“Don’t you dare pass out on me now,” her lips whispered against his ear before she told the two men to support his elbows so he could stand up.
Dimitrios could count on the fingers of one hand the times in his life when he’d been filled with wonder. To see his steward and copilot cowed into submission without further remonstration qualified as one of them. Once helped into his seat and buckled in, he gripped the arm rests, fighting not to succumb to his dizziness and fall over again.
His head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. In fact it hurt like hell except for that moment when her lips brushed his ear. Then all he could feel was a little explosion of electricity shooting through his system.
“You see?” He heard her speak to his staff from her seat. “He’s fine. Tell the pilot to cancel the helicopter. If Kyrie Pandakis isn’t well after he gets home, his family will send for his doctor.”
After more hesitation, his copilot went to the cockpit to do her bidding. The steward remained nearby, still looking unsure about things. It had to be a first for him.
“Is this your wish?” he demanded
“As my secretary said, I’m all right. Thank you for your help and concern. Tell the pilot everyone is grateful he was able to stabilize the plane in time.”
The other man gave a reluctant nod before disappearing.
“When the world stops spinning, Ms. Hamilton, remind me to give you a bonus for keeping a cool head. It must have been a terrifying experience for you.”
“Only when I saw you go flying.”
The Fasten Seat Belts sign went on. They were beginning their descent. His head swam.
“It won’t be long now.” Her voice seemed to come from a long way off.
The next thing he was aware of was his secretary bending over him to undo his seat belt. He could smell the pear scent once more.
“We’re home, Mr. Pandakis.”
“What happened to Kyrie?”
She ignored his question. “Stand up and lean against me while we exit the plane.”
His dizziness was as bad on the ground as in the air. He put his arm around her shoulders and they started for the door. A few steps from the entrance he had to cling to her.
Who would have guessed at the warm, full curves and flare of womanly hips hidden beneath the folds of the shapeless, loose-fitting outfit she wore.
Why in heaven’s name did she dress in clothes that masked such a voluptuous figure? For that matter, why didn’t she wear contacts? Her steel-rimmed glasses hid one of her best assets. It didn’t make any sense.
“Come on,” she urged. “We’re almost there.”
“Give me another minute.” The world was still whirling. So were his senses. This sharp awareness of her as a flesh-and-blood woman had caught him completely by surprise.
The steward opened the door.
Dimitrios heard footsteps on the stairs leading up to the plane’s entrance. “Uncle?”
When a dark-haired man close to Alex’s age suddenly appeared in the opening, she didn’t know who looked more surprised. Somehow she’d thought his nephew would be younger.
He halted mid-stride when he saw his uncle clinging to her. Dimitrios had closed his eyes for a moment. Given his pallor, she could understand why his nephew had concern written all over his face.
“Kyrie Pandakis has had a slight accident. He’s a little dizzy from a bump on the head, but it’s nothing serious,” she assured him. “If you’d like to help your uncle out to the car, I’ll gather my things and be right with you.”
“Of course.” He rushed forward and put his arm around his uncle. “Do you think you can make it now, Uncle?” The deep affection in his voice touched Alex.
“As soon as I introduce the two of you,” came the dry response. “Leon? This is my secretary, the legendary Ms. Hamilton.” He was weaving on his feet as he said it.
She eyed his nephew, hoping he received her silent message. “We’ll have time for that later. Right now what’s important is to get you home.”
Between Leon and the two pilots, Dimitrios was helped to the car with little problem. Alex followed with her purse and briefcase. The steward stowed it in the trunk with her suitcase, then helped her into the front passenger seat.
Dimitrios had been put in back so he could spread out. She winced at the shadows beneath his eyes. He would never admit to the horrendous pain he was in.
She thanked the staff, then told Leon to step on it. He obviously didn’t need any urging because the car accelerated at a faster speed than she imagined was allowed.
“How long will it take to reach the Mediterranean Palace?” She asked this in a low tone as they drove away from the plane.
“Normally fifteen minutes,” he whispered, “but because of the tourists in town for the fair, the traffic is heavy at all hours now. It could take longer.”
“Ms. Hamilton won’t be staying at the hotel, Leon. Drive us straight to the villa.”
Alex caught the surprised glance Leon flashed his uncle over his shoulder. But she understood. Dimitrios felt too ill to put up with any detours tonight.
She leaned closer to his nephew. Mouthing the words, she said, “As soon as we get him home, I’ll take a taxi to the hotel.”
He nodded.
With that understood, she moved next to the door so she could rest her head against the glass.
It was hard to believe she was in Greece.
She should be thrilled, exhilarated. It was a lovely warm night. They were driving through one of the oldest cities in Europe. Some sites dated back to 2300 B.C. She was passing over ground of saints and scholars.
There was so much history to absorb. But after the shock she’d lived through, she was too enervated to do anything more than close her eyes.
Only one thing mattered. Dimitrios was alive and seemingly in one piece. His injuries could have been so much worse. She still hadn’t recovered from seeing his big body hurtled to the floor of the plane, lifeless.
If Alex needed proof of what he meant to her, that experience would stand out for all time as the defining moment.
At one point she’d seen Leon pull out his cell phone and make several calls. Therefore it didn’t surprise her that the guard at the gate of the estate let them through without Leon having to brake.
A sizable group of people were assembled in the courtyard by the time they wound around the tree-lined drive to the front of the ochre-toned villa. Large and square-shaped in design, it looked fairly impregnable and quite unlike what Alex had imagined.
That was probably because she was used to seeing travel brochures with pictures of the white, cube-style villas nestled close together on the Greek Islands.
Two women rushed forward. One old, with a face that looked a trifle wizened from being in the sun too long. The other fortyish and attractive, with big brown eyes that reminded Alex of Leon.
“Dimitrios!” they both cried at once as his nephew got out of the car and opened the back door for him. A spate of Greek Alex couldn’t understand poured out of both women. One of the male staff members somebody called Kristofor worked with Leon to help his uncle from the car.
The rest of the staff stood by with anxious expressions. It was evident that everyone held Kyrie Pandakis in great affection and were upset to see him incapacitated in any way.