SHE JUST COULDN’T FOCUS.
Stasia sat in her cabin, having to reread the same paragraph three times. Each time she would get distracted with thoughts of Roberto. What was he doing now? Was he regretting their arrangement?
For as much work as she’d accomplished, she might as well have gone ashore. She had to admit, she’d been tempted. After all, there was Diocletian’s Palace, with its cathedral and bell tower to explore. But if she kept running off exploring, she’d never devise her five-year plan.
She turned her attention back to the self-help book about finding what truly made a person happy. Because she was frustrated with herself—with her life. It wasn’t that she didn’t have enough to do to keep herself busy during the day. She had friends to lunch with. She liked to cook—though cooking for one was a challenge. She was also learning to knit. She’d started with socks—funny-shaped socks. And she had a sister-in-law and niece that she could visit. All in all, she had enough to keep her from growing bored, including enough money that she could travel the world. But she felt driven to do something important with her life—something to make a difference.
And then there was Xander to take into consideration. She knew he wanted her to be happy. She didn’t think he’d want her to go into business with him out of some sort of sense of loyalty and obligation. Besides, she was fairly certain her brother was just drawing her into the business because he was worried about her and not because he actually wanted her help.
She glanced down at the book in her lap and had absolutely no idea where she’d left off. With a frustrated sigh, she closed the book and placed it on the table next to her chair. So much for reading.
Stasia got to her feet. Maybe some fresh air would do her good. She headed for the door and walked until she reached the sun-drenched deck where there was a light breeze. This trip was not going as she’d planned. She thought she’d have her goals listed out by now. Potential employers all sorted into a list from her favorite to her least favorite. A résumé put together. A five-year plan detailed and ready to go as she exited the ship.
And all she’d done so far was get drawn into a fake relationship with Roberto, of all people. If Xander was here now, he’d have a fit. She couldn’t help but smile at the image of her brother flipping out over a relationship that wasn’t even real.
Xander didn’t like when things didn’t go his way. In fact, he didn’t take it well at all. Just like when his now wife had turned up pregnant. That hadn’t been in his plans and it had turned his whole life upside down overnight.
Maybe that was what she needed. Not a surprise pregnancy. Definitely not. But something to turn her life upside down. Maybe then she’d be able to see the path she was supposed to take in life. Why did she feel like the answer was just out of her reach?
“What’s the matter?” asked a male voice.
The familiar voice drew her from her thoughts. She stopped walking and found Roberto sitting at a nearby table with his laptop open. How was it that on such a large ship they kept running into each other?
If she believed in signs, she would think this was one. But of course, neither of them was interested in starting anything. She wasn’t even convinced that Roberto was thrilled with the idea of her being his fake girlfriend.
“Hey,” she said, trying to sound happy. “What are you up to?”
“Working on that project for my grandfather.”
“I won’t keep you.” She started to walk away.
“Don’t go.”
She turned back to him. “I don’t want to disturb you.”
“You won’t be. I’m stuck. So maybe a distraction will do me some good.”
He wasn’t the only one spinning his wheels. Since she couldn’t concentrate on her planning, maybe she could help him. She wasn’t sure what she could do, but she was willing to be a sounding board while he talked through his thought processes. Perhaps that would give him some new ideas.
She moved to the seat across from his. “What are you working on?”
“Spreadsheets. Itemized income and expense statements.”
That didn’t sound very interesting, but there was obviously something of importance in those numbers or his grandfather wouldn’t have him going over them. “And does anything jump out at you?”
“No. That’s the problem.” He leaned back in the chair. “I thought something was wrong and that’s why I was asked to look at them. But nothing seems to be out of place.” He sighed. “My grandfather didn’t tell me what he suspected because he didn’t want to influence my findings. Is it possible I’m on a fool’s errand?”
“Your grandfather doesn’t seem like the type to waste another person’s time with looking for a problem that doesn’t exist. And if he wanted you to know how well the company was doing, I’m sure he would have come straight out and told you.”
Roberto raked his fingers through his dark hair, giving it a tousled look. “Then I don’t get it. On the surface, the numbers all add up.”
