“Could you remove the sunglasses, sir?” the security checker asked.

“Of course.”

Annalise had the strongest urge to turn around so she could look into his eyes, but practicality took over. What she saw there could have no bearing upon her.

As she tugged her cart it turned sideways, crashing into this man who made her feel things she didn’t want to feel. If she were only as graceful as she was independent.

“Sorry.” She meant for her gaze to skitter across his face, but his eyes ensnared hers.

Tiger eyes. Amber-golden with specks of brown, rimmed in a darker brown. Tiger eyes with a depth of—sorrow?—behind the brightness.

“No problem.”

He blinked, releasing her and allowing her to blink as well. When he raised an eyebrow at her she realized she’d been staring.

Flustered, she yanked her cart, banging into the counter and almost taking out the passenger scanner. He must think her a total klutz.

What did it matter what he thought? Odds were they would never see each other again unless he had a medical emergency. And he certainly looked healthy to her. Well-worn jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt couldn’t hide his physical fitness.

She bumped into passengers all the time. None of them elicited a significant response from her.

Annalise overcame the impulse to check him out one more time.

What was it about him that made her feel …? What? Aware? Self-conscious? Tingly? That made her feel anything at all?

Dear Reader

When cruise ship doctor Annalise Walcott first sees celebrity surgeon Niko Christopoulos she thinks he must be a swimsuit model. But, like the ocean, Niko is more than he appears to be on the surface.

Annalise has her own uneasily buried secrets that only a man used to braving the depths of human tragedy—a man like Niko—can possibly bring to the surface.

Will love be enough to give these two the strength to survive the stormy wreckage of their pasts and build a bright future under the sun together?

Wishing you calm winds and gentle seas.

Connie

PS I’d love to visit with you!

Find me on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ConnieCox.writer,

on Twitter, www.twitter.com/conniecox,

on Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/Connie_Cox,

and on my website, www.conniecox.com

About the Author

CONNIE COX has loved Harlequin Mills & Boon romances since she was a young teen. To be a Harlequin Mills & Boon author now is a fantasy come to life. By training, Connie is an electrical engineer. Through her first job, working on nuclear scanners and other medical equipment, she had a unique perspective on the medical world. She is fascinated by the inner strength of medical professionals, who must balance emotional compassion with stoic logic, and is honoured to showcase the passion of these dedicated professionals through her own passion of writing. Married to the boy-next-door, Connie is the proud mother of one terrific daughter and son-in-law and one precocious dachshund.

Connie would love to hear from you. Visit her website at www.ConnieCox.com

Recent titles by Connie Cox:

THE BABY WHO SAVED DR CYNICAL

RETURN OF THE REBEL SURGEON

Available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

His Hidden
American
Beauty
Connie Cox

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHAPTER ONE

DR. ANNALISE WALCOTT adjusted the two huge cases of medicines on her cart before she made the steep climb up the gangplank of the luxury cruise liner Neptune’s Fantasy. While she’d had most of the supplies delivered straight to her onboard facilities, she liked to bring along the ones that needed refrigeration herself, just to make sure they stayed at the correct temperature. Not that she’d ever had a problem—Annalise avoided problems as often as she could.

Call her a control freak and she wouldn’t deny it. She’d learned a long time ago that the only person she could consistently rely on was herself.

She trailed behind the last-minute stragglers, crewmates eking out the final seconds of shore leave before they boarded for the transatlantic cruise. They would be out at sea for over ten days straight before the first port of call, which meant a lot fewer breaks for the staff. And only a small percentage of crew got shore leave at each port. With rotating days off, most of them wouldn’t have a personal day on land for at least four weeks.

One by one, they went through Security, a procedure that took forever but which, she had to admit, was a necessity.

A Gulf breeze made the afternoon pleasant despite the strong subtropical sun heating Annalise’s back through her roomy, short-sleeved T-shirt. Thankfully, she’d slathered her arms and legs with sunblock before donning her shorts and sandals so she had no worries about her pale skin turning pink. Not a good example for a doctor to set when she warned others about avoiding sunburn.

“Need some help with those, Doc?” A bartender named Brandy pointed to the cases. Brandy sported a new tattoo, still red and slightly swollen.

Annalise hoped she’d had it done by a reputable shop. Illegal backroom bargains had consequences. She had long-lasting firsthand knowledge of that. If only hers had been as harmless as a tattoo.

“I’ve got them. Thanks, though.” She moved forward another six inches in the queue, wincing as the corner of the cart dug into her ankle.

“Have a nice time on shore?” Bartenders were chatty by nature and Brandy was no exception.

Annalise had never learned the art of making small talk herself, beyond the few stock phrases she used to put her patients at ease.

“Just long enough to realize I’m ready to be back at sea.”

Being on land in her home port of New Orleans always made her uneasy, even though all personal threats had long since passed.

“Didn’t I see you with a friend on the patio at the Crescent City Brew House this afternoon? A male friend?”

“He was my study partner in medical school.” They’d been more than study partners, but the bartender didn’t need to know how he’d helped her work through her pain and grief all those years ago. “He’s my platonic friend.”

“Nothing more? Not even a friend with benefits?”

Annalise laughed, inwardly wincing as it sounded brittle and forced in her ears. “He’s not my type.” Not that she had a type.

“What kind of man do you like, Doc? I’ll bet I can fix you up. I’m fairly good at that sort of thing.”

Annalise wished it were that easy. “You bartenders are really cupids in disguise, aren’t you? But there are rules against that sort of thing, remember?”

“I don’t know about you, Doc, but the rule against fraternization gets old when I’ve been out to sea for a while. It’s not natural to go without sex for such long periods of time.”

Sex. Shipboard sex meant a shipboard relationship—or at least a shipboard flirtation. No way would she risk her career—or her peace of mind—for a fling.

To forestall the conversation, Annalise pulled the brim of her baseball cap down tight and deliberately looked up.

From where she stood, halfway up the ship’s side with the ocean far below her and the top deck far above, Annalise felt the weight of such a huge amount of people, both guests and staff, dependent upon the ship’s medical facilities. As usual, she was the sole physician on board, but she had plenty of trained medical professionals to help her, including a new physician’s assistant. The P.A. came with great recommendations and Annalise was looking forward to meeting her.

Her only worry was the six-year-old girl on the manifest, Sophie Christopoulos, diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. But her parents had been wise enough to have the girl’s endocrinologist consult with Annalise ahead of time and Sophie had an introductory appointment before tonight’s first supper seating.

Sophie’s insulin was in one of the cases on her cart. With precautions, the young girl should be able to enjoy her trip just fine.

A crepe paper streamer sailed down from the top deck to drape itself across Annalise’s shoulders like a boa. The makeshift fashion statement made her smile.

She looked up to see passengers on the foredeck already in full party mode and they hadn’t even left dock yet. Cruises had attitudes and she could already tell this one was going to be a wild one. No peaceful, relaxing vibes coming from this crowd.

Brandy looked up, shading her eyes. “It’s going to be one of those.”

“The kind of cruise I enjoy most.” While Annalise didn’t partake of the party life herself, she enjoyed the energy.

“As long as they tip well.” Brandy pointed to the sky. “Looks like a storm is coming in.”

Annalise shrugged. “Typical late afternoon for New Orleans this time of year. It will blow through as fast as it’s blowing in.”

A thick bank of stormclouds dimmed the sun’s brightness while a strong gust of wind brought chill bumps to her exposed legs. Sprigs of reddish-golden hair whipped into her face despite the baseball cap she’d plopped onto her head.

