Read Online Secret Paradise (Kimani Romance) by Dara Girard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dara Girard
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him. She wasn’t suspicious about black cats, but this one made her uneasy.
“I’m just going to my room,” she told the cat.
“Ah, I see Artemis is at work again,” Lucian said, referring to the goddess he’d compared Nikki to at their first meeting. He’d appeared as if out of nowhere, but surprisingly his presence did not startle or frighten her.
Nikki rushed to explain. “I was just—”
“Come. Let’s have a drink.” Lucian turned, not giving her a chance to refuse him, not that she would have.
Nikki followed him outside to the terrace, where a collection of colorful candles sat on the table, providing small flickers of light against the still dark night. The stars hung high in the sky—bright, but distant, like the cold smile of a beautiful woman.
The heady scent of blossoms enveloped her in their fragrance, as if they’d been waiting for the day to end before revealing themselves. Nikki sat back on the wrought-iron chair and accepted the cool dry wine Lucian poured and sliced cheese. He’d been expecting her. For what she wasn’t sure. She took a sip of the wine, then stared at him, unsure of his silence.
“About this afternoon—”
“It’s the past,” Lucian said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He rested his chin in his hand and studied her, the flame of one of the candles dancing in his emerald eyes. “I wanted to thank you for what you did tonight. I’ve never seen anyone handle Callia the way you did. How did you know what to do?”
Nikki hesitated at first, not sure how to accept his praise. She hadn’t been aware that he had been there, watching her. “I know a little something about nightmares.”
He paused. “Really?”
“Yes,” she said in a curt tone, not wanting to elaborate. He knew too much about her already.
He sighed. “Me, too.”
“Do you have nightmares about the fire?”
He lowered his gaze. “About a lot of things,” he said in a bleak tone, “but I’m worried about Callia.”
“My sister told me that she’s not your daughter. She’s your ward, someone you take care of.”
“Yes, she was the daughter of my best friend. We were friends and business partners. I had a major business deal I had to take care of in Spain, but then something else came up and he took my place. The plane he was traveling on crashed into the ocean. A plane that I should have been on. I blamed myself, as did his widow, Wanda, who thought that I was the reason, she felt, he loved our business more than his family. I offered to look after her and the child. She just handed Callia over to me. She was only two at the time. Wanda told me she wanted me to always remember and feel guilty about what I’d stolen from her. The guilt aspect didn’t work. Callia has made me feel as if a part of my friend is still alive. And I’m grateful for that.
“His widow became a bitter woman who drinks. One night she ran her car off the road and right into a tree. She survived the accident with a broken back. She regained the use of her upper body but can’t walk. She still lives in the family home with round-the-clock care. She won’t let me adopt Callia and has Callia visit her four times a year. When she does, Wanda tries to poison her against me. When she was old enough, I told Callia how her father died and why she ended up living with me. She doesn’t seem to care about what happened. Instead, every year our bond appears to grow stronger.”
“Why would she care? Her father’s death wasn’t your fault.”
“I’m a lucky man when it comes to making money, but that’s about it.” Lucian looked out at the dark expanse of the sea.
Nikki sipped her wine, then stared at it. “I know what you mean.”
Lucian raised his brows, surprised. “Do you?”
“Yes. My life hasn’t been as charmed as my sister’s, although she has had her share of tragedy and heartbreak. Nothing has ever come easily to me. Everything has been work. Some are born with luck and the rest of us have
“I’m just going to my room,” she told the cat.
“Ah, I see Artemis is at work again,” Lucian said, referring to the goddess he’d compared Nikki to at their first meeting. He’d appeared as if out of nowhere, but surprisingly his presence did not startle or frighten her.
Nikki rushed to explain. “I was just—”
“Come. Let’s have a drink.” Lucian turned, not giving her a chance to refuse him, not that she would have.
Nikki followed him outside to the terrace, where a collection of colorful candles sat on the table, providing small flickers of light against the still dark night. The stars hung high in the sky—bright, but distant, like the cold smile of a beautiful woman.
The heady scent of blossoms enveloped her in their fragrance, as if they’d been waiting for the day to end before revealing themselves. Nikki sat back on the wrought-iron chair and accepted the cool dry wine Lucian poured and sliced cheese. He’d been expecting her. For what she wasn’t sure. She took a sip of the wine, then stared at him, unsure of his silence.
“About this afternoon—”
“It’s the past,” Lucian said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He rested his chin in his hand and studied her, the flame of one of the candles dancing in his emerald eyes. “I wanted to thank you for what you did tonight. I’ve never seen anyone handle Callia the way you did. How did you know what to do?”
Nikki hesitated at first, not sure how to accept his praise. She hadn’t been aware that he had been there, watching her. “I know a little something about nightmares.”
He paused. “Really?”
“Yes,” she said in a curt tone, not wanting to elaborate. He knew too much about her already.
He sighed. “Me, too.”
“Do you have nightmares about the fire?”
He lowered his gaze. “About a lot of things,” he said in a bleak tone, “but I’m worried about Callia.”
“My sister told me that she’s not your daughter. She’s your ward, someone you take care of.”
“Yes, she was the daughter of my best friend. We were friends and business partners. I had a major business deal I had to take care of in Spain, but then something else came up and he took my place. The plane he was traveling on crashed into the ocean. A plane that I should have been on. I blamed myself, as did his widow, Wanda, who thought that I was the reason, she felt, he loved our business more than his family. I offered to look after her and the child. She just handed Callia over to me. She was only two at the time. Wanda told me she wanted me to always remember and feel guilty about what I’d stolen from her. The guilt aspect didn’t work. Callia has made me feel as if a part of my friend is still alive. And I’m grateful for that.
“His widow became a bitter woman who drinks. One night she ran her car off the road and right into a tree. She survived the accident with a broken back. She regained the use of her upper body but can’t walk. She still lives in the family home with round-the-clock care. She won’t let me adopt Callia and has Callia visit her four times a year. When she does, Wanda tries to poison her against me. When she was old enough, I told Callia how her father died and why she ended up living with me. She doesn’t seem to care about what happened. Instead, every year our bond appears to grow stronger.”
“Why would she care? Her father’s death wasn’t your fault.”
“I’m a lucky man when it comes to making money, but that’s about it.” Lucian looked out at the dark expanse of the sea.
Nikki sipped her wine, then stared at it. “I know what you mean.”
Lucian raised his brows, surprised. “Do you?”
“Yes. My life hasn’t been as charmed as my sister’s, although she has had her share of tragedy and heartbreak. Nothing has ever come easily to me. Everything has been work. Some are born with luck and the rest of us have
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