Chapter Six

Demetri stood at the front of his yacht and stared at the tiny dot on the horizon that was the island of Gavdos. Even though the captain had the engines on maximum speed, it still was taking ages. For the first time in years, Demetri was excited to be going home. And with Rania on the island it seemed like home.

He should have taken her with him when he left, but he knew he’d be distracted by the crisis he’d had to deal with. He’d worried Rania would take advantage and run away to try and get her uncle free. At least on Gavdos, with half the island watching her, she’d be safe. Still, it would have been nice to hold her and listen to her stories at the end of each of the past seven hellish days.

A couple who had been vacationing at one of his resorts had had a violent dispute and the husband had killed the wife before taking his own life. It had been a media nightmare, not to mention the various law enforcement agencies he’d had to deal with. Thankfully, as it was shoulder season, the resort hadn’t been at full capacity and he’d been able to move all the other guests to alternative resorts. With the transfer costs and upgrades it hadn’t been cheap but he considered it money well spent to keep customer goodwill and his company’s reputation high. The emotional toll on his staff would be the next thing to address. He’d already given the cleaning woman who had found the bodies a month’s paid leave and provided unlimited counseling sessions.

At the moment, he had the emotions of someone closer to home to worry about. Although he’d called or texted her each day, he was pretty sure Rania was pissed at having been abandoned with a derelict house to fix up. Not to mention being left to deal with his mother and grandmother, crazed with wanting to put on the best wedding the island had ever seen. He’d had ten emails and four voicemails from his mother alone reminding him to bring his best suit when he returned. Rania, on the other hand, had only asked if he had any objection to the color fuchsia. Another surprise. He hadn’t pegged her for a girly-girl who liked pink, but if it made her happy, he didn’t care what color the decorations were.

Tomorrow they would be married, and he’d start on convincing her that his way to free her uncle was best. For God’s sake, her uncle was Fouad Boutros. He owned one of the largest construction companies in the Southern Mediterranean, although he had scaled back his contracts in the past five years. No wonder the Egyptian government was keen to keep him behind bars. His wealth made him a prime political mover, and Rania was widely held to be his next of kin, the main heiress to his fortune, provided the government didn’t seize all his assets first.

Demetri’s lawyer had made contact with the prison where Fouad Boutros was being held. Negotiations would be tricky, and as Rania had predicted, probably cost a shit-load of money. Demetri hoped he could get her uncle free before she came up with another half-assed plan.

The background report on Rania herself had raised more questions than it had answered. She held a degree in environmental engineering, a handy subject given the expectation that she would eventually take over her uncle’s company, although such a detail-oriented occupation seemed at odds with her spontaneous personality. There was much more depth to the woman than he’d first assumed. He couldn’t wait to unravel her layers.

According to the report, her employers had all said she was very skilled and creative in finding solutions to issues. The only problem was she never stayed longer than two years. In fact, for the past six months, she hadn’t worked at all but rather traveled around Europe and the Black Sea. Her personal life was a complete mystery with no mention of past boyfriends or lovers. He’d have to discover her secrets himself. At least she didn’t have a criminal record, not one they’d been able to uncover anyway.

The island finally loomed larger on the horizon and Demetri went below deck to get ready to meet his bride-to-be. The thrill that raced through him must be due to the proximity of their wedding night. It was definitely something to look forward to.

When he reemerged onto the deck, they were pulling into the harbor. Demetri scanned the dock hoping to see Rania waiting for him; he’d called ahead and given her an estimated time of arrival. He shoved down the disappointment when he couldn’t spot her. As his crew tied the boat to the wharf, a large contingency of the island’s male population abandoned their lively backgammon games at the café next to the harbor. They formed an odd welcoming party at the end of the pier. Were they going to throw him a stag party? Demetri released a loud groan. He’d rather spend the evening with Rania, finding out how her week had been, holding her, imagining all the things he’d do to her in twenty-four hours.