The layered cut had been a whim while she’d been on shore, a consolation prize after visiting her mother and finding her the same.

She’d thought short hair would be easier, but she missed the straightforward care of her ponytail. Now her hair was too short to capture with a rubber band and too long to stay out of her eyes without a lot of styling and primping. And primping had no place in Annalise’s life. Why waste the time?

Her life was devoted to patching up people and keeping them healthy so they could enjoy their days under the sun. Stolen time away from the workaday world was precious and she wanted the passengers to be able to make the most of it.

Annalise knew the value of escaping the real world. That’s why being the Fantasy’s onboard physician was her dream job.

A squeal of tires from the parking lot down below caught her attention.

A sporty black convertible with the top down slid into an empty parking slot and careened to a stop. Annalise squinted to see the dark-haired man behind the sunglasses pop his trunk, grab a suit-sized carry-on, a serious backpack and a large rolling suitcase and make a sprint for the entrance of the cruise ship’s land-based check-in facility.

She glanced at her watch. A quarter till five.

When the cruise line said to embark before four o’clock, they had their reasons—security checks being one of the most important ones.

Brandy shook her head. “There’s always one who thinks the rules don’t apply to him, isn’t there?”

Annalise agreed. “He’ll have to do some real sweet-talking to get aboard this ship.”

Brandy gazed absently at the head of the line. “Some men are worth breaking the rules for.”

Not any man she’d ever met.

Stormclouds moved into position overhead, blocking the sun’s intensity but adding a couple of points to the humidity scale, making the moist air heavy to drag into her lungs.

The sooner she was out at sea, the better.

“Next,” came the call from the front of the line.

As she moved forward, Annalise looked back at the dark-haired latecomer juggling his luggage to open the door to the check-in office.

She had to admit he had a face and body that could entice a saint to at least bend the rules a little.

He flashed a dimpled smile at her as he caught her staring.

She could feel a blush heating her face as she looked away.

She was no saint, but the man didn’t exist who could tempt her. Sadly, she wished there were.

Dr. Niko Christopoulos leaned over the counter past the plastic Closed sign, giving the middle-aged receptionist a big dimpled smile. He hoped she liked the rugged, unshaven look. It couldn’t be helped.

“I’m so sorry to be such a bother. I’ve been traveling for the last thirty-two hours straight to get here and my last flight landed late.”

The receptionist, who reminded him of his Aunt Phyllis with her polite but no-nonsense attitude, pulled up his information.

“You’re responsible for the party of twelve, right? The grandmother who thinks she’s won the family cruise?”

Niko gave a quick look around the deserted lobby, as if any of his family might overhear. “That’s right. Do you need to verify my credit card?”

“We’ve already done that. But I do need your passport, please.” She held out her hand.

He handed her the well-worn leather folder.

“The Congo, Doctor? And before that Haiti? You’re quite a world traveler.”

Niko didn’t talk about his charity work—ever. But if it got him on this blasted ship before it sailed … “Doctors Without Borders. An adventure every trip.”

Her eyes softened and she picked up the phone. “Hold the ship for Dr. Nikos Christopoulos. He was unavoidably delayed and will be heading your way in just a moment.”

“Thanks for waiting on me.”

She gave him a sly wink. “I’m sure you’re worth waiting for.”

He returned the wink. “That’s what they tell me.”

“Do you need help with your bags?”

“Got it all here.” He pointed to his military-sized backpack full of shorts and swim trunks and toiletries, his suit bag with his tuxedo and his one rolling bag, glad he’d packed for this trip and stuffed his clothes in his trunk before he’d even left for Haiti, for once planning ahead.

He was more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy—which came in handy when making split-second decisions in the field. Life or death decisions were enough to worry about without adding the little things to the list. But this week he intended to surrender all decisions and worries and soak in the sunshine.

He needed these three weeks of enforced restful playtime. He had become soul-weary, the kind of tired a good nap couldn’t cure.

Physician, heal thyself. He self-prescribed a big dose of fun and he intended to follow doctor’s orders.

“Have a wonderful vacation, Dr. Christopoulos.”

“I’ll do my best.” It worked. The charm his grandmother loved him for and his brothers taunted him about had gotten him where he needed to be once again.

Use the gifts you’ve been given, his grandmother told all of them. His brothers could all cook meals that would please the gods of Olympus. Niko couldn’t boil an egg.

An easy way with words and a genetically pleasing appearance had been his gift—he just wondered if a woman would ever care enough to see past the exterior to the man underneath.

But then again, that would mean he would also need to look beneath her surface and that would mean getting up close and personal. A relationship was out of the question with the lifestyle he would soon be living full time. His ex-fiancée had made that perfectly clear to him. But that was yesterday’s problem.

He would embrace today. Too many years ago he’d learned the hard way that that’s all anyone could really expect to have.

As he headed up the gangplank, the calypso music put a kick in his step. This trip may have originally been planned for his family’s benefit, but it was exactly what he needed, too.

Niko breathed in the tangy air and prepared to enjoy himself, no holds barred. And maybe he’d start with that cute little honey-haired woman in the baseball cap with the legs that went on forever. She stood at the end of the line apart from everyone else, looking totally unattached, which meant totally available, right? While long-term relationships were out, shipboard flirtations were definitely in.

“Those are mighty big bags for such a little lady. Prepared to dress for dinner, are we?” Niko jiggled his suit bag for emphasis.

Big drops started to fall from the clouds above. He moved closer to squeeze under the canvas canopy sheltering the ship’s entrance.

The long-legged beauty tried to shift away but there was nowhere to go.

Just as Niko was considering stepping out into the rain to put her at ease, the line moved, giving her the space she obviously needed.

Then again, it seemed this woman claimed her own space. She looked down her nose at him as best she could, considering she was several inches shorter than him. “I’m on staff here. I don’t do dinner.”

Which wasn’t quite true. Annalise helped out by rounding out the captain’s table on occasion to even out the couples ratio. It was no hardship. Seated next to a partnerless passenger, usually an elderly gentleman or an awkward geek, she’d met some delightful people.

People like this stunning man next to her always had a date, or found one or two while shipboard. The ship’s relationship rules definitely didn’t apply to passengers like it did to crew.

Since she was a rule-abiding crew member, this man was not a threat. Even so, she found herself leaning away from him and his overpowering personality, even while she regretted the sharpness of her tone. She was definitely too much on edge today.

Brandy reached across her toward the guy with an open hand. “Hi, I’m—”

“Next,” the security checker interrupted. He slid Brandy’s ship’s ID through the scanner. “You know the drill.”

The tension between the security checker and Brandy crackled, proof that shipboard break-ups made for an incredibly uncomfortable environment.

Brandy turned to Annalise. “You know, Doc, this ship is large enough that a person could sail for a month without running into everyone on board. But no matter how big it is, when you’re trying to avoid someone, no ship is big enough.”

Annalise felt trapped, literally being caught between a man and a woman and their conflict. A clammy sweat started down her back as the old terror threatened to overcome her.

“Relationships. Not my thing,” she managed to choke out as her throat tightened up on her. She tried to laugh but it sounded strained even to her own ears so she coughed to cover it up. From bad to worse.

Behind her, the late passenger took a step forward, concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?”

His voice was a low deep rumble. Masculinity personified.

She could feel the heat from his body as he crowded her.

Annalise took a deep breath as the unreasonable panic settled. It had been a few years, almost a decade, since she’d had a panic attack. But too many memories in too few hours had taken their toll on the solid, secure world she’d built for herself.

