The Greek Tycoon Box Set: The Complete Serial: Books 1-10 (7 page)

Angrily, she reached into her handbag and thrust a stack of papers into Carla’s free hand.
 

“Give that to your boss, bitch!” Serene continued. “Divorce papers. Have him sign them and send them to Nikolas’ office. If you’re not too stupid to do that.”
 

She turned on her heels without so much as a wave to her son, and sped away from the villa in her sleek white car, leaving a cloud of dust and gravel in her wake.

Carla hurried inside with Dios and locked the door. Alone, she was finally allowed to shudder with shock.
 

How could a mother act that way in front of her child?
She wondered, holding Dios tight to herself.
And what did Atreus ever see in that terrible woman?

*****

Atreus took one look at Carla upon returning home and knew something was wrong. Dios was down for his nap in the nursery and appeared to be content but Carla was clearly distressed.

“What’s wrong? Is Dios ill? Did he get hurt?” Atreus asked.
 

She shook her head. Wordlessly, she retrieved the envelope and handed it to Atreus. Uncomfortable watching his reaction to the contents of the envelope, she ran to her room and locked the door.

Atreus, ripped open the envelope. Upon seeing the divorce papers he felt his head spin.
 

Who brought these to the villa? When –
 

Before he could finish the thought, he was bounding up the stairs, knocking on Carla’s door. There was no response, so he called out to her.

“Carla, open this door.”
 

Still there was no response but Atreus thought he heard the quiet sniffles of someone crying. He knocked again.
 

“Carla,
open the door!
”
 

Reluctantly, the door inched open. Carla emerged, her face streaked with tears. Atreus brandished the papers in his hand.

“Did Serene bring these here? Was Serene
here
?”
 

He was breathless, horrified at what his estranged wife might have done or said to Carla and his son. Carla nodded, dissolving again into tears. Atreus placed one of his hands on her shoulder and tried to calm her.
 

“Carla, it’s all right. I am so sorry she frightened you. I would never have let that happen if I’d have known she’d show up here.”
 

Through her tears, Carla could only manage a few words, but what she said shocked Atreus to his core.

“I want to go back to England,” Carla cried.
 

Atreus felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach.

“Go back to England? Why? Aren’t you happy here?”
 

Still, Carla only cried.

“What about Dios! Dios adores you!”

Carla released a shuddering cry.

“Mr. Kostas, will you please, please just leave my room. I need to be alone for a while. I need – I need to think!”
 

She pushed Atreus out of the room.
 

As the door closed behind him, Atreus felt a horrible sinking feeling. He was coming to a realization.

We can’t lose her,
he thought.
I can’t lose her.

*****

Later that evening, Carla made her way downstairs, her luggage in hand. She had washed her face with cool water to reduce the swelling from crying, and pulled her hair back from her face. Being clean helped her think straight, and she had not come to an easy decision.
 

Atreus was in his office when Carla knocked gently on the doorframe. She spoke before he had the chance to look up, knowing that she might just get lost in his deep, feeling eyes, and change her mind.

“I am leaving Greece, Mr. Kostas, and would be grateful if you could take my airfare from this month’s earnings. I appreciate your hospitality. I will miss Dios very much.”

“No,” he said. “Please.”
 

“I . . . I will miss
you
very much.” Carla’s voice was quiet and weak.

When Atreus did not answer, she turned away.
 

After a heavy silence, Carla heard Atreus rise from his leather office chair. Before she knew what was happening, he was standing behind her. Carla felt as though her heart might beat through her chest. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he slowly turned her around to face him. Brushing her tears away with his thumbs, he lowered his head and covered her lips in a deep kiss.
 

As much as she knew she should back away, Carla’s hands automatically found their way around his neck, pulling him to her and opening her lips, as his tongue outlined the contours of her mouth.
 

“Carla. Carla, Carla, aγαπητέ μου, don’t go,” he murmured, pulling away from her lips and nuzzling against her ear.

“I can’t stay,” Carla whispered, her voice and heart breaking as she pulled away from their embrace.

Every fiber of her body wanted to be close to him, but she couldn’t bear the emotional turmoil.
 

How could we ever be together
, she thought,
when the child we both love so much isn’t mine? When his wife, that child’s mother, is cursing my name?

It was all too much. But Carla didn’t have another moment to think on the possibilities. Instead, she simply watched in shock as Atreus fell to one knee.

The End
(of Book 1)

Continue on to read Book 2…

THE GREEK TYCOON

Book 2:
 
Mending A Broken Heart

By Kay Brody

Chapter 1

Stunned by the sight of Atreus on his knees, Carla gasped, uncertain of what was to come.
 

“Carla, I don’t want you to leave,” repeated Atreus, “Please. I beg of you. Stay here, with me.” He took her hands in his, gazing up at her. “Just . . . stay.”

“Atreus . . .” Carla breathed.
 

“Do you really want to go back there? To your old life?” Atreus asked, his eyes wild and desperate. Carla thought of Brian back in London, and how fearful she had been each night since they had broken up.
 

“N-no,” Carla stuttered, knowing it was the truth. How could she leave this life she had become so accustomed to? Never mind the luxury she was subject to at the villa, what about Atreus and Dios, Andria and Hanna? How could she abandon them when they needed her help so badly?

