***
Michael watched the nurse leave Jackie’s room and close the door softly behind her. As she turned to leave, she almost ran right into Michael, who was leaning against the wall.
“Did she wake up?” he asked.
“Just for a brief moment, sir.” The nurse gave him a polite smile. “I spoke to her, but I’m not sure she understood me. Does she speak Greek?”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted, looking towards Jackie’s room.
“You should see a doctor,” the nurse urged him, looking at the scratches on Michael’s face and arms and his bloodstained clothes.
“I’m fine.” Michael moved on, not giving the nurse a chance to say another word.
Jackie had him very puzzled. He wanted to find out who she really was and what she was doing on the island. She’d probably told him the truth about being a relative of the owner. At least that much would be easy to verify. On the other hand, he was sure she was hiding something. Otherwise, why would she break into the mansion in the middle of the night?
And what about the other guy? He was determined to find out who he was and what he was looking for.
A million thoughts whirled around in his mind, driving him crazy. So many questions and no answers whatsoever so far.
He had called his partner, Tony Mavrikis, earlier to have him run a check on Jackie. He wanted to find out everything he could about her and how she was related to Constantinos Demiris.
How come I’ve never heard of her before? I should’ve known about her, if she is a relative of the Demiris family. He was surprised by the disappointment he felt at this last thought.
This entire case unnerved him. He needed to get some answers and he needed to get them fast.
Buried feelings of anger and vengeance washed over him as he thought back to the time he discovered who his real father was and what he had done to his mother.
And now, years later, ghosts of the past were tearing this family apart for one more time.
He needed to find out who was behind all these deaths—even though deep down inside he was sure it was his real father—and a good place to start were the documents hidden in the mansion’s safe. And this was precisely what he was doing, when Jackie showed up.
And where does Jackie fit into all these? No matter how stunning she was, he wasn’t going to let her get away with anything. There was a reason why she’d broken into the mansion in the middle of the night and he intended to find out exactly what that reason was.
He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind. This was a dangerous situation he was dealing with where peoples’ lives were at stake. He couldn’t overlook the fact that she was an intruder, no matter how vulnerable and adorable she looked. Thinking of her intriguing eyes staring into his, he was left speechless by the feeling of pure desire which shot right through his body like a hot wave. The mere thought of her flawless face and tempting body left him craving to be close to her, holding her…caressing her….
“You need some help, detective?” The nurse seemed to be worried about him. “Are you sure you’re feeling all right?”
“I’m fine,” he repeated, more abruptly than he intended and waved his arm in a dismissing motion. She’d interrupted his train of thought. Who was he kidding? He was upset, because she interrupted his fantasizing about holding Jackie in his arms.
He stepped right outside Jackie’s door and stood there for a moment, hesitating, battling between his eagerness to get some answers and his worry about her condition.
He was sure now that Jackie had told him the truth about entering the mansion through the front door. After all, he had done the exact same thing. Of course, he had keys to the mansion, but he didn’t have to use them since the front door had been unlocked, probably by the mysterious intruder who had broken the window. However, he was still wondering what Jackie was doing out there.
There were so many missing pieces to this puzzle, and that drove him crazy. Not to mention that he was terrified of what could have happened to Jackie if he hadn’t been there. What if he hadn’t been in the mansion and the intruder had gotten hold of Jackie? What would have happened to her in the middle of the night far away from any living soul? He broke out in a cold sweat at the thought. And then, what if he hadn’t been there at the edge of the cliff to pull her out of the car? That possibility he didn’t even want to think about.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and watched the nurse enter Jackie’s room again. He needed to concentrate on the case. He couldn’t, however, get Jackie out of his mind. The thought of her haunted him, overwriting any attempt for rational thinking and making him want nothing else than to sweep her into his arms and keep her there forever.
I need to get hold of myself!
There were so many unanswered questions and so many things he still didn’t know about this case. But he intended to find out. He hadn’t come all the way from Athens to go back empty handed.
Constantinos Demiris and Dimitris Apostolou—the man who raised Michael and loved him like a real father—drowned trapped inside Constantinos’ sailboat during a bad storm. But, witnesses from another ship close by talked about an explosion right before the storm got real bad.
Michael was now sure their deaths were no accident, and he was determined to find out what had really happened to them. He owed them that much.
***
Jackie woke up and looked around surprised and disoriented. A voice echoed through her mind, calling her name. Tortured by a pounding headache, she reached up and touched bandages wrapped around her head.
What in God’s name has happened to me? Where am I?
She felt someone touch her hand and turned startled towards a nurse in a starched white uniform bending over her.
“What’s going on? Where am I?” Jackie whispered.
“You’re at the General Hospital of Corfu” the nurse replied softly in English.
Jackie looked around, recognizing the sterile environment of a hospital room. “Why? What happened?” she inquired worriedly, trying to clear her thoughts.
