The Greek Tycoon Box Set: The Complete Serial: Books 1-10 (5 page)

They’re getting along famously
, Andria thought and, when she expressed this sentiment to Hanna upon returning downstairs. Hanna was quick to agree.

“It’s such a wonderful thing for Dios to have a nanny so close to Serene’s age,” Hanna considered. “Perhaps this way, he won’t feel such a loss now with his mother gone.”

“Yes,” said Andria, smiling. “
Absolutely
.”

*****

When Atreus came home from the office, he wearily climbed the stairs to the nursery. As he stood outside the door, he was alarmed by the lack of sound from Carla or Dios. He quietly opened the door, hoping with all his heart that nothing was wrong, but then stopped short. Holding his breath, he gazed at Carla as she sat in the rocking chair with Dios snuggled close to her breasts, her eyes closed.
 

She must have fallen asleep with him.
 

Atreus crept over, then gently moved Carla’s hand so he could pick up Dios, but she opened her eyes with a start. She looked as beautiful as ever as she gazed sleepily at Atreus.

“Oh, I did not know you were back, Mr. Kostas,” she said, trying to get up without disturbing Dios from his sleep, her face flushing pink. “I must have lost track of time.”
 

“Wait a sec,” Atreus said, then lifted Dios from her. The little boy’s tiny hand was holding on to Carla’s blouse and when Atreus lifted him, Carla’s shirt slid open at the top, revealing her cleavage. Atreus sucked in his breath. Carla noticed the undone button and blushed a deeper shade as she re-fastened it. “Whoops!”
 

Atreus turned away. As he lowered his son into his crib, Atreus’ thoughts were stuck on Carla’s skin, her slender fingers at her collarbone, and the way her breasts heaved gently as she breathed. Dios settled into a comfortable snooze, and Carla stepped up behind Atreus and gazed at the child. Atreus felt his throat get tight.

“Do you… do you have the baby monitor with you?” he asked.
 

He saw her nod out of the corner of his eye.

“Good,” he replied, knowing he sounded brusque but seemingly unable to help it. “I’ll wake you if I need you. I mean, if
Dios
needs you.”

After Atreus left the room, he lay alone in his bed, overwhelmed by the emotional turmoil his visions of Carla were causing. Just the thought of the gentle curve of the top of her breasts spilling out slightly from the folds of her blouse made him feel alive.
 

His stubbornness and pride would not allow him to touch himself to the thought of this beautiful woman, not while she was in his service. Besides, the guilt of thinking of another woman so soon after Serene left wouldn’t allow such a thing. So he was forced to ache for her, painfully, until sleep overtook him.

*****

Carla could not sleep that night. She tossed and turned, visions of Atreus’s piercing eyes traversing their way across her body coming and going like bright flashbulbs in her mind.
 

I cannot be feeling this way.
 

She was only at the villa to be Dios’ nanny, nothing more, and she could not afford to be sent back to London for the sin of lust. Even so, she could not put the images and fantasies out of her mind. And, as she lay awake trying to thrust them into oblivion, fitful hour after fitful hour, exhaustion finally overtook her and allowed her mind to rest.

*****

The following morning Atreus came downstairs and greeted his mother, who was sipping her morning tea and reading the paper. When he inquired about the whereabouts of his son - the nursery had been empty when he woke - Andria offered nothing more than a sly smile and gestured to the garden.

Among the flowers and fountains, Atreus stood still as he watched Carla pushing Dios’s stroller along the walkway. She stopped now and then to show him a butterfly or pick a flower for him to hold. Dios was thoroughly taken by the butterflies, shrieking when one came too close and bursting into peals of laughter when Carla comically pretended to shoo the butterfly away.
 

Butterflies in her hair and more beautiful than any flower
, Atreus thought, wishing he was a painter so he could capture the exquisite moment.
 

Andria appeared at his side with her mug of tea.
 

“You would think Dios had known her his whole life,” she said, pointing to the two of them.
 

“Look at the way he smiles at her,” Atreus marveled as Carla hopped and skipped around Dios, sending the boy into fits of laughter.
 

“Never mind that,” Andria murmured. “I’ve seen the way she smiles at
you.”

Atreus gave her a sharp look, but she merely sipped her tea, her eyebrows raised in a play of innocence.

*****

Carla felt her skin tingle strangely, and turned towards the French windows of the villa to find Atreus standing with his mother. She smiled at both of them and turned the stroller, pointing out the figures to Dios, who clapped his hands.
 

Overcome with boyhood joy, Dios screeched happily, and uttered his first word. “Da-da!”
 

Atreus heard him through the window and laughed with abandon as he ran to the child. He picked Dios up and kissed him all over the face, praising him in Greek.
 

When the excitement died down and Andria had returned to the dining room, Atreus held Dios in the warm sun and addressed Carla.
 

“Miss Simpson,” he began, “Onella tells me that you were permitted into the country on a tourist’s visa?”

“Yes,” said Carla, distracting herself from Atreus’ intense gaze by tickling Dios from where he sat in his father’s arms. “The job offer came so suddenly, I had no time to wait for a work visa application to go through. Onella said it would be alright to have it taken care of once I arrived.”

“My mother will be here all day tomorrow,” Atreus responded. “She can watch Dios. We can go to the Ministry and get your visa situation sorted.”
 

Carla nodded, her heart racing with the anticipation of being alone with Atreus.
 