Demetri waited for the crew to secure the gangplank before making his way toward the assembled crowd. His grandfather’s closest friend Kosta stood at the end of the dock. “Demetri, we need a word with you.” Behind him were Christina’s father, the owner of the café where his mother worked part-time, and half a dozen other men who were long-time inhabitants of the island.

“If it’s about the wedding, I have no idea what my mother and grandmother have arranged,” Demetri said.

“It’s about your woman. You need to get her in line,” Christina’s father replied.

“My woman?” If they knew Rania at all, they wouldn’t dare call her that in her presence.

“Your wife,” Kosta clarified, as if there were so many women in Demetri’s life he’d lost track. “She’s been disrupting the whole island while you’ve been gone. You need to get her in line. And next time you leave, take her with you.”

He’d been gone seven days. What could Rania have done in that time to necessitate a mob of angry men descending on him as soon as his feet touched Gavdos soil?

“What’s she done?” Because if she’d climbed into any other man’s shower…

“She told my daughter she should go to Athens and get an education,” Christina’s father said.

“She interfered with the way we do things,” Kosta said.

“She told my wife she deserves a new washing machine before I get a new TV.”

“She told my daughter that women should have their own life before they get married.”

“She convinced your mother to quit her job.”

Demetri had been telling his mother for years that she didn’t need to work. He was surprised Rania had managed to get the point home so soon.

The litany of complaints continued, and Demetri had to hide a smile. If they knew how Rania had turned his life upside down in the week and a half he’d known her, they wouldn’t ask him to fix their problems.

“Seems to me your issues are with your own women, not mine. Maybe if you listened to them and took their feelings and needs into consideration, they wouldn’t need to seek reassurance from Rania.”

Demetri pushed his way through the crowd until his grandfather’s friend put a bandaged hand on his arm. “You’ll be eating your words once you see your house.”

He narrowed his eyes but didn’t take the bait. “If you’re all so upset with my wife, I’ll understand if you’re not at the wedding tomorrow.” Missing an island social event was akin to excommunication.

“Don’t worry, son, we’ll all be there to see you wed that vortex. My bet is she has you whipped into her dog-boy before the month is out. And then you’ll be coming to us for advice.” A chorus of laughter greeted that prediction from someone at the back of the crowd.

Demetri swallowed a quick retort. They just didn’t know how to handle Rania. No way was he going to give them advice. He took the keys to the family Jeep that Kosta handed him and jogged up to the parked vehicle. He was now very anxious to hear about Rania’s week from the woman herself.

Fifteen minutes later, he stopped the truck at the end of the track leading up to the house his grandfather had given them. Even in the fading light he could see it had been painted a shocking shade of pink.

…

Rania glanced at the clock as she heard a vehicle on the gravel road below the house. Where had the time gone? It was four o’clock last time she’d checked. She’d planned to meet Demetri at the dock, surprised at how much she’d missed him in the week he’d been away. Not that she’d had much time to mope. She’d managed to galvanize the islanders and a few of the handy tourists and turned their goat shack into a home fit for newlyweds. Having left all the work to her, Demetri would have to wait until tomorrow night to see it though.

She climbed down from the ladder where she’d been hanging a sheet over the rough wall that hadn’t been plastered yet. The bedroom was fashioned after a Bedouin tent but since neither of them would be lying there contemplating the decor, she figured it didn’t mattered much what it looked like. At least it was clean and smelled a hell of a lot better than when she’d first seen it.

“You go,” Demetri’s mother said. “I’ll finish up here and meet you at my parents’ house.”

“Thanks, Ma. Christina, do you need a ride?”

“No, I will walk home. My father is still upset with me for wanting to go to university, so I’m in no hurry to get there.”

“He’ll come around, especially when he sees how happy you are.”

Rania surveyed the room once more. Demetri was in for a shock, and not just when he saw the house. Maria had cut her hair short and now appeared ten years younger. And with the excitement of her coming adventure, she’d lost the lonely, haunted look she’d had when Rania first saw her.

