Doorstep Twins / The Cowboy's Adopted Daughter. Rebecca Winters

There was a considerable amount of stuff. She poked her head out the window. “Thank you!” she called to him. “When you travel with babies, there’s no such thing as packing light.”

      Both men flashed each other a grin before Andreas took his place behind the wheel and started the motor. Seated across from his hard-muscled body, Gabi felt an excitement out of all proportion to the reason why she and the twins had been whisked to this heavenly place.

      He drove them past tavernas and bars, pointing out a supermarket and a bakery where she could buy anything she needed. In a few minutes they turned onto a private road that wound beneath a cluster of trees and ended at a perfectly charming blue and white house with its own shaded garden and stone walkways.

      Gabi let out a sound of pleasure. “This is an adorable place, Andreas.”

      “I’m glad you like it. From the front door you step right out onto the beach. The house is fully air-conditioned, another reason why I chose it.”

      “The babies and I will be happy as clams here.”

      He darted her a curious look. “That’s an odd American expression. Do you think clams are happy?”

      She burst into laughter. “I have no idea, but I know we will be.”

      His low chuckle followed her as she got out of the car to open the back door. By now the twins were so awake they were eager to escape their confinement. While she released Kris’s carry-cot from the strap, Andreas removed Nikos. Together they walked toward the door where a pretty, dark-haired woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties held it open for them.

      “Kalimera, Kyrie Simonides.”

      “Kalimera, Lena. This is Gabi Turner.” The two women smiled. “Lena and her husband manage this resort. They have a son, Basil, who’s five months old.”

      “Oh—I’d love to see him.”

      “He’s with my husband right now, but I’ll bring him out to the garden later in the day. How old are your children?”

      “Three months.”

      “They are very beautiful.” Lena’s glance slid to Andreas, no doubt trying to figure out their relationship when the wiggling babies looked like him, not Gabi. “We have maid service. If you need anything, pick up the phone and the office will answer.”

      “Thank you. This is delightful.”

      “I think so, too. Enjoy your stay.”

      After she walked off, they moved through to the living room whose white interior was accented with dark wood furniture and blue accessories. “What a charming house!” she cried.

      “I’m glad you like it.” Andreas sounded pleased as she followed him through to one of the bedrooms down the hall where two cribs and a set of dresser drawers had been set up. Everything was impeccably clean.

      Andreas helped her lift the boys out of their carry-cots and lay them down in their cribs. “I’ll bring in your things.”

      “That would be wonderful.” She kissed Kris. “The babies have been awake for a long time and are getting impatient for their lunch, but first they’re going to need a diaper change.”

      “Afterward I’ll help you feed them.”

      “That won’t be necessary.”

      “What if I want to?”

      His playful teasing didn’t fool her. “You’ve done more than enough, Andreas. I can just picture your exceptional receptionist wondering where on earth you’ve disappeared to.”

      She watched him kiss Nikos. “Didn’t I tell you I’m on vacation? The whole family’s here for the next two weeks.”

      This time her heart really did get a major workout. “As I recall, you were going to give me an appointment at three o’clock yesterday afternoon.”

      “If you recall,” he murmured, coming to stand next to her, bringing his warmth and enticing male scent with him, “a life and death situation altered the scheme of our lives.”

      Gabi gripped the railing of the crib tighter. Our lives was right. When she’d gone to his office in Athens on Friday, the idea that days later she’d be alone with him on Milos would have stretched the limits of her imagination. Yet here she was…

      “For the time being, my first priority is to lend Leon moral support.” On that succinct note he left the bedroom.

      While he was gone she gave herself another lecture about remembering why she’d been temporarily ensconced in this corner of paradise. Leon was blessed to have his brother’s backing. As Gabi’s father had said, Andreas was a good man. How good no one would ever know who hadn’t walked in her footsteps since last Friday evening when she’d first confronted him.

      In a few minutes he’d returned with the diaper bag and bottles of formula already prepared. They changed the babies before going into the living room to feed them. He was as confident and efficient as any seasoned father. Whether Leon ended up raising them or not, Andreas had claimed his nephews. She had an idea he would be an intrinsic part of their lives from now on.

      After they put the twins down for their nap, Andreas announced he was leaving for his villa. “I’ll be back with food before they’re awake.” He flicked her a heavy-lidded glance before disappearing from the house.

      While she was taking clothes out of the suitcase to hang up and put in drawers, she heard the car drive off. He’d told her the Simonides compound was only ten minutes away by car, but already she missed him. To keep herself busy she acquainted herself with the rest of the house.

      A perfect little kitchen containing snacks and a fridge stocked with drinks connected to the living room. On the other side was a hall with a bathroom separating two bedrooms. Hers had a shady terrace with loungers and a table looking out on the translucent water. The pots of flowers and an overhang of fuchsia-colored bougainvillea on the trellis gave off a subtle perfume.

      Gabi hugged her arms to her waist, hardly able to contain the rush of euphoria that swept through her. She was in that dangerous state where the lines were blurred and she was imagining something quite different than the reality of her situation.

      The beach was calling to her, so, with Lena’s assurance that she would watch over the babies, Gabi changed into her two-piece aqua-colored swimming suit. A month ago she’d wandered into a little shop in Heraklion and had bought the most modestly cut outfit she could find, but it still revealed more than she liked. A tan might have helped, but this hadn’t been a summer to relax in the sun.

      After smoothing on some sunscreen, she grabbed a large striped towel and left for the beach through the terrace exit. A person could step down to the sand where the sea was only ten yards away, no more. It shimmered like a rare aquamarine. She dropped the towel and ran out, luxuriating in the calm water whose temperature had to be in the seventies.

      Gabi swam for a while, then floated around on her back while she watched various sailboats and the occasional ferry in the distance. There were a few other people farther down the beach, but for the most part she had this area to herself. Doing a somersault, she swam underwater to examine the shallow sea floor before surfacing to reach the beach and stretch out on her towel.

      While she lay there on her stomach thinking this was pure heaven, she heard a motor that signaled a boat was approaching. When the sound was suddenly cut, she lifted her head from her arms and realized a ski boat had glided right up on the sand.

      Her double vision was back as two Greek gods in dark swimming trunks jumped down from the sides with the kind of agility any male would kill for and walked in her direction.

      “Andreas—” She sat up with a start, taking the towel with her to give herself a little protection from his all-seeing eyes. Then she remembered her manners, her gaze darting to his brother. “How are you, Leon?”

      A faint smile