Page 52 of Marriage Masquerade

The descriptions of the village outside of Athens that Megan and Norrie shared were like those Nikos had given her. It sounded like paradise. She'd love to go to the beach every day.

“Sometimes we visit Grandmère in France where she lives now that her husband is gone. And we spend most of the year here,” Norrie finished.

“I doubt you’ll live there,” Megan said. “Nikos seems quite dedicated to the shipping lines, and from what Allessandros has said, he enjoys living in New York.”

“We’ve never talked about going to Greece,” Gemma said.

Of course not. Theirs was a marriage of convenience that could end at any time. There was no reason for Gemma to ever visit the Mediterranean country.

As she sat in the shade of a huge old tree talking quietly with Allessandros’s wife, Gemma suddenly knew she never wanted to end their marriage. She wanted Nikos on whatever terms he set. Lopsided marriage or not, she loved him.

He’d scoff if she ever told him. Hadn’t she married him to save face? To avoid becoming an unwed mother? He'd never believe she’d fallen in love. Cynical and distrusting, Nikos would forever question her motives if she confessed her love. Better to keep it a deep secret. Even if it meant leaving as originally planned, she didn’t want to give him cause to ever doubt her.

Dinner was entertaining. Gemma laughed at the constant teasing between Allessandros and Megan, and noted some similarities to the ways she’d challenged Nikos the past week. He watched the banter quietly, occasionally meeting her gaze, as if trying to divine her thoughts on the situation.

Norrie went to her friend’s house right after they ate, leaving the adults in the living room with coffee. Gemma tried to enjoy the evening, but the closer the time came to go to bed, the more nervous she became.

Stop it, she chided herself. Nikos had never exceeded the bounds of propriety, and she wouldn’t, either.

But it was the yearning that had her wanting more that made her nervous.

She tried to focus on the conversation, something about Nikos getting a house in Greece now that he was married again. But the words drifted by as her thoughts churned.

What would it be like to see the house Nikos grew up in, to meet his parents?

Would his father be furious he’d married another foreigner? His first marriage hadn't been a success. Did he dare admit this one wasn't, either?

“Gemma?”

She looked at Megan. “Yes?”

“You haven’t heard a word we’ve said. Are you tired? Would you like to go to bed? Don’t stay up with us if you need to get some rest. I’m always so tired during the first few months of being pregnant. We’d all understand.”

Gemma sat up, snatching the excuse like a lifeline.

“I am tired.”

Nikos rose as well.

“We have tomorrow to continue our visit. I’ll go with Gemma.”

“Oh, you don’t have to. I’m tired, so I will probably go right to sleep. Stay and visit with your cousin. I’ll be fine. Really.”

The amusement in his eyes told him her statement didn’t fool him.

“I’m tired after the hectic week we spent,” he said. “Being married can wear a man out.”

She grew warm as Allessandros and Megan exchanged smiles. Head held high, she bid them goodnight and headed for their room.

When the door was closed behind them, she rounded on Nikos.

“Do you know what they thought after that statement?”

He unbuttoned the top button on his dress shirt. Pausing, he looked at her.

“Who?”

“Allessandros and Megan. Saying being married can wear a man out—they probably think we’ve been making love all night, every night, so you can’t get any sleep.”

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