“Then maybe you have to look beneath the surface.”
He stopped and looked at her for a moment. “You make a good point. I started with the consolidated report. I figured it would give a full overview of the business. But there are some other files. They have the backup information. The very detailed information. But it would take days for me to comb through. And I don’t have that much time before the end of the cruise.”
“You seem to like what you’re doing. Do you miss working at your family’s business?”
He shrugged, not answering the question one way or the other. “I should get back to work.”
Since she wasn’t having much success with her five-year plan, why not help Roberto? She could see how important this was to him.
“I could help you,” she said, not sure he would take her up on the offer.
He arched a dark eyebrow. “You don’t want to waste your vacation combing over reports.”
“But I want to help you. And between the two of us, maybe we can find whatever it is your grandfather thinks is important.” She paused. Maybe he was just trying to turn her down gently. “Unless, of course, those are secret files.”
He shook his head. “I mean yes, they are confidential. But I trust you. I just hate having you do something so boring.”
“You aren’t making me do anything. Remember, this was my idea.”
“Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you on this trip.”
His words filled her chest with warmth. Maybe he did want her around...just as much as she wanted to be around him.
“Wait here. We might as well work outside on this gorgeous day. I’ll just run and get my laptop.” She stood. “I’ll be right back.”
She had no idea what they’d be looking for on those spreadsheets. But she liked being able to help Roberto. It felt good to be needed. Everyone needed to be needed sometimes. And it’d been a long time since she was needed.
A few hours later, the answer was still elusive.
He knew what the problem was... Stasia.
Roberto was good at business. He was avid with spreadsheets. And he was great at numbers. But for the life of him, he couldn’t come up with the reason his grandfather had him going over these reports. There was something lurking in the figures. He was certain of it.
But every time he stared at the numbers for more than a minute or two, his mind strayed to the dark-haired beauty who for the duration of this cruise was his fake girlfriend. And the biggest problem he was having was that he was enjoying their time together. He was curious to see what it’d be like if they were truly dating.
He halted his thoughts. Was that what he really wanted? Because Stasia was nothing like the other women who had passed through his life. Those women had known up front not to expect anything long-term from him. They knew he didn’t do commitments—aside from the business kind. And he never ever uttered the L word.
He remembered how his parents would banter around the word love as he was growing up. They loved his art projects from school. They loved his grades. They loved how well he did on the polo team. They loved him. And then they were gone. As soon as the school holiday was over, they jumped on their respective flights and headed who knew where. If that was love, he wanted no parts of it.
It was like his parents used the word to make up for being absent in his life. They seemed to think if they said it enough times it would make up for everything. It didn’t. It never would.
And so the love word had become meaningless to him.
“Hey, did you find anything?” Stasia’s voice drew him from his thoughts. When he shook his head, she said, “I’ve found something but I don’t know if it’ll mean anything to you. It’s probably nothing.”
Considering he still had no clue what his grandfather suspected was wrong, he was willing to look at just about anything. He got up and moved to her side of the table. “Let me see.”
“It’s this.” She pointed to a number on the screen. “I can’t tell if it’s just a transposed number.”
She had two screens open at once. One was the consolidated file and the other was the backup information. The consolidated file was supposed to draw from the detailed files, but perhaps his grandfather didn’t have the links automated. It seemed a bit odd to him because everything at Roberto’s office was monitored with oversight controls.
He checked the next number. It tied to the original file. As did the next one. Maybe it was, after all, just a typo.
“Can you make a notation of the number, where you found it and the information from the source document?”
“So it’s something?” There was a hopeful note in her voice.
“It’s definitely wrong. But the numbers surrounding it appear to be correct. So I’m not sure yet. But it’s worth noting.”
“Would your grandfather really pick up on a nine-dollar difference?”
He didn’t think so. That would be something for the accountants to hash out. But he didn’t think they’d escalate nine dollars to his grandfather’s attention. There had to be more.
“I think we’re still missing something.” A big something.
“I’ll keep combing through the numbers,” Stasia said.
