by Silver James
“There’s a bounty on you. And on Luca.”
Peni sucked in air and he gave her a few moments to digest that information. Her hands trembled in his as she asked. “How much?”
“A million dollars.” Nick was afraid she’d faint again so he shook her gently. “Breathe, sweetheart.” When her eyes once again focused on his face, he continued. “Gabe knew that when he took you on. I knew it when I took this job. It doesn’t mean jackshit to either of us.”
“But it is a million dollars.” Her voice trembled with fear beneath the wonder that her life would be worth so much.
Nick released one of her hands to scrub his fingers through his hair. He wanted to get up and pace but figured she’d bolt if he did. “Look, we’ve done shi-stuff. Bad stuff. Gabe and me. In a lot of different war zones.” He added “and out of them” under his breath. “Some of our scars are on the surface, but a whole helluva lot of them are buried so deep sometimes we can’t even see them. And sometimes, things align and we get to do something good that—”
He couldn’t sit still. Pulling away from her, he stood and marched to the French doors. Staring out, he continued. “Every once in awhile, we get to do something that…hell. It doesn’t really erase the bad shit we did but it sort of…balances it. If that makes any sense at all.”
Glancing over his shoulder, he watched her, waiting for a reaction. “I didn’t always fly rescue helicopters. Sometimes the bad guys were dug in deep and—” He cut off the sentence. “You’re in trouble, Peni. Through no fault of your own. The man who wants you, who wants Luca, is a sorry bastard who would hurt you without blinking an eye. He’d hurt Luiza. Hell, he’d hurt Luca if that got him what he wanted.”
In four long strides, he was back to the couch and dropping down beside her. He cupped her face in his hands. “I swear to you I will not let that happen. I don’t care if I have to pay fuckin’ Gabe Rossi out of my own pocket. I will take care of you and the twins. And if I have any say in the matter, I will see to it that Theodor Vasile becomes nothing but a dim memory.”
Her eyes were dry as she watched him but fine tremors jittered through her body. Peni had to search for her voice. When she found it, she managed to croak out one word. “Why?”
Nick shrugged his shoulders and smoothed the skin of her cheeks with his thumbs. He didn’t release her. “Because, Peni. That’s the only answer I have. Because I’m in a position to help. Because you need my help.” His eyes closed and he leaned forward until their foreheads touched. “Because this time, the bad guys don’t fucking get to win.”
Chapter 9
NICK STUDIED PENI from the doorway. She was oblivious to his presence as she sat in a padded rocking chair that had appeared in the bedroom during their excursion. She held a baby in each arm, rocking, and cooing. Her love for them was evident in everything about her—her expression, her voice, the way she cuddled them.
She glanced up at him, the rocking motion stilling. He offered her a smile curving around the finger he held to his mouth as he whispered, “Shhh.”
Crossing the room, he carefully retrieved Luiza from her arms and placed the sleeping baby in the crib. Then he repeated the action with Luca. Neither twin stirred. He offered his hand to Peni and steadied her as she stood.
“I have dinner ready,” he murmured in her ear. “Late, but better than never.”
Hesitant, she resisted until her stomach growled. She blushed furiously as he ushered out of the bedroom. When she arrived in the kitchen, there was nothing on the breakfast bar where they normally ate. Nick took her arm and led her out to the patio next to the pool.
Moonlight glimmered on the water, changing patterns as the playful night breeze teased the surface of the pool. The sound of breakers washing up on the beach only a few steps away sounded like brushes on a snare drum, a slow-jazz back-beat to the wind in the palm trees. Candles flickered in hurricane lamps resting on a table set for two.
Peni stopped, staring at the scene before turning her gaze to the man at her side. “I don’t understand…” Her voice trailed off in wonder. This was like something out of a romantic movie.
“For you,” Nick explained. “I liked what you told McBain’s security guy this afternoon. I do like to spoil you.”
