The Greek Tycoon Box Set: The Complete Serial: Books 1-10 (11 page)

In the peachy glow of morning, Carla admired the diamond on her hand and basked in the delicious way her body felt – totally relaxed and effortlessly light after Atreus’s expert lovemaking. Running a hand through her hair, it occurred to her that her beloved grandparents did not yet know of their granddaughter’s engagement, nor did Onella know about her soon-to-be sister-in-law. Rising and heading down to the dining room, Carla could hear Dios’s happy chatter and the sound of coffee spoons clinking against porcelain.
 

“Say good morning to Mama, Dios.
 
Can you say good morning?” Atreus sat at the table holding Dios in his arms, rather than in the high chair. Dios turned to look at Carla, who wiggled her fingers and smiled in greeting.

“Goo moo, Mama!” Dios waved back, and Carla laughed.
 

“That’s the best he can do with ‘good morning,’” Atreus admitted, kissing the top of his son’s head. “We’ve been working on it.”

“That’s so sweet! Look at you two,” Carla said, enjoying the sight of her husband-to-be with his son. She selected a piece of fruit and a pastry from the platter Hanna had set out and let Atreus pour her coffee. Taking a sip, Carla relaxed even more, content.
 

“I spoke to Onella this morning,” Atreus said, settling Dios back into his high chair with a handful of puffed rice snacks to keep him occupied. Carla frowned.

“Atreus, the sun hasn’t even risen in London yet!” Her fiancé grinned ruefully.
 

“I know, I know. But Onella keeps odd hours, and I couldn’t wait any longer.” He took Carla’s hand across the table. “She’s thrilled. She wanted me to wake you up so she could speak to you herself, but I couldn’t bear to wake you. I told her we’d be coming to London soon, and she said she’d make preparations for us.”
 

“How soon is soon?” Carla asked, mindful of the fact that her grandparents hadn’t even heard Atreus’s name yet, much less the news they had to share.
 

“As soon as you like,” Atreus said. “I’ve had my private jet fueled and it is ready to leave whenever we’re ready.”
 

“You have a private jet?” Carla asked, a smile dancing across her lips as she playfully raised an eyebrow. Atreus leaned in to his fiancée.
 

“
We
do,” he said, and Carla giggled. “How do you like the sound of that? ‘Us’ and ‘we’, ‘fiancé’ and ‘engaged?’”
 

“It sounds just perfect to me,” Carla said over the rim of her coffee cup.
 

“How long were you thinking of staying in London?” Atreus asked. Carla paused, and then shrugged.

“I don’t know. I want to stay long enough to see my gran and granddad – and for them to get to know you two – and to see Onella. And it might be nice to do some sightseeing with Dios, or maybe some shopping while we’re there.”

“Eager already to shop for a wedding gown, are we?” Atreus smiled knowingly. Carla blushed.

“I wasn’t even thinking of that! But now that you’ve mentioned it…” The couple laughed. Atreus stood from the table to plant a kiss atop Carla’s head.

“Onella would be happy to go with you, if you’d like.”

“I would like that,” Carla agreed. “And Gran, too.”
 

“Of course,” Atreus said. “Dios and I will go out and have a gentleman’s afternoon while you ladies shop.” He looked at his son, who flashed a confused sort of pout, making his parents laugh. “I’m sorry that my mother won’t be able to join you two. She’d love to be there, I know.”

“Andria isn’t coming?” Carla asked, not realizing that Andria herself stood in the doorway.

“Someone has to hold down the fort while you’re gone, my dear,” Andria said, entering the room as light on her feet as a sparrow. “Besides, I don’t care much for air travel. It makes my bones crack and my skin dry. But I know Onella will take good care of you in my stead. Although,” she continued, pouring herself some hot tea, “if you wanted to email me photos while you shop . . . I wouldn’t be opposed!” She hid her grin behind a mouthful of grapes.
 

“We’ll be sure to keep you connected,” Carla said good-naturedly. “Atreus, I’ll need to call my family before we go. I hate to tell them about the engagement over the phone, but . . .”

