A Wedding for the Greek Tycoon

She smiled. “I’m Zoe.”

He’d removed his sunglasses. “Zoe Zachos. Has anyone ever called you ZZ?”

Another laugh broke from her. He had a bit of an imp in him. “No. You’re the first.”

She felt the warmth from his black eyes long after he’d left the penthouse. Before doing anything else she walked over to the windows in the living room. The site of the Acropolis seemed as surreal as the whole experience of meeting Vasso Giannopoulos for the first time.

He had to be a very busy man, yet he’d taken time out to interview her himself. His insight about the emotions she would experience by moving to Greece revealed he was a man of empathy and compassion. Because of his goodness, her life was already being transformed.

CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_e62d15ce-249e-558b-8e08-887b63aee344)

“KYRIE GIANNOPOULOS?” VASSO’S secretary spoke to him as he was passing through to his office. “Your brother said he’d be in after lunch. You’ve had two calls this morning from Maris Paulos who said it was urgent you get back to her.”

In order to maintain his privacy, he gave out his cell phone number only to a few people. It forced Maris to reach him through his secretary. Until she’d mentioned Maris’s name, Vasso hadn’t thought about her.

“I’ll call her now. Just so you know I’ll be out of the office tomorrow. Akis will handle anything that comes up. If there’s an emergency, he’ll call me.”

“Yes, sir.”

Vasso went into his private office and rang Maris. After apologizing for not phoning her before his quick trip to New York, he asked if they could meet later that night. He’d stop by her condo. She sounded happy. That worried him because he didn’t plan on seeing her after tonight. But Maris deserved the truth. She wanted more out of their relationship, but he didn’t have it inside to give.

With that taken care of, he sequestered himself in his office for a couple of hours to do paperwork. Then he phoned Zoe.

“I’m glad you called. I’ve eaten lunch and was just leaving to go shopping.”

“Then I’ll take you.”

“Oh no. You’ve done enough for me.”

She was so different from other women he’d known whose interest in money seemed to be at the forefront. Both he and Akis felt the women they met were always assessing the worth of the Giannopoulos brothers, a real turnoff. But the Zoe he’d met so far seemed the exact opposite of a woman with that kind of hidden agenda.

“But you don’t know where to go to shop.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve lived in a big city all my life.”

Vasso chuckled at her show of independence. “I realize that. But it would please me to accompany you this once. I’m coming upstairs now.”

He was aware how grateful she was for everything. Pleased that she wasn’t too tired, he arranged for his driver to meet them in the alley and drive them to the Attica department store near Syntagma Square.

She must have showered because she smelled sweet like a fragrant rose, dressed in a different skirt and blouse, when he helped her out of the limo. “You’ll find everything you want here at a good price,” he explained. “Shall we start in the luggage department? You’ll need a large suitcase.”

Her sculpted mouth curved into a smile. “You’re reading my mind.”

He liked the three-piece set of luggage she picked with a gold fleur-de-lis design on a dark red background. Vasso asked the clerk to find an employee to take their purchases out to the limousine waiting in front of the store.

Women’s clothing was on the next floor. Zoe stopped him before they approached the counter. “Tell me something honestly. I saw Ms. Kallistos coming and going for a whole year. She only wore dresses or skirts and blouses. Would you suggest the same thing for me?”

“For work, yes. But you’ll want other kinds of clothes, too. The island has a lot to offer when you’re off of work. Among other things like jeans and shorts, you’re going to need some good walking shoes and a bathing suit. Maybe a sweater or jacket when the nights cool down. Paxos is a different world from New York.”

“I realize that. After living in the asphalt jungle, I’m relishing the quiet of a sun-filled island with no skyscrapers.”

“You’re going to undergo a big change. Tell me something. Do you have a laptop?”

“I had one for college, but it got destroyed in the fire.”

“I was afraid that might be the case.”

“Stop, Vasso. I know what you’re going to say. I have enough money to buy another one.”

“I believe you, but the foundation supplies all the equipment, so I have an idea. While you shop for clothes, I’ll go to the electronics department and get you a computer. You’ll need it when you’re not at the center. It shouldn’t take me long then I’ll come back here for you.”

“That sounds good. When we’re through shopping, I’d like to take you to an early dinner. It will be on me. I’m afraid I won’t have much money left to spend, so I’ll let you pick a place my pathetic bank account can afford.”

Those shimmering green eyes had him mesmerized. “I know just a spot in the Plaka. You’ll love it.”

“The old part of Athens,” she mused. “To think I have Greek blood running through my veins, yet I’ve never been here. I promise to hurry because I can’t wait to explore.” Zoe’s eagerness to live life made him see it through new eyes. “My father didn’t like to go shopping with my mother because she took so long. I’ll try not to be like her.”

Amused by the comment he said, “Take all the time you need.” He and Akis had grown up in a one-parent household, so he didn’t know what it would be like to hear two parents going at it back and forth.

He left her talking to a saleswoman and headed for another part of the store. Besides a laptop, Vasso wanted her to have a new iPhone. He was still amazed by the extent of her loss, and even more astounded that she wasn’t bitter or angry. She didn’t know how to feel sorry for herself. That trait alone increased his admiration for her.

Fire had snatched away everything from her, including her parents. She was forced to build a life all over again. The woman was a survivor in more ways than one. He couldn’t imagine another woman of his acquaintance who would be eager to throw herself headlong into an undetermined future.

She was beautiful inside and out. By some miracle the lymphoma hadn’t taken her life. Her gratitude was over the top, yet it was that very quality that drew him to her. You couldn’t compare her to anyone else. She’d maintained a great sense of humor even after the ordeal she’d been through, which put her in a class by herself.

As Vasso had discussed with Akis, he was happy they’d honored their father by creating the foundation. But at the time, neither of them had any idea that their money would be responsible for Zoe getting the medical care she’d needed to whip the terrible disease. Today he was thankful they’d had both centers built so he could give her the job she wanted.

She’s becoming important to you.

An hour later he found her and they walked out of the store with their arms loaded. They were greeted by a rash of photographers and journalists taking pictures and calling out questions. Someone had tipped the paparazzi off that he’d come to the store. Vasso was furious this had happened, but Zoe seemed to handle it well by ignoring them. He helped her into the smoked-glass limo.

“You must be a celebrity,” she said in a quiet voice.

“Anyone’s a celebrity if they have money.”

“There’s a lot more to their interest in you than that!”

“It’s because Akis and I came from a life of poverty. The media has been following us around for several years.”

“How ghastly.” He heard a sigh come out of her. “But I think it’s because you’ve done something extraordinary with your lives. To impart your fortune for the good of humanity puts you in a class all by yourselves. Surely you must realize how much people admire you for that. It’s a great compliment to you, even if you don’t like the publicity.”

“Trust me, I don’t,” he muttered. “Let’s forget them. I’m just sorry I couldn’t protect you from them.”

“I can understand that you don’t relish being mobbed.”

She understood a lot of things that made him feel closer to her. He was beginning to desire her company more and more. “It’s one of the reasons why I don’t spend all my time in Athens.”

Her gaze darted to him. “I don’t blame you. Under the circumstances, can we go back to the penthouse to eat dinner? Now that they’ve seen you, they’ll probably follow us to the Plaka. If I can’t pay for our meal, I can at least cook for you.”