Read The Greek's Baby Bargain Online
Authors: Elizabeth Lennox
The limousine drove them quickly to the airport. Since they were taking one of Dimitri’s private jets, there was no need to go through security. In fact, as soon as they arrived at the airport, they were able to simply walk onto the plane which taxied onto the runway as soon as their seatbelts were fastened.
Emma was secretly thrilled when the plane flew over the city of Rome. She tried to sit back in her seat and appear casual about the imminent landing, but when the plane circled the city, she couldn’t tear her eyes away, holding her breath as the wheels touched down gently. She could barely keep her seatbelt on as the plane taxied to the gate.
She loved the idea of traveling and had always wanted to do more, but had only had the opportunity to travel Greece. During their marriage, Dimitri had traveled a great deal but had always said he would be too busy to show her around the city so she should stay home where he knew she was safe.
At the time, she’d accepted that statement but had wished it was different. She loved traveling. New sights, new sounds, foods and textures…plus the history of all of it. She loved every part of it. Many people didn’t like traveling because of the getting to and coming from aspect. And Emma could understand that to a point. Getting to Greece six years ago had been a hassle. But traveling with Dimitri was simple. Even getting through customs was simplified since there was a special area for VIPs to go instead of having to walk through the normal lines.
Of course, the man was completely unaware of her excitement since he spoke on the phone during almost the entire flight. As soon as the ducked into the limousine, he made yet another call, completely ignoring Emma as she watched in awe as the sites of the city passed by their window. Dimitri accompanied her to the hotel and Emma tried not to allow her mouth to fall open at the amazing suite of rooms at their disposal. There was even a small kitchen which Dimitri was unaware of as he settled into the suite
“There is a butler to see to the unpacking,” he said casually as he took out his cell phone. “I’ve also ordered credit cards to be delivered to you. They should be here in about an hour. If there’s anything else you need, just give my assistant a call and he’ll arrange for it to be sent to you,” he explained absently and started walking out the door. He was almost to the exit when he stopped and turned around. “Oh, one more thing. Rico will be your body guard. He’ll be with you no matter where you go,” he said, referring to a bulky man in a dark suit standing at attention beside the door. “He speaks English, Italian, Greek and French and will be around to watch out for you.” Without another word, Dimitri walked out of the suite.
Emma looked over at the man named Rico who was standing at attention against the wall. She was impressed with his bulk as well as the serious expression on his stern looking face. Dimitri was also muscular but his had more of a lithe strength. Rico wasn’t nearly as tall but what he lacked in height, he made up for in brawn but there was no way this man could be considered short. He was still several inches taller than Emma and looked very intimidating.
Emma smiled at the man tentatively. “Well, I guess you drew the short straw, eh?” she joked. But the man didn’t crack a smile. He simply bowed slightly and then continued to look politely in her direction.
The silence in the suite was deafening. She searched frantically for something to do or say to ease the bizarre moment. “Yes, well,” Emma said awkwardly. “Do you know what time Dimitri will be back?”
Emma’s eyes widened at that. “Really?” Emma almost laughed at the ridiculous conversation. “Is there anything else my husband forgot to tell me?” she asked, trying with difficulty to maintain a straight face.
Emma chuckled at that. “Okay then. I’m glad we have that straightened out.” Looking around, she took in the amazing suite of rooms. “Where do you sleep?” she asked.
Why didn’t that surprise her? She knew that Dimitri liked his privacy but it seemed like an awful expense. But then she had to remind herself that Dimitri’s wealth had always been beyond her comprehension. net worth but knew it was in the billions. billions because once it got up to those kinds of numbers, it was more than enough. She really had no idea about his personal
“I think I’ll just unpack, although I’m not even sure how long we’ll be here.” A thought occurred to her and she turned back to Rico. She raised her eyebrows curiously. “Do you know?”
“Ah,” she responded. “I’m not sure if I want them to hurry along or slow down. Perhaps after I unpack, I could explore the city a little. Would that be inconvenient for you?” she asked, unsure of how much she was allowed to do and what she shouldn’t ask of Rico or Dimitri.
“Really?” Emma asked, thrilled with that news. “I don’t suppose you could recommend where to start? I’m afraid I was told about this trip an hour before our departure so I wasn’t able to obtain a tour guide.”
Rico hesitated before saying, “Perhaps you would like to see the major sights first? Such as the Coliseum, the Pantheon, and of course, the Basilica with all of the frescos painted by Da Vinci.”
Emma loved that idea but hesitated. “I don’t need a car, do I? Wouldn’t that be awfully exp…” she stopped herself just in time. “I guess I shouldn’t worry about money, should I?”
Rico’s face remained impassive and he didn’t reply. Emma took that as a “No”. She grimaced and picked up her purse again. “Well, if I won’t be doing much exercise, I guess we can be off. I just need to stop at a bank and get some money.”
