Finding Paradise (The Gods of Oakleigh Book 1)

by Juanita Kees

  With a hitch in her breathing, she followed the prompts to play the first message. Her pulse raced as Jax’s voice played soft and smooth as velvet against her ear. “My precious Arian, you haven’t even boarded the plane yet and I miss you so much already.”

  She blamed the tiredness and wine for the tear that escaped her lashes and ran down her cheek as she played the second message. Jax again. This time he sounded out of breath, his tone urgent. “I saw the football player’s proposal in the papers. I’m coming home on the next flight out. Please, Arian … wait for me.”

  Thank God she’d told Craig to rack off.

  ***

  With little Ermioni asleep on the seat beside him, Jax unfolded the newspaper the hostess had handed out. His heart skipped a beat as he saw the photo on the front page. There was Arian with Craig McMahon, and the shot showed the moment her hand connected with his cheek. His Arian — tough, tetchy warrior queen — had caused media outrage. Zeus would have a fit at the attention the story was getting, but Jax couldn’t help enjoying a little chuckle at her rejection of the arrogant football player.

  Given the Boot, shouted the headlines. Fears for football stud Craig McMahon’s future with the Demons as his marriage proposal to long-time girlfriend, Arian Kendrick, gets the backhand.

  “Better her boot up his arse than mine,” he muttered. He felt the back of his seat dip as Odys leaned over to see what he was reading.

  “Hey, Grumpy, talking to yourself now?”

  Jax chuckled and handed Odys the paper. “Looks like Zeus was worried about nothing after all.”

  The paper rustled as Odys sat back and shook it out. Jax unclipped his seatbelt and turned to lean over the back of the seat. Peering over, he watched his friend read the article.

  “Clever girl,” murmured Odys. “Uh-oh ...”

  “Uh-oh what?”

  He looked up, his face grim. “According to this, he’s not giving up on her. McMahon plans to embark on a crusade to win back the heart of his princess. According to the Demons’ star forward, if his skill with a ball is as good as his romancing, Arian Kendrick will be a bride by June. What a tool.” He looked up at Jax again. “Mate, I do believe this is your call to arms. Let the battle begin.”

  Chapter Eight

  The smell of toast and Vegemite wafted under her nose and Arian buried her face in her pillow. Jet lag fuelled exhaustion weighed her eyelids down as she fought off the remnants of sleep.

  “Come on, princess. Time to rise and shine. You’re trending.” Penny’s cheerful voice chased away the tail end of a delicious dream involving one sexy Greek god whisking her away to Paradise. “I brought you breakfast.”

  Arian groaned and rolled over as the mattress dipped. “What do you mean I’m trending?”

  “Twitter. #icequeen #heartbreaker. Craig’s Facebook post has reached one million hits already. Social media has gone into meltdown.”

  “Ugh. Are you serious? What did he post?”

  Penny propped her laptop up on the pillow next to Arian’s head and clicked on Craig’s status. Arian squinted against the glare and read. You’re breaking my heart Arian Kendrick. Please say yes.

  Penny munched on her toast as Arian read the comments under his status. “I like the one that says you’re a mean witch and should be burnt at the stake,” she said.

  “That’s not even funny, Penny, some of these fans take this shit seriously. Next thing you know I’ll be getting hate mail.” She pushed herself up and closed the laptop. “I’m going to kill him.”

  Penny snorted. “Imagine the hits that will get.”

  “Five hundred and twenty-two comments.” Arian shook her head. “I have to check flights. Jax is coming home on the first flight out.” She nudged Penny off the bed with her foot and pulled back the covers.

  “There’s one arriving via Abu Dhabi at 10:20 tonight. They’re on it.”

  “Do you sleep with your laptop under your pillow?” Arian grumbled. “How did you even know to look for flights? Wait a minute, were you eavesdropping?”

  “Nope, got a text from Odys with the flight number.” Penny grinned. “Jax saw the article about the proposal in the paper. You’re international news, baby.”

  Arian shuddered. “Great. Now every national and international newshound will be sniffing around my feet. I won’t be able to pee without falling over them. What’s the time?”

