“I’m looking forward to the trip. What time should I be ready?”
“Eight thirty. We’ll eat breakfast on the plane. You have to know I don’t want to leave you. The only thing that helps me is knowing you’re not going anywhere except to bed. Come on. I’ll walk you to the door.”
He got out and helped her from the car, but didn’t take her arm as they walked in order to remove himself from temptation. That kiss on the beach when he’d felt her mouth open to the pressure of his had lit a fire inside him. But it was too soon to turn it into a conflagration where they both went up in smoke.
Tonight she’d let him inside that place she’d kept hidden until now. He’d walked on sacred ground and the revelations had left him spinning. If he continued to be patient, it was possible he could convince Zoe to spend the rest of her vacation and much more with him.
Her flat door was hidden by the big tree. He waited until she’d opened it and turned on the light. It illuminated those heavenly blue eyes fringed with dark lashes. He found himself wondering which parent had endowed her with those.
When Andreas looked in the mirror, he saw a mixture of his mother and father in the reflection. His thoughts darted to his son. One day Ari would look in a mirror and not be able to find the man he thought was his father in his features or coloring. That’s when Ari would want an explanation. For many reasons brought out in the conversation with Zoe, his decision to tell his son the truth about his parentage one day was more cemented than ever.
“Good night, Andreas.”
“Kalinikta, kyria.”
* * *
Andreas heard an awed cry from Zoe as the jet started to land. Kefalonia Island, the largest of the Ionian group, was a jewel of mountainous green with white beaches washed by brilliant clear blue water. She’d come to the island before, but by ferry. The sight from the air always took his breath.
A limo from the hotel awaited them at the airport and they were driven to the charming village of Lakithra. In a minute, the new, sprawling two-story hotel came into view, with half a dozen blue-and-white Greek flags out in front, signaling the grand opening.
“How beautiful!” Zoe exclaimed. “The yellow-and-white exterior is dazzling in the sunlight.” She turned to him. “Your designer couldn’t have chosen better colors for this setting. If the hotel had been here in March, I would have wanted to stay here.”
“I’ll pass on the compliment to the designer.”
At a glance, he could tell the place was already busy. The parking lot had filled with cars and tour buses, a good sign. Several sets of visitors were going in and out. Two male hotel staff nodded to him as the chauffeur drove them under the portico to the main entrance.
They came right over to open the limo doors. “Kalos orisate, Kyrie Gavras.”
“Efkarista.”
He turned to Zoe, but her attention had fastened on the entrance.
The white carved words Gavras House, Lakithra—Lord Byron were hung against the yellow wall on one side of the glass doors. A large, full-color picture of Lord Byron in Albanian dress hung on the other side, with white carved words beneath it: I came here to save a country.
“Oh, Andreas—” Without waiting for him, Zoe climbed out past the staff and hurried over to the picture. When he joined her, she looked up at him with wet eyes. “I find it astounding that your ancestors—whose land this hotel stands on, whose blood runs through your veins—had an intimate connection with Byron.”
He put a hand on her elbow, craving the warmth of the contact. “What astonishes me is that in a roundabout way covering several continents and an ocean, it brought you and me together. Shall we go inside and take a quick tour? I need to meet with the manager. After that we’ll go for a walk around the village.”
“This is a very exciting day for me, Andreas.” Her earnestness reached his heart.
She’d dressed in a filmy white, stylish two-piece outfit suited for the eighty-nine-degree temperature. The hem of the sleeveless top hung just below her slender waist, tantalizing him. He put a hand on her back and ushered her inside. After introducing her to a handful of staff, Andreas walked her out to the inviting pool.
They had a cold drink at one of the tables, then he introduced her in English to the manager in the office, Leon Padakis.
“Kyria Perkins is a professor of English literature at UCLA in California. She’s an expert on Lord Byron.”
“Ah. We’re delighted that you would come to the grand opening.”
“I’m thrilled to be here and love the photograph at the entrance.”
His eyes twinkled. “I understand that was Kyrie Gavras’s idea.”
Zoe smiled at Andreas. “I knew it,” she said in a low aside.
The manager gave him an inquisitive look. In Greek, he said, “She’s a beautiful woman.” He couldn’t keep his eyes off Zoe. “I didn’t know you would be coming with a guest. Will you be staying overnight?”
Andreas didn’t like the man’s familiarity. “We’ll eat lunch in the dining room before flying back to Patras,” he answered in English. “Now if you’ll excuse us.”