Wedding Party Collection: Here Comes The Groom: The Bridegroom's Vow / The Billionaire Bridegroom

Who would have guessed at the warm, full curves and flare of womanly hips hidden beneath the folds of the shapeless, loose-fitting outfit she wore.

Why in heaven’s name did she dress in clothes that masked such a voluptuous figure? For that matter, why didn’t she wear contacts? Her steel-rimmed glasses hid one of her best assets. It didn’t make any sense.

“Come on,” she urged. “We’re almost there.”

“Give me another minute.” The world was still whirling. So were his senses. This sharp awareness of her as a flesh-and-blood woman had caught him completely by surprise.

The steward opened the door.

Dimitrios heard footsteps on the stairs leading up to the plane’s entrance. “Uncle?”

When a dark-haired man close to Alex’s age suddenly appeared in the opening, she didn’t know who looked more surprised. Somehow she’d thought his nephew would be younger.

He halted mid-stride when he saw his uncle clinging to her. Dimitrios had closed his eyes for a moment. Given his pallor, she could understand why his nephew had concern written all over his face.

“Kyrie Pandakis has had a slight accident. He’s a little dizzy from a bump on the head, but it’s nothing serious,” she assured him. “If you’d like to help your uncle out to the car, I’ll gather my things and be right with you.”

“Of course.” He rushed forward and put his arm around his uncle. “Do you think you can make it now, Uncle?” The deep affection in his voice touched Alex.

“As soon as I introduce the two of you,” came the dry response. “Leon? This is my secretary, the legendary Ms. Hamilton.” He was weaving on his feet as he said it.

She eyed his nephew, hoping he received her silent message. “We’ll have time for that later. Right now what’s important is to get you home.”

Between Leon and the two pilots, Dimitrios was helped to the car with little problem. Alex followed with her purse and briefcase. The steward stowed it in the trunk with her suitcase, then helped her into the front passenger seat.

Dimitrios had been put in back so he could spread out. She winced at the shadows beneath his eyes. He would never admit to the horrendous pain he was in.

She thanked the staff, then told Leon to step on it. He obviously didn’t need any urging because the car accelerated at a faster speed than she imagined was allowed.

“How long will it take to reach the Mediterranean Palace?” She asked this in a low tone as they drove away from the plane.

“Normally fifteen minutes,” he whispered, “but because of the tourists in town for the fair, the traffic is heavy at all hours now. It could take longer.”

“Ms. Hamilton won’t be staying at the hotel, Leon. Drive us straight to the villa.”

Alex caught the surprised glance Leon flashed his uncle over his shoulder. But she understood. Dimitrios felt too ill to put up with any detours tonight.

She leaned closer to his nephew. Mouthing the words, she said, “As soon as we get him home, I’ll take a taxi to the hotel.”

He nodded.

With that understood, she moved next to the door so she could rest her head against the glass.

It was hard to believe she was in Greece.

She should be thrilled, exhilarated. It was a lovely warm night. They were driving through one of the oldest cities in Europe. Some sites dated back to 2300 B.C. She was passing over ground of saints and scholars.

There was so much history to absorb. But after the shock she’d lived through, she was too enervated to do anything more than close her eyes.

Only one thing mattered. Dimitrios was alive and seemingly in one piece. His injuries could have been so much worse. She still hadn’t recovered from seeing his big body hurtled to the floor of the plane, lifeless.

If Alex needed proof of what he meant to her, that experience would stand out for all time as the defining moment.

At one point she’d seen Leon pull out his cell phone and make several calls. Therefore it didn’t surprise her that the guard at the gate of the estate let them through without Leon having to brake.

A sizable group of people were assembled in the courtyard by the time they wound around the tree-lined drive to the front of the ochre-toned villa. Large and square-shaped in design, it looked fairly impregnable and quite unlike what Alex had imagined.

That was probably because she was used to seeing travel brochures with pictures of the white, cube-style villas nestled close together on the Greek Islands.

Two women rushed forward. One old, with a face that looked a trifle wizened from being in the sun too long. The other fortyish and attractive, with big brown eyes that reminded Alex of Leon.

“Dimitrios!” they both cried at once as his nephew got out of the car and opened the back door for him. A spate of Greek Alex couldn’t understand poured out of both women. One of the male staff members somebody called Kristofor worked with Leon to help his uncle from the car.

The rest of the staff stood by with anxious expressions. It was evident that everyone held Kyrie Pandakis in great affection and were upset to see him incapacitated in any way.

Alex knew just how they felt.

Relieved he was home in the comfort of his family, she climbed out of the front seat to get her things from the trunk. To her surprise she caught the full brunt of headlights from a taxi that had pulled up behind the car. It had gotten here quickly.

More conversation in Greek ensued. This time it was Dimitrios’s voice overriding everyone else’s. A subdued, confused-looking Leon walked to the taxi. Alex saw him pull some money from his wallet and pay the driver, who backed around and took off.

“Everyone speak English, please,” Dimitrios declared. For a man who was barely hanging on, his voice sounded amazingly strong and authoritative.

“My secretary, Ms. Hamilton, will be our houseguest for a while. Serilda? If you will be kind enough to prepare the guest room down the hall from mine for her. Nicholas? Please bring her things from the back of the car.”

The staff seemed to take everything as a matter of course, but Alex didn’t dare make a scene right then. Not in front of the woman who had to be Leon’s mother, Ananke. She stared at Alex like she was a visitor from another planet.

When they entered the palatial villa, it felt like Alex had just stepped into another time period. The flavor of old Byzantium called out to her. Under other circumstances she would love to explore every inch of it, learn the story behind every exquisite artifact.

But Alex could hear her mother’s warning. Go to Greece, do your job, don’t go near his family, then come straight home.

The front door clicked shut behind her. She had no choice but to follow Dimitrios who, with help, managed to make it down two hallways to his own suite of rooms.

Though the lump on his head was hidden, Alex could see that some of his black hair was still matted with blood, a potent reminder of an experience that could have taken his life.

At the thought, she felt sickness sweep over her. Her steps slowed until the moment of sudden weakness passed.

Leon’s mother stayed right with him, talking in Greek to her son even though Dimitrios had requested otherwise.

“Ms. Hamilton?” he called over his shoulder without looking at her. “When you’ve freshened up, please come to my bedroom. There’s some business we have to discuss.”

“I’ll come now if you’d like.” The sooner he said what he had to say, the sooner she’d be able to phone for another taxi and slip away. Thanks to Yanni, she could do that much for herself in Greek without anyone’s help.

“I’d like,” she heard him mutter.

His suite came as a complete surprise. It was modern and unquestionably masculine down to the tan and black striped bedspread. Alex sank down on one of two chairs arranged around a coffee table while Leon and Kristofor helped Dimitrios stretch out on top of the bed.

His eyes were closed. He looked wan and exhausted. There was blood on his rumpled shirt, which was part-way unbuttoned, revealing a dusting of black hair on his chest. Alex closed her eyes to shut out the sight before her.