Emma shook her head in amazement and walked out ahead of Rico who held the door for her. She was a little taken aback by the way Rico’s eyes casually surveyed the lobby and the sidewalk as she walked out with him. It made her very nervous. Was the threat of kidnapping really that high? Should she perhaps go back upstairs and be safe? No, that was ridiculous. She was sure Rico was just being overly cautious. By the end of the day, she was used to the man that constantly walked behind her, always alert, ready with funds for any museum she wanted to wander through and even offering suggestions on different places to go and areas of interest.
By the end of the afternoon, Emma had had a wonderful day but her feet were aching. She had been driven all over the city, but walking through the museums or up the stairs of the Coliseum or whatever she was standing in line for, her three inch heels were not comfortable. Tennis shoes were a priority for the next day if she was going anywhere.
She was almost hobbling into the suite that evening and all she wanted was to soak her aching feet in a warm tub of water. Slipping off her shoes, she looked across at Rico who was still standing alertly by the doorway. “Rico, you’re going to have to relax. Don’t you want to go get something to eat?” she asked, rubbing her feet to try and ease some of the pain. “We barely had lunch with all the rushing around I was dragging you through.”
He wouldn’t answer her initial question but said instead, “You could also soak in the Jacuzzi tub.” He said the words but the red that crept into his cheeks was instantaneous and charming to Emma who had started to think the man was a walking robot.
Emma smiled, delighted by both the idea of a hot bath as well as Rico’s sweet embarrassment. “Thank you. I think that would be a lovely idea.” word, she stood up on her sore feet and hobbled into the bedroom. faucet to the large tub that looked more like a mini pool than a bathtub, then added bubbles and lavender scent. She stripped off the uncomfortable suit, tossing it onto the bed to take care of later.
Without another
As she sank into the hot water with the jets massaging her aching muscles, she thought about her well-worn jeans and tennis shoes at her apartment back in London. She would love to coddle her feet in the softness of those shoes, but she suspected that Dimitri might object to his wife wearing something so casual. He had commented many times during their relationship how much he liked one outfit or another, all of which were tailored and made of the best materials. And she was relatively certain that his shopping spree yesterday was not to be ignored.
She leaned her head back against a rolled up towel, her eyes closed as the jets worked their magic. She was so relaxed that she didn’t immediately hear the door open or close. It was more the water moving in a different direction that alerted her to someone else’s presence and she started, sitting up quickly.
Emma could barely keep her own eyes off of his chest and muscular arms. “I don’t think that’s possible when you are around,” she whispered. Then could have bit her tongue when she realized what she’d just said, what she’d revealed about her feelings for him. She had to remind herself of the temporary nature of their relationship. There was an end and she could make it bearable or the near death experience she’d had the last time she’d been with him.
Dimitri laughed at her words and her obvious shock and embarrassment but then relaxed again, running his fingers through his now damp hair. “I think I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said. “What did you do today?”
Emma had to focus, licking her lips and forcing her eyes to his face and away from his magnificent body visible above the water. “Today?” She watched as the bubbles lifted and popped so close to his amazing chest and the bulging muscles in his arms relaxed against the marble rim of the tub.
Emma almost shook her head in an effort to follow his conversation. “Today.” She thought hard, looking down at the bubbles, at the towels beside the bath, out the window, anywhere that would get her eyes off of his gorgeous body that she wanted again, even though she’d been satisfied by him so may times just last night. His body had always fascinated her and she desperately wanted to touch him, to feel his rough skin with her fingertips.
Dimitri laughed softly. “Yes. It wasn’t that long ago. Try to remember where you went and how you spent your time while I was in meetings, dear. Did you buy some new clothes? Or perhaps a new purse? Most women love to be coordinated and I probably didn’t give you enough time yesterday to make all the silly choices in accessories that women find essential.”
Emma blushed and looked back up at him. “Rico and I went to the Coliseum and the Roman baths…” Once she started talking, the excitement about all she’d seen during the day took over her embarrassment over being naked in the bath with him only a few feet away, equally naked. She went on and on about the sights she saw and the museums she’d gone through. “Oh, Dimitri it was wonderful! I had such a lovely day,” she finally finished. Her smile faded somewhat when she noticed his slightly amused expression. Obviously he still found her childish. Biting her lip, she shrugged her shoulders as if she could pretend a sort of casualness she definitely wasn’t feeling. “What did you do today?” she asked, quickly changing the subject.
Emma smiled as politely as possible given their current position and swirling, bubbling water. “What were the meetings about? Where they long? Difficult?” She never realized it, but she’d never asked about his day when they’d been together before. She’d been too excited to see him, she hadn’t wanted anything to interfere with her time alone with him. It occurred to her now that she had probably missed out on a large understanding of who he is and what made him tick.
She thought he was going to give her another short answer, but instead, he put his arms against the back of the tub and said, “We’re considering buying another fleet of ships and were discussing the pros and cons of the various ships for sale.”
“Yes. And we would do that, but if the people who replace them aren’t experienced, they won’t treat the ship well to begin with and there might be mechanical issues down the road if they didn’t do proper maintenance.”