Chapter 3

                                        

                                              
Zoe
When I got to my room, I slumped on the bed, trying to calm my racing heart. 
How was I going to survive a week with Zeus? He was getting on my last nerve, and it'd only been an hour.
It didn't help that time had somehow made him better looking than I remembered, his once boyish features sharpening with age. The way his silvery gray eyes had held me in place at that tea table brought a rush of emotions I wanted to shove back down. Immediately. And lock up for good. 
The last thing I needed this week was any further heartbreak at the hands of a Petrakis. 
I'd just avoid him, I resolved. Busy myself with my booth at the Expo and finding a new shipping partner to help close the deal with John. 
And then I'd return to New York and go back to pretending he didn't exist.
Sitting up, I looked around my room, taking everything in. It was spacious and elegant, with a queen-size canopy bed draped in soft white curtains and a fluffy carpet below. It also had a living room, all set up with a coffee table, bookshelves, magazines, a desk, and a TV. 
The stone walls and wooden floors made the room feel cozy and classic, and I could see the gorgeous garden from the big steel windows.
I ventured out of my room to the bathroom at the end of the hall. Like the bedroom, it was lovely, with stone walls and a clawfoot tub near a stained-glass window, all softly lit by a vintage chandelier. 
A large mirror hung above the vanity, matching the modern glass-enclosed shower. Neatly folded soft white towels and robes sat on a rack, and the air smelled of a wonderful and relaxing lavender scent.
I removed my clothes and shoes, then stepped into the shower. After a long flight and a surprise run-in with my greatest enemy, I was looking forward to this moment. I let out a sigh of relief as the warm water ran over my body, easing my tired muscles and nerves. The delightful scents of shampoo and body wash filled the air, revitalized my senses, and energized me. 
By the time I finished, I felt completely recharged.
After putting on a robe and blow-drying my hair, I stepped outside the bathroom—
And collided with a hard, muscular body. 
"You should really watch where you're going," said a deep voice. I didn't need to look up to know who it was—his unmistakable cologne and sharp tone gave him away. 
"Sorry, Mr. Petrakis." I stepped away, tightening my robe. "I'll be more careful next time."
He arched his brow. "Are we really going to continue this charade?"
I looked up at him, resolute. "As far as I'm concerned, I don't know you anymore. Unless you'd rather explain to John and Margaret why we haven't spoken in 8 years."
Zeus scowled at that, his jaw clenching as his eyes scanned me.  
"Alright," he agreed, stepping out of my way. "Let's pretend we don't know each other."
"Great," I said, then practically raced down the hallway.
"See you at dinner at seven," he called after me, as if he was enjoying my frustration.
I shut the door to my room, locked it, and called my parents to inform them I had settled in at Somersby Estate and avoided spiraling about Zeus. Even at 26, they still liked to check on me. They were very protective of their three kids, especially me—their only daughter.
I laid on the bed with my iPad resting on a pillow. The screen flickered, showing my mom's worried face and my dad busy at his desk in the background.
"There you are!" My mom, Sweet Stavrakos, exclaimed. "Where were you? I've been calling for hours."