Iwoke before dawn, the sky outside the porthole lightening from black to deep blue. The yacht rocked beneath us, while beside me, Dede slept, one arm flung above her head, her lower body concealed by the sheet that had slipped to her waist during the night.
I propped myself on one elbow to study her unobserved. Her expression in sleep was unguarded.
My gaze drifted lower to the full curve of her breasts, marked faintly by my mouth. I could still feel their weight in my palms, still taste them on my tongue. I reached out, nearly brushing her cheek, then pulled back.
It had been twenty-three years since I’d felt this pull toward a woman. Since becoming a widower, I selected companions who provided physical release without emotional complication. Women who didn’t expect to wake up in my bed or meet my son.
Yet here I was, watching this woman sleep beside me, reluctant to leave the warmth of our shared space.
Eventually, I eased out of the bed, careful not to wake her. Chrysanthos would be leaving for Japan soon, and there were matters requiring my attention before I joined him there. As CEO of Olympus Motors, my responsibilities did not pause for personal indulgence.
I dressed quietly and made my way to the yacht’s office. For an hour, I answered emails, reviewed production reports, and handled the quarterly projections my brother Konstantin had sent.
When I returned to the stateroom carrying two cups of coffee, Dede was sitting up in bed with the sheet wrapped around her like a toga, staring down at her phone. She looked up from the device.
“I wondered where you’d disappeared to.” She set her phone aside, reaching for the coffee I offered. “Please tell me this is as strong as I think it is.”
“Stronger,” I replied, settling on the edge of the bed beside her. “Did you sleep well?”
She took a sip, closing her eyes briefly. “Better than I have in weeks.” Her gaze met mine over the rim of her cup. “Though I’m not sure how much actual sleeping happened.”
“A fair point.”
“Are you always up before the sun?”
“I have business requiring attention,” I said, allowing my fingers to trace the line of her collarbone. “My son, he leaves for Japan today. I will be joining him there.”
“So this is goodbye?”
“For few days only.” I traced my thumb across her lower lip. “When I return, I wish to make good on my promises from last night, yes?”
“Is that right?” She leaned into my touch. “Well, you know where I live. And I work remotely. My schedule is flexible.”
I couldn’t resist. “Yes, I am aware how flexible you are.”
Her laugh was rich and full. “Walked right into that one, didn’t I?” She set her coffee aside and reached for me. “Come here.”
I allowed myself to be drawn back into the warmth of her embrace, and into a kiss that promised much more. My departure for Japan could wait another hour.
The trip to Japan had gone well. Chrysanthos had won the races despite my perpetual anxiety watching him navigate those corners.
Between races, business dinners, and board meetings, I’d managed stolen moments with Dede. Each one left me counting the hours until I could return to her again.
I spread Tia Massey’s restoration proposals across the boardroom table. Kostas—Konstantin—leaned forward to examine them while Dimitrios remained slouched in his chair.
“We need to discuss Miss Massey’s proposals for Thalassía’s restoration.”
Our ancestral island. Thalassía had belonged to the Christakis family for generations until my uncle Stavros’s death. His widow, Angela, sold it to Michail Athanasiou out of spite.
For decades, Michail refused to sell it back regardless of how much money we offered. Then, some weeks back, he invited me to a meeting to discuss Thalassía.
I sent Kostas in my stead. At the time, I was dealing with a fire at one of our factories, and since he handled the company’s finances, it made sense for him to go.
What Michail proposed wasn’t a sale. He offered his daughter Kayla’s hand in marriage in exchange for the island.
Kostas accepted even though he was engaged to his best friend’s sister, Stella Pavlou. Now he was married to onewoman, while engaged to another. And we still only had partial ownership of Thalassía. Full transfer wouldn’t come until Kostas and Kayla produced an heir.
But the island was closer to being back within the Christakis fold than it had been in decades, and none of us were willing to examine the cost too closely. Not yet.
