Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
“ D emetra has packed a picnic lunch, and the golf cart is out front.
Are you sure you want to do this, baby?”
Belle’s breath caught as Nick walked into the room.
Dressed in a pair of jean cut-offs and a sky-blue polo shirt, he looked breathtakingly handsome. His hair had grown in the almost two weeks they’d been on the island and had begun to curl around his collar. Its thick vibrancy made her ache to run her hands through it. She forced herself to look away, focused on screwing the top back on the tube of lip gloss.
“Have the police left?” They’d been dealing with authorities from the mainland all morning. None of Mwana’s four men had survived to be questioned. What the police had found was a GPS bug near the living room door, no doubt planted by the seemingly harmless Richard Francis. He’d played them all, a fact Nick was finding hard to live with.
“All but a few officers the inspector insisted remain behind. Jameson isn’t taking it well. The guy’s already broken up about letting Francis slip out of his grasp when he dumped him on Mykonos. I left before a fist fight broke between him and the cops.”
“Poor Jameson. You think the authorities will catch up to Richard Francis?”
Nick’s lips twisted. “They’re hoping he’ll be much easier to track since they have a picture and the background info I gave them. But if he’s deep in with Mwana—” He stopped and took a breath. “Anyway, I’ve told Jameson I don’t want us to be disturbed, so we don’t have to go anywhere if you want to remain put?” he said hopefully.
“No. I refuse to live in fear, Nick. Those bastards shot at us yesterday, but we survived. I’m not letting them force me into hiding. I’m going to the waterfall.”
She shuddered at the memory of the gunfire, of the very real threat that she could’ve lost Nick. She hadn’t been able to sleep last night. Neither had he. They’d lain awake in bed holding each other. While the reason for that was terrifying, she was glad that she and Nick had grown closer because of it. She didn’t delude herself into thinking all their problems would be resolved just as easily…but there was hope amid all this turmoil.
“Earth to Tinkerbelle,” Nick growled in her ear. Strong hands slid around to anchor her waist. “Where have you gone, baby?”
She forced away the disturbing images of black-clad, masked men and focused on Nick’s image in the mirror. “I’m glad I didn’t lose you,” she murmured.
He smiled. “I’m glad I didn’t lose me, too.”
She laughed and turned in his arms. He glanced down at her, his eyes intent on her face. “You didn’t tell me where you went.”
“I’m right here, and yes, I’m ready to go.” She tried to inject as much lightness into her voice as she could.
She must have succeeded because, apart from his raised brows, nothing indicated he’d intuited her inner thoughts. She didn’t protest when he ran a teasing gaze over her warm cheeks.
“You sure? Maybe I need to conduct a thorough examination, check that you are, indeed, ready.” His molten gaze travelled all the way down to her toes and back up again.
Her breath caught. He laughed.
“You know, it amazes me how you can blush at the tiniest hint of sexual banter and still be a tigress in bed.” He laughed softly as her cheeks burned hotter.
The hands she’d rested on his chest wandered up to entwine around his neck, and she inhaled his male scent, his closeness as usual causing her body to act independent of her mind.
“I know it’s your American forwardness that makes you come out with anything that pops into your head, Nick, but I really wish you wouldn’t?—”
“Spare your blushes?” he cut in, a shameless grin lighting up his gorgeous face. “I thought it was my Greek arrogance.” He planted a soft kiss on her parted lips, then stepped back to hold out an arm to her.
Laughing, she took his arm and allowed him to lead her out of the room. “Well, I’d say it’s an unhealthy combination of both.”
His grin widened and turned lascivious. “Ah, but it turns you on anyway, right?”
She knew he was trying to distract her from the events of last night. And she was supremely grateful to him for that. So much so, her heart lurched as she gazed up at him. Nick cared for her, she knew that now. It was that final step into love that he seemed incapable of. But she wasn’t going to dwell on that right now.
“Did anyone tell you you’re incorrigible?” She slanted him a wry glance as they descended the stairs and exited the villa.
“No one has ever dared, but even if they did, where’s the fun in being boring and predictable?”
“You get to live a very long life?”
He helped her into the golf cart and took his seat behind the wheel.
