Czytaj książkę: «Claiming The Drakos Heir»

CHAPTER TWO

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

Apollo Drakos stood slack-jawed as the woman sashayed down the hallway, but to be honest her sashay was more like a waddle. A cute waddle, but still a waddle all the same.

How could she still be pregnant?

His attorney had assured him the baby was born, though no one had been able to tell him if it was a boy or girl. Not that it mattered to him. Either way, he was still claiming his niece or nephew.

The attorney had gone on to inform him that Miss Costas would have a strong case to gain full custody of the baby, as well as control over the child’s inheritance. The attorney even seemed to think that with Miss Costas being adopted and not the child’s biological aunt, it wouldn’t be enough to sway the judge from giving her custody. But did Popi really want to take on that responsibility? Or was she doing it out of necessity?

Apollo knew he had no one to blame for this mess but himself. While Popi had been here, helping to make his brother and sister-in-law’s dream of a family into a reality, he’d been off on another adventure—avoiding the fact that he was the unwanted son, the outcast. But he’d come here as soon as he’d heard. That had to count for something, didn’t it?

But how was this going to work now that he knew Popi was still pregnant? Although it did look as though she was going to give birth soon. Not that he was an expert on pregnant women. Yet all of her was thin except for her stomach. It was very round indeed. Funnily enough, from behind you couldn’t even tell she was pregnant. However, the cute little waddle did give it away.

It wasn’t until now—seeing Popi round with a baby—that he realized how much she’d done for his brother and sister-in-law. Not everyone would step up and offer to carry someone else’s baby—certainly not him, if that were even a possibility.

Gathering himself, Apollo pressed his lips together in a firm line. Who exactly did this woman think he was? And where was she moving to with his brother’s baby?

The baby belonged at the Drakos estate, which was situated just outside Athens. It was a place Apollo rarely visited. Though the vast estate was aesthetically beautiful, it held many dark memories. When Apollo was a kid, it felt more like a prison he so desperately wanted to escape. While his older brother, Nile, had been cast as the “good son,” Apollo had been labelled “worthless” by their father.

Apollo slammed the door on the bad memories. But no matter how many times he turned his back on the past, the door would eventually creak open once more. He’d heard it said that you can’t outrun the past. He should know—he’d been trying for years and it was still just a blink away.

He needed to concentrate on the here and now. Everything was such an utter mess. If only he’d have come home when his brother had asked...

But being away on a two-month hiking expedition in the Himalayas, he’d been out of contact with the entire world—including his older brother, Nile. At the time, Apollo found it so freeing. A chance to let go of the ghosts of the past and embrace the present. At the time, he’d had no idea how much that freedom would cost him.

When he’d returned to civilization, he’d been unconscious, injured and alone. By the time he’d been able to speak on the phone, he’d had no one to call about his accident because his brother had been furious with him during their final phone conversation. After surgery and therapy for his broken leg, a private investigator had tracked him down at the hospital. It was then that he’d received the worst news of his life.

His big, strong, protective brother was dead.

Apollo’s footloose and carefree life had come to an end in that moment.

All of the things that he’d put off—all of the words that he’d hesitated to say to Nile—the overdue apology, the thank-you, the I love you, brother—the chance to say any of it had slipped through his fingers. His brother would never know what he meant to him—how much he longed to mend their relationship.

In that moment, Apollo had never felt so alone in his life.

And then in the next breath, the investigator had informed him that he had a niece or nephew. Apollo’s heart had leapt. There was another Drakos in this world. He wasn’t alone.

He had one last chance to make it up to his brother for cutting loose and leaving home all those years ago. He’d let Nile deal with all the Drakos’ business and their father. But on one sunny afternoon, his brother’s life had been cut incredibly short, as was his sister-in-law’s.

A boating accident. Who dies while boating?

It seemed unreal. So implausible. And yet the sharp pain of loss was quite real. And to add salt to the wound, it had happened almost two months ago. His brother and sister-in-law had been laid to rest and Apollo hadn’t been there for any of it because no one knew where he was...except his brother.

He’d once again let down Nile. But that wouldn’t happen again. He was on Infinity Island to retrieve his niece or nephew...even if it meant he had to wait for its very precious arrival.

Apollo’s thoughts turned back to Popi. He knew she’d been through a lot—he knew better than anyone. How would she react when she learned he was there for the baby?

Maybe she’d filed for custody of the baby because she didn’t think he’d want to take responsibility for the baby. Maybe once he explained things to her, she’d realize the baby belonged with him, where the child would be groomed to take over the Drakos empire. Could it really be that simple? Would Popi hand the baby over to him like she’d been planning to do with his brother and her sister?

Apollo thought about following her to the back of the bungalow and reasoning with her. But then he recalled that little pink robe. He swallowed hard. Did she realize it barely covered her? It was so tantalizing, hinting at the curvy goodness that lay beneath. But the robe never really revealed anything scandalous. It was more the knowledge that she didn’t have a thing on underneath that turned his blood red-hot.

He tugged on his shirt collar. It was a bit warm out, even with the sea breeze. His mind was still replaying the images of Popi. He’d gotten a good view of her shapely legs. They were long and smooth. His mouth grew dry. Why did this woman have to be so good-looking? It was a distraction that he didn’t need or want.

His back teeth ground together. He had to get past the superficial. His purpose for coming to the island couldn’t be forgotten. If he stayed focused, he would soon forget about Popi’s finer assets. At least he hoped so.

Apollo walked back out the front door. He started down the steps with no particular destination in mind. He didn’t even know anything about this island, except that the woman who was carrying his last living relative lived here.

He came to a stop and turned. Why was he walking away? Maybe because that’s what he’d been doing his whole life. But no more.

Apollo returned to the porch and took a seat in one of the two wicker chairs. They looked stiff and uninviting, but once he was seated, he found them surprisingly comfortable. He lounged back and decided to learn more about Infinity Island. He pulled out his phone and typed the name into the search engine.

He was surprised by the large number of articles written about the island. In his limited experience with women, he knew it may take Popi quite some time to get ready. He settled back in the chair, pulled up the first article about this “wedding” island and started to read.

To his surprise there was a picture of Popi, smiling at the camera. She was arm and arm with another woman. He wondered if this was today’s bride. The caption beneath the photo said that the other woman was the owner, while Popi was the wedding planner.

Apollo inwardly groaned. This woman believed in hearts, flowers and happily-ever-afters. Those were things he’d purposely avoided all his adult life. What exactly had he gotten himself into? Maybe he should have let his army of attorneys handle it. But he didn’t want to put either of them through a long, drawn-out legal battle. They’d already been through so much—especially Popi.

And so he kept reading about the island. The more he knew, the easier it would be to reason with her, should it come to that. After all, the heir to the Drakos fortune couldn’t be raised in a hut on some small, out-of-the-way island...

A movement out of the corner of his eye had him glancing up. In a whirl of coral gauzy material, and with long brown curls bouncing, Popi walked swiftly away from the bungalow. Apparently she hadn’t noticed him sitting off to the side.

He got to his feet and slipped the phone in his pocket, but in just that small amount of time she’d darted down a path. The problem was there were a lot of paths, and he wasn’t sure which one she’d gone down. How could a very pregnant woman move so quickly?

He knew she was busy with the wedding, but after it was over, perhaps at the reception, he could grab a moment of her time. He just wanted her to know he was here now. She didn’t have to go through the remainder of this pregnancy alone.