LITMIR.BIZ

       CHAPTER THREE

      ‘EFHARISTO. THANK YOU. That was delicious.’

      Amy smiled her thanks as she and Jacob got up from the table. Breakfast had been simple but delicious: thick creamy yoghurt with honey and fresh figs followed by a selection of tiny sweet pastries. It proved that she had been right to choose this small, family-run hotel. Jacob would gain a much better idea of the Greek way of life by staying here than he would have done if they had stayed in a hotel that was part of an international chain. Hopefully, it would help him develop a better understanding of his paternal heritage.

      She sighed as she followed Jacob out of the dining room. Maybe he would gain an insight into the Greek side of his heritage but unless she was prepared to tell him that Nico was his father what would it achieve? Jacob needed something solid to give him a true sense of his identity—photographs, meetings, conversations. At the moment his father was some shadowy figure he had never met and it wasn’t enough to arm him against the taunts that had made his life such a misery lately. He needed proof that he had a father and the only way to give him that was by introducing him to Nico.

      Amy was still worrying about it as they made their way to the beach. Although it was still early, the sun was strong so she went through the routine of applying sunscreen to Jacob as well as to herself. There was another English family staying at the hotel but the parents didn’t seem concerned when their two children ran off to play before they could apply sunscreen to them. The mother shrugged when she noticed Amy watching.

      ‘They hate having to use sun cream. I have the devil of a job putting it on them.’ The woman laughed as she dropped the bottle into her beach bag. ‘Mind you, I’m a bit like that myself. There doesn’t seem much point coming all this way to get a tan and then coating yourself with that stuff, does there?’

      Amy smiled, although she disagreed wholeheartedly with what the other woman had said. She had seen too many cases of people being badly burnt after they had failed to take adequate precautions even in England. She checked that Jacob was playing safely in the shallows with the other children then took her book out of her bag. It was the latest mystery by a favourite author but it failed to hold her attention. She kept thinking about Nico and what she should do, whether she should tell him who Jacob was or not. It all depended on how he would react and that was something she couldn’t foretell. She sighed. If it was anything like the way he had reacted when she had miscarried Jacob’s twin, it would be better to keep Jacob’s identity to herself.

      The morning flew past. Amy spent some time helping Jacob build a sandcastle then decided it was time they got out of the sun. It was almost noon and the sun was at its peak so she opted to take him for an early lunch. Once they had put on dry T-shirts, they strolled around the headland and discovered a small taverna in the next bay. There was a shady terrace overlooking the beach where a couple of local fishing boats were unloading their morning’s catch and she elected to sit out there, ordering a Greek salad for herself and a toasted sandwich for Jacob. They had just started to eat when Nico appeared.

      Amy felt her heart leap into her throat when she saw him standing at the foot of the steps leading up to the terrace. It was obvious that he had come straight from the clinic because he was wearing a lightweight suit with an open-necked white shirt that made his olive-toned skin look more bronzed than ever. With those deep chestnut-brown eyes, that crisp black hair and those clean-cut features, he was an arresting sight and she noticed several of the women in the restaurant looking at him with interest.

      Amy took a quick breath as her gaze ran over him, comparing how he looked now to how he had looked nine years ago. He was definitely thinner, she decided, thinner and even more commanding. Nico had always projected an air of confidence, of authority, of being completely in charge of himself, and it was more apparent than ever these days. He looked exactly what he was, a handsome, successful man in his prime, and the thought scared her. Once Nico found out about Jacob then she wouldn’t be in control of the situation any longer. Nico would try to take charge and that was the last thing she wanted. How could she be sure that Nico would put Jacob’s needs first? How could she guarantee that Jacob wouldn’t get hurt?

      It was that last thought which frightened her most of all, although she did have other concerns, ones which she refused to dwell on. How it would affect her to have Nico back in her life wasn’t the issue.

      Nico felt his breath catch when he saw Amy sitting on the terrace. Just for a moment he was tempted to turn around and leave only that would have been far too revealing. Did he really want her to think that he had a problem about seeing her? he thought as he made himself walk up the steps. Of course not! He stopped by her table, dredging up a smile that he hoped appeared more natural than it felt.

      ‘Hello again. I see you’ve discovered my favourite lunchtime haunt.’

      ‘I had no idea that you came here,’ she snapped.

      ‘Of course not.’ Nico had to stop himself taking a step back when he heard the defensive note in her voice. It was obvious that he had touched a nerve, although he wasn’t sure which nerve it was. That remained to be seen. ‘It’s just a happy coincidence.’

      He thrust that tantalising thought aside. Digging into the reason for her touchiness would be a mistake. He needed to remain detached, aloof, distant if he wasn’t to find himself being drawn into a situation he would regret. He and Amy Prentice had had an affair—that was the long and the short of it. He hadn’t made her any promises, hadn’t wanted anything more than they’d had. If Amy hadn’t got pregnant then he probably wouldn’t even have remembered her name...

      Would he?

      The question buzzed around inside his head like a pesky wasp around a jam pot but he swatted it away. He didn’t intend to go down that route—it was a waste of time. Maybe he hadn’t thought about her for a long time but he was very aware that somewhere in the depths of his mind, she had occupied a small space all of her own. Amy and the miscarriage had been a milestone in his life, even though he hated the idea. It implied that she had a hold over him and that was something he didn’t appreciate. He preferred to live his life on his own terms and not have to account to anyone else for his actions.

      ‘So how are you enjoying your holiday so far?’ he asked, pulling out a chair. There were several empty tables he could have chosen but he was determined not to make an issue out of this encounter. The more significance he bestowed on it, the more important it would become.

      ‘We’ve only been here for a day,’ she shot back then flushed when she realised how rude that must have sounded. Her tone softened as she glanced at her son. ‘It’s been great so far, though, hasn’t it, Jacob?’

      ‘Uh-huh,’ the boy mumbled, his mouth crammed full of sandwich.

      Nico laughed with genuine amusement. ‘I’ll take that as a yes. Obviously, Jacob has worked up an appetite, so what did you get up to this morning?’

      ‘We went to the beach for a swim and then made a sandcastle,’ Amy told him, spearing a juicy black olive with her fork.

      Nico looked away as she popped it into her mouth, not proof against the feelings it aroused as he watched her lips close around the ripe fruit. He took a deep breath as he picked up the menu and studied it. There was no point thinking about Amy’s beautiful mouth and the kisses they had shared. It was never going to happen again purely because he didn’t intend to put himself in the position of kissing her. Not if he had any sense! As he had already discovered, Amy had the power to disrupt his life and the last thing he needed was her turning it upside down. He mustn’t forget that the main reason he had moved to Constantis was for his health and he didn’t need the stress.

      ‘Dr Leonides, how lovely to see you!’

      Maria Michaelis, who ran the café with her husband, Stavros, greeted him warmly as she came to take his order. Maria had been one of his first patients when he had opened the clinic. She was diabetic and had had many problems over the

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