NO. THAT CAN’T be true.
Popi’s arms immediately wrapped around her midsection. She’d heard rumors about the man standing before her. Apollo was known to be reckless and selfish. No way was he going to steal away into the night with this baby. Not on her watch. But try as she might, the rush of words clogged up in her throat. The back of her eyes stung with tears of frustration and a flurry of hormones.
Popi’s sister, Andrina, had said Apollo was a playboy—taking what he wanted and leaving a string of broken hearts across the globe. But Popi considered herself lucky. He’d stolen a kiss, not her heart.
Okay, maybe they’d shared much more than a fleeting kiss. But something had clicked between them when they’d been chest to heaving chest, lip to eager lip.
Maybe she’d let herself sympathize with the pain that had been reflected in his eyes. Maybe her own grief had her acting out of character. Whatever had her lip-dancing with him, it had nothing whatsoever to do with her heart.
She knew Mr. Globetrotter over there lived off his very large trust fund. He never put down roots anywhere. From all Popi had gathered, she had been certain he wouldn’t want to complicate his carefree life with a baby.
And with her own parents getting older, they weren’t up to the day-to-day care of a baby. That left her to raise her sister’s child. And that’s why she’d spoke with an attorney to get the adoption started.
“This surely can’t come as a surprise,” he said.
Her brows drew together in confusion. “You mean you showing up on the island unwanted and uninvited? Or did you mean you trying to charm me with your smooth words and kiss—”
“I wasn’t trying to charm you. We both got caught up with the music and the dancing. It wasn’t all one way.” His pointed gaze met hers. When she opened her mouth to deny the accusation, he continued. “Don’t bother. Remember I was on the other end of that kiss.”
Wordlessly, she pressed her lips together. Perhaps it was best to pretend that kiss hadn’t happened—for both of their sakes.
Though the music of the reception floated in the background, Popi was no longer in the mood to laugh and smile. Yes, she would have to go back to the party and put on a happy face, but not before she set a few things straight.
“You’ve wasted your time coming here,” she said. “When this baby is born, I’m not going to allow you to walk away with it.” Not a chance. She’d heard way too many stories about this guy, who acts first and thinks later. The baby wouldn’t be safe with him.
He pressed his hands to this trim waist. “You can’t stop me. I’m its uncle.”
“I’m the aunt.”
They stood quietly, glaring back and forth. Each waited for the other to back down. He’d be waiting a very long time, because she was never going to back down. This baby was too important.
From the stories she’d heard of Apollo, he had been a wild child. And as an adult, he did and said what he wanted without care to others. So why had he grown quiet? Why not say what he really thought? That she wasn’t deserving of raising his niece or nephew, because secretly she had her own reservations. The guilt over her sister’s death continued to eat at her.
Popi shoved aside the troubling thoughts. “You have some nerve coming here months after your brother and sister-in-law’s deaths and throwing around demands. Where were you for the funeral?”
Apollo glanced down at the ground. She’d hit a nerve. Perhaps he wasn’t as self-centered as her sister had let on. Perhaps there was a bit more to Apollo. But not enough to just turn the baby over to him. That wasn’t going to happen, even if this man turned out to be a saint, which she knew he wasn’t.
When her sister had first approached her about being a surrogate, Popi had outright rejected the idea. She’d thought she was too young to go through everything involved with pregnancy—not to mention the associated pain.
She’d told Andrina to find another way. Looking back, Popi felt so bad about giving her sister such a hard time. At the time, she hadn’t known about her sister’s repeated miscarriages that had devastated both Andrina and Nile. Her sister had held it all in, not wanting her family to know that she felt like a failure as a mother and wife. But when the news came out, not one of them thought any such thing.
When Andrina had finally let her guard down with Popi, something wonderful had happened. As Andrina had explained about the emotional roller coaster that she and Nile had been on, the sisters grew closer than they’d ever been before. Popi then saw the surrogacy in a new light—a chance to cement their relationship—to be more like blood siblings than two adopted orphans.
And this stranger wasn’t going to walk in here after the fact and take away her last link to her sister. It just wasn’t going to happen.
“Where have you been all of this time?” Popi hoped to drive home the fact that she had always been there. When her family needed her, she was there for them. Just like she’d be there when this baby needed her.
Apollo rubbed the back of his neck. And then in almost a mumble, he uttered a response, but it was too soft for Popi to pick it up over the sound of the music.
“What did you say?”
He lifted his head. In his eyes, she could see the torment reflected in them. For a moment, it stilled her breath. She didn’t know what to do with this new information. It was so much easier to fight him when she thought he was a selfish jerk without any worry for anyone else.
“I was out of contact while hiking in the Himalayas.”
That would explain the tan and the very defined muscles. And it would also explain his absence from the funeral. As much as she wanted to cling to his absence from that awful time, she could tell he was riddled with guilt over it. She knew a lot about being plagued with guilt.
But that didn’t change the fact that she was better suited to be a parent. She had a job. A stable life. A home. And lots of caring people to help her raise this child. What was it they said? Oh, yes: it takes a village. And she was blessed enough to have a loving village.
What did he have?
Popi thought for a moment before speaking. She didn’t want to escalate this situation. If she could reason with him, it would be best for everyone concerned—most especially the baby.
