CHAPTER ONE

      Late June...

      TWO PINK LINES...

      Three separate results...

      Diagnosis: Pregnant.

      Every time Lea thought about it, which was quite often, she started to hyperventilate. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when her life was in such an uproar.

      But she’d had all of the early symptoms, from her missed cycle to tender breasts. As much as she wanted to live in the land of denial, she couldn’t. There was now a baby to take into consideration. And a man who didn’t have a clue he was about to become a father. Well, he would if he’d answer his phone.

      After a trip to the doctor for official confirmation, Lea had tried repeatedly to reach Xander and let him know she was pregnant, not because she wanted anything from him but because it was the right thing to do. But each time she called, it went straight to voice mail. It wasn’t until she tracked down the number to his office in Athens that she learned he was out of the country on business.

      So once again, she called him. Once again, her call was forwarded to voice mail. “Xander, this is Lea. Um...” Her stomach churned with nerves even though he wasn’t on the other end of the line. “I need to talk to you. Could you give me a call when you get a chance?”

      She pressed the end button on her phone and took her first full breath. And then she realized that “when you get a chance” probably didn’t convey the urgency that she felt or the importance of the news she had to tell him. Still, it was better than nothing. He would get back to her soon. Until then she had an island to save and a baby to prepare for. Plenty of things to keep her mind off Xander...as if that was possible.

      * * *

      He listened to the voice mail.

      And then he listened to it again.

      Xander could tell there was something off in Lea’s voice, but he couldn’t quite narrow down the problem or determined if there even was one. And then he realized what it must be—she was disappointed that he hadn’t phoned her. Not that the thought hadn’t crossed his mind more than a few times.

      In fact, he hadn’t been able to get Lea off of his mind since their lost weekend in paradise. Random memories of her distracted him from his work and filled his dreams at night. She was an amazing woman, not only in looks but in everything about her. It was so tempting to pick up the phone and call her back. If it were possible, he’d drop everything and return to Infinity Island. But his busy life didn’t allow for such indulgences.

      At first, he hadn’t believed it, but by the time he departed Infinity Island, he knew there was something extra special about it—about Lea. Maybe he’d let himself get caught up in the most amazing views of the sea or the tranquil cove or even the colorful vegetation. Or more likely it was letting his guard down with Lea and enjoying the moment that had him so distracted from his work.

      But right now, he was fully involved in a resort deal with his younger sister, Stasia. It was their first business deal together. And with his sister at loose ends after losing her husband, Xander was willing to do whatever he could for her.

      And his sister, against his recommendation, had risked her entire life’s savings on this project being a success. That was a responsibility he didn’t want, but being stubborn and insistent, Stasia had put him in that very unwelcome position.

      As much as he would like to see Lea again, it would have to wait for quite a while. Business came first. It always had. And it always would. Except when family shoved their way to the front of his priorities. Of course, his sister knew how much he adored her. He would do anything for her. And the feeling was mutual.

      He set aside his phone and loosened his tie. His trip to the interior of Asia had not been fruitful. He’d known that it would be a long shot from the start, but long shots were what had catapulted him to the top of his field. Sometimes leads panned out and other times, well, they were a waste of time. But it never stopped him from seeking out the next big deal, in some of the most unlikely places.

      He’d just hung up his tie in his walk-in closet that was the size of a second bedroom when he heard his phone buzz. He was really quite tempted to let it go to voice mail. He’d been traveling all day and what he longed for was a hot shower to ease the tension in his neck. But he had been out of contact for an extensive amount of time... and this could be important.

      With a deep sigh, Xander headed back into the bedroom. On the way, he loosened the top buttons on his white dress shirt. He glanced down at the phone and was surprised to find Lea’s name on the caller ID. She was calling again? That struck him as odd.

      Sure, he hadn’t known her that long, but she didn’t strike him as the pushy type. In fact, she seemed quite the opposite. And she was more than willing to stand on her own two feet. Was it possible that he’d incorrectly interpreted her earlier voice mail?

      Not giving himself time to think about it further, he answered the call. “Lea, how are you?”

      “Xander, finally. I’ve been trying to reach you for a while now. I was beginning to think that you were avoiding my calls—”

      “Whoa. Slow down.” Something really had her worked up. “I just got home a few minutes ago. What’s wrong?”

      “I... I don’t know if you’d say it’s wrong or not.”

      “Just tell me what it is and we’ll go from there.”

      There was an extended pause. He could imagine her worrying her bottom lip, like she did when she was unsure of something. While he’d been on Infinity Island, he’d picked up on her mannerisms. He found her quite captivating. It was one of the reasons he’d avoided calling her. He knew if she asked him to return to the island, it would be too great a temptation.

      As the silence dragged on, Xander said, “Lea, I can’t help until you tell me what’s the matter.”

      “I’m pregnant.”

      Xander stumbled back as though her words had physically slugged him in the chest. The back of his knees hit the edge of the bed. He slumped down onto the mattress. Maybe he’d heard her incorrectly.

      “Could you say that again?”

      “Xander, I’m pregnant. And you’re the father.”

      That was what he thought she’d said.

       But this can’t be true. Could it?

      Xander knew all too well that it was quite possible. They’d spent that not-so-long-ago weekend in bed...and there was the time on the floor...in the living room—

      He halted his rambling memories. He didn’t normally let loose like that. In fact,