The Greek Tycoon Box Set: The Complete Serial: Books 1-10 (6 page)

“Listen,” he said, big brown eyes practically hypnotizing her, “please do not think I am telling you this out of sympathy – I don’t take you as the kind of woman who desires my pity. But I would like you to think of the villa as your home from now on. To Dios, you are like a member of the family, and you should be treated as such. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I just… wanted you to know.”
 

Carla nodded.
 

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
 

He replaced the handkerchief in his pocket and smiled broadly.

“Come,” he said, opening the car door. “Let us have a good meal and forget all this. Your visa is settled; it is a happy occasion.”

Carla was not particularly familiar with Greek cuisine and let Atreus order for her, which he did with confidence and swagger. He ordered
taramosalata
, a dish fresh with the taste of the sea, dotted with fish roe and olive oil, lemon and breadcrumbs. As they finished their meal, Atreus eagerly asked Carla her opinion of the food.

“It is better than I ever imagined authentic Greek food to be,” she said honestly, her eyes wide with enthusiasm.
 

Atreus looked pleased.
 

“Then I must take you out for dinner. You will enjoy the food at Hidalgo’s. He makes a fantastic steak - it would put the English to shame!”

He laughed.
 

Does he mean to take me out often?
Carla allowed herself to wonder.
 

In the car, Carla felt sleepy after such divine food and company, and rested her head against the window. Her eyes drooped, and before she knew it, she was sleeping as soundly as Dios. Nearing the villa, Atreus laid a hand on her shoulder and shook her slightly.

“Carla, aγαπητέ μου, we are home,” he said gently.
 

As she woke, she noticed Andria and Dios in the front garden. Dios was pointing at the car as it approached and babbling to Andria.
 

“Dios has so much he’d like to say,” said Carla, trying to stifle a yawn. “He’s desperate to get his thoughts out in the open!”
 

“He is growing up so quickly,” Atreus said with mixed emotions as he brought his Bentley to a stop on the driveway. “Every day I see less of my little baby and more of my little man.”

Atreus placed the car in park, jumped out and quickly walked around to open Carla’s door before she could do so herself. As she stepped out, guided by Atreus’ big, strong hand, Dios ambled toward them, mumbling and chattering every step of the way. But as he grew closer, his words grew clearer and when Carla understood them it took everything she had to not break out in tears.

“Mama, carry! Mama, carry!” the baby repeated over and over until reaching Carla, who smiled at Atreus before bending down to give the boy exactly what he was asking for.

*****

Chapter 5

The next morning, a delegation from China demanded Atreus’s attention at the office, so he dressed and left the house early, while his son was still sleeping.
 

Atreus found Carla, a habitual early riser, in the garden and his breath caught as he saw her. Her chin was tilted to the heavens with her eyes closed. He hated to disturb her peaceful meditation, but couldn’t resist making a connection. She looked so beautiful, he just needed to be near her.
 

“Good morning, Carla,” he said, and Carla’s eyes fluttered open. “I’m headed out to an early meeting.”
 

“Oh, Mr. Kostas,” Carla responded, flustered. “Forgive me; I was just going in to check on Dios.”

“He’s still sleeping,” Atreus said. “He’s perfectly content.”

“Okay,” Carla replied shyly.
 

Atreus knew he should be going, but he sat down on the bench next to her.
 

“What were you doing out here?”

She looked down in her lap and played with her fingers.
 

“I like to be outside first thing in the morning.” She looked up at him, though her cheeks had flushed rose. “The sun on my skin, the birds chirping . . . it’s so calming.”

“You look beautiful,” he blurted out before he had a chance to stop himself. “I mean, I would imagine that working with an infant all day can be stressful, but you look so peaceful right now—and beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Carla blushed. “But Dios is an angel. He really is the perfect child. He causes me no stress at all, really.”
 

Atreus nodded, and took Carla’s hand.
 

“Perhaps you need to find more ways to relax,” he murmured.
 

He could barely believe what he’d said – it certainly wasn’t planned – but as she glanced up at him he felt something. Something like approval.
 

Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed her hand and leaned in to kiss her. He hadn’t planned this. He would never act this way with one of his employees, but she was different—this was different. He wanted her, he wanted her lips on his and her body close to him. He wanted to feel her.

She didn’t fight him and she didn’t stop him. She kissed him back—passionately.
 

He grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her closer so he could feel her perfect breasts against his chest. He needed her. He wanted to touch all the beautiful curves on her body. He imagined his tongue on her neck, his hands on her bare back. It had been so long since he felt a woman, especially a woman as soft and delicate as Carla.
 

She felt right, even if he knew this was wrong.
 

Again, she did not resist him. She moved into him instead, pressing herself on him. Her tongue flitting against his. She wanted this too.
 

“I want you, Carla,” he whispered seductively in her ear.
 

“I—”

Suddenly, they heard a faint giggle come from the house and they separated quickly; each acting as if nothing had happened.
 

“I’m sorry…” Atreus began as he gathered himself to leave.
 

“We can’t…” Carla agreed before slowly walking away.
 

*****

Andria and Hanna ducked behind a curtain to avoid being discovered. They giggled like schoolgirls until they heard Atreus’ car pull away from the driveway.

 
“I am
sure
I smell love in the air,” Hanna giggled, waltzing away from the window as if in a dreamy stupor.
 