  Penny looked at her watch. “Eleven. We’ve got a few hours to kill yet.” She stood, taking the plate piled high with toast crusts with her. “Don’t go outside, by the way. The media is camped on the pavement.”

  “Great, just … great. Hey, Penny?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I thought that toast was my breakfast?” Arian pointed at the plate.

  “Oh ...” Penny grinned. “Guess you’ll have to make more then,” she said, sweeping out the room and closing the door behind her.

  Alone with her thoughts on how she would murder one arrogant football player and hide the body, Arian picked up the remote and turned on the television mounted in the corner on her bedroom wall. Channel Twelve’s breakfast show hosts filled the screen looking disgustingly cheerful and groomed so early in the morning.

  Arian wondered who’d dressed Amanda Dhiaga this morning. A salmon pink dress with frilly sleeves clashed with her too yellow spray-on tan. God, she wished the wardrobe department would think about it before they dressed TV hosts.

  Worse was the newsfeed in the red banner that rolled across the screen. Fans in uproar over Arian Kendrick’s dumping of Demons Dodger, Craig McMahon. Football’s bigwigs reconsider McMahon’s future in football. Concerns for his ability to focus on training for Saturday’s charity match.

  Seriously? The camera focused in on Mal Sebastian’s once handsome face. The veteran host appeared to be losing his battle with Botox. His voice was still as smooth as velvet though, as he introduced his guests on the couch.

  “Well … social media has gone into meltdown overnight about Craig McMahon’s failure to win back his long-time love, Arian Kendrick.”

  Arian muttered, “Two years is a long time? Since when?”

  “Not only are his fans up in arms, the team WAGs have come out in his defence too,” Mal continued. “Hash tag SaveCraigM has trended at number one since last night in what the WAGs are calling their Twitterfit. Merlene, please explain, what exactly is a Twitterfit?”

  Surprise, surprise. Princess Merlene front and centre fighting for her man, not wasting an opportunity to grab the spotlight. Tempted to turn off the telly, Arian forced herself to watch as her day got infinitely worse. The camera panned to the couch and there sat her nemesis with her gang of go-getters.

  A headache spreading at her temples, Arian left them to talk to an empty bedroom and stepped into her bathroom for a shower.

  ***

  Jax set his watch to Melbourne time as the captain announced to prepare for landing. Would Arian be waiting for him? He prayed for Zeus’ kindness she would. Nervously, he chewed on his lip as he checked his seatbelt and Ermioni’s, making sure they were secured. The plane began its descent and the hostesses made their final sweep of the cabin. Jax’s heart rate soared as he took in the view of Melbourne spread beneath the belly of the Boeing. Down there somewhere was the woman who made him whole, the one who would redeem him from hell and give him something to live for. All he had to do was hope he could find her in the crowded terminal.

  Tyres screeched as the wheels of the plane touched the tarmac with a bump and the G-force of the pilot adjusting the flaps to slow the big bird down jerked them forward in their seats.

  “Bloody hell,” grumbled Odys from the seat behind. “This boy needs a lesson in gentle landing.”

  “Be quiet, Odys. The landing wouldn’t have been any softer if Zeus had transported us,” Helen scolded. “He would likely have tossed you both out of the clouds on your stubborn backsides.”

  Jax sighed as the two argued lightly while the plane taxied to a standstill in f
ront of the terminal building. All he wanted was to get out of this toothpaste tube they called an airplane and find Arian. He released his belt and stood up to haul bags out of the overhead locker, dumping Odys’ in his lap and handing Helen hers. He dropped his on his seat, leaned over and hoisted the sleeping Ermioni up into his arms, cuddling her close, tapping his foot impatiently as people began to rise from their seats and clog the pathway to the exit portals.

  His stomach churned and knotted in turns, and his jaw ached from clenching his teeth. Impatience boiled to the surface. He pushed it down, breathing slowly in through his nose, out through his mouth. He focused on the memory of Arian’s sweet, calm face and felt the tension seep out of him as he breathed. She had to be there or there was no reason to live.

