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several heartbeats she sat frozen, unable to look away.

    Theo Catomeris, the man she’d thought she’d never see again, sat at a table with two women, one with dark hair, the other an almost-blonde. He looked serious, his expression grim. Trish couldn’t help but wonder what they were talking about and why he was on the ship.

    When he’d dropped her and the other tourists back in Corfu Town, she’d been certain she’d failed. Now it looked as though she may have been given another chance to convince him to sign that contract with her company. Trish’s heart fluttered in her chest and she placed the cup back on the saucer with a trembling hand as excitement coursed through her.

    Although she often got an adrenaline rush before making a big business deal, this felt like something more. She suspected her mounting excitement wasn’t just because she had another chance to make the deal or save the jobs of her employees. Some of the rush came from seeing Theo again.

    “I really wanted Bananas Foster,” Sally said with an exaggerated sigh. “But the fruit should be good, don’t you think? And it’ll be a lot less calories.”

    “The fruit will be fabulous,” Trish heard herself murmur. Pushing back her chair, she rose to her feet and placed her napkin on the table. “I see someone I know. I’m going to run over and say a quick hello.”

    Without waiting for her friend’s reply, Trish started across the dining room, carefully avoiding the waiters holding large silver trays laden with desserts. On her way to Theo’s table, she noticed several admiring glances.

    She gave all the credit to the russet-colored silk dress she’d picked up several months ago on clearance. It hugged her lithe body, giving a tantalizing illusion of curves where there weren’t any.

    The closer she came to the table, the happier Trish was that she looked her best. She’d been so focused on Theo that she’d failed to properly appreciate his dinner companions, two very beautiful women in their midthirties.

    The one with dark hair and an olive complexion looked as if she could be Greek. The other woman was fair, with classic English looks. Their dresses were designer elegant and judging by the number of waitstaff hovering near the table, one or both were very important.

    Interrupting a man having a private dinner is risky , a tiny little voice inside Trish’s head warned. He saw you. He’s probably still angry. If he wanted to talk, he’d have come to you.

    Trish knew she could have waited. That may have been a better option. After all, the alcoves were specifically for passengers desiring privacy. But she’d already finished her dinner and she couldn’t wait at the table all night hoping he’d come over. Besides, she only planned to say hello. Any business person would do the same.

    Drawing closer to the table, she became increasingly aware of the intimacy of the setting. Neither woman looked up as Trish approached. There was something about the threesome…something that was similar. Perhaps it was their shared Greek heritage. Now that she was closer, Trish could see then even though the blonde didn’t have the same dark complexion, there was definitely Greek blood in her background.

    The dark-haired woman was recounting some tale for Theo, punctuating her words with exaggerated hand gestures. The other woman’s attention was totally focused on Theo.

    He wore a button-up shirt open at the neck, and its pristine whiteness brought out the olive tones of his skin. Trish could understand why the women couldn’t seem to take their eyes off him.

    Her steps slowed, but when he looked up and saw her, Trish knew she was past the point of turning back. She was barely five feet from the table when the women finally noticed her.

    Of course, Theo pushing back his chair and rising to his feet was a fairly obvious clue that she wasn’t just another guest passing by.

    “Miss.” A tall muscular man in a dark suit appeared out of