He had another place on Santorini, but that was the old family estate, a former winery that had once been his favorite place in the world and now the source of his nightmares.

Nikos had lived alone so long that he couldn’t imagine being part of the outside world. His son would not need the outside world, either. He would teach his son to live simply, to love nature, to be independent. He’d make sure his son knew what was good and true...not money, not accolades, praise, success. But this island, this sky, this sea.

But perhaps the years of living so isolated had made him rough and impatient. He felt so very impatient now, waiting for her. She wasn’t rushing her shower. She wasn’t hurrying up to meet him. She was taking her time. Making him wait.

Finally the sound of the wooden door scraping the tumbled marble floor made him turn.

Georgia stepped outside, onto the terrace, her expression wary. She was dressed in black tights, a long black-and-white knit jumper, high-heeled ankle boots, and her shimmering blond hair was drawn back in a high ponytail. Even though she was wearing no makeup, she looked far more rested than she had earlier, but her guarded expression bothered him.

He didn’t want to be a monster. He didn’t enjoy scaring women. “You found it,” he said gruffly.

“I did.”

“Something to drink?” he asked, gesturing to the tray with pitchers of water and juice that had been brought up earlier.

“Just water. Please.”

He filled a tall glass and brought it to her. She was standing now where he’d been just seconds ago, looking out over the Aegean Sea. He wasn’t surprised. The view was spectacular from the terrace, and the setting sun had gilded the horizon, turning everything purple and bronze.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Fine,” she said crisply, keeping her distance.

He should apologize. He wasn’t sure where to begin, though. The words stuck in his throat. He wasn’t very good at this sort of thing, and he was certain that the apology would be rebuffed.

“Do you get carsick easily?” he asked, trying to find a topic that would help them move forward.

“Not usually. Everything is different when you’re pregnant, though.”

“My pilots did say it was a turbulent landing. We get very strong winds this time of year.” He hesitated. “I apologize.”

She arched an elegant eyebrow, her expression cool. “You can’t control the wind,” she said, taking a sip of the water before adding, “But you can control yourself. Don’t break down my door again. Please.”

Nikos wasn’t used to apologies, but he also wasn’t accustomed to criticism. His temper flared. He battled it back down. “I’ve assured you that the door will be fixed.”

“That’s not the point.