Claimed by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders, Book 2): Duke Ryder Page 12

  She gazed into her grandfather’s wise, caring eyes, wanting to confess all those feelings to him. But her love for her grandfather mingled with the hurt of being ushered off the island, and she realized there were things she needed to understand before she could move forward with any of this. Maybe even before she could move forward with the rest of her life. It was time for her to face the one person, the one issue that brought sadness to her memories.

  Speaking Greek, she asked, “Why did you ask me to come home and show him around? Why not do it yourself, or have one of my many uncles, or your attorney, show him the island?”

  Her grandfather took her hand in his. The feel of his thick palm, rough with age, brought a pang of guilt for questioning his decision, wrapped in love so thick it tightened her chest.

  “Because, my sweet girl, you see what no one else sees.” He looked out over the water, like he had just given her the answers she needed instead of leaving her with even more questions.

  “What does that mean, exactly?”

  He covered their joined hands with his other hand. “Tell me, my doll, sitting here, what do you see?”

  Gabriella warmed all over at his use of the endearment that he’d used her whole life: kukla mou, my doll. He’d called her so many loving things, but kukla had practically been her first word because she’d heard it so often.

  “I see the dock where you taught me to fish. The water where my father taught me to swim.” She turned and scanned the sandy shoreline, the tips of the buildings off to the right and the beautiful trees to the left. “The town and the trees where I used to climb and read for hours. Remember when Niko hung a tire swing from the old oak by the bike shop?” As she turned around a little further, she continued on her nostalgic journey.

  “I see the welcome center and the gardens my mother and I planted the summer I started high school. Mama and I ended up covered in dirt. I remember her chasing me down the dock, and we both jumped right in the water. Gosh, it was hot that summer.”

  He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and said, “What would my sons see?”

  She thought over the question and realized that while she’d been answering him, she’d lost the thread of her initial question. With that thread reclaimed, she thought about her uncles and father and what they might see of the island.

  Still speaking in their native tongue, she answered him easily. “I’m not sure what they’d see.”

  “Yes, my doll. That is why I chose you. My attorney? What would he see? Dollar signs maybe. Your heart is here, Gabriella. My sons’ livelihood is here. They will most certainly see things differently than you do. Different views, different outcomes.”

  A spear of hurt set in with the need to understand why she was made to leave when others were allowed to stay. On a cognitive level she understood that he wanted her and those relatives who came after her, to have more, but her heart—her aching, lonely-for-the-island heart—needed to understand what else drove him to make such a life-altering decision. She understood that he wanted her to deal with Duke so the most precious parts of the island and their heritage weren’t lost in the transition, but sending her away and bringing her back were so conflicting. She needed more answers.

  “I know why you made me go, but to bring me back now, for something so important, to make me long for what I cannot have. Why would you do that?”

  “My doll, you have always longed for what you cannot have. That is why I had to let you go. Are you not happy in New York?”

  She didn’t understand his answer. When had she longed for more than the island had to offer?

  “Happy?” Happiness was comprised of so many things, and after spending time with Duke, she realized how much happier she could be. Just the thought of seeing him, knowing he’d light up—and heat up—the minute he saw her, the same way she did, made her happy.

  “Do you have friends?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “A safe place to live?”

  “Yes.”

  “A respectable career?” he asked with pride in his eyes.

  Her stomach tightened. “I have a solid career, but I’m not sure it’s respectable. Nothing is as it seems with law.”

  “Nothing is as it seems anywhere, my sweet girl. If you were here, what would you have?”

  Her mind rushed to answer with the most important thing of all. “Family.”

  He laughed. “Family? You have family, my love. We are here. You have relatives all over the mainland.”

  “Yes, but all I ever wanted was to have a family of my own here on the island. Why can’t anyone accept that?”

  “We do. We always have. But you would not have found that here. There are no jobs for the men, no careers for the women beyond the family. You have always needed more than that, Gabrielaki. There was no chance at finding a husband here, and then you would have stayed on the island for…what?”

  “A peaceful life.”

  He shook his head, and his gaze turned serious. “You would grow bored of a peaceful life.”

  “No, Grandfather, that’s not so.” She couldn’t imagine ever being bored on the island.

  “Do you remember what you did each summer while you were in college?” he asked.

  “Yes. The first summer I helped the Eastmans negotiate with their suppliers to get more timely shipments, even though they needed fewer of them. And the second summer I helped Uncle George and Niko set up online inventory systems for their businesses. And that was the summer I worked at the library with Georgette and we got involved with all the online databases.” As she recounted the things she’d done, she realized that she had spent that time moving them forward, not keeping them at a standstill.

  “You see, sweet girl? You have always needed more. You’re too smart to be limited to what’s here.”

  She crossed her arms against the truth. “I disagree.”

  Her grandfather’s smile widened. “Then make your dreams come true. I have given you the tools, but I cannot do the work.”

  Holy crap. That was why he’d put her in this position. She wrapped her arms around the man who had sent her away—and the man who had brought her back—and she filled with hope.

