Chapter Eleven
The minute she and Nik pulled up in front of the Villa Lemoni, Frankie knew she wanted him to buy it. Painted a light yellow, the shuttered house was set back from the road, between Agia Kalamaros and Trapazakia, and had the most magnificent view of the resort and the sea below from its balconies; from up here, the sunsets would be spectacular. It needed some money spent on it: inside, the brick walls lacked plaster and paint, and wires hung out of them and the ceiling; the floors were basic concrete and required tiling, and the kitchen and bathroom had no fittings. Outside, the pool and hot tub were dug out and the pipework laid, but it needed finishing, and the surrounding patio and garden would have to be paved and landscaped.
“What do you feel, pet hi mou?” Nik asked after they had walked around a couple of times.
“I think we should go for it,” she replied confidently. “It’s such a pretty house in the most idyllic location, and though the inside and garden need work, what’s here has been done to a high standard.” She turned to him, her blue gaze melding with his brown one. “How about you?”
He nodded, looking around him. “I agree. You will just need to decide how you want the décor to look.”
“I’m leaning towards light and modern, wooden floors. With a mixture of traditional Mediterranean and tropical themes outside. And some lemon trees.”
“Shall I call the owner and make an offer?” He pulled out his phone.
“Try going in at €15,000 under the asking price and see how he reacts,” she suggested.
Nik raised his eyebrows. “You drive a hard bargain, but then I know that already.”
While he was talking in rapid Greek, Frankie strolled into the kitchen and started planning the layout and look. He appeared at the door and mouthed, “€10,000?”
She gave him a thumbs-up. He walked back into the living area and she went to the doorway to watch as he negotiated, standing with his back to her. From his broad shoulders to his tight butt and long legs, he was magnificent from behind, a testament to his active, physical lifestyle. She recalled the conversation she’d had with him as they’d driven up here in the Spider.
“Are you based in Agia Kalamaros?” she’d asked, realizing she didn’t know much about her new business and bed partner and wanting to hear more, now that things between them were far more relaxed and easy-going.
He’d inclined his head towards her, but kept his eyes on the winding mountain road. “I divide my time between here and Paragolis. As you know, I own two bars, Artemis AK and Artemis TZ in Trapazakia. I have a nightclub in Paragolis, which is called Iris. I have a house in Agia Kalamaros and an apartment in Paragolis. I have also been considering setting up a small company letting out and selling holiday villas.”
“Wow,” Frankie had replied, impressed. “Now I understand why you are willing to invest in me and this property. You’ve quite the business empire already. And you still manage to fit in being a voluntary firefighter?”
“It is important to me. Kostas is very flexible about my hours.”
“So you fight mainly grass fires?”
“There are forest fires too, property fires…car accidents. In a mountainous area like this, there can be floods and landslides, especially in the winter, so we are on hand to help with those.”
Despite the breezy ride in the open-topped Spider, a warm flush had washed through her as she’d thought about how hard and muscular his body had felt against hers when they’d made love, and she’d commented, “I suppose you have to keep very fit for all of that?”
“I have a mini gym in my house in Agia Kalamaros, and weights at the Paragolis apartment to keep me topped up.”
He ended the call and spun around, bringing her back to earth. “We have a deal, at €10,000 lower than the original asking price. Is that okay with you?”
“Yay!” Delighted, she rushed forward and flung her arms around his neck. He welcomed her exuberance, catching hold of her and lifting her high, his big hands supporting her bottom. She wrapped her legs around his hips.
“Hey,” he said softly, looking up at her, then dropping his grip a little so she slid down and her face became level with his. “So, my little witch, we have our first property to work on together—”
“Witch? I know I was a bit horrible when you first met me, but hopefully since then you’ve been able to see that I’m not so bad.”
“I am thinking a witch is a sorceress, and you have enchanted me. What else can a witch be?”
She blushed at his description. “In the UK, a witch can also mean a woman who’s a bit of a bitch. Which perhaps I was at the beginning.”
He laughed. “I never thought you were a bitch. Infuriating and frustrating maybe, but not a bitch.”