“You were in a car accident,” the nurse replied. “But don’t worry” she went on, seeing the shocked expression on Jackie’s face. “You’re going to be just fine.”
“What’s wrong with me? How long have I been here?”
“Please don’t get upset,” the nurse urged her. “You’re a very lucky young lady and there’s nothing wrong with you except a cut on your head. How are you feeling?”
“My head hurts,” Jackie admitted. “And my entire body feels very stiff.”
“It’s absolutely normal. You’ll feel a lot better soon.”
“But how long have I been here?” Jackie insisted uneasily.
“Not long. Just overnight. Don’t you remember anything?”
“No,” Jackie replied, even though scattered memories started coming back to her. Flashbacks from the mansion…the moments of horror that she experienced in there, trapped in the dark, until she stared into those amazing blue eyes….
“Hi there. How are you feeling?” The voice deep and sensuous brought her back to reality.
Turning slowly, she saw him standing at the door. She drew a sharp intake of breath and her eyes widen. His face and arms were badly scratched and his clothes blood-stained and in terrible condition. “What happened to you? Are you all right?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” he replied, giving her a reassuring smile. He moved closer to her bed, as the nurse quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.
Jackie gazed into his eyes and felt lost, as time seemed to stop. He reached over and touched her hand, and she felt her skin burning from his touch. He was so big and masculine…and so close.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm her senses. She couldn’t believe his mere presence was enough to throw her off balance.
“What’s wrong?” he asked concerned. “Are you in pain?”
“No,” she whispered. ??
?I’m fine.” Even though, deep down inside, she wasn’t sure about that at all.
What is the matter with me? How can I let myself get carried away like this? She had come here for one reason and one reason only and she couldn’t allow herself to be distracted by him. She wasn’t about to jeopardize her assignment. He wasn’t to be trusted. Nobody was. Not after everything that had happened during these past few months.
Thinking back, she stiffened. She remembered Stephanos’ face devastated from the pain and sorrow, and Maria…beautiful, twenty-seven year old Maria lying in a coffin.
She felt Michael squeezing her hand and realized he was watching her.
“Don’t worry,” he reassured her, probably misinterpreting her reaction as worrying about her health. “There’s nothing wrong with you, except that you hit your head on the steering wheel when the car went off the cliff…but you’ll be fine soon,” Michael said.
“The cliff?” Jackie repeated, taking in a deep breath. Now, things started to come back to her about the accident. She struggled to lift her head and a sharp pain shot right through every muscle in her body. “Oh my God, my head hurts so badly!” She groaned and stopped moving.
“Take it easy,” he urged her. “You need to stay put and let the doctors take care of you.”
“Is it that bad?” she asked, searching his face. He looked tired and very worried. His hair was messed up and he needed a shave.
“You did lose a lot of blood,” he admitted and encouragingly squeezed her hand.
“What about you?” she inquired. “Don’t you need to see a doctor? You don’t look so good.”
“I told you, I’m fine,” he insisted. “It looks a lot worse than it actually is” he reassured her, looking down at his ripped and bloodstained clothes.
“But all that blood…” she went on.
“Well, actually…it’s not mine,” he admitted.
Jackie realized it was her blood all over his clothes and felt a shockwave running up her spine. I must be in a lot worse shape than he’s willing to admit. The thought got her really worried.
What now? How long would she have to stay in the hospital? And in the meantime, what would happen to Aphrodite?
“When am I going to be able to leave this place?” she asked him, feeling restless.
“The doctors want to keep you for one more day.”
“But I feel fine,” she lied.
“Well, you know how doctors are. Even though the tests didn’t show anything to worry about, they still want to make sure everything is fine before they let you go.”
“But, I can’t stay here!” she insisted.
Michael looked at her cautiously. “It’s just for one day,” he said. “Is there anybody we need to notify?”
“No!” she replied abruptly. Seeing the surprised look on his face, she tried to smooth things over, “I’m here on vacation,” she lied, “and I don’t want my family to get worried.”
Michael looked at her for a few seconds, clearly not buying her story.
Jackie silently cursed herself for not coming up with a better excuse. She was furious this stranger had the ability to so easily tear down her defenses. She just couldn’t believe that even with his face all scratched up and his tight fitting jeans and T-shirt torn and dirty, he still looked so handsome and inviting.
Suddenly, she realized something. “Am I under arrest?” she asked.
He seemed to be thinking about it for a couple of seconds. “That really depends on you,” he finally said enigmatically.
Jackie looked at him puzzled. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked and felt her stomach tightening.
“We’ll talk about this later,” he said and left it at that. “For now, the important thing is for you to get out of here.”
“That’s exactly my point,” she agreed and tried to get out of bed, even though she was suffering.
“Wait a minute, young lady!” he yelled and gently but steadily pushed her back on the bed. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m leaving,” she said. “I can’t stay here a minute longer. I have a million things to do.”
