Pretending with the Greek Billionaire(5)

“Let’s get inside!”

Constance nodded and pushed away from him but he kept his arm around her waist, guiding her toward the house. The helicopter disappeared over the roof, but wouldn’t be out of sight long.

“Wait!” she said. “We’re missing one.”

Luca turned around just in time to see the little one who’d torn up his flowers topple into the deep end of the pool. He reached the pool in three strides, his heart in his throat, and jumped in, holding onto the side with one arm while snagging the little girl with the other. She came up sputtering. He hauled her into his chest and heaved them both out of the pool. Constance was there, arms out, but the child wouldn’t let go of his neck. The helicopter loomed again, the photographer leaning out the open door with his camera. Luca swore under his breath and turned back to the house. He’d pry the child off his neck inside, away from the vultures.

Joseph helped herd all the kids inside, closing the doors and drawing the drapes the moment they were all safely in.

The little one in Luca’s arms coughed and he awkwardly patted her on the back. “Water is for swimming in and drinking, not breathing. Let’s try to keep it out of our lungs next time, hmm? Might be best to stick to the shallow end for now, eh paidi mou?” he said, the term of endearment slipping from his lips.

My child…just like his mother used to call him when he’d done something silly or naughty. He hadn’t thought of it in years. He shifted uncomfortably and pulled the girl away from his neck.

He handed her over to Constance, who stood by with a towel that Joe must have grabbed for her.

She nodded up at him with wide eyes while Constance dried her off.

“Thank you,” she said, hugging the child close. If you hadn’t been there…”

He frowned and waved off her thanks, his discomfort growing. Having both of them staring up at him was more scrutiny than he wanted to deal with just then. “Don’t worry about it.”

“We need to go,” Constance said. “We can’t be here with…that,” she said waving toward the sound of the retreating helicopter. “I’m sorry about trespassing and…out there. I mean that we almost…that I…” Her fingers fluttered to her lips and Luca’s stretched into a slow smile, his momentary agitation fading with the memory of his near brush with her lips. She flushed a red nearly as deep as her hair. “You nearly…that was…”

“Pleasant?”

“Unexpected.”

“Pleasurable.”

Constance stiffened. “Unwelcome.”

“Unlikely,” Luca said with smug confidence.

Constance’s mouth dropped open and it was all Luca could do not to haul her back into his arms and show her how much she would have enjoyed it. He chuckled and she glared at him.

Well, if nothing else, this little escapade had given him the diversion he’d desperately needed after seeing his father, even if it probably made things worse. That alone would have bought the intriguing Constance some mercy from him. The tantalizing near taste of her lips went a great deal farther.

“Joseph, please escort Miss McMurty and her charges home.”

“Oh please,” she said, “that’s not necessary at all.”

“I insist,” Luca said.

She opened her mouth, probably to argue again, but the faint sound of the helicopter still overhead must have changed her mind.

“All right then.” She turned to Joseph. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, miss,” he said with a little bow. “Follow me.”

She gathered everyone up and started to follow Joe out to the garage where Luca had several vehicles of varying sizes waiting for his use.

“Until next time, Miss McMurty.”

She turned back toward him, her eyes flashing blue fire.

“Goodbye, Mr. Vasilakis.”

Luca found himself smiling as she disappeared around the corner.

What the hell had just happened?





Chapter Two

Constance held the phone to her ear with a trembling hand. Although with the way her director, the Mother Superior of the tiny convent on Mykonos and the head of the Emergency Family Aid group on the island, was screeching she probably could have left the phone across the room and heard her fine. With her other hand, she scrolled through the pictures that had been filling the internet for the last several hours.

Her. Surrounded by the kids. In Luca’s arms. It didn’t matter that nothing had happened. That he had only been shielding her from the dirt the helicopter had kicked up. It looked as if they were eating each other’s faces.

Pleasurable? That deep, smug voice of Luca’s replayed over and over through her head.