Secret Paradise. Dara Girard
several years she’d become invested in Lucian’s recovery. She’d been just as thankful as J.D. and Monica that he’d pulled through.
“This isn’t a physical problem. It’s his house. He’s been able to rebuild, but the interior is a problem.”
“I’m there,” Nikki said without hesitation. This was the answer to her problems. She knew it. Already a sense of excitement had replaced her restlessness.
“You haven’t let me finish.”
“You don’t need to finish,” Nikki said, picking up her pace. If she were five years old, she would start to skip. “You need me to help him design his place, and I’m up to the challenge.”
“I’m glad, but there are a few things you should know.”
“I’ll find out when I get there.”
Monica hesitated. “He’s not the easiest man to work with. Especially now. He uses a cane and J.D. says he can be very impatient and domineering.”
Nikki brushed her sister’s concerns aside. “I’ve dealt with that type before. Don’t worry about me. I need a change and this is just the kind of project I was waiting for. Nothing can stop me from seizing this opportunity. Give me the details when I get home. I’ll call you.”
“But—”
“Bye.” Nikki hung up the phone and released a little squeal of delight. This project was just what she needed. She’d finally get a chance to see inside the elusive Lucian Kontos’s island mansion and meet the man. She wasn’t sure which intrigued her more.
“Nikki!”
She spun around at the sound of her name and saw Benjamin running toward her. He was the kind of man who looked good in front of a camera and behind it. He had an easy smile and a great body. He moved with practiced grace, which made you feel comfortable around him. He was also the kind of man who was easy to say yes to, which was why Nikki hadn’t broken up with him months ago.
“I’m so glad I found you,” he said, giving her a quick hug.
Nikki stared at him, stunned, and annoyed that he felt and smelled so good. Whatever he asked her, she had to say no. “What are you doing here?”
“I was in the area when I called and I spoke to Abby and she told me you’d gone for a walk. I thought you’d end up here, but I wasn’t sure.”
Damn. Even her walks were routine. “Benjamin,” she said slowly. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m doing what I should have done years ago.” He got down on one knee. “Nikki—”
She tugged on his sleeve. “Get up. Don’t do this,” she said as some passersby stared.
“Marry me.”
Nikki knelt in front of him. “I don’t want to get married. I just got a great assignment and that’s where my focus is right now. My career.”
“We don’t have to get married right away.”
“Benjamin.”
He seized her shoulders. “I don’t want to lose what we have. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized how much you mean to me.” His brown eyes melted into hers. “Please say yes.”
Saying yes to him had always been so easy. It had also been fun. She’d never regretted a moment. He was a good man. Could she get a better one? Could she find someone else who allowed her to have her own life? Who didn’t make demands on her time? Was it right to break up something just because she was bored? Maybe she was being too hasty. Just say yes. “Yes,” she said, but the moment she did, her answer felt wrong. She didn’t have the courage to take it back.
He kissed her. “I love you. We’ll make each other happy.” He grabbed her hand and slipped on a ring.
“Benjamin, wait,” she said, amazed by the large stone. “I may have—”
“I know it’s a big decision, but we’ll make it work.”
“How much did this cost you?”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re worth it, and I’ll spend the rest of my life telling you so.”
“This is all happening so fast.” She started to take the ring off. “I can’t say yes to this. Let me think some more.”
Benjamin covered her hand. “No pressure. Just think of it as a gift and nothing else. I want you to wear it so that wherever you go, you’ll think of me.”
Nikki grinned. “Is that all?”
“No.” His tone grew serious. “I want other men to know who your heart belongs to.”
Her heart. Did her heart really belong to him? Had it ever belonged to anyone? It didn’t matter. At least it was a change in their relationship, taking it to a deeper level, and she had to appreciate that. She wanted to tell him so, but her thoughts drifted to new island adventures, which she knew was her answer to everything.
Monica hung up the phone and stared at her husband, who was giving their son, Markos, named after the doctor who’d helped save Lucian’s life, a piggyback ride, while their daughter, Starla, busied herself with her coloring book.
“Well, that was fast,” J.D. said, surprised.
“She said she would do it.”
“Did you tell her about—”
Monica shook her head and clasped her hands. “She wouldn’t let me explain anything. She agreed before I even asked the question.”
“So she doesn’t know about—”
Monica shook her head again. “J.D., she doesn’t care, and when Nikki wants something, nothing else matters. She’s ready to do this.”
“She’s going to be in for a big surprise.”
“Nikki can handle Lucian. I hope he can handle her.”
J.D. grinned. “Lucian can handle anything.”
“Did we just mix dynamite with gunpowder?”
J.D.’s grin grew. “All we can do is sit back and watch the fireworks.”
Chapter 3
Yes, this was paradise. Nikki stood on the balcony, a slight breeze blowing the white cotton skirt she wore. It blended with the top she’d gotten from a local woman on the mainland. She’d stopped there for the day and roamed the market to get a feel of the culture. She saw some of the women wearing white skirts and patterned tops and asked one of them where she could purchase a similar outfit. The old lady in the store looked at Nikki, confused, so speaking in broken Greek and with a flash of money, she was able to make her request understood. The woman took the money, while still shaking her head, but left and came back with the two items Nikki wanted.
Nikki didn’t care that the woman thought she was odd. She liked the loose-fitting style and wanted to feel a part of the land and culture and immerse herself in it. That meant shedding her typical New York clothes for bright colors and soft cotton fabrics that let her skin breathe. She turned her face to the warmth of the sun, which sat high in the cloudless blue sky. She loved the consistent warm weather, as well as the silence around her. She could actually hear her heart beating. There were no car fumes, flashing traffic lights or pounding footsteps on concrete.
The journey had been long, but she’d been treated like a queen—from her ride in Kontos’s private jet to the luxury hotel on the mainland, where she stayed for a night until arrangements for transportation to the island could be made. There were only two ways to reach it: by boat or by helicopter. She’d first spotted the mansion as she sailed high over the water. As they approached the island, it came into view, the greenery seeming to make way for the soaring