“This is your private lounge, madam.” The attendant had smiled.

  Not hers.

  His private lounge.

  Aarōn and Isaák hadn’t even blinked. But then again, they’d never returned to Heathrow since they’d been babies.

  Yet she’d remembered. Remembered their arrival years ago. Her mother snarling at Haimon as they wrested luggage from the carousel. The boys crying in their carriers as they’d gone through customs. She’d remembered how overwhelmed she’d been with the bustling crowds, the dozens of shops, the Byzantine hallways.

  This time there’d been only smooth service. A glass of wine in her hand while they waited. A smile as her passport was handed back to her. Another limo to the plane.

  “My private plane,” Rafe had explained to Isaák as they’d boarded.

  Both boys had finally been appropriately dazzled.

  She’d been filled with fear. It was one thing to be told Raphael Vounó had money. It was an entirely different matter to be faced with precisely what that meant.

  The plane was huge, as big as a commercial airplane. However, size was the only thing comparable. The interior didn’t have hundreds of seats smashed together in order to conserve space. Instead, it looked like something from a science-fiction movie. Silvered panels lined the walls, giving one a sense of being in a spaceship. Lush grey carpet covered the floor. Cushioned chairs and sofas were scattered across a vast living room.

  “It’s like so cool,” Isaák had hooted.

  Even Aarōn had been impressed.

  The boys had explored the ultra-modern bathroom, the two bedrooms with the king-size beds, the galley featuring crystal glassware and porcelain dishes.

  “This can’t be yours.” The protest had slid out before she could stop.

  “No? Why not?” He hadn’t even glanced at her. He’d been focused on the twins. Ushering them into chairs directly opposite his, he’d begun his continued campaign to win them over.

  A campaign he was winning.

  He was becoming important to Aarōn and Isaák.

  During the last three days, as they’d waited for the DNA test to come back, Rafe had steadily undermined the twins’ initial hostility. There’d been the ongoing chats about Greece and the big family awaiting their arrival. The family who now knew they existed and were ecstatic at the news, he had told them. There’d been the daily outings to various London attractions she’d never been able to afford either in time or money or both. Madame Tussaud's, the zoo, even a musical at a West End theatre. She’d come along to all the events because the boys had wanted her there, but she hadn’t enjoyed any of them.

  She’d been sad. Sad she hadn’t been able to do this for them. Which wasn’t sensible. She’d given them many more important things.

  She’d also been angry. Angry at Rafe that he’d given the twins something she hadn’t. Which was churlish of her. She shouldn’t begrudge him giving to the twins after so many years lost.

  More than anything else, though, she’d started to be afraid. Afraid of the wealth this man obviously had and the power this gave him over her and the boys.

  Yet it wasn’t merely money that was winning the boys’ attention.

  It was him.

  There’d been the mornings where Rafe talked about his father and the family legacy of brilliance. There’d been the times he had described Greece and its beauty with a boyish charm that reminded her of the past. There’d been the daily trips to the pool where he’d dived into the twins’ play—at first meeting resistance, but soon, winning them over. Only yesterday, Aarōn had even laughed as Rafe had twirled the plastic pool ball on his fingertips.

  And Rafe had smiled.

  That one smile had shafted into her heart like a torpedo. The memories of that smile had stayed in her heart for years. A balm to her pain and an ache all the same.

  He’d turned at that moment, stared into her eyes, and the smile, that smile, had fallen away.

  “Let me try.” Isaák wiggled on the silver couch, his gaze never leaving the tablet in front of him.

  “I want to try first.” His twin reached for the electronic enchantment.

  Tamsin gulped in a big load of guilt. She’d been able to provide food for the boys and a home. She’d managed to eke out enough money to give them some lessons. Still, she’d never been able to give them all the extras other children received without even asking. She’d never been able to give them Wembley and the West End. She’d never been able to carve enough money from the budget to buy them first-rate computers. Much less tablets or e-readers or fancy PlayStations.