The friendship with Christina had been a welcome surprise. Demetri’s ex-girlfriend had brought some food to feed the bevy of workers Rania had recruited to fix up the house. Expecting the woman to be furious with her for stealing her man, Rania had been pleased to find that although Christina had been upset at first, upon further reflection she was actually relieved Demetri hadn’t asked her to marry him. Evidently, she found him rather intimidating. Her initial desire to marry him had been more about the prospect of leaving the island. She didn’t think he’d support her dream to become a kindergarten teacher. When she’d discovered that, Rania had sat down with her and together they’d planned out the next three years so Christina could achieve her goal.

The creak of the newly installed front gate brought Rania back to the present. Other people’s dreams were one thing; her reality was walking up the path. She pulled her hair out of the bun and opened the front door, closing it quickly behind her so he couldn’t see inside.

“Hello, Demetri.” God, he looked fantastic. Her heart rate sped up and her hands went a bit clammy. Maybe Christina was right—maybe he was too much man.

“Pink? You expect me to live in a pink house?”

And there went the magic. She could tape over his mouth. It was only his body she really wanted anyway.

“I don’t give a damn where you live. Stay on your precious boat for all I care. I’m living here. In my pink goat shed.” She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for his next complaint.

“Is it pink on the inside, too?”

“No.”

“Then I guess once I get through the door the outside color won’t matter.”

He smiled and her anger dissipated. “See, I knew you were a smart man.”

“More like desperate. I’m not going to force you into marrying me, though. I destroyed those notes we wrote on the first night we met. I would never turn you over to the Egyptian authorities, but I hope you will agree to go ahead with the wedding tomorrow, considering the other mutual objectives we have.”

Not a very romantic proposal, but a damn sight better than his last one. A muscle throbbed in his cheek, and he’d gone all British on her. She’d noticed he did that when he was trying to keep his emotions under control. This marriage meant more to him than he wanted to admit.

“I’ll still marry you tomorrow.”

The huge smile that creased his face made her heartbeat quicken.

“Come here, agape mou. I’ve missed you.”

He called her “my love,” and for a minute she wished it was true. But calling her “my way to get a piece of land and ass” probably didn’t slip off the tongue as easily, or translate as well to Greek. Unable to deny herself, she stepped into his arms.

His firm lips grazed over hers. He nibbled on her lower lip before plundering her mouth, his tongue challenging hers. He pressed her up against the closed door while his hand slowly traced a path from her hip to the swell of her breast.

“Let’s go inside,” he whispered against her ear.

“Can’t. Your mother and Christina are there, finishing up, and you can’t see it until tomorrow, after the wedding. I take it your investigator didn’t uncover any misdemeanors in my past so bad you’ve changed your mind?”

His hands dropped to his side and he stepped back.

“How did you know I had you investigated?”

“I’ve had several calls from friends and family saying someone had been making inquiries about me. I told them I was applying for a job and my prospective employer was doing a thorough background check.”

“I knew nothing about you…”

“I understand.” She should tell him about her surveillance of him. Before she could say anything, he kissed her again.

When he finally raised his head, passion blazed in his eyes. “So, if we can’t go inside, let’s go to my yacht. We can have a nice meal, dance under the stars…”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that either. I have to help your grandmother with a little problem.”

Demetri’s face became concerned. “Yiayia has a problem?”

“Not for much longer. If you promise to keep your mouth shut and don’t interfere, I’ll let you tag along.”

“You’ll let me tag along?” His eyebrows made it to the center of his forehead.

She loved throwing him off balance. Taking his hand, she started walking toward the Jeep. “If you promise to keep quiet and don’t try to stop us.”

“Rania, what are you up to?”

“Just protecting your grandmother’s interests. Come on, we’re going to have a family dinner tonight.”

“What about my mother?”

“She said she’ll walk down later.”

Demetri climbed behind the wheel and stared at Rania for a moment before he started the vehicle. “Why do I get the feeling that the file I have on you is only a listing of irrelevant facts and I’m no closer to knowing you than I was a week ago?”

