Illicit Night with the Greek

by Susanna Carr

  “I will, Stergios. As fast as I can.”

  * * *

  Jodie leaned back in her chair and looked outside the window of her apartment. She had always enjoyed New York City in the autumn but lately she had struggled to see the beauty. There was a crisp bite to the late October weather and the leaves were turning crimson and gold, but all she wanted to do was hibernate.

  “The apartment is just as I remembered.”

  She turned her attention to her father. He sat across from her at the small table as if he had all the time in the world. This wasn’t happening, she thought in a daze but his fading blond hair gleamed under the chandelier. She watched numbly as he reached for a scone from the tiered cake stand.

  Why was he here? What did he want? She thought cynically. She hadn’t been able to hide her astonishment when he had called her in the morning and wanted to drop by.

  “You haven’t changed a thing from when your mother lived here,” he remarked.

  “No, I’m not ready to handle that big of a project,” Jodie murmured. She had inherited the penthouse apartment months ago but she didn’t feel settled. This wasn’t home. Growing up, she had always used it as a layover.

  “You look pale,” Gregory Little said as he took a sip of his tea. “Have you been ill?”

  No, she was heartbroken but she didn’t dare tell that her father. The man liked to gossip and she didn’t want it getting back to Stergios. No one needed to know that she had difficulty eating and sleeping. She couldn’t focus. Some days it felt as if time went too fast and other days it dragged on.

  It was painful loving someone who didn’t love her back. The burden weighed heavily on her like a cloak. She had felt unloved and unwanted many times in her life. She thought she was used to it, but Stergios’s disgust and hatred had knocked her back.

  “I’ve been tired since returning from Greece,” she admitted as she reached for her teacup. “There were some people sick on the plane. I’m probably fighting off something like a cold.”

  “That’s why you should have your own plane.”

  She gave a wry smile at his response. Gregory Little had become accustomed to the Antoniou way of life. He would do anything to protect his standard of living.

  “Or were you concerned after the helicopter’s mechanical problem?” he asked. “That was a rare occurrence. I can’t recall it happening before.”

  Mechanical problem? Jodie frowned until she remembered the lie about why she had missed the wedding. “It does make me hesitate,” she said smoothly. “So, have Dimos and Zoi returned from their honeymoon?”

  “Yes, Dimos is now vice president but it will be a long adjustment period for him,” he predicted. “He doesn’t have the stamina to carry the same workload as Stergios.”

  Jodie flinched when she heard Stergios’s name. She clearly remembered the raw fury in his eyes when she had left. That man hated her. She kept trying to tell herself that it was for the best.

  “And... Stergios?” She tried to sound casual but she craved for any news or information about him. “How is he?”

  Gregory frowned as he took a sip of his tea. “Mairi is worried about him. He has always been a workaholic but it’s gotten much worse. But, then, he is finalizing the Antoniou-Volakis merger. I’m sure he will take some time off once that is done.”

  Stergios had dived right into his work after she’d left. The knowledge wounded her. It was as if their weekend had been a blip in his calendar. He had gone on with his life as if nothing had happened.

  “I probably shouldn’t tell you since it hasn’t been announced,” Gregory said as he lowered his voice, “but he’s going to get engaged.”

  Jodie felt her skin go cold as her stomach heaved. Her cup clattered against her saucer. Engaged. The word echoed in her mind. Stergios was getting engaged.

  “Sorry,” she said weakly as she carefully let go of her cup before she broke the delicate handle between her fingers. “That just caught me by surprise. Stergios doesn’t strike me as someone who is ready to settle down.”

  He had met someone special... He belonged to another... He was going to make this woman his wife... A bitter taste filled her mouth and she swallowed roughly.

  “He’s been playing with the idea of an Antoniou-Diamantopoulos merger for the past year,” Gregory Little continued, oblivious to her unnatural stillness.

  “Diamantopoulos?” she interrupted.

  “Aleka Diamantopoulos,” Gregory added. “The shipping heiress.”

  That didn’t narrow it down much for Jodie. She frantically searched her memory until she remembered the quiet woman who played the piano with precision but no passion. Jealousy coiled around her heart and squeezed so hard that she wanted to double over.

  “I think I remember her,” she murmured. Aleka was sweet and obedient. Young and virginal. Just Stergios’s type, she decided uncharitably. “Lovely girl.”

  “And the alliance between families will make the Antonious very powerful.”

  “That’s...wonderful.” Jodie smiled wanly. She folded her hands on her lap as the sense of loss swept through her. Perhaps all of those finishing schools had finally served their purpose. No one would be able to tell that she felt breakable. As if she was going to splinter into a million pieces and she would never be whole again.

  Stergios was getting everything he wanted. She should be pleased with the turn of events. He was gaining the power and the security to protect his family. Soon he would find the peace he craved. It was everything she couldn’t give him.

  She stared at her manicured hands as her mind spun. She had done the right thing when she cut off all connection with Stergios. She had regretted lying to him about being pregnant. So many times she had been tempted to call him and tell him the truth.

  But the cycle, the obsession, would have continued. She would have wasted a lifetime wanting to be with a man who didn’t think she was worthy of him.

