The Renegade Billionaire (Harlequin Romance Large Print)

by Rebecca Winters

  He darted her a curious glance. “What’s that?”

  “One of the commandments says, ‘Thou shalt not covet.’ As I was standing on your patio, looking out over this glorious spot of earth, I understood its meaning for the first time. When you climbed the mountain, no wonder you claimed this place for your own. To live where you live really is paradise on earth. Your mythical Greek gods must be jealous of you.”

  Stavros stared out at the water. “I haven’t needed the gods to cause me trouble. The family I was born into has made enough mischief.”

  “At one time or other I think most people have said that about their families.”

  “But there are degrees of mischief.”

  “Stavros? Was it always hard for you?”

  He nodded. “Pretty much from day one. I didn’t want to do things the way my father did. He wanted me in private school. I wanted to go to public school. He didn’t like my close friends who weren’t good enough for him. He didn’t like me dating a lot of girls. I went through them like water.”

  “Was there one you fell hard for?”

  “All of them.”

  “Be serious.”

  “I am. I never went with someone I wasn’t crazy about.”

  “For a time, you mean.”

  He grinned.

  “How long did the attraction last?” she asked.

  “Maybe two dates.”

  “I was the same way,” Andrea confessed. “I never had myriads of boyfriends, but I liked guys a lot better than girls.”

  “Your only problem was that none of them measured up to your dad except Ferrante.”

  “It wasn’t like that, Stavros. I never compared him to Dad. What I loved about Ferrante was his gentle nature, and that’s one of Dad’s best qualities. But in other ways they were completely different.”

  Stavros made an odd sound in his throat. “My father has never kept his opinions to himself. He didn’t like my doing jobs for anyone but him. I was happy for any job that would help me save money and get away from him micromanaging me. He had his mind made up I would go to college in London for a business degree. I decided I wanted to be an engineer and went to MIT. He wanted me to live in Thessaloniki with the rest of the family. I wanted to live here on Thassos.

  “We disagreed on every issue. He let me know when he thought it was time for me to get married. I told him I wasn’t sure that day would ever come. He’d picked out Tina to be the woman I should marry. The Nassos came from the right bloodline with all the important connections and affluence.”

  “Does your mother have no say in how you conduct your life?”

  “She mostly goes along with my father, especially where Tina is concerned. But I think that of all my decisions, choosing to live on Thassos has caused her the most grief. Mother sees us like a clan, all closely knit. I’m afraid I’m a person who needs more breathing room.”

  Andrea pondered everything, almost afraid to ask her next question. “Has there ever been a time when you and your father agreed on something important?”

  “Yes. He supported me when I played soccer. When the board proposed new names for vice president of the corporation, we both felt that my brother, Leon, had the stability and wisdom to be the best choice over my two cousins.”

  “That’s it?”

  “I’m sure there were a few other times, but not many. That’s something you can’t comprehend, can you?”

  “No...but then I’m not a man.”

  His smile was devilish. “I’m happy to say you’re the personification of femininity.”

  “Be serious for a minute.”

  “I’m trying, but it’s hard when I’m looking at you.”

  It was hard on her when his eyes seemed to devour her. “Did your brother pick his own wife?”

  “Yes, but she had the right breeding and family history to satisfy my parents. Leon gets along without making waves. He’s a terrific father to their children. I manage to do things that get under my father’s skin. It’s not on purpose. I love my father because he’s my father. But I don’t like him very much. Can you understand that?”

  “I guess I can, but it makes me sad. Dad and I just click.”

  Stavros nodded. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be leaving Greece with him.”

  She averted her eyes. “How does your father treat Leon’s children?”

  “He’s still dictatorial, but a little nicer.”

  “Then there’s hope. I’ve told you before that I think you’ll make a wonderful father, Stavros. Maybe it’ll take giving your dad some grandchildren to soften him.”

  In the midst of their conversation Andrea heard music. She turned her head and saw that a cabin cruiser had discovered their special spot. People were on board playing loud music, disturbing the tranquillity. In the far distance, she saw a sailboat coming closer.

  She and Stavros hadn’t come back to the boat any too soon. A little earlier and the sight of the two of them wrapped in each other’s arms on the sand would have provided unexpected entertainment for anyone watching. Heat swept through her body as she remembered how expertly Stavros had brought her alive. Andrea still felt alive and he wasn’t even touching her.

  “Our paradise has been invaded,” Stavros murmured. “No more isolation for us.” All of a sudden, he closed the hamper and got up, unaware of her private thoughts. He stood there shirtless in the hot sun while the breeze blew his black hair away from his forehead. There couldn’t be a more fabulous man alive.

  “It’s time to leave. Besides the overcrowding, you’ve gotten enough sun. Put your life jacket back on, Andrea.” She’d forgotten, but he never forgot anything to make her comfortable or safe. “I’ll jump out and push us off.”

