“I know.”
“Do you want more children, Nica? If you do, I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea. I’d be ninety walking her down the aisle, but I’d be happy to do it.”
Nicoleta laughed. “You’re so sure it would be a girl.”
“I had one already, and there is a fifty/fifty chance it would be a girl.” He cupped the side of her face. “Tell me where this is coming from.”
“I hadn’t given protection any thought since we’ve been together. Before, with…” she wouldn’t say his name, “there was no reason for concern. I drank a tea that prevented me from getting pregnant.” She lowered her eyes. “I stopped drinking that tea months before we met.”
Viktor gently raised her face to his. “Are you saying?”
“Yes. You’re going to be a father, again.”
“When did you find out?”
“I’ve been sick the last few mornings so I took one of those home pregnancy tests. It came up positive. I will need to see a doctor to confirm, but I’m fairly sure I am.”
Viktor pulled her close, “I love you, Nicoleta Davis. Be my wife.”
Nicoleta took the box in hand and opened it. Was she ready for all these changes? Was she ready to tie her life to another human being, two of them?
Taking the ring from the box, she didn’t listen with her head. For once, she listened to her heart. Slipping the ring on her finger and turned to him. Cupping his face in her hands, “I love you too, Viktor Domitrovich Mitchel. Yes, I’ll be your wife.”
The End of Sapphire Springs Beginnings
Ticket to Paradise
Taylor Dawn
Copyright © 2016 by:
Taylor Dawn
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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Chapter 1
Charlotte Easton sat in her beach chair, her hand over her eyes to shield her baby blues from the beaming rays of the Caribbean sun. Everyone looked so happy here. They frolicked on the white sand, splashed around in the turquoise waters of the ocean and sipped drinks with tiny umbrellas and slices of pineapple jammed into the frozen cocktails. Glancing over to the small table on her right, she watched as the water droplets trailed down the glass that held her strawberry daiquiri. It was funny, when she ordered the drink it sounded appetizing but now it held about as much appeal as swimming with sharks while covered in T-Bone steaks. Blowing out a breath she turned her attention back to the waves methodically crashing on the shore then receding. A swim didn’t sound like much fun either. Nothing sounded like rainbows and unicorns anymore in her life. Sighing heavily she tossed her head back, thumping it on the headrest of the lounger. The palm tree above was providing enough shade to keep her sunscreen from melting off her skin but she feared one of the brown hairy coconuts would release itself any moment and give her brain damage. That would be her luck. Come to paradise and leave with a bump on her head and an even worse attitude than before. Maybe a nap would trick her into thinking she wasn’t having the second worst day in her life. Closing her eyes she settled back and listened to the sounds of the tropics all around her.
“Excuse me?” A male voice sounded somewhere around her but she didn’t care enough to open her eyes. “Miss?” the voice called. “Hey, you might want to wake up.” He sounded more insistent now.
Charlotte shot up in her chair. “What?” The man stepped closer while she tried to focus her eyes. “Well?”
“Look, I’m sorry to bother you but a seagull took to dragging your bag down the beach.” He extended the tote her way.
“Thanks.” She grumbled and laid back down.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, why the hell not.” She bit out.
“For someone who’s sitting in paradise right now, you seem to be winning the award for worst attitude. Are you okay?”
She sat up. “Do you make a habit of bothering complete strangers on the beach?”
“Hey, I was trying to help you before that bird ate everything in your bag. Excuse me for trying to lend a hand.”
Well shit. Now she felt bad for snapping at the guy. “Thank you.” She yelled as he began to walk away.
The man turned back around and walked the few feet to her chair. “Not that it matters but if anyone’s going to be cranky while on this island it should be me.” He chuckled.
“Yeah? And why’s that?”
He took a seat on the lounge chair next to her. “Because up until a few days ago, I was supposed to marry what I thought was the woman of my dreams. She decided differently though and called it off.” He shrugged. Charlotte’s eyes welled up with unshed tears as she listened to him speak. “See? I have a valid reason to be a surly bastard if I wanted to. But I choose to see things in a positive light.”
She couldn’t hold her tears back any longer and decided to let them fly. Should she tell him why she was so angry at the world? Hell, might as well. “My fiancé left me at the alter this past Saturday.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, I just thought…”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll sit here and be mad at the world for a while and eventually get myself put back together again.” She was the one shrugging now.
“I’m guessing this,” he motioned around them, “was supposed to be your honeymoon too, huh?”
She nodded. “I didn’t see any reason to waste it. Figured I’d escape for a week and maybe have a better perspective on my disaster of a life when I went home.”
“Same here. One minute you’re happy and the next it feels like someone gutted you.”
“Yep.”
“Well, I’m sorry for what happened to you. I truly hope you find what you’re looking for.” He stood and smiled.
“Thanks. You too.” She offered him a small smile in return.
She watched him walk toward the water once more and again, he turned back to her. “I’m Nolan by the way. Nolan Turner.”
“Charlotte Easton.”