The sooner she put New Orleans behind her, the better off she would be.

“I’m fine. Thanks.” She gave a numb nod and thrust her card at the security checker, careful to keep her fingers from brushing his.

The security checker took Annalise’s card and slid it through. “Welcome back, Dr. Walcott. Need some help with that load?”

“Got it. Thanks.”

The man behind her held his card out for inspection.

“Could you remove the sunglasses, sir?” the security checker asked.

“Of course.”

Annalise had the strongest urge to turn around so she could look into his eyes but practicality took over. What she saw there would have no bearing upon her.

As she tugged her cart, it turned sideways, crashing into this man who made her feel things she didn’t want to feel.

If she were only as graceful as she was independent. “Sorry.” She meant for her gaze to skitter across his face but his eyes ensnared hers.

Tiger eyes. Amber golden with specks of brown, rimmed in a darker brown. Tiger eyes with a depth of … sorrow, perhaps, behind the brightness.

“No problem.” He blinked, breaking their gaze and allowing her to blink as well. When he raised an eyebrow at her, she realized she’d been staring.

Flustered, she yanked her cart, banging into the counter and almost taking out the passenger scanner. He must think her a total klutz.

What did it matter what he thought? Odds were they would never see each other again unless he had a medical emergency. And he certainly looked healthy to her. Well-worn jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt couldn’t hide his physical fitness.

She bumped into passengers all the time. None of them elicited a significant response from her.

Annalise overcame the impulse to check him out one more time.

What was it about him that made her feel … What? Aware? Self-conscious? Tingly? That made her feel anything at all?

As she fought the cart into submission, she heard the security checker say, “Welcome aboard, Mr. Christopoulos. Passenger stairway is to your left.”

Christopoulos? That was the name of her patient with juvenile diabetes. What were the odds?

Annalise headed toward the staff elevators, grateful for the privacy and breathing room that safe little metal box promised.

“Hold the door, please.” A large tanned hand inserted itself between the closing doors. If the man had seemed to tower over her before, he loomed now. “You don’t mind if I ride up with you, do you?”

“Passengers are encouraged to take the stairs if they’re able.” Inwardly, she winced at her brusqueness. She had wanted to establish distance, not convey rudeness. Where was her balance?

“I’m nursing a leg injury.” He gave her a lopsided grin, as if he were embarrassed to ask for special treatment.

Annalise wished a hole would open up and swallow her. “Of course, then.”

She stared at the floor numbers as the door closed, not trusting herself to engage in polite conversation.

She needn’t have worried about the man being chatty. He leaned against the back wall of the elevator, closed his eyes and slumped as if he would fall asleep right then and there. Except there was nothing relaxed in the tightness around his eyes or the brackets around his mouth or the squareness of his jaw.

Annalise took a moment to gather herself the way she’d learned in therapy so many years ago, rationalizing that her edginess had been provoked by too many triggers in quick succession, the worst one brought on by her own need to know that someone in the world cared.

When she’d knocked on her mother’s apartment door while she’d been on shore leave, Annalise had half expected, even hoped, to be told that her mother had moved and failed to leave a forwarding address.

But she’d been there. Bright pink lipstick had leaked into the pursed lines around her lips and coated the end of the cigarette stuck into her mouth. Age spots showed on her chest and arms, exposed by her cheap orange tank top.

“Anna?” her mother had smoothed down her over-processed hair. “I hadn’t expected …”

Scented candles perfumed the air. Annalise recognized the odor. Her mother had always thought men were turned on by heavy oriental scents. The smell made her stomach turn.

“I was in town and just thought I’d drop by.”

The furtive look her mother sent over her shoulder to whoever was waiting in the back bedroom was less than welcoming.

“I don’t really have the time to come in and visit,” Annalise assured her.

The relief was obvious in her mother’s eyes. “Maybe another time.”

Her mother had closed the door between them without saying goodbye.

It had been over two years. What was another couple of years between family?

Being in her home city, seeing her mother in the old apartment she herself had once lived in, consulting with the little girl’s doctor in the same building where she’d attended those therapy sessions, and then meeting with her friend had been a bit much for one day.

And this man next to her, this man who exuded power and testosterone, this man who she was too aware of being just inches away from her, had her all off balance. Something was different about him.

The elevator bumped, threatening Niko’s balance. He shifted his weight. From beneath his half-closed lids, he watched Dr. Walcott do the same.

Something was different about her, something that intrigued him. An air? An attitude? A challenge?

Only problem was, Dr. Walcott didn’t seem interested. Could he change her mind? When had he last been challenged?

He rubbed his hand across his heavily stubbled face.

When he saw her eyeing him, he said rather self-consciously, “This boat has plenty of hot water, right?”

“The only reason you’ll take a cold shower onboard this ship is because you take one voluntarily.”

“I don’t see that happening.” He flashed his dimple.

She responded with the slightest of tight-lipped curves at the corners of her mouth. Polite, but just barely.

So much for winning her over with his innate charm. But, then, he wasn’t at his best.

A shower and shave and maybe a nap first. Then he might seek out the good doctor on the grounds of professional curiosity. She’d give him a tour of the facilities. He’d buy her a drink. They’d have a private meal on his room’s veranda and watch the sunset together—and maybe the sunrise, too.

“How is room service?”

“Very serviceable.” She bit her lower lip then squared her shoulders and took a breath as if she were about to plunge into the deep end of the pool. “I use room service quite a bit. They are very prompt. You should try the salmon mousse.”

“And maybe a bottle of pinot grigio to share with a new friend?” With the shipboard doctor, he wouldn’t have to worry about expectations and entanglements.

“I’ve never tried it that way. But, then, I’m not very good at sharing.” She glanced down at his bare finger. “I’m sure your girlfriend would enjoy the romantic gesture, though.”

“No girlfriend at the moment.”

She nodded her acknowledgement while she adjusted her grip on her cart, pulling it more decisively between them.

He’d gone too far, too fast. Message received.

He leaned back and closed his eyes, giving them both space.

He might be a romantic but he was a lousy long-term lover.

His ex-fiancée would be glad to expound upon that.

Impatient by nature, Niko had known there was some deep-seated, instinctive reason he’d never agreed to a wedding date. When she’d insisted he choose, either her or his work, he’d finally understood what that reason was.

Any woman who couldn’t love him for who he was didn’t love him at all. Sadly, after they’d both said their goodbyes, he’d realized he hadn’t loved her either. He’d just thought he should because his family had insisted they were the perfect couple. And his family always knew what was best for him.

When it should have been a tragedy, breaking off their engagement had been a relief. It had also been the last tie to living the ‘normal’ life his family wanted him to live.

This trip was his parting gift, his apology for letting them down, his peace offering for following his dream when he knew that was the last thing any of them would want him to do.

But his lifestyle change was tomorrow’s problem. Let tomorrow take care of itself.

The elevator jolted to a stop, putting the brakes on Niko’s runaway thoughts.

“Your floor?”

Annalise jerked as his voice called her back to the present. She’d gone away in her mind to avoid an awkward situation as she had so often in the past. But she’d never let down her guard like that while in a confined space with a man.

He was still leaning against the wall, but one eye was cocked open. How long had the elevator been stopped with the doors gaping open?

Keep it together, Annalise. With that admonishment, Annalise pulled the tatters of her self-discipline around her, took a deep breath and determined to carry on. She gave him a sheepish smile. “Lost in thought.”

“Been there, done that myself.” He pushed away from the wall.