Atreus handed Dios back to her, his hand just barely grazing her breasts as he did so. She was surprised at the pleasurable jolt she felt at his touch. And as he smiled at her and turned away, she knew that keeping their relationship professional was going to be nearly impossible.

*****

The following day Carla made an effort to dress conservatively while still aiming to look gorgeous for their trip to the Ministry. She pulled a brown, knee length skirt over her long legs, and buttoned a beige silk blouse over her breasts. The brown heels she wore made her seem taller, even more slender, and very chic. Her blonde locks pulled into a cascading ponytail held in place with a simple, elegant brown clip, she finished her appearance by swiping on a brown-toned pink lipstick, which gave her face the appearance of a healthy flush. Her diamond earrings, a gift from her late godmother which she only wore for special occasions, gleamed on her petite ears.
 

As she studied herself in the full-length mirror, Carla questioned her intentions.
 

Do I want to look good for the Ministry? Or . . . do I want to look good for him?
 

When she descended down the villa’s main stairway, with her brown handbag over her shoulder and file of official documents tucked into its sleek shape, Atreus felt his breath catch in his throat. On instinct, he stood to greet her.
 

“Shall we?” he asked Carla, gesturing towards the front door.
 

Carla nodded shyly, aware of the impression her appearance had evidently left on her employer. Andria followed the pair to the door, carrying her grandson.
 

Atreus planted a kiss on Dios’s forehead, then waved good-bye to his family as he maneuvered the car down the driveway with Carla in the passenger seat. Dios mimicked his father’s wave and stretched his arm out towards the car as it disappeared down the street.

“Ma-ma!” Dios squealed, still waving at the car.
 

Andria felt her heart drop. The little fellow thought Carla was his mother. Hanna was standing in the hall, and wiped a small tear from her eye when Andria turned to her, her expression incredulous.
 

“I heard,” Hanna said, and both women smiled through their tears.
 

Andria held her grandson close to her chest and snuggled him tightly.

“Would it be so wrong to wish . . .” Andria began, her eyes lingering on the spot on the horizon where the car had disappeared.
 

“No,” Hanna said, taking the child from Andria’s arms. “I’ve been wishing it all along.”

*****

Atreus and Carla reached the Interior Ministry just before noon. Together they strode through the magnificent foyer towards immigrations, looking smartly dressed and perfectly complimentary to one another.
 

Carla couldn’t help but notice the glances they were receiving – undoubtedly they made an attractive couple.
 

But we’re not a couple
, she thought.
Can’t they all tell he doesn’t feel anything for me—or at least he shouldn’t.
 

In the immigrations office, Atreus laughed and chatted with his acquaintances, having dealt a great deal of business for the Ministry in his time. He procured a work visa for Carla with charm and ease, and Carla was shocked at how truly painless the process was.
 

In London, this would have taken months
, she thought as they exited the building.
And they would have thrown in a few insults while they were at it, too
.
 

But Atreus commanded every room he entered and demanded respect, it seemed, and Carla was grateful to have his influence working in her favor.

Stepping into the warm sunlight, Carla squinted at her surroundings: towering city buildings melded with crumbling, historical architecture on streets so obviously full of life. She was so taken with the environment, she did not notice Atreus admiring her as they walked. After a few strides, Atreus stopped abruptly and turned to Carla. She felt her heart stop.
 

“You know, we both skipped breakfast in order to beat the traffic and I’m absolutely famished. Should we stop somewhere and eat before we return to the villa?”
 

Carla nodded and felt her heart begin to beat again. She smiled shyly as realized that soon she would be sitting down to a meal alone with Atreus Kostas.
 

Settling themselves into the car, Atreus revved the engine then stopped to look plainly at Carla.
 

“Why do you keep nodding and not speaking?” he asked with amusement in his voice.
 

Carla blushed scarlet and tried not to smile as she peered out the window to hide her face.
Because you are the most beautiful man I have ever seen. Because I can’t stop imagining your fingers on my skin. Because as wrong as it is, I want you.
 

She said nothing.
 

“I don’t mean to be rude,” he continued, “but I think it would be best if we developed a kind of rapport with one another – since you are going to be a part of Dios’ life for a while.”
 

Carla’s instinct was to nod again, but she stopped herself.
 
“Okay,” she said, suppressing a smile.
 

Atreus smiled too and pulled the car on to the highway. In the cool interior of the car, he felt compelled to know more about this quiet, shy woman beside him.
 

“Tell me something about you, Carla,” he said. “I feel like we hardly know each other. Here you are living with me -” Carla’s heart did a back flip at the phrase. “- yet I don’t know a single thing about your life.”

“Well, I . . . I don’t know where to start. I was born in England, and I’m an only child,” she began.

Atreus jumped in with a question.

“Didn’t your parents mind you coming to Greece?” he asked.
 

Carla sighed heavily.
 

So Onella really didn’t tell him much at all about me,
she thought.

“My parents … my parents died in a car crash a few years ago,” Carla replied.
 

Her voice became thick with the strain of holding back tears. Whenever she thought she had finished mourning, her sorrow seemed to surge right up again.

“Oh, Carla,” Atreus murmured. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
 

“It’s alright,” Carla said. “You didn’t know.”
 

Atreus reached out and patted Carla’s hand as he pulled the vehicle into the car park of Gillos Restaurant. Taking a handkerchief out of his pocket, he gently held Carla’s chin and turned her towards him. He gently patted her face with the slip of fabric and Carla released a little half-cry, half-laugh, embarrassed to be so emotional in front of her employer. Yet thrilled by his touch.