thing he’d do was shower, then fix breakfast for the two of them. Or the three...
* * *
A knock on her bedroom door brought Stephanie awake. It was ten after eight. She’d slept soundly, likely because of the gentle rocking of the yacht. But it didn’t feel as if they were moving now.
“Yes?”
“Your breakfast is waiting for you in the lounge down the hall, whenever you’re ready.”
She blinked. “Nikos?”
“Of course.”
There was no “of course” about it. Last night he’d told her to fix her own food. This morning it seemed he’d decided to be more civil. That was a good sign, since she needed to go home today, and couldn’t without his cooperation.
“Thank you. I’ll be right there.”
She took all her pills with a cup of water she’d put by the bed, and then got out from under the covers. Once in the bathroom she showered quickly, then brushed her hair and left it loose. A little blusher and lipstick and she felt ready to face Nikos.
Stephanie hadn’t packed a lot. She’d brought extra undergarments and a smoky-blue knit top she wore loose over her khaki pants, which were uncomfortable now. She needed to buy some maternity clothes the moment she got back to Florida.
In spite of the fact that she would have to go through the entire pregnancy alone, she was looking forward to it. Having found the baby’s father, and knowing his real identity, she felt a bit more lighthearted. Soon she’d start getting a nursery ready, and couldn’t wait.
After putting on her sandals, she left the bedroom and moved across the hall to the lounge, where she found Nikos at the table, waiting for her. He stood up when she walked in. She detected the scent of the soap he’d used in the shower. Her senses responded to it, though she tried to ignore them.
“It looks like you’ve made a fabulous breakfast.” He’d fixed coffee, too, but so far she hadn’t been able to tolerate it. “We could have eaten in the galley and saved you the extra trouble.”
“True, but you’re a guest, so I thought this might be more enjoyable.”
“For a prisoner who has to stay below deck, you mean,” she muttered.
He ignored her comment. “Let’s hope there’s something here that you can keep down.” He helped her into a chair before he sat opposite her at the rectangular table.
“Those rolls and fruit look good.” So did he.... This morning he was freshly shaved and wearing a white crew neck shirt with jeans. It was sinful how handsome he was!
While he ate eggs and a roll, his jet-black eyes played over her several times. “Your hair is a little longer.”
“So’s yours.” But she refused to tell him how much she liked it.
He appeared to drink his coffee with pleasure. “What did your doctor tell you about swimming and scuba diving in your condition?”
The question was totally unexpected. “I can do some limited swimming, but diving during pregnancy increases the risk to the fetus, so I’m not taking any chances. Why do you ask?”
One black brow lifted. “Your job. Now that you’re pregnant, the kind of work you do swimming with the manatees will have to be curtailed.”
She munched on a banana. “I realize that and plan to discuss it with my boss when I get back. Which raises the question of when you’re going to take me to Chios so I can get a flight home.”
“That all depends.” He bit into a juicy plum.
Stephanie fought to remain cool-headed. “On what?”
He finished it, then lounged back in the chair, eyeing her for a long moment. “I have a proposition for you.”
“I’m not interested.”
“Surely after all the trouble you took to find me, can’t you admit you’re a little curious?”
“That curiosity died when I didn’t find Dev. You’re the dark side of him, a complete stranger to me with your lies and secrets. I have no desire to listen to anything you have to say, except to hear that you’ll let me go.”
“Be that as it may, you’ve convinced me you were an innocent tourist on vacation in the Caribbean. I take full responsibility for finding you attractive and pursuing you. Since you’re pregnant, it’s only right that I take care of you and the baby you’re carrying.”
For him to say that to her now... Pain ripped her apart. “For the last time, I don’t want your money, just my freedom.”
His eyes narrowed on her features. “You can have it in time if it’s what you want. That’s what divorces are for.”
Shaken by his words, she sprang from the chair. “What are you talking about?”
“Our marriage, of course. You came all the way from Florida to let me know I’m going to be a father. But that’s not all I want. I want my name on the birth certificate along with yours. To a Greek male, it means everything.”
“Since when?” she blurted.
“Since learning that you’ve known nothing about your own father—not even his name. I can see how devastating that has been for you, which makes it more vital than ever that the baby growing inside you has my name so it can take its rightful place in the world.”
Stephanie reeled in place, clinging to the back of the chair. “You don’t want to marry me.” Her tremulous words reverberated in the lounge.
Now Nikos was on his feet. “On the contrary. It’s all I thought about during the night.”
“Why?” she cried in torment.
“Because this baby is already precious to me.”
Her anger flared. “Last night you questioned if it was even yours.”
“Last night I was in denial that a miracle had happened.”
She shook her head. “What do you mean?”
“A lot has occurred since we last saw each other.” He didn’t need to tell her that. Her whole world had been turned upside down. “I was in a boating accident that landed me in the hospital with a spinal injury.”
Stephanie bit her lip, pained by the news. “I knew something was wrong,” she whispered. “Sometimes you’re a little unsteady. I noticed it wh-when you were holding me.”
“Nothing gets past you, does it? Your unexpected presence on the Diomedes gave me away. Fortunately, I’m getting stronger every day and use the cane only when I’m tired. But I’m not the man I once was and never will be. Furthermore, the accident had certain repercussions I can’t do anything about.”
Her mouth went dry. She was almost afraid to hear. “What are they?”
“For one thing, my injury left me sterile.”
Sterile?
A slight gasp escaped her lips, for she knew that kind of news had to be soul wrenching to a man. “Surely it’s only a temporary setback?”
“No.” His eyes again narrowed to slits. “It’s permanent.” The throb in his voice carried its own haunting tale.
Stephanie pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle her cry. “I’m so sorry, Nikos. I hardly know what to say.”
“Perhaps now you understand why your coming here to tell me you’re pregnant, at the very moment I’ve been dealing with my news, made me go out of my head for a little while. After having to give up all hope of having my own child, I suppose I was afraid to believe you were telling me the truth.”
Stephanie’s lungs tightened while she tried to absorb