Free The Summer Deal by Aleka Nakis Page A

was going to follow her original plan. She had to find the freedom within herself.
    Samantha sat on her bed and listened to the basketball game playing on the television in the other room. Thinking it appropriate to give the couple their privacy, she waited patiently until the set was off, and she heard them leave. Walking into the living area, she spotted the refrigerator and remembered how hungry she was.
    She took a small cup of strawberry yogurt to the table on the veranda. Watching the fishing boats and the lights play in the nearby harbor, she realized why Greeks spent most of their time outside. The night sky was amazing. Stars danced in the darkness, which met the sea, smooth as oil. She could hear music from somewhere, and looked down to see people eating at a taverna to the right of the seawall. There were more people out now, close to midnight, than there had been when she had arrived.
    Samantha would take advantage of the night’s rest and be ready to go in the morning. She finished her yogurt, washed up for bed, and stayed in her room, watching a John Wayne movie until she fell asleep.

Chapter Nine
     
     
    Sunlight filled the quiet living space and silent hope for a relationship blossomed in the morning glow. Demo smiled and walked past the temporary office then knocked softly, cracking the bedroom door when Sammy didn’t answer after several moments. His gut clenched. Her room was empty.
    Where was she? It was only seven-thirty in the morning.
    He let out a long breath, and scanned the suite for a note. The kitchen counter was empty, the desk was clean of papers, and the coffee table sat bare. He looked out on the veranda. Nothing.
    “First, she bails on dinner and now breakfast.” He ran his fingers through his hair and scratched the back of his head. He had been looking forward to seeing Sammy’s bright green eyes early in the morning.
    The silence nagged him. He missed the sound of her voice. Demo made a mental note to pickup a local cell phone for her. At least in case of emergency, she’d have a way to contact him. At most, he could hear her voice whenever he wanted to.
    What the hell had gotten into her? It was as if she’d pushed a button and turned off to him.
    He pulled on his Nikes and went for a run. Returning to the resort, he jogged by the pool and spotted a copper mass gliding in the water. He stopped and placed his hands on his knees to watch.
    Sammy did a few more laps and then walked out of the pool like Aphrodite emerging from her shell. Wearing a shiny brown bikini, she sauntered to a lounge chair and shook out her hair. Lying in the sun, her fair skin wet and reflecting the light, she radiated with bewitching temptation. He wiped a trickle off his brow, and smiling in appreciation, walked over.
    “Good morning, Sammy, or kalimera as we say in Greece.”
    “ Kalimera ,” she attempted the Greek greeting, and raised her hand to shield her eyes. “I thought you were still sleeping. Did you want to start work early?”
    “Work?” he said in a grudging voice. Now that he’d found her, he didn’t want to think of business. Soon she’d be back to calling him Mr. Lakis. “No, not at all. I was hoping we could have some coffee together. Did you have breakfast yet?”
    “I usually just have some juice. They have fresh squeezed orange juice at the pool bar.”
    “How about you join me at the café? I need a real breakfast.” He offered his hand, not waiting for her answer.
    “Where is Miss Markos?”
    “Zoë?” He twisted his outstretched arm in question. “She likes her sleep and never gets up early on vacation. Come on, my stomach is growling.”
    Standing, she wrapped a gold sarong around her hips, slipped her tiny feet into a pair of sandals, and reached for her bag at the same time as he did. Their fingers touched, and a spark jolted up his arm.
    He paused a moment and then took the bag from her hand. Holding it with two fingers, he swung it over his right shoulder and