  Something was bothering him, but she couldn’t read his mind. Already she regretted he was bringing this glorious outing to a close. With what looked like effortless male agility, Stavros got out to move the boat into deeper water. It took a lot of strength, though he made it look like child’s play. In a minute, he came around the driver’s side to climb back on.

  But as he started to get in, she heard a groan. He managed to make it inside the boat, but he sank to the floor, grabbing his lower leg. His features contorted in pain.

  “Turn over on your stomach, Stavros.”

  Groaning again, he made a great effort to do as she’d asked. Andrea hunkered down and noticed immediately the small cut just above his ankle. The bleeding was minimal. “I don’t believe it. That stingray got you. This looks like the cut on Dad’s foot. Don’t move. I’m phoning for help.”

  She lunged for her purse and pulled out her cell phone to call emergency services. Stavros was already losing color.

  The second the dispatcher answered, she said, “This is Despinis Linford. Send an ambulance to the private boat dock at Thassos marina ASAP. Kyrie Stavros Konstantinos has been stung by a stingray above the back of the ankle. He’ll be in a blue-and-white speedboat. I’ll blast the horn to help you spot him. Hurry!”

  “Andrea,” he muttered when she clicked off. “You shouldn’t have told them my name.” She could tell he was barely holding on because of the pain.

  She got behind the wheel of the boat and turned on the engine. “Everyone knows who you are. I did it to get you the best care immediately.” She backed the boat around, then put the gear in forward and they shot away from the beach. The marina was just around the headland.

  “Hang on, Stavros. You’ll be out of your pain soon.” Andrea thanked providence that they hadn’t gone to some beach farther away where help wouldn’t be available as fast.

  Once she’d rounded the point, she headed straight for the boat dock. To her joy, she saw an ambulance drawing near. She pressed on the horn and kept pressing. After lowering her speed, she cut the engine and allowed the boat to slide into its
private berth. The ambulance attendants came running with a gurney. A crowd of people had assembled, wanting to know what was going on.

  “Take good care of him,” she begged as they lifted him out of the boat.

  “I’ll be fine, Andrea.” His voice sounded weak.

  “I know you will. I’ll come to the medical center in a few minutes.”

  She watched him being put in the ambulance. After it drove off, she slipped on her denims. Then she gathered up his clothes. The keys to the house and Jeep were in his pocket. She pulled them out and put them in her purse along with the boat key. Andrea would have to leave the hamper for now.

  One of the bystanders tied up the boat for her. She thanked him before heading for the Jeep in the parking area.

  There were signs leading to the medical center, but she knew where it was because she’d checked it out as part of her job, in case of emergencies on the tour here. She found a parking space near the ER entrance and rushed inside. The staff person in triage needed information. Andrea told her what she could.

  “Are you a relative?”

  “No. A friend. How soon can I go in to see him?”

  “Let me call the desk.”

  Andrea waited ten minutes in agony before she was allowed through the doors to his curtained cubicle. Stavros, dressed in a hospital gown, lay there with his eyes closed. The middle-aged ER doctor smiled at her. “Despinis Linford?” She nodded. “I’m Dr. Goulas. Come in. I understand you’re the heroine who got our island’s most famous resident here in record time.”

  Andrea knew Stavros was revered. “I tried. How is he?”

  “We’re already giving him pain medication through the drip. He’s drifting in and out of sleep. The pain from that sting has traveled up his limb and could last forty-eight hours. I’ve checked his vital signs. Kyrie Konstantinos is doing well. I’ve given him a tetanus shot to be on the safe side.

  “What we’re going to do now is soak his lower leg in hot water for about an hour. That reduces a lot of the pain. Then I’ll inject more painkiller around the cut and take a look to see if there’s any foreign matter before I sew it up.”

  She took a shaky breath. “Can I stay in here with him?”

  “I’d like you to. When he was brought in, his greatest concern was you. It will ease his mind to know he can see and talk to you. Why don’t you sit down? This has been an ordeal for you too.”

  Andrea nodded and took a seat in one of the chairs. “We’d seen the stingray earlier, but it was out in deeper water. I couldn’t believe it had come in right by his boat.”

  “They hide in the shallows under the sand.”

  “Stavros must have stepped on it while he was pushing the boat off the sand. I heard him groan and then he paled so fast.”

  “It’s the shock. But the cut doesn’t appear to be deep and I doubt it will become infected.”

  “Can I take him home tonight?”

  “If his blood pressure is good and he doesn’t have any trouble breathing, then I would say that’s a real possibility. He’ll have to stay on oral antibiotics for a while.” Her father had been given antibiotics too.

  While she sat there waiting for Stavros to wake up, she could tell he was getting his color back, thank heaven. In a minute, a technician wheeled in a cart holding a rectangular basin of hot water. The doctor lifted Stavros’s left leg. Once the basin was in place, he lowered the bottom half and foot into the water.

  Stavros was such a striking man. To see him incapacitated...to see one of those long, strong legs injured...it just killed her.

  “There’s a lounge on the other side of the clinic with food and drinks.”

