by Maya Banks
“We should probably go now,” Chrysander said as he studied Jewel. “You look as though you’re in pain, and we don’t want to tire you out. We simply wanted to come by to check in on you and to let you know that if there is anything you need, anything at all, just let us know. You’re family now.”
She stared back at him, tears in her eyes. “Please, don’t go. You’re not bothering me a bit. I’ve so enjoyed having you all.”
“Tell me,” Bella said, leaning forward to capture Jewel’s attention. “Are they letting you have real food yet? I’m simply dying for some pizza. Theron thinks it’s barbaric, and so I’m shamelessly using you as an excuse to get some really greasy, cheesy pizza.”
“You call that real food?” Theron asked in mock horror.
“Oh I’d love pizza,” Jewel said with real longing. “Double pepperoni and extra cheese. Oh, and light sauce if no one objects.”
“Tell you what,” Bella said. “We’ll order one our way and let the rest fend for themselves. What you suggested sounds positively divine.”
Jewel looked hopefully at Piers who sighed in resignation.
“What man can possibly say no to a woman when she looks at him that way?”
Both Theron and Chrysander laughed.
Chrysander clapped Piers on the back. “Now you’re learning, little brother. Now you’re learning.”
Chapter Fourteen
“I have a surprise in mind,” Piers said as he wheeled her out of the hospital’s front entrance. “It will take a while to execute, so what I want you to do is relax and try to rest as much as possible.”
A flutter of excitement bubbled in her stomach. She felt like a kid at Christmas. For someone who’d never gotten accustomed to any sort of surprise, she was fast finding she liked them very much. Or at least the anticipation of having one.
Piers’s security detail stood outside the limousine awaiting their arrival. One opened the back door, and Piers scooped Jewel up from the wheelchair and carefully placed her in the seat, taking extra care not to jostle her. Then he walked around to the other side while all but one of his security team slipped into a car parked behind the limousine. The last man got into the front with the driver.
“Where are we going?” she asked curiously when they went the opposite direction of the house she and Piers had been staying in.
“The airport.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Where are we going?”
Familiar excitement lit her veins. She loved to travel for the excitement of going to a new place, meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. Only this time she wasn’t going alone, and that thrilled her more than she would have thought possible.
He smiled and reached over to take her hand. “If I told you, it would spoil the surprise.”
“But my clothes, my things. I haven’t packed.”
“All taken care of,” he said smoothly. “This is why I hire a staff.”
“Did you pack my chef?” she asked mournfully. “He made the most delicious food.”
Piers chuckled. “I assure you, you won’t go hungry.”
A while later they pulled up next to a small jet parked on a private airstrip. Piers waited while his security got out and boarded the plane. Then he walked around to her side and picked her up.
“I’ll take her if you like, Mr. Anetakis,” Yves offered. He was the only one who Jewel knew by name. The rest were a mystery to her, but then Yves seemed more of a personal bodyguard for Piers while the rest operated on the perimeter.
Piers shook his head. “Thank you Yves, but I’ll take Mrs. Anetakis to the plane.”
Each step he took was in careful consideration of her comfort. When he reached the steps to the plane, he ducked down and walked inside.
Never before had she seen the inside of a private jet, and if she’d been expecting a smaller version of a regular airliner, she was mistaken. There were seats in the front covered in soft, supple leather that looked incredibly luxurious and comfortable. Beyond them was a sitting area with a recliner and a couch along with a coffee table, television and a mini bar.
Piers followed the direction of her gaze. “After we take off, I’ll show you the rest. There’s a bedroom in the back of the plane that you can lie down in. There’s also a small kitchenette, so if you want anything, you’ve only to let the flight attendant know.”
Her eyes widened. “Flight attendant? You have one for the plane?”
“Of course. She travels with the pilot. They’re a husband and wife team. It’s an arrangement that suits them well. Now, would you like a window or an aisle seat?”
“Window,” she said.
He carefully settled her in place and then took the seat next to her. Before fastening his seat belt, he reached over and gingerly buckled hers into place, leaving it loose around her belly.
The flight attendant walked up with a smile and greeted Piers. Then she turned her smile on Jewel. “I’m very happy to meet you, Mrs. Anetakis. If there is anything I can get you during the flight, don’t hesitate to ask. We’ll be cleared for take off shortly. Would you like something to drink while you wait?”
Jewel shook her head. “No thank you. I’m fine for now.”
Minutes later, they taxied down the runway and took off. Jewel leaned her head on Piers’s shoulder and snuggled into his warmth. As curious as she was to see the rest of the plane, getting up and moving hurt too much. She was perfectly content to remain here for the duration of the flight.
“You’re still not going to tell me where we are?” Jewel asked several hours later as their car wound its way along a curving highway.
Piers smiled. “Patience, yineka mou. I think you’ll find it’s well worth the wait.”
She sighed and relaxed in her seat. Wherever they were, it was beautiful and unspoiled. She’d lay odds it was in the Caribbean or some similar tropical place. Were they going to one of his hotels?
