The Greek Rule (The Greek Series) Read online

  Her mouth went dry as she saw his long, broad outline. She forced her eyes to move to his thick thighs and down his legs before looking back to his beautifully masculine face. If they pictured him in the marketing material for the hotel in Crete, they would never have a vacancy. His body was so male, so strapping, so tempting.

  She had to stop these thoughts. Her brain said she wanted nothing from Alexandros but friendship. Her body was obviously not listening. Water splashed onto her hot face.

  “Come in,” he said, spraying her again.

  “I need to change into a bathing suit.” She got to her feet as he hauled himself out beside her.

  “As you are.” He laughed, grabbed her waist, and hurled them together into the deep end.

  His arms closed around her as they resurfaced and gently pushed her hair out of her eyes. She liked the feel of his arms more each time he held her.

  “You’re stunning. If you appear in a tiny bikini, I can’t promise to behave.”

  His hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her forehead. Suddenly, he released her completely, and moved to arms’ length.

  “It’s a lot easier to behave if you’re wearing a NY Knicks basketball t-shirt,” he said with a spectacular grin. “Come on, a five lap race—loser does the lunch dishes.”

  She inhaled deeply and began to swim, thankful for the diversion. She was a strong swimmer, matching his strokes, and releasing the sexual tension that had swelled her chest. On the last lap, he pulled ahead. He would not be doing the dishes.

  Lifting himself out of the pool, he stood on the white stone and went over to the house. He pulled two towels through the bathroom window, and walked back, placing one by the poolside for her before drying off himself.

  “Thank you,” she said walking out of the pool.

  Her shirt hugged her body, revealing a little bit of skin above her shorts. She tugged at the clinging material. His gaze made the wet skin on her abdomen tingle. Grumbling a curse under his breath in Greek, something about damming the Knicks, he started to walk toward the back of the house.

  “I’ll get lunch,” he said. “Change and meet me in the kitchen.”

  How could a simple request sound like a command when Alexandros Strintzaris spoke? He was so confident, insisting on what he wanted. Surprising herself, she was a willing recipient of his simple request. She wanted to spend more time with him, and she found his self-assuredness intriguing.

  Under the shower, her skin was very sensitive to the drops of water. Her body was betraying her. It wanted more of Alexandros, more than friendship. Well, she was a sensible woman and good sense dictated that she wanted only friendship. Stepping out of the shower, she talked to the woman in the mirror.

  “He said he could behave. So can you. You only have to be with him for a week. Control yourself. Do you really think he’d find you attractive if he knew that you were the one outbidding him in Crete? You and not Giardetti?”

  She dried herself, pulled on a simple white tank dress and went to the kitchen to meet him for lunch.

  There was a large Greek salad and a loaf of crunchy bread on the kitchen table. Alexandros poured two glasses of wine and offered her a seat.

  “I hope you’re not too hungry. This is the extent of my culinary skill.”

  “It looks great. Thanks,” she said taking the wine.

  He appeared preoccupied as they ate. She watched his eyes grow dark and his eyebrows come together.

  “Anything wrong?” she asked when he finished his wine in one swig.

  “I was thinking about something related to work,” he replied.

  “Can I help? I type, file, and make coffee.”

  “Really funny,” he said, raising his gaze to her. “Thanks, but no. I need Costa to handle it. I know he is caught up in the wedding preparations, but I don’t want this to keep. I need him to do it today. Did they say when they were coming back?”

  “No, but Heather’s jetlag is bad. I know she wants to nap this afternoon. It shouldn’t be long.”

  “Good. I have that three o’clock conference soon, and then I can talk to him.”

  “Go on, then. Get ready for your call and let me finish up here. After all, I let you win the race.”

  “Thank you,” he said, giving her a light kiss on the cheek. “You really are a sweet doll, a true Greek-American koukla, letting me win and all.”

  Quickly, she cleaned up and went to her bed for an afternoon siesta. Her head on the soft pillow, she thought of Alexandros.

