Page 68 of Marriage Masquerade

A week later, while gazing out the window on the flight to London, Gemma remembered every caress and embrace she’d shared with Nikos.

For the three days after leaving so abruptly Monday night, he hadn’t touched her once.

Yet hadn’t he said something about wanting to be a daddy to her baby? Didn’t that imply a future together? Granted, they’d been inundated with tasks at work that took a lot of concentration and long hours. But the rides to and from were quiet. He could have brought up the topic.

Confused, she tried to find some glimmer of understanding about the complex man sitting beside her in first class. But she felt no closer than the day he’d proposed his wild scheme of a marriage of convenience.

When they returned to New York, she'd definitely give Megan a call to see if she could shed some light on how to deal with her husband. It was obvious from the love and devotion between Megan and Allessandros they'd found the key. While Gemma didn’t expect love from Nikos, maybe she could at least figure out how to draw closer.

Always keeping her own love for him a secret.

He'd never mentioned expecting love in their relationship.

And after his experience with Katrina, she knew he didn’t have a high opinion of love.

But it was hard to resist touching him, soaking up every scrap of time with him, listening to his every word.

From London, they flew to Athens. Spending the night in a luxurious hotel, Gemma saw little of the city; she was too tired and eager for sleep. Early the next morning, they boarded a private jet, which flew them directly to the seaside town of Pylos.

“It’s beautiful,” she exclaimed as the plane banked into a turn on its final approach to the small airport. The Ionian Sea was a deep blue with sugar white sandy shores edging it. A wide stretch of lush green bordered the beach. The white buildings below were dazzling in the sun.

“I have always thought so,” Nikos said, leaning close as he, too, gazed from the window.

For him, it was home. Would she ever feel like this place was home?

Disembarking, Gemma breathed the sweet fragrance in the air. Jasmine, and an unfamiliar scent. But the sudden intense heat caught her unawares, and the glare of the sun seemed relentless.

Once they disembarked, they hurried across the tarmac to the coolness of the small airport.

“Nikos!”

An older man and woman rushed toward them with big smiles and open arms.

In seconds, Nikos introduced Gemma to his parents, Stefanos and Maria. They seemed more formal than Gemma expected, but also seemed pleased to meet her.

Before long, they were in their air-conditioned car and heading for their home.

Gemma gazed avidly from the window, trying to see everything. Buildings gleamed sparkling white in the bright sunshine. The roads were wide, with unfamiliar trees lining both sides. Villas were tucked behind high masonry walls, only the tile roofs visible from the street.

As they passed through a shopping district, she was intrigued to see some storefronts with names she’d associated with New York and London, side by side with outdoor displays of local merchandise.

Pylos was obviously a tourist town. People strolled along the sidewalks, and she saw tour buses as they headed out of town.

Gemma continued to stare out the window, charmed by the buildings so different from New York. What else would she find different?

When Stefanos turned between the wide gates of a private estate, Gemma looked eagerly at Nikos' childhood home. The villa was lovely—white with soaring columns and a two-tiered veranda around all sides. Gardens with a profusion of blossoms surrounded the house. Beyond, she glimpsed the sea.

“Welcome to our home,” Nikos' mother said, turning to smile politely at Gemma.

“It's beautiful,” Gemma replied.

She felt awkward and wished she knew what Nikos' parents really thought of their hasty marriage. So far, they'd been very gracious.

Did they compare her to Katrina? And if so, did they hope this marriage would last?

“I'll show you to your room. You both must be tired from all the travel and the time change. Perhaps you'd care to rest before dinner.”

“I was thinking Gemma could take a nap,” Nikos said.

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