LITMIR.BIZ

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been a party to celebrate his sister Melina’s thirtieth birthday, but he’d been forced to miss it because of a life and death situation. Gabi Turner had been right about that.

      Though his married sister had been gracious over the phone, he knew she’d been hurt by his excuse that something unavoidable had come up to detain him in Athens. He’d promised to make it up to her, but that kind of occasion in her honor with extended family in attendance only happened once a year. Now the moment was gone.

      Yet, sorry as he was, he had something much more vital on his mind and couldn’t think about anything else. Throughout the flight he still felt the strong tug of those little mouths on his fingers. Their touch had sent the most peculiar sensation through Andreas.

      Even though he had ten nieces and nephews, he hadn’t been involved in their nurturing. The closest he’d come was to hold their weightless bodies as they were being passed around at a family party after coming home from the hospital.

      Today had been something totally different. It was as if the blinders had come off, but he hadn’t known they existed until contact was made. Kris and Nikos weren’t just babies. Those excited bodies with their bright eyes and faces belonged to a pair of little guys who one day would grow up to be big guys. Guys who had the Simonides stamp written all over them.

      As soon as he entered the main villa Andreas went in search of his vivacious mother, who was in the kitchen supervising dinner preparations with the cook, Tina.

      “There you are, darling,” she said the minute she saw him.

      He gave her a kiss, already anticipating her next comment. “My absence was unavoidable.”

      Her expressive dark brows lifted. “A delicate merger?”

      “Incredibly delicate,” he muttered. The memory of Nikos and Kris so trusting in his arms as they inhaled their formula never left his mind.

      “You sound like your father. I have to tell you I’m glad he’s finally stepped down and you’re in charge. He’s a different man these days. Let’s just hope that when you’re settled down, hopefully soon, your wife will have more influence on you to take time off once in a while. You’re already working too hard if you had to miss Melina’s birthday party.”

      His mother could have no idea. He gave her an extra hug. “Where’s everyone?” he asked, knowing the answer full well, but he didn’t want to sound like anything out of the ordinary was wrong.

      “Still waterskiing. Your grandparents are out on the patio watching your father and your uncle Vasio drive the younger children around. We’ll eat out by the pool in an hour.”

      “That gives me enough time to get in a little exercise.” After stealing an hors d’oeuvre from the plate Tina was preparing, he pecked her cheek to atone for his sin before walking through a series of alcoves and walkways to reach his villa with its own amenities farther down their private beach.

      The massive family retreat—a cluster of linked white villas in the Cycladic style—had been the Simonides refuge for many generations. Because of business, Andreas didn’t escape from his penthouse in the city as often as he wanted and had been looking forward to this time with the family.

      Who would have dreamed that, before the lift door closed, an innocent-looking blonde female would sweep into his office like a Cycladic breeze, bringing a fragrance as sweet as the honeysuckle growing wild on the island before she dropped her bomb?

      Still charged with adrenaline, he changed into his swim trunks and hurried down to the beach where the family ski boats were in use.

      “There’s Uncle Andreas!” One of his nieces waiting on the beach for her turn screeched with joy and ran toward him. Her brother followed. “Now that you’re here, will you take us? Grandpa hasn’t come back for us yet.”

      His sister Leila’s children were the youngest, seven and nine. “What do you think?” He grinned. “Climb in my ski boat. We’ll show everybody! You spot your sister first, Jason.”

      “Okay!”

      Happy chaos reigned for another half-hour, then everyone left the beach because dinner had been announced. Andreas secured his boat to their private pier. Things couldn’t have turned out better than to find his brother Leon the last to tie up his own ski boat. His wife Deline had gone up with the others, leaving them alone for the moment.

      “How was the party last night?” Andreas asked as he started tying the other end for him.

      Leon shot him a glance. “Fine, but I have to tell you Dad wasn’t too thrilled you didn’t make a showing. He was hoping to see you there with Irena.”

      Irena Liapis was a favorite with the family and the daughter of his parents’ good friends who owned one of the major newspapers in Greece. It was the same paper that had shown Thea aboard the family yacht.

      Everyone was hoping for news that a wedding was in the offing. With his four siblings married, his parents were expecting some kind of announcement from him.

      Andreas groaned. No woman had ever been his grand passion. Maybe there wasn’t such a thing and he was only deluding himself because he’d been a bachelor for too long. But his feelings for Irena had grown over the months. Besides being beautiful, she was intelligent and kind. He wanted his marriage to work and knew it could if she were his wife.

      But last night Gabi Turner’s explosion into his life had caused every plan to go up in smoke. Now that a certain situation had developed threatening to set off a conflagration, his whole world had been turned on its side. For the time being he couldn’t think about Irena or anything else.

      Andreas knew it wasn’t fair to keep any secrets from the woman he’d intended to marry, but, as he’d just found out, life wasn’t fair…not to the twins who’d lost their mother or to Gabi who’d taken on the awesome responsibility of raising her half sister’s children.

      By tacit agreement he and his brother started walking up the beach toward the pool area. Using his fingertips, Leon scooped up his sandals lying in the sand. “Your non-appearance was kind of a shocker. Normally Dad gives you a pass.”

      “It’s because he has a soft spot for Melina.” She was the baby in the family.

      “If you pulled off the Canadian gold-refining merger, I’m sure all will be forgiven.”

      Andreas frowned. “That might not happen. I’m still debating if it’s to our advantage.”

      “With the kind of revenue it could bring in, you must be joking!”

      “Not at all. I think they’re in deeper trouble than they’ve made out to be.” He gave his brother a covert glance. “Speaking of trouble, there’s something you and I have to talk about in private.”

      “If you’re referring to the acquisition of those mineral rights in—”

      “I’m not,” he cut him off. “You made a brilliant move on that.” Leon was his second in command. “I’m referring to something else that doesn’t have anything to do with business. After we eat, come to my villa alone. Make it look casual. You need to see something.”

      Leon let out a bark of laughter. “You sound cryptic. What’s gotten into you?”

      “You’ll find out soon enough.”

      For the next hour Andreas joined in with his family and gave Melina the gift he’d found for her on one of his business trips to the Balkans. She collected nesting dolls. The one he gave her proved to be a hit. Once dessert was served, he faded from the scene and headed for his place, nodding to one of the maids on the way. Not long after, Leon showed up.

      “Lock the front door behind you. I don’t want us to be disturbed.”

      Leon flicked him a puzzled glance as he pushed in the button. He walked into the living room. “What’s going on? The last time I remember seeing you this intense was when Father suffered that mild heart

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