  He wasn’t the narcissistic playboy she had expected. He was nice. She liked him. And her feelings for him were becoming much more than friendly.

  ****

  Voices crept into Athena’s sleep. She slowly climbed out of bed, wrapped the sheet around her, and looked out the window.

  “Sleeping Beauty is up!” Costa said, sitting just five meters away from her door. The brothers lounged on the patio, enjoying tall glasses of iced coffee. “Come join us”.

  She dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a white cotton tank top, brushed her teeth, put on some mascara, and pulled her curls into a high ponytail. She slipped her feet into her favorite sandals, and stepped outside to join the men.

  “Heather is sleeping,” Costa said. “I think she might sleep through the night. Baba and Mama should be up soon. You know how we Greeks need to ‘refresh’ for the night ahead.”

  “Oh yes,” she replied. “When I was little I used to fight my mother every afternoon. I never wanted to sleep. When I was a teenager, I looked forward to the siestas because we used to stay out all hours of the night. Now, I crave the luxury after a long morning of crunching numbers at work. Too bad Wall Street doesn’t see the need for a siesta.”

  “A sweet frappe to awaken your senses?” Alexandros had been sitting in silence until then.

  “Yes, thank you. I would love one.”

  He unfolded his long legs and rose from his seat. He hovered over the others for a few moments, shifting his weight from left to right like he was weighing something in his mind. His arms locked behind his back, he looked off toward the sea before addressing Costa.

  “Any questions? You know what to do?”

  His brother “tsk’d” pensively and tilted his head upward indicating negative, no questions.

  “I want it done when I return.” Alexandros turned and strode off.

  Athena instinctively knew it was connected with what had upset him at lunch. Whatever it was, it must be very important to him.

  “Business. Don’t fret,” Costa said, in an evident attempt to diffuse the tension.

  The friends enjoyed small talk for a few minutes and then she carefully asked the question that had nagged at her since her arrival the previous night.

  “Cardia Mou is the most beautiful name for your new villa. It’s fantastic. Don’t misunderstand my question Costa, but isn’t Kalithea large enough for the whole family to vacation here?”

  “Of course it is,” Costa agreed. “But Kalithea is Alexandros’. It’s not my parent’s home. He built this place for his family. I built Cardia Mou for Heather.”

  Alexandros returned. He placed the frappe and a snack of koulourakia, her favorite cookies, in front of Athena.

  “Thank you,” she said, smiling at the attention he appeared to enjoy giving her. “I didn’t know business tycoons could be so domesticated.”

  Costa smirked and nearly choked on his drink.

  Alexandros simply returned her smile, ignoring his brother. “There’s a time for everything. It’s nice to make you smile, koukla mou.”

  Then Alexandros turned to his younger brother and his temperament changed. The smile faded, his dark eyes glared, and he handed his cellular to Costa. “Finish this. I’m tired of the drama.”

  Costa walked away from the table and spoke to someone on the phone. His shoulders stiff, his gate calculated, he circled around the pool. When he approached the table again, his jaw was set in a hard clench, the
vein by his temple pulsed, but his eyes told a sad story.

  Anna had joined them during the conversation. Staring from one son to the other, she asked what was wrong.

  “Once again, envy has shown her greedy face,” Alexandros began. “Giorgios can’t stop wanting what doesn’t belong to him. He is back to his old tricks and habits again. I’m sure gambling and drinking are the least of it.

  “Giorgios has been funneling company funds into a personal account, and he had the gall to try to frame our Costa. We were investigating the transactions before he came to me and loyally informed me that Costa was stealing from the company.”

  “Thee mou,” the matron of the family whispered in devastation.

  “I gave him the rope, and he hung himself, Mother.” Alexandros let out a long breath before continuing, the anger vivid in his face. “It has been almost a month that the snake thinks he has come between Costa and myself. I thought it appropriate for Costa to tell him his plan failed.”