“I’m sure they’ll understand,” Atreus said. “Just let me know after you’ve spoken with them, and we’ll choose a time to leave. No rush, my dear.” Atreus turned to leave, but was stopped by a new thought. “Carla, are you sure you want to bring Dios with us?” Carla looked stunned.

“Why would I want to leave him behind? I could hardly bear to give him up for a day, much less a week or more!”
 

“But he is a lot of work – a full time job, as you well know. And I want my future wife to be able to relax and enjoy her time with her family.”

“Dios is my family, and I want him to know who his great-grandparents are, especially because they’re the only family he’ll have on my side. He’s coming with us.” Though Atreus was heartened to hear Carla call Dios her family, he still offered a compromise.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take Hanna with us? She could tend to Dios on the days you’d rather spend time alone with your grandparents.”
 

“And leave me to make my own coffee?” Andria asked, her eyes sparkling and amused. “I don’t know if I’d survive.” Carla laughed.

“Exactly,” she said. “Hanna is needed here, with Andria. I am perfectly capable of taking care of Dios on my own. The three of us will be going, no matter what.” Carla seemed determined to be the ideal wife and mother, and although Atreus sensed that perhaps she felt she had something to prove, he would be glad to spend some time with just his fiancée and child.
 

“Okay, my love,” Atreus said, and Carla smiled. “I’ll be in the study if you need me.”

“He’s so happy with you,” Andria sighed. “He’s truly in his element when he can dote on you and make you smile. It is so good to see him like this.” Her eyes seemed misty, and Carla reached out a hand.

“I feel like I’m a better person around Atreus. Making him happy is my greatest pleasure, truly.” She patted Andria’s hand and turned to Dios, who gurgled, his hands sticky with soft sweetened rice snacks. “And you! Making you smile is like seeing the sun rise for the first time.” She kissed his chubby cheek and began cleaning his tiny hands.
 

“Child, call your family. As glad as I am to celebrate here with you, I would want to know if my only granddaughter was engaged.” Andria rose from the table and tenderly touched Carla’s hair.
 

“I will,” Carla agreed. “I’ll call as soon as Dios is settled upstairs.” Andria left, leaving Carla alone with baby Dios, who struggled but did not cry in the face of her regime of warm, wet cloths and dry towels. “Darling, dashing, daring Dios,” Carla mused to herself. “What will your great-gran and granddad think of you?”
 

Hoisting the child in the air and drowning him in soft kisses, Carla couldn’t imagine that Mary and Charles Simpson would be anything less than over the moon about their new grandson-in-law and great-grandson.
I can’t wait to tell them
, Carla thought.
They may be a bit shocked at first, but . . .
She gazed at Dios and ran a hand over his soft, baby-fine hair.
How could anyone not love this face?

*****

Chapter 3

“You will never, not in a million years, guess what I just heard.” Sarah’s voice assaulted Brian Kennedy through the phone as he stepped into his cab at Heathrow airport.
 

“What is it, Sar?” Brian asked, already exhausted with Sarah’s antics. She had no idea that he had just returned from Greece,
without
Carla – but in his opinion, she didn’t need to know. It wasn’t as though they were exclusive, and he never made any promises to her. Sitting in the back of the cab feeling mildly hung over and seriously jet-lagged, Sarah’s voice was making his head hurt.
 

“Oh, it’s delicious, it really, really is.” Sarah was basking in the glory of her knowledge, and it made Brian roll his eyes.
 

“Look, Sarah, I don’t really have time for this.”

“Would you just listen? Oi. Remember how I told you that Carla had gone off to Greece to babysit for some billionaire tycoon?” Brian straightened at the sound of Carla’s name, suddenly nervous that Sarah had uncovered his plotting.
 

“Yeah, so?” he asked, doing his best to sound casual and uninterested as the London sights flew past his window.
 

“They’re
engaged
, you absolute walnut. And they’re coming here with that little baby of his as if he was her own!” Sarah seemed truly delighted in this, though Brian couldn’t see why. “She went and left the country and came back with a husband and a child? Can you say ‘desperate??” Sarah cackled. “I mean, I know we’re friends and all, but
seriously
.” Brian grit his teeth.

“Who in the hell told you that?” he asked, trying to subdue his rage. “How do you know that?”
 

