Callum stopped at the doorway to the library. Usually when he arrived for Eva’s morning lessons, she was still asleep or lounging by the pool or still eating breakfast. There’d been one morning she was even out jogging. Anything seemed better to her than using her brain. But today she sat in a ray of sunshine, her head bent over an open book. She’d curled up on a chair, her bare feet tucked under her and her sandals on the floor next to the chair. She had the tip of her thumb in her mouth and her hair loose around her shoulders. His heart gave a lurch in his chest. He’d never seen anything so adorable.

Eva looked up and smiled. His chest tightened again and he wondered if he was having a heart attack. She waved her fingers at him and turned back to the book. “Why do you think they make all these rules for math that are just there to be rules?”

Clearing his throat, he walked in. “Okay, either shopping really agrees with you or you’re some kind of pod-Eva who has taken control of the real Eva.”

She glanced up at him. “Am I really that bad?”

Glancing at the book, he raised his eyebrows. “Wow, calculus. I wasn’t going to throw that at you for another month.”

She closed the book and stared at him. “Do you know, I realized yesterday that I’ve never balanced my own checkbook. I don’t have to. I never look at a bill and add up the costs or try to figure out a tip. I just throw down a credit card and let Antonio worry about it.”

He blinked. “Uh…okay.”

Wetting her lips, she looked down at the book and fussed with a corner of it. “But before we get into numbers, can I ask you something?”

She looked up at him, her dark eyes huge. A lump tightened in his throat. He swallowed, but it stayed stuck. He was sure he was opening the door to something, and he wasn’t certain he could. But he couldn’t ignore the plea in those dark eyes. He waved a hand. “Sure.”

“Why don’t you like me?” She wiggled around on her chair to face him. “Sometimes you act as if you can’t stand to be in the same room with me. Do you think I’m stupid? Is that it? Or…or do you just hate teaching? But I don’t think that’s it because sometimes you’re…you’re…”

“I’m what?”

“Nice.” The word came out in a small voice.

Callum stared at her. Way to go, Woods! You’ve gone and hurt her feelings. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Please don’t lie to me.” Eva put both feet on the floor. He glanced at them and his thoughts tangled. She had beautiful feet—a high arch and well shaped. She also had gold paint on her toenails. He dragged his stare from her feet back to her face and found her frowning at him. “I can tell when someone likes me. Do you have a girlfriend back home? Is that it?”

Callum shook his head. He pulled up a chair next to her and sat down, his hands folded in his lap. “I don’t have a girlfriend back home. And what’s that got to do with anything?”

She twirled a lock of hair around a finger. “I thought maybe you thought…well, I was hoping you’d been mean to try and keep from liking me too much. That would be better than you not liking me at all.”

He had to blink again. “Uh…somewhere I lost the logic in that. Look, Eva, you’re a beautiful young woman, but I’m twenty-four. I’m way too old for you…and…and frankly, I’m your tutor!”

“I wish you weren’t,” she muttered. Her mouth pulled into a pout.

He sat up. “What? Why? Okay, now I’m starting to think you hate me.”

She faced him, her chin coming up. “I do. A little. When you’re mean.”

“Okay, and I guess I’m mean a lot of the time.” She nodded and caught her lower lip between her teeth. Callum let out a breath. He scrubbed a hand through his hair, leaving it standing up. “That…that is not acceptable. I really am just trying to teach you, Eva.”

“Sometimes I feel like…well, I feel dumb. But I didn’t at the Parthenon. I liked that.” He touched the edge of the book in her lap. “Too much of these, hun?”

“And the lectures and the lessons and a lot of stuff that doesn’t really make sense. I can’t remember things if I don’t know why I’m supposed to know them.”

Callum nodded. He should have seen this coming—a good teacher would have. He should have tried to find a better way sooner to reach her, instead of assuming she just wasn’t very smart. He’d put her down as a spoilt rich girl—a dark-haired bimbo. He’d failed her. He didn’t like that. Now he stared at her, took in the dark eyes and the spark lurking there. He wasn’t going to underestimate her again. He held out his hand. “Make you a deal. Let’s lose this tutor and student thing. Let’s try being friends…and let’s figure out a better way for you to get into college. Deal?”

