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Sam grimaced and stomped on her thoughts. Why was she thinking about Leo again? She
turned her attention to Maria. I forgot to thank you for the dinner you left in my room last night.
It was very kind of you, Maria. It was delicious.
The older woman frowned. Dinner?
Sam blinked. Yes. The dinner tray you brought up to my room while I slept. A nagging
fear settled in her stomach.
Oh, it was not me, koritsimou. It must have been Leonidis who brought it up to you. When
you did not come down to eat, he asked me to make you a plate and leave it in the stove.
He did? Sam asked in a small voice, her face tingling with a fresh blush at the thought of
Leo standing over her while she slept. Yet, a part of her couldn t help feeling warmed at the thought
of him making sure she ate. It seemed he had some heart after all, she thought, curiously pleased.
After she returned from the beach she was going to take another stab at the cards to see if
she could pick up anything about Leo. It was important John was welcomed into this family and
she knew getting to know Leo would help John s chances for a successful visit.
Maria smiled, nodding. Of course he brought your dinner, koritsimou. Leonidis is a very
good and kind man. Yes, on the outside he is cold and distant, but on the inside he is very warm,
very nice. The best.
Sam licked her suddenly dry lips. I& I must thank him. One thing was certain about him,
Sam thought. He was a man full of surprises.
As I must thank you again for last night, Sam. You were an angel sent from heaven.
Sam smiled and took the cup of coffee Maria offered her. I was happy to help. Her eyes
widened at the huge plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns Maria placed in front of her.
I can t possibly eat all of this. I was only going to have some toast this morning.
Never mind the toast. You need to eat. And you must eat all of it.
Sam was touched by the woman s concern and smiled. All right, but you can t keep spoiling
me like this or I won t want to leave.
Leo strolled into the kitchen and Sam s stomach somersaulted. He actually seemed a little
worse off than her this morning, as though he d barely slept a wink, and she almost felt bad for
him. She glanced over his white polo shirt, taupe trousers, and slightly damp hair. Leo gave Sam a
40 Two in the Lion s Den
guarded look and she wondered if he had heard her comment about not wanting to leave. His dark,
unfathomable gaze went to her heaping plate and Sam detected the brief flash of satisfaction on
his face. Abruptly he turned his back and refilled his coffee mug.
Sam stared at his broad, muscular back and her mind returned to last night when she had
seen a lot more of him after she d flung his bed sheet away from him. Her breath caught as she
blinked rapidly, trying to fend the memory away. It was no use. His male beauty was right there in
front of her and she was never more intensely aware of a man before in her life.
Leo inquired politely after Nitsa s health and Maria happily obliged him with the good news.
I was just telling Sam, Maria offered heartily, how lucky we were to have her here last
night.
Indeed we were, Leo drawled, giving Sam another guarded look. She warily met his gaze
and braced herself for the sardonic comment that was sure to follow, but none came. Instead, he
returned his attention to Maria. And you re certain you have time to cook dinner for my parents
visit tonight? Wouldn t you rather stay at the hospital with Nitsa? he asked.
Sam stifled a moan. His parents? For dinner tonight? Her stomach dropped at the thought
of meeting more of the Stefanos clan.
It s no problem, Leonidis. I am going to fix something very special for your mother and
father. I will come back for a couple of hours this afternoon to cook.
That s what Maria had worried about earlier, Sam realized. Maria s schedule was full with
Nitsa and she was tight with time preparing for a dinner party. Sam chewed her lower lip and came
up with the perfect solution. She was an excellent cook and knew her way around a kitchen. Surely
Maria wouldn t object if Sam offered to cook dinner?
Very well, Leo said deeply. And you, Sam? How will you spend the day?
She struggled to find her voice. I m going down to the beach.
Enjoy your day, he said, giving her a slight, mocking bow and left the kitchen.
Sam released the breath she didn t realize she d been holding and almost sighed with relief.
She may not have been able to read his cards or see his aura, but his energy was palpable and it
stirred her senses at every turn.
I think Leonidis is impressed with you.
Sam almost laughed at the thought. Oh no, Maria. He doesn t even like me, she replied
without thinking, and immediately bit her lip, giving the older woman a rueful look. I m sorry,
Maria. I shouldn t have said that. I know how much you like and respect him. It s just that Leo
and I& we& we don t get along.
I noticed nothing of the kind, Maria sighed as she stared at the door Leo had taken. Don t
blame him, koritsimou, for his proud manner. He s changed so much since that terrible woman
hurt him.
Sam frowned. What woman?
Anastasia Maltezos 41
Catherine Holts. He was engaged to her ten years ago. He was much younger then, softer,
more& more how do you call a man who is too sensitive and influenced?
Mmm& I suppose, impressionable.
He was more impressionable then. Not the strong, hard man you see today.
What happened? She couldn t picture Leo as a soft man. Nor impressionable, for that
matter. All Sam saw was his arrogance and pride. Actually, after last night, Sam had seen a bit
more than that. His compassion and kindness, she admitted reluctantly. Hadn t he been concerned
she hadn t eaten and had taken her dinner tray up to her room?
He was in love, or he thought he was, Maria explained. And he gave her everything.
Catherine.
Yes. He buy her jewellery, gold, diamonds, rubies. He pay off her debts. He even buy her
clothes. The latest fashions from Paris and Italy. And one day, Leonidis catch her in one of her lies.
I don t know what happened exactly, but he found out she was sleeping with another man. A man as
rich as Leonidis. In the end, Leonidis stop the engagement and the result is the man you see today.
He became very hard and suspicious in the matters of the heart. He lose faith in love, koritsimou.
Sam couldn t help but feel compassion for him. How awful for him.
Yes, but it worked out for the best. It was better he found out her true character before they
got married. We heard Catherine married the other man and divorced him. And she took half of
his money.
I don t understand. How could she sleep with another man if she had L Sam coughed
and sputtered. Mortified, she lifted her coffee cup to her mouth to hide her embarrassment. Her
lack of sleep had given her a loose tongue, and she dared a look at Maria. The older woman was
regarding her with approval.
Catherine was a terrible woman, Sam. Yes, she was beautiful, but only on the outside.
Leonidis was a young man, only twenty-four when he met her. She came to Greece for a short
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