Greek for Beginners by Jackie Braun Read Free Book Online Page B

former.
    â€œWhat if I were to be your guide? In return for accompanying me to dinner, I will take you to the sites mentioned on the tour’s brochure.”
    And why not? It would give him something to do for the next couple of weeks while he dodged his mother and grandmother’s well-meaning mediation and Pieter’s ongoing attempts to bury the hatchet. And he couldn’t think of another woman he’d rather pass the time with than Darcie.
    â€œThat’s very generous of you, but without a refund from Stavros I can’t afford to stay in Greece much longer, let alone for the full two weeks.”
    â€œLeave Stavros to me.”
    One way or another, Nick would see to it that Darcie Hayes had her trip...and enjoyed it.
    â€œYou do realize I will be heading home the day before your brother gets married, right?”
    â€œThat is fine.”
    Nick did not need an actual date for Pieter’s wedding. All he needed was a viable reason in the interim to avoid a setup. Once his mother and grandmother met Darcie, they would cease and desist in their matchmaking. As solutions went, it was perfect. Now if only his family would stop trying to force a reconciliation between him and Pieter.
    â€œI don’t know,” Darcie began. “It sounds as if I’m getting the better end of the deal.”
    She only thought so because she hadn’t yet met his yiayia or the rest of his kin, Nick thought wryly.
    â€œDoes that mean we have a deal?”
    â€œI... Why not? Sure.” She stuck out her hand just as she had the previous day.
    Nick studied the long, unadorned fingers for a moment before giving in to his previous impulse. Bypassing her palm, he leaned over to kiss her full on the mouth. Her sweetness had him lingering and wishing for privacy. Unfortunately, there was none of that here. Sure enough, when he drew back, the restaurant erupted in applause and shouts of “Opa!”
    Darcie’s blush was becoming, if at odds with the frank interest evident in her eyes. Maybe she had gotten the better end of the deal after all. Not that Nick minded one bit.
    * * *
    Back at her hotel, Nick insisted on parking his car and walking her inside. Darcie thought she knew why. He wanted to kiss her again. Well, no problem. She wanted to kiss him again, too.
    The lip-lock they’d shared in the restaurant had been amazing. On a scale of one to ten, Darcie would rate it a ten...thousand. That didn’t even take into account the degree of difficulty involved. Nick had managed that score with a table wedged between them and a wide-eyed crowd of spectators, whose spontaneous applause afterward, by the way, had been entirely appropriate. Heck, that kiss had deserved a standing ovation. Darcie would settle for an encore.
    Should she ask him to come up to her room? They would have privacy but it might seem too forward. He might think she wanted to sleep with him. Did she?
    Why yes, she did. She was human and breathing and he was gorgeous and sexy beyond belief. But should she?
    Probably not a good idea. She’d never been the sort of woman who slept with a man on the first date. Or the second. Or the third...
    â€œDarcie — ”
    â€œEven the fourth would be pushing it.”
    Nick’s brow wrinkled. “Excuse me?”
    â€œNothing.” She waved a hand. “Just, um...here we are.”
    They had reached the elevator and Darcie still wasn’t sure what she should do. He took the decision out of her hands by pushing the button.
    â€œAre you coming up?” she asked casually.
    â€œI would like to, but...” He shook his head.
    â€œA gentleman,” she mused.
    It sounded like he said, “A fool.”
    â€œSo, I’ll see you to—”
    He pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all of the passion and skill he’d shown in the restaurant, but with far less of the restraint.
    â€œ —night .”
    Nick’s breath was sawing in and