AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That had nothing to do with you. I hope you realize that,” I said. He shrugged. “I mean it Niko. If it was all about you, then I would stay.”
He turned to me and said, “That’s a powerful statement.”
It was. “I know. I...I like you. I like you a lot.”
“But not enough to stay in Tabiq?” he asked.
He hadn’t reciprocated and told me how he felt. I knew how he made me feel, and I also knew how he felt about me. I knew that he cared, but nothing more. I didn’t believe he was in the position to even commit to anything more than that.
“Niko, we are on different paths. I will be here for a little while longer. I’d really like to spend this time with you.” I gave his thigh a squeeze hoping he would pick up on my meaning. That I wasn’t talking about work.
“Ovi, I’m here because I want to be with you too.”
Good. We were finally on the same page. This I could work with. And since he had started opening up to me a little bit more, I understood why he was so closed off. He was never shown how to talk about or even acknowledge his feelings. Probably never had anyone who he could share them with. I considered myself lucky that he was doing so with me, even though he hadn’t said much about anything.
“Niko, can I ask one favor?” I said as we entered the gate of New Hope.
“Sure, anything. What is it?”
“This weekend, can I just be Ovi, and you Niko? Neither of us has a past, and we don’t worry about the future?”
He cocked a brow, then smiled. “And there is no one else in the world but the two of us.”
“Perfect,” I replied. “Now, let’s see how long we can stay on that jet ski.”
“Are you worried about falling off?” he asked.
“No, but I don’t want to spend my entire weekend with you out on the water.”
He grabbed my hand, lifted it to his lips, and said, “I don’t care where I am as long as I’m with you.”
That was good because I was hoping that I could talk him into staying at my home tonight. Not to talk. Not to watch TV either. I wanted to see where those delicious kisses led. Now allwe needed to do was get through today without talking about work,again.
We entered the resort, and unlike the last time, Niko took my hand in his. It was a statement; one we hadn’t made in public yet. Because New Hope hired mostly locals to work at the resort, I was positive at least one or more would know who Niko was and have a family member employed by him. Going back to work next week would come with new challenges, but at the moment, I didn’t care. Let them look. Let them talk. I was tired of hiding my feelings and living the way people thought I should. Who was I going to embarrass? My mother wasn’t alive to lecture me, and if I couldn’t find my father, then I was sure the gossip chain couldn’t either. The only other person who I cared about had his fingers entwined with mine.
Bennett met us in the lobby. I saw his eyes focus on our hands for a second. “Are you two ready to enjoy a day on the beach?” he asked.
I nodded and Niko said, “Yes, we are.”
“The table is where you requested and here are the keys to the jet skis. Let the hostess know if you require anything else. I will be around, but my wife Zoey is flying in today with the kids. It was snowing like crazy when they left Boston, so don’t be surprised if you see us all on the beach as well.”
With keys in hand, Niko and I headed outside. “You requested a table?”
“Not just a table, but a private tent. I wasn’t sure if you’d need a place to change,” he said.
“That was so thoughtful, but I’m wearing everything I need. That doesn’t mean we can’t put that tent to use.” I leaned into him slightly and smirked.
“Maybe I should’ve asked him for a key to a room, instead of a jet ski,” he said.
My heart skipped a beat.Maybe you should’ve.
The fact he could comment on that, even if it was a joke, said he’d been thinking about me intimately.Just like I have been.
We stopped at the tent and stripped down to our swimsuits. I’d already seen him with his shirt off, but I hadn’t been this exposed in front of him before. I felt his eyes roaming up and down. I didn’t need to wait long to find out if he liked what he saw.
Niko pulled me against him. I could feel his erection through his swim shorts. “You know that is my favorite color.”
I smiled. “I do.”
