Read Online The Renegade Billionaire by Rebecca Winters - Free Book Online Page B

meant,” she murmured.
    â€œNo. I don’t. Do you think I’m some kind of womanizer?”
    Andrea couldn’t look at him. “I have no way of knowing, do I?”
    â€œDid you give Ferrante this much trouble when he showed interest in you?”
    â€œLet’s not bring him into this.” To care about Stavros meant going through more heartache again. After Ferrante, she couldn’t handle it.
    â€œWhy not? Afraid to give me an answer?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œHe was a mountain-climbing guide and would have been around beautiful women all the time. Did you accuse him of using them?”
    â€œOf course not.”
    â€œSo how come you’re having trust issues with me when you don’t really know me yet? I thought you liked me a little.”
    â€œYou know I do,” she whispered fiercely.
    â€œThen spend the weekend with me. If you discover I’m not worth knowing, then so be it.”
    Andrea couldn’t find fault with his logic. It was her heart she was worried about. He might decide she wasn’t worth knowing.
    â€œWe’re wasting time. What’s your address?”
    He’d broken her down so fast she couldn’t think. When she answered him, he cupped her elbow and walked her out to the limo. “Let’s hurry. We’ll take the helicopter from the airport and eat dinner on Thassos.”
    That meant they were going back to his fabulous villa. Andrea hadn’t thought to ever see him again, let alone stay in that heavenly place. She closed her eyes, full of questions and incredulous this was happening.
    She still had time to tell him no, but her self-control had deserted her. Throughout the week she’d done everything possible to put him out of her mind. But her heart had leaped the second she’d seen him sitting in Sakis’s office. It was still leaping. Andrea was terrified it might always remain in that state.

CHAPTER FOUR
    S TAVROS SAT IN the copilot’s seat, but looked over his shoulder at Andrea, who, from her seat behind the pilot, was devouring the lush scenery of Thassos Island. This was the first time he’d seen her wearing jeans. An ivory linen jersey top with sleeves pushed up to the elbow covered her womanly figure. Between that and her honey-blond coloring, he had trouble not devouring her.
    A trip like this would never be wasted on her because she was a female of exceptional intelligence and she had an interest in everything. “Is this the first time you’ve seen Thassos from the air?”
    Andrea nodded. “I’m glad it’s not too dark yet. The green of it is almost unreal.”
    His gaze locked with her azure-blue eyes. “It has different looks, but twilight is the most beautiful time to see it.”
    â€œWere you born on the island?”
    â€œNo. Thessaloniki. All my family lives there, but I fell in love with Thassos the first time my father brought me to one of the quarries. When I climbed to the top of Mount Ypsarion for the first time, I knew I wanted to live here and planned exactly where I would build my house one day.”
    â€œYou’re very fortunate to have realized your dream. Not all of us can do that.”
    â€œIt was only one of them, Andrea. Since then I’ve had more. What was yours?”
    â€œThat’s easy to answer. When I was little, I used to play dolls with my friend and pretend my mommy was alive. I would dream that she came back to life and lived with me and Daddy. By the age of six, I realized that dream would never be realized in this life. I haven’t dreamed since.”
    The pathos of the moment produced a lump in his throat. “Do you have a picture of her with you?”
    She blinked. “A couple.”
    â€œWhen we reach the house, I’d like to see them. Are you hungry?”
    â€œStarving.”
    â€œMy housekeeper has our dinner waiting for us.”
    â€œOh, good. I’m thankful we don’t have to