Stowaway (20 page)

Although he’d seen it hundreds of times, he tried to imagine seeing it for the first time. Private pools and miniature, manicured lawns dotted the landscape. Luxury condos and elegant mansions stretched from end to end, gleaming like flamboyant jewels.

“And is that where your family lives?”

“Nope.” Despite his own background or maybe because of it, he’d never liked the ostentatious display of wealth.

“So where is the family home? We’re not cruising to the Bahamas, I hope.”

When he didn’t immediately respond, she flashed a questioning look at him.

“Well? It’s not in the Bahamas, is it?”

“No, but it is an island.”

“What island?”

“The Gianovelli Island.”

Her expression went from quizzical to amazed. “Your family owns its own island?”

“A small one. I’ve heard my great-grandpapa bought it for a song.”

Keri rolled her eyes and then her expression went blank. Nick wasn’t sure how to interpret the reaction. She didn’t comment on the island again, but he knew her mind must be reeling with all the information he’d thrown at her in the last twenty-four hours. Besides complicating their relationship with sex, he’d offered her plenty of reason to ditch him as soon as possible. He didn’t like it when she went into her quiet, withdrawn mode.

She did ask general questions about the area, and he enjoyed sharing facts with her. The sun rose higher and warmed them, even though the speed of the yacht kept a stiff breeze blowing across their skin. A small awning protected them from the direct sunshine as well as prying eyes. He slipped his arm around her and drew her close again, relieved when she snuggled into his embrace.

They’d passed Millionaire Row and headed out of the bay when Gus came topside to let them know he’d put Keri’s clothes in the VIP room. Nick made introductions and the two greeted each other with reserved politeness.

“Want I should fix you something to eat?” asked Gus.

“We had breakfast, thanks,” Nick told him. “We can wait and have lunch at the house.”

“I’m sure Teresa will like that. She’s always in a better mood when you’re at home. I’ll just go to the cockpit to harass Brice. Yell if you need anything.”

“Will do.”

“Teresa?” asked Keri when they were alone again.

“She’s a distant cousin of my dad’s. She lives and works at the villa.”

“Villa?”

He didn’t know how to describe his family home without sounding like a braggart. “My great-grandpapa bought the island from one of his old-country friends. It came complete with an Italian-style villa.”

“So,” said Keri. She turned her gaze from the waterway and stared at him. “Have you been waited on all your life? Is that how you grew up? With servants and chauffeurs and someone always catering to your needs?”

Her total lack of expression worried him, but he didn’t take offense at her curiosity. He gave her an honest answer.

“I guess I had a sheltered adolescence. Not that I realized it at the time. The typical angst-ridden teen years. Mom and Pop tried to instill good values. I had chores, responsibilities and summer jobs. I had to use my allowance wisely and work for what I wanted. My sisters thought I got special treatment because I’m the only son, but I never bought into that.”

“Just your typical family dynamics?”

“Yean. Privileged for sure, but my parents worked hard to keep our family life as normal as possible.”

“So why in the world did you pick law enforcement for a career?”

He frowned and shrugged his sore shoulder. “I’ve been asking myself the same question lately. A cop can’t just do his job anymore. Everything gets bogged down with paperwork and politics. It drives me crazy.”

“Your parents must have wanted you to join the family business.”

He gave her a long, hard look, wondering if she thought the same. She wouldn’t be the first woman who’d preferred to date a high-salaried executive.

“I wanted something more challenging and unpredictable. I’m not cut out for the corporate world, the boardrooms and nonstop meetings,” he argued.

Keri shook her head, her tone sardonic. “You’d rather have people shooting at you and blowing up your home?”

“Extreme situations,” he argued. “I’m a detective. I have the mindset for it. I like the problem solving and probing for the truth. I believe in the justice system and our responsibility to uphold the law.”

“Me too, but I could do without the violence involved,” she said, settling back into his embrace.

He held her tighter. “Ah, but what would a trauma nurse do without violence?”

“There are other forms of trauma.”

“I’m dealing with a little problem that needs your attention now,” he said, sliding his arm around her waist and tugging her on top of him. What better way to change the subject?

