The Renegade Billionaire

Stavros pulled her away. “Andrea? This is my father, Charis. I’ve wanted to introduce you for a long time.”

The older man’s eyes were a lighter gray than Stavros’s, and they were moist with emotion. He had to clear his throat before he spoke. “It’s an honor for me to meet the woman my son has chosen. He tells me you’ve saved his life and the company’s reputation. I can’t ask for more than that from a daughter-in-law. Welcome to the family.”

Andrea smiled up at him. “I love him to the last breath in me. And I love you because you and your wife have raised the most marvelous son on earth.”

Stavros put his arm around her waist and pressed her to his side. “There are no words to express how I really feel about you, Andrea,” he whispered. “All I can do is show you.” She didn’t know how long they clung to each other before Leon reminded them other people were waiting.

They moved on to sign the wedding documents. Once that was done, Stavros walked her out into the hot noonday sun for pictures and congratulations.

Andrea’s dad was the next person to hug her. His blue eyes twinkled. “You’re Kyria Konstantinos now.”

“I know. Can you believe it?”

“Stavros is getting the jewel in the crown, but I think he knows it by now.”

“Dad—” She hugged him harder.

Leon butted in. “Save me some room. My brother is a lucky man.” He kissed her on the cheek.

“Thank you, Leon. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

Then came his wife and children. They were followed by Theo and his family and Zander. Soon there was a crush of Stavros’s relatives and friends, Raisa and her husband among them.

Suddenly she felt Stavros grab her around the waist. “Let’s get back to the house. The sooner we feed our guests, the sooner we can leave on our honeymoon.”

Leon drove them in a limo to the villa. A procession followed behind them, but Andrea was oblivious because Stavros was kissing the life out of her. She loved him so terribly and knew that his father’s appearance had taken away the crushing pain of the past.

The first person Andrea hugged when they reached the house was Raisa. The housekeeper had spent several days preparing the wedding feast. Andrea had helped her with some of it.

A florist had come to fill the house with flowers. The villa was a showplace. Everyone marveled. Andrea was so proud of Stavros she could burst. He’d done all this and had accomplished so much in his life.

After many toasts and a lot of laughter, the wedding guests began to leave. While Stavros walked his parents out to Leon’s limo, Andrea said goodbye to her father at the helicopter pad. He was flying to Thessaloniki, where he’d board a jet headed for the States.

Andrea was thankful for the privacy because she’d burst into tears with joy over Stavros’s reconciliation with his father. “I’m so thankful he came, Dad.”

“I am too, but don’t forget that Stavros is going to need you more than ever.”

“Thank heaven I have you. Thank you for my life, Dad. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, everything that you are and stand for. Take care of yourself. Stavros says we’ll fly to Denver next month to see you. I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I, honey. Love you.” He gave her one more kiss before climbing into the helicopter.

She backed away to watch it take off and felt Stavros’s arms encircle her waist. He waved to her father, then turned her around. “Guess what? Everyone’s gone. Now it’s just you and me. Let’s hurry inside and change.”

“You haven’t told me where we’re going tonight.” Their bags were packed for a trip to Paris tomorrow.

A smile broke one corner of his compelling mouth. “You’ll find out in a few minutes. I’ve been dreaming about it since the night we went searching for Darren.”

He wanted to camp out with her! How did he know that was one of her secret desires?

They climbed the steps together. “I’ve been waiting to do this,” he said and picked her up to carry her over the threshold. She didn’t know how he did it while she was still in her wedding finery. He kissed her as he walked her through the house to the guest bedroom she’d been using. After he put her down, he undid the buttons on the back of her dress.

She felt him kiss the nape of her neck. His touch melted her.

“Hurry.” He didn’t have to tell her that. “Last person to the Jeep pays the penalty.”

Andrea trembled with excitement as she stepped out of her dress. After laying it on the bed, she pulled a pair of shorts and a T-shirt out of the drawer and dressed in record time. After stepping into leather sandals, she raced through the house. But no matter how fast she’d been, Stavros had bea

ten her outside and was waiting in the Jeep wearing a crew-neck shirt and jeans.