Page 16 of The Nicolaides Baby

“As well as can be expected.” Mrs. Nicolaides took Rowan’s hand and smiled at her. “I guess you could say Rowan and I are holding each other up today.”

“Of course you are,” Gia said, her brow furrowed while patting the other woman on the back. “You lost a sonanda daughter-in-law.”

“Yes,” Mrs. Nicolaides said with a little heat. “And Rowan lost her twin sister.”

Gia eyed Rowan up and down. “Hmm… Strange howsounalike you two look. It’s hard to believe you were even sisters, much less twins.” She gave a slight laugh. “You know, I’m actually surprised Andreas didn’t pickyouup on the beach that day instead of your sister, seeing how she was so…” She shrugged.

Beside her, Mrs. Nicolaides gasped while Rowan met Gia’s smirking gaze with a heated one of her own. She’d just buried her sister and this woman thought she could walk all over here and talk shit. She squeezed Mrs. Nicolaides’ hand to keep from smacking the grin right off her face.

“Gia, I don’t think—”

“Ms. Petrakis,” Rowan said, interrupting Mrs. Nicolaides and giving Gia the look she saved for recalcitrant children in her class. “I would prefer you not talk about my sister in any capacity other than to offer your condolences to either me or Mrs. Nicolaides.” She let go of the hand she held and stepped closer to the other woman. “Otherwise, you should be quiet.”

Gia raised one brow but didn’t back off. “I don’t think you realize who you’re talking to.” Rowan followed the other woman’s glance over at a frowning Leo who was making his way to them from across the terrace. “You’re a guest in this house and I’m—”

“Also a guest,” Mrs. Nicolaides said, stepping forward and placing an arm around Rowan. “And Rowan isn’t.She’sfamily. So, I expect anyone whoisa guest in my house to treat her accordingly.”

Gia eyed both Rowan and Mrs. Nicolaides, her speculative gaze narrowing. “We’ll see,” she murmured right before Leo came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. It was an amazing thing to watch as the other woman’s whole demeanor changed—a coy smile spreading over her face before she glanced over her shoulder at him.

“There you are,agápi mou,” she said, her eyes wide and innocent.

“Is there a problem?” He glanced between Rowan and his mother while Gia leaned back against him.

“Of course not,” Gia answered with a slight pout. “We’re just having a discussion about how important family is.” She eyed Rowan and Mrs. Nicolaides—a dare in her dark brown gaze. “Weren’t we.”

Rowan held the other woman’s gaze and nodded. Gia winked at her before turning toward Leo and grabbing his hand. As she led him away, she added just a hint of sexual innuendo, “Let’s get you fed.”

“My love, my ass,” Mrs. Nicolaides muttered. “Leo can do better.” Rowan didn’t ponder on the fleeting notion she’d echoed Sierra’s thoughts on the woman when a laughing Mara ran out the French doors onto the terrace being chased by Libby, nor the other woman’s whispered words of, “Much better.”

6

Leo sat eatingbreakfast with his family on their terrace three days after saying his final goodbye to his brother, which had been much harder than he’d anticipated. His gaze lingered on the empty seat his brother normally occupied at family meals and then to the top of the stairs. He still half expected to see Andreas and Sierra appear there, Andreas holding his wife close and making sure she was comfortably seated before piling up several plates from the buffet the cook had set out. Andreas would have laughingly said, “I’m eating for three now.”

It had been a week and a day since the wreck, and the loss of Andreas and Sierra still hovered over him, the cloud of grief over losing his brother, especially, nearly suffocating him. For days he had barely held it together. It was also something he wasn’t sure would ever go away although this morning it hadn’t been his first thought when he’d awoken. He looked around at his family’s faces and noticed they weren’t as tense. They’d even been joking with each other—not a lot—but were acting more like themselves and even laughing some. So, while nothing would ever be the same again, itwasgetting better.

He should probably let Xander know he’d be returning to work on Monday, which also meant returning to his apartment—at least for a few weeks until Lukas was released from the hospital. He hadn’t said anything to his family yet and had a feeling his mom wouldn’t be happy about it. If any of the hints she’d thrown at him the last couple of days were any indication, she’d like for him toneverreturn to Athens. But he had many things to take care of before he could make the transition back to the family home.

He shook his head and chuckled to himself. He could just imagine the look on Gia’s face when he finally told her he was moving back to Santorini permanently once Lukas was ready to come home. Shewasn’tgoing to be happy. In fact, the fit she would pitch would probably be of epic proportions. Afterward she would try to seduce him into doing whatshewanted. It had certainly worked in the past.

But now?

He closed his eyes and blocked out the conversation going on around him. He had some decisions to make regarding his relationship with Gia after some enlightenment had been thrown in his face—things he’d overlooked or ignored for a long time. Namely the fact Gia cared only for herself.

And it all had become quite clear over the past week. She’d certainlyseemedsupportive when they were in public but had still been her usual demanding, clingy self in private. Her behavior had amused him in the past, but he’d found it more and more irritating and inconsiderate when he was going through so much. She’d even whispered to him after the internment about how much she needed him tosatisfyher because she was grieving too. He’d said no, of course. Sex—at least sex with her—was the last thing on his mind. She’d pouted at him most of the rest of the day. It wasn’t a good look on her.

He sat back in his seat and looked out over the lush green lawn beyond the railing bordering the terrace. At first, a marriage to her had made sense. Neither of them had been under any illusions it would be a love match, but they’d both agreed it would be a lucrative business merger. They also had a lot in common—the same friends, the same drive to succeed. They were also compatible in bed, which was a bonus.

But with Lukas in the picture, his priorities had changed, and he just didn’t see Gia as the nurturing, maternal type—something he wanted for his nephew and what Lukas deserved. This had been made even more evident after her insistence on seeing “the child” the day before. He’d ended up taking her early in the morning before his parents visited. She’d ooo’d and ah’d over him—for all of five seconds—before looking at her watch and saying she had a hair appointment in an hour and needed to leave. She hadn’t even bothered to touch him.

And dammit, he couldn’t help but compare her to Rowan in that moment—much like he’d found himself comparing the two women since he’d seen his former lover walking down the steps of the plane. So, whatever else, it didn’t bode well for his relationship with one woman when all he could think about was how much bettereverythingwould be with another.

He lifted his coffee cup and grinned at his mother behind it while taking a sip. He had a feeling she wouldn’t be heartbroken if he ended things with Gia. She hadn’t come right out with it, but he wasn’t blind. She didn’t care for the other woman, which brought him back to the exchange between Gia, his mother, and Rowan. From the tension coming off his mom and Rowan, whatever the three women had been discussing, itwasn’tthe importance of family. Rowan and his mother hadn’t elaborated. Neither of them would have wanted to cause a scene—something Gia would have relished. She so loved drama.

“Oh, here comes Rowan and Mara,” his mom said, drawing his attention to the two redheads walking up the lawn. Well, more like running. He grinned at the two but caught his breath and stood when Mara stumbled and fell. Rowan started toward her, but the little girl pushed herself up from the ground and started running again, laughing and looking behind her at her mother who begantryingto catch her again.

“I still can’t believe you talked her into staying at thedéfterosvilla,” he said, taking his seat and nonchalantly picking up his cup. Thesecondvilla, as they called it, had originally been intended for him as the oldest to use, but Leo had insisted it would be perfect for Andreas and Sierra. He glanced at his mother who was grinning at him.

“Well, you two arrived back so late the other night after visiting Lukas. Mara was already asleep, so I just convinced her it made sense.” His mom picked up her own cup, casually saying, “She’s very lovely. Isn’t she?”

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