The Greek's Nine-Month Surprise

Her meeting with Niko hadn’t gone terribly wrong, but it hadn’t been good, either. Was it so far-fetched that she’d secretly envisioned his happy acceptance of the news? Instead, Niko looked as though he’d been diagnosed with a month to live.

Sofia glanced down at the uneaten slice of pepperoni pizza in her hand. Her stomach lurched. She slipped the food back on the plate. Maybe she’d finish it later—much later. After her stomach stopped feeling as if it was on the high seas. She hadn’t experienced morning sickness until this week. Perhaps it was her nerves. Whatever it was, she wanted it to go away.

When her phone chimed, she welcomed the distraction. She snatched it from the coffee table, expecting to find a text from Kyra. Sofia had messaged her best friend earlier, telling her they needed to talk ASAP.

She’d been best friends with Kyra since junior high. Sofia thought they complemented each other well. She liked to take risks while Kyra liked to toe the line. Between the two of them, they’d kept out of trouble—or at least were never caught, as Kyra had reminded her over the years. But still, having a baby with a man that Kyra was just getting to know as family might put a strain on their friendship. Sofia hoped she was worried for nothing, but she’d learned the hard way that things don’t always work out the way you imagine.

When she glanced at her phone, she saw the message wasn’t from Kyra, after all. It was Niko. Her heart pounded, and her palms grew clammy. She immediately clicked on the text, anxious to find out what he wanted.

NikoStravosIII: Can we meet?

MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): When?

NikoStravosIII: Now.

She glanced down at her gray sweat shorts and faded pink T-shirt. She definitely wasn’t in any condition to run out the door and meet up with a billionaire. She wondered if he ever had a hair out of place or dressed in anything but designer clothes. She highly doubted it.

MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): Now isn’t a good time.

NikoStravosIII: It has to be tonight.

MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): I don’t know.

NikoStravosIII: We must talk before you leave tomorrow.

He knew? At least it saved her from having to tell him. And as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. They had to finish their discussion, and perhaps it’d be easier in person. But he wouldn’t change her mind—she was going home. She’d just heard about an opening at the hotel in New York, and she’d jumped on it. It would make it possible for her to make a future for her and the baby near her family.

MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): Can you give me a little time?

NikoStravosIII: Hurry.

MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): I will.

Sofia leaped up from the couch. After tossing her leftover pizza back in the fridge, she hurried to her small bedroom. A glance in the mirror told her that she would benefit from jumping in the shower and starting all over again, but she knew Niko wouldn’t have the patience to wait that long. So she’d have to do her best to quickly paste herself back together.

At last she settled for a short summer dress that had a sleeveless denim blouse that tied at the waist and a white flowered skirt. It looked good on her without letting on that she’d tried too hard. After all, this wasn’t a date or anything.

She texted Niko when she was ready. He wanted to meet on the beach. It was evening now, and the resort’s guests would be having dinner. For the most part, they’d have the beach to themselves.

She rushed out the door, all the while wondering what he’d decided. As she rode down the elevator by herself, she pressed a protective hand to her abdomen and whispered, “Don’t worry, little one. Everything will be all right.” If only she could convince herself of that. “Your daddy will see that I’m doing what’s best for all concerned.”

Sofia made her way from the small employee complex on the outskirts of the resort to the hotel. It wasn’t until then that she realized Niko hadn’t been explicit in his instructions. The beach was huge. But she didn’t have to wonder for long as he waved to her.

She joined him on the overlook that gave a stunning view of the private cove. The setting sun splashed streaks of pink and purple over the darkening water. But it wasn’t the horizon that made the breath catch in Sofia’s throat.

Her gaze settled on Niko. His wavy hair was finger-combed back off his face. Talk about hitting the jackpot in the gene department. If their baby took after him, it’d be adorable.

Niko was wearing dark slacks and a blue dress shirt. Didn’t the man ever go casual? She was starting to wonder if his wardrobe contained anything but designer suits. Although tonight he’d dispensed with his jacket and tie. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, and the top buttons were undone, giving a hint of the few dark curls on his chest. Her fingers longed to reach out to him as she had on that unforgettable night.