She tugged her heavy cart to get the rollers moving over the rough separation between the elevator and the hallway floor.

“Need some help?”

“No. I’ve got it under control.” She was making more of this chance encounter than it really was, wasn’t she? No man like that would be interested in a woman like her, would he?

“I’ll be seeing you around.”

Not if I can avoid it. She wasn’t ready. Not now, maybe not ever, to feel an attraction to a man, especially a man as virile as this one.

“Enjoy your cruise.”

He raised a suggestive eyebrow. “I already am.”

She ignored the shiver that went through her. As she pulled her heavy load toward her clinic, she worked hard at dismissing the man who would forget about her the second the elevator doors blocked her from his sight.

Christopolous. If he was connected to her young patient, she knew all about how to keep her professional self apart from her personal self. But was that what she really wanted?

What she wanted was to have a normal reaction to a normal situation.

She couldn’t help taking a look back.

He was watching her, appreciation on his face. He gave her a long, slow, deliberate wink.

Almost against her will her mouth quirked up at the corners, acknowledging—and enjoying?—his attention.

As she felt the ship’s engines begin to churn far below her, she felt confused. She’d thought she was on an even keel, that nothing and no one could ever rock her boat.

Obviously, she’d been wrong.

Her little half-smile was more intriguing than the Mona Lisa’s.

She was perfect. A woman in her profession would understand that any romance Niko allowed himself to indulge in would end when the ship docked.

Niko watched the good doctor walk away on her long, strong legs until the elevator doors closed, blocking her from view. This trip was supposed to be about family, about paying back all the sacrifices they’d made for him—even if they’d never know that part of it. But surely he’d find time for himself, time for a harmless shipboard flirtation, wouldn’t he?

And if the good doctor wasn’t interested, there were plenty more fish in the sea, right?

A wave of exhaustion overcame him. His long hours and primitive living conditions must be to blame. That sinking feeling certainly couldn’t have come from the thought of possible rejection. His ego wasn’t that big, was it?

If so, his brothers would soon set it to rights.

Niko opened the door to his home away from home for the next three weeks. While not a huge cabin, it was certainly bigger than the tent he’d been sharing with a nurse and an anesthetist for the last month.

The private veranda was big enough to dine on—and do other things on, too. Yes, this cabin would do just fine.

The quick shower he took refreshed his energy as well as his attitude. The restorative powers of hot water and a bar of soap were nothing short of miraculous. Fresh underwear was a close second.

He picked out the least wrinkled casual dress shirt and pants from his rolling bag, shaking out the mustiness. Not too bad. Packing was a skill he’d had a lot of practice with.

From the connecting door he heard a hesitant knock.

“Uncle Niko, is that you?”

“Yes, Sophie, it’s me.”

He finished with the last of his shirt buttons then unlatched and opened the door between them and immediately gathered up an armful of six-year-old girl. Her bouncy black curls smelled of baby shampoo and her breath smelled of sugar and spice. Too much sweetness? A hint of fruitiness? Juvenile diabetes sucked.

“Sophie, when was the last time you checked your blood sugar?”

Before Sophie could answer, a voice worn with age but sharp nevertheless, said, “What? Not even a hello first, grandson?”

He looked past Sophie, snuggled on his shoulder, to the four-foot-ten-inch paragon who ruled the Christopoulos family with an iron skillet in one hand and baklava in the other.

“Hello, Yiayia.” He put down Sophie and bent to give a hug to the one woman who had always been there for him. “I’ve missed you.”

“There’s a way to prevent that. No one is making you stay away.” Despite her prickly words, her hug was warm and comforting. She took a step back to look up into his face, keeping both her gnarled hands on his arms as if she could hold him in place. “Wanderlust, like your uncle and your grandfather. At least you have sense enough to keep yourself from getting killed. If I hadn’t won this trip, I don’t know when we would have seen you next.”

Niko squirmed inside while he kept his smile brightly in place. “Livin’ the dream, Yiayia.”

His mercy missions meant everything to him. But his family would not be pleased if they knew he put himself in such danger, risking his life in areas where lives were lost in wars over water wells as frequently as they were from malaria. His thigh throbbed in memory.

The life of a an overworked, barely paid medical relief doctor was not the life his family had envisioned for him as they’d all sacrificed to send him to college and on to medical school.

He owed them so much. Could he do it? Could he follow his passion, leaving his family with loans and bills and kids to put through college—like they’d put him through all those years.

Yiayia pointed her bony finger at him. “The Christopoulos men are all lucky in love. Someday soon you will find the perfect woman and give me beautiful great-grandbabies.”

“Maybe someday, Yiayia.” It was easier to agree with her than to argue. And he certainly didn’t want to start off a three week vacation on her bad side.

He was so unlike his three brothers in so many ways. Not being cut out to be a family man was the one that hurt the most. He’d dated his fair share of women and then some but he’d not found one he wanted to spend a week with, much less a lifetime.

He flashed the smile that always worked with her. “You’ve set my standards too high, Yiayia. No other woman can compare.”

Yiayia reached up and pinched his cheek. “How can I stay mad at a face like this?”

Sophie had waited as long as she could. She jumped up and down to get attention. “I’m hungry. Ice cream, Yiayia! Ice cream!”

Yiayia’s eyes sparkled as bright as Sophie’s. “It’s included in the trip, Niko. Did they tell you that? Any time we want some. And fine dining each evening, too. Such a dream come true.”

It felt good to give back to the family that had sacrificed so much to give him his dream. They would have never accepted repayment for all the support they’d given him through the years. And they all certainly needed a break after the year and a half they’d just been through. If only he hadn’t had to set up such an elaborate ruse …

“All right, little one. Let me get my room key.” Yiayia turned to find the key.

Niko stopped his grandmother with a gentle hand on her arm. “Wait, Yiayia. What’s Sophie’s blood-sugar level?”

Yiayia had always made her little ones feel better through food and didn’t understand why it had to be different with Sophie—which was one of the main reasons why Niko had agreed to oversee Sophie’s care while onboard ship. All his brothers concurred that he had a way with Yiayia that none of the other three had.

“How do I know, Niko? You’re the doctor in the family.” She switched to Greek, a language Niko heard rarely and only among his grandmother’s contemporaries who had immigrated to the United States when she had. But he understood the gist of it.

Yiayia was resistant to taking the disciplined stance needed to protect Sophie’s health, thinking everyone was blowing it all out of proportion when her great-granddaughter looked just fine to her.

Niko gave her a stern look. “Where’s her blood-glucose meter?”

“In my luggage. I haven’t had a chance to unpack yet. She has to check in with the ship’s doctor thirty minutes before supper, anyway.”

Niko glanced down at Sophie, who was looking scared behind that pout she was sporting. The kid had been through even more than the rest of them.

In addition to being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, her mother had lost a baby and almost her life through miscarriage when their restaurant had had the kitchen fire. All the trauma had been straining a marriage that had been made in heaven. Sophie’s home life had been tense day in and day out for a long time.

The only reason Niko’s oldest brother and sister-in-law had let their daughter come without them was because they were on the verge of emotional exhaustion and Sophie’s doctor had insisted it would be better for Sophie to be away from the stress and tension for a while. So they had stayed behind to keep the restaurant open and work on their relationship, knowing Sophie would be surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins and Yiayia, who would all watch out for her.

“I’ll take her, Yiayia.” He checked his watch. “We’re a bit early but we’ll stop in and say hello to the doctor while you look for that meter.”