  “I won’t let you down, Grandfather. And I won’t let myself down, either.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  DUKE SPENT THE morning at the library going over the due-diligence reports he’d received from Pierce. He’d been over them several times, and he’d known what they contained before reading them, having had his team fill him in during the discovery process. But he needed to see the data, numbers, and issues in writing again to remind himself to keep a critical eye and not allow his professional views to become overshadowed by his heart.

  He’d scheduled a meeting with the land development and finance team for Tuesday, which gave him only today and tomorrow on the island with Gabriella. It wasn’t enough, but would any amount of time ever be? He’d looked into Gabriella’s very successful practice. Having handled many high-profile divorce cases with people who were noted in the media as being rude, entitled assholes, she appeared to be exactly the shrewd businesswoman he’d assumed she was. He wondered about her desire to return to the island. Would she really want to give up everything she’d worked so hard to achieve?

  He’d hoped to see her this morning, but when he’d gone to her villa, she was already gone. He’d left a note with his cell phone number and the flowers he’d picked from the woods along the path to her place. It was almost lunchtime and he hadn’t heard from her. He worried that they’d moved too fast, even though he knew he didn’t have a chance in hell of slowing them down. He’d wanted to carry her off to his villa last night and make love to her until she was too tired to go home. Instead he’d gone home and downloaded a book on the Greek language, studied that for an hour, then read half of The Kitchen House, the book Georgette had recommended. He’d been so engrossed in the novel, he’d gotten only two hours of sleep.

  “Did you find everything you needed, Du
ke?” Georgette asked. She was a sweet woman with wide-set eyes the color of the sea and the type of friendly face that said, Come in; have some tea and a piece of pie, and let’s chat.

  “I did, thank you, Georgette. And I’m really enjoying the book you recommended.”

  She touched his shoulder and nodded. “I told you. She has a way with words, doesn’t she? Why, I felt like I was right there on the plantation with Belle and Lavinia.”

  “Yes, she’s quite a talented writer. Things have changed so much since then.”

  “Oh, yes, just look around you.” She glanced around the nearly empty library. “There was a time when all the teenagers hung out in here, reading. Now only a few come in. The rest are on their phones, or they’ve moved to the mainland and are holed up playing video games.”

  “There is a lot of that these days, that’s for sure.”

  “Yes.” She sighed. “Kids no longer find joy in the quiet life, as my generation did.” She lowered her voice. “I know we’re not supposed to talk about Mr. Liakos selling his property, but if we don’t do something, I worry what will happen to our sweet island.”

  Duke nodded. “I am hoping to help with that.”

  They talked for a while about her sons who had moved to Georgia a decade ago and how busy their lives were. She was obviously very proud of them, and while she missed her grandchildren, she said they were better off there, where they had the tools they’d need to make it in the changing world.

  Duke had just enough time to grab lunch before meeting David. The sun was shining, and it seemed the whole town was hanging around the taverna patio. Children ran around giggling, while teenagers huddled together in groups and adults filled nearly every table. Red and white tablecloths were covered with bottles of wine, salads, colorful vegetables topped with large blocks of feta cheese, decorative baskets full of enormous loaves of bread, and plates overflowing with skewers of meats and French fries. Duke wondered if there was another celebration going on. Not wanting to interrupt, he walked past rather than stopping.

  “Duke!” Dimitri motioned him over to a table where his brother, Niko, his parents, and his grandfather were sitting.

  As he crossed the patio, he searched for Gabriella, hoping he might find her here with her family.

  “Hi. I was just heading up to the resort to grab some lunch.”

  “The resort?” Dimitri said with surprise. “The resort has food, yes, but we’re here. You’re here. Eat with us.” He grabbed a chair from another table and pushed Duke’s shoulder, guiding him into it.

  Gabriella’s mother set a napkin in his hands while Niko filled a glass with wine and placed it in front of him. Dimitri handed him a plate, leaving Duke wondering how he’d pulled it out of thin air.

  Gabriella’s father lifted his glass. “To the future of the island.”

  Duke clinked glasses with the others. They filled their plates and dug into their meals. Conversation came easily, moving from food to Duke’s family, then back to the island, and finally, back to the food. With a full stomach Duke checked his watch and realized he needed to leave to meet David.

  “Thank you for the delicious lunch, but I’m afraid I have to meet someone in a few minutes.” He rose to his feet, his pulse quickening when he spotted Gabriella walking up the street. He wondered if she’d found his flowers and the note he’d left on her porch. Her pretty yellow dress set off her olive skin, and her hair tumbled casually over her shoulders, conflicting with the serious expression she wore.

  “How long will you be on the island, Duke?” Niko asked as Gabriella approached.

  It took all of Duke’s focus not to reach for her and ask her what was wrong. Holding her gaze and wondering about the strained look she was giving him, he answered Niko. “Unfortunately, I have to leave Monday, but I’ve greatly enjoyed my stay.”

  “Gabrielaki mou, join us?” Her father held a hand out to her.

  Gabriella circled the table, kissing the cheek of each of her relatives. A spear of jealousy sliced through him. He wanted one of those kisses and the smile that came with it.