Her gaze rose, meeting his. A frown pulled at his lips as he glanced down at himself. “Is there something wrong with my clothes?”

Realizing that she’d been caught staring, she shook her head. “Um...no.”

“Are you sure? Did I spill something on myself?”

She shook her head again. “I was just wondering if you ever wear anything but suits.”

“Really? That’s what you were thinking?” When she nodded, he added, “And what’s wrong with a suit?”

She waved her hand around at the beach. “You do realize this is a resort. People come here to relax and unwind. You look like you’re ready to close a billion-dollar deal.”

“Ah, but in my case I came to the Blue Tide Resort to do exactly that.” He smiled, sending her stomach dipping. “Well, not the billion-dollar part, but it’s a substantial deal. Therefore, my attire is quite appropriate.”

“Are you always so uptight? Do you ever kick back? Relax?”

“Of course.”

She didn’t believe him. “I think you focus on business 24/7.”

“Did you ever consider I might find it relaxing?”

“And the suits?”

“To quote my grandfather, a man must dress properly to do business. But if you hadn’t noticed, I did dispense with my jacket and tie.”

She shook her head in disbelief. Inside, her stomach shivered with nervous tension. Critiquing his attire wasn’t why he’d invited her here, but she welcomed the diversion. “How about some jean shorts and a T-shirt? Or in your case, perhaps dress shorts and a polo shirt?”

He glanced away. “I’m more comfortable like this.”

“Do you even own any casual clothes?”

“Of course.” He responded much too quickly, making her wonder whether he really did own anything she would classify as casual. “But I just returned from a meeting.”

Was it really his clothes that bothered her? Or was it the thought that if she dressed him down, then his attitude might not be so serious? She wasn’t quite sure. “Did you pack any of these casual clothes?”

“As a matter of fact, I did.”

“Good. I’ll wait here while you go change.”

“Change? Why would I do that?”

“So we can go for a walk on the beach.”

His hesitant gaze moved to the deserted beach and then back at her. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable talking here? We could order dinner and eat on the terrace.”

He wanted to talk and eat? Her stomach lurched. There was no way. Walking and talking was much more appealing. “I’m not hungry.” She didn’t even want to smell food at this point. “I’d really like to walk.”

He looked at her closely. “Are you feeling all right?”

She nodded.

“You’re sure? You look a little pale.”

She frowned. “Well, thank you. That’s always what a woman wants to hear.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant... Oh, never mind. Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

She nodded, but still he hesitated. “I’ll wait. I promise.”

His eyes said that he didn’t trust her. At all. “Good. We have important issues to discuss.”

She couldn’t tell by the tone of his voice if she was going to like what he had to say or not. At this point, she wasn’t even sure what she wanted him to say. The push and pull of her conflicting emotions made her temples start to throb.

It will all work out. It will all work out.

She turned back to the view of the cove. All the while, she kept repeating those five words like some sort of mantra. It helped calm her nerves. Or so she wanted to believe.

She took in the colorful sky and the gentle lapping of the water. This was the kind of setting for a romantic movie where the hero and heroine walk off into the sunset. She inwardly groaned. That would never be her and Niko.

About to admit her mistake, she spun around to tell Niko that she’d changed her mind, but he was already gone. Whatever she did this evening, she had to keep her wits about her. Nothing good would come of repeating that toe-curling kiss. Nothing at all.

Still, her mind dwelled on that moment at his bungalow when he’d held her in his arms. Her heart picked up its pace. She’d never been kissed with such passion. No one had ever made her feel as if she was the only woman in the world for him—

No! No! No! she scolded herself. It didn’t help when she recalled how delicious it was having his lips pressed to hers. She had to resist the temptation. She had to.

Somehow...

CHAPTER FIVE

SINCE WHEN DID he take orders?

He was the boss. He handed out the orders.

Niko glanced at Sofia. What was it about her that had him continually making exceptions to the rules?