  “You both get one.” Their uncle slipped out another tablet from a side pocket of his ever-present leather briefcase.

  This was too much. Way too much. She jerked forward in her seat, the bite of the seatbelt cutting into her shoulder. But before she could mount a feeble objection to this continued largess, both boys crowed with delight.

  “You’re spoiling them.” Her hushed accusation slipped through the chortles and glee from the twins and hit Rafe. She could tell by his sudden tenseness.

  He ignored her as he’d been doing quite successfully since the kiss.

  The kiss.

  The memory of the meeting of their mouths consumed her every night as soon as she slid under the silk bedcovers. He’d tasted of heat and hot. Of intent and intensity. She couldn’t say the kiss had been anything except aggression wrapped in fire.

  But she couldn’t stop thinking about every moment of the kiss.

  “Tam!” Isaák piped up, popping her thoughts and memories like a pin to a balloon. “Look at what we got!”

  A small nod was the only thing she could manage.

  “They’ll use them in school.” Rafe didn’t turn to stare at her, although his cool words finally addressed her accusation. “Every child in their new school has them.”

  He’d informed her about his plans for the boys’ schooling by email. Email. Tam had opened her laptop yesterday to find an abrupt message with an attachment. The school was top-notch, catering to international students. The fees were astronomical; far more than anything she could have possibly afforded. The class list and teachers were impressive. The opportunity for Aarōn and Isaák was undeniable.

  The place was a boarding school.

  Tamsin’s hands fisted in her lap.

  Glancing at her lap, she forced her fingers to splay out. Forced them to smooth across her simple cotton dress.

  A boarding school.

  What would she do if the twins went away in the fall? What would she do with herself? Yet how could she protest when the school would be such an amazing chance for her boys? The questions rattled in her brain exactly as they had since she’d received the cold, brutal email.

  “Would anyone like something to eat?” The flight attendant came out from the galley. She was young and beautiful and looked like something from a futuristic movie herself, with the silver dress and metallic jewelry.

  “Pizza?” Aarōn gave her a half smile, all adolescent charm.

  “Pizza sounds great.” Isaák grinned. “If you have it.”

  The attendant nodded. “Of course, we—”

  “Wait.” Tamsin had to put her foot down somewhere. “This is dinnertime and they should eat something healthier.”

  “Oh, come on, Tammy.”

  “Why not? This is so cool—”

  “I don’t think one meal of pizza will hurt.” Rafe’s words cut through the cluttered objections of the boys.

  The voice of authority.

  The attendant didn’t even give her a glance. She walked away, her mission clear.

  The twins stared at her, quiet all of a sudden. As if they could also sense what was happening.

  She was losing control of her brothers.

  A clutch of fear and anger surged inside. She whipped around to glare at the man sitting so negligently on the cushioned seat several feet from her. “It’s dinnertime. They shouldn’t eat junk.”

  Easing back on the leather sofa, his dark gaze never left her face. “Consider it a snack. We will be eating with the family once we land.”

  “But…” She stuttered to a stop. “But we won’t land until after eight p.m.”

  “You’ve forgotten so much.” He clicked his tongue, a disgusted sound. “Don’t you remember Greece? We eat late.”

  She remembered. Too much. “Of course I do. However, the boys aren’t used to the lifestyle. They’ll need to go to bed as soon as we arrive.”

  “Come on, Tam.” Aarōn appeared as disgusted as his uncle.

  “We’re not babies, Tammy.” Isaák’s voice was softer, yet still filled with disagreement about her dictates.

  She felt the reins of her control slipping away. Panic edged her words. “You’ve had a lot to deal with during the last few days. You need to rest.”

  “The family will be gathered to meet the boys when we arrive.” Rafe’s fingers tapped impatience on the silk-covered arm of the sofa. “I’m sure they are gathering even as we speak.”

