“Maybe you didn’t hear me the first time. I want to marry you, Zoe Perkins. Because of circumstances, it won’t be today or tomorrow, but soon. Last night I made another mistake by asking you to fly to Nice with me without you knowing my deepest feelings.”
This time when she looked at him, her blue eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. There was a frightened woman inside her. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“The hell I don’t! The other day when you mentioned calling the secretary at the university to find out about the faculty party, it was like my worst nightmare. If you think I’m going to let you get away from me again, then you don’t know me. When you left the first time, I had every intention of flying to California to bring you back.”
“You’re saying this now,” she said, shaking her head, “but in time you’ll have a totally different outlook on things.”
“Then we’ll give it time to prove I meant everything I’ve sai—” But he stopped talking because his cell phone had rung. He checked the caller ID. It was his attorney. Talk about timing. “I’ve got to take this. Finish your breakfast. There’s more on the stove. I’ll be right back.”
Andreas slipped out to his cabin and clicked on. “Yorgos?”
“I’m glad you picked up.”
“Tell me you’ve got good news.”
“I wish I did.” Andreas grimaced. “Lia’s attorney has counter-petitioned the judge for full custody of Ari. She’s accusing you of a liaison with Kyria Perkins, who stayed in your hotel room with you on visitation.”
“We both know she had her own hotel room, Yorgos.”
“Of course. I provided the proof, but that’s not the key issue.”
He could feel his blood boil. “Go ahead and tell me.”
“The counter-petition includes the following points in so many words—you’re not emotionally stable this soon after your separation to be a good father. She’s demanding a full psychological investigation. Secondly, she fears that you and your American lover will leave the country with Ari and not return, placing him in extreme jeopardy.”
Andreas leaned against the wall while he calmed down. “Lia thinks I’ll cave and ask her to come back, but she’s just made her fatal mistake. When we hang up, I want you to call her attorney and tell him I’ll be contacting the birth father today. He knows what this will mean to her. It could change everything.”
“You’re right. Consider it done.”
“Thanks, Yorgos.”
He hung up and went back to the kitchen. Zoe had finished eating and was doing the dishes when she saw him.
“Is everything all right?”
“That was my attorney on the phone.”
“I thought so.”
“Lia is trying to hold things up, so I’m going ahead with my plans to tell Norville he has a son.”
He saw that anxious look enter her eyes again. “Before you do anything, I need to answer your question about how to approach Norville.”
Andreas had been waiting. “I’m all ears.”
“You’re such an honest and straightforward person, why don’t you simply approach him at his office like you would any business contact? I can’t see you doing it any other way. I guess it’s my sense of you.”
Relieved she’d finally given him one of the answers he’d wanted, he sat back down and pulled out his phone.
“Would you mind if I made the call right now? It’s ten thirty here, which means nine thirty there. If he’s not at work, I’ll leave my number.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“After the discussions we’ve had, I’ve never been more convinced it’s the right thing to do.”
She stood up. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
“I’d rather you stayed with me. Do you mind?”