“Trust me, I intend us both to live long lives, but boring and predictable will not feature. It’s rocket-straddling until we draw our last breath.”
“Speak for yourself. Rocket-straddling sounds…chafing.”
“Easy solution. You can straddle me instead. No chafing whatsoever. Ah, here comes another blush in three, two, one?—”
Need exploded through her, threatening to consume her alive.
Nick was still laughing when he released the brake on the cart and eased it down the driveway. Between the trees, she spotted security guards, but she tried not to let their presence intrude on her enjoyment of being with Nick.
The late summer sun blazed down upon them, eased by the shade of the golf cart’s canopy and the slight breeze blowing from the sparkling sea. Its gentle undulation soothed her, and she sighed.
“Penny for them?” Nick asked.
Recalling the same question that had made her snap at him a week ago, she felt a twinge of regret for all the antagonism that had passed between them. Could they heal the old wounds, get past them to forge a sustainable marriage once the immediate danger was over?
“I was thinking how beautiful it is here. And how peaceful and breathtaking.”
“Yes. That was part of the reason my great-grandfather bought the island. The main reason was the saltwater springs in the rock pools. He’d heard of their healing powers, and I guess he thought there was no harm in seeing if it would help my great-grandmother.”
“Was it called Althea before your great-grandfather bought it?”
“No. He named it that after he saw its effect on my great-grandmother. The doctors had told them they could never have another child after they lost their first one. I guess he came here really as a last, desperate measure. At the time, there was only a small stone dwelling next to the largest of the springs, and that’s where they stayed. According to my grandfather, my great-grandmother swam in the pool every day for six weeks, and by the time they left for Athens, she was pregnant. Two years later, they were living here permanently. Alex’s grandfather was born here on the island.”
“So the island really does have healing powers?” Deep down, a part of her hoped it did, that the magic could somehow be applied to their own problems.
He shrugged. “The springs contain sulphur and various other minerals that are said to possess powers. But what happened to my great-grandmother could’ve been something as simple as getting away from the stresses of everyday life and immersing herself in complete relaxation.”
“But your great-grandfather believed it, which was why he named the island Althea.”
“That’s what he believed, yes. The island changed his life, I don’t deny that. He moved the rest of his extended family here after my grandfather was born and started building the villa.”
“I suppose your parents never considered living here fulltime?” she asked, hoping to learn a little bit more about what had happened to him as a child.
“No. My mother didn’t like being cut off from civilization.” His clipped answer was in stark contrast to his warm tone a moment ago. “As for my father, he did whatever my mother wanted, for a while at least. That included sending his seven-year-old son away to boarding school in a foreign country thousands of miles away.” His voice had turned even cooler, and she suppressed a shiver of unease at the bitterness in his words.
“Was that when she walked away?”
Belle held her breath and remained silent in the hope he would elaborate, but the silence stretched, awkward and heavy, and she was reminded again that there were areas in Nick’s life she wasn’t privy to.
“No. That came later.”
“Where is she now?” she asked.
“She lives in L.A. with her latest husband.”
Nick’s mother hadn’t attended their wedding. From what he’d told Belle yesterday, she now knew why.
She reached up to adjust her sunhat more firmly on her head. She glanced at his stony profile and tried again.
“How’s your grandfather? Is he in Athens?” Nick’s father had let go of the reins of the family’s shipping company when Nick was twenty-five. A U.S. Marine at the time, he’d given up his military career and, with the help of his grandfather—the only family member Nick was close to aside from Alex—had started managing the failing family business a year or so before his father’s death.
“The old man passed away three months ago.”
She gasped, her hand falling back into her lap with the shock. “Nick, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” The words seemed inadequate for the memory of the man she’d met only once but who’d left an indelible impression on her. Even bound to his wheelchair, he’d had an overwhelming presence. She felt an even deeper sadness that she hadn’t been here for Nick.
Sadness and guilt.
Nick only shrugged. “He lived a full life. I think he was ready to go.”
She had no answer, so she subsided into silence.
After a few minutes, as if making an effort to dispel the morose atmosphere, Nick announced, “We’re almost there. Hold on, it gets a little bumpy from here.’
