by Girard, Dara
Nikki watched him with growing impatience, then stomped her foot. “At least say something. Do you hate them? Like them? Don’t care?” She rested her hand on the stack of paper. “Give me something.”
Lucian removed her hand, rested his arms on the table and continued to ignore her.
“I’m sorry, okay? That night on the terrace wasn’t what you thought and—”
He held up a hand, while keeping his gaze focused on her sketches. “I’m not here for that.” He sent her a sharp look. “Don’t bring it up again.”
Nikki sighed, knowing that was impossible. What had happened hung between them. At least on her end. She couldn’t compartmentalize the way he could. She wanted to touch his scarred hand and caress the raised skin on his neck. She wanted to massage the tension in his shoulders. She had found something else to do with her fingers when she suddenly felt a strange vibration. She glanced down and saw she’d been stroking Lethe, who’d begun to purr loudly. She yanked her hand back.
As the silence stretched between them, her sympathy for Lucian was replaced with frustration. Was this how he meant to punish her? It didn’t take this long to form an opinion about her work. Was he taking the time to come up with a suitable cutting remark? Fine. She’d be prepared for it.
She began to pace. “You’re exasperating,” she muttered to herself, not caring if he heard her or not. “No wonder the others quit. This was supposed to be my dream assignment. I can’t tell you how much I dreamed of seeing inside this house. But of course, there’s not much to see. Instead there are shadows behind every door, rude maids, mysterious butlers, flirtatious brothers, a strange girl and an owner who barely speaks to me for nearly a week, then shows up, expecting a masterpiece.”
“Are you finished?”
Nikki halted, turned to Lucian and found him watching her, amused.
She folded her arms, embarrassed, but gave a careless toss of her head. “Yes.”
Lucian sat back. “No meze table is absolutely complete without dolmades—stuffed grape leaves. It is my favorite…” He waved his hand, searching for a word. “What’s the word? Starter? Breaker?”
“Appetizer?”
“Yes, appetizer. I love the fresh tomatoes and aubergines.”
“Aubergines?”
“Yes, the purple vegetable.”
“Eggplant?”
He nodded. “And courgettes, what you call zucchini. The grape leaves are stuffed with rice and these vegetables and served with lemon wedges and yogurt. Have you ever had them?”
Nikki shook her head, not sure where he was going with his story.
“I’ll make sure you have some before you leave. Anyway, I once had a chef who knew that I loved this dish and added extra cinnamon, olive oil and yellow onions. He also cooked the leaves until they wilted. It was too much and I didn’t enjoy it. Can you guess why?”
“I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
“Because he was trying too hard to impress me. He forgot to do his job, which was to prepare dolmades and nothing more. I don’t need to be impressed.” He stood. “It will make things easier.”
“How can things be easy when you go out of your way to avoid me? You don’t join us for dinner. I have asked Dante for an appointment with you and have been told you’re too busy.”
“Because I am.”
“But the other night can’t be—”
Lucian’s eyes and tone hardened. “The other night meant nothing, was nothing, is nothing.”
Nikki blinked as if he’d slapped her. “Then why can’t I forget it? Why won’t you forgive me?”
“How can I forgive you when there’s nothing to forgive?”
Nikki threw up her hands. “I hate these word games you play.”
“Good. We now understand each other.” He patted Lethe. “He likes you.”
“But you don’t.”
Lucian only gave her an enigmatic look before walking away.
Nikki gripped her hands into fists and shook them in the air, then sank into her chair, feeling as if an anvil had just fallen on her. He’d effectively demolished the beauty of the time they’d shared on the terrace by not letting her speak of it. Nothing happened. What he was really saying was that she didn’t matter. That she was one of a number of women who’d come and gone from his life. Why did she care? There were plenty of other men.
She’d returned Benjamin’s ring with a note, unable to pretend that their relationship was more than it was. She knew he’d be relieved. His actions had been impulsive. He was more afraid of losing her than he was desirous of building a new future with her. She wanted to think that she could just return to the carefree relationship she’d had with him, but she knew that would be impossible. Lucian stood in her way. She didn’t want to think about him, but she couldn’t help herself. But if he didn’t care, neither would she.
Nikki briefly covered her eyes, feeling defeated. Not only had Lucian rejected her as a lover, but he also hadn’t liked her designs. She needed to focus on her job, complete it, then leave. Nikki opened her eyes and stared down at her sketches. He was right. They were too ostentatious and showy. She was embarrassed that her desperation had shown. She had wanted to impress him with her brilliance, but she’d failed.
She seemed to be failing a lot lately. Nikki abruptly stood, startling Lethe. “I don’t care if he thinks I’m strange talking to you. You’re the only one who seems to make sense around here. Can you make me forget?” She reached out and stroked him, no longer afraid. He brushed his head against her hand. She scratched him behind the ears and he began to purr. “At least I can make you happy.” She glanced around the room, feeling as if the walls were closing in on her. “I need to get out of here.”
And as if he understood her, Lethe jumped down and walked to the door.
“You want to come with me? Fine. I’ll accept the company.”