  “Thank you, Baba, but I was hoping to speak with Duke for a few minutes.”

  “Ahh,” Dimitri said with a wink.

  “You two disappeared quite early last night, too,” Niko said with a serious look in his eyes. “Do you need a chaperone?”

  “Hush, boys,” their mother said. “You two go talk, and ignore these cavemen. It was nice to see you again, Duke.”

  “And you as well.” Duke settled a hand on Gabriella’s back and felt her bristle. Though his insides were knotting, he realized he was touching her in a possessive way in front of her family and dropped his hand.

  **

  GABRIELLA’S HEART HURT as they left the taverna. Duke had looked so happy when he’d seen her approaching. She’d wanted to run into his arms, but she’d somehow managed to remain in control. And when he’d touched her back, she’d ached to turn into his arms, go up on her toes, and kiss his lips. But after spending the early morning with her grandfather, then spending time talking with her mother, aunts, and cousins, she’d gained perspective. Unable to separate her feelings for Duke from her feelings for the island, and knowing that her grandfather was counting on her to somehow make the best of both their simple lifestyles and whatever it was Duke could bring to the island, she was left with no choice but to put distance between them. Again.

  As they left the jovial atmosphere of the taverna and were surrounded by sunshine and island sounds, she readied herself for what she knew she had to do.

  “I missed you last night,” Duke said as they left the main road and headed down a wooded path toward the schoolhouse.

  Afraid if she opened her mouth, I missed you, too, would tumble out, she swallowed her emotions and let silence fill the space between them. The space she hated with a passion, even after only a few seconds.

  “Gabriella?” They were alone on the path, shaded by tall trees. He touched her arm and they both stopped walking. “What’s wrong? Are you having second thoughts about us?”

  No. She drew her shoulders back, needing every bit of strength she could muster, and lifted her chin. Meeting his gaze sent a spear of guilt through her.

  “Not second thoughts about us, really, but about what we agreed to.”

  He looked sexy and distracting, in a soft gray T-shirt and low-slung jeans, and when he stepped closer, she wanted him there even though she knew she shouldn’t.

  “Which part of what we agreed to?” He used his index finger to move a lock of hair from in front of her eyes, and the edges of his lips curved up.

  “The part where we agreed not to let our feelings for each other be affected by whatever happens to the island and vice versa.”

  He placed his big, warm hands on her hips and tugged her against him. God, she loved it there.

  “I see.” He licked his lips, searching her eyes. “And what should we do about that, Counselor?”

  She’d loved it when he’d called her that last night, and now? She’d like to get her hands on his briefs.

  That was not helping. Duke in his undercrackers was a sight to behold—and the thought sent her mind reeling back to him standing beside her, stroking his hard length. Heat pooled between her legs, and he must have sensed it, because he pressed his lips to hers.

  His kisses were like crack, the way he wrapped his strong arms around her and made love to her mouth. She felt her brain cells melting away, and if that wasn’t enough, he made a guttural sound deep in his throat and it vibrated through her. Her fingers slid into his hair as he found her ass, pressing their bodies as close together as they could get while fully clothed. Her knees weakened, and she surrendered to their kiss, taking as much as she was giving, soaking in every sweet swipe of his tongue, every beat of his heart against her own.

  “I love kissing you,” he said against her lips before taking her in another punishingly intense kiss.

  You’re my undoing.

  My drug.


  My…Ohmygod.

  She forced her hands to his chest with the intent of pushing him away, but as her fingers played over his muscles, she wanted to climb beneath that shirt and lick him all over. Her eyes sprang open with the thought.

  He smiled against her lips.

  “Duke.” She pushed away, breathing hard but somehow feeling like she wasn’t breathing at all. “I can’t do this. We can’t do this.”

  He cradled her face between his hands and said in a surprisingly calm voice compared to his heated gaze, “Baby, I can definitely do this, and you might not know it yet, but you can, too.”

  Tears burned in her eyes. “No, Duke. I feel too much for you already.”

  “That’s a good thing. Jesus, do you know how many years I’ve wondered if I’d ever feel for someone the way my parents feel about each other? I thought it was a farce, this whole, ‘you’ll know your soul mate when you meet her’ thing. But, baby”—his gaze pierced straight to her heart—“I know. I’m falling for you, and I want more of you, not less.”

  “F-falling for me? No, Duke. You can’t.” But she knew he could, because she was, too. She took a step back on wobbly legs, and he gathered her close again.

  “Too late,” he said.

  He felt so good. So right. “It’s not that simple.” She’d been falling for him since the first day, but she couldn’t allow herself to have feelings for him. “I know myself too well. I can’t do this. My family, my grandfather, the people on this island…They’re counting on me to be smart.”

  “You can’t help but be smart, baby. Why does that worry you?”

  She pushed away again. “Because you and your seductive voice, your sexy words, and…” She raked her eyes down his incredibly hot body. “Your stupid, hot body, which looks like you were kissed by a sex god. It all makes me stupid.”

  His leer became wolfish. “You like my body?”

  “Ugh!” She turned away, half laughing, half frustrated. “Duke, can’t you see what you do to me?”