The smooth ride over the lush green vista gave way to a craggy landscape dotted with small rock pools and rising hills over which they travelled toward the northernmost tip of the island. As they crested the last hill, she held her breath in anticipation of the view from the plateau.
Her memory proved as fertile as the landscape before her.
There were six saltwater springs dotted around the island, ranging in temperature from extremely hot to mildly tepid, with the largest, the one they were heading for, somewhere in the midrange and perfect for swimming in.
Beyond the pools lay the remains of a tiny Byzantine temple. Even though the structure was almost completely in ruins, four columns remained, stretching up to the blue sky in a timeless reminder of the island’s rich history. The ancient carvings etched into foot-thick stone walls had withstood the passage of time, as had the many treasures dotted around this special place.
Her attention was drawn back to the springs.
Warm, crystal-clear water flowed from a natural rock opening in the sheer cliff face on the other side of the hill and dropped in a short waterfall into a deep basin, which then ran via an underground stream into the sea. The basin was surrounded by a stand of tall eucalyptus trees forming a natural shade, but through it a stunning view of the sea could be seen from the pool. On one side of the pool a large flat rock offered the perfect diving-off spot and resting place, and it was there Nick headed after they left the cart. He led her down stone steps set into the side of the hill, one hand holding hers and the other carrying their picnic basket.
He deposited the basket on the rock, then took something else out of his pocket—a lethal-looking gun—which he placed on the other side of the basket.
Seeing her gaze on it, his lips tightened. “A necessary precaution. Okay?”
She suppressed her shiver. “Okay.” “Swim first and then lunch?” he asked.
“Yes, please.” She stood for a moment, lost in the stunning beauty of her surroundings. She helped spread the blanket on the rock before following Nick’s lead, stepping out of her sandals and slipping off her yellow sundress. At his blatant appraisal, another blush crept up her flushed body.
“Any chance I can convince you to swim in the nude like you did the last time we were here? The guards are under orders not to disturb us.” His fingers hooked suggestively into the waistband of his trunks, ready to shuck them off at her word.
“You mean when you convinced me no one would find me sunbathing in the buff, only to have Alex pay us an impromptu visit in his helicopter and catch me in flagrante ?” she asked wryly.
“Hardly. His chopper passed on the other side of the hill, and you were decent by the time Yannis arrived to tell us Alex was here.”
“Nevertheless, I’ll err on the side of caution and keep my suit on, thanks,” she said, laughing when he adopted a crestfallen expression. “And with my luck, the next time it’ll be a police chopper.”
“Spoilsport. But, never fear, I’ll get it off one way or the other.” With that sensual promise, he turned and said over his shoulder, “Last one in gets to play waiter during lunch.” The words were barely out of his mouth before he executed a clean dive into the warm pool.
Her outraged gasp went unheard as she dropped her hat and dove in after him. The playful fight that ensued continued all the way to the waterfall, until play transmuted into passion and gentle nips and soft cuddling became demanding kisses and urgent caresses.
“God, I can’t get enough of you,” he muttered, his mouth hot against her skin. “The thought of that asshole thinking he has any rights to you makes me see red.”
“Kiss me, and don’t think about him,” she urged, smoothing her hands through his wet hair.
He groaned, his hands almost rough as he disposed of her swimsuit, tossing it to the side of the pool before taking her in his arms. He took her standing up behind the intimate curtain of the waterfall. Her cries of ecstasy at the sensational, mind-melting power of his lovemaking blended into the rush of the water as she lost herself in her husband’s arms.
Afterward, with just enough strength to swim at Nick’s side back to where their picnic waited in the shade of a eucalyptus tree, she started to climb back into her swimsuit.
“I don’t know why you’re bothering. I’ll only get it off again after lunch,” he stated with pure male arrogance, watching as she smoothed sunblock on her exposed skin.
She looked over to where he lay stretched out on the large blanket, naked as the day he was born—well, not quite; he’d grown considerably since. Her mouth dried at the display of his bronzed perfection.
She’d never met a man so confident, so at home in his own skin as Nick. She was sure if it weren’t for the staff living on the island, he’d be perfectly happy always parading around in the buff. The few times he’d managed to convince her to swim naked with him, they’d been alone on the island, or it had been at night after Demetra and the rest of the staff had retired for the evening.
