Greek Boss, Dream Proposal

“Well, I’m looking for fresh produce to enhance tonight’s meal. Enjoy visiting the church,” she said briskly and turned.

“Sara,” Nikos called.

She turned.

He hesitated a moment as Gina clung. “Tell them to charge it to the yacht, they will know how to collect.”

For a split second she had hoped he was calling to reissue his invitation to see the town square together. To dump his guest and spend the afternoon with his chef. Ha. Gina was much more his type. He had been kind to offer to show her around. She relieved him of his impetuous offer.

Waving gaily, she turned and plunged into the crowd, hoping to lose herself quickly before the false smile plastered on her face dissolved and her disappointment showed. She would have liked to explore the island with someone who knew it. That was all.

Sara ended her afternoon at a small taverna near the docks. Fishing boats arrived every few minutes and she watched as the catch of the day was handed from the smaller crafts to a large ship that had tied up only moments before the fishermen returned. Most of the fish went into cold storage in the ship that probably took it straight to the mainland. Some fishermen carried their catch straight to a series of tables with running water to clean the fish and pass it along to one of the booths at the market.

Giving in to impulse, she went to buy some fresh catch to serve for dinner. She could rearrange her menu and knew the fresh fish would be excellent.

When she returned to the ship, she saw Nikos standing near the rails, talking with his guests. They were seated on the cushioned chairs dotting the upper forward deck.

Just before she looked away, he glanced around, his gaze catching hers. For a long moment he merely stared at her. Then slowly he raised his glass in silent toast.

Someone—probably Gina—said something and he looked back. Sara hurried on board, her nerves tingling. Would he seek her out again before the trip was over?

Why would he? she silently asked.

CHAPTER THREE

ONCE the yacht stopped for its nightly anchorage, Sara felt an unexpected rise in anticipation. She and several of the other crew members were lounging on the aft deck, enjoying the evening. It was much cooler tonight. She’d brought a sweatshirt. The breeze that blew constantly was refreshing but chilly. She listened to the conversation more than contributed. Now that the ship had dropped anchor, she wondered if Nikos would come again to thank her for the meal. She’d taken extra pains with tonight’s dish, broiling the succulent fish to perfection.

Probably not. He’d merely been kind to a new employee last night. He expected good work; she delivered. And he’d also been hospitable when he’d offered to show her around the upper deck of the yacht. She didn’t think he was the type to mingle with his employees on a routine basis. With the rest of the crew lingering on the aft deck, even if he wanted to speak to her again, she doubted he’d do so in such a public place.

And why would he want to? She wasn’t a regular member of the crew. Once the chef with the ruptured appendix recovered, he’d be back in his galley and she’d be back at the resort looking for another way to contact her grandmother.

Unless she could somehow get to the family island before that.

One by one the crew members rose to depart to their quarters. When only Sara and the captain remained, she changed seats to be closer so she could ask him some questions. She wanted to be able to turn the conversation to access to the island.

“Have you been in charge of this ship long?” she began.

“Since it was commissioned. Before that, I was captain of a ship for Mr. Andrus Konstantinos, Mr. Nikos’s father. I have served the family for almost twenty years.”

“An ideal job, I’d say, sailing around the Aegean all the time.”

“Ah, but sometimes we go further—into the Med and to ports west of Greece. One summer I took the patriarch and his new bride to Spain and Morocco. It was a beautiful summer sail.”

That had to be her grandmother he was talking about. The senior Konstantinos was now married to Eleani. “How long ago was that?” she asked.

“Many years now. More recently we have sailed to Egypt and to Italy.”

“Do you have any family?” she asked, wondering how they managed his being from home for long voyages.

“Only a brother and his children. His wife died two years ago. They are mostly grown, but I see them at holidays if not required on board. Have you sailed a lot?”

“No, this is my first trip.”

“Lucky for you seasickness is not a problem.”

“If she’d gotten sick, she’d have been in a real pickle,” Nikos said from the shadows.

The captain turned his head and nodded a greeting. “Mr. Nikos. Did you require something?”

“Just a brief break from the work that never ends. I came to check up on my chef and compliment her on the excellent dinner tonight. The presentation added to the delicious taste of the fresh fish.”

Sara surreptitiously wiped her damp palms on her slacks and tried to keep her breathing under control. “I’m pleased you and your guests enjoyed the meal.”

“As did we all,” the captain added. “Aeneas did well in recommending Sara. We all enjoy Paul’s food, but Sara has brought new dishes to the table that the entire crew appreciates.”

Nikos walked to a side railing. The ship bobbed gently on the sea, the breeze blowing from the bow. “Tomorrow I think we should find another island for our guests to visit. They seem to grow bored easily,” Nikos said.

“I can’t understand it myself,” the captain said. He rose. “If we are to depart early, I will retire now.”

“After seven. I want a swim first,” Nikos said.

“Absolutely.” He bade them both good-night.

Sara was the only one left on the aft deck with him. She should say something. Or maybe he wanted to be alone and knew his guests wouldn’t intrude in this area.

“So you swim each morning before we weigh anchor?” she asked, gazing over the starlit surface of the Aegean. The water was dark and smooth, almost like a mirror to the stars.

“If time and weather permit.”

She smiled. She couldn’t picture herself swimming each day before starting work.

“Would you care to join me?” He half turned to look at her.

Sara was startled at the invitation. She thought about it for a moment. It was hard to be swimming when she should be preparing a meal. “I’d better not. I have omelets planned for tomorrow and fresh walnut bread again. I’ll need time to have it all ready for your guests.”

“Come for fifteen minutes. You can work around that,” Nikos urged. “Besides, I’m the one who eats early, and the crew. My guests haven’t had breakfast before nine since they’ve been on board.”

“Okay. No, wait. I did not expect to swim. I didn’t bring a suit.” She would love a chance to swim in the sea to start the day. It had never crossed her mind that she’d actually have an opportunity to do so or she would have packed a swimsuit.

“We have extra suits on board. Sometimes guests don’t plan to swim, either, and then change their minds. I’ll have Stefano bring you one.”

“Thank you,” she said. She hoped Stefano would not suspect there was more to the invitation than there really was—merely a time to go swimming before beginning the day’s work. She didn’t want to give rise to gossip that could harm her chances of staying on board.

“I usually start around six, swim a half hour, shower and dress to be ready to work at seven,” he said.

“Early,” she murmured. It was already close to midnight.

“It’s a routine that suits me well.”