Secret Paradise

“No, it’s not that.” She was just bored. Everything about her life had become routine. The wealthy clients and their tirades, the social events. There were no happy surprises or new discoveries. “I just need a break.”

“We don’t have to go to—”

“Sorry. I have another call I have to take. I’ll call you later.” She hung up before he could argue.

Abby came into the room, looking composed again. She straightened the tilted plant. “I’ve called housekeeping.”

“Thank you.”

“Is Benjamin stopping by?”

“No, never again.”

“Good.”

Nikki looked at her, shocked. “What do you mean?”

“You deserve better. When are you going to start designing your own home?”

“I’ve already designed my place.”

Abby shook her head. “No, not a place. A home—with a fully furnished kitchen and a big family room.”

“And a picket fence and lawn?” Nikki shook her head and laughed. “You’re talking to the wrong sister. That’s not me.”

“Everyone deserves their own space, where they feel complete.”

“Right.”

She knew that better than most. That was why she’d become a designer. She knew what a room could do, how it could make a person feel. But she didn’t need a home of her own. She really liked her apartment and the friends and parties she hosted there. She was just restless. She only wished she knew what to do. She was young, attractive, with a good job and nothing really to complain about, yet she felt like running away.

Nikki stood. “What I need is a challenge. Something big and a little scary. Something to test my skills. Unpredictable.” She looked around her destroyed office and groaned. She obviously wouldn’t find it here. She needed the outdoors; she thought better there. “I’m going to go for a walk.” She grabbed her bag and sunglasses.

Nikki walked several blocks, but the restless feeling still followed. She crossed over to go into Central Park. Then her phone rang. “Yes?” she said as she saw a driver give another the finger and a young child drop his ice cream on the pavement and burst into tears.

“It’s Monica. Do you have a minute?”

“Sure.” She stepped around a pile of dog poop someone had neglected to pick up. “What’s up?”

“It’s Lucian.”

She stopped. “Has something happened? He’s been out of the hospital for some time now and I thought he was doing fine.”

“He is,” Monica said quickly to reassure her.

“Good,” Nikki said, starting to walk again. Over the past several years she’d become invested in Lucian’s recovery. She’d been just as thankful as J.D. and Monica that he’d pulled through.

“This isn’t a physical problem. It’s his house. He’s been able to rebuild, but the interior is a problem.”

“I’m there,” Nikki said without hesitation. This was the answer to her problems. She knew it. Already a sense of excitement had replaced her restlessness.

“You haven’t let me finish.”

“You don’t need to finish,” Nikki said, picking up her pace. If she were five years old, she would start to skip. “You need me to help him design his place, and I’m up to the challenge.”

“I’m glad, but there are a few things you should know.”

“I’ll find out when I get there.”

Monica hesitated. “He’s not the easiest man to work with. Especially now. He uses a cane and J.D. says he can be very impatient and domineering.”

Nikki brushed her sister’s concerns aside. “I’ve dealt with that type before. Don’t worry about me. I need a change and this is just the kind of project I was waiting for. Nothing can stop me from seizing this opportunity. Give me the details when I get home. I’ll call you.”

“But—”

“Bye.” Nikki hung up the phone and released a little squeal of delight. This project was just what she needed. She’d finally get a chance to see inside the elusive Lucian Kontos’s island mansion and meet the man. She wasn’t sure which intrigued her more.

“Nikki!”

She spun around at the sound of her name and saw Benjamin running toward her. He was the kind of man who looked good in front of a camera and behind it. He had an easy smile and a great body. He moved with practiced grace, which made you feel comfortable around him. He was also the kind of man who was easy to say yes to, which was why Nikki hadn’t broken up with him months ago.

“I’m so glad I found you,” he said, giving her a quick hug.

Nikki stared at him, stunned, and annoyed that he felt and smelled so good. Whatever he asked her, she had to say no. “What are you doing here?”

“I was in the area when I called and I spoke to Abby and she told me you’d gone for a walk. I thought you’d end up here, but I wasn’t sure.”

Damn. Even her walks were routine. “Benjamin,” she said slowly. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m doing what I should have done years ago.” He got down on one knee. “Nikki—”

She tugged on his sleeve. “Get up. Don’t do this,” she said as some passersby stared.

“Marry me.”

Nikki knelt in front of him. “I don’t want to get married. I just got a great assignment and that’s where my focus is right now. My career.”

“We don’t have to get married right away.”

“Benjamin.”

He seized her shoulders. “I don’t want to lose what we have. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized how much you mean to me.” His brown eyes melted into hers. “Please say yes.”

Saying yes to him had always been so easy. It had also been fun. She’d never regretted a moment. He was a good man. Could she get a better one? Could she find someone else who allowed her to have her own life? Who didn’t make demands on her time? Was it right to break up something just because she was bored? Maybe she was being too hasty. Just say yes. “Yes,” she said, but the moment she did, her answer felt wrong. She didn’t have the courage to take it back.

He kissed her. “I love you. We’ll make each other happy.” He grabbed her hand and slipped on a ring.

“Benjamin, wait,” she said, amazed by the large stone. “I may have—”