The frightening realization had come to her that to know his possession would change her life forever.
Forever...
Akis was a male force no woman could resist. There was no one else like him.
* * *
As Akis had done many times before, he slept on the top deck of the cruiser. But he couldn’t sleep yet. When his father had talked about meeting the right woman he’d said, “Akis? You’re only in your teens and you’ll meet a lot of women before you’re grown up. When you find the one, you must treat her like a queen.
“Your mother was my queen. I cherished and respected her from the beginning. She deserved that because not only was she going to be my wife, she was going to be the mother of our children.”
There was no question in Akis’s mind that at the age of twenty-nine he’d found the one. What tormented him was the fear she wouldn’t think he was the one. How could he possibly measure up to the educated men she worked with and knew? Maybe that was why Vasso had cautioned him to be careful. Because he knew there was a vast chasm of knowledge separating Akis from Raina.
But when he awakened that morning, he felt the sun’s warm rays on his face chasing away the disturbing fears that had come during the night. A burst of excitement radiated through him knowing Raina was only as far away as the bedroom below.
After he’d made breakfast in the galley, he called to her. He’d taken a swim first and was still dressed in his trunks. And needing a shave. She appeared minutes later looking a knockout in leaf-green shorts and a sleeveless white top. Those amazing lavender eyes smiled at him.
“I’m glad you’re up, Raina. How are you feeling?”
“Fantastic. Something smells marvelous.”
“It’s the coffee.” But she’d just come from the shower and brought her own intoxicating scent with her. “How’s the ankle?”
“I’ve forgotten about it.”
“Good. Come and sit down.” He’d made eggs and put out fruit and pastries. “After we eat, I’ll take us to Lefkada Island, your birthplace.”
She chuckled and sat down in one of the pullout seats beneath the table. “Didn’t we pass over it?”
He nodded. “Katsiki Beach will be a sight you won’t forget. We’ll swim to our heart’s content.”
She munched on a pastry and sipped her coffee. “I know I’m still dreaming and pray I never wake up.”
“I’ll do my best to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
Raina’s expression turned serious. “You’ve been so good to me and have done all the work. I don’t begin to know how to repay you. I’ve never been waited on like this in my life, but have done nothing to deserve it. Before our vacation is over I intend to wait on you.”
“We’ll take turns.”
“While you pull up the anchor and get us underway, I’ll start now by cleaning up the kitchen.”
He walked around and kissed her luscious mouth. “See you on top in a few minutes.” This was happiness in a new dimension. To make it last presented the challenge. If he wanted the prize, it meant not making mistakes along the way. Vasso’s words still rang in his ears. Slow down.
Once he’d pulled on a clean T-shirt from his bag in the bathroom, he bounded up the steps to the deck and got everything ready. Raina appeared a few minutes later with a couple of beach towels and sunscreen. Beneath her beach robe he glimpsed the mold of her lovely body wearing her orange bikini and had to keep himself from staring.
“You’ll need to put this on.” He handed her the life jacket.
“Even if you swim like a fish, you have to wear one, too.”
He flashed her a smile. “Tell you what. For you, I’ll wear a belt.” He opened a locker and pulled one out.
“Put it on, please.”
“Nag, nag.”
“Your command of English is remarkable.”
“I heard the word enough times when an American husband and wife came in the store. His wife would tell him what she wanted and he’d walk around muttering the word under his breath.”
Raina laughed so hard, her whole body shook. “Welcome to the US.”
His black brows lifted. “I’m afraid it’s the same here.”
She nodded her head, drawing his attention to the gleaming red and gold strands of her hair in the sunlight. “Certain things between men and women will never change no matter the nationality.”
“Like getting into each other’s space until there’s no air between them.”
Raina had a tendency to blush. To avoid commenting, she poured the sunscreen on her hands to apply to her face and arms. “Would you like some?”
“Thanks, but my skin doesn’t look like fine porcelain.”
Her eyes traveled over his face. “You’re right. You have an olive complexion that highlights your black hair and makes you...drop-dead gorgeous.” She put the sunscreen on the seat.
His brows furrowed. “Drop-dead?”
“It’s an American expression for a man who’s so attractive, a woman could drop dead from a heart attack just looking at him. And there’s another expression women use. They say ‘he’s jaw-dropping gorgeous.’” She touched his unshaven jaw with her left hand. “You know. Sometimes when you see something incredible and your mouth opens in shock?”
Studying the curving lines of her mouth almost gave him a heart attack. “You mean the way mine did when you looked up at me on the sidewalk? Does an American man say ‘she’s jaw-dropping gorgeous’?”
An impish twinkle lit up her eyes. “The phrase can be used to describe a woman or a man. And there’s another more modern expression. ‘He’s hot.’”
“Which also works for a female. I’ve heard that one. Thank you for the vocabulary lesson. I’m indebted to you.” But no matter how hard he could try to catch up to her intellectual level, he would never succeed.
“Maybe you can teach me some Greek, but I know it’s a very difficult language to learn.”
“You mean right now?”
“If you’re willing.”
“Then you’ll have to sit close to me while I steer the boat.”
She shot him a side glance. “How close?”
He gripped her hand and pulled her over to the captain’s seat. After sitting down, he patted his leg. “Right here.”
“Akis—” She chuckled. “You won’t be able to drive.”
“Try me.”
As she perched on his leg, he grabbed her around the waist. “The first word I want to teach you is the most important. If you never learn another one, it won’t matter.” He started the engine and they skimmed across the water.
“What is it?”
“Repeat after me. S’agapo.”
She said it several times until she got the intonation just right. “How am I doing?”
“That was perfect.”
“What does it mean?”
“Say it to Nora and Socus and surprise them. By their reaction you’ll know what it means.”
“S’agapo.