that case, you should make the most of the occasion. I’m sure Kyra’s glad you made an exception today.” She noticed how his attention kept straying back to the flowers. She turned and placed the arrangement on the bridal table. But still the pensive look on his face remained. “I love this song. Let’s go dance.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“But why?”
He glanced around as though trying to avoid her pointed stare. “You should dance with someone else. I...I don’t want to take up your entire evening. I should go.”
“But we were having fun. Don’t say goodbye. Not yet.” She needed this—she needed to feel alive again after beating herself up for letting herself stay in a dead-end relationship for too long. “Please.”
Niko hesitated. Then he held out his arm to her. “Shall we?”
A smile pulled at her lips. “I thought you’d never ask.”
He escorted her onto the crowded dance floor that had been erected on the beach of the Blue Tide Resort beneath a giant tent supported by white columns. Everyone around them was smiling and laughing. The tables were adorned with white linens, floral centerpieces and votive candles. It was so easy to get swept up in the joyful celebration of her best friend’s wedding.
A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “You are unlike anyone I’ve ever known. I never know what to expect from you.”
“I like to keep you guessing.” She stepped into his very capable arms.
“You enjoy being different, don’t you?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in her response. None whatsoever. “I tried living up to someone’s expectations. I turned myself inside out, and it still wasn’t enough. In fact, it was an utter disaster. Since then, I’ve decided to march to my own drum.”
“And how’s that working for you?”
“Quite well.” After all, she was dancing the night away with the most eligible bachelor at this wedding. “Quite well indeed. You should try it.”
His eyes widened. “And what makes you think I don’t march to my own drum?”
“Just a feeling.”
He struck her as the conservative type, from his restrained emotions to his proper hold on her as they danced; not standing too close and his hands always remained in a respectable place. But then there was his longer, wavy dark hair. And the way he stared at her when he didn’t think she noticed. Perhaps there was an impulsive side to him just longing to get out. She relished the idea.
Wanting to push him out of his safety zone, she moved closer to him. Her curves brushed up against his muscular chest. Immediately he sucked in a deep breath as his body stiffened.
“Relax,” she murmured, feeling exceedingly daring. Perhaps it was the dim lighting. Or maybe it was the sparkling wine. Whatever it was, she decided not to fight it. She was having too much fun. “Don’t worry—I won’t bite.”
A deep, rich chuckle rumbled from his chest. They began to move to the music again. He leaned in close—real close. His breath lightly brushed over her neck, sending goose bumps down her arms. “Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to take advantage of me?”
She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way he had her pulse racing. “Would that be so bad?”
“I never let anyone have the advantage.”
“Maybe you should—think of all you’re missing out on.” She wasn’t one for flings, but Niko was different. The push and pull of her common sense versus her desires raged war within her. Should she? Or shouldn’t she? In the end, she threw caution to the wind and decided that for Niko, she just might make an exception.
“Sofia? Did you hear me?”
He’d been talking? Between the loud voices and the strums of the eight-piece band, not to mention her own riotous thoughts, she’d missed what he’d said. And that was a shame because she loved his voice that was heavily laden with a Greek accent.
“I’m sorry. I’m having trouble hearing you.”
“Perhaps you’d care to stop by my suite. We could continue our conversation. It’s much quieter there. Unless of course you’d care to dance the night away.”
He was inviting her to his suite? Her immediate response was no. But, then again, after tonight he’d be gone. And tomorrow she’d be like Cinderella, trading in her royal blue chiffon gown and satin heels for a black-and-white maid’s uniform complete with no-nonsense black shoes with rubber soles.
The way Niko implored her with his eyes eroded any lingering doubts. Tonight would be her fairy tale—something she’d remember for years to come.
“Lead the way.”
Twelve weeks later...
HE WAS LATE.
He was never late. Nikolas Stravos III expelled a disgruntled sigh as he stood in the shower. There was something about being at the Blue Tide Resort that always seemed to have him acting out of character. His previous stay had included the most fascinating evening with the most incredible woman. He smiled at the memory.
He turned away from the spray of water, letting the soapsuds slide down his body. He leaned forward, pressing his palms against the cold tiles. The jets of water beat against the backs of his shoulders. Hundreds of droplets of water came together and trickled down his spine. He longed for the pulsating rhythm to ease away the ache in his tense muscles.
A lot had happened since he’d last been to the Blue Tide. He now had a solo voice in the operation and direction of the Stravos Trust, a position he’d been groomed to ascend to since childhood. But no one had warned him the promotion would cost him dearly.
It’d all started here at the resort, at Cristo Kiriakas’s wedding to Kyra, Niko’s newfound cousin. The memories unfolded in his mind like a promo to a blockbuster movie, hitting all the highlights.
Some of the recollections were amazing, like getting to know Sofia, the maid of honor. And spending a glorious night together, an evening he hadn’t been able to banish from his mind. But as good as that brief period had been, what had followed was horrific—losing his grandfather suddenly to a heart attack. The memory still sliced through him. There had been no time for goodbyes—no final words. It was all over before Niko had time to react.
He cursed under his breath as he turned off the water. Life could be so cruel sometimes. If he’d learned one thing, it was that everything could change at the drop of a hat. No notice. No nothing. And then you were all alone in this big, cold world. It was the story of his life.
Niko reached for the towel waiting for him just outside the shower stall. Instead of thinking about his upcoming business meeting with Cristo to finalize the terms of the sale of the Stravos Star Hotels, Niko found his thoughts spiraling back to Sofia. He ran the plush towel over his face. He made a mental note to inquire about her. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to learn where she lived. By the time he’d awoken on that not-so-long-ago morning, she was gone. Like a dream, she’d vanished—
Thunk!
The startling noise drew his thoughts up short. What was that? It sure sounded like something had fallen over. But how was that possible? He didn’t recall leaving a window open for the breeze to wreak havoc. But he conceded that, in his exhausted state after working day and night, anything was possible. And he had opened the windows last night when he’d first arrived. Perhaps he’d forgotten to close one of them.
Not bothering to dry himself off, he draped the towel around his waist, anxious to find out what damage had been done. His feet moved soundlessly over the cool ceramic tile floor.
He