  Nodding, Costa sat beside his mother and took her hand in his. “Giorgios began to whine and give me a story about his gambling debts. He had put his mother’s, Thea’s, house into the pot of a poker game and lost. He’ll never learn!”

  “I will buy Thea’s house and pay his debt.” Alexandros’ voice boomed. “She can live out her old age there. He’s not to set foot in our homes again.”

  “He’s clearing out his office as we speak.”

  “Good riddance!”

  Costa raked his fingers through his blonde hair as he offered some clarification to Athena. “Giorgios is the son of Baba's late brother, Taso. When Theo Taso passed away, Baba felt responsible for his brother’s family. Thea and the children came to live with us in Athens. Our homes shared a backyard, and we all grew up together. Eleni was only a baby and we would fight to push her stroller around the yard.”

  The brothers took turns relating the history for Athena’s benefit. “We played on the same soccer teams,” Costas continued. “We had our first drinks together, and studied for the university entrance exams together.”

  “During university,” Alexandros said. “Giorgio developed a drinking problem. We searched the streets for him all hours of the night, not aware of his gambling until he went to Baba and asked him to pay his debt. That was the first time he’d wagered Thea’s island home.” His jaw squared, his Adam’s apple protruding, there was no mistaking the agitation growing in Alexandros’ voice as he relayed the history.

  “Baba gave him the money on the condition that Giorgio would enter a rehabilitation program. He did, and he completed it. After university, he worked in the accounting department of the company.”

  “He isn’t effective in a corporate environment, regardless of the help we all offer him.” Alexandros reached for his komboloi from the table. Flipping it over between his fingers, he shook his head, and looked out at the sea.

  Costas frowned. “He’s very good with numbers, but doesn’t have any people skills. He thinks he’s above others. We’ve kept him employed as an accountant for one of the ships. He can’t handle more than that.”

  “Now he has proven that he cannot do that either!” Alexandros’ voice flooded with fury.

  “It is so sad, paidi mou,” Anna said. “Once you were like brothers. The three princes and princess Eleni. Why does he want to drive a wedge between you?” Tears rimmed the matriarch’s eyes. “Perhaps he can enter a rehabilitation program again.”

  “I told him that was the only way we wouldn’t press charges. He agreed,” Costa informed his older brother.

  “Thea and Eleni are, and always will be, welcomed. But not Giorgios. I’m done with him,” Alexandros proclaimed.

  Discussion closed.

  Suddenly Athena felt like she was eavesdropping and excused herself.

  “Please, kori mou, don’t feel awkward. Its better we resolve this issue before worse things happen. We have nothing to hide, and you’re definitely not intruding,” Anna insisted.

  “It’s okay. I just want to walk along the cliffs and watch the sunset,” she replied.

  “I will escort you,” Alexandros said. He stood, claiming he too needed a change of scenery.

  Chapter Eight

  Athena felt her stomach leap into her throat. She’d put herself in a more difficult predicament than she was in before. Being alone with Alexandros in the most romantic place on earth at dusk, and witnessing one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world, was not what she’d had in mind.

  She was a rabbit placed on a dog track. What had she done?

  The walk began silently and continued casually with Alexandros asking about Athena’s family.

  “My parents, Nikos and Maria, are originally from Crete. They were childhood sweethearts who’d decided to move to New York as soon as they were married. It was difficult at first, because Dad couldn’t practice medicine until he passed the boards in the States.”

  “What type of specialty does your father practice?”

  “Dad is an ophthalmologist. And yes, we all have 20/20 vision,” she added. “I also have two very smart and handsome brothers, Demo and Tony. They’re much like you and Costa. Our home was full love and laughter. I have always known how blessed I am, especially in comparison to many of my friends who do not have such close families.”

  “You were born in New York, but you have no accent when you speak Greek,” he remarked.

  “We went to Sunday school and Greek school twice a week. We ate dinner together every night, unless Dad had an emergency. All through the winters, we supported each other in our mutual sporting events and then usually spent our summers in Greece with the rest of the family.”

