Page 30 of Loving the Greek Billionaire

“A small squabble, and then they watched movies.”

“Tell me about it.”

Rose recounted the incident. She ate an olive. “These are good. I wonder if they’re grown locally.”

“They are,” Stavros said.

“Where?” She looked around. Beaches, rocks, and town were all she saw.

“There’s a grove near Nafplion located in Epidauria.”

“Is the grove one of ours?” Nefeli asked.

“Can we see it?” Adonis asked.

“Yes, the grove belongs to your family,” Stavros answered the children. “I believe Papa is touring it tomorrow. Would you like to go?”

“Yes,” the siblings chorused and clapped their hands.

Stavros turned to Rose. “Would you like to see the olives?”

“I would. I think it’s a wonderful idea for the children to learn about the business they benefit from and may be a part of someday. Children should know what occupies the majority of their father’s time.”

“I’ll check with Mr. P. I think your company will be welcome. He enjoys taking Nefeli and Adonis to see the groves and see how the oil is made.”

“The press goes—,” Adonis made a squishing gesture with his hands.

“Is that your favorite part?” Rose asked, scooping up some rice.

Adonis nodded.

“I like the tasting,” Nefeli supplied. “I like the different flavors.”

“She’s got a talent for noticing the subtle difference in the oil,” Stavros said. “Her mother did too.”

Nefeli beamed.

“A wonderful asset in the olive oil business to be sure,” Rose said. “What about Adonis? Any emerging olive talents yet?”

“Not yet. He’s more drawn to the dirt and trees. He may be more like his father that way. He likes to watch the growth and find out how to keep the trees healthy and strong. Time will tell.”

“May we get in the water, please?” Adonis clasped his hands together in front of his chest and shook them.

“Let’s reapply our sunscreen and tidy up. Then we may get in,” Rose said. She applied sunscreen to each of the children and stowed the picnic in the basket.

“You need sunscreen too,” Nefeli pointed out.

Rose removed her cover-up, conscious of this being the first time Stavros saw her in a swimsuit. She wore modest one-piece suits these days. She’d hung up her bikinis a few years back. She simply didn’t feel the need to display that much flesh on the beach. Marriage had changed her in more than one way.

She tried to ignore Stavros’s gaze as she took the sunscreen from Nefeli and coated her skin.

“Let me help.” Stavros took the bottle from her, sprayed her back, and rubbed in the sunscreen.

Rose couldn’t ignore the sensations his fingertips caused to shoot through her as the lotion penetrated her skin. “Thank you,” she managed to say without too much betrayal of her feelings in her tone.

“I want to help, Papa,” Adonis said.

Stavros smiled at the boy. “One moment.” Stavros applied the sunscreen to his lower half and then peeled off his shirt and knelt down.

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