Greek's Marriage Bargain Read Free Page A

before.
    “Ah, Kyria Andrakis, welcome. The last time I saw you, you were younger than Miss Arianna.”
    Leah shook her head as best she could with Irina’s hands framing her face. “I think I was seventeen.” It had been the summer before Arianna’s mother died, the year she’d developed a huge crush on Nikos. Thank goodness she was over that.
    “You have become a beautiful woman, Kyria Andrakis. I can see why Mr. Nikos married you.”
    Leah flushed, deliberately not looking at Nikos. “Please call me Leah.”
    Irina nodded, clearly not one to adhere to rigid standards of conduct. “Come, Kyria Leah, and Miss Arianna,” she threaded her arms through theirs, practically marching the women up the marble stairs and into the house, with Nikos trailing behind.
    The interior was more luxurious than she’d remembered, complete with a marble mosaic of one the saints on the foyer floor. It seemed disrespectful to walk on it, and she wasn’t even religious. The others trod over the saint without a glance downward, so she did the same. More marble stairs, carpeted with a maroon runner, led them to the next floor, where Irina released Arianna in front of her room. She didn’t wait for the girl to enter as she hurried Leah on. “You will love the master suite, Kyria Leah. It is heaven.”
    Leah nodded, not really paying attention. She was too busy trying to keep up with the powerhouse old woman. When they entered the master suite, she didn’t give it much thought. At Nikos’s home in New York, they shared the master suite, though with separate bedrooms and bathrooms. If the staff there thought it was odd, they’d known better than to express the opinion.
    “Heaven,” repeated Irina with a sigh. “This is the perfect place to make a baby, Kyria Leah. Miss Arianna and Mr. Nikos were both conceived here.”
    Leah choked, somehow managing a nod. She voiced words of appreciation to Irina as the other woman left her after one last hug. It was then she noticed Nikos was also in the room. She’d hoped he’d gone straight to the study, or anywhere else. Being in a bedroom with him, alone, was awkward.
    She turned toward the doors, opening the first to reveal a dressing room with another door. “Is my room through here?”
    Nikos shrugged. “It can be yours if you’d like.”
    Leah frowned at the odd comment and walked through the dressing room to open the other door. She opened it and stepped into the other room, startled to find a nursery. An antique crib, armoire, and chair took up most of one wall. There were toys lined neatly on shelves, obviously dusted regularly. To her relief, she spotted a single bed against another wall—probably for a nanny. It wasn’t the luxurious king-size bed she was used to, but she’d make do. She would have made do with the crib in order to avoid sharing a room with Nikos.
    To her surprise, he followed. “Will this room suit you?”
    She shrugged. “It’s fine.” Feeling lost, reluctant to meet his eyes, Leah fussed with the button of her linen jacket. “Though it is lacking in closet space.”
    Nikos nodded, leaning against the doorjamb as though he planned to stay there all day. “There’s plenty of room in my closet.”
    “Thanks.” An awkward silence fell, and she searched for something to say. “What are—?”
    “Dinner is—” said Nikos simultaneously. “What were you saying?”
    “I was going to ask if you knew Arianna’s plans for the summer?”
    He shrugged. “I imagine she’ll spend much of her time on the beach. There are several young people living in the area, and she will likely want to renew her friendships with them.”
    “Ah.”
    Nikos straightened, walking toward her. He seemed to loom over her even more than usual. He was several inches taller, but she didn’t usually feel uncomfortable when he stood so close—not that he’d stood this close to her in a long time. “And what are your plans, Leah?”
    She swallowed audibly when he brushed his