  “All of them?” Aarōn leaned forward eagerly.

  “When I called your grandmother, what we call giagiá—”

  “Giagiá.” Isaák tried out the word, rolling the vowels and consonants in his mouth.

  “Correct.” Rafe smiled. A genuine one. “You’ll catch on very quickly.”

  Another billow of guilt went down her throat even though her choices had been solid when she’d made them years ago. The boys had been adjusting to a new home, the loss of their mother, a strange environment. Choosing only one language for them to learn had made things much simpler.

  “No,” she’d told Rafe when he’d expressed shock and anger at the fact his nephews knew no Greek. “I haven’t taught the boys to speak their native tongue.”

  His glare had shot her way as if she’d personally insulted him. Had rejected not only Greece, not only her own heritage, but everything he prized in life.

  Except he didn’t understand. He didn’t know how much it had hurt to hear the words that had only brought back bitter memories and the defeat of sweet dreams. Rafe didn’t understand the yawning pain in her heart was the reason for her decision. As soon as she’d had some semblance of control over their London life, she’d forbidden Greek in their home. The boys need to learn English for school, she’d said, don’t confuse them. In this, as with many things, Haimon had agreed.

  Haimon.

  Tamsin peeked across the plane to meet gleaming black eyes. She resisted the impulse to look away as if she had anything to be sorry for. Even though, she did. “What?”

  He stared at her for one more moment, before glancing at the attendant who was bringing in platters of pizza.

  Guilt at what he didn’t know about Haimon clogged in Tam’s throat, making it impossible for her to continue to fight about the food.

  “You warned him, didn’t you?” Rafe had cornered her the night after the kiss. The only time he’d come near her since. “You went to the hospital to warn him.”

  “What?” She’d skittered back from the angry heat of his body. “What are you talking about?”

  “He’s gone.” As if he couldn’t stand to be close to her, he wrenched himself away and began to pace back and forth in front of her. The echo of the TV in the other room joined by the boys’ chatter competed with Rafe’s harsh breath.

  “Gone? From the hospital?” She couldn’t imagine the old man having the energy to leave.

  “Don’t pretend you didn’t know what his plans were.” Swiveling around, he glared.

  “I had no idea.” Tam gazed at his face. A face filled with instant rejection. “Didn’t you have security surrounding him?”

  “Not enough, clearly.” He paced again. “The police are searching for him. He can’t go far without money.”

  Saying nothing had seemed the best choice. He apparently thought the Drakos clan had little money—and he was mostly right. But she’d saved some. Enough to give Haimon the chance to escape.

  Something she hadn’t confided to Rafe.

  “Here.” He reached over, breaking into her thoughts. A plate of pizza rested in his hand. “You have to eat something.”

  The air stilled between them. The simple act of giving her food was not so simple when coming from this man. A gift. An acknowledgement of her presence and her needs. Tamsin’s brain whirred.

  She took the plate.

  Something sparked in those dark eyes. Then his mouth tightened, and he leaned back. “Or not. It’s your choice.”

  Frowning at the pizza, she was amazed when her stomach growled. Even with the guilt and anger and fear surging in her, it appeared her body still wanted food.

  A short laugh escaped him. “Eat.”

  The pepperoni spiced in her mouth and the gooey cheese oozed into her taste buds. Her stomach rumbled in satisfaction, and for a moment, she let herself focus on the delicious junk food rather than her worries.

  The boys consumed the pizza within minutes, before bounding down the aisle to inspect the huge flat-screen TV, which looked like a big movie screen to her.

  “Do you want more?” Rafe’s big body draped lazily on the sofa.

  “No.” Unbuckling herself, she walked over to put the plate on the table. “I’m full.”

  He stared at her, his eyes carefully blank, his mouth easy, his jaw relaxed. Was this a truce? Was he beginning to accept her in the twins’ life?

  “We have some things we need to discuss before we land.”

