“Yes. I have a lot of work to do.”
“Oh. Um…okay.”
But it didn’t seem okay to him.
“What is it?”
“Theo wanted to hear the ending of the tale you were telling him when he fell asleep last night. The one about some sea monster.”
Ava’d had an obligation to attend a function at her school and he’d found himself alone with the boy. “Let me tie up a few details down here and then I’ll be up.”
She nodded and turned away, but then came back. “Thanks for all you’re doing with Theo.”
He smiled. He liked the boy. As much as Theo looked like a Theakis, it was obvious to Christos that he had Ava’s personality. He was very curious about everything, but cautious at the same time. Christos rubbed his hand over his eyes and looked up at the sky, seeking the familiar pattern of the stars. But it didn’t sooth him.
He wanted Ava. That was the cause of the restlessness in him. Not the long hours spent working at Theakis Shipping or the fact that he had a new heir he was getting to know.
There was a restless yearning in him for her, and having her in his home but not in his bed was winding him too tight.
Ava triedto relax into the cushions but this close to Christos, she couldn’t. Theo was tucked up between the two of them with Christos’s arm draped over them both. His earthy cologne filled each breath she took.
His profile was sculptured and classical. One look at him and there was no doubt that he was Greek. His thick ebony hair and dark olive skin…
“Ava?”
“Hmm?”
“You’re staring at me,” he said.
She flushed. “Just thinking how much you look like Theo.”
He arched one eyebrow at her, clearly letting her know that he wasn’t buying her somewhat flimsy excuse. She shrugged.
He continued the story he was telling. She loved the deep cadence of his voice. She leaned back against the pillows, closingher eyes for just a minute, and drifted to sleep without realizing it, waking only when she heard the soft sounds of Theo’s whisper.
“She can sleep with me,Baba.”
“Should I carry her to your bed?”
Ava forced her eyes open. “Did I miss the end of the story?”
“Yes,” Theo said. “I’ve already brushed my teeth.”
Ava glanced up at Christos, who shrugged his shoulders. “We didn’t want to wake you.”
“Thanks for helping him with his nighttime routine.”
“No problem,” he said, rubbing his hand over Theo’s head. “Let’s get you tucked in.”
Ava braced one hand on the floor to get up. Christos offered his hand and tugged her to her feet. The strength behind his tug knocked her off balance, and she fell against his hard chest. He wrapped an arm around her waist for a second before letting her go.
God, she wanted this man. She wished that life were simpler. That she was more sure of herself and the decision she’d made to go to Greece. Then she’d be unafraid of taking a chance on acting on the passion between them.
“Come on, Mama. Prayer time.”
They tucked Theo in and she and Christos left the room together. The moment was surreal in that she’d spent so many years imagining what it would be like to have Christos in their lives, and here he was. But she knew they were both just playacting for the sake of their son.
She closed the door leading to the hallway, leaving it open a crack the way she always did. It was early, and too soon to retreat to her suite of rooms just yet. Now that she’d had her little power nap, she needed…wanted to get to know Christos.
