She glanced at Stefano and shared his look of surprise.
“Thank you, I would love to see the rest of the ship. I can bring you a plate in ten minutes,” she replied. “The crew decided to eat on board and then we’re all going exploring.”
Nikos nodded once and then left. He wasn’t sure why he’d made the offer. He’d never done so before. But then, he’d never had a woman chef before, either. For a moment Nikos wondered if he’d lost his mind. He was considering marriage to Gina Fregulia. He’s spent less than a total of ten minutes with Sara Andropolous. Yet he could postpone finding Gina to show a stranger his ship? Maybe the sun was getting to him. To single out a crew member went against everything he normally did. Yet there was something fascinating about the woman. And she was only bringing his lunch.
Sara knocked on the door in exactly ten minutes. He heard her say something and wondered if she’d needed Stefano to guide her to the suite.
He opened the door and caught a glimpse of Stefano disappearing around the bend.
“Come in.” He stood aside as she entered, carrying a tray with his lunch—a plate piled high with delicacies and an iced beverage.
She looked around and headed for the low table in front of the sofa. Placing the tray carefully, she straightened and smiled in delight as she walked straight to the windows. “Wow, this is fabulous. You are so much higher than our quarters. What a great view of the harbor. What island is this?”
“Theotasaia, a small island whose inhabitants depend upon fishing for a living. Today is market day. The perfect entertainment for my guests.”
“They like to shop?” she asked, still looking from the window.
Nikos crossed to stand beside her. The colorful market was spread out before them, the canopies still fluttering in the breeze.
“I do not know them well,” he said. “They seemed content enough with the suggestion.”
Sara looked at him. “You did not go with them.”
“I was needed here. There was a power outage at the resort.” He briefly told her the situation. He turned back to the plate she’d prepared. There was plenty of food.
“Did you eat?” he asked.
“I nibbled as I was preparing lunch. May I go out to the upper deck? I’ll wait there until you eat—for the tour.”
“I’ll be along in a few minutes.”
Sara let herself out of the stateroom and hurried to the upper forward deck. Being around Nikos Konstantinos was unnerving. She couldn’t forget she was hoping he’d get her access to her grandmother. But he disturbed her equilibrium. She vacillated between wanting to stay away, lest she let something slip, and getting to know him better. On the surface he was just the kind of man her mother had run away from—wealthy, self-assured and maybe a touch arrogant. And in the midst of arranging a marriage to a woman who matched his fortune. Did Gina Fregulia really want a marriage like that?
Stepping out onto the deck, Sara immediately felt the warm breeze blowing from the sea. The sun was almost directly overhead, the sky a cloudless blue. She went to the railing and looked down. It was quite a distance to the sea’s surface. Gazing around, she looked behind her at the wide windows of the bridge.
If her mother had married the man her father had picked out for her, would she have enjoyed luxurious yachts and visits to Aegean Islands? The reality had turned out far differently from what her mother had once envisioned when she’d run away with Sara’s father. But her pride had kept her from admitting a mistake and returning home to seek forgiveness.
Sara still hadn’t come to any conclusion when Nikos joined her a short time later.
“Come, the captain is not on the bridge. We can see everything and he’ll never know,” he said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
She laughed, intrigued by the hint of mischief in her boss. “You’re not afraid of your captain, are you?” she asked as she followed him to the side door and stepped inside.
“He does not consider the bridge a sightseeing stop for guests. I do what I can to keep him happy,” Nikos replied.
She couldn’t imagine the man afraid of anything. He carried himself with such an air of competence and assurance, she knew he could do anything he wanted. Interesting that he humored the captain.
The bridge had a 360-degree view. The wide windows had been tinted slightly to keep off the glare from the sea. The wheel was more like an automobile’s than the wooden spoke-handled ones of old. With all the gadgets, dials and computer equipment, she marveled at how the captain managed all with only one mate to back him up. Or maybe that was why—everything that could be automated had been.
“Wow, this is fantastic,” she said, enjoying the view. “Surely the captain wouldn’t mind showing this to guests.”
“He is an excellent man and I don’t want to jeopardize his staying.”
“Like he’s about to quit,” she murmured. From what she’d learned from the rest of the crew at meals, this was a cushy assignment, and every one of them was grateful for their position.
“If he does, it won’t be because I ruffled any feathers,” Nikos said, coming to stand closer to Sara and pointing to the west.
“Thessalonika is that way.” He swung his arm a bit more. “Thessaly is almost due west of us.” Another swing. “And Athens is that way.”
“But not close,” she said, feeling the heat from his body as he stood so casually near. She could smell his aftershave, a woodsy scent that had her senses fluttering. She wanted to step closer. See if there was some special chemistry between them.
Appalled at her thoughts, she moved away. She would be the most foolish woman on the planet if she thought anything would ever come between her and the fabulously wealthy heir to the Konstantinos shipping fortune. Not to mention Nikos’s own fortune from the resort.
“Tell me more about this little island,” she said, looking over the rugged terrain. The only flat ground seemed to be where the town had been built. White homes with red tiled roofs filled the small valley. A few had been built at the lower levels of the hills. Several weathered fishing boats bobbed nearby. Probably the majority were out working.
“It only recently became a place for ships to stop. Ten years ago their docks couldn’t service a ship with a deep draft. It was suitable only for the smaller fishing boats, but nothing like the Cassandra. Now I bring friends here from time to time. I thought my guests would enjoy it.”
“Did you get the crisis resolved?” she asked.
“For the time being. We await repair of the main cable, but the generators will suffice until then.”
“So now you can join your guests onshore. I shouldn’t hold you up,” she said, turning a little. He’d stepped closer, and she almost bumped into him. Her senses went on high alert. Her awareness gauge shot up. He was too close; she felt as if he were taking the air and leaving her breathless again.
“Come and I’ll also show you the main square of the town. Time enough to find my guests. We’re not leaving until seven this evening.”
Sara blinked at that. Was he serious? The host of the yacht going off for an afternoon with the hired help? What was wrong with this picture?
“Do you think that wise?” she asked in a husky voice. Her heart was tripping so fast she thought he must hear it, or at least see it pounding in her chest.
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Maybe because I’m your chef?” she asked. Hadn’t Stefano said he expected to hear of an engagement between Nikos and Gina? What kind of man would spend the afternoon with another woman if his almost-fiancée