“Nick!”

“Nobody can see us.” He swore softly, brushing his lips across her mouth. Slipping both hands under her robe, he palmed her bare flesh. A rush of air burst from his chest. His body hardened. “You really are wearing a thong.”

“Told ya so.” She nibbled on his chin, and he shuddered.

He squeezed her firm, baby-soft skin and pulled her tighter against his erection. She squirmed, and need slammed through him. He wanted to forget everything and everybody but the woman in his arms. They had so much more loving to do.

“Done sightseeing?” he whispered gruffly.

The slumberous look in her eyes answered his question. She slowly detangled herself from his grasp and offered him a hand. He clasped it tightly and led her back down to the VIP stateroom. As soon as he closed the door behind them, he simultaneously kicked off shoes and tugged off his shirt. In another instant he’d shoved shorts down his legs and stood fully naked while she watched with hungry eyes.

“Damn, condom.” He didn’t have one.

Keri gave him a slow smile and reached into the pocket of her robe. “Found this in my bag too.”

She pulled out a condom, lifted it to her mouth and used her teeth to open the package. Nick didn’t think he could get any hotter or harder. Then she touched him, using both hands to slowly sheathe his straining flesh. His knees went weak.

“Let me see that bra and thong,” he whispered roughly.

She hesitated and he remembered her sensitivity about the scarring. He held his breath until she slowly shrugged out of the robe and let it drop to the floor. By revealing her body to him in broad daylight, scars and all, she afforded him the trust he badly wanted. He silently vowed to reward her once his pulse stopped pounding in his ears and pooling in his groin.

“I’d like to take my time with you, but I’m really needy right now,” he warned her. Reaching out both hands, he cupped her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over the lace-covered nipples until they grew hard and tight.

In response, Keri shoved him backward across the bed and climbed on top of him. Nick thought the breath-staggering anticipation might kill him. But what a way to go.

She didn’t bother to remove the thong but nudged it aside and eased herself down onto his shaft. He uttered a deep moan of pleasure as their bodies locked. Pulling her close, he licked her nipples through the lacy fabric. She moaned too, grinding herself against him with greedy feminine demand.

As she writhed against him, he tried to hold back the spasms stealing down his spine. Lifting his hands, he pulled the straps of the tiny purple bra off her shoulders, freeing her breasts. Then he scooped the soft mounds into his hands and squeezed them tightly, plucking at her nipples until she quivered and groaned. Seconds later, when she cried out in satisfaction, he exploded with mind-blowing pleasure.

Dressed in new khaki walking shorts and a turquoise knit top, Keri joined Nick on the deck of the
Gianovelli
. The yacht had slowed speed as they approached his home. He handed her a small pair of binoculars so she could get a better view of the island.

She supposed it would be considered a tiny island. The stretch of emerald green couldn’t be much more than a couple miles in circumference. Right in the center, atop a slight hill, sat a pale pink stone building with more windows than she’d ever seen on one house. Correction, a villa. She’d never seen an actual villa, but it sure matched her imaginings and images in history books.

The villa stood three stories high with what looked like marble pillars and a huge archway over the entrance. A wide porch circled the entire ground floor. Most of the collection of windows had balconies with wrought iron railings.

Besides the main building, she could see what looked like a three- or four-car garage as large as her home in Thornsbury. She saw a boathouse and another smaller, matching structure between the villa and the dock. Palm trees and a kaleidoscope of colorful flowers framed the property, making it look like a gleaming gem in a sea of blue.

“Wow.” The hushed admiration in her voice had Nick pulling the glasses from her face.

“Wow, what? Tell me what’s going on in that active little mind of yours.” He turned her so they faced each other again.

“Little? I resent that,” she teased lightly, pressing a hand flat to his chest. She loved the warmth and solid feel of him. Loved the new intimacy they shared. Loved the way he loved her with no thought of her scars and emotional baggage.

“So what do you think? Too ostentatious? Too regal for twenty-first-century America?”

“Is that what you think?” she shot back at him.

