by Susanna Carr
“I know I’m a burden, just like I was when I was a teenager.” Jodie placed her hands on her hips and looked away. “My father is embarrassed by me and he’s worried that he’s going to be penalized just by being related to me. And Mairi wants me out. Out of the house, the city and their lives. Sound familiar?”
It did. He had thought it would be different this time around. She had him as her ally, her protector. But he was not at home enough to be a physical barrier between Jodie and his family.
“And how do I respond to all this? I’m hiding again.” She angrily tossed a pair of shoes into the suitcase. “That had been my strategy when I first came to live here. Then I did the opposite only to find more grief. I’m trying to become invisible because this family refuses to make room for me.”
Stergios reached for the suitcase and flipped the lid closed. “You made a promise and I expect you to keep it.”
“You made promises to me, as well. You said you would make time for the baby and me. Instead you spend every waking moment at the office.” She returned to the closet and snagged a dress off the hanger. “My mother used to do that when she was building an empire of her own. I was alone then and I’m alone now.”
“It won’t be like this at the office for much longer,” he said. He would be home in the evenings once he had taken care of the public relations nightmare. News of getting his stepsister pregnant should have been a six-day wonder, but it didn’t help that there was no forthcoming wedding date. It showed his lack of commitment to the mother of his child. It suggested instability in the Antoniou family, not to mention legal ambiguity for his heir.
“I feel trapped,” she admitted. “I swore I wasn’t going to live like this again and I immediately fall into my old patterns. I stay in my room and out of the way or I’m in the garden.”
“You are not leaving.”
“I’m staying in Greece. Just not here in this house. I’m moving into a hotel for the short term.” She smoothed her hands over her hair and gave a deep sigh. “I should have done it from the beginning. Why did you want me to stay here?”
“This is the safest place for you,” he explained. “We have the best security here and no one can get to you.”
Jodie lifted her gaze to the ceiling as if she was saying a heartfelt prayer. “You don’t have to worry, Stergios. I keep telling you that but you don’t listen. I promise you that no one is out to get me.”
He gritted his teeth before he informed her of the threats his security team started to receive once they made their first appearance at the museum. It was the usual. They wanted to steal from her or hurt her. They wanted to take her from him.
Stergios was used to the threats being aimed at him. After his kidnapping, he learned to expect the worst in humanity. At times it was white noise and he was numbed to it. But when his security team told him about the first threat against Jodie, his rage had been swift and brutal.
“You are now a public figure,” he said. He was not going to tell her about the warnings and threats. Jodie should be allowed to live her life without fear.
“I will be safe in a hotel,” she promised.
“You will be safer here,” he argued.
Jodie paused and crossed her arms. “Are you trying to protect me or are you trying to keep me from finding out about the scandal?”
He lifted his head as the puzzle pieces started to fall into place. That was why she had this sudden need to leave. She discovered that the scandal was weakening him. His family and colleagues were not standing behind him. His enemies had smelled blood and were circling around him.
Stergios wasn’t worried. It was an inconvenience more than anything. At least he knew who his true allies were.
“I found out about it today,” she said. “I would have earlier but it’s been a while since I’ve seen a newspaper. Oh, and the internet connection has been under repairs for a week.” She arched an eyebrow. “What a coincidence.”
He rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. How did she find out? “I don’t want you to worry about it. The doctor said to avoid stress.”
“Avoid stress,” she repeated dully. “How can I when I’m the source of it all?”
Stergios stared at her. He didn’t see her that way. She might challenge and frustrate him, but she also brought him joy and light. Jodie was his port in the storm swirling around him.
“You’ve been through so much in your life. You’ve overcome horrific experiences and you were on to great things...” Jodie’s eyes filled with tears. “And then I showed up.”
He didn’t like the sound of defeat in her voice. “Have a little more faith in my abilities, Jodie,” he retorted drily. “I have accomplished many things and I’ve only just begun.”
Jodie wasn’t listening. “You should have married Aleka,” she said softly.
“That ship has sailed,” he said in a growl. He had heard that suggestion from everyone, but lately he felt as if he’d dodged a bullet.
She looked at the window. “Maybe I should go back to America.” She sounded preoccupied as if she was already making plans. “It would be better for both of us.”
“Oxi! No!” He moved in front of her, blocking her from the suitcase.
She took a step to the side. “Don’t worry, I can be back in time for the birth.”
He stretched out his arm to stop her. “That is out of the question.”
“The baby will be born in Greece, I promise. You can trust me, Stergios.”
“Trust?” he spat out. “Unbelievable. Why should I trust you when you won’t give me the same courtesy?”
Her eyes went wide. “I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”
“You hide how you feel because you don’t trust me. You don’t tell me what’s worrying you. Why? Do you think I can’t fix it?” His anger flashed at the possibility. “That I’m going to ignore your concerns?”
“You don’t share your concerns with me, either,” she pointed out.