The shorts and polo shirt he now wore were the only casual clothes he’d brought with him. To be honest, he wasn’t quite sure what had possessed him to toss them into his suitcase. It must have been the fact that he liked to be prepared for any occasion. Although there was nothing in his suitcase to prepare him for a discussion about his baby—his baby—the words echoed in his mind.

“Niko?” Sofia’s voice drew him from his thoughts.

Had she been speaking? He hadn’t heard a word she’d said. That wasn’t like him. He was good at multitasking, especially at business meetings. He could respond to emails on his phone while listening to a presentation and never lose a beat. But when he was around Sofia, he had problems staying on task.

“What did you say?”

“I asked if your business meeting went well.”

He nodded. “It would have gone better if I’d been able to close the deal then and there.”

“Why couldn’t you?”

He didn’t want to get into any of that now. They had other things to discuss. “That’s not important.” He stopped walking and turned to her. “We need to talk about your situation.”

“You mean my pregnancy.”

“Yes. That.” She said it so easily, as if she’d already come to terms with it all. Was it possible she was happy about it? Could that be? “What are you planning to do? Because if you need—”

“I don’t need anything. I already told you—I’m keeping it.”

He frowned. “I don’t know what you thought I was about to say. And I don’t want to know. However, if you had let me finish, I was going to ask if I could help with your medical expenses.”

He wanted only the best for her and their baby. Her vehement devotion to keeping their baby struck him. How had she become so attached and protective in such a short amount of time? It must be different for mothers, because he was still struggling to wrap his mind around the whole baby issue. A baby. His baby. It still didn’t feel real.

Curious about her acceptance of the situation, he asked, “How long have you known that you are pregnant?”

“I told you—I found out this week.” She turned and started walking again, farther from the resort.

That’s right. He vaguely remembered her mentioning it earlier that day, but he’d been too shocked for it to stick. “If it’s all new to you, how can you be so certain you want this baby? It’s going to change your entire world. Nothing will be the same.”

“The timing might not be the best, but I always hoped that someday I’d be a mother.” Her hand moved to her abdomen. Then, as though she realized what she was doing, she lowered her hand to her side. “But I understand that just because I feel this way doesn’t mean you feel the same way. And...and I’m okay with that. We can say our goodbyes and—”

“Hold on. I didn’t say anything about saying goodbye.” She was the mother of his baby—the Stravos heir. Like it or not, their lives were intricately entwined.

She turned to him, her eyes flashing with surprise. “So this means that you, um...want to be involved with the baby?”

That’s what surprised her? “It is my baby—”

“Our baby.”

He was going to have to work on that. He wasn’t used to sharing anything with anyone. As an only child, he hadn’t had the luxury of a sibling. As an adult, he’d never ventured into a committed relationship. So sharing was a new concept to him, but he would excel at it just like he did with everything he tackled in the boardroom. And by the stubborn look on Sofia’s face, he didn’t have any choice in the matter.

“How can you be so sure that being a mother at this stage in your life is the right thing to do?”

She glanced at him. “You really want to know?”

There was so much about her he wanted to know, but this was a good starting point. “Is it wrong for me to be curious?”

“No. But I’ll warn you, it isn’t what you’re thinking. I don’t want the baby because of who its father is. I want this baby for itself.”

The conviction in her voice had him wanting to believe her. But could he trust her? “You still didn’t answer the question.”

She sighed. “It all started when I met who I thought was the most wonderful guy. He was cute and charming. In fact, he ticked all of the boxes in what I thought I wanted in a man. He was a hard worker with a bright future in his uncle’s construction firm.”

“I take it he wasn’t all you thought he’d be?”

She shook her head. “At the time, I worked as a housekeeper at the Glamour Hotel in New York. A lot of times our schedules didn’t line up, so we’d go long stretches without seeing each other. As time went on, he seemed to work longer and longer hours.”

Niko could relate with her ex. It was easy to get caught up in one’s work. He did it all the time. But something told him there was more to Sofia’s story than she’d revealed so far.

