by Connie Cox
He pulled his sunglasses over his eyes. “But without the swagger, what do I have?”
Apparently, she’d hit a sore spot. This man-woman interplay wasn’t her forte. She started walking toward the coffee shop.
The silence between them felt awkward and needed filling.
Annalise said what was on her mind, hoping her honesty didn’t get her into worse trouble. “If you’re fishing for a compliment, I can give you several. You’re talented, according to your prestigious client list. You’re generous. Brave. Good with children. Should I go on?”
She didn’t know someone so deeply tanned—or so cocky—could blush as deeply as he did.
“If you keep it up, I’ll have to hire you as my publicist.”
“Do you have one?”
He gave her a sideways glance. “Uh—no. I’m a serious working doctor, no matter what you’ve heard from my grandmother.”
“She’s very proud of you.”
“She’s proud of all of us.”
“I didn’t hear her bragging about your brothers at supper the other night.”
“Magazine covers and TV interviews impress her.” He stopped outside the café’s entrance. “It was all to build the practice. Thankfully, it worked. I keep telling my brothers they need to do the same to build up the restaurant, but they’ve resisted so far.”
“Where’s your family’s restaurant?”
“In the city on Audubon Place. It’s called Olympia’s, for obvious reasons.”
“I’ll put that on my list of places to eat next time I’m in New Orleans.”
“Just tell them you know me and they’ll cut you a good deal.”
“They’ll probably charge me double, thinking that if I’m a friend of yours, I’ll be trouble,” Annalise teased.
Niko gave her a genuine smile. “Minx.”
This was fun! In the past, when a man had flirted with her, she’d often thought of amusing retorts in kind but she’d never just blurted them out like this. She’d been too shy.
But with Niko she felt bold and confident. It was a good feeling.
“Want to sit here?” She gestured to a nearby table.
“Sure.” Niko offered Annalise a hand to help her sit on the bar stool fronting the coffee bar. He probably did it without even realizing how chivalrous he was being. But Annalise didn’t take the courtesy for granted.
His hand was big. Strong. Probably very nice. Still, she pretended not to notice as she climbed onto the bar stool.
As soon as he withdrew his hand she regretted not taking it. Maybe this time would have been different. After all, Niko was different.
He gave her a thoughtful look as he took the seat next to her, obviously not knowing what his personal touch would do to her. How could he know?
She’d never told anyone why she usually kept her distance. She’d never wanted to explain herself, never wanted a man to understand, until now. Maybe she should give him just enough clues that he’d know it wasn’t him but her.
She swallowed. “Niko, I—”
The barista interrupted the moment and Annalise didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
She gave them the coffee-house spiel as she lined up six small cups of coffee in front of them.
“I recommend trying the samples from light roast to dark roast. Lighter is less acidic. Darker has more body.” She put an icy-cold silver creamer and sugar bowl on a silver tray on the table. “Let me know if you want to try anything else on the board or if you have any questions.”
Niko had lots of questions, but not for the barista. He wanted to know everything about the fascinating woman across from him. He especially wanted to know about the pain in her eyes and how to make it go away.
But by the way Annalise was avoiding looking at him, he knew this wasn’t the time or the place.
He would enjoy the moment for what it was and do his best to make sure Annalise enjoyed it, too. There would be other opportunities. He would make sure of that.
After making generous use of the sugar bowl, he took his first sip and hid his wince. Coffee wasn’t his favorite drink, but he would have agreed to share a bottle of absinthe if he’d had to, rather than turn down Annalise’s invitation.
Annalise took a sip of first cup and grimaced.
“Not to your taste?”
“Not this one.” She dumped cream and sugar into her next cup and gave it try. “Too much more of this and I’ll have another restless night.”
“Another?” Niko added cream to his cup, too, but hesitated before giving it another try.
“You know, Niko, I don’t really like coffee. And I’m thinking you don’t either. Would you rather have a nice umbrella drink instead?”
“To tell you the truth, Annalise, I’m not very fond of those either.” He leaned forward, knowing he was about to either breach a barrier or end this barely budding relationship at one go. “Instead of getting ourselves into something neither of us want, let’s make a pact. Truth between us and nothing less.”
By the wary expression on Annalise’s face Niko knew he had his answer.
“All right.” She laughed—a genuine laugh from deep inside. “You were expecting a different answer, weren’t you?”
“Sadly, yes. Bad past experiences.”
“About that—experiences, I mean. I’ll be truthful, but I also reserve the right to not answer.”
“Deal.” He thought of the sweepstakes ploy he’d engineered for his family and, of course, his Doctors Without Borders gig. “Everyone has a few secrets they don’t want revealed.”
Niko caught the barista’s attention and they placed their orders—a beer for Niko and a fresh cup of tea for Annalise because she had to check back in with her P.A. before the end of office hours.
