Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
T wo and a half weeks later
Valencia
“Aren’t you excited we’re here?” Emily asked as soon as the conference room doors were opened and we’d walked outside.
“We haven’t seen much of the city,” I told her as I struggled to slide my laptop back in my case. “We’ve had three days of intense classes and speakers.”
“But we have tonight off,” she reminded me.
Yes, we did. I’d felt blessed when given the opportunity, a substitute for the doctor from another hospital who’d been unable to attend at the last minute. I’d had forty-eight hours to pack, have my sister stay at my house with Magnum, and ensure my patients would be cared for the way I preferred. Although I’d never taken an international flight before and loathed flying. I’d been white knuckled the entire time.
Thankfully, at least my father had insisted his two daughters have passports at an early age. He’d hoped to travel abroad. Things hadn’t worked in his favor.
“I’m not sure I care,” I told her. “I’m exhausted.” While the lectures and two clinics had been informative, I was still suffering from jetlag and lack of sleep. Without Magnum by my side, it had been tough to get comfortable. I missed the furball more than I would admit to anyone but my sister.
“Come on,” she chided.
My phone chimed and I immediately pulled it into my hands. A Facetime call. “It’s my sister, Katrina.” We continued walking down the crowded corridor toward the elevators. “Hey, Kat. How are things?” I noticed Magnum doing his best to get into the frame.
“Your puppy misses you,” she cooed.
“You and that sweet pup,” Emily teased.
I snarled at her on purpose. “Let me talk to him.”
“He’s been waiting since I said we were going to try and call you. Hey, puppy. Mommy dog is on the phone.”
Woof! Woof!
“Hi, baby boy. Do you know how much your mommy misses you? Do you know how much I wuv you?” I sounded like I was talking to a little baby, but that’s what my furball was. He was my one and only child, although I’d already thought about getting him a companion. Maybe when I returned to New York.
He squealed and turned in a full circle. Woof. Woof!
“Aw. Would you look at him?” Emily crowded over my shoulder. We’d stopped right in the middle of the hallway, people forced to go around us.
“Say hi, Miss Emily. Magnum, you remember Emily. Right?” I asked and he wagged his tail, even licking the phone. “I told you he liked you.”
Emily sighed. “I need a dog.”
“He’s my son,” I said proudly and could tell certain colleagues were staring at me as if I was an alien. At least a few others had smiles on their faces. “I love you, Magnum. I’ll be home soon. Now, be good for your Auntie Kat. Okay?” An ache remained in my heart from leaving him. Other than the night shifts I’d worked at the hospital, I’d never left him for more than eighteen hours.
It was killing me.
“Stop worrying, sis. He’s with me and eating like a horse.” Katrina grinned. “Meet any hot men yet?”
Both Emily and I glanced at the older doctors who continued to pass us. “Uh, not a chance.”
“But we’re going out tonight,” Emily intervened.
I pushed her away, wrinkling my nose as I made a face. “Maybe.”
“Have some fun for a change. You’re like an old lady.”
“Shut your mouth,” I told my sister. “Fine. I’ll go out for a drink. One drink. Now, go take care of my baby. Kiss him goodnight later.”
“Just stop it.” Katrina rolled her eyes. “By the way, do you want me to throw away the dead roses?”
“They’re from him, the sexy man who’s been haunting her fantasies.” Emily was practically purring.
“I’m going to kick your butt,” I told Emily after she interjected. “No. Just leave them until I get home.”
Katrina shook her head. “O-kay, sis. And here I thought you’d never be interested in a man. Can’t you find one in the States?”
“Can’t you mind your own business? Love you, baby sis.”
“Love you too. Go have fun!”
I ended the call and held the phone against my chest. “God, I miss that little man.”
“You really need to start a family. That’s why you pine away so much.”
“That is not going to happen. I’m very happy the way I am.” I’d tried to convince myself of that for years. My career was most important. Maybe.
“You’re missing the Greek hunk. Christos Nomikos. Wasn’t that his name?”
“Yes. I’m surprised you remembered.”
She huffed. “Are you kidding me? You haven’t so much as talked about a guy since coming to New York. That’s a long dry spell. You should have seen your eyes that night of the rehearsal dinner.”
“Okay. He intrigued me, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to attempt to find him. We met. I saved his life. There was nothing else.”
“Except for one hot kiss.” She loved teasing me. Maybe because I deserved it.
“Don’t remind me. Thank you.”
“You have no sense of humor. You know I looked him up?”
“Why?”
Her nose wrinkled before she answered, which usually meant she was about to lie. “Since I’ve never seen you so interested, I had to see what all the fuss was about.”
“And?” She knew I’d ask.
“His photographs certainly do him justice. And he’s very well known in Athens and from what I can tell, everywhere in Greece. His family owns some clubs that must be doing well. I think they’re quite wealthy.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
When she sighed, I stopped and turned. “What?”
“You know how the press embellishes everything,” she started. I remained quiet. “It’s just that the family’s reputation also includes the fact they’re…” She stopped and glanced from one side to the other as if worried someone was listening in on our conversation. “A mafia family.”
It took a few seconds for what she’d told me to sink in. I burst out laughing. “Are you watching those crime thrillers again?”
“Don’t be na?ve. You know there are crime syndicates in every country. Think about it. The gunshots. The dead bodies. The press was all over the incident, but the police were vague, just saying no evidence had been found at the scene. You know they clean up their messes.”
I’d thought of the possibility once. Just once. I’d chalked it up to the news I’d read about one of the New York mafia families and a bloodbath a few months before. “Stay away from the crime shows. Okay?”
“Hey, ladies. Why don’t you come join us at the bar in an hour for drinks? We’ll talk about heading out to dinner. You can’t come to Milan without savoring their food.”