He appreciated how dedicated she was to helping him. She was easy to work with and she didn’t ask too many questions. In fact, he was thinking of asking her to come work with him.
Then Stasia would always be close. He wouldn’t have to miss her after this cruise ended. Because he was quite certain he would. She was so easy to be around. She didn’t make him uptight because she wanted something from him that he wasn’t willing to give. And she listened to him with avid interest.
He wondered what Xander would think about the working arrangement. He knew how worried Xander was about his sister. Maybe this would give his friend some peace of mind because Roberto would be able to keep an eye on Stasia and make sure no one took advantage of her while she sorted through the aftermath of her husband’s death.
The more he thought about this idea, the more he liked it. And if he was able to think of Stasia as a colleague, it would rid him of these other thoughts—the ones about wanting to pull her into his arms and smother her lips with kisses before tumbling into bed.
Yes, this plan to offer her a job was much better.
“Oh, no.” Stasia’s voice filled with worry.
“What’s the matter? Did you find another mistake?”
She shook her head. “It’s not that. It’s the time. If I’m going to be ready for us to meet up with your cousin and her fiancé for dinner, I have to start now. And I haven’t finished reviewing the report you gave me. There were just so many numbers and the trail back to the source documents can be quite lengthy.”
He was having the exact same problem. There was nothing fast about this analysis. And he had a feeling his grandfather knew it.
“I think what you discovered will be enough for today,” Roberto said.
“You do?”
He nodded. “My grandfather is a very wise man. He knows it’ll take more than an afternoon to uncover whatever it is he thinks is amiss in these reports. That’s why he gave me until the end of the cruise.”
“Which isn’t that far off.”
Her concern touched him. “Don’t worry. It’ll all work out.”
“If he asks about it, what will you tell him? Will you mention the typo?”
“I’ll tell him enough to let him know we’re on track.”
She shook her head. “You shouldn’t mention me. He didn’t ask us both. He wanted you to work on this. Alone.”
Perhaps she was right. He didn’t like taking credit for someone else’s work, but if she accepted his business proposal, he knew this would never happen again.
And so he sent her off to get ready for the dinner. He wouldn’t take nearly as long to prepare. It was only after she’d gathered her things and headed for the door to the interior of the ship that he realized he hadn’t asked her to be his official assistant.
He’d turned to find her disappearing through the doorway and then she slipped out of sight. The question would have to wait for later. He just hoped it would be the answer she was searching for as far as her future. He knew she didn’t have to work. Her family and husband had made sure that she would be well cared for, but he understood the need to have a goal in life, a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
But he didn’t want to rush things. He was not a man to be rushed into things. His normal way was to let it simmer at the back of his mind as he weighed the pros and cons of such a decision.
Though part of him was certain they’d make a good match, the other more cautious part of him said to rush things was an opportunity to make a mistake. And a mistake might lead to Stasia getting hurt. And that could not happen, not on his watch.
Perhaps it was best to give it some more thought. Maybe once this project was complete, he would know for sure just how well they worked together.
He decided to work a bit longer on the reports. Who knew what he’d find, but his curiosity was piqued now. Thanks to Stasia.
“Roberto.” It was his grandmother’s voice. He turned to find her headed toward him. She wore a serious expression. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
He thought of mentioning that she could have called his cell phone, but he refrained. “Now that you’ve found me, what can I do for you?”
“I’d like you to walk with me back to my cabin.”
He turned back to his computer. He thought of telling her he was busy working on the project for his grandfather—
“Whatever you’re doing can wait,” she said in a firm tone. “This can’t.”
That got his full attention. He gathered his things and walked with her. She made idle chitchat about the cruise and the upcoming wedding. All the while, he wondered what was really on his grandmother’s mind.
If it had something to do with Stasia, he would have to stand up to his grandmother and put a halt to her meddling—easier said than done. His grandmother was fiercely strong and he loved her dearly. But it was saying something when he was more worried about a meeting with his grandmother than he was with fourteen lawyers and a shrewd billionaire.