“Maybe because a dry report can’t capture the quirkier side of my personality?”

“Am I going to regret this marriage, Rania?”

She wanted to remind him that the real marriage was his idea. He could still marry some other woman and get his land, and she could find another way to get her uncle free. The thought of saying goodbye, never seeing Demetri again, started a slow burn in her chest.

“I promise you this. I will never do anything intentionally to hurt you or your family. Your mother, your yiayia, even your pappous, have become as important to me as my own relatives. And I won’t play you false. I’ll be the best wife you’ve ever had, but I won’t stop being me or trying to help people I care about.”

“I can’t ask for anything more. And speaking of people you care about, my lawyer has made contact with the prison holding your uncle. I’m working on his release, Rania. So you don’t need to jump into any more men’s showers. Trust me to do this for you.”

She searched his face. Others had offered to help, only to falter when it got tough. Perhaps Demetri’s steely determination would see him through, although she still had doubts that doing things legally was going to get her uncle free.

“As long as you keep me informed, I won’t do anything rash, at least not without telling you first.”

“I guess that’s the best I can hope for with you.” He leaned over and gave her a long, lingering kiss. “One more thing,” he said.

“Hmmm?”

“Tomorrow, after we’re legally married, I get you for twenty-four hours. No quests, no interruptions, no interference. Just you, me, and the inside of this god-awful pink house.”

She heaved a weary sigh but couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Oh, all right, then. If you insist.”

The lustful look he gave set off a tingle in the back of her thighs. Twenty-four hours of Demetri. What more could a girl ask for? A lifetime? The unbidden thought made her frown. She had a year, maybe less if they both got what they wanted from this marriage sooner rather than later. She couldn’t risk falling in love with him.

Then again, when he saw what she was going to do tonight, the whole wedding might be called off anyway. Was the twenty-four hour thing contingent on the marriage going ahead?

…

Demetri parked the Jeep in front of his grandparents’ house. So far, everything seemed normal. At least their house wasn’t pink. Pappous was sitting in his usual spot on the porch. He looked a little different. And when he greeted Demetri warmly, even standing to hug his grandson, little red flags went up in Demetri’s brain.

Thirty years and it was the first time he could remember his grandfather hugging him. What had Rania done? Was his grandfather hopped up on drugs? Before he could ask, Rania kissed his grandfather on both cheeks. Not an air kiss, a physical contact kiss, complete with sound effect. “How was your nap, Pappous?”

His grandfather actually blushed. Demetri was afraid to ask what had caused the transformation. A second later, Yiayia appeared at the door. Her gray hair was no longer pulled back in a severe bun, but left loose with only the front clipped back. She was even wearing lipstick. Demetri pinched himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Was this really his family?

While he stared at his grandmother, his grandfather said, “Welcome home, Demetri. We were sorry to hear about what happened at one of your hotels. Is everything back to normal now?” Pappous was taking an interest in his business? Demetri had no idea what was normal any more.

“It’s settled down for now. The resort is closed for this week, and I’ve hired a few counselors to help the staff deal with any issues they may be facing. The rest will come with time.”

“Well, I’m glad you made it back for the wedding. Rania, your yiayia, and mother have put a lot of effort into making the day special.”

“I’m sure it will be a day to remember.”

“Rania, can you help me put the finishing touches on dinner?”

“Of course, Yiayia.”

Rania followed his grandmother back into the house leaving him with his grandfather on the porch. He was about to join the women when Pappous stopped him. “We should talk.”

“About what?” With an effort he kept his tone light. If his grandfather dared lecture him on how to run his company, or worse, keep his woman in line, then Demetri didn’t want to hear it.

“Your marriage.”

“Pappous…”

“Sit down, Demetri. I can’t talk with you looming over me.”

Demetri sat on the edge of the chair next to his grandfather’s. He swept his gaze over the bay below, reminding himself of the reason he was going through with this folly in the first place. Except a tiny voice in his head said it was becoming less about the land, and more about the woman. He waited for his grandfather to speak.