“My family immediately loved Bobby. My mother was anxious to plan a wedding, and at the time I thought it was what I wanted, as well.”

“Families sometimes have the best of intentions, but they aren’t always right.”

“Are you referring to your grandfather?”

Niko nodded. “He sounds a lot like your mother, except for the part about planning a wedding. That would have never happened.”

“Because he believed it’s women’s work?”

“No. Because it would have taken time away from his work.”

“Anyway, when Bobby was home, he was too tired to spend quality time with me. My mother, with her eye on the wedding ring, assured me all was fine. Couples got busy, and we just had to work extra hard to find time to spend together. So I gave up my apartment and moved in with him.”

Not that Niko wasn’t interested in her background, but he suddenly felt as though this conversation was going much deeper than he’d ever anticipated. The more she opened up to him, the closer they became and the harder it would be for him to keep his distance. “But what does any of this have to do with you wanting a baby at this stage?”

She frowned at him. “I’m getting to it if you’ll just give me a minute.”

“Sorry.” He wasn’t. He didn’t want to get caught up in her sticky details. He didn’t want to empathize with her. He didn’t want any entanglements, but he supposed with a baby on the way they would be forever entangled.

“I was certain moving in together would fix things. And it did. At first. Then things fell back into a busy routine. He started working all hours of the day and night, including weekends. It was ridiculous.”

“Well, business isn’t always conducted between nine and five, you know.”

She stopped and planted her hands on her hips. “Who’s telling this story?”

Had she really just admonished him? He wasn’t used to this. At the office, people cowered in his presence. Not that he’d done anything to warrant such a reaction. He supposed it was the legacy his grandfather had left him. That man had been a force to be reckoned with. His grandfather had made grown men quake in their boots with just a look.

“I was just trying to explain.” When Sofia sent him an Are you done yet? look, he added, “Okay. Continue.”

“Bobby promised it would get better. He said we’d have the rest of our lives together. He just needed some time to work on his career while I cooked, cleaned and did his laundry. He was too busy for those things.” She sighed. “This went on for a while, and then I got pregnant. Bobby was excited. We got engaged. He started spending more time at home, and he expected me to be there. He wanted me to quit my job because he thought my place was in the home.” Frown lines marred her pretty face. “I refused to quit. I liked getting out of the apartment every day and having my own financial independence.”

None of this surprised Niko. Since the first time he met Sofia, she had struck him as fiercely independent. Obviously this story didn’t have a happy ending. His gut told him not to push her, that she’d say it when she was ready.

They continued walking. The sea washed up on the shore, ever closer to their feet. The curiosity to know the rest of Sofia’s story grew with each roll of the tide.

“And then I lost the baby.” A poignant note of pain threaded through her voice. “Bobby didn’t say he blamed me, but it was there in his eyes every time he looked at me.”

“Don’t.” Niko stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. “I don’t know anything about pregnancy, but I do know that sometimes in life things happen that are way beyond our control. I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Her gaze met his. “You barely even know me—”

“I know enough.”

“And what is it that you think you know about me?”

“That you’re an honest person with a good heart who would do anything to protect your child.”

Sofia sniffled and blinked repeatedly. “You see a lot.”

“Only the truth.”

No wonder she was eager to turn her life upside down. He believed she would love their child the way children were supposed to be loved. He was so thankful for that part.

“And your boyfriend, what happened to him? Did he leave you because you wouldn’t cave in to his demands?”

“No. But that would have been so much easier.”

“Easier than what?”

She shook her head. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have rattled on so much.”

Just when she was getting to the interesting part, she decided to clam up. Frustration churned in his gut. He wasn’t sure if he was more upset with her for stringing him along with her story only to leave him wondering how the jerk had broken her heart, or if he was upset with himself for letting his guard down and caring about her. Maybe it was a bit of both.

“I take that to mean you’ve sworn off men.”

“Yes. And now that I’m pregnant, I don’t have time to date. I’ve got other priorities.”