“So...” Annalise licked her lips, making Niko yearn for a taste “...want to play Twenty Questions?”
“Sure.” He couldn’t have refused if his life had depended on it.
“Favorite color.”
“I would have said blue before I saw you today. Now it’s orange. Most definitely orange.”
A rosy blush crept up her face even as her eyes sparkled. She ducked her head. “Thanks.”
“What’s yours?”
“Mine?”
“Your favorite color?”
She grinned. “Amber. Like your eyes.”
Women had complimented his eyes before, but it had never mattered. Now it mattered. Keep it casual, Christopoulos.
He pushed the flattering remark away. “So you want to play that way, huh? Game on, girl. What do you want in a man?”
Annalise bit her lip as she tilted her head to the side and considered. Worry made Niko’s heart pound faster.
From her expression, she was taking this game way too seriously.
“Kindness. Compassion. Strength enough to stand up for those weaker than him. Enough intelligence to hold up his end of the conversation.” Very deliberately, she studied him. “And muscles in all the right places.”
He spread his arms wide. “You might need to check me out for that last one, Doc. A physical exam would be so much more thorough than a mere visual inspection.”
As she took a sip of her tea she looked up from under her lashes. So coy yet so direct. He couldn’t stop staring at how she seemed to glow from deep inside when she was happy.
“And you, Dr. Christopoulos. What makes a ladies’ man like you choose one woman over another? Give me a comparison chart, no names necessary.”
“Comparison chart? Right now, you’re the only woman I can even bring to mind.”
“You’re a glib one, aren’t you?”
He put his hand over his heart. “Only truth between us.”
“In that case, how long
have you experienced this selective amnesia, Doctor?”
“Ever since I stood behind you when we were boarding.”
“What about a certain buxom Greek heiress who needed sunscreen rubbed on her back?”
Helena hadn’t even entered his mind. “Merely being polite. Are you jealous?”
“Nothing to be jealous about.”
“You’re right. You have nothing to be jealous about.” He reached over to take Annalise’s hand, but she checked her watch before his fingers could graze hers.
“I need to check in with my P.A.” She looked down at her activities list and pointed to the next one on the list. “Look. They’ve got an origami towel-folding class starting in a few minutes. Would you like to try that?”
“Towel origami? Was it something I said?”
She looked at him, long and hard. “Duty before pleasure. You know the score.”
“All too well.” But something in her eyes didn’t ring true. He was pretty certain he was getting the brush-off.
Still, he held out his hand to help her off the bar stool.
When she took it, giving his fingers an apologetic squeeze, he felt a zing go straight to his gut. This woman was different. Special.
And he loved a challenge.
“See you tonight on top?” he called after her.
She stopped and gave him a sexy look over her shoulder. “If you’re lucky.”
* * *
Annalise didn’t show.
Niko waited until past midnight, tensing in anticipation each time he heard footsteps coming up the metal stairs, but he was disappointed each time.
He went over and over the conversation in his head. Had he come on too strong? Shy had never been his type before Annalise. But she had seemed to enjoy their banter.
And why did it mean so much to him? Why did he feel so at a loss? Feel such rejection?
As he unlocked his cabin door, he saw the blinking light on his cabin phone. Impatiently, he followed the lengthy button-pushing instructions to retrieve the text message that scrolled across the phone’s display.
Medical emergency. How about tomorrow? Ice skating after breakfast? A.
Short. Cryptic. Exactly the kind of note he’d texted his ex when he had been running late. Now he understood why she hadn’t always been satisfied with his terse communication.
Niko spent too many hours staring at the ceiling, thinking about relationships old and new, telling himself he should back away from this one before he fell too deep. Then, finally, admitting to himself he might have already fallen.
As he fell asleep he made the firm, sensible decision to skip the skating date, skip the moonlight trysts, skip all further encounters with Dr. Annalise Walcott. There was no future in it. He had enough goodbyes to say at the end of this trip. No sense in adding one more.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ANNALISE STUDIED THE contents of her closet and clothes drawers. While the ice rink wasn’t too cold, her body was acclimated to the tropics. Usually, for ice skating she wore thick sweats, but she opted for her slimmer-fitting yoga pants this morning. Being a little chilled was worth the fashion trade-off.
She contemplated her oversized sweatshirt advertising the cruise line. Her other option was a T-shirt, which would be too thin no matter how much better it showed off her assets.
As she pulled the sweatshirt over her head, Annalise was not oblivious to the change Niko was making on her daily habits.
They definitely had chemistry together, but it wasn’t only sexual attraction but also intellectual attraction.
Annalise’s mother had often told her that she was too smart for her own good. That she intimidated men and she should try to tone down the brains. While she would have if she could have, she hadn’t managed to do that. But with Niko she had no need to. He challenged her mind just as she did his.
