need some time to digest this.”
“That’s fair.” There was one more thing she hadn’t told him. “How much time are we talking?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. Why?”
“I’m leaving in two weeks.”
“Leaving?”
She nodded. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone, as I haven’t turned in my notice yet.”
“Leaving and going where?”
“Home. Back to New York. I want my baby—”
“Our baby.”
She sighed. “Our baby to grow up around family.”
His mouth opened, but before he could utter a word, her phone chimed. It was the ringtone she’d assigned to her boss. Although this was a bad time for a phone call, she couldn’t ignore it, either.
Her gaze met Niko’s. “It’s my supervisor.”
Niko’s lips pressed together as he waved at her to go ahead and answer it. Was it her imagination or was he relieved by the distraction? There was no time for her to contemplate it as the phone chimed again.
She pressed the button, knowing her absence had been noticed and she didn’t have a good excuse. Or at least not one that she was willing to share.
She moved to the porch for some privacy. “Hello.”
* * *
This can’t be happening.
Alone now, Niko paced back and forth. Sofia had appeared more than relieved to be summoned back to work. He glanced down at the scrap of paper where she’d jotted down her phone number and told him to call her when he was ready to talk.
Talk? He couldn’t think straight much less string together a bunch of coherent sentences. Not so long ago, he’d had his life planned out. But in a matter of weeks, twelve to be exact, it’d all gone off course.
First, his grandfather unexpectedly passed away and now he was about to become a father. A father. The words sounded so off to him. He wasn’t ready to be a father. What did he even know about being a parent? Nothing. Zip. Zilch. And nada.
And to think that not so long ago this news would have been the answer to so many of his problems with his grandfather. The thought of not being able to share this news with him sent a fresh wave of sorrow washing over Niko. His hands balled up at his sides as he struggled to control his rising emotions.
His cell phone rang, but he ignored it—something he rarely did. He wasn’t in any frame of mind to talk business. He wasn’t sure how it felt to be in shock, but he’d hazard a guess it was what he was experiencing now.
The truth was he wasn’t ready to be a family man.
He had too much to do...like restructuring the numerous divisions to eliminate overlap of personnel and continuing to overhaul his outdated company with new human resources policies. Even though he’d faced employee pushback in the face of change, he refused to let that stop him. He wasn’t the boss in order to win friends. He’d been groomed to lead the company into the future. To do that, change must be a part of his plan.
But how was he supposed to fit a baby into that plan?
He accepted that someday he’d need an heir or two to hand down the family business. That was in his plan—his long-range plan. But a family didn’t fit in his agenda now.
Still, there was a baby on the way. That couldn’t be changed. Nor could he turn his back on his own flesh and blood. For the first time in his life, he didn’t know which way to turn. The stakes were just too high.
His grandfather’s solution would have been to have a wedding—quick and simple. He imagined how his grandfather would pat him on the back, pleased that he was carrying on the Stravos line. But would his parents have been just as pleased? Or would they have been disappointed in him? The thought weighed heavily on him. He missed them, especially at a time like this.
So what options did that leave him? To marry Sofia? But was it the right decision? Could Sofia be his convenient bride? Would she accept an unconventional marriage?
He recalled her contagious laughter at the wedding—the way she’d turned his head. She’d been like a breath of fresh air, and he’d been unable to get enough of her.
Could they ever get back to that happy place? He’d like to think once the shock wore away that they could smile and laugh again—together. So maybe the idea of marriage had come much sooner than he expected. He and Sofia had hit it off. He may not want a romantic entanglement, but he would like them to be on friendly terms when they wed. And the fact they were compatible in bed was a definite bonus.
Would Sofia jump at the offer? Or would she rebuff his proposal? The one thing he’d learned about Sofia was that she could be unpredictable, which made her quite intriguing. But it also left him uncertain when it came to his proposition of a marriage in name only.
Certain that he was on to something, he called Cristo. Luckily, his friend had just wrapped up a meeting. He was available to have coffee and a chat. Though Cristo asked him repeatedly if there was a problem, Niko was reluctant to get into it over the phone. This delicate conversation needed to be handled in person. And even then Niko was hesitant to share the full details—only what was necessary to bring his quickly evolving plan to fruition.
THIS PLAN JUST had to work.
Niko stepped inside Cristo’s luxury suite. Not so long ago they’d met here to discuss business, but this time his agenda was a bit more personal. Over the months, he and Cristo had become not only family, but also close friends. It was interesting to both of them how much they had in common—powerful families with unrealistic expectations.
Niko joined Cristo on his private balcony overlooking the beach littered with sunbathers soaking up the sunshine while others enjoyed the warm water of the resort’s private cove. They all looked so relaxed and happy. Right now, Niko couldn’t remember what it was like to be either of those two things.
His gut knotted up. If he made the wrong decision, he knew it would impact not only his life but Sofia’s and their unborn baby’s. The decision to make Sofia his bride didn’t have to be made overnight. If he cut his trip short, Sofia would still be at the Blue Tide when he returned.
Cristo cleared his throat. “Sorry about the delay. Some staffing issues were just brought to my attention.”
“You really take a hands-on approach with this place, don’t you?”
Cristo poured them each a cup of coffee. “Yes. This resort is special to me. It was my idea. I’ve seen it through the planning, building and opening. And now that Kyra and I married here, it’s our home.”
“Even more so than New York?”
“My home is wherever my wife is, and right now, she’s enjoying her time here.” Cristo sipped his coffee. “So tell me what’s on your mind.”
Niko wasn’t sure how much of what he was thinking he should vocalize. “I wanted to ask you about Sofia.”
A knowing smile came across Cristo’s face. “I saw the way you two hit it off at the wedding. Kyra wanted to do some matchmaking, but I told her not to get involved. It’s better when things work out on their own. So you and Sofia, are you getting serious?”
Now how exactly did he answer that? The pregnancy was serious. The rest of it had yet to be determined. “We might be.”
“And that’s why you’re here? You want to know if there’s any reason you shouldn’t get involved?”
Niko inclined his head. “Something like that.”
Cristo