  “Jodie?” Her father’s voice pierced through her troubled thoughts. “What do you think?”

  She jerked her head up and saw Gregory’s look of expectation. “I’m sorry?”

  Annoyance flickered in her father’s blue eyes. “I’m inviting you to come to Greece for Christmas.”

  Jodie froze as the words replayed in her head. “Why?” she blurted. She gasped with horror and tried again. “I mean—”

  He gave an understanding nod. “I shouldn’t have allowed this much time to pass between us. I want to make a fresh start. What better time than Christmas?”

  “But when I showed up in Athens earlier...” Her voice trailed off. What had changed? Why did he come to this conclusion now when he didn’t make any overtures when she last saw him?

  “I avoided you.” Gregory bent his head and nervously crumbled the scone between his fingers. “You suddenly appeared and we thought you were planning to cause trouble. We should have recognized that you were still grieving the loss of your mother and needed to be around family.”

  “We?” she asked dully. She should have known her stepmother had a say in this.

  “You know, Mairi and me,” he explained. “And Stergios.”

  “Stergios?” She stiffened her spine. She couldn’t imagine how he had poisoned her father’s opinion of her. “What does he have to do about this?”

  “He recommended I drop by and check on you once I finished my trip in Toronto.” Gregory Little shrugged. “He acted as if it was urgent but you seem fine.”

  She didn’t understand. How would that punish her? Jodie’s head ached as she tried to understand his strategy. Did he think her father would drop by and notice her pregnant belly? Why would he care? Why did he bother? Jodie knew she was dead to him.

  “Do you already have plans for Christmas?” her father asked.

  “Some invitations have already
trickled in but I haven’t made any commitments.” None of the traditional gatherings had interested her. But the promise of spending the holidays with family? It was something she had yearned for over the past few years and it was too good to pass up. “Who all will be there?”

  “All of the family and a few close friends. Shall I expect you?”

  Jodie bit her lip, her heart pounding against her chest, as she considered her options. She was afraid to accept. If she said yes, it meant she would have to see Stergios. But if she said no, she knew her father would not extend this kind of invitation again.

  “I would love to, Dad,” she said with a smile. “I can’t wait.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  JODIE CLENCHED THE banister and slowly descended the grand staircase of the Antoniou estate. Holiday decorations swathed the limestone walls and the tallest, fattest Christmas tree sat in the center of the entrance hall. She heard a harp being played in the music room and watched the other guests stand around and chat as they drank the finest champagne.

  Her silver dress sparkled under the chandeliers but she wasn’t in a festive mood. She pressed her lips as she searched the well-dressed crowd. Her heart stopped and she jolted with surprise when she saw Stergios.

  His dark hair was shorn and ruthlessly tamed, emphasizing the sleek shape of his head. Stergios’s angular jaw was clean-shaven and his dark suit fitted his sleek, athletic body. He had tamed the wildness within. He was a commanding presence, a man who ruled all he could see.

  When his lips tilted in a tender smile, Jodie stared at the transformation on his face. He looked younger. Happy. It took her a moment to realize that look was for the woman next to him. Aleka Diamantopoulos. Jodie’s stomach heaved; she watched as the young woman shyly blossomed under Stergios’s attention.

  He had never smiled like that. Not at her. She hadn’t made him that happy or content. Jodie wanted to look away but she couldn’t. She took in a reedy breath as her body tensed with jealousy. What was so special about Aleka?

  Jodie didn’t see an engagement ring on the shipping heiress’s finger but she knew it was only a matter of time. She looked away as the dull, aching pain coiled her chest. A giant solitaire representing Stergios’s wealth, status and power was probably gift wrapped and tucked in his jacket.

  She knew she should have canceled this trip but she didn’t want to. She couldn’t. Not only would it make it unlikely that she’d get another invitation, but there was something she had to do in person.

  She glanced in Stergios’s direction again and saw him staring at her. His smile disappeared and she shrank back from his contemptuous gaze. Jodie turned abruptly and regretted it. She squeezed her eyes shut and fought for balance. She knew better than to make sharp turns. Or wear stiletto heels.

  Or visit Athens, she thought. The doctor had given her permission to travel, but it was courting disaster. But she had to see Stergios one last time.

  Because she was carrying his baby.

  Panic fluttered in her veins and she splayed her hand against her stomach. Six weeks ago she had discovered she was pregnant. At first she’d been thrilled and shared the news with her closest friends. But she had been reluctant to inform Stergios.

  How could she tell him? She had made such a mess of things. Jodie bowed her head as the tears pricked her eyes. She had lied to Stergios and made claims so he would stay away. Her decisions had turned out to be for the best. Stergios was getting the life he wanted and the wife he needed. An unexpected pregnancy would change all of that.

  “Damn, Jodie,” Dimos said as he walked by her and stopped. “You look like hell.”

  “How sweet of you to notice.” Her tone was acidic but she knew he spoke the truth. It had been another reason why she had been reluctant to show up at the Antoniou home for Christmas. She didn’t want to be remembered like this with her pallor, limp hair and constant tiredness. She had her pride and she wanted Stergios to eat his heart out. Now he was probably thinking he got a clean getaway.