She shared his laughter. “That’s funny. I thought pretty much the same about you. Oh, and you can add in arrogant.”
He leaned in and stole a quick peck on her mouth. “Arrogant, gylka? I do not recognize that description,” he growled. “But hot and horny as hell because I have a beautiful, sexy witch in my arms I can accept.” His mouth claimed hers roughly and she melted into him, matching the force of his kiss.
She allowed him to help her out of the Spider outside Artemis AK. He had phoned both Dimitri and Sergei from the Villa Lemoni and asked his brothers to meet them at the bar to help celebrate its purchase. She’d been really pleased and surprised that he wanted to introduce her to his family.
Once inside, she saw two men who were equally as handsome as Nik sitting at a table in an alcoved area. “Chairete!” Both stood in welcome, and she realized they were as tall as he was too.
When they got to the table, one of the men, who was leaner and less thickset than Nik, with short, jet-black hair, large dark eyes, and a strong nose and mouth, took her hand and kissed its back. “It is a pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman,” he said. The other man bowed, making his long, dark brown hair fall forward over his face. His deep-set blue eyes had a slight slant to them and his high, sculpted cheekbones gave him a noble air. “My brother told us you were beautiful, but he did not do you justice.” He spoke with what sounded like a Russian accent.
Frankie colored up at this sweep of compliments. “Thank you.”
“This is Dimitri Bekatoros.” Nik gestured to the dark man. “And Sergei Alkaev.” The latter gave another small bow. “My brothers. Dimitri lives in Skalos, and Sergei sometimes lives in Agia Kalamaros when he’s not in Athens.”
When they were all seated and Nik had signaled for Frankie to be brought the gin and tonic she’d requested, she noticed there was a solitary brandy sitting on the other side of the table in front of another empty chair. “Is someone else joining us?” she asked.
The mood amongst the brothers immediately became sombre. “No,” Nik told her heavily. “Whenever Dimitri, Sergei, and I meet, it is our custom to order a drink for our little brother, Marco.” He sighed. “He went missing twenty years ago, and, though we keep searching, he’s never been found. Perhaps he never will be. But we like to keep his memory and the hope alive.”
Frankie gave him a sympathetic nod. “Alison told me what happened. I’m so sorry.”
At that moment, her drink arrived. Sergei raised his glass. “To our brat, Marco,” he said. The two other men lifted their brandies too, so Frankie followed suit, though she was puzzled Sergei had called poor little Marco a brat. After clinking their glasses together, they all drank to the absent brother.
“Why do you call Marco a brat?” she asked.
Sergei gave her a slow, wicked smile. “It does not mean what you think, beautiful Frankie. It is Russian for brother. I am Russian by birth.”
“Sergei was brought to us all the way from Moscow by gypsies,” Dimitri volunteered.
“Part of the way, brat, only part of the way from the Ukraine border. Emilian and his Romani family should be passing by the island before winter sets in. We have never lost touch.”
Frankie’s eyes widened as she listened. “That’s quite a story.”
“We were all extremely lucky to come together under the care of our adoptive parents, Ian and Drusilla Brodie Stewart,” Nik commented. “They were devoted to us four small, abandoned boys. We are the men we are today because of their love and support.”
“Mama kai o Bampas.” Dimitri raised his glass, and the rest of the table followed his lead before drinking.
“Yamas,” Nik said, raising his glass once more. “To our health. And to our new venture.”
“Yamas!” Frankie and the two other brothers repeated.
She stole a glance at Nik under her lashes. She felt so different now to how they and she had been even just a couple of weeks ago. It was hard to believe. The friction and the hard talk between them were gone. Working with him was comfortable and fun. He was even keen to have her meet his brothers and his friends. Every minute she’d spent with him since they’d agreed to be partners had been simply exhilarating, and the sex they were having mind-blowing…though it wasn’t just sex; despite the terms of their union, it felt like making love, and she was a little scared to admit to herself that he had a part of her heart already. Though it wasn’t part of her plan, it would be so easy to fall for him completely. It—she and him—was all moving so fast.