropped it to his side.

  “The key is in the ignition,” she said as she met his gaze again. “No crime. It’s better here, remember?”

  “I doubt I’ll ever forget.” He glanced in the cart and noticed the basket of bread and his suitcase. “Gabriella, shouldn’t we deliver this to your papou?”

  She gasped and grabbed his forearm. “Oh no, Papou! He’s going to wonder what happened to me.”

  “We’ll take it now,” he reassured her. “I’ll explain to him that it was my fault.”

  “You don’t have to take the blame. It’s my fault.” She gave his arm a quick squeeze. “But if you don’t mind driving me there, I’d appreciate it.”

  Gabriella guided him through town and up a hilly road. “You remembered the Greek word for ‘grandfather.’”

  He didn’t think before reaching over and squeezing her hand. “I doubt I’ll forget anything you’ve said.”

  Their eyes held for a beat before he turned his attention back to the road, their hands still linked. His heartbeat quickened in a way it hadn’t in years. He tried not to overthink what that might mean. He’d held hands with women before. Hell, he was no saint, but he found himself acutely aware of everything about Gabriella, including the way she was currently making an effort not to look at him. He’d never been as aware of, or as interested in, any other woman. He slid his hand from hers in an effort to give her space, but he didn’t want space. Every second they spent together made him want more.

  They rode in silence, save for the hum of the cart and the swishing of the trees. A few minutes later the road opened up, giving way to the resort grounds and the most spectacular view of the moon hovering over the ocean.

  Duke had read so much about the resort that he had practically memorized the details. The stunning Mediterranean-style estate included seven smaller villas, of which he could see two off to the left. He knew the others were more secluded, accessible only by footpath.

  “Your grandfather lives in the resort?” That was something he didn’t expect.

  “No. You need to make that hard right up that road there.” She pointed to a dark gap in the trees.

  Duke turned the cart, and the lights illuminated another narrow dirt road. They followed it around a bend, and a small villa came into view, much like the others he’d seen. He parked in front, and Gabriella stepped from the cart and reached for the basket.

  She smoothed her dress. Her eyes traveled swiftly, and nervously, down Duke’s body. They’d done nothing more than spend an afternoon walking around and had shared a meal, but hell if he wasn’t attracted to everything about her. He’d already jumped ahead in his mind to their first kiss good night, how sweet she’d taste, and where it might lead. The worried look in her eyes coupled with the heat rolling off her body brought him back to the numerous comments and looks she’d been given by relatives, which were clearly meant to nudge them together.

  They didn’t need any nudging. In her gaze he saw the sobering effects the hand-holding had had on her. She clearly worried that her grandfather might read her desires as easily as he just had. His brain shifted into gear. Gabriella was the granddaughter of the man he was going to be negotiating with. That was mess
y and complicated. He needed to get a grip on his desires.

  “It’s late,” he said. “I don’t want to disturb your grandfather. You go ahead, and I’ll wait for you here.”

  “Thank you.” Relief flooded her eyes.

  As she pushed open the door and called out, “Papou,” in a tender voice that spoke of her love for her grandfather, Duke knew he’d done the right thing. He was there on the island for only a few days, and obviously the residents were a nosy crew. The last thing he wanted was to put Gabriella in an uncomfortable position.

  When the door closed, he paced the yard, trying to regain control of his emotions. Duke lived his life weighing the risks and benefits of investments and of his actions. As he tried to regain control of the heat stoking him from the inside out, he tried to convince himself that the risk of losing the investment wasn’t worth the reward of being with Gabriella. Never before had his mind and body called him on his bullshit louder or more clearly than they were right then. He was hard as steel, and his mind was drenched in thoughts of Gabriella.

  A shadow passed by the window, catching Duke’s attention. Gabriella came into focus as she approached an old man sitting in a leather chair. She set the basket on a coffee table and knelt by his side. Placing her hand on his arm, she kissed his cheek. He had a bushy gray mustache, with hair to match. Duke couldn’t make out his other features, but that was enough to recognize him from the photographs he’d seen. When he covered Gabriella’s hand with his own, Duke could feel the love between them. He had the strangest desire to be with her in the room, to meet her grandfather and be introduced as part of her life, rather than as an investor. It was rare to witness the open affection that Gabriella and her family doled out so effortlessly, and it reminded him of his family.

  She laughed, and her gaze turned to the window. His pulse quickened, and he told himself that she couldn’t see his face in the dark, but somehow he knew she didn’t need to. Even as he tried to convince himself that he needed to back away, to end the night without so much as a taste of her lips, the rush of emotions soaring through him were too big, too raw, to deny.