Her gaze shifted to the corded muscles of his thighs as he eased to his side and rested his head on his bent arm. Helplessly, her eyes travelled upward to the semi-turgid cock nestled in jet-black curls, and her breath caught in her throat. Her nipples peaked in response to his virile masculinity. She was so lost in him, she jumped when he spoke.
“If you carry on looking at me like that, lunch will be postponed, glikia mou,” he warned, his voice husky and aroused.
“Then maybe you should put some clothes on.” She managed to drag her reluctant gaze with away from him.
“Why, does my nudity bother you?” he challenged.
Determined not to give in, she shook her head. “Not at all,” she lied through her teeth. To give herself the best defence, she moved away to the other side of the blanket.
“In that case, you wouldn’t mind applying sunscreen to my back, would you?” He held out the small bottle to her. “I don’t want to burn,” he added.
Wondering what game he was playing since his Mediterranean skin only darkened, she hesitated.
“What’s the matter? Scared?”
She rolled her eyes. “You never burn, Nick. So I’m guessing you’re just trying to torture me.”
His grin was unapologetic. “I prefer to think of it as a mutually enjoyable experience.”
Pure lust flowed through her belly, the power of it making her shake her head. “We’ve made love—a lot—in the last few days, and yet I can’t seem to get enough of you.”
His smile disappeared. “Does it bother you, the strength of our chemistry?”
She shrugged. “Not bother, exactly. I just feel out of sorts, unbalanced.”
“It’s always been like that between us. You need to get used
to it.”
Her gaze slid over him, and she attempted to lighten the suddenly heavy atmosphere. “Or you need to not be lying butt naked in broad daylight on a hillside, with police and security guards swarming around. It doesn’t help.”
The bottle in his hand remained where it was, extended in silent demand, his gaze steady and serious.
Was he testing her to see how far she could resist him? But that was ridiculous. They’d made love only a few minutes ago.
Whatever his reason, she wasn’t about to back down.
“Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Returning to his side, she took the bottle from him, ignored his barely hidden smile of triumph, and squeezed the oil into her hands. She waited until he turned over, and smoothed it across his shoulders.
Her agitation grew as her hands eased between his shoulder blades and down his back. The man was spectacularly built.
Beneath smooth skin, packed muscles moved with sinuous grace as he arranged himself more comfortably on the blanket. Her fingers tingled at the feel of his warm flesh under her gliding palms. When she reached his buttocks, she slid her hands over the firm, supple flesh. He tensed, and she hid a smile of her own, even though he couldn’t see it from his facedown position.
Emboldened by the sudden shift of the power balance, her touch became more confident as she moved down over hard thighs and calves, glorying in his harsh intake of breath when she touched the hitherto unknown sensitive skin behind his knees. She continued until every inch of his back and legs were adequately protected. Then, feeling cheeky and triumphant that she hadn’t dissolved into a puddle of wanton need, she slapped a palm on his backside and announced, “There, all done.”
The look he levelled at her when he raised his head could’ve boiled the water in the pool all over again. From feeling triumphant, she was plunged into turbulent need again as his eyes promised all manner of erotic retribution. Her body zinged with painful anticipation, and urgent pounding started within. But he stayed where he was, a smile of pure devilment on his face as he regarded her.
“First, we shall eat. Then I’ll repay your…kindness.” He turned over, and her eyes bulged at his fierce arousal. His husky chuckle warmed her face. She scurried to her part of the blanket and busied herself laying out their lunch. When she raised her head, she breathed a shaky sigh of relief to see he’d donned his almost dry swim shorts.
“Bastard,” she muttered under her breath.
His shameless laugh told her he’d heard her. Just before he snapped the waistband into place, she noticed two sickle-shaped scars on his hip.
She’d seen them many times before and had once even dared to ask him how he’d gotten them. At the time, he’d just shrugged and given her a non-committal answer, and she’d logged the subject as one of the many no-go areas of their marriage.
She firmed her lips. Well, not this time , she vowed, setting out plates and cutlery before lifting out the chilled bottle of wine. They’d agreed to reach for middle ground, and that included learning as much as possible about him.
Starting now.