“As you have no father, I guess it falls to me to talk to you about the wedding night.”

Oh, God, no!

“I know what to do, Pappous. It won’t be my first time.” Talking about sex with his grandfather was not going to happen.

“Yes, but with your wife it’s different. You have to be more tender. Remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint. You can’t only think about your own pleasure—”

“I’m sure I can figure it out. Is there anything else?”

“About Rania…”

Here it comes.

“What about Rania? The rest of the men on the island have already given their opinion of my wife when I docked. I was surprised you weren’t there as well.”

“That’s because I don’t agree with them. I think she’s what you, and this island, need. She’s special and exciting and perfect for you, for us. Don’t screw this up, son.”

“I’ll try my best,” Demetri said before standing. When this marriage was over, his family would probably prefer to see Rania than him. “If you’ll excuse me, I want to see my bride.”

Demetri strode into the house before his grandfather could offer any more pearls of wisdom. Rania was alone in the kitchen, peeling potatoes. Warmth spread through his body at the sight of her. He needed to keep his focus before he lost more than he gained from this marriage.

“Where’s Yiayia?”

Rania jumped at the sound of his voice. Was she feeling guilty about something? Or nervous about tomorrow? After all, he was as much a mystery to her as she was to him. At least he’d had her investigated. She only knew what she’d learned in the past week from a family he wasn’t particularly close to.

“She’s gone outside to check on a few things,” Rania said as she picked up the potato she’d dropped.

“What have you done to my grandfather?” He leaned against the counter, never taking his gaze from her face.

“What makes you think I’ve done something to him?” A faint blush stained her cheeks. She was definitely guilt ridden.

“He’s nice to me. And, well, he looks different.” Demetri couldn’t put a finger on it, but something about his grandfather had changed in the week he’d been away.

“I may, or may not, have slipped him something to get the old boy upright, if you know what I mean. With your grandmother’s permission, of course. A little sex is bound to make any man see the world in a better light, especially when he hasn’t had any for a while.”

Demetri did not want to think about his grandparents’ sex life. “Isn’t that dangerous? You can’t go around drugging the man.”

She swallowed. What else had she been slipping him? “Your grandmother approved. She said his heart is fine. He’s just had a few… mechanical… difficulties. Besides, if you were him, how would you want to go out? Sitting on the front porch feeling a failure? Or riding your woman on a wave of ecstasy?”

“Rania!” This was worse than talking with his grandfather about the wedding night.

“All I’m saying is it’s done him, and your grandmother, a world of good. But my supply is running out. You won’t believe what I had to trade with the British tourist to get the four pills he had. Any chance you could go to your doctor and get a prescription? Because Yiayia says there’s no way Pappous will admit to having a problem.”

“I will not lie to my doctor to get sex pills for my grandfather.”

“I figured you’d say that. Guess I’ll have to make a deal with the British plumber.”

Yiayia returned before he could ask what Rania meant, and there was no way he was going to carry on the conversation with his grandmother present. He’d been gone a week. What the hell would Rania get up to if he left for a month?

“Everything all set for tonight?” Rania asked Yiayia.

His grandmother rubbed her hands together in glee. “Yes, I’ve got twenty years of pent up rage to get rid of, and I’ve been practicing for days. Piotr almost caught me this morning. Then I put one of those blue pills in his lunch so…”

La la la la la la la.

“Are you going to bother with the sleeping pill tonight?” Rania cut the potatoes, her knife never hesitating while she discussed drugging his grandfather… God, he hoped it was his grandfather they were discussing.

“What do you think? After this afternoon’s activities, I’m pretty sure he’ll fall asleep quickly.”

“Probably, but we don’t want him to wake up in the middle and ruin everything.”

“What are you two planning?” Demetri planted his feet apart and crossed his arms over his chest. It was time to put a stop to this nonsense.

“You mean us three,” his mother said from the doorway. At least it was his mother’s voice. The beautiful woman who stood at the kitchen door looked nothing like the mother he’d left last week.

“What the hell?”