He’d promised his brother he would take care of Sophie. Who could have known his solemn vow would have the side benefit of bringing him together with the good doctor? Niko knew enough about life to make use of good luck when it presented itself.

And now he intended to take full advantage.

CHAPTER TWO

ONCE SAFELY IN her medical suite, Annalise took a deep breath, the first one she’d managed since that man had crowded her in the line boarding the ship.

Surrounded by the tools of her trade, she found her inner balance. If she could relive those brief moments as she boarded the ship …

But, then, going back in time wasn’t possible, no matter how hard she wished for it.

She dragged her clunking cases in front of the locked refrigerator reserved for medicines and inserted her key.

As Annalise put away the supplies she’d brought on board, bumping the bottles and boxes into uniform rows, she felt calm claim her. She pushed away the sheepishness she felt about overreacting. Emotional incidents happened on occasion, especially after such a trying day. Being ashamed of her reaction did nothing but undermine her success in coping.

The bell chimed, signaling someone had come into the medical suite. Officially, office hours didn’t start until tomorrow morning, but she had scheduled a visit with her juvenile diabetes patient to make sure they started off on the right foot. She glanced at her watch. Better early than late.

“But I don’t want to get stuck, Uncle Niko.”

Annalise heard them before she saw them as they entered the anteroom of the medical suite.

“Can’t be helped, Sophie.”

Sophie—it was the Christopoulos child.

That was his voice, wasn’t it? The elevator guy was with her little patient. Sometimes luck wasn’t in her favor.

Still, she liked it that he didn’t trivialize Sophie’s fears.

She’d checked the manifest earlier—solely to see where her little patient’s cabin would be and to verify that a small refrigerator had been moved into her cabin. She found it had been moved to the cabin next door, Niko Christopoulos’ room.

The girl was staying in the cabin next door to the refrigerator with her great-grandmother, Olympia Christopoulos. Twelve people surnamed Christopoulos, all with adjoining cabins or family suites, were on the ship, which had made the odds good she might run into him again.

She thought she’d braced herself for that strange feeling he’d caused in her. But her stomach gave a little flutter, knowing she’d soon be face to face with him again.

Apprehension? More than that.

Fear?

No. Not fear.

Anticipation, maybe?

Before she could sort that one out in her mind she rounded the corner and realized she’d downplayed his good looks in her mind. How could a real flesh-and-blood man be put together so well without magazine airbrushing to lend a hand?

He’d changed. He wore a charcoal-gray boxy button-down made of a silky cotton so fine it slid over his chest when he moved. Even though she wasn’t the touchy-feely type, she wanted to rub it between her fingers—purely for curiosity’s sake. And his white linen slacks looked loose, comfortable, deceptive. She remembered the shape of him in those jeans.

As he filled her office suite, she felt as if an electric current rode just below the surface of her skin. Unsettling was an understatement. But also energizing? Good? Bad?

She wasn’t sure.

Annalise stood a bit taller and smoothed down the lab coat she’d thrown over the chocolate-brown tailored slacks and matching loose blouse she’d changed into.

She felt acutely aware of herself as a woman, an awareness she always pushed down the list behind physician the minute she donned her lab coat.

What was happening to her?

Why now? Why him—okay, that one was easy. How could any woman not fail to go into immediate estrogen overload with him in such close proximity?

He held a notebook. The masculinity of his hand contrasted drastically with the notebook cover, which was totally overlaid with pink glittery stickers.

“Hi, again.” He stuck out his free right hand. “Niko Christopoulos, and this is my niece, Sophie.”

Sophie wore a baby-blue sailor dress with a large white collar and red cowgirl boots. Annalise could imagine the conversation between this little girl with the adorable stubborn jaw and the person who had helped her dress.

She took Niko’s hand, long-fingered and large enough to engulf hers, and that fluttery feeling intensified to an erratic quivering that grew as the seconds ticked by.

Using all her willpower, she made herself hold tight when she wanted to jerk back.

Then he quirked his eyebrow and glanced at their bonded hands.

How was she going to handle this?

Her fallback answer. Professionalism.

She released his hand and used her best patient care smile she’d practiced so hard to perfect. “Welcome, Sophie. I’m Dr. Walcott.”

“Uncle Niko is a doctor, too.”

“Really?” That didn’t surprise her. With his composure, Annalise was sure Niko Christopoulos could be anything he wanted to be.

Annalise squatted down to eye level with her patient, which gave her a good view of Niko Christopoulos’ expensive shoes. “And what do you want to be when you grow up?”

“A cook, of course. That’s what we all are—except for Uncle Niko.” She said it as if becoming a doctor instead of a cook was the most rebellious thing a man could do.

Niko shifted, causing Annalise to look up.

His eyes were tense and his mouth bracketed at the corners. “That’s not true, Sophie. Your mother is studying to become a nurse.”

“And my dad says it’s all your fault.”

He gave a deep, sad sigh as he held out his hand to help Annalise stand. “Maybe I should start over. Niko Christopoulos, black sheep of the family.”

Annalise wanted to make up an excuse to ignore his outstretched hand, but she couldn’t bring herself to reject the man even that small bit when he’d obviously been rejected enough by his own family. She knew how that felt.

“Dr. Christopoulos, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” As she said the niceties, he wrapped his hand around hers again, this time with the slightest of familiar pressure as if they were comrades in arms. Between his strength and his warmth she felt cocooned. Before she could feel trapped, he released her.

“Call me Niko. Professional courtesy, right? And you are …?”

She was a woman who rarely gave out her first name to strangers, liking the barrier titles and surnames erected around her.

“Annalise.” Saying her own name aloud felt so intimate, like a secret revealed. Trying to erase the uneasy feeling, she said in her most authoritative voice, “I understand you’re in charge of your niece’s blood-sugar checks while you’re aboard. Do you understand how to balance her food and activity with her insulin? Are you comfortable giving injections? I can give you a refresher course if you like. I know some doctors don’t give injections regularly.”

“Got it down.” His sister-in-law had emailed Sophie’s requirements and he had studied them on the plane.

“I don’t want a shot. I don’t like Uncle Niko being a doctor.”

Annalise shouldn’t get involved in family relations but she found herself saying, “I think it’s awesome your Uncle Niko is a doctor. He helps people feel better.”

“Daddy says Uncle Niko makes people’s noses smaller and his wallet bigger.”

This time Niko grinned, his cat eyes sparkling. “Guilty.” He gave Annalise a wink. “Although I can see my services are not needed here as you have a perfect nose. But we need your professional help, Dr. Walcott. We need to check Sophie’s blood sugar.”

Annalise had a huge moment of doubt. “You don’t know how to use her meter?”

Sophie looked down at her red boots. “Yiayia might have forgotten my blood-sugar meter in the car.”

Niko kept his smile firmly in place to hide his disappointment with Yiayia. She couldn’t seem to understand how important it was to monitor Sophie’s condition. Juvenile diabetes could get out of hand in a heartbeat.

“It’s hard for some family members to accept their young ones needing such continuous care,” Annalise said sympathetically.

Apparently, she saw behind his smile. He must be slipping. He was beyond tired. Could he catch a nap on deck after supper? A few moments of solitude would go a long way to preparing him to facing three weeks with his raucous family en masse.

Annalise pulled up Sophie’s charts on her computer screen. “When’s the last time you ate, Sophie?”

Sophie shrugged, uncharacteristically shy, and pointed to the notebook her uncle held.

Niko turned to the last entry and angled it so Annalise could have a look at the meal listed there. Fast food at a burger joint. There were better choices—much better.

