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“Yes. Can you honestly say you would have considered a marriage proposal without it?”
She bit her lip and looked away, shaking her head once in negation.
“As I thought.”
“So, where does that leave us?”
“I do not know.” If she was pregnant with his child, he would try to convince her to accept his proposal, regardless of her finer feelings.
He knew his inner ruthlessness would show itself and he could not even be sorry about that. If she carried his baby, neither of their dreams took precedence. They would do what was best for their child.
He would never allow a child of his to be anything but absolutely certain of its place in his life. Unlike both his mother and father, Zephyr Nikos would consider his role as parent the most important one he would ever hold.
He did not know how to be a father, but he and Neo had self-educated themselves in business and that had been an eminently successful endeavor. With the same work and dedication, he could learn how to be a dad as well. Unlike when he was a teenager, he did not have to rely on used books, and firsthand experience at ground level.
He could afford to consult the most eminent minds in the field of child development, read the best books on the subject and do whatever else was necessary to be the best parent possible.
Zephyr had never done things by halves and becoming a parent would be no exception.
“I don’t want to take an over-the-counter pregnancy test,” Piper said after several quiet moments of her head resting on his shoulder again.
“So, we will wait until we return to Seattle and make an appointment with your doctor. We are only scheduled to be here three days.”
“They’ll feel like an eternity.”
He could not disagree.
The contractor arrived the next morning and between the four of them, they kept extremely busy laying the groundwork for preliminary plans to be drawn up. Jean-René flirted shamelessly with Piper, making her smile when that worried expression slid into her eyes.
Zephyr did not worry about the other man, knowing he adored his French wife and would never consider betraying her. Besides, Zephyr had made it patently clear that he and Piper were together.
On their last night, they climbed the stairs after a lively postdinner discussion over whether or not to place the main resort near the current villa, or nearer the accessible beach on the northern shore of the island. Piper was in favor of the beach, but the contractor liked the idea of taking advantage of already existing power and water access.
Jean-René had played devil’s advocate, arguing both for and against each of the locations.
Zephyr had made the final decision, going with the beach-front scenario. Guests would appreciate the easy access to the ocean and while the view might not be quite as majestic, it was still magnificent. Besides, it would give him and Neo and their future families privacy when they were on the island.
“You know he reminds me a little of Art, only different,” Piper said.
“The contractor?”
“Jean-René. He flirts. All the time, but there is no sexual heat behind it.”
“And there was with Art.”
“Yes. He accused me of being immaturely jealous, but after seeing Jean-René in action, I can say definitely that the intent behind the flirting makes all the difference.”
“Yes, Jean-René is a Frenchman. He flirts with a ninety-year-old grandmother as warmly as he would a runway model.”
Piper nodded. “It’s all about making a woman smile, without making her feel like sexual prey.”
“Art did not understand the difference?”
“How could he? Any woman even halfway attractive to him was sexual prey.” The disgust that tinged Piper’s tone was a definite improvement over the grief that used to lie so heavily on her when she talked about her ex.
“I do not flirt.” Or rather, he only flirted with intent and since he and Piper had begun their liaison, there had been no other woman he wished to seduce.
She laughed and hugged him, right there on the stairs. “No, you don’t.”
He enjoyed the spontaneous embrace. While she never drew away from his displays of affection, she had been more circumspect in offering her own since they reached the villa. He didn’t know if that was because she blamed him for her possible pregnancy, though she’d said she didn’t. Or maybe she was responding to his pulling away from talking about personal things.
He just did not see the need to discuss their future when they did not know whether they needed to take a pregnancy into account, or not. He’d also resisted talking any more about his past. It was over and done. They did not need to keep revisiting it.
He followed her into the bedroom and closed the door behind them. “Are you ready to go back to Seattle tomorrow?”
Drawing aside the drape at the window, she did not answer for several seconds. “I don’t know.”
“It is hard to leave here.” He began divesting himself of his clothes.
“But I want to know.”
He did not ask what she wanted to know. There was only one thing causing worry lines between her elegant brows.
Part of him, a very large part if he were honest with himself, wanted her to be pregnant. Then he could be selfish and convince her to marry him despite the lack of love between them. It would be the best thing for the baby and he trusted her to make the needs of her child paramount.
He cupped her shoulder, caressing her nape with his thumb. “I have something more interesting to focus on than a dark vista.”
She turned to face him, her expression soft and yearning. “Do you?”
“Can you doubt it?”
She just shook her head and waited. Waited for him to kiss her, to touch her, to show her that in this at least, they had perfection.
And that was exactly what he did.
