And so she started in a wing that Apollo didn’t visit. One room led to another room, putting portraits and decorative pieces in storage and replacing them with pieces more in line with Apollo’s tastes, from animal prints to foliage paintings. The paint on the wall was warmer, and accent walls with vibrant colors were done.
A few weeks later, she’d completed a cosmetic makeover of the east wing of the mansion, but she wasn’t ready to show Apollo what she’d accomplished—not yet. She wanted to work on the study first.
When the house phone rung, Popi rushed for it. But when she picked it up, Apollo spoke before she could. Popi remained quiet. She was expecting a call from the home-interiors store about some specialty wallpaper that she’d chosen to create a very special accent wall in Apollo’s study. She waited to see if this was in fact the store calling.
“Apollo, is that you?”
There was a slight pause.
“Matias?”
“It’s me, buddy. I hadn’t heard from you in a while—”
Popi was disappointed that the call wasn’t about the order, as they couldn’t progress with the study until she was certain the store could get enough of a particular wallpaper. Hopefully they would call soon. If she could get Apollo to relax in his home, maybe he wouldn’t be so eager to head out on his next adventure.
Popi moved to hang up the phone when something caught her attention. The man, Matias, said, “...you joining me on my next safari. And I’m just about to head out.”
“A safari. I’ve always wanted to do that but never had the chance.”
“Well, this is your chance.”
“So it is.”
That’s all Popi needed to hear. Her hand moved quickly to slam down the phone in frustration, but she stopped herself just before placing the phone on the receiver. Instead she hung up gently, all the while mulling over what she’d learned.
So nothing they’d shared meant anything to him. He was just putting in time until what? The baby was comfortable with the household staff? Or was he going to ask her to watch Seb every time he got the urge for an adventure?
The blood warmed in her veins. Sure, she’d love having the extra time with Seb, but the baby wasn’t a possession to be passed around at will. Eventually Seb would start asking questions. She was about to go momma bear on Apollo. He needed to be a devoted parent to Seb, not just a guardian of the child’s vast inheritance. If that was too much for Apollo to handle, then she would raise Seb on her own.
And then there was the thing between them. The way he looked at her when he didn’t think she was paying attention and the way he flirted with her, it had to mean something, right? Or was she building up this relationship in her mind when in fact it was nothing to him? Something to pass the time? Or was it something more sinister? Was he trying to win her over so that she wouldn’t fight him for the baby?
She immediately dismissed the idea. Apollo may not see a future for them, but he wasn’t devious. He was kind. And he was thoughtful. She’d never believe that he had an ulterior motive.
Did that make her foolish? She hoped not. But she needed to stop concentrating so much on making this stone-cold mansion into a warm, inviting home and worry more about getting back to Infinity Island.
She rushed downstairs to confront him, but as she searched room after room, she realized that she’d missed him. Seb shouldn’t be left with a nanny. He needed to live with her on Infinity Island, where there was an entire village of extended family and friends. She dialed the number of her attorney—the one who had handled things after her sister and brother-in-law’s deaths.
Popi probably should have waited to phone until she’d calmed down. Maybe then she wouldn’t have had to pay the attorney’s steep fees to listen to her vent about Apollo, their messy situation and her concerns about him leaving the country.
She didn’t want Apollo to leave. She thought that they were growing closer. But had she only seen what she wanted? Was Apollo the same carefree, free spirit he’d always been?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
HE NEEDED OUT of the house.
The only problem was, he hadn’t wanted to walk out the door.