The Renegade Billionaire

“For me too. If you hadn’t phoned, I would have. You need to give your boss notice in the morning.”

How strange he would mention her boss when Stavros had just questioned her about her job earlier. Alert to a serious tone in his voice, she sat up in bed. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing to do with me personally, honey. It looks like there’s too much political unrest at the mine in Papua. Remember my telling you about the Free Papua Movement?”

“Vaguely.”

“They’ve turned into a revolutionary organization whose purpose is to overthrow the government in Papua and West Papua. It has been blamed for a lot of attacks happening near the mine.”

Stavros had mentioned the turmoil there.

The Konstantinos Corporation did business all over the world. That was why he knew everything.

“My company doesn’t want me taking any chances, so I won’t be going there after all.”

That meant they wouldn’t be leaving Greece for a long time! Thank you, thank you, her heart whispered.

“The good news is, they’re sending me to Brazil for a short-term assignment. I have to be there in ten days. At this point, I’m finishing up my work here as fast as I can.”

Andrea reeled. Wait a minute—in ten days she’d never see Stavros again? How was she going to handle that?

“Think you can be ready by then?”

She slid out of bed, too upset by his news to lie there. “O-of course I can.” Her voice faltered. “But the lease on the apartment isn’t up until the middle of October. We’ll have to pay for the time we won’t be living in it.”

“No problem. I’ll take care of it. Honey, this short-term assignment in Brazil will be my last one. While we’re there, you don’t need to get a job. It might be fun for you to work on the language and add Portuguese to your long list.”

Andrea held the phone tighter. She’d been listening, but one comment stood out. “What do you mean your last one?”

“I’m finally tired of moving around. I miss Denver, and the main office wants me there. By Thanksgiving we’ll be home for good.”

Home? For good? She’d never heard him sound so happy. His excitement rang in her ears.

“We’ll buy a house and I’ll get all the furniture and possessions out of storage.”

She had to sink down on the side of the bed or she would have fainted on the spot. Her father sounded so ecstatic about his future plans, she didn’t want to say anything to change that excitement. Denver was a long way away from Thassos Island. She couldn’t believe it, but her father sounded homesick.

“Now tell me what’s been going on with you, honey.”

Tears trickled down her cheeks. “Nothing as important as your news. I’ll fill you in later. Get a good sleep. I’ll call you soon. Love you, Dad.” She clicked off.

For his whole life, he’d taken perfect care of her. He’d taken her everywhere with him so they’d never be apart. Now he wanted to go home and assumed she’d be going home with him.

Up until a week ago, she would have been happy with his plans. But something earthshaking had happened to her.

Never being with Stavros again was anathema to her.

If only Sakis hadn’t asked him to come to his office—if only her boss hadn’t called her in at the same time—then Andrea wouldn’t have wound up at Stavros’s villa. But she had come. There was only one explanation. She’d fallen madly in love with him. It was as simple and painful as that.

She knew Stavros was attracted to her, but she had no idea how deep his feelings ran. He’d just come out of another relationship. Had his mother sent Tina to Stavros’s villa because she believed Tina and was upset he hadn’t answered Tina’s calls or texts?

Had his mother suspected Andrea would be here? Did she hope Andrea would stay away from Stavros when she heard the news about the pregnancy? Would a mother do that? Andrea didn’t know, but she didn’t want to believe his mother would be that calculating.

As for Tina, Andrea had seen for herself that the Grecian beauty would do anything for Stavros’s affection. Was she so in love with him, she’d come to the villa on her own because she couldn’t help herself? Had this kind of thing happened to Stavros in the past with other women?

If so, it could explain why he was still a bachelor. Maybe her father’s bad experience in Venezuela was the reason he hadn’t remarried. When there was no truth in it, how could any man ever trust in love, let alone marriage, after an exhibition like Ms. Nasso had put on tonight?

But what if Stavros was lying? She’d told him she’d withhold judgment, but that took a lot of faith.