“I thought being on vacation meant taking it easy and doing nothing,” he pointed out with an ironic look on his face.
Jackie bit her lower lip. Right from the very first moment, she had realized he was going to be trouble. Unfortunately, she was right.
“Look,” she started. “I need your help.”
“Now, that’s better,” he said. “If you’re honest with me, then maybe I can help you out.”
“I’m being honest,” she rebutted.
“Then what do you mean you need my help?”
“I need your help to get out of here today,” she explained, and from his reaction, she could tell that he was losing his patience with her. Well, let him be angry, she decided. She wasn’t here to please him. After all, she was only going to stay on the island for a few days. And then, she would probably never see him again. She was astonished to realize this last thought made her feel sad.
He looked at her, hesitating for a moment and then turned swiftly, ready to walk out the door. “Stay here. I’ll be right back,” he said and then, he was gone.
Jackie watched Michael leave the room, and it took all the strength she could manage to sit back and wait until he came back.
“Everything is settled,” he said. “The nurse will be here in a minute to help you get dressed.”
“Thank you,” Jackie said and breathed a sigh of relief.
Half an hour later, Michael helped her out of the hospital and towards his car. He watched her bite her lower lip to keep from moaning and could tell she was in terrible pain. He knew it would get worse when the pain killers wore off. She was the most stubborn person he’d ever met, and that made him furious. On the other hand, he couldn’t help but admire the way she endured the pain.
He helped her in the car, tormented whether he should go ahead and take her with him or turn around and take her right back inside the hospital. The doctor, however, had reassured him she was perfectly fine, and the CT scan had shown nothing to worry about. Still, he was instructed to keep an eye on her for the next few days and to take her right back to the hospital if she felt dizzy or nauseated.
He closed Jackie’ door and walked around the black Mercedes. He opened the driver’s side door and sunk into the soft leather driver’s seat. He started the engine, fully aware she was watching him. Trying to keep his eyes on the road and not make any sudden moves that would cause her more pain, he carefully navigated the car out of the hospital’s parking lot.
Out on the main road he was able to relax, as there wasn’t much traffic and he didn’t have to worry about sudden turns and maneuvers. Jackie leaned back against the headrest, closed her eyes, and kept silent.
Michael glanced at her and kept silent, as well. His mind kept going back to everything that had happened in these last few months and especially in the last twenty-four hours. He needed answers, and he needed them right now. And the last thing he’d expected when he came out here was to find a beauty like this breaking into the Demiris mansion.
Who is she? And if she’s telling the truth about being a relative of Constantinos, why break in? His logic told him she couldn’t be trusted—after all she had already escaped from him once—while his instinct told him otherwise. But was it really his instinct? Or, was it the fact that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life? His thoughts flew back to the very first moment he laid eyes on her. He was taken aback by the lovely face with the beautiful eyes and the sensuous lips. And then his gaze had moved to the soft golden-brown hair barely touching her shoulders and the sexy body with the womanly curves that were so obvious underneath her jeans and blouse, which hugged her body like a glove.
Trying to control his thoughts from whirling into forbidden territory, he suddenly realized she’d opened her eyes and was staring at him. “So, where did you learn Greek?” he asked, still astonished ha
ving heard her thanking the doctors and the nurses in perfect Greek.
Jackie looked at him sideways, biting her lower lip.
“It’s not a trick question!” he burst out, getting tired of her constantly defensive attitude.
“I’m sorry…” she apologized. “The last twenty-four hours have been really bad.”
“I know,” he admitted. “They were rough for me too.”
Silence stretched in the car and Michael struggled to keep his eyes on the road.
“I remember,” she whispered, and Michael turned to meet her gaze.
“I remember what happened last night,” she continued and her lips pressed into a thin line. “I remember the car going off the cliff. How come I didn’t die?”
“You were a very lucky young lady,” he said softly. “The car was stopped by a small tree, and I pulled you out just before your vehicle plunged into the sea.”
Jackie lowered her eyes and pressed her lips together. “You know…I never thanked you for saving my life,” she said in an awestruck whisper.
He turned and looked at her—so adorable and so vulnerable at that very moment.
“Thank you, detective,” she whispered.
“Michael,” he corrected her and swallowed hard, trying to control the turmoil of his emotions as he saw desire burning in her eyes.
Hearing her sensuous lips repeat his name, a hot wave of passion shot right through his body and all he could think about was how he longed to take her in his arms and make passionate love to her.
What is the matter with me? He clenched his fists on the steering wheel frustrated. I can’t do my job like this. I have to keep my distance. But taking another look at her, he knew that wasn’t going to be easy.
“Where are you staying?” he asked suddenly, realizing that he was driving towards his hotel.
He wasn’t surprised to hear they were staying at the same hotel. It was the closest one to the harbor and that only convinced him even more that she wasn’t here on vacation.