  “Thank you, but I’m not hungry. We’d just eaten a big meal before this happened.”

  “Very good. I’ll be back.”

  “Thank you for everything, Doctor.”

  “It’s a privilege.”

  That was the sentiment Andrea saw in the people who interacted with Stavros. She loved him so much and pulled the chair closer to his side where she wouldn’t disturb the drip in his hand. Her mind played over the events of the past ten days. It was pure chance that they’d met at all.

  If Sakis hadn’t sent her to investigate Darren’s disappearance—if the teen had decided to run away at another stop on the tour—if Stavros hadn’t been available. So many ifs that had to occur with split-second timing for them to have been brought together in the cosmos.

  And now this injury.

  It could have been fatal if he’d been stung in the heart or abdomen. A shudder ran through her body. While she sat there trying not to think about his close call, the doctor came in again, followed by the technician, who wheeled in another basin of hot water. They repeated the process.

  “His vital signs are holding,” the doctor informed her. “This sleep is doing him good. I’ll give this another twenty minutes, then take a look at the cut.”

  Ten more minutes and she heard him say her name. “I’m here, Stavros.”

  “I need to feel you.” He moved his hand toward her. When she grasped it, his heavily lashed eyelids opened.

  Andrea leaned closer. “How’s the pain now?”

  “What pain?”

  She squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to act brave around me.”

  “Whatever they gave me knocked me out. I don’t feel a thing.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Have I told you you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever known?”

  “It takes an amazing man to recognize one.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “So am I.” She smiled. “Your doctor says it’s an honor to be taking care of you. I agree. Is there anyone who ought to know what’s happened to you?”

  “The only person of importance is you. With you watching over me, I don’t want anyone else.”

  “That’s the painkiller talking.”

  “Andrea—” He tugged on her hand. “You’re not really going to Brazil with your father, are you?”

  Her breath caught. “Let’s not talk about that right now. You need to rest and let the medication work.”

  “You can’t go. We’ve only started getting to know each other.”

  If only he knew the pain she was in just thinking about it. “Right now, you need to concentrate on getting better.”

  “Don’t change the subject.” His grip on her hand was surprisingly strong. He would have said more, but the doctor and the technician walked in, interrupting him.

  “Let’s take a look at the cut.” He eyed Andrea. “We have to turn him over. If you’ll step out, this won’t take long.”

  “I want her to come right back,” Stavros stated in what she considered had to be his boardroom voice.

  Dr. Goulas smiled at her. “Is that your wish too?”

  “Yes. Please.”

  “Then stay outside the curtain. I’ll tell you when you can come in again.”

  Stavros’s grip on her hand tightened before he released her. She welcomed the pressure. They had a connection that was growing stronger every minute.

  When she’d asked him if she could call someone in his family to let them know he was in the clinic, he’d said no. His history with his father haunted her. When she thought of her own relationship with her dad, her heart bled for Stavros because he hadn’t had a loving experience.

  Ten minutes passed before she was called back in.

  “Come over here, Andrea.” Stavros reached for her hand.

  “Good news,” the doctor said. “I’ve cleaned the wound and put in some stitches. This should heal nicely.”

  “How soon can I be released?” Stavros wanted to know.

  “Let’s finish out the drip. Then I’ll want to check your blood pressure. If you remain stabilized, you’
ll be able to go home this evening, but it will be bed rest until Monday. I’ll send an antibiotic with you, and I’ll want to see you again on Friday to check the wound.”

  Andrea sensed the doctor was about to leave and eased her hand from Stavros’s grip.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded.

  How she loved him! “I’ll be right back.” She hurried to catch up with the doctor outside the curtain. “Dr. Goulas? Thank you more than I can say.”

  He nodded. “Kyrie Konstantinos is a very important man, but his type makes the worst kind of patient. See that he stays down and follows directions. If you can stop him from going to work on Monday, that would be best. Between you and me, he’s not out of the woods yet. Follow-up care with this kind of wound is critical to make certain there’s no recurring infection.”

  “I know. My father received a similar sting on his foot years ago and was absolutely impossible.”

  “I take it he’s an important man too.”

  “Very, especially to me.”

  He patted her arm. “The more sleep our patient gets right now, the better. I’ll be around again later.”

  When Andrea peeked inside the curtain, Stavros’s eyes were closed. Taking the doctor’s advice to heart, she walked through to the other side of the clinic for some coffee. Today’s experience had taken a toll. Some caffeine would give her energy for what lay ahead.

  Taking advantage of the time, she phoned her boss. It went through to his voice mail. Andrea left the message about Stavros’s ordeal and explained she needed to nurse him for a little while. Would it be all right if she didn’t come in to work until Tuesday? If the answer was yes, then Sakis didn’t need to call her back.

  Next, she phoned her landlord and left the message that she’d be vacating the apartment within ten days to travel with her father to Brazil. But she would pay the money still owed to honor the lease.