There’s also a small kitchenette, so if you want anything, you’ve only to let the flight attendant know.”
Her eyes widened. “Flight attendant? You have one for the plane?”
“Of course. She travels with the pilot. They’re a husband and wife team. It’s an arrangement that suits them well. Now, would you like a window or an aisle seat?”
“Window,” she said.
He carefully settled her in place and then took the seat next to her. Before fastening his seat belt, he reached over and gingerly buckled hers into place, leaving it loose around her belly.
The flight attendant walked up with a smile and greeted Piers. Then she turned her smile on Jewel. “I’m very happy to meet you, Mrs. Anetakis. If there is anything I can get you during the flight, don’t hesitate to ask. We’ll be cleared for take off shortly. Would you like something to drink while you wait?”
Jewel shook her head. “No thank you. I’m fine for now.”
Minutes later, they taxied down the runway and took off. Jewel leaned her head on Piers’s shoulder and snuggled into his warmth. As curious as she was to see the rest of the plane, getting up and moving hurt too much. She was perfectly content to remain here for the duration of the flight.
“You’re still not going to tell me where we are?” Jewel asked several hours later as their car wound its way along a curving highway.
Piers smiled. “Patience, yineka mou. I think you’ll find it’s well worth the wait.”
She sighed and relaxed in her seat. Wherever they were, it was beautiful and unspoiled. She’d lay odds it was in the Caribbean or some similar tropical place. Were they going to one of his hotels?
They stopped at a security gate where Piers punched in a code. Huge iron gates swung slowly open, and they continued up the drive.
Lush greenery abounded. It was like driving into a private paradise. Flowers, plants, fountains and even a mini waterfall cascaded over rocks in the distance.
And then she saw the house. Her mouth fell open at the sight of the stunning cottage, well if you could call something so huge a cottage. But despite its size, it had the look of a cozy, stone cottage. It looked positively homey.
“Is this where we’re staying for the time being?” she asked when the car pulled to a stop beside another large fountain with flowers floating serenely in the pool surrounding it.
“This is your house, yineka mou. It now belongs to us.”
She was struck positively speechless.
“But the best is yet to come,” he said.
She watched him walk around the front of the car and wondered how on earth it could get any better?
He helped her from the car and motioned his security men who were standing several feet away. They quickly disappeared while Piers put a strong arm around her waist and urged her toward a walkway leading around the house.
And then she heard it. The distant sounds of waves crashing. She inhaled deeply, catching the salty air in her nostrils.
“Oh Piers,” she breathed.
They topped a small rise between a section of gardens and the wooden deck jutting from the house over a sharp cliff. She looked out and all she could see was a great expanse of ocean. Brilliant blue, so stunning it almost hurt her eyes to look at. It sparkled like a million sapphires.
The walkway continued, smooth in places and at other areas it became a series of steps leading down to the beach. The house was situated on the cliff in a secluded cove between two outcroppings. It afforded them a small stretch of sandy beach, completely private.
It was the most magnificent view she could have imagined. And it was theirs.
“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered. “This is my dream, Piers. I can’t believe this is ours.”
“It’s yours, yineka mou. My wedding gift to you. I have it on good authority it comes equipped with a full staff, including a certain chef you’ve grown extraordinarily fond of.”
She threw her arms around him, ignoring the painful jolt to her incision. “Thank you. It’s so wonderful, Piers. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you.”
“By taking good care of yourself and my daughter,” he said seriously. “I don’t want you taking the pathway down to the beach unless I’m with you.”
“I promise,” she said joyfully. Right now she’d promise him the moon.
“Come inside. Dinner has been held for us. We’ll eat on the terrace and watch the sun go down.”
She went eagerly, anxious to see the inside of the house. He gave her a quick tour of the downstairs before they walked onto the deck in the back. Their places had been set, and she eased into her chair to wait for the food.
“It’s so gorgeous,” she said in awe. She was completely and utterly overwhelmed by the knowledge that she lived here now, that this place was hers. It was all simply too good to be true.
“I’m glad you like it. I was afraid I wouldn’t have everything in place before you were released from the hospital.”
“You didn’t already own it?”
“I had my representatives looking for just the perfect place the day you told me where you’d like to live more than anywhere else. When they found this place, I knew it was perfect. The sale isn’t quite final, but I convinced the owner to allow us to take possession of it until all the paperwork can be finished.”
She was unable to keep the wide smile from forming on her face. “That’s the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me.”
He put his hand over hers, his palm warm and soothing. “Tell me, yineka mou. Has anyone ever done a wonderful thing for you? I get the impression yours has not been an easy life.”
She stiffened and tried to withdraw her hand, but he wouldn’t allow it. His grip tightened around her fingers, but his touch stayed soothing the entire time.