He gave her a grin. “I guess, but it’s still home. My childhood playground. Know what I mean?”

“Home means a lot of different things to people.”

“It’s where your heart, your history and your future all get tangled,” he said.

The engines of the yacht began to gear down and they turned their attention back to the island. The closer they got, the more astounding its beauty. Keri tried to take it all in but she’d never even stayed in a hotel so elegant. Never one to feel awed by wealth, she thought her attitude might be undergoing some adjustment.

“Doesn’t your family worry about hurricanes? It looks like the whole island could be swallowed or blown out to sea.”

“That’s a huge risk of living out here, but the place has stood strong for over two hundred years. The shores are reinforced every year. There’s a twenty-foot stone wall on the south side of the island to protect against the worst Atlantic storms. And the family always heeds hurricane warnings to evacuate. We’re in season now, but you don’t have to worry.”

“Hurricanes are the least of my worries.”

He tugged her closer and dropped a kiss on her lips. Keri returned it with enthusiasm. She’d never liked demonstrative men, yet she found herself blossoming under Nick’s attention. He liked touching, kissing and being close. She liked it too, but the little intimacies kept her hungry for more of him. That growing need surprised and concerned her. It wouldn’t be smart to become too dependent on Detective Lamanto, she reminded herself frequently.

The yacht gradually came to a halt under the stone archways of the boathouse. Gus extended a ladder then Nick helped him tie down the mooring ropes while Brice killed the engines. The men offered her a hand while she disembarked. Gus assured them he’d bring all their belongings to the house, so they headed up a cobbled stone path to the main building.

Flowers lined the walkway along with flowering bushes, palm trees and a flowing fountain. Despite temperatures in the eighties, Keri didn’t feel the oppressive heat of the city.

“All eco-friendly,” Nick assured her, taking her left hand into his right. “Pop’s a stickler for keeping the place green and safe for future generations of Lamantos.”

“It’s all so gorgeous,” she said. “Does your dad take care of the landscaping too?”

“He helps, depending on how busy he is with other stuff. We have extended family that helps too.”

“Who all lives here on the island? Your parents and sisters? Brice and Gus? It looks big enough to house an army.”

“The Gianovelli and Lamanto clan probably equates to a small army, but living here isn’t practical for everyday work schedules,” he explained. “My two older sisters and their families have suites in the villa, but they live, work and go to school in Miami. The twins just started back to college. They live in dorms during the school year but at home during the summer.”

As they talked, they approached the front of the villa. Keri noted the marble pillars, grand archway and imposing bronze door flanked by bronze statues. Her breath caught at the elegance and beauty, but Nick didn’t appear affected at all.

“The house has three floors,” he continued to explain. “The ground floor has a formal sitting and dining room for entertaining on the west side. The east side has the kitchen, family room and the usual. The first floor has six small suites with bedrooms, baths and sitting rooms. There’s also a library, fitness center and music room on that level. The second floor has more suites for guests and our security team.”

“Brice and Gus live on the second floor? But it’s really the third level?”

“Yeah, and Tony when he’s not traveling with the folks.”

He pulled open the door and ushered her inside. Once her eyes adjusted to the more dim interior lighting, they widened in amazement. The entry hall opened into a double curving staircase that lead her gaze straight up to lavishly painted ceilings. She’d never seen anything so grand outside a museum or history book.

“Wow!”

“Yeah, a little overpowering at first,” he said.

Before she could respond, they heard a shout from the back of the house. “Is that my Nico?”

Following the heavily accented question, Keri saw a short, round woman hurrying toward them from the right side of the staircase. Dressed in a simple green skirt and flowered blouse, the fifty-something, dark-haired woman threw herself into Nick’s arms and hugged him tightly. Her dark eyes gleamed with genuine warmth and affection.

“Hey there, Teresa. How’s the world been treatin’ ya?” Nick asked as he returned the woman’s hug.

“I’m so happy to see you!” She shook her finger at him. “It’s been way too long.”

“It’s good to be here,” he returned warmly. “I brought a friend.” Turning he introduced Keri. “She’s special so we have to be extra good to her.”