“Mary Simpson spent all day ringing everybody she’s ever met to tell them. She told Patrice’s mum, who told Claudia’s mum, who told Karen’s mum, who – well, you get the idea. My mum rang me just a moment ago, positively aghast. Really, I know it’s impressive that he’s supposed to be some rich stud, but come
on
, does she know how this looks?” Sarah clucked her tongue and raised her voice to a taunting sing-song. “Golddigger!”
 

“And they’re coming here?” Brian demanded. He could practically see Sarah nodding emphatically through the phone.

“Straight away, it sounds like. I heard Mary’s been running around like a mad woman trying to prepare the house. Must be an awful lot of work for the old bat in that dusty little house, what without any children or housekeepers or servants to help her. I wonder if Carla still remembers how to do housework?” Sarah mused derisively, but it was too much for Brian.
 

“Sar, I have to go.” His voice sounded as tight and as clenched as his jaw appeared to be. The cab was pulling up to his apartment now, and he could hardly see straight for all the fury.
 

“What! But I feel like we haven’t talked in
ages
.” Sarah pouted. Brian sighed and ran a hand over his tired face, eager to get off the line.

“I know, sweetheart, I’m sorry. I’ll ring again as soon as I can. Okay?”

“Okay,” Sarah sighed. “Don’t be a stranger.”

As Brian hung up the phone and paid the cabbie, his mind reeled.
I go to get her back . . . and she decides to marry the guy instead?
It burned him, the thought of a ring on her finger and her hand laced through Atreus’s instead of his.
But they’re coming here, and they’re coming soon
, Brian thought.
And when they get here, I’ll be waiting for her
.
 

*****

“Mama, airpoo!” Dios cried, pointing towards the broad windows that lined the private airport terminal. Carla carried him closer so he could see the workers, tiny in the distance, fueling the airport and loading it with their luggage.
 

“Yes, baby, that’s an airplane! And we’re going to go on it!” Carla pulled an excited face at Dios and bounced him in her arms. Atreus approached, having just finished speaking with the captain.

“Everything is settled,” he said, scooping up Dios. “We can board as soon as they’re done with the safety checks.”
 

“How long is the flight?” Carla asked, wrapping her cardigan around her shoulders. She had dressed casually for traveling, but still felt woefully undressed for the luxury and splendor of a private air craft.
 

“A bit under four hours,” Atreus said. “And if we’re lucky, Dios will sleep the whole time.”
 

“I don’t know,” Carla said doubtfully. “He seems awfully excited about the ‘airpoo.’” Atreus laughed. Carla smiled, but a hand reached up to tuck her hair back self-consciously.
 

“What’s wrong?” Atreus asked, noticing her nervous tic immediately.
 

Carla sighed. “Oh, Atreus, I’m just anxious.”

“About what, my love? I didn’t know you had a fear of flying.”

“I don’t, not really,” Carla said, fidgeting. Finally she met her fiancé’s gaze. “I’m nervous about seeing my grandparents.”

“My darling, they will be so glad to see you,” Atreus said, his eyes warm and sincere.

“It’s not that.” Carla shifted uncomfortably. “I just . . . I want them to like you. I want them to approve. And it’s not that I think that they wouldn’t! But I know that this is all a bit sudden for them, and my gran sounded so shocked – but happy! – and I’m scared they may not take to you and Dios the way I want them to.” Carla seemed deflated now that she had finally said what was on her chest. Atreus furrowed his brow.
 

“It’s going to be fine,” he said. “You love me, and they love you. They’ll be happy that you’re happy!”

“I know – I mean, I hope so. They’ve been my rock ever since my parents died . . .” Carla’s eyes brimmed with tears at the thought of her parents, who would have been so delighted by Atreus and his family. They had Carla at a young age, and died at a young age as well, so Mary and Charles were still sprightly for great-grandparents. But still, even Carla would admit that it wasn’t quite the same as having her father there to give away the bride, or having her mother with her as she shopped for a gown. Taking a deep breath, Carla set these feelings resolutely aside.
Gran and Granddad are going to be thrilled
, she thought.
And Onella will be around, too, to fill the void
.