  “That’s a good thing. Your summers in Greece brought you to us. You met Costa in Mykonos.”

  She nodded. “I graduated from NYU, and as you know, I’ve been working for Giardetti since.”

  “Brains and beauty, a combination for success in the international hotel business,” he said.

  “It helps that I took French in school.” Embarrassed, she avoided the compliment. “I have the advantage of being fluent in three languages. Now tell me something I don’t know about your family.”

  Relief flowed though her body when he seemed inclined to maintain their present course of conversation. If they kept talking about the families, she could stop thinking about how his musky scent was surrounding her.

  Alexandros smiled and started to speak in Greek. “How far back to you want me to go?”

  “When your parents met.”

  “How about we climb down here, sit on the beach and enjoy the sunset while we talk?”

  “Sure.” She took his outstretched hand for balance as they climbed down the monopati, a narrow little dirt path littered with stones, on the steep cliff. He wrapped his long fingers around her hand and put his body ahead of hers. Almost immediately, she regretted not wearing her sneakers and stopped talking in order to concentrate on her footing.

  Without saying a word, Alexandros guided her over the well-worn path. When they were on the beach, he turned, placed one arm behind her knees and carried her. She looked into his dark brooding eyes as he took matters—and her—into his own protective hands.

  “There are many loose rocks in this area. I don’t need you to fall or sprain an ankle,” he remarked, as if he did this sort of thing every day. She was about to protest when he added, “I should have realized you weren’t wearing sneakers.”

  “Well thanks for the concern, but I think I’m a little too big to be carried.”

  “I’m bigger, and this seems to be a perfect fit,” he argued, continuing across the expanse of black sand.

  Alexandros balanced her on his knee and took off her sandals. He then placed her feet on the sand. Athena decided to let it go and change the subject.

  “It’s so warm,” she said. “The weather has begun to cool off, but this sand is just a pinch off hot.”

  “It’s black volcanic sand. It demands the sun’s attention all day long,
so it’s always warm. However, the breeze from the sea which is at a much lower temperature, and has cooled considerably since noon,” he replied, unbuttoning his shirt in a sensual motion that had her concentrating on every movement.

  Athena’s eyes burned as he pulled the shirt open and slid his arms from the sleeves.

  Not again, please!

  His tanned sculpted chest was broader from this angle. His jeans rested perfectly on his hips, and were worn in all the right places. Her mouth went dry and she found it hard to concentrate.

  He flicked the shirt and laid it on the sand. “Come, have a seat.”

  Athena hesitated, staring at him as if she was looking at an alien, but she took his hand and allowed him to guide her to his makeshift blanket. He sat behind her, stretching out a long muscular leg on either side of her body. Alexandros wrapped an arm around her waist, entwining the other in her curls as he guided her head to rest on his chest.

  His clean male scent intoxicated her. Turning to face him, she felt dizzy as her cheek brushed against his chest. It took her a moment to remember what she needed to say.

  “I may have given you the wrong impression,” she said quietly. “But I have a rule, and I don’t do this.”

  “Do what? What rule?” he asked, smoothing her hair behind her ear.

  “I don’t get romantically involved with Greeks on my summer vacation. I never have, and I don’t plan on becoming a notch in someone’s belt this year.”

  “You could never be a simple notch in anyone’s belt, especially not my belt.” His lyrical voice almost lulled her nerves to a gentle hum. “Just relax, koukla mou, and enjoy the sunset. I promise I won’t do anything you don’t want.”

  That was the problem. She wanted to lose control with him, to let her sensible, responsible side take a break so she could join the party.

  She laid her head back against his sculpted chest in silent turmoil. They watched the concert the sun put on for them, and she felt him relax against her.

  Red and orange flames danced across the sky in harmony with the large ball of fire. As the ball touched the water’s edge, the flames began to sizzle and the sky took on a magenta hue. When the sun dipped beneath the horizon for the night, the smoldering embers continued to float about the dark blue sky.