Rebecca Winters - Double Trouble - Newborn Twins - Doorstep Twins / Those Matchmaking Babies / Babies in the Bargain

His dark head reared back. “When Deline finds out about this…I swear I’ve been doing everything to make our marriage work. It only happened that one time, Andreas. It’ll never happen again. I love Deline.” The tremor in his voice was real enough.

“I believe you.”

“You know the reason why we separated for those two months. We’d been fighting over my working too much. She got on that old rant about my being married to you instead of her. She said she was tired of being neglected and told me I was the reason we hadn’t gotten pregnant yet.

“When she told me she wanted a separation because she needed time to think, I was in hell. After weeks of trying to get her to talk to me, she told me she was thinking of making the separation permanent. I was so hurt, I ended up taking the yacht out. Some of my friends came along and brought women. There was too much drinking. I never meant to lose my head.”

Andreas had heard it all before. He’d seen his brother was in anguish then, but this news added a terrifying new wrinkle.

After pacing the floor, Leon stopped and faced Andreas. “I know that was no excuse for making the ghastliest mistake of my life.” His mouth formed a thin line. “Sorry you got involved in this mess.” There was a lengthy pause. “It isn’t your problem. It’s mine , but I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do about it yet.”

At least Leon had admitted responsibility. “Once you’ve seen those babies, you’ll figure it out.” Of course Andreas could tell himself that now, but there was no sure way to know how his brother would feel after he’d gotten a look at them. “Let’s agree that for the moment there’s nothing else to be done. You go on back and find Deline. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Though he’d promised his mother he wouldn’t be long, he found he didn’t want to put off the phone call to Gabi until tomorrow. It surprised him how much he was looking forward to talking to her again.

Gabi had just finished changing the last diaper of the night when she heard her cell phone ring. She’d kept it in her jeans pocket to be certain she’d didn’t miss Andreas’s call if it came.

A peek at the caller ID and a rush of pleasure filled her body. Since her parents had gone out to dinner with guests, she could talk freely and clicked on.

“Andreas?”

“Good evening,” came his deep, compelling voice. She liked the sound of it. Thea had obviously found it attractive, too. The knowledge that she’d had an intimate relationship with him increased Gabi’s guilt and anger at herself for having any thoughts or feelings about him.

“Am I calling at the wrong moment?”

“No.” She left the bedroom that had been turned into a nursery and closed the door. “It’s a perfect time.” Gabi was the only person to speak for the children. He sounded eager enough to see them again. “The children are finally down until their three-o’clock bottle, thank heaven.”

“Then you’re going to need your beauty sleep, so I won’t keep you.”

She let the remark pass. His only agenda had to do with his children, who appeared to be growing on him. That was the result she’d been hoping for. Leaning against the wall in the hall, she said, “Have you decided you want to see the twins again?”

“Yes. Could we meet at the park on Monday?”

Her pulse sped up. “Of course. When would you like to come? Morning or afternoon is fine with me.”

“Morning would be an ideal time for me.”

“Then I’ll meet you at ten o’clock. After they’ve been fed and had their baths, I often take them on a walk when it’s not so hot.”

“I’m anxious to see them again.”

That was an excellent sign. “The children love any attention.” Especially when it was from their father. “I’ll see you then.”

“Gabi?” There was a nuance in his voice that caught her off guard.

“Yes?”

She heard him take a deep breath. “Thank you for being there for them.”

It was too early for her to get a handle on his vision for their future. After his visit on Monday to see the children, there might not be another one. She had to prepare herself for that possibility. “You don’t need to thank me. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

“I’ve noticed you don’t accept compliments graciously, so I’ll say it another way. Not everyone would do what you’re doing. Not for your sister, not for anyone.”

“Before you give me too much credit, don’t forget I watched the twins being born. It was a life-changing experience for me.”

“I don’t doubt it. Ta Leme.” She knew that phrase well enough.

Gabi hung up, wishing his visit was as soon as tomorrow instead of Monday. She would like to know his plans because she was leaving with the children next week. It was no good staying in Greece any longer. One way or the other, she needed to get on with her life and her parents needed to get on with theirs.

During Gabi’s morning walk with the children, Kris had nodded off. Last night he’d played too hard after she’d gotten up to give him a bottle. Nikos, on the other hand was wide awake and raring to go.

When she reached the park bench beneath the shade, she undid the strap and picked him up. He clung to her as she showed him the fountain. The noise of the babbling water had captured his attention. She looked round to see if Kris was all right. As before, her breath caught to discover Andreas standing over the stroller looking down at him.

Every time she saw the boys’ father, she experienced a guilty rush of excitement that was impossible to smother. He’d dressed in a light blue business suit with a darker blue shirt and no tie, the personification of male splendor in her eyes. Thea’s, too.

There was a time when Gabi hadn’t thought there was a man who came close to Rand in his cowboy boots and Stetson. While on her two-week summer vacation with Rachel McCallister, her friend from college, she’d fallen hard for Rachel’s cousin and his Texas charm. Two weeks of a whirlwind relationship and she’d thought it would go on forever.

Too late she found out there was nothing deeper to back up his fascinating drawl and the smile in those dancing blue eyes. He’d let her go back to Alexandria without making any kind of plans to see her again. When she learned through Rachel that he was getting married to his old girlfriend, Gabi’s heart withered.

Since then she’d met and dated some attractive, successful men at her work and at the consulate, but she took no relationship seriously. Her career had become her top priority, the one thing she could count on.

Thankfully she’d learned her lesson well before meeting the legendary Andreas Simonides. Though there was no male to equal his intelligence or incredible appeal, she wouldn’t fall into that trap again. Once had been enough.

She walked toward him carrying Nikos. “Good morning.”

“Kalimera.” His voice had a lazy, almost seductive quality. She felt his gaze linger on her face before he switched his attention to Nikos. Again his gray eyes lit up. “Do you remember me?” He kissed the baby’s cheek.

Nikos’s eyelids fluttered in reaction. He was so cute.

“Gabi?” His eyes trapped hers once more. They held a trace of anxiety. “I brought someone with me I’d like you to meet.”

Who?

Maybe it was a woman he was thinking of marrying now that he was running the Simonides company. Gabi fought to remain calm. Naturally that woman would be hopelessly in love with him. But when she learned he had two sons, would she be able to accept and eventually love the children he’d fathered with someone else?

Suddenly Gabi was feeling very possessive. No woman could mother them the way she could, but it was none of her business since she had no parental claim to the boys.