The Renegade Billionaire

He laughed again. “It sounds like you’ve been around a lot of them.”

“Living with my dad, my life’s been filled with men. Mine workers, plant workers, chemists, engineers. Thousands of them,” she volunteered. “Maybe even a million.”

She could feel him staring at her profile. “So how on earth did you meet Ferrante?”

“My dad and I took a ski holiday in Cortina. Ferrante and I shared a chair lift. He was on vacation too. We got talking, and then he followed me down the mountain, and then followed me to the hotel where he met Dad. Before lon—”

“You were in love.” Stavros filled in the rest.

“Not right away. Let’s just say he was a better skier than Dad. I loved it because my dad does everything well. He’d also climbed more mountains than my father, leaving Dad and me totally impressed.”

“So my little jaunt up Mount Ypsarion wouldn’t make a dent in your father’s estimation.”

“A dent is a dent.” Her reply produced a smile from him. “But I sent him the photos of your plant along with an explanation. It’ll blow his mind knowing you’ve created a product no one else has. You have genius in you, Stavros.”

“That’s nice to know,” came the mocking comment.

“I wasn’t patronizing you.” She made a turn into his private road. “We’re almost to the house. I can tell you’re going to need another pain pill right away. I’ll pull up in front where you won’t have to negotiate so many steps.”

Thankful they were home, she jumped out and ran around to help him. “Put your arm around my shoulders and let me take some of your weight. You need to get off your leg as soon as possible.”

He not only slid his arm around her, he pulled her against him and kissed her hungrily on the mouth. “I love my life being in your hands.”

His words shook her to the foundation.

“Come on, Achilles. Let’s get you into bed.”

He let out a bark of laughter. “I need a shower first,” he said.

“Not tonight, Stavros. The doctor said you can do it in the morning.”

They made it inside and down the hall to his bedroom. She hadn’t been in it before and tried not to think about it as they moved inside. “What can I do to help?”

“Take me to the bathroom.”

She did his bidding and waited outside until he appeared in the doorway. Once again, she lent him her strength until they reached the bed. He let go of her long enough to unfasten his jeans. “I’ll need you to pull them over my leg.”

Andrea knelt down.

“I can see you’re blushing. Don’t worry. The hospital dried my swimming trunks before I put them back on.”

“I wasn’t worried.”

“Liar,” he whispered in a silky voice.

As soon as that was accomplished, he stood up so she could draw back the covers. Without any urging, he removed his polo shirt, then lay down on his side. She helped ease his bad leg onto the mattress. The other followed. Earlier in the day she’d been caught by those legs, loving every second of her entrapment.

By the sound of his sigh, she knew bed felt heavenly to him. “I’m going out to the Jeep to bring in the rest of our things. Be right back.”

In another five minutes she’d given him two pills and tucked him in. “Here?

??s your phone, wallet and keys. I’ll put them on this side table with your water. If you need me in the night, phone me.”

“It’s only eight thirty. I’m not ready to go to sleep yet.”

“You will be once those pills take effect. Good night.”

He called to her, but she ignored him and headed for the guest bedroom. She needed a shower in the worst way. After working up a lather of shampoo, she rinsed off and emerged feeling sparkling clean.