Stergios scoffed. That was different. He was concealing information so she would be happy living here. “It is my job to protect you and the baby. Instead of letting me take care of it, you want to walk away.”
“That’s not how I see it. You are losing everything you worked hard for because of us. Because of me. And you choose not to tell me.”
“Because I didn’t want you to grab at the excuse and leave.” He gestured wildly as hard, cold fear settled in his stomach. “I am not going to lose you and the baby.”
Her shoulders sagged and she sat down on the bed. “Why does it matter if I stay?”
It mattered. Stergios raked his hand in his hair as he took a deep breath. He was already losing her. They didn’t share the same room or a bed. She was pushing him away and he couldn’t let that happen.
He had to make a compromise. It went against every instinct but he knew if he didn’t, Jodie would leave him. “I’m going to be wherever you are.” The words came out with great reluctance. “If you don’t want to stay in this house, then decide where we’re going to live.”
She was already shaking her head. “You can’t be away from your office. Not now, not when everyone is out for your blood.”
Stergios crouched down in front of her. He knew she had some place in mind but she was trying to talk herself out of it. “I will figure something out. Where, Jodie?”
“I want to go back to your home on the island.”
He went still. Stergios thought Jodie would associate his home with bad memories. It was where he had kidnapped her, where he had cast her out of his life. “Why there?”
“You’re right,” she muttered. “It wouldn’t work. That’s your island getaway. It’s not meant for everyday living. It doesn’t have a phone line.”
“Not anymore.” He grasped her hands in his. “After o
ur weekend I made extensive updates on the house. It has the newest technology and a generator that works. But when I found out about the baby, I started making some more changes.”
Her face lit up. “Really? You’re making room for the baby?” She squeezed his hands. “I want to see. You have to take me there, Stergios. I want to go back to your home as soon as possible.”
“Our home,” he corrected. “And I’ll take you right now.”
* * *
Jodie felt a sense of peace once she arrived on the island hours later. She inhaled the scent of the ocean and listened to the rustling leaves. She hadn’t felt this calm in weeks. She had been tense and on guard while she was at the Antoniou house, but here she knew she could relax and settle in. Maybe even make this place the home she’d always wanted.
“We’re almost done with the renovations for this house,” Stergios said as he opened the door. “Don’t worry about the construction site that you saw when we flew in. It’s on the other side of the island. I’m having them build some cottages for the employees.”
“Employees?” she asked. It would feel different sharing this paradise with others.
“We will need a cook and a nanny in addition to the caretaker.”
Jodie bit her bottom lip to stop her smile. She was surprised that Stergios had time to think about hiring nannies. She liked his growing anticipation and how he was making room in his life for the baby.
Following Stergios into the house, she watched him lift her suitcases and carry them into the main room. Anticipation fluttered low in her belly as she watched the play of muscles under his white button-down shirt. Her gaze drifted to his lean waist and powerful thighs.
Jodie darted her gaze away. She ached to touch him. Hold him. But how could she when she had rejected his advances weeks ago? “What renovations did you have done?” she asked as she walked across the main room.
“The most advanced technology and communication features. I’ll show you how the touch screens work later.”
Jodie walked to the room she had used before. She blinked when she discovered the guest room was empty. There were no furniture or light fixtures. “Stergios?” she called over her shoulder. “What happened to my room?”
“We’ve only just finished the renovations and updates,” he said. “That can be the nursery. You can decorate it any way you want.”
She slowly turned around and found him still in the main room, resting his shoulder against a wall. Do not make a big deal out of this. “So there’s only one bedroom?”
His pose was casual but he watched her intently. “Yes.”
She glanced in the direction of his bedroom and was instantly besieged with erotic memories of the last time she stayed there. Jodie cleared her throat. “I should sleep in the main room,” she said hoarsely.
“I would never allow a woman to sleep on a sofa.”
She knew from the tone of his voice that he would not be swayed. Jodie walked to the sofas that circled the fireplace. “It’s not long enough for you to stretch out on.” She gestured at the soft white cushions. “And you’re barely getting enough sleep as it is. I can’t let you sleep there.”
“I won’t.”
Her pulse skipped a beat. Jodie dragged her gaze back to Stergios. If he wasn’t staying in the main room, then that meant...
Stergios grabbed his computer tablet from his briefcase and sat down on the sofa. “It’s late and you should get some rest. I’m going to get some work done.”
Her heart started to race. They were sharing a bedroom. They were going to share a bed. All night.
She knew she should tell him that under no circumstances were they sharing a room. Instead, Jodie silently grabbed her overnight suitcase and walked to the bedroom with stiff legs. She closed the door and stared at the wide bed. Excitement pulsed inside her.
No, she had nothing to be excited about. Sharing a bed did not mean sex. Even if she was sharing it with the virile Stergios Antoniou. It was not an invitation. She had to remember that. She might want to be intimate and naked with Stergios, but she had made a big mistake when she had refused earlier.
