Chapter 4
“Alex tells me that you are trying to steal my vines,” said a deep voice in accented English.
Emma turned and looked into one of the most perfect faces she had ever seen. As her eyes took him in, she realized that everything about him was perfect. His light blue button-down shirt hung on powerful shoulders and covered a well-muscled chest. His dark complexion was flawless, and his mouth was fighting a grin. Warm, chocolate, brown eyes regarded her with frank amusement. Emma shook herself as she realized she was staring and had just been accused of being a grape thief.
“Stealing your vines? What would I want to do with a bunch of grapes? Thank God you speak English. I got lost and was trying to take a shortcut back to the main road. Tell Fido over there to stand down.”
The man lounged in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. “Stealing vines is a serious charge and is much worse than stealing grapes. You steal grapes, you steal this year’s harvest. You steal the vine, then you steal forever. Convince me that you are not a vine thief.”
Emma rolled her eyes. He didn’t believe she was a thief. It was clear on his face. He was playing with her.
“I don’t have to convince you of anything. Just point me to the main road and get the hell out of my way.” She swung her pack on her back and started to try to shoulder her way past him. He didn’t move, and as he took up the majority of the doorway, she wasn’t able to make the dramatic exit she had planned.
“The main road is 16 kilometers that way. It will be dark in less than an hour. There are no lights on the dirt road. I hope you can see well in the dark.” He looked at his watch as if to confirm what he had said about the time.
Emma could clearly see that dusk was falling and thinking about trekking 16 kilometers in the dark on a dirt road did not sound appealing. “You could give me a ride. You know, be a nice guy and help a girl out?”
He looked at her for a moment and said “You know what, I am a nice guy. Since I am such a nice guy, I will take you to my house for dinner. Then I will take you out to the road.”
“Excuse me? Did you just proposition me? I’ll take my chances in the dark.” This time she pushed against him as she tried to squeeze out of the door. Behind her, Alex laughed as she pushed against what may as well have been a stone wall.
“I didn’t proposition you. I offered you dinner. My four-year-old daughter will be joining us so you can be sure I am not going to ravage you on the table.” He took her hand off of his chest and shook it. “I am Nikos. You are welcome to join me at my house for dinner, or if you bear just to the left of that big tree, you will find your way to the dirt road. You will want to be careful though. There has been a pack of feral dogs causing troubles lately.” He dropped her hand and stood back to let her through the doorway.
Oh Hell, Emma thought. She took a few steps toward the big tree and then looked back at Mr. Tall, Dark and Hot as Hell. Blowing her breath out in frustration, she looked down the dark road again. “Feral dogs, really?” She paused considering and asked over her shoulder, “You will take me to the main road after dinner?”
“I give you my word. Let’s go. Abigail will be impatiently waiting.” He stepped past her and opened the passenger side door of his Range Rover. She took off her pack and reluctantly let him take it from her to put in the back.
As he slid in next to her, he asked, “So, do you have a name, vine thief?”
Emma hesitated. She always worried about her name leaving a trail, but she was only going to be here a few hours. Her brain was spinning too fast to conjure an alias, so she just answered with the truth, “Emma.”
“Nice to meet you, Emma. Are you on a backpacking holiday? You’re American, right? Your accent sounds American.”
The vehicle’s lights swept the road as he pulled onto it. His curiosity was piqued by this little firecracker of a woman. She had looked so fierce fighting for her backpack. When Alex had called him, he was relatively sure that his manager was being overly paranoid. Most vine thefts were done by professionals who knew how to take a cutting and certainly wouldn’t have taken a nap under a tree while they were in the middle of a job. Vine theft was rampant since drought had gripped the region several years ago. Many vineyards had dried up and died because they lacked any means of irrigation. In a region that consistently had ample rainfall, irrigation systems had always been regarded as a waste of money. Nikos liked to be prepared and had installed irrigation if it was ever needed when he took over the vineyard after his father’s death. They had prospered when many others had failed.
Nikos cut his eyes to look at her as she sat stiffly in the passenger seat. Her short black hair was tucked behind her ears to reveal her high cheekbones. Her face was beautiful in profile, but her eyes had caught his attention immediately. Their grey blue matched the Mediterranean on a stormy day, and they glittered with intelligence, intensity, and a wariness of someone who doesn’t trust anyone.
