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“You undermine my authority and then call me foolish?” His voice is arctic, cutting through me to the bone. “You’re the foolish one for interfering with my family.”

I glare at him. “We got married so I could help take care of Sophie. I’ve done my best to watch out for her and protect her. Right now, she needs protecting from your crazy Greek pride.”

Jayson says something in Greek before leaning in close, his face against mine. “It’s not crazy pride that is motivating my decision. Sophie made a mistake, and I’m fixing it.”

“It wasn’t a mistake.” I run a hand through my hair. “She’s a teenager. Teenagers have sex. It’s not a big deal.”

“You didn’t,” he says quietly.

I falter. “Everyone is different.”

“If you, an American, can wait until marriage, why can’t my niece?” He exhales harshly. “I do not understand how she could do something like this.”

His confusion cuts through my annoyance, and I put a hand on his shoulder. “Sophie loved him. She acknowledges it isn’t the kind of love she should have for her husband, but she does care for him. Sophie chose him for her first. It was her choice, not yours or mine. You have to let this go, Jayson. She’s too young to get married, especially to someone she doesn’t love.”

He compresses his lips. “You don’t need love to make a marriage work. Look at us.”

I barely keep myself from reacting as though he struck me physically. In a cool voice, I say, “We have love for Sophie in common. We’re also older and more mature. Marriages of convenience aren’t the norm, especially for eighteen-year-old girls.”

His gaze settles on me with disconcerting intensity. “You told her she would enjoy making love when she was in love.”

I shift uneasily. “Yeah. I was trying to give her a good answer.”

“Do you believe what you told her?”

Sensing dangerous territory ahead, I clear my throat. “Yes,” I finally say reluctantly.

“Yet how would you know, Harper mou? I’ve been your only one.”

Wishing he would return to his state of anger from minutes before, I search for an answer. “I believe a young woman should feel love for the boy she takes as a lover.” I shrug. “Adult women don’t have the same requirements.”

“Hmmm.” He seems to weigh my words. “That’s good. It means you require no lies, no false ideas to come to my bed, being an adult,” he says with a hint of mockery.

Feeling trapped, I tip up my chin. “Of course not. We both know how amazing sex can be. Who needs anything else?”

“Indeed.” Jayson startles me by sweeping me into his arms. “I find I’m in the mood for some pleasure after the day I’ve had. What do you think?”

How can I maintain this façade? The last thing I want to do is admit I’ve fallen in love with him just to face rejection. Or even worse, pity. A shudder runs through me. “Why not?”

Jayson is gone by the time I awaken the next morning. Nausea creeps up my throat, making me regret the marathon sex session that had left us without dinner. A quick breakfast of a boiled egg and oatmeal has me feeling better, and my thoughts inevitably turn to Jayson.

To my relief, he’s mentioned nothing else about marrying Sophie and Loukas. Perhaps he’s realized his overreaction to the situation.

Now that Sophie is back in New York, I fully expect Jayson to cut short our vacation and return to the city. In preparation, I go to the master bedroom and pull down my suitcases, intending to pack everything except a couple of outfits, in case we stay through tomorrow. My suitcase is half-filled when a knock sounds. “Come in!”

Irina enters, clicking her tongue when she sees the luggage. “I will do that, Kyria.”

I wave a hand. “It’s fine, Irina. It keeps me occupied.”

The older woman scowls. “You have a visitor to keep you occupied, if you want to receive her.”

I arch a brow. “Who?”

Irina appears to be choking when she says, “Maia Papadas.”

Grimacing, I say, “Tell her Jayson will be back sometime later in the morning.” That may or may not be true, but it should get rid of her, at least for a little while.

“She asked specifically for you, Kyria Harper.”