Chapter 1
“Would you stop going on about him already?” Carla said with a grin.
Angelique wrapped her sarong around the aquamarine bathing suit that showcased her curves. “Well, hurry up and set us up then,” she said. “It’s all right for you, you’ve already found the love of your life.”
Carla giggled. “I did, didn’t I?”
“You can say that again, my girl,” Angelique said. She waved her hand over the glittering poolside with a mock superiority. “Now, let’s get out of this hell hole.”
Carla laughed. “Hell hole!”
The Burj Karimi Hotel surpassed anything either of them had ever seen in terms of elegance and pure luxury—even Carla and Atreus’ villa on their private Bahamian island. Discreet signs in the entrance hall mentioned a seven-star rating and “Best International Hotel” awards for the last five consecutive years.
After entering the glass lobby from the poolside, the two women rode up on one of the two gold-plated escalators that flanked the massive, marbled space. Angelique rested her elbows on the side rail and cupped her chin in her hands. She sighed as she watched the hundreds of mini water fountains that sprang up from the smooth-cut stone.
“None of this is the same when you don’t have anyone to share it with,” she said.
“When was the last time you were in a relationship?” Carla asked.
“Oh, a few months ago I broke something off,” Angelique said. “Some American tourist called Chad. Total waste of time.”
“What was wrong with him?” asked Carla.
“I felt he was just using me,” said Angelique. “Like I was his island girl , like a damn accessory or something. He never really wanted to know me for who I really am.”
Carla gave her a sympathetic look. Angelique plastered a smile on her face—what she always did when she wanted to hold back her tears—and gripped Carla in a hug.
“I am so ready to move on,” she said. “So, tell me, what do you know about him?”
“Not much,” said Carla. “Everything Atreus told me, I’ve told you already.”
“Tell me again, tell me again!” said Angelique. She loved hearing it.
Carla rolled her eyes and sighed in mock exasperation. “His name is Theodros.”
“Nickname: Theo,” Angelique cut in.
“He’s from the slums of Perama but made his fortune in hedge funds, whatever those are, and lives in Psychiko, the richest area in all of Greece.”
“A self-made man,” Angelique said dreamily, just as she had the last three times Carla had relayed this information to her. “I love it.”
Carla played like it was her first time saying it. “You know he only went to law school because he had extra time on his hands.”
“ And he’s gorgeousness personified,” Angelique said.
She allowed him to walk into her mind without even having to conjure him up; his hazel eyes, so vivid against his dark bronze complexion; the way his hair wisped in sugar brown at his hairline was somehow emblazoned on the inside of her eyelids.
“Well, I’m nearly a married woman, so I’m sure I wouldn’t know,” Carla said, sticking her nose in the air.
They both laughed as they returned to the large suite they shared with Atreus, his housekeeper Hanna, secretary Lilia, and Andria, his mother.
“I can’t wait to see Dios,” Carla said.
“I know, he’s so cute,” said Angelique. “And you’re a much better mother than Serene could ever be, my girl.”
Butlers flanked the suite’s entrance, both outside as they held open the large, golden doors, and inside, waiting to cater to their every whim.
“I still can’t get used to this,” Angelique muttered to Carla.
It was only a few days before that she had been employed as Atreus’ household masseuse so she was not at all accustomed to people waiting on her.
“Hey, baby,” Atreus said as they entered the lounge. He got up from the wall-length sofa where he was attending to papers and kissed Carla on the lips.
The look
“Would you stop going on about him already?” Carla said with a grin.
Angelique wrapped her sarong around the aquamarine bathing suit that showcased her curves. “Well, hurry up and set us up then,” she said. “It’s all right for you, you’ve already found the love of your life.”
Carla giggled. “I did, didn’t I?”
“You can say that again, my girl,” Angelique said. She waved her hand over the glittering poolside with a mock superiority. “Now, let’s get out of this hell hole.”
Carla laughed. “Hell hole!”
The Burj Karimi Hotel surpassed anything either of them had ever seen in terms of elegance and pure luxury—even Carla and Atreus’ villa on their private Bahamian island. Discreet signs in the entrance hall mentioned a seven-star rating and “Best International Hotel” awards for the last five consecutive years.
After entering the glass lobby from the poolside, the two women rode up on one of the two gold-plated escalators that flanked the massive, marbled space. Angelique rested her elbows on the side rail and cupped her chin in her hands. She sighed as she watched the hundreds of mini water fountains that sprang up from the smooth-cut stone.
“None of this is the same when you don’t have anyone to share it with,” she said.
“When was the last time you were in a relationship?” Carla asked.
“Oh, a few months ago I broke something off,” Angelique said. “Some American tourist called Chad. Total waste of time.”
“What was wrong with him?” asked Carla.
“I felt he was just using me,” said Angelique. “Like I was his island girl , like a damn accessory or something. He never really wanted to know me for who I really am.”
Carla gave her a sympathetic look. Angelique plastered a smile on her face—what she always did when she wanted to hold back her tears—and gripped Carla in a hug.
“I am so ready to move on,” she said. “So, tell me, what do you know about him?”
“Not much,” said Carla. “Everything Atreus told me, I’ve told you already.”
“Tell me again, tell me again!” said Angelique. She loved hearing it.
Carla rolled her eyes and sighed in mock exasperation. “His name is Theodros.”
“Nickname: Theo,” Angelique cut in.
“He’s from the slums of Perama but made his fortune in hedge funds, whatever those are, and lives in Psychiko, the richest area in all of Greece.”
“A self-made man,” Angelique said dreamily, just as she had the last three times Carla had relayed this information to her. “I love it.”
Carla played like it was her first time saying it. “You know he only went to law school because he had extra time on his hands.”
“ And he’s gorgeousness personified,” Angelique said.
She allowed him to walk into her mind without even having to conjure him up; his hazel eyes, so vivid against his dark bronze complexion; the way his hair wisped in sugar brown at his hairline was somehow emblazoned on the inside of her eyelids.
“Well, I’m nearly a married woman, so I’m sure I wouldn’t know,” Carla said, sticking her nose in the air.
They both laughed as they returned to the large suite they shared with Atreus, his housekeeper Hanna, secretary Lilia, and Andria, his mother.
“I can’t wait to see Dios,” Carla said.
“I know, he’s so cute,” said Angelique. “And you’re a much better mother than Serene could ever be, my girl.”
Butlers flanked the suite’s entrance, both outside as they held open the large, golden doors, and inside, waiting to cater to their every whim.
“I still can’t get used to this,” Angelique muttered to Carla.
It was only a few days before that she had been employed as Atreus’ household masseuse so she was not at all accustomed to people waiting on her.
“Hey, baby,” Atreus said as they entered the lounge. He got up from the wall-length sofa where he was attending to papers and kissed Carla on the lips.
The look
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