Piper flew back to Seattle in Zephyr’s private jet with him. When they landed, she learned that he had already made an appointment for the next morning with her doctor. She wasn’t even a little surprised by his excessive efficiency. She was a bit startled by the fact that he’d gotten an appointment so quickly. She was never so lucky with her doctor’s appointment keeper.
But then Zephyr Nikos moved entire ranges, not simply single mountains, when he wanted to.
He spent the night with Piper in her apartment. They didn’t make love that night, but he held her close in the darkness protecting her dreams and making her feel safe.
“We’ll call you tomorrow with the results,” the nurse said after setting the vial with Piper’s blood aside.
Piper stood up and put the chair they’d used for the blood draw back against the wall at the head of the exam table. “Thank you. Have the doctor call my cell phone, all right?”
“Of course. I don’t think our office has ever successfully gotten hold of you on your house or business line.”
“I travel a lot.”
“It must be nice.” The nurse put the vial in a small red carrier.
“It can be.” When she’d first moved to Seattle, she’d loved the travel, but after she and Zephyr became friends, she missed him when she was away. Even before the sexual side to their relationship started. “It can be exhausting, too.”
“Well, if this test comes back positive, you can count on being exhausted even more.” The wry grimace on the usually friendly nurse’s face could in no way be described as a smile.
What was she supposed to say to that? Thank you? She was sure the other woman thought her information necessary, if not welcome. Piper would rather focus on the upside of this pregnancy…just as soon as she figured it out. She got up and grabbed her bag. “Well, um…goodbye.”
“See you soon.”
Piper didn’t know about that. She rarely visited her doctor between physicals. Of course, if she was pregnant, that would have to change, wouldn’t it?
CHAPTER SIX
ZEPHYR was waiting for her when she came out. “How did it go?”
“A little prick, a bandage and we were done.” It seemed like something awfully innocuous to find out something so momentous.
“They’ll know tomorrow?”
“That’s what the nurse said.” Piper had tried to dissuade Zephyr from coming to the doctor’s office with her.
It wasn’t as if she was having a difficult procedure, or something. But he’d insisted and now, she was kind of glad.
He put his hand out to take hers and led her outside. It was one of Seattle’s rare sunny days. Not so uncommon in the summer, but not something to be taken for granted, either.
“I’m glad I’m not alone, which makes me feel like a real wuss,” she admitted.
“You are facing the possibility of a major life change. That cannot help but be disconcerting. You are no weakling.”
She smiled up at him and squeezed his hand. “Well, I’m glad you’re here.” Even if she hadn’t wanted it that way at first.
“I am glad to be here.”
“Do you have to go into the office today?” she asked as they settled into his Mercedes.
“No, but I did promise to have dinner with Cass and Neo tonight.”
“Oh, okay.” She pasted a bright smile on her face. “If you could just drop me at my apartment. I’ll drive to the office from there.”
Or close her shades, put in the Coco Chanel biography she’d been meaning to watch and eat that pint of triple chocolate decadence hiding in the back corner of her freezer. It wasn’t as if she had to go to work. She was her own boss. If she wanted a day off to wallow in worry, she could take it.
“Dinner isn’t until this evening, and I was hoping you would come with me.”
“Oh.”
“I have no intention of leaving you alone to dwell.”
He knew her too well. “Who said anything about dwelling?”
“We have been friends for years.”
“Are you implying that makes you a mind reader?”
“I only wish—” he smiled “—but I do know you.”
“Yes, you do.”
“So, dinner with Cass and Neo?”
“Sure.” She bit her lip and looked out the window. “You know Cass and I have never actually met.”
“I know. It is time.”
“Because I might be pregnant.”
“Because you are my close friend and so are they,” he explained.
“So we should all know each other?”
“Naturally.”
“Your arrogance is showing again,” she teased.
“But remember, you find it charming.”
“It’s a good thing for you that I do.”
“Do you need to work today?” he asked this time.
“I have a few small jobs I could work on finishing up before your project swallows all my time.” But she really didn’t want to deal with any of them.
“Is that what you want to do?”
“No.”
“Well, then?”
“There’s a pint of chocolate ice cream in my freezer with my name on it.” Piper clung on to her original plans.
“Really? I was unaware your name was triple chocolate decadence.”
“You’ve been snooping in my cold storage?” She tried to sound outraged, but only managed mildly amused.
“Business tycoons crave ice cream, too. Even Greek ones.”
“You ate my triple chocolate decadence?” The outrage came through bright and clear this time.
“Of course not. I ate the single-serving cherries jubilee buried behind the vegetarian meals you never eat but buy to make yourself feel better about your food purchasing habits.”