He paused outside her cabin door and took a deep breath. He sensed his grandmother had something serious on her mind. And that was never a good thing.
“Come in,” she said. “Don’t loiter in the hallway.”
He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Her suite was the most luxurious and spacious on the ship. She moved to sit at the head of the dining room table where a teapot and service were awaiting her.
She held a cup of what he presumed was her favorite tea. “Would you like some?”
He shook his head. Anxious to get this over with, he asked, “What did you want to discuss?”
She poured him a cup of tea anyway and then waved for him to have a seat next to her. “We need to talk.”
He took a seat. Normally, he wasn’t a fan of tea, but right about now, he welcomed the fact that he had something to do with his hands. He stirred in some sugar and waited quietly for his grandmother to have her say.
She leaned back in her chair. “You know I’m not easily fooled.” His gaze met hers but he remained quiet and she continued. “I know you were not happy that I invited some young women on the cruise to attend the wedding—and for you to meet.”
“You shouldn’t have done that, Yaya.” It was time to make some things clear with his grandmother. “When or if I decide to settle down, I am quite capable of finding my own wife.”
Her knowing smile broadened. “Are you ready to admit that you’re not really involved with Ms. Marinakos?”
“Why do you presume it’s all a pretense?” The truth was he did feel something for Stasia. However, he was reluctant to examine those feelings too closely.
“Because you told me very bluntly that you were a confirmed bachelor. Why should I believe you are suddenly involved with this young woman?”
“It isn’t sudden. I’ve known Stasia for a while now. She’s Xander’s younger sister. And she’s been involved with the business.”
His grandmother’s eyes widened. “So you’re saying you’ve been seeing her for quite a while?”
He paused. It all depended on what she meant by “seeing.” He’d spent quite a bit of time with Stasia since her husband passed away. Xander had been trying to get Stasia started in his business, and when he was preoccupied with working things out with Lea, Roberto had strived to make Stasia feel welcome.
“What is this inquisition all about?” He cut to the chase. “If you want me to end things with Stasia, it’s not going to happen.”
He surprised not only his grandmother but himself with such a declaration. The fact it was true was all the more startling. He didn’t want this thing with Stasia to end.
His grandmother’s gaze widened. “So you’re telling me you care about this woman?”
He nodded. It was true. But caring was different than loving someone. He was a long way from that.
His grandmother’s gaze searched his. “In that case, I have something for you.”
She reached over and pulled a small black velvet box from her purse. She placed it on the table and pushed it toward him. The box sat there in front of him like some ominous apparition.
“Go ahead and open it. It won’t bite you.”
He had a feeling it would do much worse. He knew what was in the box without opening it.
His grandmother was calling him out on his story. She was going to make him prove his commitment to Stasia. Could he do something like that?
He reached forward and took the box in his hands. He pried it open and found a stunning diamond ring inside set in white gold. His first thought was that it would look perfect on Stasia’s delicate hand. And the next thought was that he was in trouble—very big trouble.
He tried to form words to say something and utterly failed. There was a disconnect between his shocked mind and his dry mouth. He sat quietly staring at the dazzling ring.
“That belonged to your great-grandmother. My mother. I’ve been saving it all these years and now I want you to have it. I want you to give it to the woman who you pledge your heart and life to.” She glanced at her wristwatch. “Look at the time. I have to go meet your grandfather.”
And with that, they parted ways. He slipped the ring box in his pocket. It felt like it was burning a hole through his clothes. He’d had absolutely no idea that his grandmother had been saving this for him.
Part of him was touched that his grandmother entrusted him with a family heirloom, but another part of him was angry that she had his life planned out for him. His grandmother had this ring and this ship full of women because she was bound and determined he should be married because it was the way things were done—even though he’d told her marriage wasn’t for him. It obviously wasn’t for his absent parents either and look where that had gotten them.
And then there was his grandfather with this problem that needed to be solved. Was there a problem? Or was his grandfather trying to lure him back into the family business?
Roberto got the distinct impression that he was being played. And he didn’t like it one little bit. And the more he thought about it, the less guilty he felt about his fake engagement.