Jennifer Faye - The Greek's Nine-Month Surprise

Wanting to push him out of his safety zone, she moved closer to him. Her curves brushed up against his muscular chest. Immediately he sucked in a deep breath as his body stiffened.

“Relax,” she murmured, feeling exceedingly daring. Perhaps it was the dim lighting. Or maybe it was the sparkling wine. Whatever it was, she decided not to fight it. She was having too much fun. “Don’t worry—I won’t bite.”

A deep, rich chuckle rumbled from his chest. They began to move to the music again. He leaned in close—real close. His breath lightly brushed over her neck, sending goose bumps down her arms. “Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to take advantage of me?”

She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way he had her pulse racing. “Would that be so bad?”

“I never let anyone have the advantage.”

“Maybe you should—think of all you’re missing out on.” She wasn’t one for flings, but Niko was different. The push and pull of her common sense versus her desires raged war within her. Should she? Or shouldn’t she? In the end, she threw caution to the wind and decided that for Niko, she just might make an exception.

“Sofia? Did you hear me?”

He’d been talking? Between the loud voices and the strums of the eight-piece band, not to mention her own riotous thoughts, she’d missed what he’d said. And that was a shame because she loved his voice that was heavily laden with a Greek accent.

“I’m sorry. I’m having trouble hearing you.”

“Perhaps you’d care to stop by my suite. We could continue our conversation. It’s much quieter there. Unless of course you’d care to dance the night away.”

He was inviting her to his suite? Her immediate response was no. But, then again, after tonight he’d be gone. And tomorrow she’d be like Cinderella, trading in her royal blue chiffon gown and satin heels for a black-and-white maid’s uniform complete with no-nonsense black shoes with rubber soles.

The way Niko implored her with his eyes eroded any lingering doubts. Tonight would be her fairy tale—something she’d remember for years to come.

“Lead the way.”

CHAPTER ONE

Twelve weeks later...

HE WAS LATE.

He was never late. Nikolas Stravos III expelled a disgruntled sigh as he stood in the shower. There was something about being at the Blue Tide Resort that always seemed to have him acting out of character. His previous stay had included the most fascinating evening with the most incredible woman. He smiled at the memory.

He turned away from the spray of water, letting the soapsuds slide down his body. He leaned forward, pressing his palms against the cold tiles. The jets of water beat against the backs of his shoulders. Hundreds of droplets of water came together and trickled down his spine. He longed for the pulsating rhythm to ease away the ache in his tense muscles.

A lot had happened since he’d last been to the Blue Tide. He now had a solo voice in the operation and direction of the Stravos Trust, a position he’d been groomed to ascend to since childhood. But no one had warned him the promotion would cost him dearly.

It’d all started here at the resort, at Cristo Kiriakas’s wedding to Kyra, Niko’s newfound cousin. The memories unfolded in his mind like a promo to a blockbuster movie, hitting all the highlights.

Some of the recollections were amazing, like getting to know Sofia, the maid of honor. And spending a glorious night together, an evening he hadn’t been able to banish from his mind. But as good as that brief period had been, what had followed was horrific—losing his grandfather suddenly to a heart attack. The memory still sliced through him. There had been no time for goodbyes—no final words. It was all over before Niko had time to react.

He cursed under his breath as he turned off the water. Life could be so cruel sometimes. If he’d learned one thing, it was that everything could change at the drop of a hat. No notice. No nothing. And then you were all alone in this big, cold world. It was the story of his life.

Niko reached for the towel waiting for him just outside the shower stall. Instead of thinking about his upcoming business meeting with Cristo to finalize the terms of the sale of the Stravos Star Hotels, Niko found his thoughts spiraling back to Sofia. He ran the plush towel over his face. He made a mental note to inquire about her. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to learn where she lived. By the time he’d awoken on that not-so-long-ago morning, she was gone. Like a dream, she’d vanished—

Thunk!

The startling noise drew his thoughts up short. What was that? It sure sounded like something had fallen over. But how was that possible? He didn’t recall leaving a window open for the breeze to wreak havoc. But he conceded that, in his exhausted state after working day and night, anything was possible. And he had opened the windows last night when he’d first arrived. Perhaps he’d forgotten to close one of them.

Not bothering to dry himself off, he draped the towel around his waist, anxious to find out what damage had been done. His feet moved soundlessly over the cool ceramic tile floor.

He stepped into the outer room when he heard, “Ghuahh!”

He stopped in his tracks. He scanned the room, at last settling on a most beautiful woman. Her eyes were round with alarm as she straightened, holding a lamp that belonged on the end table. Who was this woman? And what was she doing in his bungalow uninvited?

His gaze moved back to her face. It took a second before he realized he knew her—in fact, he knew her quite well, in a manner of speaking. Sofia. She’d come back. And this time, she wasn’t a figment of his dreams. She was standing before him with those tempting lips and all her curvy goodness.

He noticed how her gaze slipped down to his towel before quickly returning to his face. Her cheeks were suffused with color. Really? How could she be so innocent after the night they’d spent together?

Still, at the sight of her embarrassment, he felt as though the towel had shrunk to half its size. He should have excused himself to go throw on some clothes, but his mind wasn’t exactly working right. “Sofia? What are you doing here?”

Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She turned and bolted for the door.

“Hey, wait!” He hadn’t meant to scare her off. Perhaps his tone hadn’t exactly been welcoming, but she was in his bungalow without an invitation—oh, who was he kidding? He was frustrated with himself for being so excited to see her.

And he just couldn’t let her get away without finding out why she’d sought him out. He started after her, but when he reached the covered porch of his exclusive bungalow, a breeze rushed past him, reminding him that he was dressed in nothing more than a bath towel.

He stopped and stared at Sofia’s back as she moved away from him as quickly as her legs would carry her. What puzzled him the most was why she kept leaving him without so much as a word.

Usually he had the opposite problem with women. They were too clingy for his comfort. Sofia was different. She intrigued him. He’d have to work harder at making a good impression the next time they met.

He pressed his hand to the wooden rail as he watched her make her way along the path surrounded by lush, colorful vegetation. All too soon, she disappeared from sight. The part that stuck with him was the fact she’d been wearing a maid’s uniform. She works here?

A whistle drew his attention. He turned to find a pretty brunette in a red bikini sunbathing not far from his bungalow. She flashed him a toothy smile and waved, but he didn’t return the gesture, not wanting to encourage her attention.

His phone chimed with a reminder that he had a meeting in fifteen minutes. With a shake of his head, he turned and headed inside the thatched-roof bungalow. Thoughts of Sofia persisted. Had she, too, been unable to forget about their time together? Was that why she’d shown up at his bungalow? But if so, why had she run away? Surely it wasn’t his lack of clothing. It had to be more than that. But what?