They stopped at a security gate where Piers punched in a code. Huge iron gates swung slowly open, and they continued up the drive.
Lush greenery abounded. It was like driving into a private paradise. Flowers, plants, fountains and even a mini waterfall cascaded over rocks in the distance.
And then she saw the house. Her mouth fell open at the sight of the stunning cottage, well if you could call something so huge a cottage. But despite its size, it had the look of a cozy, stone cottage. It looked positively homey.
“Is this where we’re staying for the time being?” she asked when the car pulled to a stop beside another large fountain with flowers floating serenely in the pool surrounding it.
“This is your house, yineka mou. It now belongs to us.”
She was struck positively speechless.
“But the best is yet to come,” he said.
She watched him walk around the front of the car and wondered how on earth it could get any better?
He helped her from the car and motioned his security men who were standing several feet away. They quickly disappeared while Piers put a strong arm around her waist and urged her toward a walkway leading around the house.
And then she heard it. The distant sounds of waves crashing. She inhaled deeply, catching the salty air in her nostrils.
“Oh Piers,” she breathed.
They topped a small rise between a section of gardens and the wooden deck jutting from the house over a sharp cliff. She looked out and all she could see was a great expanse of ocean. Brilliant blue, so stunning it almost hurt her eyes to look at. It sparkled like a million sapphires.
The walkway continued, smooth in places and at other areas it became a series of steps leading down to the beach. The house was situated on the cliff in a secluded cove between two outcroppings. It afforded them a small stretch of sandy beach, completely private.
It was the most magnificent view she could have imagined. And it was theirs.
“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered. “This is my dream, Piers. I can’t believe this is our
s.”
“It’s yours, yineka mou. My wedding gift to you. I have it on good authority it comes equipped with a full staff, including a certain chef you’ve grown extraordinarily fond of.”
She threw her arms around him, ignoring the painful jolt to her incision. “Thank you. It’s so wonderful, Piers. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you.”
“By taking good care of yourself and my daughter,” he said seriously. “I don’t want you taking the pathway down to the beach unless I’m with you.”
“I promise,” she said joyfully. Right now she’d promise him the moon.
“Come inside. Dinner has been held for us. We’ll eat on the terrace and watch the sun go down.”
She went eagerly, anxious to see the inside of the house. He gave her a quick tour of the downstairs before they walked onto the deck in the back. Their places had been set, and she eased into her chair to wait for the food.
“It’s so gorgeous,” she said in awe. She was completely and utterly overwhelmed by the knowledge that she lived here now, that this place was hers. It was all simply too good to be true.
“I’m glad you like it. I was afraid I wouldn’t have everything in place before you were released from the hospital.”
“You didn’t already own it?”
“I had my representatives looking for just the perfect place the day you told me where you’d like to live more than anywhere else. When they found this place, I knew it was perfect. The sale isn’t quite final, but I convinced the owner to allow us to take possession of it until all the paperwork can be finished.”
She was unable to keep the wide smile from forming on her face. “That’s the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me.”
He put his hand over hers, his palm warm and soothing. “Tell me, yineka mou. Has anyone ever done a wonderful thing for you? I get the impression yours has not been an easy life.”
She stiffened and tried to withdraw her hand, but he wouldn’t allow it. His grip tightened around her fingers, but his touch stayed soothing the entire time.
“What is it you won’t tell me?” he asked quietly. “Surely there should be no secrets between a man and his wife.”
She turned away to stare at the ocean, the breeze blowing across her cheeks and drying the invisible tears she shed.
“It’s nothing so dramatic,” she said matter of factly. “My parents died when I was very young. I barely remember them, and even now I wonder if the people I remember aren’t just one of the many foster families I was shuttled through.”
“You had no relatives to take care of you?”
She shook her head. “None that would, anyway.”
A young woman came out then carrying a tray of food, and Jewel sighed in relief. She didn’t miss Piers’s frown, which told her the conversation wasn’t closed, just delayed.
Still, nothing good would come of her rehashing the past.
They ate in companionable silence. Jewel enjoyed the sounds and smells of the ocean and found herself more relaxed than she’d been in longer than she could remember.
As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, the sky faded to soft hues of pink and purple with threads of gold spreading from the disappearing sun. The ocean shimmered in the distance, reflecting the brilliance of the sunset.
She hadn’t realized she’d long since stopped eating, so entranced by the view was she. Only when the maid returned to collect the dinner plates, did Jewel break from her reverie.
“You look tired, yineka mou,” Piers said gently. “I think I should take you upstairs so you can get ready for bed.”
She yawned and then chuckled at how easily she’d given herself away. “Bed sounds really good right now. Does the bedroom have windows we can open? I’d love to be able to hear the ocean.”
“I think you’ll find the view from our bedroom magnificent, and we can certainly open the windows if that is your wish.”
He helped her to her feet and they returned inside. They took the stairs slowly, and she bit her lip when the upward movement put awkward pressure around the area of her incision. Her entire belly felt bruised and tender.
