Jennifer Faye - Carrying The Greek Tycoon's Baby

Lea slowed the golf cart to a stop outside the honeymoon bungalow. Without a word, she got out. She grabbed her toolbox with a replacement rubber washer in it and headed up the four wooden steps to the front door.

The guests were supposed to have checked out by now, but as was standard procedure on the island, Lea rapped her knuckles soundly on the door. “Hello. Maintenance.”

A moment passed with no response.

She lifted her hand to insert her passkey but missed. If only Xander would go away, the slight tremble in her hands would stop. Lea inhaled a deep breath and tried again. This time she got it.

Footsteps sounded behind her. She didn’t have to turn to know it was Xander. She could smell the faint whiff of his cologne mingled with his male scent. It was an intoxicating combination.

Ignoring Xander, Lea opened the door slowly so as not to startle anyone that may be lingering on the inside. “Hello. Anyone here?” She glanced around for any sign of guests. “Maintenance coming in.”

With the door wide open, she stepped inside. No people. No luggage. No discarded dishes or drinks in the living room area or the kitchenette. They were alone—

Alone with Xander in a honeymoon bungalow. What made her think bringing him along was a good idea? Oh, yeah, he hadn’t given her a choice.

Then the door snicked shut behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, her gaze verifying that the door was indeed closed and then registering that Xander was standing very close to her. So close she could reach back and place her hand upon his chest. She swallowed hard and resisted the temptation.

So as not to give into her impulse, she faced forward, as though by turning away she’d be able to forget just how sexy he looked. In her mind, she pictured him clearly in that navy blue suit, sans tie and with the top buttons of his light blue dress shirt undone, giving a hint of the few dark curls on his chest. Lea stifled a moan.

On stilted legs, she headed toward the master suite. Her heart was racing. Her palms were damp. How was she ever going to be able to work with him lurking over her shoulder?

She stopped before reaching the bedroom. “You can take the golf cart and head back to the offices.” She was getting desperate for some space—a chance to think clearly. “I can walk. It’ll be good for the baby.”

“Why would I do that?”

Because you’re making me a nervous wreck.

Lea moistened her dry lips. “I didn’t think you’d want to stick around and watch me fix a leaky faucet.”

“Why are you doing maintenance work? Don’t you have people to do those sorts of things? I mean in your condition, should you be doing manual labor?”

She turned a narrow gaze on him. “I’m pregnant, not dying. And now that the morning sickness has passed, I have a lot of energy.” She tilted up her chin. “Trust me, I won’t do anything that would endanger the baby.”

He nodded in understanding. “I still don’t understand why you’re doing this.”

She didn’t want to tell him just how bad off the island was these days. With more and more accommodations shut down because of needed repairs, the fewer weddings she could book. The fewer weddings booked, the less income for repairs. It was one big downward spiral and she had yet to find a way to stop it. If only she could find an investor who didn’t want to change the island or the way the business was run. But so far, she hadn’t found that right person. And it certainly wasn’t Xander, who wanted to rip down everything her ancestors had built and loved.

“That’s not the kind of owner I am. I like to be a part of everything. Make sure things are functioning properly.”

He arched a brow. “And you can tell all of that by fixing a faucet?”

His tone let her know he didn’t believe her. But that was his problem. She didn’t have time to alleviate his curiosity. She had work to do. And this was her best unit on the island.

When she reached the master bedroom, she immediately stepped in water. It seeped up over her sandals. The breath hitched in her throat, smothering a scream.

A little leak? A drippy faucet?

Lea muttered under her breath as she rushed toward the bathroom. Her foot slipped on the wet floor. The next thing she knew, she was falling back. Strong hands reached out and caught her. She didn’t have time to thank him, she had to shut off the water.

Inside the bathroom, oblivious to the water, she knelt down and leaned under the countertop. She tried the shutoff valve under the sink but it wouldn’t budge. Using her whole-body strength, she groaned, but the valve didn’t move at all.

“Here. Let me try,” Xander said from behind her.

She turned to him and was about to tell him that this wasn’t his problem, when she noticed he’d divested himself of his suit coat. It now hung over the towel rack and his shirtsleeves were rolled up.

He held a hand out to her. “Hurry up. The water is still pouring in.”

He was right. This was not the time to stand on pride. If she lost this unit, the island would go out of business and her heritage would be lost. She couldn’t let that happen. It was her job to protect her family’s legacy—something her mother refused to do.

Lea watched as he clenched the wrench. The corded muscles of his forearms strained. His neck grew taut as his lips pressed together in a firm line. A deep groan filled the room as he gave it everything to move the valve.

After a few failed attempts, he turned to her. “Where’s the main water shutoff for the whole unit?”

“Outside. In the back, I think.” Up until this point, she hadn’t had any need to turn off the water main, but she knew the bulk of the units had the utility hookup in the back, out of view from the guests.

Xander stood. The water dripped off him—his suit was going to be ruined. And then she noticed his black leather dress shoes. They were partially submerged in water. Lea inwardly groaned as she thought of how many hundreds or more likely thousands of dollars his attire cost—something she didn’t have the extra cash to replace. She would have to deal with that later.

She took off for the door with Xander hot on her heels. The water shutoff thankfully was easy to find. And unlike the valve inside, it turned pretty easily.

Turning the water off was only the first step in fixing this huge mess. They rushed back inside, using everything available to mop up the water from the floor. Xander opened all of the windows. They continued to work together in peaceful harmony.

When the last of the water had been mopped up, Lea stood and inspected the damage. Thankfully the wood floor wasn’t discolored. It didn’t look like the water had been there long. Lea thanked her lucky stars.

As she placed the last wet towel in a laundry bag, she turned to Xander, who had just gotten to his feet after checking the plumbing joint under the sink. “Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Her gaze took in his wet, wrinkled suit. “I think your clothes are ruined.”

He glanced down as though he’d forgotten he was wearing dress clothes. “I’ve got more.”

“I didn’t see any luggage.”

“True. Everything is back in Athens. I was in a bit of a hurry.”

“Obviously.” She gave it a little thought. “Let’s drop off these wet linens and then we’ll get you something dry to wear.”

He gave her a strange look. “I don’t think you’ll have anything that will fit me.”

His words inspired an image of him in women’s clothes and a smile pulled at her lips. As they climbed in the golf cart, the image of Xander wearing her clothes wouldn’t leave her. She pressed on the accelerator.

“You’re picturing me in your clothes, aren’t you?”