Claiming The Drakos Heir. Jennifer Faye

of a map of the world overlaid with a compass. From the looks of this man, he didn’t believe in spending much time indoors. And the sun gods had blessed him with strength and the most amazing tan that accentuated the lines of his muscles.

      Popi swallowed hard. Maybe she’d been too focused on her problems lately to notice what was around her. Or else it was the pregnancy hormones. But this guy looked good enough to serve up on the top of a wedding cake.

      Realizing she was once again staring, Popi lifted her gaze, finding she had to crane her neck to meet his gaze. “You’re early.”

      “Early?”

      “Yes. You aren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow. I have a wedding today.” But it wouldn’t hurt to get a move on the work, since she hadn’t finished packing, and she wanted to get to the mainland and her parents’ house by tomorrow evening.

      Confusion reflected in his eyes. “I didn’t know about any wedding. No one mentioned it.” Then his brows lifted. “Are you getting married?”

      She couldn’t help but laugh. Her irritation with him drained away. “Not a chance. It’s my best friend’s wedding and I’m coordinating it.”

      “Oh.” He looked caught off guard and unsure what to say or do next.

      “No worries.” She stepped back. “Come on in. You can move all the boxes out of the guest room and stack them here in the living room. They’ll be ready for pickup in the morning.”

      “You want them moved now?”

      “Yes.”

      The man’s face creased with worry lines, but she didn’t have time to answer whatever questions he had. How many questions could there be to move boxes from one room to the next?

      She checked the time on her watch. “I have to hurry.”

      “But—”

      “I can’t answer questions now. If it’s too much for you, you’ll have to come back tomorrow.” She turned for the master suite. No moving man, no matter how hot she found him, was going to hold her up. She had a bride waiting for her.

       CHAPTER TWO

      WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

      Apollo Drakos stood slack-jawed as the woman sashayed down the hallway, but to be honest her sashay was more like a waddle. A cute waddle, but still a waddle all the same.

      How could she still be pregnant?

      His attorney had assured him the baby was born, though no one had been able to tell him if it was a boy or girl. Not that it mattered to him. Either way, he was still claiming his niece or nephew.

      The attorney had gone on to inform him that Miss Costas would have a strong case to gain full custody of the baby, as well as control over the child’s inheritance. The attorney even seemed to think that with Miss Costas being adopted and not the child’s biological aunt, it wouldn’t be enough to sway the judge from giving her custody. But did Popi really want to take on that responsibility? Or was she doing it out of necessity?

      Apollo knew he had no one to blame for this mess but himself. While Popi had been here, helping to make his brother and sister-in-law’s dream of a family into a reality, he’d been off on another adventure—avoiding the fact that he was the unwanted son, the outcast. But he’d come here as soon as he’d heard. That had to count for something, didn’t it?

      But how was this going to work now that he knew Popi was still pregnant? Although it did look as though she was going to give birth soon. Not that he was an expert on pregnant women. Yet all of her was thin except for her stomach. It was very round indeed. Funnily enough, from behind you couldn’t even tell she was pregnant. However, the cute little waddle did give it away.

      It wasn’t until now—seeing Popi round with a baby—that he realized how much she’d done for his brother and sister-in-law. Not everyone would step up and offer to carry someone else’s baby—certainly not him, if that were even a possibility.

      Gathering himself, Apollo pressed his lips together in a firm line. Who exactly did this woman think he was? And where was she moving to with his brother’s baby?

      The baby belonged at the Drakos estate, which was situated just outside Athens. It was a place Apollo rarely visited. Though the vast estate was aesthetically beautiful, it held many dark memories. When Apollo was a kid, it felt more like a prison he so desperately wanted to escape. While his older brother, Nile, had been cast as the “good son,” Apollo had been labelled “worthless” by their father.

      Apollo slammed the door on the bad memories. But no matter how many times he turned his back on the past, the door would eventually creak open once more. He’d heard it said that you can’t outrun the past. He should know—he’d been trying for years and it was still just a blink away.

      He needed to concentrate on the here and now. Everything was such an utter mess. If only he’d have come home when his brother had asked...

      But being away on a two-month hiking expedition in the Himalayas, he’d been out of contact with the entire world—including his older brother, Nile. At the time, Apollo found it so freeing. A chance to let go of the ghosts of the past and embrace the present. At the time, he’d had no idea how much that freedom would cost him.

      When he’d returned to civilization, he’d been unconscious, injured and alone. By the time he’d been able to speak on the phone, he’d had no one to call about his accident because his brother had been furious with him during their final phone conversation. After surgery and therapy for his broken leg, a private investigator had tracked him down at the hospital. It was then that he’d received the worst news of his life.

      His big, strong, protective brother was dead.

      Apollo’s footloose and carefree life had come to an end in that moment.

      All of the things that he’d put off—all of the words that he’d hesitated to say to Nile—the overdue apology, the thank-you, the I love you, brother—the chance to say any of it had slipped through his fingers. His brother would never know what he meant to him—how much he longed to mend their relationship.

      In that moment, Apollo had never felt so alone in his life.

      And then in the next breath, the investigator had informed him that he had a niece or nephew. Apollo’s heart had leapt. There was another Drakos in this world. He wasn’t alone.

      He had one last chance to make it up to his brother for cutting loose and leaving home all those years ago. He’d let Nile deal with all the Drakos’ business and their father. But on one sunny afternoon, his brother’s life had been cut incredibly short, as was his sister-in-law’s.

       A boating accident. Who dies while boating?

      It seemed unreal. So implausible. And yet the sharp pain of loss was quite real. And to add salt to the wound, it had happened almost two months ago. His brother and sister-in-law had been laid to rest and Apollo hadn’t been there for any of it because no one knew where he was...except his brother.

      He’d once again let down Nile. But that wouldn’t happen again. He was on Infinity Island to retrieve his niece or nephew...even if it meant he had to wait for its very precious arrival.

      Apollo’s thoughts turned back to Popi. He knew she’d been through a lot—he knew better than anyone. How would she react when she learned he was there for the baby?

      Maybe she’d filed for custody of the baby because she didn’t think he’d want to take responsibility for the baby. Maybe once he explained things to her, she’d realize the baby belonged with him, where the child would be groomed to take over the Drakos empire. Could it really be that simple? Would Popi hand the baby over to him like she’d been planning to do with his brother and her sister?

      Apollo