  Her stomach knotted around the food she’d eaten. He might appear approachable, but his voice told another story. His voice was hard and determined.

  Backing away, she sat with a thump. “What things?” she managed through the sudden burn in her throat.

  “Once we arrive,” he said, “my mother and sisters are going to want to spend time with the boys.”

  “Of course.” She sagged into her chair, relieved. “I would never object to that.”

  “Yet they will object to you.”

  The bald statement hit her like a punch. “Why would they do that? They liked me when you and I were…”

  His mouth turned into a sarcastic smile as she slid to a stop. “Nai?”

  Grabbing her pride, she propped it up. “When we were dating. The point is, I always got along with your family.”

  “That was before. This is now.”

  “I can’t think what’s changed—”

  He laughed. “Can’t you?”

  “Unless you’ve poisoned the well before I even step into your home.” Her accusation flamed into him and set him to blaze. She could tell by the sudden tenseness of his shoulders and the way his eyes turned to black fire.

  “You did all the poisoning yourself.”

  “I don’t understand.” She truly didn’t. Previously, she’d been accepted into his family as a daughter and sister. Beyond her love for Rafe, she’d found in the Vounó villa the home life she’d never had. His father had been warm and charming. His mother had been loving and kind. Rhouth had promptly become her best friend with Rhachel not far behind. Though she’d rejected the family’s son at the end, she’d never exchanged one bad word with any of the other Vounós. In fact, she’d spent months and months writing letters to Rhouth…

  With no response.

  “They hate me because I split with you? Ten years ago?”

  He bent forward, his arms on his knees, his hands clasped before him. The pose projected ease and dismissal. His white fingers told her something far different. “They hate you because you are a Drakos.”

  “So are the boys.”

  “No.” He shook his head slowly. “The boys are Vounós.”

  “The boys are mine, too.”

  “I’m working on that.” Threat laced every word and her greatest fear raised its head inside.

  He hadn’t said what his phalanx of solicitors was working on now the DNA test had been done and Haimon had escaped. However, a person didn’t have a phalanx of solicitors around to do nothing. “Don’t threaten me.”

  “That wasn’t a threat.” His gaze blazed with intent. “It’s reality.”

  “I won’t let them go.”

  “Let’s put this to rest for now.” He eased closer. “What we need to do is come to an agreement.”

  “Why do I always feel like I lose whenever I make an agreement with you?”

  A dark brow arched. “Lose? You’ve just spent a week in a very nice hotel—”

  “You know that’s not what I meant.”

  “You’ve been wined and dined. Taken to the theatre. Spent the day at the pool.”

  “I don’t care—”

  “You haven’t had to spend a dime in the entire week—”

  “I didn’t want or ask for any of that.”

  “Yet you accepted the gifts. All of them.”

  He was right. And the thought of being beholden to him, of what this made him think of her, crushed her. He didn’t know how capable she was, how much she could do. The only thing he saw when he looked at her was a parasite. She couldn’t stand the thought. “You’ve made your point.”

  His hands loosened on his taut thighs. “Then the agreement I ask of you should be fairly simple.”

  “What?”

  “Let my mother and sisters have their time with Isaák and Aarōn.” His words were laced with a disbelief that made it clear he found it impossible to think she’d comply. “Don’t mother them, stifle them. Don’t make them choose between you and my relatives.”

  She stared across the aisle at him. Not only did Rafe think she was a parasite, he thought she was a control freak. He thought she was cruel enough to tear the boys apart with a demand for their loyalty. She was nothing like this. How could she possibly prove this to him?

  By agreeing.

  By getting her feet on the ground and finding a job once they arrived in Greece.

  By showing him what she really was instead of trying to tell him.

  “I would never do such a thing,” she stated. “I want the boys to know their new family.”

  “Their only family.”

  “Hey, Tam!” Isaák rushed right between them, breaking through the awful tension. “Come and see what movie we’re watching.”