The Greek Billionaire's Secret Baby (Contemporary Romance) Read Online Free Page B

a beloved cousin. Twenty-seven is too young to die.”
    And thirty-five isn’t old enough to deal with such a horrible loss.
    Alex swallowed a sip of water to keep himself impassive. He’d broken down and cried for hours after learning the news of Christopher’s untimely and tragic death, but he’d never cried in the presence of another family member. Would he have cried in front of Lauren? Would he had found solace in her arms as he had so many nights?
    Seeing her had exhausted his patience. Worse, he hadn’t been as prepared as he’d thought he was to see her again. Admittedly, pregnancy suited her. She had that female glow, and it wasn’t from equatorial heat. That moment he’d leaned on her desk, her citrus scent had permeated his senses, and he’d found himself shaken by immediate and powerful desire.
    He’d hated his reaction—his body should have been seared cold from her betrayal. But then, he’d always found her a hot, sexy, fascinating woman. He’d wanted her from the very moment he’d first laid eyes on her at Christopher’s graduation, and when fate had placed her again in his path, he hadn’t wasted the second chance to claim her as his. He’d pursued, seduced, and found nirvana when he’d spilled himself inside her.
    Alex finished his water, tossed the plastic bottle into a recycle box and chastised himself. He’d just reminded Theo about digging into the past and here he was doing the same. Pathetic. Alex focused on the present. Neither he nor his family had come to Mexico after the tragedy, but had sent representatives instead. This was Alex’s first visit to the area where his brother had died.
    “The family will be happy to know that everyone revered my brother,” Alex told Theo. In addition to English and Greek, Alex also spoke fluent Spanish and he’d had no difficulty making conversation with the villagers. “Everywhere I went, they approached me and offered their sincere condolences.  Their love for him runs deep.”
    “He was here four years,” Theo observed.
    “Yes,” Alex confirmed. “Ever since college.”
    “And…” Theo pressed.
    Alex’s cheek muscle twitched. “And Lauren has been here for the past seven months.”
    “She is as we heard? As the investigators reported? Pregnant?”
    Alex gave Theo the information he fished for. “Definitely so.”
    As Alex turned his attention back to the beautiful view, Theo wisely kept his mouth shut about what the family called “Lauren’s betrayal.”
    “So when do we return to New York ?” Theo asked. As head of security for Pappas Foods, Theo often served as Alex’s right hand man. Their fathers were brothers. Alex’s father had run the Pappas Foods while Theo’s had overseen other family interests. It had been Alex who had brought Theo on board.
    “We leave late tomorrow night, with or without her,” Alex answered.
    “Alex!” Sharp concern laced Theo’s deep voice. “That will not make any of the family happy. My father is very tired of this situation dragging on.”
    Far below Alex, a woman on the street carried a large woven basket. A young boy about two years old raced by her feet. She called to the child, and he laughed as he grabbed her hand. Alex turned away to looked at his cousin.
    “Theo, of all people, I am fully aware of how precarious a situation this is. I have heard all my life about how our family does not bear illegitimate children. I know my duty. But Lauren is stubborn. She has her own trust fund left to her when her parents were gunned down while she was in college. Convincing Lauren that I am what is best for her will take some time.”
    “Perhaps I should talk to her? I can be very persuasive.” Theo offered.
    “No!” The word shot forth from Alex’s lips like a bullet. Lauren had never liked Theo and Alex couldn’t risk another fight. “I will handle Lauren my way. She carries my brother’s child, and that makes this situation my problem and mine alone. I follow my own timetable.