“Well Charlotte Easton, good luck.” He said and finally walked away.
***
Nolan walked away shaking his head. She had to have been the unhappiest person he’d ever met in his life. Sure, like him, she was going through a shitty ordeal. But that was no reason to give up on life completely. Hell, he could’ve drank himself to death the day his fiancé basically told him to fuck off but instead he chose to be positive about it. They clearly weren’t meant for each other and although it hurt his pride, he was in a way thankful for her telling him to take a hike before they said their vows. Of course, divorce would’ve been an option but Nolan wanted the first time he said I do to also be the last. So Katy did him a favor. Now here he was enjoying what was supposed to be their honeymoon, by himself. Yeah, it was beautiful here in the Dominican Republic, he couldn’t dispute that. Everyone he’d met from the time he checked into the resort to the chipper young woman who handed him his ice cold beer across the bar were top notch. It would’ve been nice to share some of this with the woman intended to be his wife but life had a way of taking away what you wanted and giving you what you needed in return. The one thing that baffled him though, was the woman he’d met on the beach. Even with her rude demeanor, she was still stunningly gorgeous. Those long slightly tanned legs peeking out from under her sarong, the chestnut brown ponytail that hung over her shoulder and those deep chocolate eyes had him almost forgetting why he was on this island in the first place. But damn it if Charlotte didn’t cause him to have thoughts he had no business thinking. He was only here to enjoy the waves for a week and then it was back to reality. And that was the reality of going home to a lonely house in Napa Valley. He’d been given the keys to the kingdom so to speak and was making a huge success out of his family’s vineyard. All he wanted was to settle down and share that with Katy. So much for that g
rand idea. As he walked through the lush landscape of the resort, Nolan whistled and smiled. If he forgot about why he was here, he could have a good time. A great time, even. This was his first day on the sprawling fifteen acre slice of paradise and he was determined to make the best of every single minute. Who knew when he’d be able to have a vacation again with his packed work schedule?
Chapter 2
“Mom, I’m fine.” Charlotte blew out a frustrated breath while chatting with her mother on the phone. She was in the process of digging around in her cluttered luggage for something to wear to dinner. It wasn’t like it mattered, she wasn’t trying to impress anyone.
“You say that, but I can hear the despair in your voice, honey.”
“Yeah well, I did get left at the altar, remember?”
“I just wish you would’ve stayed home. At least you’d have been surrounded by your family to support you.”
“Paradise sounded a lot better than sitting on the sofa drowning my sorrows in a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.”
“Have you heard from Chad?”
Ugh, that was the one name she never wanted to hear again. He’d not only burned a bridge, he blew the fucker up. “Nope. And I’d rather not talk about him, like ever.”
“He was a part of your life for 5 years though.”
“And he suddenly decided not to be. On the worst possible day matter of fact. So honestly, I couldn’t give a million shits about what he’s doing or where he is.” She pulled out a piece of clothing from the suitcase. Holding it in her hand she realized it was one of the sexy pieces of lingerie she’d packed for what was supposed to be her honeymoon.
“Well, just know we’re here for you.”
“I know mom. But I’m a big girl and can handle things on my own just fine.” Balling up the scrap of lace, Charlotte tossed it across the room beside the sliding glass doors that led to the terrace.
“Okay. Well, I’d better get off here. Love you.”
“Love you too.” They said their goodbyes and Charlotte threw her phone on the bed amongst the wrinkled clothing.
After finding the frilly lingerie, she was now kicking herself for not sorting through the suitcase before she hopped on the airplane. She’d been so pissed that she’d almost forgotten her passport too.
Pulling out a strapless cotton sundress, Charlotte shook out the wrinkles and yanked it over her head. Her hair was still in a ponytail from her time on the beach that morning so she left it as it was. She was just slipping her feet into her wedged sandals when a knock came at the door.
“Just a minute.” She yelled while hopping toward the door. She flung it open. “Yeah?”
Nolan stood there in a white button down shirt rolled up to his elbows, light khaki cargo shorts and a pair of men’s flip plops. He raised a hand to wave and said, “Hey.”
“Hey. How did you know what room I was staying in?”
“There’re only two honeymoon suites on the resort. Figured since I’m staying in the other one, this was the best place to look.” He smiled.
“What brings you by?” She leaned down and finished pulling the sandal onto her foot.
“I was heading to dinner and wanted to see if you’d like to come along.”
“Like a date?” Charlotte scrunched up her nose.
“No. Like two people having dinner. Honestly, I hate eating alone.”
“Same here. Sure, why not.” She shrugged. “Let me grab my purse.” She stepped into the room once more and began tossing clothing off the bed to reveal her bag. When she turned to head for the door again she ran smack dab into a rock hard chest. As she began to lose her balance, Nolan’s hands wrapped around her arms and steadied her.
“You okay?” he asked in a husky tone.
“I’m good. I didn’t invite you into my room, you know.” She cocked an eyebrow.
“You didn’t?”
“No.”
“My apologies for intruding.” He smiled at her, which had her smiling and feeling butterflies in her stomach.