He held her chair and she slipped into it, feeling like a princess or a socialite or…someone who was far more glamorous than herself. He popped the cork on what she thought was a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket and poured her a glass. He waited until she sipped. Peni wasn’t quite sure what she expected but the bubbly tingle and sweet but dry taste bursting on her tongue wasn’t it. She giggled and immediately covered her mouth.
“I shouldn’t drink this,” she admitted but couldn’t suppress the longing in her voice. “The babies—”
“Are getting more formula now. I checked with an acquaintance. She’s a pediatrician. She said it would be all right. Well, so long as you don’t drink the whole bottle.” He squinted one eye in a roguish wink. “But a glass or two won’t harm them at this stage.”
She took another small sip. This was all so perfect she didn’t want to spoil things. And Nick was right. She was supplementing the babies’ feedings with formula and they seemed happier now that their tummies were full.
Nick grinned and relaxed. This was good. He hadn’t messed things up. While Peni bathed and got the babies ready for bed, he’d ignored the food in the fridge and had called up to the resort’s five-star restaurant, Junonia. They’d obligingly sent down a full-course gourmet dinner for two, complete with champagne, wine, and some sort of decadent chocolate dessert that he had every intention of feeding Peni with his own hand. Watching her lick the gooey chocolate off the spoon would stretch every ounce of his control. He couldn’t wait.
Dinner stretched toward midnight. Peni ate every bite and couldn’t remember actually chewing anything. The salad had tasted of fresh pear, raspberries, spinach, and almonds. Dinner had been a tender fish with a tangy mango sauce and steamed vegetables. Nicholas teased her, made her laugh. He told stories about his extended Greek family, and she wished she could meet his yiayia. She could tell he was fond of his grandmother, no matter how old fashioned and crotchety she was. Knowing she’d never get to meet this amazing woman saddened her. As if he could read her mind, Nick opened a second bottle of wine and filled a clean glass with its sparkling contents.
She held up her hand in protest. “No more champagne.”
“Nope. No more champagne. This is an ice wine. It goes with dessert. I’ll be right back.”
Hesitant, mainly because she’d drunk more alcohol than she ever had in her life, she watched him duck inside the villa. She heard the sound of a door opening and she sat up, startled. Then she heard Luca, fussing in his sleep. Only then did she see the baby monitor set close to Nicholas’s chair.
“Shhh, little dude.” Nick’s voice ghosted from the speaker. “You’re dry. You shouldn’t be hungry. And your sister’s right here next to you so I’m betting you aren’t lonely. Go back to sleep.”
Peni heard rustling then a whisper of sound that might have been pats, and then Nick’s voice singing soft and low. She didn’t recognize the words but realized he was crooning a Greek lullaby to her son. And her heart melted.
When Nick returned with dessert, Peni’s eyes were suspiciously liquid, the moonlight shining in their depths much like it danced across the still waters of the pool. Had she been crying? He glanced at the monitor and realized she’d heard him. He wasn’t embarrassed. His father had been a big, loud, loving man with a booming voice who often sang Nick to sleep in the stillness of a restless night.
He pulled his chair around next to Peni’s and draped his arm across the back of her chair. With a spoon, he dipped into the warm dessert and held it up for her to taste. She hesitated a moment too long. Just as she opened her mouth to accept the spoon, he swooped in, stole the bite and kissed her. She was so startled, Nick got the second bite into her mouth before she closed it.
She chewed—though the delectable combination of cake, melted chocolate and fruit marmalade all but melted on her tongue, and swallowed. Nick leaned in again and flicked the tip of his tongue across the corner of her mouth and whispered, “You missed a spot,” right before he kissed her again.
****
Nick couldn’t sleep, which was totally out of character. A veteran of the combat flight line, he’d once been able to nap on concrete floors in the middle of rocket attacks. The operative word being once. No longer. Not since meeting Peni. Wanting her was becoming a full-time distraction. Sleeping on the couch was turning into a royal pain—literally as well as figuratively.
They did no more than kiss after dinner, and rather innocent kisses at that. After room service arrived at his call to remove the dishes, they’d settled on the lounger and watched wispy clouds flirt with the moon. He’d sent her to bed when he caught her stifling a yawn.