  Jodie forced her attention on Dimos and noticed he wasn’t looking his best, as well. He looked older with his puffy face and bloodshot eyes. “I understand you’ve been working around the clock.” Concern threaded in her voice. “Doesn’t Stergios know you’re a newlywed?”

  “Let me give you a piece of advice.” Dimos swilled his drink. “Consider all of your options before you get married.”

  Understanding dawned on her. Dimos was staying late at the office so he could avoid going home. “No need to give me advice. I will never marry.”

  Dimos snorted. “That’s what they all say.”

  “No, seriously. I have no reason to do so. There is no family or financial pressure.”

  “Lucky you,” he said bitterly as he darted a glance in the direction of his wife on the other side of the room. “What about love that you used to spout on about? You had a strong romantic streak in your teen years.”

  “No, that streak is long gone,” she said in a whisper. She used to think she would only marry for love but she had an idealized version of it. Now she knew that love didn’t bring her joy or happiness. It didn’t fulfill her or give her a sense of purpose. Love brought her confusion and pain. She had the ability to love but she was incapable of being loved. Marriage or a committed relationship was not in her future.

  “What guy changed your mind? You’d always talked about having a family.”

  “It doesn’t mean I have to marry or stay with one man.” It was what she wanted, but she had to be realistic. Once she had imagined having a loving husband and many children but she needed to modify her definition of family.

  Dimos’s eyes gleamed with interest. “That’s true, monogamy is an outdated and unnatural idea.”

  Jodie raised her hand. “No, that—”

  “Let’s hope Zoi doesn’t hear you,” Stergios said next to Jodie.

  Jodie stiffened and her skin tingled at the sound of his husky voice. She wasn’t prepared to see Stergios. To be this close without touching him. She tried to remain calm but the agony of what she had lost roiled through her stomach.

  Dimos’s face turned a deep red. For a moment Jodie thought he was going to launch into a tirade. Instead he closed his mouth with a snap and marched away.

  “Do you look for trouble or does it come naturally?” Stergios asked Jodie.

  “I didn’t say anything about cheating or having affairs.”

  Stergios looked at his cousin over his shoulder. “Then how did Dimos get that into his head?”

  “I have no idea how his mind works.”

  “Sure you do. He always thinks about sex when you’re around.” His mouth twisted in displeasure as he noticed how the silver dress hugged her burgeoning curves. “And you were seeing if you still have the sexual allure over him.”

  “No!”

  Stergios’s gaze dropped to her stomach. “Have you told him that you’re pregnant?”

  Her heart stopped and she felt so light-headed she thought she was going to collapse onto the floor. She gave a ragged breath when she remembered that Stergios didn’t know the whole truth.

  “Probably not,” he said with a sneer. “That would change everything. He would run in the other direction and you would have no power over him.”

  “Don’t compare his reaction with yours.” She had to tell him about the baby, but how? Where did she start? He wasn’t going to believe her and she wasn’t up for a battle.

  Stergios crossed his arms and studied her. “Why am I the only person you’ve told?”

  She gave an awkward shrug, not sure how to answer that. It did look strange that she had confided in him. “You should be honored.”

  “You haven’t told Gregory and you’re past the first trimester.”

  She gave him a sharp look. “Is that why you manipulated my father into visi
ting me? So he would see that I was pregnant?”

  “Oxi.” Surprise flickered in his dark eyes. “No, pethi mou,” he said quietly. “I had him visit you because you shouldn’t be alone at this time in your life.”

  She blinked, dumbfounded, her lips parting as she watched Stergios walk away. Jodie clasped her hands in front of her as she felt the tears burn behind her eyes. She didn’t know why she was getting emotional. She was used to being alone in the world. She just wasn’t used to someone noticing her predicament. Or caring. Or reaching out. She had immediately slapped him away, thinking it was a trick.

  She was tempted to follow Stergios and apologize. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She should tell him everything now before she lost her courage.

  Jodie suddenly felt hot stinging needles prick her skin as perspiration blanketed her. She clapped her hand over her mouth, knowing she was going to be sick.

  Her bedroom was too far away. Jodie briskly walked to the door that led to the portico. She stepped outside and welcomed the coldness against her skin. Leaning against the heavy stone column, she took in big gulps of the night air.

  Her legs felt shaky as she took the steps down to the terrace. She needed to compose herself before she went back inside. No one was going to notice if she was absent. For once, being invisible had its benefits.

  * * *

  The party had drifted into the music room. Stergios searched the crowd that had already broken into the usual groups and cliques. The older generation was on one side of the room while the younger relatives were sitting together and checking their phones.

  Servants in black jackets and white gloves were serving champagne and dessert on silver platters. He noticed Aleka was at the grand piano playing traditional Christmas carols. Jodie was nowhere to be found.

  Stergios tapped Gregory on the shoulder. “Have you seen Jodie?”

  “Hmm? Jodie?” Gregory lifted his head and looked around the room as if he was just now noticing his daughter’s absence. “She’s somewhere around here. Probably playing billiards,” he said, preoccupied, as he motioned for one of the waiters.