Sophie was young, but she would still have to be taught to be aware of what she ate.

Annalise asked in a different way. “What did you have for lunch?”

“French fries.”

“Anything else?” Niko prompted.

“Aunt Phoebe made me eat my hamburger meat, but I didn’t want to and Yiayia said I shouldn’t have to because we were on vacation.”

“Aunt Phoebe did the right thing.” Annalise opened a cabinet and brought out a glucose meter. “Ready?”

Sophie folded her hands together behind her back and stuck out her chin. “No.”

Niko’s heart broke for her. Life wasn’t fair.

What method of persuasion would work best with her?

Of all his nieces and nephews, Sophie was the most stubborn of the bunch. She’d often been compared to him. What would have worked best for him?

“Sophie Olympia Christopoulos, I’m not going to treat you like a baby. You’re too brave for that. Now stick that finger out there and prove it to me.”

Niko could see the wheels turning in Sophie’s little brain and knew he’d scored. She stood up straighter and held out a finger. Right before Annalise rested the meter against it, Sophie broke. “Hold my hand, Uncle Niko, so it won’t go and hide again.”

Niko looked up at the ceiling, trying to find the strength before looping his fingers firmly around her tiny wrist. “All right. Let’s do this.”

“Are you ready?” Annalise moved quickly, pricking in mid-sentence before Sophie had a chance to tense up more. “It’s over.”

Sophie looked surprised. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“When Daddy does it, it hurts more.”

Niko could guess why. His brother probably let the drama build so high that the fear was worse than the prick.

It seemed a family meeting was in order.

The tug o’war that had been pulling at him all these months gave a jerk to his gut. He was the doctor in the family, the one they’d all sacrificed to put through medical school. The one they relied on for explaining these kinds of things. But he’d been out of town and out of touch more often than not.

And, if all went as planned, after this trip, he would be practically unreachable most of the time.

Guilt bowed his shoulders.

Annalise read the numbers then showed them to Niko. He hid his wince then checked his watch.

“We’ll eat in fifteen minutes. It’s about time for insulin, rapid and long-acting. Let’s go with the same amount and I’ll make sure she eats better this meal to balance it out.”

“Sounds good. Check again a few hours before bedtime to see if she needs a snack. Ask your waiter to bring apples and orange juice to keep in your room’s refrigerator.”

“Will do.”

“Ice cream!” Sophie said. “I want ice cream. Yiayia said I could have—”

Niko cocked his eyebrow, stopping her whine in mid-sentence. “If you eat your meal, you can have a little for dessert.”

While Annalise opened up her refrigerator and took out a vial of insulin, Niko paged through the notebook. “Abdomen for breakfast and lunch, thigh for supper, right?”

Annalise double-checked her notes. “Yes. And today is left side, tomorrow is right side.”

Sophie’s face clouded up as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She looked so small and delicate.

Niko felt so powerless. Injections and a strict regimen were Sophie’s fate for the rest of her life.

He picked her up to sit her on the examining table, giving her a big hug midway. “Sweetie, I would take this for you if I could, but I can’t.”

“If I don’t eat, I don’t have to have a shot, right?”

“Not an option, little one.”

He took the vials from Annalise and filled the syringe to the proper marking.

“Hold your finger out like a candle, sweetie.” He held up his own finger, showing her.

“I’m going to hold your leg still.” He put his hand on her thigh. “When I say, ‘Now,’ pretend you’re blowing out the candle. Be sure to blow hard.”

She gave him a confused look.

“Trust me.” He focused on the injection site. “Now.”

While Sophie blew, Niko took advantage of her distraction and injected the insulin.

“Good girl. All over.” He jotted down the particulars in Sophie’s notebook, taking a moment to appreciate the details his brothers and sisters-in-law were trying so carefully to document.

“You want to dig through the treasure chest, Sophie, and pick out a toy?”

“Okay.” Sophie shrugged, not looking very excited. After all these months of doctors’ visits she’d probably been rewarded with too many cheap toys in the past to make this one special.

Annalise helped Sophie down from the table then opened a huge plastic tub filled with monster trucks and snorkels and magic wands.

“I think there’s a superhero cape in there somewhere. A real one.”

Sophie began flinging plastic trucks and coloring books out of the box, digging for the cape. “Really?”

“Absolutely. I save the good stuff for the most courageous girls and boys.”

Niko gave Dr. Annalise Walcott a long look. She was a smart one, reinforcing Niko’s challenge to be brave with an enticing reward. Small things made big impressions with little patients. While he had the minimum of pediatrics training, he’d treated enough frightened children to pick up a thing or two. Apparently, Annalise had treated her own fair share of children, too.

“Found it!” Sophie triumphantly held up a bright pink cape along with the sparkling wand attached to it.

Niko quickly yanked off and crumpled up the tag that declared it a fairy costume instead of a superheroine disguise.

As she pointed the wand at him, he obligingly shrank back with as much mock terror on his face as he could muster. “SuperSophie. If I were a nasty villain, I would be quaking in my shoes right now.”

“Let me tie it on for you,” Annalise offered.

The pleased smile she gave Sophie made Niko think the good doctor really had picked out the cape herself. With her long legs she’d make the perfect bustiered and masked crusader.

Niko rubbed his hand over his eyes, clearing the vision. What was it about this demure doctor that had his imagination running wild? Had he been under so much pressure that he needed to resort to a fantasy life for relief? If so, what did that say for his stamina in the field?

Lack of resilience or desire to make a difference wasn’t what sidelined most of the special mission doctors. Coping with the mental stress, knowing they were only making a small dent in the needs of so many was what broke most of them.

Then again, maybe Annalise brought out the creative imagination in him. Nothing wrong with that, was there? This was a fantasy cruise after all.

“You’re really good with her, Dr. Christopoulos. I’m impressed.” When she smiled, her gaze was honest, her voice sincere. It felt better than good to be appreciated.

“It’s Niko.” His own voice was huskier than normal.

“Niko.” She licked her full lips.

Fascinating and, oh, so sexy with no contrivance or even an awareness of what her mouth could do to a man.

Niko reined himself in. It had been a while. Where he’d been wasn’t exactly an environment conducive to lovemaking.

How did he ask the good doctor if she would like to share a drink with him under the stars tonight? How could he make himself stand out in a crowd when he bet every man on board this ship would like to do the same?

I don’t do dinner, she’d said.

She’d been offputting on the gangway, but Niko could understand why. She probably had to field invitations and propositions all day, every day from total strangers.

What made him different from them? And why did it matter so much that he was? There were plenty of women aboard this ship looking for a diversion. But he had no interest in pursuing them. Only her.

What made her different?

He didn’t know, but he wanted to find out.

He searched for the right pick-up line but came up blank. What was the matter with him? He’d had no trouble knowing what to say to charm the opposite sex since he’d turned twelve.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” Annalise wiped away a non-existent blemish.

“How about sharing a bottle of wine tonight?” Nothing glib or witty or clever there. Just a straightforward request. “I thought, as colleagues, we could discuss medicine aboard ship. Strictly professional curiosity.”

She was shaking her head before she even started to turn him down. “I don’t really think …”

That’s when he heard them coming. No one could ever say a Christopoulos didn’t give you fair warning before arriving. From the sound of it, the whole family was in the medical suite’s anteroom.

Annalise looked alarmed.

“Not to worry. It’s not a mass emergency. Just an invasion of family.”

