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

Of course he cared a great deal for his Greek secretary. She knew Dimitrios cared a lot for her, too. Wanting to show her a favorite place of his meant they’d become friends. But never lovers.

Back in high school and college she’d dated quite a bit, but because she’d lost her heart to a certain Greek, no other man had ever meant enough to her to become intimate with him.

Tonight that was what she wanted. To lie in his arms and get so intimate with him, he would never let her go.

But if she dared shed her disguise right now in order to make him see her in a different light, it would end their friendship. He would despise her for misrepresenting herself to get a job with his corporation. Everything would blow up in her face. It was going to blow up anyway after she resigned.

The mere thought of never seeing him again was anathema to her. She couldn’t imagine getting through the rest of her life without him, yet the day of parting was almost here. There was nothing she could do now but play this out to the bitter end.

Stifling a tiny sob, she hurried into the bathroom with her suitcase. After freshening up, she pulled out the plastic bag holding her sneakers. Once she’d slipped off her matron pumps, she put on her navy and white tennis shoes.

They didn’t match her three-piece, oversize suit with the high square neck. It was an unattractive jacquard design of intricately woven salmon pink, gray and brown. During the hike she imagined she’d get hot wearing it, but that would have to be her punishment.

When she finally went into the room, the sight of his powerful body in cutoffs and a white T-shirt revealing the well-defined chest beneath caused her to suck in her breath.

On the same note, his eyes passed over her with less interest than if he’d glimpsed a plate of fried eggs left out on the table for the better part of a week.

How awful she looked. It killed her to go on wearing such unattractive clothes in front of him, never being able to let down her hair and be herself. Just once she’d like to see those black orbs ignite when she walked into a room….

He hung his suit in the closet, then reached for his backpack. It was sheer poetry watching his bronzed, hard-muscled arms slip into the straps.

“What have you got inside?” she inquired. “It looks heavy.”

“This is nothing. Some food and water plus a few other items. Shall we go?” He locked the door behind them.

For the next twenty minutes she followed him along a path, which started to wind into foothills studded with black pine and oak. “Are we on sacred ground yet?”

Dimitrios paused to look back at her with an amused smile that tripled her pulse rate. “We’ll be coming to the strictly protected area before too long. When you see something move, I’ll give you the binoculars.”

Startled, she said, “I’d settle for a clue about now.”

His lips twitched. “That would spoil all the fun.”

Uh-oh. This outing seemed to have brought out the boy in him. She had an idea she was in for it.

He handed her a bottle of water from his pack. “Don’t drink too much all at once,” he cautioned.

After a moment she returned it and they resumed their trek. He continued along the path, pacing himself so Alex could keep up. Though the scenery was beautiful, she found herself watching the backs of his legs. They were perfectly molded machines of whipcord strength.

Content to feast her eyes on Dimitrios, she almost bumped into him when he stopped ten minutes later to point out a family of badgers partially hidden by the underbrush. Alex took a step off the path to get a closer peek at them. They were burrowing for all their worth.

“Oh—look how hard they’re working!”

“They remind me of you.”

The mocking comparison to the grizzle-coated mammals was hardly flattering, but she’d come to recognize his mockery as a compliment of sorts.

“Thank you very much.”

She thought she heard a chuckle as they continued up the path. The higher they rose, the more she became aware of a forest alive with the sounds of rustlings and whirrings. No doubt foxes and other creatures abounded in the wooded setting.

They stopped to drink more water. When he’d put the bottle away, he took out the binoculars. Before she knew how it happened, he’d hung them around her neck.

In the process, his hands brushed her hair and shoulders, setting her on fire wherever there was contact. She quickly averted her eyes, afraid to look at him.

“We’re getting closer to the peak. Keep your gaze skyward.”

She nodded, unable to talk with his body practically touching hers, radiating his male warmth. Once he’d turned and started up the trail again, she was able to expel the breath she’d been holding.

They hadn’t been hiking more than five minutes before she saw several dark specks in the sky. With each leisurely circle, they came closer.

She took off her glasses and lifted the binoculars to her eyes. Unprepared for the powerful magnification of the lenses, she gasped in shock at the incredible sight.

“I don’t believe it! They look like gargoyles come to life! I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“You’re viewing a pair of Griffon vultures,” sounded her companion’s deep voice. “They would be extinct by now if there weren’t forest preserves like this to provide needed habitat. Along with the Black and Egyptian vultures, they’re one of the most endangered species of raptors in the world.”

“No wonder you love to come here! I feel like I’ve gone back in time. I wish I had my sketch pad with me.”

“Wait till you see the Imperial eagle.”

“Is that the one you have emblazoned on your plane?’ She was still looking through the field glasses.

“So you noticed.” He sounded pleased.

I notice everything about you.

“Well, it didn’t look like an American bald eagle, so I figured it had special significance.”

“You don’t miss much.”

Not when it comes to you.

“Once when Leonides brought me here, we found an Imperial eaglet that had been poisoned. We notified the authorities and they took it to the bird hospital. After it recovered, we were allowed to watch it from the observatory when it was returned.”

She swallowed hard. “That must have pleased you both.”

“We were very happy. My brother felt it was important to fight for their preservation.”

“So you took up the cause. What a perfect way to honor his memory.” She handed him back the binoculars and put her glasses on. “Does your nephew know about that story?”

He stared at her with brooding eyes. “No. In the beginning, I found it too painful a subject to talk about. I realize it’s another oversight I intend to rectify if it isn’t already too late.”

“I don’t imagine it’s ever too late for a son to hear something truly wonderful about his father.”

She saw his throat move before they continued the last of their climb side by side.

“You had a happy childhood, didn’t you, Alexandra.”