Was he the right man? Or was this simply the right time? Even before she’d met him, she had been feeling the need for a change, thus her reluctance to renew her contract and her growing interest in medical relief missions. Even her unsuccessful visit to her mother could be seen as a sign that she was ready to move on from her status quo.
The right man at the right time.
Was she ready? How long was she going to let her past hold her back?
Dark secrets. Was she prepared to look at them in the light of day? It would take a very special man to help her breach the darkness and come into the light.
Did she want Niko to be that man? Would he even want to be that man once he found out about her past?
Secrets.
* * *
Niko watched Annalise walk toward him as he stood by the skate counter, fully aware how his pulse sped up at the sight of her.
So much for all his late-night contemplation.
He had no idea where this was going, but if it was leading to something serious... He surprised himself by wishing it could. But he would never be ready for a serious relationship. He’d made his decision.
Thankfully, Annalise was safe. She had her career, too. A career that harbored no expectations of a home and children and a husband who came home every night.
“Hey,” he said as she came within earshot.
“Hey back at ya.”
Niko grinned at how they had fallen into sync so quickly. He could get used to this. Warning bells went off in his head. Less than three weeks. No sense in getting used to anything about her.
Still, he could enjoy her company, couldn’t he? She didn’t just pretend to listen when he talked. She really did listen. They had well-informed conversations, give and take, back and forth. Yin and yang.
How often had he been misunderstood in the past? A parade of beautiful women flashed through his mind. He had to admit he had not always based his date choice on compatibility.
But with Annalise he had both beauty and brains in one package.
The only problem was—he didn’t have her at all. She was her own woman with her own life that he only got to be a part of for the next two weeks and a few days.
This trip was supposed to be about relaxing, not about feeling the pressure of the clock ticking. Why did he do this to himself?
“Ready?” She raised an eyebrow at him in challenge.
Because he couldn’t resist, he answered, “Ready.”
* * *
As Niko bent to lace his skates, he rubbed his thigh, an absent gesture Annalise was certain he wasn’t even aware of.
“How’s the leg?”
“Fine.”
Although she wanted to probe deeper, she practiced great restraint and let it drop. He was entitled to his privacy, just as she was.
“I’m ready to get rid of these stitches.”
“I’ll take a look tomorrow.”
She watched him stand on the rubber map, his ankles wobbling. As soon as she stood, he grabbed her shoulder to steady himself.
Normally, she would shy away from such contact. But this was Niko. Instead, she reached out a hand to steady him.
“You really meant it when you said you wanted me to teach you to skate. You’ve never done this before?”
“Nope. Never.”
“Keep your ankles firm.”
“And then?”
“Then the first thing you need to learn is how to fall.”
His grip tightened on her as he wobbled back and forth. “I’m thinking that lesson will come to me naturally in a very short time.”
“Falling isn’t inevitable.”
“Except for falling in love,” he quipped. Then he became very still. “At least, that’s what Yiayia would say.”
She was all too aware that they were avoiding each other’s eyes. “That L-word can ruin a lot of friendships.”
&nb
sp; He nodded. “Then we won’t let that happen, will we?”
Abruptly he sat on the bench behind him, craning up to look at her.
She sat next to him, putting them at the same height.
“Annalise?”
“Yes?”
“We can be friends, can’t we? Even after this is over?”
She drew in a big breath. “Long distance? We can try. No promises, though.”
He nodded. “No promises.”
A group of teens rushed by, laughing and playing and reminding Annalise that life was full of fun as well as drama.
“Are we going to skate today, or hold down this bench for the rest of the morning?” she dared him.
“Let’s skate.” This time when he stood up he planted his feet firmly, not needing her for support.
“If you start to fall, lean back, tuck your chin in to protect your head and fall on your butt.”
“Sage advice for life as well as for ice skating.” He reached for her, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. His finger lingered on the rim of her ear as he pushed the strand behind it.
The thrill made Annalise jerk away.
His lips were so close to hers she could almost taste them when he asked, “Ticklish?”
She took a step backwards, her skate catching on the rubber mat. As she windmilled her arms, he reached out to catch her.
They both lost their balance and he ended up sitting down hard on the bench with her in his lap.
Annalise jumped up.
“Sorry,” she said, even though he should be the one apologizing. She hadn’t been expecting that sizzling touch. She certainly hadn’t asked for it either.
“I’m not.”
Take it in stride, Annalise, she reminded herself. This is flirting. This is fun. Nothing else. And nothing more.
“Watch me.” She walked in front of him. “See how I’m walking a bit forward and bending my knees?”
“Yes. I see.”
The teasingly licentious tone of his voice made her grin but she didn’t turn around and return it. Not this time. Too much had passed between them that needed some space.
She heard a scrape of blades once he came onto the ice, but no kerplump.