She had told him they weren’t resuming their affair because they had no relationship. Instead of arguing, he had granted her wish. He had not made any attempt to get her into bed since.
He was willing to share a bed because he no longer fought the overwhelming need for her. Why? What did she do to kill the attraction? Was it because she was pregnant? Or was it because no woman could hold his interest?
She had to be careful. One word, one move, and she wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off him. Her skin heated as she remembered the last time she claimed him. If she had sex with him again, he would discover exactly how she felt about him. And Stergios would ruthlessly use it to his full advantage.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“STERGIOS?”
He heard Jodie from far away. Blackness surrounded him and he tried to kick and claw his way to the surface. He had to get to Jodie. She sounded desperate. Afraid.
“Stergios?” Her sharp voice cut through the last barrier. “Wake up.”
He was suddenly awake. His heart pounded against his chest as he took big gulps of air. His eyes burned as he checked his surroundings. He was no longer in the loud and chaotic police station where his family had been irrevocably torn apart. He wasn’t the vulnerable child who couldn’t bear to be touched or held.
He was safe. No one could hurt him. He wasn’t alone anymore. Stergios turned his head to the side and saw Jodie leaning over him.
“What happened?” he asked hoarsely through parched lips. His throat hurt. Everything ached.
“You were shouting.” Jodie cupped his face with her hands. Her touch was cool to his skin. She wore a light pink slip and one strap fell from her shoulder. Her hair was tousled from sleep and her concern shimmered from her blue eyes. “Are you okay?”
No, he wasn’t. His pulse raced and he was bathed in sweat. “I need a shower,” he decided, and bolted from the bed.
“Stergios!”
He rushed to the en suite bathroom as if he were being chased by demons. Once he shut and locked the door behind him, Stergios slumped against the wood and discovered that he was shaking all over.
He ignored Jodie’s persistent knocking on the door as he stripped from the black pajama bottoms he had reluctantly put on earlier. Striding naked to the shower, he turned the water on full blast before he stepped in.
Stergios braced his arm against the tile wall as he withstood the cold water. It felt like needles but he didn’t move away. He rested his head against his forearm, willing his pulse to slow down and the images to disappear.
He didn’t know how long he stayed under the water. He was shivering by the time he stepped out of the shower. He dried his body with rough, brutal strokes.
Wrapping the towel around his waist, Stergios went to the adjoining walk-in closet. He probably had something he would wear to bed. He preferred sleeping in the nude and he was reluctant for anything to touch his skin, but he would do it for Jodie’s sake.
Donning on a pair of dark blue pajama bottoms, Stergios took a deep, cleansing breath before he reentered the bedroom. All he had to do was act calm and convince Jodie that everything was fine.
He swung the door open. Just as he had expected, Jodie was blocking his way. Her arms were crossed and she tapped her bare foot on the floor as if she had been waiting there the entire time.
“Are you okay now?” she asked. “How often do you get nightmares?”
“Haven’t had them in years.” He used to get bad dreams if he had been ill or sleep deprived. During those times, it had been as though his body didn’t have the strength to hold back the nightmares.
“What was your dream about?”
“I don’t remember.�
� His lie was automatic. He didn’t discuss his nightmares. Stergios knew the dreams said more about him and his fears than about the ordeal he had suffered.
He felt her watchful gaze on him as he returned to bed. Jodie quietly got in on her side. He tensed as she lay down, knowing she wasn’t going to let the matter drop.
Her proximity set him on edge. The mattress was wide but he was extremely aware of her. Her scent, her warmth, and the sound of the silk slip brushing against the cotton sheets. His willpower had been weakened by the nightmares and he knew he would reach out for her without thinking.
“Are you under a great deal of stress?” she asked. “I know about what’s going on in your office. Something about the board of directors losing confidence in your judgment because you accidentally got a woman pregnant. Did I get that right?”
Stergios clenched his jaw. He knew where Jodie got that information. “And you say my mother never talks to you. No, I’m not concerned about what’s going on at the office. Everyone will fall in line and it will be business as usual.”
“Then what triggered the nightmare?”
“I haven’t been keeping track.” Stergios cringed when he recognized his mistake. He sighed and shook his head. There was no stopping Jodie’s inquisition now.
She turned toward him. “So there’s been more than one. When was the first?”
“The night I left you at the hospital,” he answered reluctantly.
Jodie pressed her hand against his hair-roughened chest. “I’m sorry you found out that way. It must have been such a shock.”
“I’m fine.” He didn’t know why he was sticking to that lie when Jodie could feel the rapid thud of his heart.
“Is it the same nightmare?”
“Good night, Jodie. I apologize for waking you up.” He turned off the bedside light and tucked his hands under his head. He was exhausted but he knew he wasn’t going to get any more sleep.