Doorstep Twins / The Cowboy's Adopted Daughter. Rebecca Winters
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shook his dark head. “I’ve learned enough to know your father has the means to help you move into your own place here on Crete where you and the boys can be close by but still independent. Why are you afraid to tell me the truth? What’s going on?”
Andreas saw too much. “There are already too many questions being asked about the paternity of the twins. My parents don’t know anything. If it got out about your brother and Thea, my family as well as yours would suffer and you know it. That’s why I want to take them back with me.”
“Out of sight, out of mind, you mean.”
“Yes.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “That might work for a while, but it’s inevitable the day will arrive when the secret comes out. They always do. By then the damage will be far worse, not only for the families involved but for the twins themselves.”
“I realize that, but for the present I don’t know what else to do. There’s—” She stopped herself in time, but Andreas immediately picked up on it.
“What were you going to say?”
“N-nothing.”
“Tell me!” he demanded.
Feeling shaky, she said, “I should never have come to your office.”
“That isn’t what you were about to blurt.”
The man had radar. At this point she had no choice but to tell him. Not everything, but enough to satisfy him.
Taking a few steps, she sank down on the park bench. He followed, but stood near her with his tanned fingers curled around the back railing. “Thea’s husband would love to hurt our family for backing her in the divorce. He’s capable of making trouble that could make things unpleasant for Leon, too.”
“You’re talking about Dimitri Paulos.”
Gabi got up from the bench. “How did you know?”
His eyes played over her. “I did a background check. Thea’s passport alerted me she has an ex. Has he threatened you personally, Gabi?”
She pressed her lips together. “No, but suffice it to say he was furious when Thea divorced him. If not for diplomatic immunity through Dad, I don’t even want to think what might have happened to her. Dimitri considered her his possession. Thea was convinced he’d hired a man to follow her everywhere.”
One black brow lifted sardonically. “My father and I have had business dealings with Dimitri’s father in Athens. I’m familiar with his son’s more devious methods.”
That shouldn’t have surprised Gabi. Andreas knew everything. “The trouble is, before she died she told me he was still out for blood wanting to know who made her pregnant. If he were to learn your brother is the father of her twins, he’d love to feed that kind of gossip to the newspapers just to be ugly.”
“He can try,” Andreas muttered with unconscious hauteur. After a palpable silence he said, “Since your parents must be waiting for you, I’ll walk you back.”
Gabi shook her head. “That won’t be necessary.”
“I insist.”
He cupped her elbow and they started walking. Far too aware of his touch, she eased away from him as soon as they reached the street and moved ahead at a more brisk pace, but his long strides kept up with her.
When she nodded to the guard doing sentry duty, she thought of course Andreas would say goodnight. Instead he continued on through the front courtyard with her.
She halted. “You don’t need to see me all the way to the front door.”
“But I do. I want to speak to your parents.”
What? Her body tautened in defense. “No, Andreas! My parents aren’t involved in this. That’s the way I want it to stay. If Leon decides to claim the children, then I’ll tell them everything. If there’s any discussion about this, he’s the one who needs to do it.”
He cocked his head. “In an ideal world, it would work that way, but he’s not ready yet.”
That was obvious enough.
Reaching out, Andreas grasped her upper arms gently. She wished he wouldn’t do that. It sent too many disturbing sensations through her body. Her awareness of him was overpowering.
“I have a plan that will solve our immediate problem, Gabi, but you’re going to have to trust me.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “Thea trusted me. Now look what’s happening because I broke my promise to her. After her wretched divorce and subsequent death, my parents have suffered enough pain.” Her voice throbbed. “Please just go.” She stepped away from him.
His jaw hardened. “I can’t, not when things haven’t been resolved yet. You know the saying about being forewarned. If our two families know the truth and unite now, no power later on can shake our worlds. Don’t you see?”
Yes. She could see there was no talking Andreas out of this. He wasn’t the acting head of the Simonides Corporation for nothing. Gabi had only herself to blame. He’d asked her to trust him. Up until a minute ago she’d thought she could. But to go any further with this was like flying blind.
“I—I don’t even know if they’re still up.” Her voice faltered.
“Then call them on your cell and alert them you’ve brought someone home with you.”
She lowered her head. “I can’t do that.”
“Then I will because they deserve to know exactly what’s going on.”
A shiver raced through her body. Andreas had just put his finger on the thing tormenting her most. She’d hated doing all this behind her parents’ backs. Defeated by his logic and her own guilt, she opened her purse and pulled out her phone. When she pushed the programmed digit, her mother answered on the second ring.
“Hi, darling? Where are you? I thought you’d be home before now.”
She turned her back on Andreas. “When I went out, it was to meet a man I arranged to see in Athens the other day. He’s with me now and wants to talk to you and Dad. I realize this sounds very cryptic.”
The silence on the other end told its own story. “Do we know him?”
Gabi swallowed hard. “No, but you know of him by reputation.” You and everyone in Greece.
“What’s his name?”
“Andreas Simonides.”
“Good heavens!” When the Simonides yacht was occasionally spotted outside Heraklion harbor, the whole city knew about it.
Gabi closed her eyes tightly for a second. “I realize it’s getting late, but this is of vital importance. Prepare Dad, will you?”
“Of course. The babies are asleep. We’ll be waiting for you in the salon.”
“Thanks, Mom. You’re one in a billion.”
Andreas eyed her as she put the phone back in her purse. “If you were looking for a job, I’d hire you as my personal assistant on your integrity and discretion alone.”
She’d just received the supreme compliment from him, but the last thing she’d ever want to be was his personal secretary or anything else that put her in such close proximity to him for business reasons. No way would she allow herself to be put in emotional jeopardy like that again.
“Shall we go in?” She led the way to the front door and opened it. The salon was to the right of the main foyer where Gabi found her parents. Blonde and fit, she thought they were the most attractive people she knew. Andreas wouldn’t be able to help but like their soft-spoken manner.
After she made the introductions, he sat forward in one