That had been three hours ago. He still hadn’t settled. Even with the French doors open to the breeze coming off the Gulf, he couldn’t get comfortable, couldn’t drop off into sleep. He paced to the bedroom door, pressed his ear against the wood and listened.
Rustling sheets. Quiet burbles. A whimper. With as much stealth as he could muster, he eased open the door. The babies were cuddled in their crib sleeping soundly, though Luca was making sucking noises and contented gurgles. It was their mother who slept fitfully. Twisted sheets, a pillow on the floor, her legs twitching like she was trying to run. Nick considered waking her but she needed rest, even if it was uneasy.
Slipping back out, he left the door cracked so he could hear any sounds. Unsettled, Nick drifted to the open door. Moonlight glistened on the pool, the glowing path wavering and reforming as the night breeze pushed small ripples across the surface.
His thoughts returned to Peni, to what she’d done to keep her children with her, to keep them safe. The easy way would have been to turn Luca and Luiza over to Vasile, and go back to her life. Granted, everything Nick knew about Vasile led him to conclude that in all probability, the mobster would have eliminated Peni and most likely, Luiza too.
But Peni? She listened to her instincts, and to her heart. Peni escaped, gave birth alone, and set about staying one step ahead of Vasile’s henchmen, all but starving herself in the process. "What kind of woman does that?"
“What kind of woman does what?” a sleepy voice asked from behind him.
Nick turned, surprised he’d asked the question out loud. He smoothed sleep-tousled hair back from Peni’s face then couldn’t stop himself from drawing her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head, again a move he couldn’t stop. “Loves her children as damn much as you do.”
And he knew, in that moment, what kind of woman he wanted, what kind he’d been unable to define until this moment. Peni. Peni was the kind of woman he wanted. No, that was wrong. Peni wasn’t just the kind of woman…she was the woman. That thought should have sent him running for the exit. It didn’t. The idea spread through him, over him like warm waves lapping across the hot sand of a summer beach.
“Go back to bed, sweetheart.” He turned her around and nudged her back to the bedroom.
“I thought I heard something.”
“It was me. I couldn’t sleep so I was checking on you and the twins.”
She nodded and rubbed at her eyes like a little kid. “I’m having trouble sleeping too.”
Nick steered her to the king-size bed, drew back the covers and watched while she sank into the luxurious mattress. He flipped the sheet and comforter over her and tucked her in. “Try to sleep, Peni. The twins will be up early.”
She smiled, her eyes still sleepy in the slight illumination provided by the moon peeking in through curtained shutters and a nightlight in the bathroom. “I will if you will.”
The corner of his mouth curled of its own volition then flattened as she patted the bed beside her. “Peni?”
“Will you sit and talk to me?” Her nose squiggled and her smile turned impish. “Or better yet, sing me that lullaby? I need to learn it.”
He lowered his ass to the bed and sat with care. She scooted over a little bit, punching up the pillows she vacated in an invitation to stretch out. “You need to learn Greek.”
“No. I need to learn the sounds of Greek words to sing the song.”
Nick cleared his throat, self-conscious now where he hadn’t been singing to Luca. He spoke the first line of the lullaby. “O ílios koimátai sta vouná.”
Peni huffed out a breath. “What’s that mean?”
“Well, more or less, it talks about the sun sleeping on the mountains and the singer is asking the gods to let his baby sleep as well.”
“Will you sing it to me?”
Now he was truly flustered. His voice was good enough to recreate the iconic scene from “Top Gun” and sing “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” to unsuspecting women in bars in an effort to pick them up, but this was something vastly different, something far more intimate.
Before he could start, Peni rolled into him and without thinking, he stretched out his arm so she could cuddle against his side, using his shoulder for a pillow. She canted her head back to see his face and smiled. “I’m ready.”
