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She had no idea if and when the men went to bed.
“Rose?” Adonis pointed at the frying pan.
“Oh!” She flipped the burned crepe into the trash can. “Sorry. My mind wandered off.”
Adonis giggled. “Where did it go?”
She smiled at him and poured a new circle of batter.
Mr. P wandered in looking slightly disheveled. “Morning.” He sat next to Adonis and ruffled the boy’s hair.
Adonis gave him a hug and said around a mouthful of food, “Rose is making crepes.”
“They smell good.” He started to smile and then yawned. “Sorry.”
“I think we’re all light on sleep, except for Adonis.” Rose slipped a crepe onto a plate and slid it in front of Mr. P.
“Thanks.” He scooped strawberries into the middle and topped them with whipped cream.
“You’re supposed to put the whipped cream on top of the crepe, not inside,” Adonis said.
“There’s more than one way to make a crepe.” Mr. P put a forkful in his mouth. “That really hits the spot.” He cleared his crepe in record time before making coffee.
“Bless you for making breakfast,” Stavros said as he joined them.
Rose’s heart picked up speed at the sound of his voice and at the sight of him dressed in sport shorts and a T-shirt. His hair was mussed and sticking up. She thought he looked sexy. She could easily wake up to the sight of that man every morning and be happy. A wave of sadness struck her. But they weren’t meant to be. Their lives were in different places.
He caught her staring, and she avoided his gaze while sliding him a crepe. Her fingers brushed his as he took the plate, and she felt warmth race up her arm.
“How’s Nefeli?” Rose asked.
“Sleeping. Better. I took her temperature. She’s a degree above normal.” Stavros dressed his crepe, putting the whipped cream on the outside.
“See, Papa does it right,” Adonis said to Mr. P.
“Right is a matter of perspective,” Mr. P replied sipping his coffee, leaning up against the counter.
“I think we’ll have a quiet day,” Rose said to Adonis. She directed her next remark to the men. “Thank you for clearing our schedule for the day.”
“I think we’ve all earned a day of relaxation and a nap,” Mr. P said.
Rose nodded.
“I don’t take naps,” Adonis protested, stabbing a strawberry.
“You don’t have to,” Rose said. She added another crepe to the stack.
Stavros took the top crepe and spread it with Nutella, while Mr. P stuffed his crepe with bacon and then drizzled it with honey.
Rose shook her head. She didn’t understand that last combination.
With the crepes made, Rose turned off the burner and sat next to Adonis so he acted as a buffer between her and Stavros. The way he looked at her indicated he planned to convince her to stay. If he told her he loved her, she’d stay, despite her concerns. There was little doubt that the children or Mr. P would object. She’d need to inform her sister as soon as possible. Perhaps she and Stavros could take a night stroll on the beach to finish their conversation.
The villa door opened, and an older couple appeared yelling, “Surprise!”
Stavros went white as a sheet and jumped from his stool.
Mr. P bent his head and muttered a curse word.