“Yes. I’ve been trekking across the continent for a couple of months now. I stay here and there to make a little cash when I need to. I’m from Indiana. It’s in the Midwest.” Emma realized that she was rambling and snapped her mouth shut. In the last minute, she had said more to this man about herself than she had since setting foot in Europe. She took a deep breath and balled her fists in her lap. Keep your mouth shut, she told herself as she focused her eyes just beyond the Rover’s hood.
Nikos felt her close in on herself and decided not to ask any more questions. She clearly did not want to talk about herself. Instead, he made small talk about the weather and the grape harvest and received noncommittal monosyllable replies. They pulled up at the house a few minutes later. He glanced at Emma in time to see her mouth open in surprise.
Chapter 5
Before she could stop herself, she blurted, “You said house. This is a mansion!”
The white marble front of the three-story mansion was lit by spotlights and reminded Emma of the pictures of the White House at night. There were long sweeping verandas off to each side of a wide paved entryway with a small fountain that splashed happily. The front door was large and made from a deep glossy brown wood that Emma had never seen before. She got out of the Rover before he could open her door and managed to stop herself from snatching the backpack from him. He carried it as he led the way not through the front door but to the left down the stone-paved veranda that was littered with chaise lounges and comfy looking chairs. The night was mild, and Emma could easily imagine lounging on warm nights with a glass of wine and listening to the night.
Nikos let them in through an iron gate in the stone wall, and they crossed a lovely, well-kept yard that was ringed with flowers and decorative lights. At the far side, a swimming pool glowed with a white marble floor. Emma gaped as she followed him. It was the most opulent house she had ever seen. She tried to get her mouth and eyes under control as they mounted a couple of steps to a side entrance.
They walked into a vast kitchen with dark granite countertops and a dark hardwood floor that was contrasted by white cupboards and stainless steel appliances. Everything in the kitchen was top of the line. It looked to Emma like an army of chefs could cook in it without feeling crowded.
“Come on in,” Nikos said as he put her backpack just inside the door. “Let me find Abigail and Gretchen and see what has happened to dinner. There is a lounge just through there. Make yourself comfortable.”
He disappeared through a door on the far side of the kitchen, and Emma wandered over to where he had pointed. She whistled quietly as she walked into a luxurious sitting area with rustic leather furniture, a fully stocked bar, a fireplace that was currently devoid of flames, and a carpet so thick that Emma thought you might be able to swim through it. She quickly stepped out of her dusty hiking boots and socks. She stepped onto the carpet with a groan of pleasure as she closed her eyes and her feet sunk into the soft luxury.
Nikos stood watching her from the edge of the open room. When she had groaned, he had felt a stirring within him. Something responded deep inside him. He wanted to hear that groan again. A sudden vision of her underneath him, making that groan as he entered her. Get a grip, he told himself as he felt his cock stir and thicken. He wasn’t sure what had prompted him to bring her back here. He usually would never have a woman in the house when Abigail was home. Emma had intrigued him, and he had a definite feeling that there was more to this woman than what he saw on the surface.
Softly, he cleared his throat and said, “We’re on our own for dinner I’m afraid. Abigail and Gretchen have gone to town to stay with Gretchen’s mother for the night.”
Emma whirled, and Nikos was shocked to see the look of panic on her face. “Take me to the road now.” She grabbed her socks and stuffed them into her pockets while jamming her feet into her boots. “You said there would be other people here. I am leaving. If you won’t take me to the road, fine, but I’m out of here.”
Nikos put his hands out in a calming gesture. “Emma, I’m sorry. The plan when I left was that we were having dinner here.” He raked a hand through his hair, and the look of sincere distress slowed Emma’s retreat. He was either one Hell of an actor, or he was telling the truth. Emma’s mouth was pressed into a hard line as she regarded him and tried to decide on what to do. He looked upset that she was upset. Emma couldn’t believe how badly she wanted to go to him and smooth the frown lines from his brow.
“Alright,” she said with a sigh. She couldn’t quite believe her ears when she said, “Do you have anything to eat in this place or is it really just a set up to impress the girls?”
He gave her a lopsided smile and a small laugh. Emma felt her stomach flip and realized that she had possibly just made the stupidest decision of her life.