Chapter 11
She usually kept her walks to the day but liked the quiet of the dying light as evening came, and Lethe made a nice companion. Nikki stopped on the beach and sat down on a rock, listening to the soft sounds of the waves creeping up the shore. She petted Lethe, who suddenly became watchful.
“How much longer must I wait?” a familiar voice asked from somewhere in the trees.
Nikki turned and saw Iona with her arm around Basilio’s neck. Nikki glanced around for a hiding place, then darted behind a boulder so that she wouldn’t be spotted by them.
“Be patient,” Basilio said.
“I thought you loved me.”
“I do,” he said, then lowered his head to kiss her.
Nikki winced at the sight. Basilio and Iona? What an awful combination on so many levels. Yes, physically they made an attractive couple, but their temperaments were so different. Basilio could have any woman he wanted. Why would he choose his brother’s impertinent maid? But this new knowledge helped explain Iona’s saucy attitude. Did she expect to marry into the family one day and be the one giving orders? Nikki shivered at the thought and moved closer to the boulder. She stepped on a piece of driftwood.
Basilio looked around. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” Iona said.
“Quiet. I heard something.”
“Silly boy. You’d jump at the wind. Now, will you—”
“No.”
“Not even for me?”
“Things are going well and I don’t want to change that.”
“It’s that woman,” Iona spat out. “She’s changed your mind about me.”
“That’s not true.”
“You spend your evenings with her and take her out.”
“I have to.”
“No, you don’t. You do it because you like her company.”
“That’s true, but I want no one else but you.”
“Then do as I ask,” she said, then kissed him and ran away.
Basilio sighed, then soon followed.
Nikki waited a few moments, then crept out of her hiding place. She glanced down at
Lethe and shook her head. “That sight completely ruined my evening.” She glanced at the horizon, having missed most of the beauty of the sunset, and headed up the beach.
Strong arms seized her and a hand clamped over her mouth. “Promise not to scream?” Basilio said in a dark voice.
She nodded.
He removed his left hand and spun her around, keeping his right hand on her arm. Fierce eyes bored into hers, the smiling, charming Basilio replaced with a man who scared her. “What are you doing out here this late?” he demanded.
Nikki swallowed. “I was just walking.”
“Not spying?”
“Why would I spy?”
He hesitated, as if processing her reply. “What did you see?”
“Nothing.”
He shook her. “Don’t lie to me. Tell me what you saw.”
“I just saw you with Iona.”
He glanced behind him. “And how much did you hear?”
“Nothing I could really understand,” Nikki said, getting angry. “What’s going on? What are you doing with her?”
“Stop asking questions. Just do what you came to do.”
“She thinks your brother is a murderer. Did you know that?”
“There are some things you don’t understand.”
“She sounded pretty clear to me.”
“It’s nothing. Stop trying to find a mystery that isn’t there.” He lowered his voice. “Don’t tell anyone what you saw or heard tonight. Understand?”
“Yes.”
His grip tightened painfully but Nikki didn’t cry out. “Especially Lucian. Do you hear me?”
Nikki nodded, truly seeing how strong his feelings for Iona were. “Okay.”
“Promise.”
“I promise.”
He released her and walked away. Nikki shivered. She’d seen his dark side, a part of him that terrified her. What had he been doing out this late? What did Iona want him to do? Why would Basilio be with her? Did he believe her? Why did her questions upset him? She sensed that danger was lurking, but had no idea about the nature of it. She wouldn’t say anything until she found out more.
From several yards away a ghost of white smoke danced up to the moon. Dante stared at the head of his cigarette, then shifted his gaze back to Nikki as she quickly made her way back to the mansion. Then he looked at Basilio, who was headed in the opposite direction. He’d watch him even more now. He knew he couldn’t be trusted. Dante calmly inhaled his cigarette as he thought of his next move. He knew he should tell Lucian, but now wasn’t the time. There was still too much at stake. He would be patient and wait for Basilio to give him what he wanted.
Nikki returned to the mansion and thought of running into her room and hiding there, but her sketches called her instead. Work. She needed to work and then she wouldn’t feel so frightened. She walked down the hall, then stopped when she saw Lucian standing in the doorway of the room where her sketches were, with his back to her. It was too soon. Her emotions were too close to the surface for her to see him again. She took a hasty step back.
But he turned and saw her. Their eyes met, and for one raw, unguarded moment she saw the hurt, fear and pain in his dark green eyes and it broke her heart. Then, in an instant, it was gone. But it was too late. The sight had seared itself into her mind, and she could no longer see him as a cold, distant tycoon, but as a man who needed to heal, and she desperately wanted to be the woman to help him.
He frowned, his eyes searching hers. “Is something wrong?”
Yes. “No.” She took another step back, ready to run.
His frown deepened. “Did you need something?” he asked in a sharp, probing tone.
“No.” She flung her hand out in a helpless gesture. She was just recovering from his brother’s anger. She couldn’t handle his, too. “I just wanted to look at the room again, but…”
“I can leave, if you want to be alone.”
“No,” she said quickly, almost desperately. “I’ll come back later. I’m sorry I disturbed you.”
