“Except that I couldn’t have adopted them.”
“They’d have still been yours, Gabi.”
“And after they grew up and demanded to know about their father, what then? If I admitted that I’d known his name all along, they might never forgive me.”
A strange sound came out of his throat. “You’ve just put your finger on my greatest nightmare. If I’d kept the secret of the twins over the years knowing Leon and his wife could never have children, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself for playing god with my brother’s life.”
It was Gabi’s turn to moan.
He reached out and grasped her hands. “The truth is, you and I are up to our necks in this mess together. Leon needs our help for a little while longer.”
She sucked in her breath. “But you don’t really need an assistant.”
“Actually I do. Anna’s got to get that knee operated on right away.”
“You could hire any number of secretaries in your company to replace her.”
“I could, but I thought one of the reasons you were leaving Crete was so your parents could get back to the lives they were leading before Thea became ill.”
“You’re right,” she confessed quietly.
“By the time you leave my employ, I’ll be hiring a permanent assistant.” He kissed the back of her hands before letting them go. A tingling sensation coursed through Gabi’s sensitized body and lingered for the rest of the trip to Heraklion.
THE blood donation area of the hospital in Athens had continual traffic. Gabi looked over at Andreas. Both of them were stretched out side by side on cots giving blood. They’d taken the day off from work. It was a good thing since they’d had to wait at least an hour after arriving there before their turn was announced.
In preparation for today she’d eaten a good breakfast and had forced down fluids. Before bringing her to the hospital where Kris would be having his surgery, Andreas had instructed the limo driver to drop them off at a fabulous restaurant in the Plaka for lunch. But instead of ordering the specialty of the house, they’d eaten iron-rich spinach salad followed by sirloin steak.
Andreas was remarkable. In the short time she’d been working for him, she’d learned that when he did something, he always did it right and thoroughly. She loved him with a vengeance. If Kris weren’t facing an operation, Andreas wouldn’t have asked her to stay on and none of this would be happening.
“This is kind of like lying on the beach at Papafragas.”
For him to mention that night—out of the blue—when she’d lost almost every inhibition in his arms came as such a surprise, she almost fell off the cot.
“It’s not as warm,” she murmured.
“No, and we’re not alone. It’s a good thing we don’t have to swim the length of that fjord later. We’re not supposed to do any strenuous activity for the rest of the day. I wouldn’t be able to save you.”
In spite of that bittersweet memory, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Then what are we going to do?”
“I’ll tell the chauffeur to drive us back to the office and we’ll watch TV in your apartment while we take it easy.”
“If you get lightheaded, the long couch is yours,” she quipped, but the second the words came out, she regretted saying anything. Since the day he’d shown it to her, he’d never asked to come inside and she’d never invited him. To cover her tracks she asked, “Do you ever watch TV?”
“All the time.”
“You’re joking—”
He chuckled. “Leon and I are sports nuts.”
“I can believe that, but when do you find the time?”
“My iPhone. Broadband is everywhere and performs almost every trick known to technological mankind.”
“Aha! So in between important phone calls and meetings, you’re watching soccer?”
“Or basketball or the NFL.”
“How about NASCAR? The Grand Prix?”
“Love it all.”
She frowned. “And here I thought you were different.”
His smile was too much. “What do you watch?”
“When I’m in the States and have time, the History Channel and cooking shows, British comedies and mysteries. I also like bullriding.”
“You’re a fan of the rodeo?”
“When I was in college, a friend of mine attending there asked me to go back to Austin with her during our two-week break. We met a couple of cowboys and got talked into going to one. I’ve been hooked ever since.”
He stared at her as if trying to find a way into her soul. “On a certain cowboy?”
“For a time I was,” she answered honestly, “but the illness passed.”
“Have there been many?”
“Many what?” She knew exactly what he meant.
“Illnesses.”
“Probably half a dozen.” She didn’t want to talk about old boyfriends. The man lying near her made every male she’d ever known fade into insignificance. “Andreas? Speaking of illness, what did Kris’s heart surgeon tell Leon when he took him in for his checkup yesterday? You went with him, but you acted differently when you came back to the office.”
“Did I?”
“You know you did. If you’re trying to spare me, please don’t.”
Suddenly the curtain was swept aside and two hospital staff came in to finish up and unhook them. “You’re all done.” They both sat up and put their legs on the floor. “Take your time. There are refreshments outside before you leave the hospital.”
When they were alone again, Gabi slid off the cot and turned to him. “I’m still waiting for an answer.”
By now Andreas had rolled down his shirtsleeve and was on his feet. “The doctor couldn’t promise the operation would be risk free.”
“Of course not. No operation is.”
“My brother’s dealing with too many emotions right now.”
They all were. She sensed Andreas was secretly worried, but he hid it well. “On top of Leon’s pain, taking care of the twins is physically exhausting work no matter how sweet they are.”
His eyes were almost slumberous as they looked at her. “We need time off from our fears, too. Since there’s nothing more we can do for the moment, let’s go home and relax.”
She watched him shrug into his jacket. He sounded as if he meant that they would actually go back to her apartment and spend the rest of the day together, but it was out of the question. Andreas had a playful side that could throw her off guard at unexpected moments, but from the time Deline had told her he had a serious girlfriend, Gabi refused to play.
After they’d been served juice and rolls, the limo took them to the office. They rode his private elevator to her floor. Gabi’s heart thudded heavily as they walked across the foyer to her suite.
She opened the door, then turned to him. “Thank you for accompanying me this far in case I fainted, but as you can see I’m fine. If you’re feeling dizzy, there’s a very comfortable couch to lie down