Eva grinned and put her hand into his. “Deal!”

* * *

Antonio stood on the balcony to his bedroom. Below, Dareios had dragged Alexandra, Callum and Eva into a game of volleyball in the pool. They’d set up the net and it was boys against girls, but the girls were winning. The girls were also shamelessly cheating. But everyone was laughing. It was good to see that—to hear the noise. Matthias’ death had hit the girls hard—they hadn’t been ready for it. Antonio had been—their father had seen to that. But Matthias had been such a presence in all their lives that his loss had left a gap—the house had seemed oddly quiet and empty for too long. Now…now life filled the estate again. Antonio smiled.

He had to admit, too, he was rather impressed with Callum. Eva was actually applying herself as she never had before. He watched as Eva tried to dunk Callum to get to the ball before he could. Callum twisted away so Eva went under the water, but Callum pulled her up. For a second, the two seemed frozen in each other’s arms. But then Eva splashed water at Callum and called for a foul, and appealed to Alexandra to come in on her side, claiming they should get an extra point just because. Callum started to explain how that math didn’t add up, and Antonio could see a water war about to break out.

Shaking his head, he turned from the window.

Claire came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her damp hair. “Are the kids all playing nicely.”

Antonio smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. “They are. And Dareios is the worst babysitter ever.” A splash and a shriek rose up to their room. “I think that is the girls getting their just punishment for cheating at the game.”

Claire grinned. She dropped the towel and held out a small strip. “I have a surprise for you.”

Antonio glanced at the strip. “Is the color supposed to mean something?”

“Yes. It means no champagne for me at Alexandra’s wedding!” He stared at her. She batted at his hand. “Silly, I thought Eva was the only one who had trouble adding things up.”

“You’re...?”

“I am.” She grinned. “There’s going to be a little Antonio or Antoinette around soon.”

Grinning, Antonio swept her up in his arms. “That’s it. Back into bed for you.”

She laughed. “For the next eight months? I don’t think so.”

He plopped her down on the bed and stretched out next to her. “We have to tell the others. I’ll go grab—”

“No wait.” She caught his arm. “Let’s keep this our secret. I don’t want to overshadow Alexandra’s wedding. And when Gaia gets back from helping her daughter have a baby, she can look after me. Deal?”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Only if you promise me to see a doctor this week. I am taking no chances with my precious wife.”

Claire shook her head, but she wrapped her arm around his neck. “I knew telling you about this was going to bring out the overbearing side of you. You know, Eva swears you are worse than your father sometimes.”

He pulled a face and shook his head. “No one was as bad as Matthias.” Brushing a strand of hair from Claire’s face, he admitted, “I worry sometimes…for Eva. Alexandra has Dareios now…and for a time that worried me. But Dareios really seems ready to settle down.”

“But Eva…I know, she’s the baby of the family and she probably hates that. Antonio, you have to let her grow up, you know. She’s able to make her own way. And I think…I think Callum is good for her for a lot of reasons.”

Antonio stared at his wife, his eyes narrowed. “You don’t think…they’re…?”

“What? And no I don’t think, but would that be so terrible.”

“He’s a penniless American!”

Claire laughed. “I wasn’t much more when you fell in love with me! But before you get ready to get your shotgun and go out there, demanding to know, I think Callum is good for Eva because he challenges her. And he’s the only guy I’ve ever seen not melt under that lost puppy look she can give a guy—and, yes, that includes you.”

Antonio stiffened for a moment, but he couldn’t hold his anger. Not in his wife’s arms. He relaxed next to her. “You think I need to give her more room to grow up—make her own mistakes?”

“Yes. You can be close. Help if she asks for it. But you’re soon going to have a baby to worry about. Meaning it’s time for Eva to stop being the baby.”

He ran a hand down her side and rested her palm on her stomach. “I look forward to that.”

“Good.” She tightened her hold on him. “Now come and prove that you still love your wife who is about to become very fat.”