His father had always grown too anxious over his impending departure. Leander was the one who had canceled and stayed home, but he’d been a child, oblivious to what he was doing to her and their relationship. Oblivious to how limited time really was.
So, to have Ilona’s love was to feel a weight on him. But when he looked on her as she came to the rail at the bow, her expression glowing with delight, the weight was only that of a little bird on his heart. An iridescent hummingbird that zoomed in, piercing into his tenderest flesh with her tiny claws.
“That’s Paxos! How did you know?” She beamed up at him.
“How do you think? I asked Feodor where he thought you would most like to go. I don’t think he’ll be so forthcoming in future. Do you know if he’s speaking to Androu yet?”
“Leander.” She touched her chest in mock shock. “Are you matchmaking?” She accompanied her accusation with a skim of her fingers down his spine.
Her touch might as well be a bell pull, tugging and ringing all his nerve endings to life despite the fact they’d only left their wrecked bed an hour ago.
“Hardly. Our PAs need to communicate.” He scooped her under his arm and gave her a squeeze. “How else will I know where to meet you for lunch?”
“Issue them a memo explaining the benefits of kissing and making up,” she suggested with a bat of her lashes at him.
“You’re in a cheeky mood.” He liked it.
“I’m floating up there somewhere.” She waved at the cloudless sky above the island of her birth, then wrapped both her arms around his waist, gazing up at him with eyes of inky wonder. “You brought me home.”
The emotion in her voice sent a piercing sensation into his throat and vibrations rolled in his chest like thunder. Pride, he thought with irony. He was pleased he had given her something that made her smile so unreservedly, but there was also humility in how little it took to please her.
“You’re not wishing I’d taken you to Paris for shopping?”
“Oh, I’ll be shopping,” she assured him. “This small island can’t produce enough soap and olive oil for Callas, but I order for my own use several times a year. The fragrances are pure nostalgia triggers.”
Her elation was so beautiful, she stole his breath.
Her resilience awed him, actually. He didn’t know how she was so good at catching at a moment like this, of grasping the happiness and erasing everything else. His anger was still a cold wraith inside him, swirling and darkening his vision even as the affectionate way she rested her head on his chest filled him with softness and light.
He wouldn’t spoil her mood, though. He rubbed her arm and kissed her temple and said, “I need to make one call, then we’ll jump on the tender and go ashore.”
His one call was to Androu. He issued a dozen orders, some to release his various hounds against Midas. Others were PR related, countering the headlines about Ilona’s arrest. Each time Leander saw the photos of her being arrested in her wedding gown, he tasted blood. Midas would pay for that if it was the last thing he ever did.
“Your mother is safely on her way home,” Androu informed him as they wrapped up. “Once the hotel identified him, the room service attendant turned himself in. He claims he only meant to drug your mother, not you. It was meant to draw you from the wedding to her side. He gave up the name of the intermediary who hired him. Investigators are trying to tie him to Midas. They have found a connection between one of the arresting inspectors and Midas.”
Leander fought back a rush of I knew it rage.
“Keep me informed. And...” Was he losing his edge? “If you need me to speak to Feodor, to explain that you weren’t to blame for my absence yesterday, I can do that.”
There was such a lengthy silence, Leander thought the connection had been lost.
Then, “Thank you, but we’re both professionals. Any personal issues will be handled between us and won’t affect our work.”
That wasn’t entirely what Leander was worried about. He appreciated both men. Androu had put out a thousand fires while trying to find Leander yesterday. Feodor would die for Ilona. They were too valuable to lose, but Leander didn’t want either of them to be uncomfortable in their work life.
He was losing his edge, growing invested in the private lives of not only his own employee, but his wife’s.
He donned his usual air of detachment and ended the call, heading outside to take Ilona to shore.
Paxos was a bustling tourist destination in the high season, as all Greek islands were, but it was inconvenient enough to reach that it wasn’t as overrun as most others. Antipaxos, its smaller, modest sister, was even more serene, especially now as they explored the pair of islands in the waning shoulder season.
For the first few days, they sailed between Gaios, Loggos and Lakka, walking the narrow streets of each, stopping for iced coffee, eating in the main square and poking in shops for small treasures. When they reached the isolated west side, they went ashore to visit hidden coves and empty beaches and swam into the famed blue caves.
“I’ve always wanted to do this,” Ilona said as they were treading water in one cool, shadowy cave, the water glowing dark blue around them. Her hushed voice echoed off the dripping ceiling.
“Why haven’t you?” Leander asked.
“Fear.” It was still there, but she was beginning to see that it was in her power to decide how much power that emotion had over her.