Andria laughed and playfully slapped Hanna’s arm.
 

“So do I, Hanna,” she said, clapping her hands. “So do I.”

*****

When Carla came into the house, she went straight up to the nursery. The shocking sensation of Atreus’s kiss and his voice reverberating so close to her ear lingered in her body, pulsing now and then just to remind her of its presence. But there was no time to contemplate the meaning of such a feeling – Andria and Hanna were leaving for a shopping trip, which meant Dios needed every last bit of Carla’s attention.
 

Shortly after the two older women had departed, the phone rang. Without Hanna there to answer it, Carla made her way towards the phone with Dios on her hip. The little boy had taken a liking to her long blonde hair, and his fingers wove between the strands as he latched on, his brown eyes staring up at her lovingly.
 

Balancing the child in her arms as she took the receiver.

“May I speak with Andria?” A shrill female voice pierced into her ear before Carla could even greet the caller.

“I – I’m sorry, Mrs. Kostas is not at home,” Carla stuttered, taken by surprise. “May I take a message?”

“Who are you?” the voice demanded. “I don’t know you.”

“My name is Carla Simpson, ma’am. I’m the nanny.”

“The
nanny
?!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Carla replied, unsure of how to proceed.

“Oh, that’s rich. He’s left his son with some British slut while he does God knows what!”
 

Offended by the caller’s words but unable to abandon her professionalism, Carla couldn’t find the right words.
 

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. May I take a message?” she repeated, wishing with all her might that this strange call would end.

“Ha! A whore and stupid, too? Just divine. Listen to me, you hussy. I am Serene Kostas, and I am the mother of the child you’re supposedly watching. You tell Atreus that I called. And that I am
not
pleased.”
 

Before Carla could respond, the line abruptly went dead. Carla’s head spun.

Right away another phone rang – her own cell. Shifting Dios to the other side of her body, she slid the phone from her pocket and checked the caller identification.
Atreus.
Her nerves doubled.

“Hello?”

“Carla? It’s Atreus. I was just checking in. I… I think we need to talk.”
 

His voice was a comfort to her, even though her hands were still shaking from her encounter with Serene.
 

“Everything is fine, Mr. Kostas. Dios has been in a great mood all day,” she said avoiding the awkward conversation.
 

“Wonderful,” he said taking her lead.
 

“But, Mr. Kostas…”

“Yes, Carla?”
 

There was a pregnant pause as Carla weighed the importance of her words.
 

“I just got off the phone with your wife. She called the villa. At first she wanted to speak to your mother, but after discovering I was the nanny…” She searched for a way to be tactful. “…she only wanted to speak to you.”

Atreus’ voice was suddenly steel.
 

“Serene called? Just now?”
 

“Yes. And…”

“And what, Carla? What did she say?”
 

Atreus sounded insistent, urgent.

“She called me awful names, Mr. Kostas. She said . . . well, she said some truly nasty things.”
 

Another long, silent moment passed. Carla wondered whether she had overstepped her bounds by telling her boss about this incident.

“I will see you at home, Carla,” Atreus said stiffly, and there was a click as the line went dead.

*****

Later, Carla and Dios were playing on the lawn when a white sports car came up the driveway, spraying gravel into the air and all around. On instinct, Carla scooped up Dios and stood back from the car. An exquisite woman dressed in a smart white business skirt suit emerged from the vehicle, and Carla’s heart jumped to her throat when she realized to whom she was about to be introduced.

“I expect you’re the . . . nanny?” Serene Kostas asked, the word falling off her lips with the same enthusiasm as one would greet a two-day old fish. “And I take it you conveyed my message to Atreus, since he called me in a rage.
‘How dare you call that fine woman a whore! She’s tending to our child!’
” She mimicked Atreus’s deep, commanding voice.
 

The Grecian beauty stepped in close to Carla, who jutted out her chin and stood her ground.
 

I will not be intimidated,
Carla thought.
I will not let her see me tremble.
 

Serene pushed her dark sunglasses on top of her head and her eyes fell on Dios.
 

She held out her arms to the child, her voice taking on a saccharine quality so fake it turned Carla’s stomach.
 

“Hello, Dios,” Serene cooed, flexing her hands at her son. “Come to Mama!”
 

But Dios clung to Carla, making a small noise, and put his head in the crook of her neck. Serene persisted.
 

“Come on, Dios. You know your mama!”
 

The child pouted, on the verge of fearful tears, and hid his face. Carla’s blood ran cold as Serene’s teeth gnashed, her lacquered fingernails forcefully prying Dios from her arms.
 

The little boy began crying bitterly, looking to Carla for reprieve.
 

“Mama! Mama!” Dios cried, squirming and wriggling towards Carla.
 

Serene looked as though she might pass out from sheer anger.

“What the – who the hell are you, making my son call you mama? You bitch!”
 

Serene shoved Dios back into Carla’s arms, where he sobbed but soon calmed under Carla’s touch.

“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay,” Carla soothed, rubbing his back. “Mrs. Kostas, please, you’re frightening him! He’s so young, he can’t distinguish between -”
 

But Serene snarled, cutting her off.

“You stupid, gold-digging bitch! You think you’ll be able to force your way into this family by tricking a baby into liking you? That Atreus will just
have
to marry you when he sees what his son thinks of you? You’re a pathetic fool. Almost as much of a fool as Atreus.”