“Kalinihta, pethi mou,” he murmured.
The endearment brought sharp tears to her eyes. Lowering her lids so he wouldn’t see, she turned away from him and concentrated on regulating her breathing. Hopefully, she could fool him into thinking she’d gone back to sleep so he’d leave. Because there was no way she could sleep with him there. No way.
Sunlight sneaking around the cracks in her curtain woke her just after nine the next morning. Her gaze flew to the chair by her bedside.
It was empty.
…
“God, I haven’t slipped into a time warp, have I? Only I could’ve sworn Monday was a few days off yet.”
The sound of Liz’s voice soothed Belle’s ruffled nerves, although she knew the feeling wouldn’t last, not once her best friend realized wher
e she was calling from.
“Nope, you haven’t fallen into a vortex. And…I’m not in Nawaka. Not anymore.”
“You’re back home? Excellent. Wine and pizza are on me Sunday night. Seven okay with you—?”
“I’m not back home, Liz. I’m in Greece. On Althea.”
The silence that met her declaration made her heart clench.
“You’re back with Nick? After what he did to you?” Her perplexed tone came through loud and clear.
“I’m not back with him. It’s not like that.”
“Tell me what it’s like. Dammit, Belle, don’t forget I watched you turn yourself inside out for him in six short months, and it still wasn’t enough. He made you miserable, and now you tell me you’re back there—”
“I was kidnapped, Liz. Nick came to rescue me.” She rushed the words, unwilling to be 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.