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“Though I may get you squid.” She winked.
He groaned. “No squid either. I’m guessing you were looking for something more along the lines of what I did in my childhood.”
She shifted her shoulders. “I’m okay with the octopus answer, but I’m certainly game to hear anything you want to share with me.” The fairy lights added to the twinkle in her eyes.
“I have two parents, went to school, got into trouble once or twice as little boys will do, and spent a good deal of time swinging from olive branches.”
“I guess that runs in the family,” she said.
Leo went still inside. Had she guessed he was really Mr. P and Stavros was actually Stavros?
She continued. “You’re cousins after all.”
“Right.” Relief washed over Leo. He really needed to tell her who he was. But not on the first date. That seemed like a no-no. But then there was no rule book for billionaire widowers impersonating staff. He was making this up as he went along. And most likely botching a future with Rose. His stomach tied itself into a knot.
“That would also explain why you know so much about olive trees for a security guard,” she said.
“Naturally.” Oh, he was in trouble.
The food arrived, saving Leo from wondering how to blend the truth and lies together. He decided he’d tell her about his true past as much as possible, and so far that was what he’d done.
He dug into hissouvlaki, while she cut up her salad with gyro meat.
“Here, try this.” He held a forkful out to her.
“What is it?”
“Fried feta with honey.”
She took the bite, and Leo’s gaze got hung up on her ruby lips.
“Mmm. That’s good.” Rose wiped her mouth with her napkin.
Leo shouldn’t have picked dinner for a date. Every bite, every wipe with the napkin only drew attention to her lips. He should’ve picked something active, a hike, a walk on the beach—even if it was cliché—snorkeling, parasailing, anything that didn’t involve food.
“What about you?” Leo asked. “Anything remarkable in your childhood?”
“My parents were wonderful. We grew lemon trees outside our home. Nothing like the olive groves of Mr. P’s, but my mother had a fondness for the garden. She liked to try out new plants and see how they did on the French Riviera. My father was a banker. My sister is two years older than I am and, as you know, runs a high-end nannying service. We both married young. Neither of our marriages or families turned out like we planned though.” Rose fell into a thoughtful silence.
Leo’s eyebrows knit together. “Is your sister divorced or in an unhappy marriage?” He decided asking about the sister was a less personal option than directly asking Rose what happened in her own marriage.
“No, nothing like that. She has a gem of a husband. They can’t have children. They’ve run through all the fertility options without success. They’ve discussed surrogate pregnancy, fostering children, or adopting, but so far nothing feels quite right. So she continues loving other people’s kids on the path to becoming a mother in her own right one day. Our whole family has been heartbroken with each twist and turn of their journey, though none as much as Marie and her husband.” Rose’s eyes misted over.
Leo reached across the table and held Rose’s hand. “Marie sounds like an incredibly strong woman. I can only imagine she has a husband who is her equal.”
She waved a hand across her face. “Sorry, I get choked up when I think of how unfair life can be. My sister is desperate to have a child, while others get pregnant in a snap—and don’t want or can’t care for the life growing inside them—and cast the child aside.”
“Life can be a mystery.”
“I’ve offered to be a surrogate if they choose that route.”
“That’s noble of you.” Leo ran his thumb along the back of her hand, while a part of him worried about her sharing the same fate as his late wife. “And what of your plans for children? Do you want to have a family of your own, or are you happy with your life the way it is?”
Rose withdrew her hand. “I think we should finish our meal.” There was a tightness in her voice, almost a warning. The playful twinkle in her eye vanished and was replaced with wary coldness.
The remainder of their meal was spent in a strained silence.
Leo had blown it. He shouldn’t have asked her about children and family. The timing was wrong. But he needed to know if her future could ever include a husband again and children. He, Nefeli, and Adonis were a package deal. He’d never abandon his children for his love of a woman, no matter how exquisite she was.