Over six feet tall, with a leanly muscled body, overlong black hair, and the most piercing black eyes Nicky had ever seen, set in a hard face of sculptured angles, Gregori Markovic was almost as imposingly handsome as Lucien.
Almost...
No one could possibly be as deliciously, imposingly gorgeous as her husband.
“It will feel even better if you turn over...” Lucien encouraged huskily now.
Nicky purred in approval as she rolled over on the lounger, smiling up at Lucien as he sat beside her, as naked as she was. There hadn’t been a lot of reason for them to bother wearing clothes on this private island, despite the fact that Lucien had kept his word and bought Nicky dozens of sets of silk and lace underwear to replace the ones he had ripped off her.
Lucien had given a leave of absence to the housekeeper and gardener usually in residence in the beautiful villa on the hillside behind them, the two of them preferring to be completely alone for their honeymoon.
Which was perhaps as well, when they spent most of their time making love. Anywhere and everywhere.
Nicky had never been as happy as this in her life before, and Lucien told her every day that he felt the same way. Not that she really needed him to; he was so relaxed, and the two of them laughed almost as much as they made love. Which was a lot.
Lucien’s eyes darkened in appreciation as he began to smooth the sun cream onto Nicky’s bared breasts. “I love you, wife,” he murmured gruffly.
“I love you, husband,” she answered, unhesitant.
“Hmm,” he frowned slightly. “We probably shouldn’t get sun cream all over your locket...” He dried his hands on a towel before unfastening her necklace and lifting it to one side. “I still don’t understand why— Oh shit...” He closed his lids briefly, eyes shining brightly when he opened them again. “I don’t believe this. I just don’t— That is just—” His fingers curled about the heart-shaped locket. “How could I have been so stupid!” He began to laugh.
“Lucien...?” Nicky eyed him worriedly.
He continued to chuckle, his eyes shining. “It was there all the time, Nicky. Literally right under your nose, we just didn’t see it!”
She gave a puzzled shake of her head. “Have you been drinking wine without me?”
“No.” He gathered her up in his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips before grinning down at her triumphantly. “I couldn’t understand why, when your birthday is in June, your father would have had an October date engraved on the back of your locket; do you remember my puzzlement that day I asked you about it? Nicky, the engraving on the back of your locket, that I initially thought was a birth date, is actually a bank sort code!” he explained excitedly as she continued to look up at him blankly. “The numbers beneath it are the account number. See!” He held the locket out for her to look at.
Nicky stared down at the locket. Sure enough, there was a six-digit number that could be mistaken for a birth date but could just as easily be a bank sort code, and beneath it an eight-digit number that could be a bank account number.
She looked up at Lucien. “Do you really think...?”
“I do.” He grinned down at her.
Nicky touched the locket with tentative fingertips. “But we still don’t know which bank it’s for, or where.”
“Dair will easily find out,” Lucien dismissed.
“My father left me the information for the bank account the whole time,” she said wonderingly.
“Yes, he did.”
She smiled sadly. “It might have been helpful if he had explained that when he gave me the locket!”
Lucien sobered. “I don’t suppose he thought he needed to at the time.”
“No.” Nicky sighed, before brightening a little. “I can give you your money back now—”
“It’s all our money now, Nicky.” Lucien took her into his arms. “And this ten million pounds is yours and Neil’s. Your father gave up his life for it. To ensure it came to you and Neil.”
She gave a shake of her head. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that, knowing where that money came from.”
“You can decide that later,” Lucien dismissed. “You and Neil together.”
“Talking of Neil,” she grimaced. “I’m still not sure that Jack is the right person to act as his guardian while we’re away...”
Lucien chuckled ruefully. “My father is in his element, and I made him promise to keep Neil well away from the family business.”
“Crime is a ‘family business’?” Nicky teased.
“You’re my business, Nicky, you always will be,” Lucien assured her intently, the locket sliding out of his fingers as he took Nicky in his arms and began to kiss her.
Which led to more than kissing.
Which would always lead to more than kissing when two people loved each other as much as Lucien and Nicky did.
***
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About The Author
Carole Mortimer is a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of a Pioneer for Romance Romantic Times Award in 2014. She was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for her ‘outstanding service to literature’. To date Carole has written almost 200 novels in the contemporary and Regency romance genre.
She is happily married to Peter. They have 6 sons, and live on the beautiful Isle of Man. She also loves to hear from Readers!
Other books by Carole Mortimer
Carole has written 163 romance novels in the Presents/Modern series from Harlequin Mills and Boon.
She has also written 24 Regency romance novels in the Harlequin Mills and Boon’s Historical series.
ALPHA series:
Christmas Alpha: Novella, published November 8th, 2014
Dark Alpha: Full-length novel, published January 18th, 2015
Shadow Alpha: Full-length novel, publishing date March 15th, 2015
Midnight Alpha: Full length novel, publishing date May 17th, 2015
There will be more novels and novellas published in the Alpha series in 2015!
Plus a Regency novella series later in 2015.
Dark Alpha (ALPHA 2) Page 21