So he sang, low and gruff, and his voice thickened as he realized this woman was his to protect and cherish and that he wanted the gods to watch over her, to let her sleep. When the song ended, instead of making excuses, climbing out of bed and disappearing into the dark, Nick gathered her closer. They’d never shared a bed and despite his dick hardening, he had no intention of taking tonight any further than where they were—in bed together, with Peni’s head nestled on his shoulder, her hand splayed across his abs. The warmth swimming through him gathered there, beneath her palm, before moving further south. He liked that she aroused him. He should have been exhausted, should have been beyond the capability but his dick stretched like a lazy dog and got harder. He didn’t have to take her—not this moment. The anticipation, the control he’d need to contain it—yeah, that brought a smile to his face.
“Sleep, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” He kissed her forehead and let his eyes close.
Later, when she was sleeping peacefully, he rolled her to her side and spooned up behind her. Caging her with his whole body, he gathered her close. Branded the nape of her neck, her shoulder, and her cheek with kisses. A word danced just within conscious reach as he joined her in sleep.
Mine.
Chapter 10
PENI DIDN’T MOVE, not even to take a breath.
“Breathe, sweetheart.” Nick’s voice was sleep-roughened gravel. His lips nuzzled along the back of her neck, across her skin until he punctuated the journey with a kiss on the point of her shoulder.
Following his instructions, she inhaled but not deeply. His hand rested splayed across her tummy and her brain scrambled to catch up with the predicament in which she currently found herself. Memories from the previous night flooded her mind. Sleep. They’d only slept after Nicholas sang her his lullaby. And she had slept. As a result, she felt…
“What?” Nick nudged Peni with his chin and her thoughts trailed off.
She twisted her head to see Nick’s face. “What?”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Penny for your thoughts.”
Rolling her eyes she mulled over what to tell him then opted for the truth. “I feel almost normal this morning. I slept. Soundly. For the first time in…a year. I…you make me feel…safe.”
“Good. I’m supposed—” The rest of his statement was lost to the screeching wails of an unhappy baby. Nick laughed and rolled off the bed. “I think that’s our cue. I’ll deal with McCrankypants and you take the princess.”
An hour later, the babies were dry, clean, and fed and were out on the covered lanai next to the pool happily cooing in two swinging toys. Nick was stretched out on the lounger, sunglasses in place, looking lazy like a big tiger sunning on a rock. Even so, Peni was po
sitive his entire focus was on the kids.
“So what do you want to do today?”
She dropped into a chair next to the table where they’d dined and picked up the glass of chilled orange juice sitting there. “Do?”
“Yeah. Do. People on vacation in fancy resorts usually do stuff.”
A plate of croissants demanded her attention and she eventually picked one. When she bit into it, the flaky roll oozed thick blueberry juice.
“I’ve never been on a vacation, much less in a fancy resort. I have no idea, Nicholas.”
“Want to go swim in the ocean? I know there was a swimsuit in yesterday’s haul.”
“What about the twins?”
“We’ll get them sun-blocked up and make sure they have shade. Plus, the chair swings.” He pushed his sunglasses up so she could see the deep, mahogany brown color of his eyes. “Besides, I already reserved one of the beach-side cabanas with an attendant. Who—” He held up an index finger to stave off her objection. “Who is one of McBain’s security staff. I understand she does not freak out when children are involved. So…what do you say?”
“I probably need to be sun-blocked too.”
His grin grew exponentially. “Then I definitely volunteer to be the slatherer of sunblockness.”
At the end of the day, when she was on the slightly toasty side, the babies weren’t, and everyone had been fed, she curled up on the wide lounger with Nick and listened to the soft breathing noises coming from the baby monitor.
“Thank you,” she murmured before kissing his cheek.
“You’re welcome.”
Nicholas didn’t move for a few minutes and she wondered if he’d dropped off to sleep.
“Nope, wide awake, sweetheart.”
Startled, she pushed to a seated position and stared down at him. “Reading my mind?”
“Nope. Just your body language. I’m learning it. Slowly but surely. Just like I’m learning you.”
She thought about that then asked. “Why would you want to?”