Jennifer Faye - The Greek's Nine-Month Surprise

He inwardly groaned as he removed the first suit he came across in the wardrobe. His knowledge of women wouldn’t even fill up a shot glass. And he had no intention of learning more—at least not anytime soon. And when he did decide to settle down, it would be a marriage of convenience.

He’d experienced enough loss in his life. He wasn’t about to risk his heart on romance. A strategically planned marriage would be best for all concerned. It’s what made the most sense. From what he’d observed, emotions were too fickle. Sometimes he wondered if romantic love truly existed or if people only imagined it. He sighed. Even if it did exist, he was better off without such an entanglement. It just made life more complicated than it needed to be.

If he were smart, he’d forget Sofia. That was the best thing he could do for both of them, because he had nothing to offer her except a moment here or a moment there. Certainly nothing consistent—nothing lasting.

In fact, tomorrow he would be jetting off, far from the Blue Tide Resort. His grandfather had given him one last mission to complete. And that had to be Niko’s focus—not a beautiful woman with eyes full of mystery.

* * *

Her heart pounded.

Sofia pressed a hand to her chest as she eased open the door to the employee area in the lower level of the resort. With it being midmorning, the locker area was deserted. Everyone was busy trying to get their assigned tasks completed while the guests soaked up rays on the beach, golfed or toured the picturesque seaside.

She moved to the far corner of the room, anxious to be alone. Her mind had been racing ever since she ran into Mr. Dreamy, as she’d dubbed him during her best friend’s wedding. What was he doing back here? And why hadn’t Kyra mentioned his visit?

Sofia leaned against the cool tiled wall. She slid down to the floor and pulled out her phone. She could really use a sounding board. It wasn’t until then that she realized her hands were trembling.

She didn’t know what she’d been expecting for their reunion, but it certainly wasn’t the suspicion in Niko’s eyes. And when he spoke, his voice had been laced with agitation.

The backs of her eyes stung, and her stomach churned. This couldn’t be happening. She hadn’t meant to catch him by surprise. There had been no privacy notice on the door, and she’d knocked several times without getting a response. She hadn’t even known that he’d returned to the Blue Tide.

Her fingers moved over the keyboard as she messaged Kyra.

MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): He’s here!

Seconds passed and nothing. She willed Kyra to message her back. Of all the times she needed her best friend... Sofia’s hand moved protectively over her still-flat midsection.

“It’s okay, little one. I’ll get this all sorted out. I promise.” Impatiently her fingers moved over the keypad again.

MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): I need you.

Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): I’m here. Who’s here?

MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): Niko. What do I do?

Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): Do you want to see him?

Sofia hadn’t told Kyra the steamy bits that had transpired between her and Niko. It felt strange to hold back from her best friend, who until this point in her life had known all her secrets and insecurities. But this was different. She’d had a one-night stand with Niko—Kyra’s long-lost cousin. That totally changed the rules of the game.

There was something else Sofia hadn’t told Kyra—she was pregnant. Sofia had just found out earlier that week. She would tell Kyra everything just as soon as she figured out how best to deal with Niko.

MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): No. Yes. I don’t know.

Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): Do you want me to say something to him for you?

MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): No!

Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): Are you sure?

MaidintheShade347 (Sofia): I’ll handle it.

Mop&Glow007 (Kyra): LMK if you change your mind. I’ll help.

The offer was generous, so typical of Kyra. Her friend had already pulled strings and gotten Sofia enrolled in an in-house managerial training program. Sofia was immensely grateful for the opportunity, but she was seriously considering returning to the States to earn an accounting degree. She’d always had a knack for numbers.

Though Kyra’s offer to help smooth over things with Niko was tempting, Sofia would have to face Niko on her own. She couldn’t even imagine how he’d react to her news.

CHAPTER TWO

NIKO YANKED AT his necktie, loosening it. He took the steps leading up to his bungalow two at a time while holding firmly to the notes he’d taken during his meeting with Cristo. He released the top buttons on his dress shirt. Whatever made him think wearing a suit at the Blue Tide was a good idea?

Because it was a habit. He felt in control in a suit and tie. His grandfather had drilled this message into him since he was just a boy. Without his father around to assume his rightful place as the Stravos heir, the role had fallen to Niko. He’d vowed at an early age to be the type of man that would have made his father and grandfather proud. That role included dressing the part.

However, Cristo hadn’t felt the need for business attire, even though they were dealing with a very big contract that involved the sale of Niko’s international hotel chain to Cristo. Thankfully the meeting had gone quite well. The changes to the terms of the contract were minor. So why was he so uptight? So out of sorts?

The answer immediately came to him in the vision of Sofia. He strode into the bungalow, where he uncharacteristically tossed his tie over the back of the couch, followed by his suit jacket. Why had she looked at him as if he were the Big Bad Wolf and she were Little Red Riding Hood? Had he really been that gruff?

He gave himself a mental shake as he sat down at the spacious desk and turned on his laptop. He’d be lost without it. Immediately his email software popped up on the screen. Forty-three new emails since that morning. All appeared to be business related. He inwardly groaned. They’d have to wait a little longer.

Niko opened a new email and started typing a note to his legal team. Sofia’s panic-stricken face as she’d rushed out the door came to him. He shoved the image to the back of his mind as he transcribed his hasty notes into something more understandable.

When he’d finished proofreading the rather lengthy email, he pressed Send. He soon found three more emails had landed in his inbox. He leaned back in his chair as the memory of Sofia continued to plague him.

What had she wanted? Why had she looked so upset? He couldn’t fully focus on his work until he had answers.

Niko strode over to the phone and was quickly connected with the front desk. He couldn’t come straight out and request they send over Sofia. It would raise too many questions. Instead he requested the maid who’d cleaned his room to stop by, as he’d misplaced some papers and needed to know if she’d seen them. He assured the desk clerk that no crime had been committed. He just needed a bit of help.

Not more than five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Niko opened it to find Sofia holding a stack of plush white towels as though they were a shield. “Hi. Thanks for coming back.”

Her gaze didn’t quite meet his. “I...I didn’t see any papers.”

He arched a brow. “And you would know this how? You took off so fast this morning that you didn’t have time to look around.”

“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know you were in the bungalow.”

After being up late into the night working, he’d slept in. He’d forgotten to put out the do-not-disturb placard. That answered some of his questions but not all of them. “I understand about the mix-up this morning, but we still need to talk.”