“We could be so happy together,” Atreus said, standing and taking her in his arms. “Something between us has only just begun. Don’t run now. Please. I don’t . . .” To Carla’s absolutely surprise, Atreus seemed to be holding back tears. She placed a calming hand against his cheek as he looked at her, his eyes brimming. “I didn’t think I could feel this way anymore. I thought that part of me had died a long time ago. I can’t . . . I don’t want to lose it. I don’t want to lose this.” And again he kissed her, their lips tangling together beautifully. Carla felt as though her head was rushing and her ears were ringing as their lips collided again and again, each time with more ferocious passion.
 

“Atreus, please,” Carla said, pulling back. “I need time to think about this. Between you and Serene—”

“Don’t worry about Serene,” Atreus said sternly. “She’s nothing to me.”

“She’s the mother of your child,” Carla insisted. “How can you say that is nothing?”

“She is mother to Dios only by blood. I will love her for giving me that child but only for that, nothing more.”
 

“And what about me? Someday will you only love me for the children I might give you, and nothing more?” Carla hated herself for picking a fight, but it was a question to which she needed an answer.
 

“That is different,” Atreus replied, wounded. “You are nothing like Serene.”

“But how am I to know that? How can you be sure you won’t wake up one morning and be through with me?” Carla felt tears rising and her throat growing tight, hysterical.
This is too much all at once.

“Because I adore you!” Atreus roared. Carla’s breath caught as he took her hands once more. “Because I feel so much more for you than I ever did for her!” His shaking hands cupped her face. “Carla, I have known you for so little a time, but in that time I have fallen for you. I knew the moment I saw you that we were meant to be something. I knew we would be together. If you leave now . . . we’ll never know what we could have been.”

“I—” But Atreus was kissing her once more, and her head was positively spinning.
 

Overwhelmed, Carla broke away from Atreus.

“I don’t know what to think, Atreus,” she said. “I… I need some time. Please.”

And with that she rushed away and into the nursery, shutting the door.
 

To her surprise, she was not alone. Hanna stood near Dios’s crib, fashioning a bottle for him.

“Oh, Hanna!” Carla exclaimed, her face flushed and dappled with tears. She hastily wiped her eyes, hoping upon hope that Hanna did not notice the state she was in.
 

“Apologies, Miss Carla,” Hanna said, sounding truly embarrassed. “I noticed that you and Mr. Kostas were having a . . . discussion. I thought it best if I feed Dios on your behalf.” She gestured to the infant in his crib, who gazed up at the two women with happy brown eyes.

“Oh. Oh, yes. Thank you, Hanna.”
 

Feeling exhausted by all that had transpired, Carla sank into the rocking chair and stared out the window at the large expanse of land on which the villa sat. Silently, Hanna fed Dios, until Carla could contain herself no longer.

“I met Mrs. Kostas,” she said, and Hanna blanched.

“She came here?” Hanna asked. “Did she speak to you?” Carla only nodded. “Well, what did she say, child?” Carla closed her eyes as though she was in pain.
 

“She called me a slut,” Carla whispered, ashamed.
And perhaps she’s right. Here I am, the taste of my boss’s lips on my tongue.
 

Hanna clucked her tongue. “Such a hypocrite. That woman ran around with every man who would bed her before she married Atreus. And then she runs out on her husband and child, with Atreus’s business partner! How can she call you such names when she’s no saint?” Heat burned in Carla’s cheeks at the thought of someone betraying Atreus so deeply.

“I wish I’d had my wits about me when she came here,” Carla said, looking earnestly at Hanna. “I would have told her exactly where to shove it.” At that moment, Dios finished his bottle and squirmed in Hanna’s arms, leaning towards Carla’s tired frame.

“Mama, mama, mama!” He cooed, and Carla felt herself smile, even though it was the last thing she felt like doing. Hanna handed her the child and promised to bring up some hot tea, leaving Carla alone with her ward. As Dios tangled his fingers in her hair and babbled nonsensically, Carla chided herself for acting so hastily and wanting to go home.
 

Dios needs me here
, she thought, breathing in his sweet baby smell.
And, perhaps, so does his father
.
 

*****

Chapter 2

Carla had vanished, and Brian Kennedy was fuming.

“She never said she was going anywhere!” He paced about his apartment while his roommate Andrew watched.
 

“Dude, why are you freaking out? You were already broken up,” Andrew said, his eyes glued to a football game on the television.

“She still loves me,” Brian snarled. “I know she does. She’s just confused.” He flopped down on the couch next to Andrew and stared at the ceiling. Andrew set the television on mute and looked at his friend.

“If that’s really what you think, why don’t you ask her friends where she went? If she loves you after all, she wouldn’t have just disappeared without a reason.”
 

And that’s when Brian was struck with an idea.
Sarah
. Sarah was Brian’s latest catch, and a friend of Carla’s. They had met through Onella, for whom Sarah worked, and quickly became inseparable. That is, until Carla broke up with Brian and Sarah began seeing him on the rebound. Rich, gorgeous, and needy, Sarah was the perfect placeholder for Carla until Brian managed to win his girl back.
Girls are ones to gossip
, he thought, dialing Sarah’s number.
Maybe she knows where Carla’s run off to
. Sarah answered on the first ring.

“Hi,” Sarah’s sexy voice purred.

“Sweetheart. How’s my girl today?” Brian could turn his voice to honey when he wanted to, and he could just see Sarah squirming in her seat.
 

“She misses you something terrible.” Sarah’s voice was husky and dripping with sensuality.
 

“Hmm, whatever shall we do about that?” Brian asked, knowing just how to turn her on.

“My place, tonight?” Sarah asked breathily. “I’m so wet for you already, I can hardly wait.” Brian chuckled darkly, as he felt himself twitching beneath his trousers.