“Apology accepted.” Glancing down she saw his hands were still around her arms. “You can let go of me now.”
“I could.”
“But you’re not…”
“I’m not.”
“Are you going to murder me in this room and dump my body in the ocean?” she asked.
Nolan released her arms and began a throaty chuckle. “I hadn’t intended on it.”
“Good to know.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Charlotte noticed he was suddenly uncomfortable. She had to get him out of her room and quickly. He was a stranger, a man she’d only met hours earlier. For all she knew he had a Silence of the Lambs fetish and was trying to figure out where she kept her lotion. “Dinner…we should go.” She stuttered over her own words.
“Yes. Dinner.” He hurriedly said and began walking toward the door.
He sure was a strange one. Charlotte knew better than to get close to strange men. Hell, Chad was an odd duck too but she’d learned that odd ducks needed to be set free, not trapped in a cage. She’d have dinner with Nolan but after that, she needed to distance herself from the ultra-sexy guy. If not, she’d end up with him in her bed trying to fuck away the memory of her ex-fiancé.
***
Nolan was a ball of nerves as he walked beside Charlotte on the concrete path through the resort. This wasn’t a date though, so why did he feel like someone was blowing bubbles in his gut? Hell, he hadn’t been this nervous the first time he took Katy to dinner. They’d sat in a corner booth at his favorite restaurant and chatted for ages and he never felt like this.
“What made you pick this resort?” Charlotte asked as they walked.
“Not really sure. Katy wanted to come here so I booked it.”
“Oh.”
“How about you?” He looked down and asked.
“To be honest, I didn’t really want a honeymoon. But he wanted to get away so the next thing I knew, he was handing me tickets a few nights before the wedding.”
“Wait, so he paid for the trip and you used the tickets?”
“Yep. I left the other one in my apartment. It was one of those half revenge, half needing to get the heck away from home, things.” She shrugged. “I’m not a mean spirited person at all though.”
He laughed. “Yeah, doesn’t seem like it.”
“Let me guess, sarcasm?” She smiled brightly.
“Maybe.”
Since the resort was so large, it took a while to find their restaurant. It just so happened they could cut through the open-air lobby area and be there more quickly. Nolan smiled to the beautiful Dominican women working behind the desk as they went by. The lone man working glanced up, “Ah Miss Easton, could I have a moment,” he said with a slight accent.
Nolan glanced to Charlotte and back to the man. “I think he needs something.” Nolan touched her arm.
She gracefully made her way to the enormous desk—her flowing dress swooshing back and forth at her knees. “Hi,” she sweetly said while propping her arms on the desk.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, it seems there is a problem with your accommodations,” The dark skinned man said in a regretful tone.
“Okay, what’s that mean?”
“It mean that the credit card used to book your vacation has been withdrawn. Our policy is to charge the room once the guest checks out but since the card is no longer valid, we are going to have to ask for another form of payment.”
“Okay, no problem.” She began digging in her purse and soon pulled out a small wallet. Her slim fingers reached in and slid a credit card free. “Here, this should be fine.”
Nolan watched the man peck around on the keyboard a few times then swiped the plastic in his card reader. After a short beep he said, “I’m sorry, this card has been declined.”
“Can you try it again? That’s the only one I have.”
Once more the man tried to get the card to work but came up empty. “I’m so very sorry.”<
br />
“What am I supposed to do now?” She asked, her voice cracking.
“We ask that you remove your belongings from the suite at once. We can have a taxi waiting for you to transport you to the airport.”
“But my plane tickets were part of the vacation package deal. How am I going to get home?”
Nolan couldn’t stand here and watch her turn into an emotional wreck. The way he saw it, she was supposed to be here for a week, just like him. He had that spacious suite all to himself and the least he could do was share it. “You can stay with me,” he blurted out.
“That’s insane.”
“Is it? You know how roomie those suites are, I’ll crash on the sofa and you take the bed.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that, Nolan.” He could see trepidation written on her face like a sonnet of poetry.
“You didn’t ask me, I’m offering. I promise I won’t chop you up into little pieces and toss them in the ocean.” He laughed.
“That’s comforting.”
“Then it’s settled. I’ll help you move your things over after dinner.”
This vacation was turning out differently than he’d anticipated. When he’d boarded the plane to come here, he never thought he’d be sleeping in that suite with anyone. This vacation was supposed to be a way to cleanse himself of the bad shit in his life. Now he would be waking up each morning with a woman who’d been jilted just as he had. Wow, life had a way of jumping up and kicking you in the balls when you least expected it. But he wasn’t about to let Charlotte be abandoned in this foreign country with no one to help her. He’d never considered himself a hero but today, he kind of felt like one.
Chapter 3
“This is really good.” Charlotte shoved another fork full of the flaky fish into her mouth.
“I agree.” Nolan grabbed his wine and took a sip. “The wine is great too,” he said as he placed the glass down on the table.
Flawed Perfection: A Collection of Winter Wishes Page 37