Greek Billionaire's Blackmailed Bride (The Rosso Family Series, #1) Read Online Free Page B

appeared. Both wore black T-shirts and black trousers. One took Claire’s luggage and the other headed to the front to the car.
    Antonio waved him away. “I’m going back to the city, but we’ll be eating in tonight.”
    “Very good. Will your sisters be in as well?” Gaia asked.
    “They should be.”
    “No worries.” Gaia started up the stairs. Claire didn’t see any choice but to follow. She started up, but glanced back down to see Antonio watching her. She stopped and met his stare. What was he thinking?
    “I’ll be back by six.” Antonio gave her a smile and strode out of the house.
    Claire heard the car engine roar and then fade away. She shivered. She really was tired, but why shouldn’t she get at least a little enjoyment out of this trip. She followed Gaia upstairs to a bedroom painted in pale blue and hung with darker blue drapery. The windows opened out onto the garden, and Claire glimpsed the pool, sparkling in the sunlight.
    “Will you take lunch?” Gaia asked.
    “No. No. We ate in the city.” She winced. That sounded like she was on good terms with Antonio. Gaia put Claire's bag on the bed and started to open it, but Claire stepped forward. “Please, I can do that.”
    Gaia straightened. “And, please, you must allow us to provide for you—that is our job. We have had few guest of late—Mr. Rosso was ill for so long.”
    Seeing a chance to get some information, Claire asked, “Was he?”
    “Cancer.” Gaia unzipped the bag and began to unpack. Claire was glad for once that she’d packed light—and carefully. “A terrible thing. He hid it from the family for as long as he could, but all the staff knew he was not well.”
    Claire sat on one of the overstuffed chairs. She rubbed her neck, and asked, “Antonio mentioned a pool—well, two pools. Do you think I could nap by one? A swim would loosen my muscles, too.”
    Gaia turned, hands folded in front of her. “Of course, miss.”
    “Call me Claire, please. I take it you’ve been with the Rosso family a long time?”
    “Years. I came with Mrs. Rosso when she married. Ah, such a lovely woman. She died too young. A car accident. The girls look very like her, but Antonio is more like her personality.”
    “Stubborn? Bossy?” Claire put a hand over her mouth. “Oh, I shouldn’t have said that. My mouth always gets away from me when I’m tired.”
    Gaia smiled. “No, that is just what Mrs. Rosso was like, too. Also, very persistent. She was the only one who could wear down Mr. Rosso—she won every argument. Now I will lay out a towel for you at the poolside. If you go back to the main floor, go left and down the hall. The French doors at the end open to the pool. I will bring you some tea, yes?”
    “That would be great.”
    Fifteen minutes later, Claire had changed into her black one-piece suit. She slipped her feet into sandals and headed downstairs. The pool stood in the middle of a garden area, partly shaded by tall cypress. Three cabanas also provided shade and seating. A towel and a silver tea set with both hot and iced tea had been placed in one of the cabanas. Toeing off her sandals, she headed for the pool and dove in. The cold water took her breath. She surfaced, sluiced the water from her hair, and smiling up into the sunshine. After a few laps, she climbed out of the pool and headed for the cabana. She dragged a chair into the sun and stretched out.
    Gaia stepped out from the house with a tray of food. “This is fourta ke yaourti —a Greek fruit salad for you—to keep up your energy.”
    “Gaia, it looks wonderful.”
    “ Efkharisto .” Gaia put down the tray and folded her hands in front of her. “Do you stay long in Greece?”
    Claire shook her head. She probably shouldn’t gossip, but she had wanted to get information from Gaia, so an exchange seemed only fair. “No, I don’t plan to.”
    She debated about telling the woman how Antonio had tricked her into—there was something about the older woman that