Well, that would make what he had in mind even harder. But he was never one to back down from a challenge. Although the stakes had never been this high.

“Shouldn’t you take it easy? You know, after what happened before?” She didn’t have to work. He had the resources to keep her comfortable and well cared for throughout her pregnancy.

“I’m fine.” She smiled. “I had all of the appropriate tests done, and the doctor doesn’t see any reason for the past to repeat itself.”

Only then realizing he’d been holding his breath in anticipation of her response, he exhaled. They turned around and started back toward the resort.

Knowing for a fact that she’d oppose any talk of marriage at this point, he was more certain than ever that his plan would work...if only he could convince Sofia to go along with it.

“I have a proposition for you.” He didn’t know how else to phrase it.

“What sort of proposition?”

“I’d like to hire your services.”

She stopped walking and sent him a puzzled stare. “You want to hire me? For what?”

“I’d like you to do some cleaning. I can make it worth your time.”

Confusion reflected in her eyes. “Here at the Blue Tide? But I already cleaned your bungalow.”

“Let me explain. Tomorrow I leave on a round-the-world trip. The Stravos family over the years has accumulated numerous private residences at a number of the Stravos Star Hotels. It’s my job to see they are emptied and cleaned for the new owner.”

“I’d like to help you, but I have plans to return to New York.”

“I’ll take you there at the conclusion of the trip.”

She shook her head. “I don’t have time for an extended trip. I have to find a home for myself and the baby.”

“It’ll only be for a few weeks, and I can help you find a place to live.” With me on my private island in Greece, but he decided to keep that part to himself for now.

“I didn’t tell you about the baby so you’d come riding to my rescue. I don’t need a knight in shining armor.”

“So what are your plans when you return to New York?”

“I’m planning to go back to school.”

“School? Really?” By the deepening frown on her face, he’d utterly failed to keep the surprise from his voice.

“It just so happens that I always did well in school.”

“So why didn’t you get your secondary education?”

She shrugged. “I met my ex just before I graduated high school. And I let myself get distracted, thinking I was in love and trying to make him happy. I always planned to go back someday.”

“And this is someday?”

“Yes. I have a knack with numbers, and I intend to get my accounting degree.”

“And something tells me you’ll do exactly that.”

Her admission made him all the more intent on helping her. He couldn’t imagine being a single parent would be easy for anyone, especially when the pregnancy was a surprise. And then to go back to school on top of it all.

Luckily he was fast and could think on his feet. He was, after all, a Stravos—his family hadn’t amassed a fortune over the years without being quick thinkers and following their guts. He could remedy this by meeting both of their needs.

He turned to her. “Come with me on this trip, and I’ll pay the tuition to the school of your choice.”

CHAPTER SIX

FOUR YEARS’ WORTH of tuition earned in just a few weeks?

Was he for real?

Sofia studied Niko’s face, finding a very serious expression there. “Why are you working so hard to get me to agree to this trip?”

“Why not? It’s a win-win for both of us. I get help making the suites presentable, and you get money to follow your dreams.”

She had to admit that it was tempting—very tempting. But her grandmother had taught her to be suspicious of offers that were too good to be true.

Sofia recalled his earlier admission about not being able to forget their night together. Was he interested in picking up where they’d left off at the wedding? That wasn’t going to happen. She wasn’t interested in a relationship. She’d been there and done that. Her heart still held the scars. And now with a baby coming, there was no way she was going to risk her heart. Not for Niko. Not for anyone.

“Why me? You can afford to hire anyone.”

“Ah...but see, I don’t want to spend the next couple of weeks globe-trotting with just anyone. My jet is big but not that big. You and I hit it off. You’re entertaining. I like talking to you. And we already know we get along well—”

“That was one night—a night with wine flowing freely. You can’t base any decisions on that evening.”

“But you do have to admit it was unforgettable.”

She glanced away, not about to let him read the truth in her eyes. That night had been amazing—he’d been amazing. But like with all dreams, eventually you woke up and reality settled in. “If I agree, and I’m not saying that I have, but if I did, it’d be purely business.”