When she had finally called earlier that day, his mother had begged him to come to dinner at the house with her and his father. No doubt she’d been contriving a small party that included Tina. He’d told her he would have to miss it because he had important business back on Thassos.
For Tina to show up here meant his family had declared war on him and wouldn’t hesitate to use Tina to achieve their objective.
“Thank you, Raisa.”
He turned to Andrea. “I apologize for another unexpected interruption. Please make yourself at home in the guest bedroom while I deal with this. I’ll only be a minute.”
But the second the words left his mouth, Tina appeared in the front hallway. She looked fashionably turned out in a pale pink suit that highlighted her long black hair. “I’m sorry, Stavros. I heard the helicopter, but I had no idea you’d be coming home with company. You didn’t answer my phone calls or my texts. I need to talk to you privately.”
Even if she had his mother’s permission, her effrontery appalled him. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. We said our goodbyes over three months ago. You weren’t invited here. Please have the courtesy to leave.”
With a sangfroid that chilled him, her gaze swerved to Andrea and the duffel bag. “You must be the American woman who works for PanHellenic Tours. Stavros forgot to introduce us. I’m Tina Lasso.”
Ice filled his veins. He opened the door for her. “Goodbye, Tina.”
She walked toward him. “I’ve just come from your parents and thought you’d want to know I’m pregnant with your child.”
The oldest lie in the world. Tina had sunk to an all-time low.
“I never slept with you, Tina.” The words came out like a quiet hiss. “If you are pregnant, it isn’t mine.”
“Oh, darling,” she said after stepping outside. “ Do you really expect Despinis Linford to believe that?”
“I have no expectations, Tina, only sadness that you’ve let our parents’ wishes rule your life. Once you start thinking for yourself, you’ll never have to be desperate again.”
Spots of red filled her cheeks. “How dare you—”
He closed the door in her face, attempting to gain control of his anger. Not so much at her. She was a puppet. This kind of behavior happened to the insecure offspring of parents who didn’t know what life was all about, yet were determined to impose their will at any cost.
Out of the stillness came a voice. “If she is pregnant with your baby, then you should run after her. Don’t let my being here stop you.”
Stavros wheeled around. “It couldn’t be my baby.”
Andrea’s solemn eyes stared straight into his. “The same thing happened to Dad one time in Venezuela after he’d decided not to see this one woman anymore. As it turned out, she wasn’t pregnant, but she’d hoped he would believe the lie and marry her. Is this Tina that kind of woman? Or could she be telling the truth?”
He sucked in his breath. “Tina comes from a good family and is the woman my parents have expected me to marry. We spent some time together, but I couldn’t love her. Once again, I’ve disappointed them by preferring to choose my own wife when the time comes.
“I haven’t seen her for over three months. She could be pregnant, but not with my baby. We were never intimate. Naturally you have no way of knowing if I’m telling the truth or not. If you want to leave now, I’ll ask the pilot to fly you back to Thessaloniki.”
Her answer was a long time in coming. “My father never lied to me, so I had no reason not to believe him. So far, I don’t believe you’ve lied to me about anything either. Under the circumstances, I prefer to reserve judgment. On that note, do you think we can eat now?”
“Andrea—”
Without conscious thought he crushed her against his chest. Holding her was all he’d been able to think about since the moment they’d met. Losing track of time, he rocked her in his arms while he clung to her. As he started kissing her hair and cheek, her stomach rumbled. He not only heard it, he felt it, and they both broke into laughter.
“You probably think I’ve got a baby inside me.”
Drowning in her smile, he was on the verge of covering her mouth with his own when he heard, “Kyrie?”
His housekeeper’s voice had sounded on cue.
“Your dinner is on the table in the dining room.
I’m leaving now.”
Andrea eased herself away.
“Thank you, Raisa.” He grasped Andrea’s hand and drew her toward the dining room off the other end of the kitchen. For the time being, she was willing to trust him. It was a gift beyond price. He felt as if he’d been let out of a dark prison where he’d been chained for years and years and had suddenly emerged into blinding sunlight that filled his whole being.