Molly was handling the lectures, an amazing doctor I’d admired for years and one reason I’d decided to attend.
“Come on,” Emily pushed.
“Fine. I just need to change.” I knew I’d need to relent at some point. I couldn’t spend my time in the hotel room reading books on my Kindle.
“Excellent. See you ladies then.” Molly raced off and Emily gripped my arm.
“You’re going to have a great time. You did bring something other than business attire. Right?”
“I have a dress.” One. One dress. This wasn’t about going out on the town, but about learning more about my craft. Yet, I was glad I’d slipped it in at the last moment.
“Good. Let’s go get all girlified.” Emily was way too happy. She’d earned this trip and I was thrilled to have her as my companion. I wasn’t certain I would have agreed to attending without her.
“That’s not a word.”
“It is in my world.”
I couldn’t help but laugh around her. She had a way of looking at life in a glass as if it was always more than half full. I was the complete opposite. Losing patients, watching them suffer, and seeing the families suddenly forced to face their lives on their own had already taken a toll. While I’d only been out of residency for three years, I’d seen more by working in the ER than most cardiologists did in a lifetime.
We rounded the corner and heat suddenly prickled my skin. I stopped briefly, looking around to see if there was an overhead heater of some kind. I didn’t see anything like that.
“Is something wrong?”
I shifted as crowds of people walked by, my eyes catching something. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just thought I saw someone I knew.” We continued heading for the elevator and I continued searching through the crowd. What had I seen?
The prickles of heat suddenly turned into tiny jolts of electricity. I’d only felt the sensations once in my life. That had been when… I stopped a second time, pressing my fingers to my lips.
“What is going on with you?” Emily pushed.
“I don’t know.” Yet I picked up my pace, heading more quickly toward the bank of elevators. Two men finally walked by and instantly the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
Emily was right on my side, following my gaze. “Who are you looking at?”
I was about to answer when the unknown men walked into the open elevator, both turning around the face the lobby. I walked closer, curious if I was right. Just before the elevator doors closed, he finally lifted his head.
Christos stared into my eyes, the moment almost as if frozen in time. The slow motion continued, allowing me to see the change in his expression, the dark hunger that was impossible to deny. As his chest heaved, I finally managed to smile.
I’d thought about him often, the roses a subtle yet incredible reminder of a memory that I’d cherish. Yes, I’d even allowed a scintillating fantasy or two, but I was no fool. I also wasn’t into one-night stands or fake romances. No matter what anyone said, they never ended well.
He was even more attractive than before, his dark suit and cobalt blue shirt fully accentuating the wicked color of his eyes. His entire aura screamed of utter domination. His attire was meant to provide a first look at the meaning of true power. The tailored fit couldn’t hide his taut muscles and broad chest. I sensed I’d licked my lips.
“That’s him,” Emily said. “That’s your mafia man.”
“He’s not my anything, Em. Okay? Come on.” I purposely turned away, closing the small chapter of my life. A blip in time and nothing more. The roses had been his sendoff. Lovely in thought, but as with all living things, they died.
“Oh, my God. Look.”
“Why?”
“Turn around and look, Valencia. He’s not letting you go.”
Very slowly I turned around. Was it so wrong of me that a slight thrill tickled my senses?
She didn’t point, but she also didn’t need to. An arm was driven through the small opening in the elevator doors. Now two hands were splitting both sides open. Christos walked out of the tight confines, his bodyguard moving in right behind him. I recognized Luca from the hospital.
“Don’t do it,” Emily suggested as Christos walked toward me.
“I’m a big girl, Em. Relax. I can handle this man.”
“Ri-ight.”
While I’d read romances long ago, I’d stopped doing so because my intellectual brain had sold me on the fact there was no such thing as a fairytale romance. There were no Prince Charmings or superheroes eager and willing to jump into harm’s way to save the damsel in distress. I’d also seen time and time again there were no big, buff, and beautiful men who wore danger on their sleeves.
Or so I’d fought hard to continue believing.
But the Greek man who walked toward me, never blinking and never looking away had managed to toss out all the lackluster thoughts. He was buff and beautiful. He was dangerous and alluring.
If I had to guess, I’d say he would also go to great lengths to either save the people he cared about or eliminate those who dared destroy his happiness.
I tilted my head as he approached, realizing Emily had barely taken a step away. If her presence bothered him, nothing about his demeanor or actions indicated it.
The few seconds of silence as we stood in front of each other were unusual. Electricity crackled, but finding the right words was difficult.
“Dr. Laurant,” he said in his husky voice.
“Mr. Nomikos.”
“I didn’t adequately provide my thanks for the incredible job you did.”
His scent was more intoxicating than before. The spicy combination was richer and I thought about how cardamon, cloves, and a hint of star anise were meant for warming a man’s or woman’s body.
“As I said to you before, I was only doing my job.”
He unbuttoned his jacket, shoving one hand into his trouser pocket. The action pulled my gaze toward the bulge between his legs, which created a smile. “You went above and beyond. I know how doctors are, Valencia.”
“I’m glad you’re feeling better, although you should have waited for me to release you.”
His laugh was laced with darkness. “Unfortunately, I had pressing business back in Greece.”
“Yes, it would seem. Thank you for the flowers.”
“A small token of my appreciation, but as I mentioned, not nearly enough.”
“Beautiful and much appreciated.”
“Have dinner with me.”
I could hear Emily’s breath glitch. “I’m here with work colleagues and have other plans.”
He took a step closer, so much so there were inches away from our heated bodies. “Perhaps you misunderstood me, Valencia. I’m not asking. I’m demanding.”