When they entered the master bedroom, she let out a sound of pure delight. The entire back wall that faced the ocean was glassed in from floor to ceiling. She left Piers’s side to peer over the water, her palms pressed to the cool glass.
Her throat suspiciously tight, she turned to face Piers. “This has been the most wonderful day. Thank you so much.”
“I’m glad you approve,” he said huskily.
She returned her attention to the view, watching as the last bits of the orange glow from the sun disappeared into the sea.
“What about your work? Your hotels?”
He came to stand beside her, studying the ocean with her.
“Most of my work can be handled from here. I have a phone, my computer and a fax machine. There will be times I need to travel. Up to now, I’ve always done the bulk of the traveling, but I find myself unwilling to continue on that track. Either my brothers will have to help shoulder the load or we’ll hire someone to do most of the traveling.”
“You won’t miss it?” she asked lightly.
“A few months ago I would have said yes, very much, but now I find myself more reluctant to be away from my wife and our child.”
Warmth spread through her chest. How like a family they sounded. She wasn’t entirely certain what had caused him to change his tune, but she had no desire to question it. She only hoped it lasted.
Chapter Fifteen
For the next several days, Jewel rested and recovered under the watchful eye of Piers and the staff he’d hired. It seemed odd at first to have other people in the house, but they blended so seamlessly into the background that Jewel quickly became accustomed to their presence.
Piers even had a physician come to the house to check her incision and remove the staples so she wouldn’t have to make the trip into town.
In short, she was spoiled and pampered endlessly, and she was fast becoming bored out of her mind. She was positively dying to explore her surroundings. A trip down to the beach was foremost on her wish list, but she also wanted to go beyond the grounds of their estate and see the rest of the island.
According to Piers, the island was small and not yet discovered by the many tourists that flocked to the Caribbean. Fishing was the main source of industry for the locals. There were plans to build an elaborate resort, an exclusive playground for the wealthy where no expense would be spared and guests would be lavished with personal attention.
The goal was to keep the island as private and as unspoiled as possible while still providing an influx of capital for the locals.
Jewel broached the subject of a trip down to the beach over breakfast, the day after the doctor had removed her staples and pronounced her fit.
Piers frowned for a moment. “I’m not sure you should be descending the stairs this soon after your surgery, yineka mou.”
“But I’ll have you to hang on to,” she cajoled. “Please, Piers. I’m about to go stir-crazy. I’ve watched from a distance for so long, I’m beginning to feel like I’m viewing postcards.”
He smiled. “I find I can deny you nothing. All right. After breakfast we’ll go down to the beach. I’ll have the cook prepare a picnic lunch.”
She bounced on her seat like an excited child. “Thank you. I can’t wait to see it!”
“Be sure and wear some comfortable shoes. I don’t want you slipping on the steps.”
She smiled at his solicitousness. How perfect things were right now. Gone was the feeling that at any moment her world could come crashing down around her. If only…if only he’d open up to her.
For days she’d argued with herself, vacillated from having the courage to ask and having it disappear. The other problem was that if she managed to get him to talk to her about his past then she’d be forced to speak of her own.
Soon, she promised herself. But not this morning. Nothing wa
s going to ruin their outing to the beach.
Picnic basket in one hand, his other firmly wrapped around hers, Piers made his way down the steps carved into the face of the cliff. With each downward movement, the sounds of the ocean got louder and Jewel became more excited.
When their feet finally hit the sand, Jewel stopped and looked up at the impressive rocky cliffs looming over and around them, isolating their stretch of beach from the rest of the world.
“It’s like we’re in our own little world,” she said in awe.
Piers smiled. “No one can see you except by boat, and I have it on good authority the locals don’t fish this end of the island.”
“Conjures up all sorts of naughty possibilities, doesn’t it?”
His eyes glittered in response. “You can be sure once you are well that I’ll be all too willing to indulge in some of those possibilities.”
She laughed and kicked off her shoes, digging her toes into the warm sand. Unable to resist the lure of the foaming waves, she hurried toward the water’s edge, anxious to feel the water swirling around her ankles.
The cascading water met her and rushed over her feet. She threw out her arms to embrace the breeze and smiled in absolute delight as her hair billowed behind her. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deep and wished she could stop time, right here in this perfect moment.
“You look like a sea nymph,” Piers said. “More beautiful than a woman should be allowed to look.”
She turned to see him standing beside her, his pants rolled up to his knees, his feet bare.
“Is it safe to swim here?”
He nodded.
“We’ll have to do it sometime.”
“You look happy, yineka mou. Have I made you so?”
The vulnerability that flashed in his dark eyes made her catch her breath. This strong, arrogant man was as human as the next person. Not questioning the wisdom of doing so, she flung herself into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck.
“You’re so good to me, Piers. You do make me so very happy.”
Tentatively, he returned her embrace and as she pulled her head away to look at him, their eyes met. Their lips were but an inch apart, and she licked hers nervously, in anticipation of what she knew was about to happen.