Island here in Crete. In his will he specified that he wanted his best friend to be my guardian should he die before I turned eighteen. That best friend was Nassos Rodino, who died very recently.
“He and his wife, Danae, raised me from the age of seventeen after my father was killed in a plane accident. She’s the only person I have left and still lives on Kasos. Contrary to what the media reported after his death, we love each other as mother and daughter and will always mourn Nassos’s passing. He was like a father to me.”
“We’re sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. Danae met Takis for the first time the other night. When she learned he planned to live here for good and work at his family’s hotel, she gave us her blessing. To be truthful, she never liked the men I dated. I’m pretty sure it’s because they weren’t from Crete.”
Takis shot her a look of surprise.
“All along both she and Nassos insisted that one day I marry a Cretan who honors his family,” Lys added on a burst of inspiration. It was only the truth.
The older man’s gray eyes lit up before he turned to Takis. “That’s what you want to do, my son? Work here at the hotel now that you’re home for good?”
Lys’s eyes closed tightly, waiting for the answer that would change Takis’s world.
“It’s what I want, Baba.”
“Then so be it.”
She knew those words had to be the sweetest Takis had ever heard.
“Hestia? They want to be married June fourth.”
“I heard.”
“In the Agios Titos church,” Takis supplied.
“Ah. That’s where we were married.” Her face beamed. “How soon will it go in the paper?”
“We’ll submit it tomorrow. It will probably show up the next day. We plan to see the priest next week.”
His father nodded in what seemed like total satisfaction.
“When I’m not busy working for you, Baba, I’ll be busy fixing up the old Andropolis house. You know the one that has stood vacant for close to a year. Besides paint, it needs new flooring and plumbing.”
“You’re good at those jobs.”
A compliment from his father must be doing wonders for him, but Lys didn’t dare look at him and instead munched on one of his mother’s fantastic walnut cookies.
“We will have everyone for dinner Friday night to celebrate. Our whole family together.”
If his mother had a serious illness, Lys couldn’t tell. Nothing seemed wrong with Takis’s father either. All she knew was that this get-together had to have left their son overjoyed.
Hestia moved over by Lys to examine the ring. “It doesn’t surprise me he gave you the snake ring. My Takis was always immersed in our Minoan culture.”
“I’m fascinated by it too. When he picked it up at Basil’s, he also bought a replica of a fresco from the museum I admired. We’re going to hang it over the fireplace and use those colors to decorate. You’ll have to come and see it.”
“I’ll bring Kori and Doris with me.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting them and the children.”
“Everyone will be excited to get to know you. They love Takis and won’t be able to wait to see his house.”
“Takis will have to put up a railing on the upstairs terrace first so they won’t fall.”
“I’ll take care of it before they come!” he spoke up, as if they were an old married couple. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he was listening.
Lys was getting in deeper and deeper. She loved him so much, but if he didn’t love her just as intensely... While he kissed his father, Lys stood up, taking one more cookie from the plate. “These are so good, Hestia, I want the recipe.”
“I’ll give it to you.”
In a moment Takis reached her side. “Mama, Lys and I need to leave so you two can get back to work. I’ll be over for breakfast tomorrow and we’ll talk hotel business.”
She walked them out of the room and through the kitchen to the back of the hotel where the cars were parked. “Where do you live, Lys?”
“Since I started working in the accounts department of the Rodino Hotel four years ago, I’ve lived in a room there, but I’ve gone home to the island on weekends.”
“Will you continue to work there when you’re married?”
“I—I don’t know.” She hesitated. “Takis and I still have many things to talk about.”
“Amen to that.” He’d come up behind them. “We’ll see you on Friday, Mama.” He kissed her before helping Lys get in his car.
Hestia stood there smiling and waved as they drove down the alley to the next street.
“Your parents are wonderful,” Lys murmured when they’d turned the corner.
He didn’t respond. She turned her head toward him, waiting for him to say something. But he just kept driving until they arrived back at his house. Worried that something was wrong, she got out of the car and hurried toward the front door. In seconds, he’d unlocked it so they could go inside.
When it closed behind them, she felt his hands on her shoulders. He whirled her around. She couldn’t understand the white ring outlining his mouth.
“Takis—” Her heart was thudding. “What did I do to make you this upset?”
“I’m not upset.” He gave her a little shake. “Don’t you know what you did back there was so miraculous, I’m afraid I’m dreaming.”
Relief filled her system. “What do you mean?”
“You really don’t get it, do you? You’ve charmed my parents so completely, you’ve made it possible for me to get in their good graces again.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t do anything. Can’t you see how much they adore you?”
“That’s your doing. You make me look good.”
“What a ridiculous thing to say!”
“Ridiculous or not, you have my undying gratitude.” His hands ran up and down her arms, bringing her against his hard male body. “Damn—we don’t have a couch, let alone a bed, so I can’t kiss you the way I want.”
“It’s probably a good thing there’s no furniture.”
“You don’t really mean that.” His deep grating voice sent waves of desire through her body. “I could eat you alive standing right here and know you feel the same way.”
She took a deep breath. “I admit I’ve been strongly attracted to you from the beginning, Takis.”
His gaze poured over her features relentlessly. “Have you ever been to bed with a man?”
“Would it matter to you if I had?”
“Yes,” he bit out.
“Why? You’ve had intimate relations with other women.”
A pained look crossed over his face. “I’m jealous of any man who has ever made love to you. I’d rather be the only one who knew that kind of joy.”
“That works for women too.”
“Are you admitting you’re jealous of my past relationships?”
“Not jealous. But I do want to know about the one you had with your girlfriend in high school.”
“We didn’t sleep