“What is it you won’t tell me?” he asked quietly. “Surely there should be no secrets between a man and his wife.”
She turned away to stare at the ocean, the breeze blowing across her cheeks and drying the invisible tears she shed.
“It’s nothing so dramatic,” she said matter of factly. “My parents died when I was very young. I barely remember them, and even now I wonder if the people I remember aren’t just one of the many foster families I was shuttled through.”
“You had no relatives to take care of you?”
She shook her head. “None that would, anyway.”
A young woman came out then carrying a tray of food, and Jewel sighed in relief. She didn’t miss Piers’s frown, which told her the conversation wasn’t closed, just delayed.
Still, nothing good would come of her rehashing the past.
They ate in companionable silence. Jewel enjoyed the sounds and smells of the ocean and found herself more relaxed than she’d been in longer than she could remember.
As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, the sky faded to soft hues of pink and purple with threads of gold spreading from the disappearing sun. The ocean shimmered in the distance, reflecting the brilliance of the sunset.
She hadn’t realized she’d long since stopped eating, so entranced by the view was she. Only when the maid returned to collect the dinner plates, did Jewel break from her reverie.
“You look tired, yineka mou,” Piers said gently. “I think I should take you upstairs so you can get ready for bed.”
She yawned and then chuckled at how easily she’d given herself away. “Bed sounds really good right now. Does the bedroom have windows we can open? I’d love to be able to hear the ocean.”
“I think you’ll find the view from our bedroom magnificent, and we can certainly open the windows if that is your wish.”
He helped her to her feet and they returned inside. They took the stairs slowly, and she bit her lip when the upward movement put awkward pressure around the area of her incision. Her entire belly felt bruised and tender.
When they entered the master bedroom, she let out a sound of pure delight. The entire back wall that f
aced the ocean was glassed in from floor to ceiling. She left Piers’s side to peer over the water, her palms pressed to the cool glass.
Her throat suspiciously tight, she turned to face Piers. “This has been the most wonderful day. Thank you so much.”
“I’m glad you approve,” he said huskily.
She returned her attention to the view, watching as the last bits of the orange glow from the sun disappeared into the sea.
“What about your work? Your hotels?”
He came to stand beside her, studying the ocean with her.
“Most of my work can be handled from here. I have a phone, my computer and a fax machine. There will be times I need to travel. Up to now, I’ve always done the bulk of the traveling, but I find myself unwilling to continue on that track. Either my brothers will have to help shoulder the load or we’ll hire someone to do most of the traveling.”
“You won’t miss it?” she asked lightly.
“A few months ago I would have said yes, very much, but now I find myself more reluctant to be away from my wife and our child.”
Warmth spread through her chest. How like a family they sounded. She wasn’t entirely certain what had caused him to change his tune, but she had no desire to question it. She only hoped it lasted.
Fifteen
F or the next several days, Jewel rested and recovered under the watchful eye of Piers and the staff he’d hired. It seemed odd at first to have other people in the house, but they blended so seamlessly into the background that Jewel quickly became accustomed to their presence.
Piers even had a physician come to the house to check her incision and remove the staples so she wouldn’t have to make the trip into town.
In short, she was spoiled and pampered endlessly, and she was fast becoming bored out of her mind. She was positively dying to explore her surroundings. A trip down to the beach was foremost on her wish list, but she also wanted to go beyond the grounds of their estate and see the rest of the island.
According to Piers, the island was small and not yet discovered by the many tourists that flocked to the Caribbean. Fishing was the main source of industry for the locals. There were plans to build an elaborate resort, an exclusive playground for the wealthy where no expense would be spared and guests would be lavished with personal attention.
The goal was to keep the island as private and as unspoiled as possible while still providing an influx of capital for the locals.
Jewel broached the subject of a trip down to the beach over breakfast, the day after the doctor had removed her staples and pronounced her fit.
Piers frowned for a moment. “I’m not sure you should be descending the stairs this soon after your surgery, yineka mou.”
“But I’ll have you to hang on to,” she cajoled. “Please, Piers. I’m about to go stir-crazy. I’ve watched from a distance for so long, I’m beginning to feel like I’m viewing postcards.”
He smiled. “I find I can deny you nothing. All right. After breakfast we’ll go down to the beach. I’ll have the cook prepare a picnic lunch.”
She bounced on her seat like an excited child. “Thank you. I can’t wait to see it!”
“Be sure and wear some comfortable shoes. I don’t want you slipping on the steps.”
She smiled at his solicitousness. How perfect things were right now. Gone was the feeling that at any moment her world could come crashing down around her. If only…if only he’d open up to her.