Family. Wasn’t that what he’d wanted when he’d planned this elaborate ruse, to spend time with family? Why was he even trying to strike up a shipboard romance with a woman who obviously had no interest in him?

He had to admit, paying attention to a beautiful woman sounded a lot more enticing than paying attention to his brothers as they droned on about the restaurant or to the sisters-in-law as they expounded on the joys and tribulations of parenthood.

As he and Sophie joined them he realized, as he had so many times in the past, that he was a square peg in a family of round holes. Now he understood that no amount of buying anonymous vacations was going to change that.

Seeing his sisters-in-law with children in tow, he also understood that no number of casual relationships would fill that hole of not having someone special to belong to, like his brothers did.

Choices. Live every man’s dream or live his own personal dream.

He would never again become involved with a woman who made him feel the pain of having to choose.

Annalise.

The good doctor was safe, right?

At a glance, Annalise recognized the people in her waiting room as family. They looked—and sounded—exactly alike.

Still, while the family resemblance was strong, Niko stood apart.

One of the lanky teenaged boys jostled another, who looked like an identical twin. “Of course we’d find Uncle Niko down here, playing doctor with the nurse.”

“I’d expect you to be out by the pool, Uncle Niko, checking out the bikini babes. When we walked by, there was this one …” He raised his hands like he was holding coconuts, or maybe watermelons.

Niko cut them both a harsh look. “Respect,” he growled.

At the same time as one of the women gave the twins a sharp look and said, “Boys, behave.”

Amidst the chaos of the two women and smaller children throwing themselves into Niko’s arms and the two men patting him on the back, Niko made introductions.

“Dr. Walcott, these are my brothers and their wives, with assorted nieces and nephews and my grandmother in the back. Family, meet Dr. Walcott. She will be helping us while we’re here.”

A tiny older woman, small in stature but big in presence, waded through three waist-high children and elbowed her way past the two tall boys to the front of the crowd. “I am Olympia Christopoulos. Everyone calls me Yiayia. We were all greatly relieved to learn the ship has its own doctor to help us with our little Sophie.”

Surprising Annalise, Yiayia wrapped her in a big hug. Annalise flailed her arms, unsure what to do, who to be. Should she pretend to be the type of person who was comfortable with this type of thing? Should she hug back? Finally, the hug was over and Annalise could be herself again.

Too late, she wished she’d wrapped her arms around the old woman, just to see what having a grandmother might feel like.

The woman who belonged to the twin boys turned to Niko and patted her huge Hawaiian print tote bag. “I have the meter. I see you have the notebook. It’s time for Sophie’s s-h-o-t.”

From the stricken look on Sophie’s face she clearly knew what word the woman had just spelled out.

Niko gave Sophie a reassuring pat. “Already taken care of, Phoebe.”

“You wrote it all down in the notebook, right? The time and the amount and her blood-sugar reading?” She turned to Annalise. “You know how men are. They don’t always think of these things.”

Who were these people? They acted as if they didn’t even acknowledge that Niko was a doctor in his own right. Or was that a good-natured tease? Maybe this was just a normal give and take of a normal family. Group dynamics wasn’t her strong suit.

“Don’t worry, sis. I learned how to chart in medical school.” Despite Niko’s self-deprecating smile, his tone held a hint of bite and his jaw held more than a hint of firmness.

His sister-in-law must have seen the same sparks in Niko’s eyes that Annalise saw because she tried to excuse herself by saying, “Of course you did, Niko. It’s just that you don’t usually have children as patients and you have that big staff to do things for you.”

Annalise envisioned a spa-like office suite with customized furniture arranged by a top designer, staff in matching trendy uniforms and coffee and tea with French names available to sip as the clientele discussed lifting brows, firming chins and reshaping cheekbones.

Her own utilitarian facilities would be stark in comparison. Still, her suite and her staff were top of the line, assembled to handle any emergency.

One of the men, older than Niko but definitely related, stepped forward. “Time to eat. Let’s see how cruise-ship food stacks up to Christopoulos food.”

A twin clapped Niko on the shoulder. “It’ll be nice to be served instead of being the server for a change, too. But, then, you never had to do the waiter thing, did you, Uncle Niko?”

The tiny ancient woman reached up and tweaked the boy’s ear. “If your grades were as good as Niko’s, you wouldn’t either.”

Phoebe turned to Annalise. “Niko tutored during high school instead of working in the restaurant.”

Annalise processed information, trying to fill in the holes while simultaneously wondering why this family would reveal so much to a total stranger.

“Good thing Niko’s so smart since he can’t cook worth a flip,” the other brother added. “Now, let’s go and eat.”

En masse, they turned and exited, carrying Sophie along with them but leaving Niko behind.

He raised an eyebrow. “Family. Gotta love ‘em, right?”

No. No, you didn’t. Annalise knew that first hand. But that was knowledge she had no intention of sharing. Sharing meant intimacy and intimacy was something Annalise didn’t do, especially with a man who made her breath skip when he stood this close.

She fell back on her professionalism. “Enjoy your dinner. Bring Sophie back any time you need to.”

“Thanks.”

Annalise stood by the glass door and watched him walk away.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like to look at men—she just liked to look from a distance. Now she allowed herself to admire the breadth of his shoulders and tautness of his butt even while her medical training had her noticing the slight hesitation of his left leg as he climbed the short flight of stairs leading to the main hallway. He’d said something about an injury when he boarded the elevator with her, hadn’t he?

Not her concern unless he sought out medical attention. She had to remind herself of that daily when she wanted to fix the world.

When her office was empty once again, it felt as if all the energy had been sucked out with the Christopoulos family.

No, not energy. They had taken joyous chaos with them when they’d left. The energy had gone with Niko, along with the impression of stability he projected of keeping that wild bunch under control.

Usually her haven, the atmosphere of the medical suite felt as cold as the stainless steel of the countertops and she felt restless, on the verge—but on the verge of what?

Underneath her feet the rumble of the huge engines reverberated as they churned through the waters of the Gulf of Mexico on their way towards the open water of the Atlantic.

She was being silly. The feel of freedom was all around her. Why, then, was she missing the anchoring sensation Niko had taken with him?

CHAPTER THREE

NIKO SAT AT the dining table surrounded by family, knowing he’d turned down his best chance of a family of his own.

His ex-fiancée hadn’t asked him for anything extraordinary—only to give up his work, to give up his soul.

She hadn’t understood. He hadn’t been able to make her understand what Doctors Without Borders meant to him. That he’d never felt more alive as he beat the odds, winning out over a harsh world unlike any his family had ever seen and snatching the downtrodden back from the edge of death. What were the odds he could make his family understand anyway?

Misunderstood. Different. The story of his life. Was there anyone on the planet who could understand?

In walked Annalise Walcott. She’d shed her lab coat, exposing the silk blouse over her trousers. Classy.

She was the total package, wasn’t she? Brains and beauty. Such a winning combination.

While he’d appreciated the shorts earlier on the gangway, now he appreciated the way her silky blouse moved across her …

“Uncle Niko, what are you staring at?” His nephew Marcus interrupted as the teen followed Niko’s line of sight.

“Just taking in the scenery.”

“You mean that brunette at that corner table? She looks like your type.”

Niko checked out the voluptuous dark-haired woman sitting alone. Big hair, big earrings, big bone structure, everything he usually liked in a woman. He even liked her interesting nose, more aquiline than fashionable, but it suited her. “She’s okay, I guess.”

Beside him, Yiayia was taking a keen interest in the conversation while trying to appear as if she wasn’t.

