hunted
seashells on the beach and my father napped in the sun.”
She could imagine it. She could see Nikolos and his
siblings, browned from the sun and wild. She could see his elegant mother in
the surf, and his lordly father drowsing in the shade. Just a normal family
that loved each other very much.
Her writer’s brain reminded her it would make an excellent
addition to her piece. The rest of her only admired the fact that Nikolos had
such a lovely memory.
The rear of the house butted up to a sparkling white beach.
When she looked out the wide French doors, she could see the waves, still so
blue but darkening as the sun set.
Nikolos came down the stairs carrying an armful of fabric.
“One of these dresses should fit you, and before you start
to get suspicious, they’re dresses that my sisters have left here. They’ll be a
little more comfortable than what you’re wearing, I think.”
She felt startlingly shy when she ventured down the stairs
wearing a floating white dress. It was delicately embroidered, and the light,
lovely skirt floated around her as she walked. When he saw her, Nikolos’s eyes
widened. He held out his hand to her, and when she took it, he led her out to
the dark beach.
“I want to tell you about my weekend,” he said.
Marianne tried to keep her voice completely even. “It would
help my article, I’m sure.”
He laughed, and she realized she had been completely
obvious.
“Grace is an old friend of mine. We’ve been linked in the
tabloids for years, but for some reason, we’ve never gone that way. I could
never go and live in the UK, and she would never leave. That alone would stop
us. She called me right after we had our conversation on Saturday, and it
sounded like the best thing in the world to simply sit and talk. We went to a
resort that my family owns because it’s an excellent place to relax, hit the
spa, and simply eat good food. It was a good weekend, but the whole time I
wanted to be with you.”
Marianna drew in a soft breath, nodding. There was nothing
in his speech that told her he was lying.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
She bit her lip against what she had been about to say. She
wasn’t ready to talk with him about what Satya had accused him of…not yet.
“You’re still holding something back,” he observed. She
wasn’t even surprised he had noticed.
“I won’t, not forever, just for now.”
He nodded, and his expression was not sad, merely wistful.
“Take your time, then. Only for my sake, perhaps make it
sooner rather than later?”
She nodded, because she owed him that much at least.
They walked along the beach, their bare feet shuffling
softly on the sand. Darkness had fallen with remarkable speed. Though the water
gleamed from what light was left in the sky, the cliffs and forest to the
landward side already looked dark and menacing.
“Sometime, I should come back here and build a large fire
on the shore, just as my brother and I did when we were young. It grew so high
and so hot, but it was beautiful…so beautiful.”
“I would like to see it,” Marianna stated before she
thought about what she was saying, but he only smiled.
“You will.”
Marianna smiled at his certainty, and at how he was so
pleased to simply be with her. As they walked back to the house, she wondered
what it would be like if this was her real life. What would it be like to
simply be with this charming, amazing man for the rest of her life? Simply
being with him for a week had been intoxicating.
By the time they got back to the house, the moon had risen,
casting a silvery light over the beach.
Witchlight , Marianna thought. Magic light.
When Nikolos made to go inside, she tugged on his hand.
“Can we stay out here for a little longer? Just a little
bit?”
He nodded, and guided her to one of the benches on the
stone deck. It was wide enough for both of them to sit comfortably, but he headed
inside the house. While she waited, slightly
seashells on the beach and my father napped in the sun.”
She could imagine it. She could see Nikolos and his
siblings, browned from the sun and wild. She could see his elegant mother in
the surf, and his lordly father drowsing in the shade. Just a normal family
that loved each other very much.
Her writer’s brain reminded her it would make an excellent
addition to her piece. The rest of her only admired the fact that Nikolos had
such a lovely memory.
The rear of the house butted up to a sparkling white beach.
When she looked out the wide French doors, she could see the waves, still so
blue but darkening as the sun set.
Nikolos came down the stairs carrying an armful of fabric.
“One of these dresses should fit you, and before you start
to get suspicious, they’re dresses that my sisters have left here. They’ll be a
little more comfortable than what you’re wearing, I think.”
She felt startlingly shy when she ventured down the stairs
wearing a floating white dress. It was delicately embroidered, and the light,
lovely skirt floated around her as she walked. When he saw her, Nikolos’s eyes
widened. He held out his hand to her, and when she took it, he led her out to
the dark beach.
“I want to tell you about my weekend,” he said.
Marianne tried to keep her voice completely even. “It would
help my article, I’m sure.”
He laughed, and she realized she had been completely
obvious.
“Grace is an old friend of mine. We’ve been linked in the
tabloids for years, but for some reason, we’ve never gone that way. I could
never go and live in the UK, and she would never leave. That alone would stop
us. She called me right after we had our conversation on Saturday, and it
sounded like the best thing in the world to simply sit and talk. We went to a
resort that my family owns because it’s an excellent place to relax, hit the
spa, and simply eat good food. It was a good weekend, but the whole time I
wanted to be with you.”
Marianna drew in a soft breath, nodding. There was nothing
in his speech that told her he was lying.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
She bit her lip against what she had been about to say. She
wasn’t ready to talk with him about what Satya had accused him of…not yet.
“You’re still holding something back,” he observed. She
wasn’t even surprised he had noticed.
“I won’t, not forever, just for now.”
He nodded, and his expression was not sad, merely wistful.
“Take your time, then. Only for my sake, perhaps make it
sooner rather than later?”
She nodded, because she owed him that much at least.
They walked along the beach, their bare feet shuffling
softly on the sand. Darkness had fallen with remarkable speed. Though the water
gleamed from what light was left in the sky, the cliffs and forest to the
landward side already looked dark and menacing.
“Sometime, I should come back here and build a large fire
on the shore, just as my brother and I did when we were young. It grew so high
and so hot, but it was beautiful…so beautiful.”
“I would like to see it,” Marianna stated before she
thought about what she was saying, but he only smiled.
“You will.”
Marianna smiled at his certainty, and at how he was so
pleased to simply be with her. As they walked back to the house, she wondered
what it would be like if this was her real life. What would it be like to
simply be with this charming, amazing man for the rest of her life? Simply
being with him for a week had been intoxicating.
By the time they got back to the house, the moon had risen,
casting a silvery light over the beach.
Witchlight , Marianna thought. Magic light.
When Nikolos made to go inside, she tugged on his hand.
“Can we stay out here for a little longer? Just a little
bit?”
He nodded, and guided her to one of the benches on the
stone deck. It was wide enough for both of them to sit comfortably, but he headed
inside the house. While she waited, slightly
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