Lucian crossed the hallway in long strides, moving faster than she’d expected. “You didn’t disturb me.” He seized her arm but snatched his hand back when she cried out. “You’re hurt.” He lifted her arm and looked at the bruise. “What happened?”
Nikki glanced down, surprised to see the mark. “Nothing.”
“You’re a bad liar. Now come with me,” he replied, ushering her into the room.
Nikki absently rubbed the bruise on her arm and followed him. “I just went on a walk, and it got dark and I fell.”
“That lie is even worse than the first.” His thumb brushed across the bruise. “Who did this?”
“I just told you—”
Lucian held up his hand. “No more lies, Nikki. Tell me what really happened.”
“I startled someone, and he pushed me aside and ran off.”
Lucian took a deep breath, controlling his temper. “Who?”
“It was dark.” She searched her mind for a good story. “Basilio told me there are smugglers—”
Lucian gritted his teeth. “Not on my island. Not anymore. Who did you see?”
“Maybe another guest staying in one of the villas. It was dark. Please,” she begged. “It was nothing.”
He raised his hand to her face, then let it fall before touching her cheek. “Nothing has you near tears?”
Nikki blinked the tears away, but several fell, anyway. She brushed them aside. “I just had an unhappy thought.”
“Did someone threaten you?”
“No.”
“And yet you’re frightened.”
“Yes, I’m frightened that I’ll fail and that you’ll send me away without giving me a chance to finish.”
“Hmm. That lie sounds more convincing.”
“It’s true.”
“You should never have come here,” he said, half to himself. “I should send you back—”
“No, please don’t,” Nikki said, understanding why Callia didn’t want to leave him. Until she learned more, she wasn’t sure he was safe. “Let me finish what I came to do. You’re right. I was trying to impress you, but I’ll do better now.”
His steady gaze remained on her face. “You’re trying to distract me.” He bit his lip. “Since I can’t get you to tell me the truth, perhaps I can get Basilio to persuade you. He’s more—”
Nikki shook her head. “No, I told you it was nothing.” She saw the doubt in his eyes and turned away, desperate to change the subject. “Tell me what happened in this room.”
Her statement had its desired effect. Lucian paused, and the doubt and worry in his eyes turned into something else. He turned and pointed. “Right over there I asked Alana to marry me.” Lucian sent Nikki a significant look. “By now you’ve heard about her.”
Nikki nodded. “And what did she say?”
“What else would a woman say to a man as rich as I am? She said yes, with gold shining in her eyes and silver running through her veins.” He gripped his cane. “Soon after, I found her in bed with one of my patrolmen and broke off the engagement. She begged me to forgive her. She told me that she really loved me. I didn’t bend, because there had been rumors of other men. She pleaded with me, saying how much her father admired me. It hurt, because I admired him, too. He’d become like my own father.” Lucian stopped and sighed. “That’s when things changed,” he said, remembering that day.
He’d left her room and headed downstairs. Alana had grabbed a robe and followed him. She grabbed his arm to stop him.
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
He yanked himself free of her grasp. “Of course I do.”
“I understand that you’re upset.”
Lucian turned around and laughed. “Upset?”
“But you don’t know all that’s at risk. Let’s talk about this.”
“It’s over.” He walked into the dining room and sat down for lunch. A maid set a plate in front of him. “The staff knew I was returning ear
ly. Unfortunately, no one warned you.”
“It was just a moment of weakness. You’ve been away and I was so lonely. He seduced me.”
“In your own bedroom?”
“You can’t just get rid of me. No one gets rid of me. I know too much. I can hurt the people you love.”
Lucian picked up his knife. “And live to regret it.”
She rushed toward him. “You can’t throw away all that we’ve meant to each other. All that we’ve built together.” She touched him, and he felt himself respond, but then remembered the same fingers caressing the face of the patrolman. He moved away. “No. I want you and your family gone by tonight.”
“Please don’t shame me like this. Not this way.”
“Then you can break up with me and save face.”
“My father would never understand.”
“Make him understand. Lie. You’re good at that.”
She slapped him.
He cupped her chin. “You’re lucky you’re a woman. I’ll let that pass. Now, get out of my house.”
“You’ll pay. I’ll make you suffer.”
Lucian shook his head at the memory, her words clearly echoing in his mind. “And she got back at me for breaking off the engagement,” he told Nikki. He lowered his head and sighed. “I suffered in ways I didn’t think possible. I’d allowed her the luxury of her own bank account and helped her develop two foundations. I discovered that she had not only betrayed me with another man, but had also embezzled from the foundations and given money to her father to help rebels in southern Belgona try to overtake the government. My name was suddenly tied to guerrilla warfare, massacres and greed. I scrambled to save what entities I could, but many of my African subsidiaries distanced themselves from me, and even some of my European ones. I have struggled since to rebuild those alliances.
“But that wasn’t all she wanted. She wanted to destroy even more. And I learned—” He abruptly stopped and shook his head. “No, I don’t want to remember any more.”
“Did you know she would start the fire?” Nikki asked gently. “Is that why you sent Callia with Basilio to the mainland?”
“I knew something would happen.”