The youngest Pantelides was already on the waterfront with Sakis when they arrived.
Theo Pantelides was as tall as Ari but broader-shouldered with the same jet-black hair, although his bore no hint of the grey sprinkled at Ari’s temples.
Equally as gorgeous, his eyes were several shades lighter than Ari’s hazel and held the same speculation as Sakis’s when they rested on her.
‘So I finally meet the woman who’s caused quite the stir at Pantelides HQ.’
‘Theo...’ Ari growled a mild warning.
Theo’s smile was unrepentant as he held out a closed fist to her. A smile twitching at her lips, she touched her knuckles to his in a bemused fist bump.
‘About time someone shook him out of his doldrums,’ he added with a wink.
Sakis laughed and Brianna grinned but Ari’s narrow-eyed stare held no mirth.
‘Tell me you’re ready to get your ass whipped and I’ll happily oblige you,’ he said through clenched teeth.
‘Any time, old man.’
Ari’s jaw clenched harder but the hand he clamped on his brother’s shoulder to push him towards the boat was so affectionate it brought a lump to Perla’s throat. He disappeared into the specially built boathouse and emerged minutes later dressed in a dark gold rowing suit that moulded to his body.
Perla tried not to stare at the perfect specimen of man that was Arion Pantelides but when he grabbed the end of the scull and hefted it over his shoulders, she struggled to get air past her restricted throat into her lungs.
Purely for self-preservation, she looked away. Then immediately looked back.
‘God, don’t even try to resist that. Don’t get me wrong, I think Sakis is the best-looking of the bunch, but the three of them together like this, even I find it hard to breathe, never mind keep my eyes solely on my husband,’ Brianna muttered.
She grinned at Perla’s shocked laugh, fanned herself and moved closer to the edge of the viewing bench to watch the men set their scull on the water and climb in.
Sakis took the front seat, Theo the middle and Ari the last. They sank their oars into the water. Theo rolled his shoulders and laughed when Ari admonished him to be still.
Their chests rose and fell in rhythm, once, twice. Then they struck away from shore in flawless synchronicity.
‘Wow.’
‘I know, right? I’ve watched them row many times but I never get over how perfect they look together.’
Again Perla felt that tiny pang of jealousy. But she couldn’t help but wonder if this could be her baby’s life if she agreed to what Ari wanted. Her child, and by definition she, could be a part of this...togetherness. She didn’t have to be on the outside looking in like she had her whole life. She could give her baby a ready-made family who would cherish him or her.
She watched the men row, her eyes continually drawn to Ari, who now had a grin on his face despite the determination in his eyes.
‘Ari seems different.’
Perla jumped and turned to Brianna to find those incisive blue eyes on her. ‘Um...is he?’
Brianna nodded. ‘At the funeral he seemed ready to smash everyone’s head in. Today he looks as if the only person whose head is in danger is Theo, which, considering that’s par for the course, is worth mentioning.’
‘And you think I have something to do with that?’
‘Definitely. You and...that, I’m guessing.’
She followed Brianna’s gaze to where her hand rested on her stomach. With a gasp, Perla snatched her hand away but not before Brianna gave her a sympathetic smile.
‘I...no one knows,’ she said hurriedly.
‘Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.’ Her hand rose to rest over her own stomach. ‘I have a secret of my own. Although I have a feeling it won’t remain a secret for long. Sakis has been bursting to tell the whole world. But I’m guessing he’ll start with his brothers for now.’
‘Congratulations,’ Perla offered. Then curiosity made her blurt, ‘How do you feel?’
‘Frankly? Scared out of my mind. I didn’t have the best of childhoods so I don’t have a role model to fall back on. Sakis tells me I’ll be a great mother but I think he’s hopelessly biased.’ Her smile was tinged with anxiety but full of love as her gaze swung back to the men. ‘What about you?’
‘Honestly, between Ari’s determination to get me to marry him and the job I have to do here, I haven’t had time to be scared, but—’
‘Ari asked you to marry him?’ Brianna’s eyes were wide with surprise. ‘That’s huge! I presume he’s told you what happened to his wife?’