reminded just how much she’d diminished herself for the sake of her marriage.
“Wait. You were what ?”
Pulling in a sustained breath, Belle quickly rehashed her ordeal.
“And Nick came to get you?”
“Nick and Alex and a bunch of guys I wouldn’t want to meet in an alley on a dark night. Or the middle of the day, for that matter.”
“Alex, huh? I guess he’s good for something after all…” Her voice drifted off for a second, then she cleared her throat briskly. “I still don’t get why you’re there and not here.”
She gripped the phone tighter. “I…I agreed to stay here for a while…to recover.”
“You agreed?” Suspicion bristled in her tone, rousing a touch of irritation in Belle.
“Yes, it was my decision. I’d rather not face anyone right now, at least not the damned paparazzi. Right or wrong, I’m staying here until I’m ready to come home, okay?”
“I guess.” Her voice softened a touch. “Sweetie, don’t get me wrong, I only want what’s best for you. For your own sake, I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I know you have my back. I just wanted you to know where I am so you wouldn’t worry when you called Nawaka on Monday.”
She hung up shortly after, promising to call again soon. But the unease didn’t leave her as she set the phone down on the table next to the poolside lounger and picked up the book she hoped would distract her from her chaotic thoughts.
“Are you all right, Tinkerbelle?” The throaty voice sounded somewhere close to her left shoulder, and she immediately went on the offensive, fighting to dispel the unwanted rush of pleasure she experienced every time Nick came close.
“I’ve told you not to call me that, goodness knows how many times. Why won’t you listen?” she snapped. She lowered the book, her annoyance escalated both by the interruption of her reading and her shortened breath with every step he took closer to her.
“I use your full name because I know no matter how much you protest to the contrary, you like it.” His words tumbled lazily into the dappled sunlight, like pearls dropping onto smooth silk.
Her very brief idyll shattered, she grew painfully aware of her near-naked state in the minuscule white bikini she wore. She pulled up her legs against her torso to hide the telltale peaking of her nipples. She speared him an accusatory look, which he ignored. With easy grace, he lowered himself onto the poolside lounger next to hers.
Thinking he’d be closeted in his study as he had been most afternoons for the past five days, she’d decided to spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool. Now she wished she’d stayed indoors, fully clothed and immune to the arousal he inspired.
She watched him lean back, cross his ankles, and tilt his face to the warming sun. He was dressed in casual khaki shorts and a white T-shirt, and her mouth went dry at the gorgeous display of hair-dusted thighs, calves, and arms. She shifted to ease the disconcerting tingling between her thighs and looked away.
“Well, you’re wrong, and I’d thank you to remember my name is Belle, not…not—”
He breathed in deeply, his eyes glinting at her. “Tinkerbelle? And what about you, hmm ? Do you remember your other names? In particular your married name? Or did you decide to forget all about it while you were embarking on your suicide mission in Africa?” Gone was the husky laziness his tone. In its place came a note of barely repressed anger as his legs swung off the lounger. He turned to face her, muscled arms resting on his knees.
She stopped herself from drawing back from the fierce light in his eyes. “Yep, that was my aim. To go where I was wanted and valued and forget I was ever foolish enough to take the Andreakos name!” Self-protection made her wrap her hands around her legs as she tried to ward off the pain that flooded her insides.
“Watch your tongue, eros mou .” The frosty warning dripped into her thoughts, and she blinked to
“Wait. You were what ?”
Pulling in a sustained breath, Belle quickly rehashed her ordeal.
“And Nick came to get you?”
“Nick and Alex and a bunch of guys I wouldn’t want to meet in an alley on a dark night. Or the middle of the day, for that matter.”
“Alex, huh? I guess he’s good for something after all…” Her voice drifted off for a second, then she cleared her throat briskly. “I still don’t get why you’re there and not here.”
She gripped the phone tighter. “I…I agreed to stay here for a while…to recover.”
“You agreed?” Suspicion bristled in her tone, rousing a touch of irritation in Belle.
“Yes, it was my decision. I’d rather not face anyone right now, at least not the damned paparazzi. Right or wrong, I’m staying here until I’m ready to come home, okay?”
“I guess.” Her voice softened a touch. “Sweetie, don’t get me wrong, I only want what’s best for you. For your own sake, I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I know you have my back. I just wanted you to know where I am so you wouldn’t worry when you called Nawaka on Monday.”
She hung up shortly after, promising to call again soon. But the unease didn’t leave her as she set the phone down on the table next to the poolside lounger and picked up the book she hoped would distract her from her chaotic thoughts.
“Are you all right, Tinkerbelle?” The throaty voice sounded somewhere close to her left shoulder, and she immediately went on the offensive, fighting to dispel the unwanted rush of pleasure she experienced every time Nick came close.
“I’ve told you not to call me that, goodness knows how many times. Why won’t you listen?” she snapped. She lowered the book, her annoyance escalated both by the interruption of her reading and her shortened breath with every step he took closer to her.
“I use your full name because I know no matter how much you protest to the contrary, you like it.” His words tumbled lazily into the dappled sunlight, like pearls dropping onto smooth silk.
Her very brief idyll shattered, she grew painfully aware of her near-naked state in the minuscule white bikini she wore. She pulled up her legs against her torso to hide the telltale peaking of her nipples. She speared him an accusatory look, which he ignored. With easy grace, he lowered himself onto the poolside lounger next to hers.
Thinking he’d be closeted in his study as he had been most afternoons for the past five days, she’d decided to spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool. Now she wished she’d stayed indoors, fully clothed and immune to the arousal he inspired.
She watched him lean back, cross his ankles, and tilt his face to the warming sun. He was dressed in casual khaki shorts and a white T-shirt, and her mouth went dry at the gorgeous display of hair-dusted thighs, calves, and arms. She shifted to ease the disconcerting tingling between her thighs and looked away.
“Well, you’re wrong, and I’d thank you to remember my name is Belle, not…not—”
He breathed in deeply, his eyes glinting at her. “Tinkerbelle? And what about you, hmm ? Do you remember your other names? In particular your married name? Or did you decide to forget all about it while you were embarking on your suicide mission in Africa?” Gone was the husky laziness his tone. In its place came a note of barely repressed anger as his legs swung off the lounger. He turned to face her, muscled arms resting on his knees.
She stopped herself from drawing back from the fierce light in his eyes. “Yep, that was my aim. To go where I was wanted and valued and forget I was ever foolish enough to take the Andreakos name!” Self-protection made her wrap her hands around her legs as she tried to ward off the pain that flooded her insides.
“Watch your tongue, eros mou .” The frosty warning dripped into her thoughts, and she blinked to
Similar Books
