Authors: Aleka Nakis
“A swim sounds great,” he said into the phone, and followed it with something in Greek.
Sammy’s heart sank as she guessed the translation. It was always the same: Sammy’s needs could wait. A better offer had come along. She was used to being put last, because it was a pattern with every man she was ever close to. Why had she expected Demo to be any different?
Sighing, she pulled the textbook across the table and attempted to close the heavy book. Large tan fingers covered hers, squeezed, and held her hand still. She met his eyes, which narrowed in question.
“We’ll be at Mano’s around two thirty, maybe three. If you can last, meet us there.” He absentmindedly stroked the back of her hand while he spoke. “Okay, have fun.
Filia
to Zoë.” He terminated the call and spoke to Sammy. “What’s the matter? Are you too tired to finish?”
“No,” she replied, feeling obligated to explain when he kept looking at her quizzically. “I thought you would want to go out instead.”
“We can’t. This time is set aside specifically for the exam preparation and you need to do it. You may know the stuff, but the test is difficult, and you really must study. It’s too important to chance it.”
He cared. He really cared. He wanted her to succeed.
She wanted to scream it out in victory. Elated with the simple knowledge of his concern, she let out a long breath and her lashes moistened with relief.
“No, don’t cry,
agape mou
. I didn’t mean to sound harsh or to imply that you can’t do it. I merely wanted to say that we need to finish this section. Your studying is important and can’t be dismissed.”
He sounded worried. Did he think he had upset her?
“I know you didn’t.” A small smile curved on her lips and quiet laughter followed. “Thank you.”
“Then why the tears?” Demo asked, his voice deep and intimate. His thumb caught a tear about to trail her cheek, and he bent to kiss where it had been.
“I didn’t expect you to want to continue after the call. Men don’t usually consider my needs before their own.”
She felt the soft caress of his dark gaze across her face and a stream of comfort ran through her, allowing uplifting tears to flow.
“They were wrong.” He gently wiped at the moisture and then kissed where his thumbs stroked her face. He covered her mouth, smothering soothing words against her lips. “No more putting my Sammy second.”
My Sammy
.
Oh, if only she could have that forever. She sank against him and breathed in his intoxicating scent. There was no question she would take anything he offered to her. She prayed she could let him go without losing herself.
*****
Finished with the day’s studying, they drove along the rugged coastline to lunch. The sun was burning hot, and the cool, rushing air brought much-welcomed relief to their heated skin.
Demo promised the
taverna
was worth the time it took to get there. Mano’s had the freshest seafood, and the fishing boats would be getting in as they arrived.
Sitting in the slight traffic congestion of a tourist town, its streets adorned with shops of leather bags, t-shirts, local merchandise and beach goods, Demo saw the blue SUV two cars behind them. The muscles in his forearm tightened beneath his sleeves as he gripped the steering wheel. He had noticed the vehicle immediately after pulling out of the resort. Was it tailing them?
“Platania is a big tourist destination. The restaurants and shops cater to both foreign and Greek travelers during the evenings and the beaches are the main attractions in the daytime,” he said absentmindedly. He took a quick right, wanting to see if the SUV would follow.
“Is this where Mano’s
taverna
is?” She asked, as her body jerked from the sudden correction of the sharp turn.
Damn, the blue SUV turned too. A quick left and Demo gestured toward a small beach bar. “Bonanza is owned by friends from New York, the Kalitakis family. One of the sisters, Alexandra, went to school with Athena. We’ll come back for dessert and an afternoon swim. Yes?”
Another right, a quick left, a maneuver around a tree in the middle of the road, and a bumpy circle through a quaint B&B’s lot onto a small dirt road. His arm flew across Sammy as she grasped the roll bar.
“Fine, if I survive your driving that is.”
The vehicle was gone, and he pulled back onto the main road, accelerating and driving faster than before. Long, tense fingers massaged her left thigh.
“Just wanted to give you a taste of real Greek driving,” he managed to joke, not wanting to alarm her.
The road was empty. For the most part, the locals had gone home to enjoy lunch with their families and escape the punishing sun. A strip of taverns gracing the shoreline came into view. Blue and white-topped tables nestled beneath the shade of tall trees invited hungry patrons to linger and enjoy their meals.
Demo pulled the jeep off the main road and parked in full view of the table he chose for them.
Mano came to greet them with a big smile and an enthusiastic handshake. “
Kalosorisate
, welcome.
Pote eftases,
Demo?”
“I got in a few days ago. Mano, this is Sammy. Please practice your English. She doesn’t speak any Greek.”
The tall, olive skinned man with black, unruly hair graying at the temples smiled when he caught her gaze. “We will work on that, pretty Sammy.
Ne?
Yes?” He waited for her to answer his question.
“
Ne
, thank you. Nice to meet you, Mano.”
“
Bravo
. I promise you a delicious meal.” Mano raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. Then tucking it through his arm, Mano led her toward the docks. “Come, and I will help you pick your fish. The boat come ten minutes ago.”
Demo cleared his throat loudly. “What am I, chopped liver?”
Mano’s dark eyebrows came together and defined lines formed around his eyes and mouth. “Chopped liver?”
“Just forget it.” Demo was impatient, saying a few Greek words, before he placed his arm around Sammy's waist and attached her possessively to his side.
“No problem. You take pretty Sammy to get her fish, and I will be ready to cook it delicious, eh?” Mano nodded, and gesturing his assurance for added emphasis, he roughly tapped his palm on his chest. “I will not take my eye from your jeep my friend. No one will get close.”
Demo thanked the other man and guided Sammy along the small dock. He didn’t know why the SUV had been tailing them, but he wasn’t letting this woman move farther from him than arm’s length. He also needed to be sure there was no tampering with the jeep.
