He got up from the lounger and walked over to the railing, watching the moonlight on the water. His training as a SEAL had taught him that you had to set up your perimeter and have everything in place before you mounted an assault. This time Stephanie was the target. Unfortunately, after leaving her behind, he’d unwittingly planted an almost impenetrable field of land mines and booby traps that would destroy him if he wasn’t careful.
If his suspicions about her were correct—that she’d calculated every move since meeting him at the resort, in order to trap him—it meant maneuvering through them with surgical precision while he waited to see if she was pregnant, then awaited the DNA results.
How would he begin making it up to her if he was wrong?
In retrospect, Nikos realized he’d accused her of duplicity, when he’d been the one who’d committed a multiple number of sins. Not only had he forsaken her on the island without giving her an honest explanation, he hadn’t tried to reach her during his stay in the hospital.
The moment his father had handed him those snapshots, Nikos had been carried away by his own suspicions that she was after his money and the lifestyle he could provide her. His anger had quickly turned to white-hot pain at the thought she’d been only using him during that time on vacation. In retaliation, he’d treated her abominably.
Nikos let out a groan. Was he turning into his father? A man who’d believed the worst about the wife who loved him, because of a rumor? Whose doubts and suspicions had turned him into an impossible man to live with, catching Nikos in the crossfire?
Stephanie’s words still rang in his ears. What we had together wasn’t love.
But what if it had been love on her part, and it was only her anger talking now? Otherwise why would she have gone through all she’d done to find him?
He owed it to both of them to discover the truth. Otherwise he might be dooming himself to repeat his father’s history. Until Nikos had proof, he decided he would believe her story, because his entire happiness could depend on it.
By the time the sun had risen above the horizon, he’d made his plans. The first thing he’d do was shower, then fix breakfast for the two of them. Or the three...
* * *
A knock on her bedroom door brought Stephanie awake. It was ten after eight. She’d slept soundly, likely because of the gentle rocking of the yacht. But it didn’t feel as if they were moving now.
“Yes?”
“Your breakfast is waiting for you in the lounge down the hall, whenever you’re ready.”
She blinked. “Nikos?”
“Of course.”
There was no “of course” about it. Last night he’d told her to fix her own food. This morning it seemed he’d decided to be more civil. That was a good sign, since she needed to go home today, and couldn’t without his cooperation.
“Thank you. I’ll be right there.”
She took all her pills with a cup of water she’d put by the bed, and then got out from under the covers. Once in the bathroom she showered quickly, then brushed her hair and left it loose. A little blusher and lipstick and she felt ready to face Nikos.
Stephanie hadn’t packed a lot. She’d brought extra undergarments and a smoky-blue knit top she wore loose over her khaki pants, which were uncomfortable now. She needed to buy some maternity clothes the moment she got back to Florida.
In spite of the fact that she would have to go through the entire pregnancy alone, she was looking forward to it. Having found the baby’s father, and knowing his real identity, she felt a bit more lighthearted. Soon she’d start getting a nursery ready, and couldn’t wait.
After putting on her sandals, she left the bedroom and moved across the hall to the lounge, where she found Nikos at the table, waiting for her. He stood up when she walked in. She detected the scent of the soap he’d used in the shower. Her senses responded to it, though she tried to ignore them.
“It looks like you’ve made a fabulous breakfast.” He’d fixed coffee, too, but so far she hadn’t been able to tolerate it. “We could have eaten in the galley and saved you the extra trouble.”
“True, but you’re a guest, so I thought this might be more enjoyable.”
“For a prisoner who has to stay below deck, you mean,” she muttered.
He ignored her comment. “Let’s hope there’s something here that you can keep down.” He helped her into a chair before he sat opposite her at the rectangular table.
“Those rolls and fruit look good.” So did he.... This morning he was freshly shaved and wearing a white crew neck shirt with jeans. It was sinful how handsome he was!
While he ate eggs and a roll, his jet-black eyes played over her several times. “Your hair is a little longer.”
“So’s yours.” But she refused to tell him how much she liked it.
He appeared to drink his coffee with pleasure. “What did your doctor tell you about swimming and scuba diving in your condition?”
The question was totally unexpected. “I can do some limited swimming, but diving during pregnancy increases the risk to the fetus, so I’m not taking any chances. Why do you ask?”
One black brow lifted. “Your job. Now that you’re pregnant, the kind of work you do swimming with the manatees will have to be curtailed.”
She munched on a banana. “I realize that and plan to discuss it with my boss when I get back. Which raises the question of when you’re going to take me to Chios so I can get a flight home.”
“That all depends.” He bit into a juicy plum.
Stephanie fought to remain cool-headed. “On what?”
He finished it, then lounged back in the chair, eyeing her for a long moment. “I have a proposition for you.”
“I’m not interested.”
“Surely after all the trouble you took to find me, can’t you admit you’re a little curious?”
“That curiosity died when I didn’t find Dev. You’re the dark side of him, a complete stranger to me with your lies and secrets. I have no desire to listen to anything you have to say, except to hear that you’ll let me go.”
“Be that as it may, you’ve convinced me you were an innocent tourist on vacation in the Caribbean. I take full responsibility for finding you attractive and pursuing you. Since you’re pregnant, it’s only right that I take care of you and the baby you’re carrying.”
For him to say that to her now... Pain ripped her apart. “For the last time, I don’t want your money, just my freedom.”
His eyes narrowed on her features. “You can have it in time if it’s what you want. That’s what divorces are for.”
Shaken by his words, she sprang from the chair. “What are you talking about?”
“Our marriage, of course. You came all the way from Florida to let me know I’m going to be a father. But that’s not all I want. I want my name on the birth certificate along with yours. To a Greek male, it means everything.”
“Since when?” she blurted.
“Since learning that you’ve known nothing about your own father—not even his name. I can see how devastating that has been for you, which makes it more vital than ever that the baby growing inside you has my name so it can take its rightful place in the world.”
Stephanie reeled in place, clinging to the back of the chair. “You don’t want to marry me.” Her tremulous words reverberated