  “C’mon, Big Boy, aisle’s clear. Let’s go.” Odys nudged him in the ribs. Still balancing Ermioni, he swung his bag over his shoulder, narrowly missing making contact with Odys’ chest. “Watch it,” growled Odys.

  Jax ignored him. No matter what mode of transport they chose, Odys never travelled well. Then again, on a man-made transport vehicle, none of them did. He strode purposefully towards the exit, the others following closely behind him.

  Border control was a breeze but the arrival of a flight from Thailand just before them delayed the procession through customs. Officials seized a mother lode of excess cigarettes, undeclared foodstuff and other concealed items, interrogating passengers and handing out hefty fines. Interpreters scrambled between X-ray machines and inspection tables, while white-gloved officers handed out tissues to dry tears.

  Jax hitched Ermioni up higher and swapped her from his left to the right, each moment of the wait eating away at his patience. How long would Arian wait? He looked at his watch. Half an hour ticked by with agonising slowness and the queue only moved a couple of feet. Relief flooded him as a customs official approached them.

  “Passengers Polemistis, Laertiades, and Tyndareus?” He looked at them for confirmation. “Come with me, please. You have express check out passes.”

  Jax let out a breath of relief. Thank you, Zeus. He put Ermioni down, now awake and sucking her thumb, and she clasped Helen’s hand as they followed the man out into the arrivals hall, bypassing all the weary passengers waiting in the queue. The doors swished open on a crowd blessedly thinned by the delay in customs and there she was … Arian, his beautiful, ethereal Faerie Queen with her head held high as she stood on tiptoe, stretching to see beyond the doors. Jax dropped his bag and ignored Odys’ curse as he stumbled over it.

  Eyes fixed firmly on her face, he willed her to look at him. She did and he was lost in the deep green of her gaze, swimming with tears as her shoulders sagged in relief. She took a step towards him and he didn’t hesitate a moment longer. He surged forward, swept her up against his chest and twirled around with her in his arms, unable to control the relief and happiness that drained the blood from his head and charged his veins with a passion that had as much to do with being Greek as it did with being in love. Oh gods, when had it become love?

  Her face, buried against his neck, was wet with tears. Her arms encircled his neck so tightly he could barely breathe. Still he held her as close as he could, their bodies aligned perfectly, each curve fitting together like a well-cut jigsaw puzzle.

  “S’agapo, omorfi vasilissa mou.” He untangled her arms from his neck and took her face between his hands. “Mi̱n me afisis pote, agápi mou.”

  The burgeoning crowd around them clapped and giggled. Jax heard nothing except the roar of blood in his ears.

  “Yes,” whispered Arian.

  He smiled, knowing she hadn’t understood a word, yet trusting him enough to agree. Closing his eyes against the sweet pain that flooded him, he lowered his head to hers, touched the soft, apple-flavoured lips of temptation with his and drew her into a kiss that had the crowd sighing collectively at the magic and tenderness of it.

  Cameras flashed as the media surged forward, a buzz of annoying parasites pulling them apart and dousing the magic with the wave of a microphone boom above them.

  “Miss Kendrick … Arian … is this Craig McMahon’s competition? Is this the mystery man you dumped the Bachelor of the Year for? Who is he? Where’s he from? Did you meet him in Greece or did you know him before you broke up with Craig? Is it true you two-timed Craig McMahon?”

  Questions rained on them like hail, cooling their passion and dragging them back to the stark reality of their surroundings.

  “Come.” Helen’s gentle hand on his arm drew his attention to the television cameras and microphones surrounding them like a shark net. “We are attracting attention. Arian, perhaps we can impose on your hospitality? We will take a taxi to yours, no?”

  “No need, I borrowed Dad’s SUV. Penny drives it like a pro. We’ll be out of here quickly.”

  Odys stepped forward and ploughed a path through the crowd. “Excuse me. Sorry, no comment. Step aside please. Come on, Penny. Grab Ermioni’s bag from Helen, will you? Let’s get a move on.”

  Weaving their way through the questions thrown at them, they followed Odys out of the airport building and into the covered parking area. Leading the way to the car, Penny and Odys argued over who would drive while the rest of the group was silent, except for a few questions from Ermioni which Helen answered quietly in Greek. Jax happily walked hand in hand with Arian, her warm greeting enough for him to know her ex proved little threat. At least, he hoped so. Zeus was not going to be happy about the media attention though, and he expected Helen’s phone would ring at any minute.

  Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the reporters following them, cameras and microphones ready. Was this Craig McMahon so big a celebrity that Arian’s presence to meet their plane had incurred this high an interest? “Let’s hurry it up. Are we much further from the car, Penny?”

  “Almost there, Jax. We’re two rows ahead.”

  They stepped up the pace, with Penny pressing the remote for the borrowed eight-seater SUV as they got closer. The car unlocked and the rear door rose with quiet ease. Quickly, Odys and Penny tossed the luggage in the back, while the others slipped into their seats and closed their doors on the advancing tide of press and onlookers.

  Odys hopped into the driver’s seat and Penny handed over the key without protest. “Our place or yours?” she asked.

  “At any other time, I’d take that as an invitation, my dearest Penny.” Odys grinned. “Whoever’s is closest that we can shake off the hounds.”

  “You wish. Ours then, we’re closer than Oakleigh and we have security.”

  “Yours it is.” With a squeal of tyres on concrete, he reversed out of the parking, selected first gear and drove away from the crowd.

  ***

  Arian’s heart beat erratically, torn between the excitement of seeing Jax again and anger at Craig for encouraging the attention of the media. Why couldn’t he simply take no for an answer? Thoughts of Craig fled, as Jax squeezed her hand and her heart beat for an entirely different reason. The press of his thigh against hers, the touch of his skin and the casual arm holding her protectively to his side warmed her from head to toe, and she realised how much she’d missed him.

  “We have much to discuss, agape mou. We will wait until we are out of the public eye. Your Craig has caused much trouble with his interference.” Jax’s deep, melodic tones washed over her, the velvety sound sending a delicious shiver through her.

  “Yes, he has. I’m sorry. I’ve told him it’s over. Craig isn’t used to being told no, unfortunately.”

  A tiny voice in her conscience nagged. What if the media attention put Jax off? What if he decided she wasn’t worth the trouble? She looked up at him as he gazed at the passing scenery outside the car window. His beard was a little fuller now, although still neatly trimmed. His hair bleached with gold by the Aegean sun, he looked every inch the god he claimed to be a descendant of. Her fingers itched to trace the leonine line of his jaw, the curve of his cheekbones and the slope of his proud, Grecian
nose. His lips twitched and she knew she’d been caught staring. He looked at her, and then leaned down to whisper against her ear.

  “Later, my love, when we are alone, you may explore any part of me you like and I shall return the favour.” He flashed a heart-stopping smile before kissing her temple gently.

  Odys cleared his throat from the front seat. “Hold that thought, Loverboy.” He pointed through the windscreen to where the media had already gathered outside Arian and Penny’s apartment block, their curiosity peaked by the arrival of their mysterious guests. “We have to get through the frontline first.”

  Penny laughed. “You make it sound like you’re about to fight the Trojan War.”

  Arian noticed the way Odys’ shoulders tensed, even as Jax stiffened beside her.

  “You could be closer to the truth than you realise, Miss Penny,” said Odys.

  Chapter Nine

  Odys was right, Arian thought as they dodged the media for the third time that day. Thankful the men were built like mining machinery, she ushered Helen and Ermioni ahead of her, with Odys and Penny taking the lead to open the door of the apartment block. It closed behind Jax, bringing up the rear, and cut off the noise from the street with a thump.

  The group breathed a unanimous sigh of relief as they waited for the glass elevator to arrive. Arian no longer wanted to think of the chaos on the other side of the glass doors as cameras photographed them through the sparkling clean windows. Where was Melbourne’s famous rain when you needed it?

  Reaching the sixth floor, they stepped out into the thankfully empty corridor. With a headache pounding behind her eyes, all Arian wanted was a cup of tea. No doubt Penny would crack their last bottle of Chenin Blanc though, and she wouldn’t complain.

  “Come inside.” She waved them over the threshold, closed and locked the door behind them. Tossing her handbag on the hall table, she realised they’d left the luggage in the car.