She’d seen the proof that he’d moved on with his life in the pages of the tabloids and society magazines. But here in this quiet garden as he hugged Theo, she wondered if she’d made a mistake.
She edged away from them. Tried to remind herself of all the reasons she was no longer in love with Christos. Why she’d never really been in love with him in the first place. But, watching him, those reasons seemed flimsy. And her heart, which had been dormant during the five years they’d been apart, started beating again.
She wassonot going there. Christos was the man who’d changed the entire course of her life, and she finally had it back on track. She wasn’t getting involved with him again. Except—she’d have to, if he was going to act as Theo’s father. She couldn’tkeep Theo from him now that he was reaching out to his son. The Theakis family was a close one, something her own wasn’t, and she wanted that for Theo.
Karin stopped by to return Theo to class, leaving Ava alone with Christos. He stared after his son. Her throat tightened as she watched the cocktail of emotions rushing across his face. She’d always suspected there was more to Christos than the playboy image he presented to the world. She’d caught glimpses of the real man during the intense time they’d spent together. Enough to make her fall hard.
But this was only the second time she’d seen any overt evidence. The other time…well, that didn’t bear thinking about right now.
“You’ve done a good job with him.”
“Thanks. I…I’m not always sure what I’m doing. But he’s a good kid.”
“Yes, he is.” Pushing his hands into his pockets, he walked closer to her.
“Why did you tell him I was his father?” Christos asked.
“You still don’t believe me about that?”
He shook his head. “I gave you a chance to prove yourself to me, Ava. To prove that Theo is really my son, and you denied me.”
“Because I wanted your trust.”
“Once a liar.”
“That’s not fair, I apologized for those lies. I was young and thought you wouldn’t want a girl from my background.”
“Your very poor background,” he said. “What better way to make sure you never had to go back to that trailer park than to bear the son of a Theakis.”
She shook her head, trembling all the way to her soul from his words. “It wasn’t like that.”
“You can explain it to me another time. Right now you have two choices, Ava.”
She still liked the way her name sounded on his tongue. Which really ticked her off, because she wanted to slug him for being a jerk about the past. She’d made mistakes, yes, but what was it about this stubborn Greek that wouldn’t let him look beyond them? “What are they?”
“You can relinquish your rights to Theo and give him over to me to be raised as a Theakis.”
“Why would I do that?” He had to be crazy if he thought she was going to give up her son.
“It is his right to be raised in our family. And you have had him to yourself for the last four years.”
“You gave those years away,” she said, and the past flashed through her mind. She knew the exact moment when she’d become pregnant. Remembered with clarity the way Christos’s face had tightened with a mixture of lust and anger when she’d declined to stay in Greece and become his mistress.
He’d kissed her hard and soon anger had melted to lust and they’d made love in his study. The encounter hadn’t been a sweet seduction; they’d both been so hungry for each other, knowing it was the last time they’d be in each other’s arms.
She’d clung to his shoulders and he’d held her so tightly. He’d cradled her on his lap, and she’d realized that they’d forgotten to use protection. That he’d pulled out at the last moment.
He hadn’t said anything and neither had she. Then a few days later everything had fallen apart with Nikki’s accusations about her and Stavros. And Christos had sided with his sister-in-law.
“Maybe. But not anymore. I want Theo. I’ve taken over Theakis Shipping,” he said, turning away from her and looking out over the lushly landscaped gardens of the school. “I’m becoming the heir I never had to be and I must look to future generations.”
“Now you need an heir,” she said. She was saddened to think that that was the only reason he was here. Not because he’d finally wanted to acknowledge he had a son and had been desperate to see him.
Oh, God, she couldn’t let Christos hurt Theo. Wouldn’t let Theo come to love a man who had ice in his veins. A man who could make love to a woman and hold her so close, as if he’d never let her go, then calmly accuse her of infidelity.
“The Theakis family needs Theo,” he said.
This isn’t about you, she reminded herself. But it was.