Was Daniels in Greece? Was Sammy in danger? A chill traveled down his spine. Maybe he had underestimated the sleazebag. Demo recalled Teddy’s suggestion that he keep a team on watch. Why hadn’t he taken his cousin’s advice?
“What are you thinking about?” Sammy asked.
He didn’t want to alarm her, but he wanted to keep her safe. How could he do that if they remained in the part of the island overflowing with tourists? Sammy was smart. She would notice the extra security and realize he’d be restricting her. There would be no more nights out without him, nothing at all without him. Daniels needed to be in custody before he let her do anything alone and unguarded. Unless—
“I was thinking about visiting some relatives in Grandfather’s village for a few days. I’d like to go before my parents get here. Maybe tomorrow. Do you think you’d like to spend a few days in the White Mountains?”
“You’re asking me to visit your relatives with you?”
Why did she sound so perturbed? Did she want to spend time partying or away from him? Well that was not an option.
“Yes.” Taking a deep breath and repressing his annoyance, he stopped walking and pulled her to face him. “You will like the village. It may not be a party place, or have the lush accommodations of the resort, but the mountains are fun and the locals are great.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. I would love to go. I just don’t want to intrude on your family time.”
“It’s not an intrusion. If it were, I never would’ve invited you. It’s what I want.” More than anything, he wanted her safe. Then, he wanted to show her everything about him, he wanted to learn everything about her, and he wanted to know if she was the woman for him.
Her green eyes sparkled, and she looked at him, nodding her head as if she could hear his thoughts and agreed with them. He needed no further encouragement, and gently tasted her full lips.
It was a soft exploration of her sweet mouth that he wanted to extend. But he didn’t forget where they were, and why they were here, so he kept the kiss brief and practically innocent.
“We have an audience,
agape mou
.” His head tilted toward the
taverna
. “Even though Greeks are affectionate, this is something I’d prefer to continue in private.”
They walked the rest of the way to the boat and picked out their lunch. Mano delivered on his promise with great success. The fish was fresh and sweet.
“It melts in on my tongue,” Sammy said. “The tomatoes taste and smell of the earth.” She raised the fork to her mouth. “And, wow, these cucumbers are so crisp.” She sounded like a commercial for the taverna as she compressed the creamy feta cheese with the crusty bread before bringing them to her lips together. “It’s so real and heavenly. I think food tastes better here.” She smiled, plunging the bread back into the olive oil.
“You make a good local,
koukla mou.”
A low, satisfied laugh rumbled out of Demo. “We enjoy using our hands to eat and we don’t mind getting dirty in the process.”
He used his thumb to catch some oil on the side of her lips, and slowly brought it to his mouth. She blushed. So beautiful, she was—
“Ah, pretty Sammy.” Mano’s voice intruded on his thoughts. “Did you like your meal?”
She dropped her eyes to the empty plates. “Mano, the food was horrible. We couldn’t eat a thing.”
“I see that. I am happy you like to eat my food. Today many beautiful women are so worried to eat. You are perfect, and you eat my good food with pleasure making me a proud man.” He called over a teenage boy to clear the table and pulled up a chair to finish the wine with them.
The older man then presented her with a Greek-English dictionary. “A tourist forgot this past week and has not returned for it. Would you like to keep it?”
“Yes, thank you. I would’ve picked one up, if I had more time to prepare for this trip.” She looked at Demo and pursed her lips.
“Oh, you can not blame this man to be anxious for your company. I see you make my friend very happy. Make sure he treat you good, or you tell Mano and I will have ten young men for you to choose.” His laughter showed his enjoyment in teasing his friend.
“Don’t hold your breath. I don’t plan on letting your nephews come within a mile of Sammy.” He narrowed his eyes in a fun challenge. “Find your victim somewhere else, my friend. Sammy’s busy with me.” They laughed and clinked their glasses good-naturedly.
After finishing the wine and the cold watermelon, the men announced it was time for an afternoon nap.
“Would you like to stop for a swim?” Demo asked her as they neared Platania.
“Since we’re close, a quick dip and a
frappé
at your friends’ sound nice.”
“Done,
agape mou.
”
They returned home, sun kissed and tired. Demo settled down to watch game five of the NBA finals, and Sammy went to pack a bag for the morning.
The hair-raising clatter of metal on metal shook Demo out of sleep. Jumping off the couch, he ran to the door calling for Sammy. She darted out of her room, wrapped in a towel, dripping from her interrupted shower.
A car alarm sounded loud and alerted the entire resort of the danger. Demo moved to open the door and Sammy followed. He stopped long enough to whip his arm around her and place her solidly behind him. The jeep’s rear looked like an accordion from the other car’s impact.
He pushed her back, yelling for her to stay inside and to call 1-0-0, emergency. Confirming no one was in either car, or in the immediate vicinity, he noticed the gas leak on the ground.
Demo slammed the front door shut, ran back to Sammy and threw her facedown on the floor. He covered her body with his. The explosion rocked the bungalow, blowing out three windows, shaking the walls, and causing the wall hangings to drop around them.
Sammy screamed and grabbed at him, squirming and burying her face into his forearm. A second explosion followed and he knew it was done. He turned her over and pulled her to his bare chest. Sitting on the cold floor, he gathered her into his arms and smoothed the hair away from her face.
Her eyes were huge and her chin trembled. “Okay,
agape mou
, its okay. The gas tank leaked from the collision and caused the explosion. I have you. You’re safe.”
His large palm held her head crushed against his chest, and his shoulders curved around her like a shield. Trembling, small fingers traveled over his face, attracting his gaze to hers.