Emma Darcy - Ruthless Milllionaire, Indecent Proposal

Her mother revelled in the company and Theo was a hit— such a beautiful grandchild —but Tina couldn’t help feeling like an outsider. The women tended to talk about her in the third person, as though she wasn’t there at all.

‘We must find a husband for your daughter, Helen.’

‘Why did she cut her hair? Men like long hair.’

‘She is obviously a good mother. That is important.’

‘And if she is used to helping in a restaurant …’

Not helping, managing, Tina silently corrected, observing how Uncle Dimitri was managing his. He was constantly on watch, signalling waiters to wherever service was required. All the patrons were treated to a plate of sliced watermelon at the end of their meals—on the house—a nice touch for long hot evenings. People left happy, which meant return visits and good word-of-mouth. It was something she could copy at home.

Most of the tables were out on the sidewalk, under trees or umbrellas. Herbs were grown in pots, their aromas adding to the pleasant ambience. The food was relatively simple, the salads very good. She particularly liked the olive oil, honey and balsamic vinegar dressing—a combination she would use in future. It was easy to relax and have a taste of Athens.

There’d been a message from Cassandra at the hotel, saying she and her fiancé would join them at the restaurant, and Tina kept looking for their arrival, eager to meet up with her sister again. Cass had brought George home to Sydney with her six months ago, but had been working a heavy international schedule ever since. They had just flown in from London and were spending one night in Athens before moving on to the island of Patmos where George’s family lived.

‘Here they come!’ her mother cried, seeing them first.

Tina looked.

And froze in horror.

There was her beautiful sister, her face aglow with happy excitement, looking every inch the supermodel she had become.

Hugging her to his side was George Carasso, grinning with pride in his bride-to-be.

Next to him strolled Ari Zavros.

Her mother turned to her. ‘Tina, isn’t that the man we saw …’

She heard the words but couldn’t answer. Bad enough to find herself confronted by him again. It was much, much worse with him knowing about Theo!

People were on their feet, greeting, welcoming, hugging and kissing. Ari was introduced as George’s cousin who was to be his best man at the wedding. His best man! And she was Cass’s only bridesmaid! The nightmare she had made for herself was getting more torturous by the second and there was no end to it any time soon. It was going to be impossible to enjoy her sister’s wedding. She would have to suffer through being Ari’s partner at the ceremony and the reception.

If she hadn’t opened her mouth in Dubai and let her secret out, she might have managed to skate over their past involvement. There was little hope of that now. No hope at all, given the look Ari Zavros had just turned her way, a dangerously simmering challenge in the riveting amber eyes.

‘And this is your sister?’ he prompted Cass, who immediately obliged with the formal introduction.

‘Yes. Tina! Oh, it’s so good to see you again!’ she bubbled, dodging around the table to give her a hug. ‘George and I are staying in Ari’s apartment tonight and when we told him we were meeting up with you, he insisted on coming with us so you won’t be strangers to each other at the wedding.’

Strangers!

He hadn’t let the cat out of the bag.

Tina fiercely hoped it suited him not to.

Cass swooped on Theo, lifting him up in her arms and turning to show him off to Ari. ‘And this is my nephew, Theo, who is going to be our page boy.’

Ari smiled at him. ‘Your Aunty Cassandra told me it’s your birthday this week.’

He’d been checking, Tina thought grimly.

Theo held up his hand with fingers and thumb spread. ‘Five,’ he announced proudly.

‘It’s my birthday this month, too,’ Ari said. ‘That makes us both Leos.’

‘No. I’m Theo, not Leo.’

Everyone laughed at the correction.

‘He didn’t mean to get your name wrong, darling,’ Cass explained. ‘We’re all born under star signs and the star sign for your birthday is Leo. Which means a lion. And you have amber eyes, just like a lion.’

Theo pointed to Ari. ‘He’s got the same colour eyes as me.’

Tina held her breath. Her heart was drumming in her ears. Her mind was screaming please, please, please don’t claim parentage now. It was the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong everything!

‘There you are, then,’ Ari said with an air of indulgence, taking Theo’s outstretched hand and giving it a light shake. ‘Both of us are lions and I’m very glad to meet you.’ He turned to Tina. ‘And your mother.’

Relief reduced her to jelly inside. He wasn’t pushing his fatherhood yet. Maybe he never would. She should be saying hello, but she was so choked up with nervous tension it was impossible to get her voice to work.

‘Tina?’ He gave her a slightly quizzical smile as he offered his hand to her. ‘Short for Christina?’

‘Yes.’ It was a husky whisper, all she could manage.

Then she was forced by the occasion to let his strong fingers close around hers. The jolting sensation of electric warmth was a searing reminder of the sexual chemistry that had seduced her in the past. It instantly stirred a fierce rebellion in her mind. No way was she going to let it get to her again, making her weak and foolish. If there was to be a fight over custody of Theo, she couldn’t let Ari Zavros have any personal power over her. She wriggled her hand out of his as fast as she could.

Seating was quickly re-arranged so that Cass and George could sit beside her mother. Uncle Dimitri produced an extra chair for Ari at the end of the table, right next to her and Theo. It was impossible for Tina to protest this proximity, given they would be partners at the wedding and apparently Ari had already stated his intention to make her acquaintance.

The situation demanded polite conversation. Any failure to follow that course would raise questions about her behaviour. As much as Tina hated having to do it, she adopted the pretence of being strangers, forcing herself to speak to George’s best man with an air of natural enquiry.

‘When did you meet my sister?’

It was a good question. She needed information and needed it fast to help her deal with Ari in the most sensible way. If it was possible to avoid a showdown with him over Theo, grasping that possibility was paramount.

‘Only this evening,’ he answered with a wry little smile. ‘I knew of her, of course, because of her engagement to George, but within the family she was always referred to as simply Cassandra since she is famously known by that name in the supermodel world. I’d never actually heard her surname. I chanced to see it written on her luggage when she set it down in the apartment. Very opportune, given the circumstances.’

The fact that he’d immediately seized the opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with her gave no support to the wishful thought of avoiding an ultimate showdown.

‘So you proceeded to draw her out about her family,’ Tina said flatly, feeling as though a trap was closing around her.

‘Very enlightening,’ he drawled, his eyes mocking the secrecy which was no longer a secret to him.

Fear squeezed her heart. Sheer self-defence demanded she ignore his enlightenment. ‘You live in Athens?’

‘Not really. The apartment is for convenience. Anyone in the family can use it, which is why George felt free to bring Cassandra there for tonight. More private for her than a hotel.’