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As soon as he picked up, I launched in. “Come into my office. Something urgent has come up, and I need you to help me handle it as quickly as possible.”
“Coming right up, boss,” he answered quickly. I hung up the phone and waited, hearing his footsteps on the stairs and then down the hallway before he was knocking at my door. He didn’t wait for me to call him in, he just entered the room and took a seat in the leather armchair in front of my desk, the old leather squeaking loudly as he settled into place.
Behind his polished spectacles, his keen hazel eyes appraised me expectantly. He cocked his head and crossed one leg over the other. He painted the picture of a distinguished gentleman, with his silver-gray hair meticulously combed back and his grey tweed tailored suit perfectly pressed and fitted to his powerful frame.
“Maci needs my help. I need to book the jet to the States, immediately,” I dictated, and he nodded. He didn’t need any further explanation. He’d learned a long time ago not to ask questions.
Andreas had been at my family’s side for years. He’d known of Maci’s existence when no one else did. If anyone else found out about her, her life would be in danger, and I couldn’t live with myself if that happened. My world was treacherous, and she didn’t belong in it. I wanted her to lead a normal life, and mine wasn’t that.
As the heir to the formidable Kaligaris shipping dynasty, my family’s maritime legacy extended across a vast expanse of international waters. My world consisted of immense power and influence, a never-ending realm of legal and illegal business dealings, as well as a massive amount of cutthroat competition.
The Kaligaris name commanded respect and fear, with our shipping empire being among one of the largest in Greece. We’d built our fortune over generations, but the international shipping business was not a safe place.
As much as it was controlled by my father and a number of others, much of it was tangled up with the secretive motives of the Greek and Italian mafias. My father needed a sharp mind to navigate such dangerous waters, and he was grooming me to take his place when the time was right. I would take over his position when he finally passed, but that wouldn’t be for a while yet.
For the time being, he ran the family. Right now, I was simply helping us to grow even bigger, or at least that was my goal. I was trying to diversify our business dealings, and I didn’t have time to deal with wayward girls that needed their asses thoroughly welted by a belt to set them straight.
“I can start planning right away, boss. Should we say that you’re just checking on a special shipment coming into the Philadelphia port?” Andreas offered thoughtfully.
“Yes. Her existence needs to remain secret. I can’t have the Pappas family finding out about her or anyone else,” I confirmed, and he nodded quickly.
“Understood, boss. I’ll handle the arrangements and keep it tight. Your secret will remain safe. I promise.”
* * *
I worked quickly.
In less than an hour, I was on my private jet. By the time I touched down, I had called in several favors from the local and state judges in Pennsylvania. At first, they didn’t want to post her bail because she had already proven to be a bit of a flight risk, but after several very expensive payoffs, I saw to it that she would be released first thing in the morning on bail. I’d already arraigned several top lawyers and built her a formidable team. I would make sure that she got nothing more than a slap on the wrist and community service by the time this inevitably blew over. Best case scenario, I’d get it thrown out on a technicality and this would disappear for her entirely.
First thing the next morning, I was standing inside of the police station, waiting for her to be processed and let out. The aroma of stale coffee lingered, and I wrinkled my nose in disgust. I checked my watch and saw that it was five past nine.
Typical. They would be on time if I ran this place.
That, or they would be fired on the spot.
Finally, the heavy doors at the end of the hall swung open, revealing a small petite form no more than five feet two inches tall. A telltale flash of rich auburn waves covered her face, hiding her from me at first glance, until she looked up and her pale bluish-green eyes gazed at me for the first time since she was a little girl.
Maci Williams wasn’t a toddler anymore.
Her glossy tresses caught the light just so, shining like strands of polished copper and framing her pale complexion as they fell down several inches past her shoulders. A smattering of freckles dotted her nose and flushed cheeks. Her features were like that of a doll, soft and dainty and entirely too beautiful for a nineteen-year-old girl. Her lips were the color of a blooming rose and her tongue darted out to lick them.
That little pink tongue would look awfully nice sucking your cock…
I watched the tip of that tongue with a building sense of shame, knowing I shouldn’t be looking at her like that but doing it anyway simply because I could.
Once her tongue was safely back in between those pretty lips, I let my gaze travel down further still. Time seemed to pause as my eyes traced down the contours of her slender form. The subtle curves of her waist and hips were absolutely divine. Her breasts were the perfect size, just enough to fill the seat of my palm and no more.
I wondered if her nipples were a dusky pink to match her lips.
Fuck.
It had been far too long since I’d been with a woman. She was my fucking goddaughter for Christ’s sake. If Michael knew that I was thinking about his child like this, he’d probably smite me dead from the grave.
I swallowed hard, but my eyes still wandered. Her long lean legs were accentuated by the sway of her hips as she walked, which bespoke of a quiet confidence and a hint of mystery, at least until our eyes met and her steps faltered.
Her eyes were such a mesmerizing color, a bluish green that was like the depths of a tranquil lagoon bathed in the moonlight. There was a subtle shift in color between sage green and pale blue and when the light hit them just right, they radiated with an ethereal luminosity.
I couldn’t look away.
