‘I didn’t know,’ she said softly, and turned her attention to the flowers, reaching out to touch the delicate petals of those which climbed up the white courtyard walls—anything other than look at him.
His grandmother spoke and she turned to look at her, wishing she could understand at least something. The old lady smiled and gestured them inside.
‘Thank you,’ she said as she moved from the bright sunlight to the cool shade of her house.
Nikos followed her in and she felt every step he took, the spark of sexual attraction mixing with sympathy for the little boy he’d once been. He placed his hand against her back as they stood in the small but very comfortable little house. Having him next to her, overpowering her so that she could think of nothing else but him, was almost too much, and she glanced about the house in an attempt to distract herself from the heat of his touch.
One end of the house was used as a living room, with an old fireplace that filled one corner. It looked as though it would be bliss to enjoy on cooler evenings. At the other end was a kitchen, basic and very dated, but obviously much loved. The tiny windows in the thick walls let in only a small amount of light, but Serena was thankful to be out of the sun.
‘Relax,’ Nikos said, his voice deep and sexy as he showed her to the only comfortable-looking chair in the room. ‘Lunch is a bit of a tradition when I visit my grandmother.’
He looked down at her as she sat, and again she saw much more of the man she’d fallen in love with. Leaving Athens and his business behind must allow him to relax, to be who he really was. But whoever he was the spark of attraction hadn’t diminished.
She sat back, then realised she must be in his grandmother’s chair. She was about to get up to offer it to her when the old lady smiled, a twinkle making her eyes sparkle just as Nikos’s sometimes did.
‘Please—have your chair,’ Serena said, frustrated by the language barrier.
‘No.’ The old lady shook her head and sat on one of the four chairs around the small table, speaking to Nikos, who was now busy in the kitchen.
Serena looked at his broad shoulders as he set about preparing their lunch, his back to both her and his grandmother. Seeing him in this environment, almost without a trace of the ruthless streak he used as his barrier against the world and especially against her, made her heart soften and love flow.
‘She says you are the guest and also that you must rest.’ Nikos glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes sparkling with hidden meaning. ‘She knows.’
Serena blushed, and the old lady laughed as Nikos returned his attention to preparing their meal. Then she looked earnestly at Serena and spoke, the tone of her voice quite different from the happy way she’d greeted them.
‘I’m sorry...’ Serena was flustered, not sure how to interpret what was being said.
‘She says you hold the key,’ Nikos said over his shoulder, without looking round.
Serena frowned. The key to what?
In answer to her thought his grandmother leant towards her in her seat, as if to be sure she had Serena’s full attention. She pointed at Nikos, then to her heart, and finally she pointed at Serena.
Serena frowned, unable to decide if what she was being told was good or bad. The old lady spoke the same words again and made the same actions. You hold the key. That had been the translation. Serena looked at Nikos. Without thinking she touched her hand to her heart and then slid it down to the small swell of her baby.
Realisation dawned. His grandmother thought the baby was the key to Nikos’s heart—but he didn’t have one.
She looked at his grandmother, her hand still on her stomach, and the woman smiled a wise and knowing smile, nodding her approval. Serena was relieved that Nikos had been occupied during this exchange. The poor old lady must be longing for a great-grandchild.
‘Lunch,’ said Nikos as he placed a large bowl of salad with olives and feta cheese in the middle of the table, breaking the moment between Serena and his grandmother, but seemingly oblivious to their silent exchange. ‘I hope you are hungry, Serena?’
His grandmother looked at Nikos as he sat at the table and he spoke to her again, then looked at Serena as she got up from her chair and joined them. The tone he used when he spoke to his grandmother was a complete contrast to the voice of man she’d spent the past week with. Their nights might have been passionate, but by day they sparred with one another as she struggled to hide her true feelings.
‘My grandmother is happy for us and she knows you understand.’