Greek's Marriage Bargain Read Free

of Arianna growing up. Ignoring the small voice in the back of her head whispering a suggestion for the as-yet-unknown man, she stood close to Arianna, putting her arm around the other girl’s waist. Arianna’s height made it impossible for her to sling an arm around her neck as she’d used to do. “Are you okay?”
    Arianna nodded, though there were traces of sadness on her face. “I’d forgotten how beautiful the island is.”
    “Me too.” A collection of elegant, ancient buildings lined the hills of the island, leading up to the summit, where one villa stood alone—the Andrakis home. Together, they walked across the sand from the landing strip, toward the waiting car. The villa was a couple of miles away, but visible even from this distance. Up-close, it was even more magnificent, with pale walls and a red tiled roof. The grounds were immaculate, and Leah couldn’t wait to explore the landscaping. She yearned for the feel of soil between her fingers and hoped Nikos wouldn’t make a fuss about it. When she’d asked about making a small garden at his New York home, he’d icily pointed out she had many duties to keep her busy, leaving no time for gardening. She had contented herself with a few indoor houseplants in her room.
    Arianna slid in first, and Leah went next. She made a sound of surprise when Nikos sat down beside her, instead of taking the seat across from them. When he made no move to transfer, she scooted closer to Arianna, annoyed when he followed. She gritted her teeth, determined not to make an issue of it. The ride would be over quickly.
    The black car whisked them up the winding hill to the villa. Arianna had rolled down her window, and the scent of tropical flowers made Leah’s nostrils flare. She breathed deeply, with anticipation. As she did so, the clean, male scent of Nikos teased her nose. She swallowed thickly, deliberately turning her head away from him, to lean closer to the open window. The change of position angled her bottom closer to Nikos, and she recoiled as though his touch had burned. In a way, it had. It burned her to have him so close, infringing upon her space.
    Liar , whispered that annoying voice, which she quickly quashed.
    “Would you like to hang your head out the window? Perhaps let the breeze flap your tongue?” teased Nikos.
    She shot him a glare and refocused on the land as they pulled up the driveway, parking in front of the villa. Nikos was the first out, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The relief was short-lived, because he paused, reaching in to offer her a hand out as the driver came around to let out Arianna. “I can manage,” she said through gritted teeth as she put her legs out.
    “It’s no trouble.” He overrode her objection by grasping her hand and giving her a gentle tug. Her momentum shifted, sending her sprawling forward, straight into Nikos’s arms.
    “A simple thank you would have sufficed.” His lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. She’d like to think her hot glower influenced his decision.
    She jerked upright, straightened her spine, and stepped away from him. “Thank you for making me stumble,” she said as coldly as she could manage and turned away from him. To her annoyance, he laughed softly behind her.
    To her surprise, Irina came bustling out of the villa. The housekeeper had to be over sixty by now, but she was still at her post. In a shower of Greek, Irina swept Arianna into a big hug, her larger girth swallowing up the other’s smaller frame. After a moment, Arianna fought her way free, and Irina moved on to Nikos. Leah couldn’t hide her pleasure at the way the older woman engulfed the man in one of her massive hugs. When she released him, she patted his face and spoke lovingly in Greek.
    Leah walked by them, surprised when Irina touched her arm. She turned to smile at the older woman and found herself wrapped in her arms. She knew Irina from other visits, but it had been years, and she’d never been greeted with a hug