“I know you’re concerned about the child.” She noticed he didn’t try to argue and so she continued. “I also know you lead a very active lifestyle, which isn’t conducive to having an infant or a small child.” When he started a rebuttal, she held up her hand, stopping him. “I also understand you might feel the pressure to do the right thing. But I want you to know that the right thing is to leave the baby with me to raise while you continue to explore the Amazon and hike the Himalayas or whatever.”
His gaze narrowed in on her. “So that you can take control of the Drakos fortune?”
“What?” She knew her brother-in-law was rich—more than rich—but she never considered the money when she’d decided to adopt the baby. She never stopped to realize that the baby would be heir to a fortune. “No, that’s not it.”
Apollo’s gaze said that he didn’t believe her. “You will never get your hands on that money.”
Her heart sunk. She thought Apollo had come here to claim the baby out of some sort of obligation or maybe even love for his brother. It never even occurred to her that this would be some sort of power move. A chance to control the family business that he’d been excluded from in favor of his older brother.
She shook her head in frustration. At that point, she could hear voices over the speaker system. It was time for the champagne toast, followed by the bridal-bouquet toss. Though Lea had been adamant about incorporating the Greek traditions in honor of her groom, she’d also introduced some American traditions and married them, as Lea liked to say.
“I have to go,” Popi said. “In the future, your attorney can contact mine.” And with that she walked away, not even waiting for him to speak.
Before Apollo’s arrival, Popi had been determined to protect the child and keep it with her, and this conversation had only solidified her position. Apollo was going to walk away empty-handed.
That kiss.
Oh, that kiss.
Apollo inwardly groaned. It was the most arousing, addictive kiss of his life. And it had ended much, much too quickly. The fact that Popi had wanted him just as much had been a surprise.
As good as the kiss had been, it had been a mistake. And just when he’d promised himself that he was going to be responsible and do what was best for the family—for the baby. Because he owed it to his brother’s memory.
And right about now, he was certain Nile would be frowning at him. He’d let his desires rule, but that was the last time. He didn’t care how beautiful Popi was, as he could ignore her charms. He could be the responsible man his brother always believed he was capable of being.
That meant stepping up and becoming a father to his niece or nephew. The acknowledgment of that was immense.
But Apollo was done walking away.
He’d done that enough in his life.
This time he was staying. He would do what was right.
Being a father meant giving up his freedom. Nile would say that it was past time, and perhaps he was right after this latest accident. It had opened Apollo’s eyes to what was important—family. He never got to tell his brother that—he never got to thank his brother for never giving up on him.
The only thing he could do now for his brother was to make sure his son or daughter was raised as a Drakos and received all the privileges that afforded them.
And that left Popi. Unlike her and her claim for sole custody, he would not exclude her from the child’s life. He didn’t know how exactly it would work, but he wouldn’t exile Popi from the child she’d carried. There had to be a reasonable compromise. He just needed time to think.
It was late in the evening and Apollo was still on the island. In fact, he’d taken up residence on Popi’s porch. He didn’t like being dismissed. His father used to do it and it grated on Apollo’s nerves.
He settled back in the chair and stared into the night. He recalled the determination written all over Popi’s beautiful face when it came to raising the baby. But it wasn’t going to stop him. He hadn’t been there for his brother, but he was here now for his nephew or niece.
He’d already had the most highly recommended nanny put on retainer. She was just waiting for his word and she would move into his family’s grand estate, just outside Athens. There was a very talented cook. And then there was Anna, the housekeeper. A smile tugged at his lips when he recalled Anna. She never put up with anyone’s nonsense, including his. Everybody necessary to provide for his niece or nephew would be awaiting them. It would be just as it was when he was young.
Apollo stopped rocking the chair on Popi’s porch. Was that what he wanted for the baby? A life like he had?
Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of footsteps on the crushed-seashell walk drew Apollo from his thoughts. It was dark out now. The reception had gone on for quite a while. And then there had been the toot of the ferryboat sweeping the guests off to the mainland.
The bright moonlight streaming down illuminated Popi’s face. Apollo had to admit that if circumstances were different—way different—he would have been drawn to Popi. The fact that she was single and carrying someone else’s baby didn’t diminish the attraction.
The distinct intake of breath let him know that she’d spotted him, not that he’d been hiding.
Popi stomped up the couple of steps to the porch. She turned to him and pressed her hands to her hips. “What are you still doing here?”
He got to his feet. “I told you I wasn’t leaving.”
In the shadows, he wasn’t able to see her clearly, but he got the distinct impression she was glaring at him. So be it. He wasn’t here to make her happy—nor himself for that matter. He was here to make sure the right thing was done concerning the child. And that was for it be raised as a Drakos. He would teach them what they needed to know to take over the Drakos legacy, the way his brother would have done.
Toot-toot.
Another ferry was about to pull out with its load of happy but weary wedding guests. And that was just fine with him because he didn’t want any other interruptions. He needed to get through to Popi that whatever she had planned for the baby wasn’t going to happen.
She moved toward the door. “I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”
He moved in front of her. Having the entire evening alone, he’d formulated a plan. “I think you should move to Athens until the baby is born.”
“Where I give birth is none of your concern. Now I’m going to bed. Good night, Mr. Drakos.”
And without another word, she moved past him and entered the bungalow. The door slammed shut behind her.
When he’d arrived on the island, he hadn’t known what to expect. It certainly hadn’t been this very determined, very frustrating woman. But he could be just as stubborn.
He would not walk away from the baby—not like he walked away from his brother. He would be the man his brother wanted him to be. It was the least he could do.