Adonis in Athens - Page 40

Their eyes met and he gripped her hand so he could bring her fingers to his lips. “If you’re concerned that things might not work out between us, leaving you stranded in a foreign country, that’s a fair concern. I can’t think of any reason you would ever be in a situation like that—we’re married, which means you would have access to everything I own. My home, my bank accounts, almost everything. If we decided to separate at some point, I couldn’t give you part of the business—Lakkas, International belongs solely to my parents until they’re both gone—but you would have your own money and half of everything we bought together.”

“It’s not about money,” she protested. “It’s about a safety net. If you and I have a fight, who can I talk to? I would only have you. If your mother hates me, every meal, every holiday, everything will be about me being stressed and dreading it, with nowhere to go.”

“We’ll argue,” he said softly. “But we’ll never fight. There’s a difference and I make that promise to you now.”

“My friend Nina in high school was Greek and her parents fought all the time, with everyone—each other, the kids, the rest of the family, neighbors. One time I got so uncomfortable her mother pulled me aside and told me it’s a Greek thing—they fight as passionately as they love, it’s just their way. Is your family different?”

He paused. “Yes and no. We don’t fight like that regularly. We did a lot more before my father’s stroke, but since then we’ve had to learn to stay calmer and talk more, instead of yelling. Sophia and her husband do a lot of yelling, but I think that’s more because they shouldn’t be together. He’s a prick. I can’t stand him and neither can Melina or my father. My mother tolerates him because his family has money and she thinks that’s important, that Sophia be taken care of, especially in these difficult economic times.

“Personally, I was never a big yeller. Yeah, sometimes—I guess it is in my blood to some extent,” he chuckled. “But not in an ugly way. And living in the U.S. for five years showed me a lot. I didn’t come home at Christmas; I went home with my best friend and roommate, Mick. His family showed me that you don’t have to yell all the time, that you can get your point across with class and well-chosen words. Don’t get me wrong, my family isn’t like some Greek families who scream and yell and hit each other. Greek men have been known to smack their wives around, but my father never did and I certainly never would…” His voice trailed off. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that our marriage—our relationship—would be a mixture of both cultures.

“I love being Greek. We’re a strong, proud people with history and passion and, to be honest, the best food in the world.”

She chuckled. “I will absolutely agree with that.”

“But I also loved living in the U.S. There’s so much of everything, and the idea of the American Dream is still alive and well. Some of the people I met are still what I consider friends for life; Mick is as close to me now as he was when we lived together. Texts, email, the occasional video chat—hell, we still bet on football games every Sunday! So there is nothing keeping me from potentially living in the U.S. It’s just…” He sighed.

“The business is here, and no matter how angry or hurt you are now, or how much you bluster at your dad—you still want it to be yours.”

He looked away. “Sort of. I also think that maybe a few years away would make a difference. Maybe I could get a job in a similar industry in the U.S. and learn from someone else. Someone who isn’t my father. You know? Maybe this is a sign that it’s time for me to make changes.”

Their fingers were still linked between them and she used her thumb to stroke his forefinger. “I would love having you come to Vegas with me, but you probably wouldn’t find a job in the shipping industry there.”

He shook his head. “No. Most likely I would need to be in L.A., San Francisco or New York.”

“Lots of sports teams in those cities,” she reasoned. “I’m sure I could get a job. Those are really expensive places to live, though. Like 10 times more expensive than Vegas.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s just focus on us right now, okay? We have to be sure that we want to be together before we upset both of our lives. If you move here, it’s going to be a huge change for you, and even though I’ve lived in the U.S. before, it would be totally different this time. Finding a job, getting a green card, and both of us in a new city. I’m sure moving away from Vegas would be stressful for you no matter where you go.”

She nodded. “Probably. But being with you…well, I think it would be a lot easier.”

He smiled, leaning back in the chair and closing his eyes. “Honey, I did the pros and cons in my head last night and the pros definitely outweigh the cons. We just have to make a decision, but I think it’s too soon for that. Let’s enjoy the morning and I’ll try to prepare you for meeting my family.”

She groaned. “There went my relaxing morning at the beach.”

“Lena’s on our side and my father promised he would try to get my mother on board, at least to give you a chance.”

“I guess that’s all I can hope for.”

“Are you sure it’s okay to wear this dress?” Paige asked Apollo three hours later as she got dressed.

“It’s beautiful,” he said, pressing a light kiss on her bare shoulder. She was wearing the same white dress she’d worn the day she’d first come to the office to see him, and he loved it. She was much darker now that they’d spent almost every day outdoors, and the stark contrast of her darker skin against the white of the dress was stunning. “You’re beautiful.”

She smiled. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to hearing that.”

He frowned. “Didn’t Tom ever tell you he thought you were beautiful?”

She shook her head. “Pretty, cute—he’d call me sexy when we were in bed, but it seemed forced, as though he had to say that because we were having sex.”

He scowled. “He sounds like a douche—I don’t care who you are or who the woman is, when you give a compliment, especially during sex, mean it. Beauty is subjective, so if I say it, it’s because I think you’re absolutely gorgeous. And frankly, I don’t give a damn if anyone agrees with me, because you’re mine and I’m the only one who has to think so.”

This time her smile lit up her whole face as she stepped into sandals and held out her hand to him. “So, are we ready?”

“Honestly—no.” He laughed, wrapping his arms around her. “But it’s going to be okay. I promise.”

She arched a brow. “You have absolutely no way of promising me any such thing!”

He lightly kissed her. “I can do my damnedest, though!”