“You’re not talking about Dr. Walcott, are you?” Marcus asked.

“Absolutely.”

His nephew gave him a quizzical look. “She’s not Greek.”

“It’s not like I’m going to marry her.”

Marcus laughed. “Everyone knows you’re not the marrying kind, Uncle Niko. We all live through you vicariously, even Dad.” Marcus elbowed his father next to him to get his attention.

Niko’s brother Stephen gave him a somber frown. “You’ve got to settle down sometime, Niko. We all liked Melina. Maybe if you talked to her? Apologized for whatever you did. Or even if you didn’t do anything—”

“My broken engagement is none of your business, brother.”

Stephen narrowed his eyes, but backed down and looked away when Niko continued to glare, using refilling his wife’s wine glass as his excuse to turn away.

The eight years that separated them in age also separated them in values. Or maybe they were just too different. His brothers were so much like the father he could barely remember, while he was his own person.

If only he didn’t have to keep reminding them of that.

Marcus spoke barely loud enough to hear. “It’s true, isn’t it, Uncle Niko? The Christopoulos men are destined to be family men, aren’t they?”

“You’ve been listening to Yiayia too much.” Niko could see a lifetime of family tradition shackling his nephew, just as it tried to shackle him.

“Every man has to find his own purpose. Family is a very good purpose—just not for everyone.” Knowing what he was about to do was tantamount to anarchy, Niko leaned in and pinned his nephew with his stare. “Promise me, Marcus, that you’ll take some time to think about what you want—not what anyone else expects from you.”

Marcus swallowed hard. “Not everyone is as strong-willed as you are, Uncle Niko. I envy that about you. But someday …”

Niko thought of all the trips he took abroad with Doctors Without Borders, the trips his family thought he took for leisure. They thought he was gallivanting to tropical paradises, giving his wild side a long leash before settling down while his partners carried his load.

He encouraged them to think that. What would they think if they knew his partners admired and supported his perilous service work? And how would they feel about him if they knew family wasn’t on his radar?

Not providing grandchildren was the second-biggest sin in the Christopoulos family Bible, right under “Don’t live dangerously.”

It was a rule he wasn’t very good at following. Neither had his uncle or his grandfather. But, then, his parents had both been killed in a car wreck while on a trip to the store. Playing it safe didn’t mean a person would be safe. And following the family rules didn’t mean he would be happy like they were.

How did the good doctor juggle her family with her medical practice? Working on a cruise ship, she was separated from her loved ones more often than not, wasn’t she?

Because he was staring, and because she turned and caught him at it, he stood and walked toward her to invite her over.

She looked around, as if she were looking to see who he was approaching.

He brightened up his smile a few notches.

She gave him a nervous smile back, shook her head and started to turn away. And his ego took the well-aimed shot to heart. Of all the women in all the world, why did he have to find this one so fascinating?

Then fate worked in Niko’s favor. The captain, coming up behind her, helpfully pointed out that a guest was requesting her presence.

“Good evening.” As the ship rocked, the captain politely rested his hand on Annalise’s back, effectively keeping her still and steady. “Are you in need of our doctor?”

Niko had the strongest urge to push away the captain’s hand, replacing it with his own.

Need. Yes, he was in need of her. Just standing next to her made endorphins flood his brain. What was it about her? And what excuse could he use to keep her close to him?

“If you have a few seconds, Dr. Walcott, I could use the reinforcement when I explain once again to Sophie’s grandmother why Sophie can’t have late-night snacks.”

The captain dropped his hand and Annalise took a breath and an automatic step back from Niko, trying to find her comfort zone. But nothing about this man could be described as comfortable. As soon as the captain was out of earshot, she called him on his excuse. “I’ve seen you with your family, remember? When you speak, they all look at you as if every word was gold. You don’t need any help from me, Doctor.”

“But I do.” His tiger eyes glittered. “You might notice I’m the only unmarried brother left. My family would like to change that. You’ll keep me safe from their matchmaking, at least for tonight.”

Too aware that everyone at Niko’s table intently watched them, Annalise hesitated.

“Please?”

Annalise had never been able to turn down a plea for help—at least, that’s what she told herself as she said, “Okay. But don’t make a habit of this.”

As she wove in and out, past the other diners, she questioned herself but could come up with no reason why she hadn’t made her usual polite escape whenever a man took notice of her.

Was it the sincerity in his voice? What about him made her feel ready to respond to the interest in a man’s eyes?

All the Christopoulos men stood as Annalise approached their table. Their good manners made her feel self-conscious and very feminine.

With Sophie now cuddled in her Aunt Phoebe’s lap, it left an open seat between him and Yiayia.

As Niko pulled out the chair for her, he leaned in and whispered, “You’re blushing. Nice.”

“I’m not used to such …” She held her hand out to the standing men, speechless.

“A show of good manners,” Yiayia finished her sentence. “Take it as your due, dear. You deserve it.”

What would it be like to be a part of a large family where she was loved and respected on a daily basis?

A warm glow deep inside vied with the chill of nerves prickling along her skin.

Conflicted. Was she doomed to always be conflicted?

“Wine, Doctor?” A server held the bottle of merlot for her inspection.

Normally, Annalise would say no. While she enjoyed an occasional glass of wine with a good book, she never drank in uncomfortable social situations. But she found herself saying yes instead.

“And you, sir?” the waiter asked Niko.

He started to shake his head, but his brother Stephen was nodding instead.

“Give the man another drink. He’s a doctor, you know? Under stress all the time. Look at that strain around his eyes. You need to cut loose every now and then, Niko, or you’ll be looking as old as me before your time.” Stephen held his glass out. “And pour me another one, too, will you?”

Niko knew his brother’s remark was a dig at his supposed frivolous lifestyle, which Stephen was both jealous of and proud he’d played a part in providing. Niko should have never let the misunderstanding lie between them for so long.

But so much had been happening when he’d left for his first mission. The restaurant fire, the miscarriage that had threatened his sister-in-law’s life and Sophie’s diagnosis had rocked the foundations of his very strong family.

Leaving his family at their time of need had been the hardest decision he’d ever had to make.

He wasn’t good at raw emotion. Just being there for his loved ones had made him feel trapped and helpless—made him remember too much.

He’d had to take action. Do something. Fix something. There had been nothing he could do for his family to make them any better.

But he’d had the medical dossiers of a half-dozen children in his briefcase—children who could die without his medical care. He’d decided he would only be in the way if he stayed around.

He’d reasoned that there was no sense in adding to everyone’s worries if Doctors Without Borders wasn’t for him. Now that he’d made his decision, he wouldn’t put a damper on this trip, but he would tell them at the end that working for Doctors Without Borders would be permanent.

He had already made arrangements to begin the sale of his share of the partnership as soon as he returned home. But for now he would keep pretending, for their sakes.

“Everything okay?” Annalise’s hand fluttered over his arm, as if she wanted to touch him but felt he was off limits.

Niko pasted on his brightest smile. “I’m sharing a glass of wine with a brilliant, beautiful woman. What could be better? Except maybe a bit of privacy.”

While he didn’t know her well, he read her eyes with ease. Concern turned to disappointment. It seemed that’s all he did lately, disappoint the women in his life.

But, then, Annalise wasn’t in his life, was she? She was a simple, uncomplicated diversion. In three weeks, walking out of her life would be as easy as walking off this ship.

He’d meant to be flippant, but he tempered it with truth. “I’ve got a lot going on in my head right now. I guess I haven’t quite made the transition to vacation mode yet.”

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