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His mouth thinned to a tight, taut line.
‘They still can’t be civil to each other, all these years later. They’ve bad-mouthed each other for as long as I can remember. Not a good word to say about each other and expecting me to side with each of them. Yet they absolutely refuse to admit failure and divorce—it’s beyond ghastly.’
Mel kept the sympathy in her voice. ‘I used to feel very sorry for myself when I was young, not having parents, but who knows which is worse? No parents—or parents who make your life a misery growing up?’
‘Yes, tough call,’ acknowledged Nikos, terse now, after what he’d bitten out at length.
Where the hell had all that come from?
He found himself wondering why he’d made any reference to his bumpy childhood and warring family. It wasn’t a subject he discussed with others. It was too deep, too personal. Too painful. But with Mel it had seemed...natural.
He sought for a reason for his embittered outburst.
Maybe it’s because she didn’t have it easy either, growing up with only a grandfather to look after her, missing a mother and father. Maybe that’s why it’s easy to talk to her about such things...
But he didn’t want to think about his endlessly sparring parents and their utter insensitivity to anyone except themselves—their refusal to acknowledge the fact that their marriage was a failure and they should have ended it years ago. He’d washed his hands of both of them and left them to it.
Deliberately he took a deep breath to clear his clouded thoughts. He wouldn’t spoil his time with Mel by thinking about his parents—let alone pouring it out to her again the way he just had. No, it was far more pleasant to know that he was here, with a woman like Mel at his side, making the most of this carefree time together.
With the conference over there was nothing more to do on the island except enjoy themselves. Revel in the passion that flamed between them and relish the absolute leisure and relaxation they had, day after golden day.
It doesn’t get better than this...
The words shaped themselves inside his head and he knew them to be true. Had he ever enjoyed himself more in his life than he was doing now, with Mel? It was just so good being here with her. Oh, the sex was beyond fantastic—no doubt about that—and he’d always known it would be. But it was so, so much more than just the sex.
It’s the being with her that’s so good. Just every day—over meals, on the beach, sightseeing...just everything.
Right now, he thought, I’m a happy man.
It was a good feeling.
As they settled into the taxi, setting off for their own quiet hotel, Nikos gave a sigh of relief. ‘I’m glad to get out of here,’ he said. ‘Now we can get back to the rest of our holiday.’
‘A week to go,’ said Mel lightly.
Her words drew a frown across Nikos’s brow. A week—was that all? It would go by in a flash, as this last one had. His frown deepened. A week wasn’t enough...
Rapidly, in his head, he ran through his diary. Was there anything critical the week after next? Offhand, he couldn’t think of anything. And if there was nothing absolutely critical...
The idea that had struck him was obvious—and inspired, of all things, by the warring Friedmans.
He voiced it over dinner, having checked his online diary to confirm his assumption.
‘Tell me,’ he said as they settled down to their evening meal, which they were taking at the beach bistro, to refresh their spirits after the day’s busyness, ‘are you tempted at all by the idea of going to New York?’
Mel’s face lightened. She’d been thinking along just those lines herself. Going to New York would surely be something to look forward to after this fabulous time with Nikos had ended, wouldn’t it? And she needed something to look forward to...
‘Oh, yes,’ she said. ‘It would make sense, being so close to Bermuda. If I can get a cheap flight, and find a cheap tourist hotel in Manhattan, then—’
Nikos interrupted her. ‘What do you mean?’ he demanded, his buoyant mood altering immediately.
There was an edge to his voice she found unaccountable. She looked at him, confused.
‘Why do you talk about cheap flights and tourist hotels?’ he went on, in the same frowning tone.
It was her turn to look confused. ‘Well, I have to make my savings go as far as they can—’
‘Not when you’re with me,’ he contradicted. His expression darkened. ‘Unless for some reason you don’t want to see New York with me?’
If she hadn’t known better she might have read accusation in his voice. But accusation was so inexplicable it couldn’t possibly be that.
