by Ella Hayes
He straightened his shoulders, smoothing down his blue jacket. Johan met his eye and held up two thumbs. He smiled, feeling a glow in his chest. They were cool. He was glad that Johan and Astrid were happy together. Astrid had had to stay behind because Karl’s health was up and down and she hadn’t wanted to leave him, but they were cool too, friends, which is how they’d started.
‘Look!’ Nils was nudging his shoulder.
He lifted his eyes, heard his breath catch. Emilie was coming, walking through the sand barefoot, holding a wild bouquet of greens and pinks and whites. He couldn’t move. His chest was too full to breathe. Emilie! Tears burned in his throat. She looked so incredibly beautiful. Her hair was pulled up softly, tiny white flowers woven in. Her ivory dress was simple, elegant, flowing, and around her neck, she was wearing the diamond he’d given her that morning. What would she say when she found out that his real wedding present to her was Buck Island itself? He held in a smile, heart swelling, watching her come closer and closer. He was saving that surprise for later. For now, all he wanted to do was stay in this moment, watching his future walking towards him over white sand, with sparkles in her eyes and that perfect smile, shining just for him.
* * *
If you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Ella Hayes
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Keep reading for an excerpt from Unmasking the Secret Prince by Rebecca Winters.
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Unmasking the Secret Prince
by Rebecca Winters
PROLOGUE
“ALEX? WE HAVE a new lead. You’re to leave for Rome at three. When you get there, take a taxi to the Jupiter Hotel, where you’re already booked in. Rigas will come to your room tomorrow morning and fill you in on what we’ve found out.”
Alex smothered a moan. “I can’t leave yet, Uncle Zikos.” Though he really wasn’t his uncle, Alex loved him like one.
“You mean because of Giannina.”
“She’s my life. I’ve made plans to spend the weekend with her before she goes back to Greece next week.” In an hour he would be picking her up at her apartment.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to cancel them. This is too important.”
Alex closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to hear it though he knew Zikos was right. But how to say goodbye to Giannina? It was already tearing him apart.
At thirteen, Alex had met eleven-year-old Giannina Angelis the year before his parents, the king and queen of Hellenia, had been killed. Her father had come to Hellenia, an island kingdom in the Aegean near Greece, to discuss shipping business with the king.
She’d run around the palatial estate with him chasing after his dog. They’d laughed and had eaten some treats in the little summerhouse. She’d been more fun than any girl he’d ever met. When she’d had to leave, they’d shared a chaste kiss.
A year later, the men who’d murdered Alex’s parents had been hunting for him. Zikos had rescued him from certain death and had taken him to Croatia. He’d fashioned an elaborate disguise for Alex so he could hide in plain sight, and he was given the name Philip Dimas. To this day Giannina didn’t know his true identity or that they’d met years ago.
The situation had to stay that way for her safety as well as his. Alex’s whole mission in life hinged on finding those monsters and forcing them to pay for their crimes. But until they were captured and arrested, he couldn’t settle down and marry the woman he loved.
He shouldn’t have allowed his relationship with Giannina to grow at all, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. In case the enemy saw through his disguise, it could mean danger or even death to her too. If anything happened to her because of him, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.
Alex had been in London for the last month working on a story for the Daily Courier as a freelance journalist. It provided cover for what he was really doing here. He could never have dreamed that the young girl he’d met years earlier outside the palace had grown into the breathtaking woman who came to a night lecture sponsored by the newspaper.
She’d approached him after it was over, telling him she’d even heard him speak at her high school four years earlier in Salonica, Greece. But she’d been too nervous to approach him. Now she was doing an internship at the London School of Journalism. One of her teachers announced a night lecture that featured the noted journalist Philip Dimas and she’d decided to come.
Remembering how delightful she’d been as a girl, he was enamored with her immediately and asked her out for drinks so they could get to know each other better. By the time the evening was over, he realized he’d met the woman for him. His whole world changed that night, and he’d spent every possible free moment with her when he wasn’t running down leads.
But he hated it that he couldn’t tell her about his mission and reveal his identity. Worse, when the time came that he’d be able to be truthful with her, he had the gut feeling she’d never forgive him for lying to her.
She had to be the most gorgeous woman he’d ever met. The stunning brunette beauty with her warm, light brown eyes had stood out from every woman he’d ever met. She thrilled him with her native intelligence. Her natural charm and femininity would haunt his dreams until he could claim her for his wife. But he feared that day wouldn’t be coming anytime soon.
“Alex? Are you still there?”
“Of course. I’ll be on the flight at three.” It meant he had to get to the airport at least an hour ahead. That didn’t leave him any extra time.
“I’m sorry, Alex. I hope you realize that.”
“I do.” Zikos was a saint. Alex owed him his life and everything else. “I’ll call you from Rome.”
After he hung up, he grabbed his suitcase and hurried out of the apartment to his rental car. Giannina would be waiting for him to pick her up. They’d planned a day in the country.
When he reached her apartment building, he rang for her to let him come up.
She’d left her door open. The glorious sight of her in what looked like a new pair of white pants and a lemon ice silk blouse took his breath.
“Philip—” She launched herself into his arms, covering his mouth with her own. Her hunger matched his. For a few minutes he forgot everything else and gave in to his feverish desire for her, clinging to her curvaceous body.
He loved her wavy brown hair that cascaded down her back like liquid chocolate. She’d left it loose and flowing so he could tangle his fingers in it. The scent of her peach shampoo stirred his senses. Everything about her entranced him, but he had to let her go.
“Agapi mou,” he murmured, putting her gently away from him. “Something has happened I need to tell you about.”
She cupped his face in her hands. “You sound so serious.”
“I’m afraid it is. When we first met, I told you that if another story came up, I would have to take off immediately to cover it.”
Pain filled her eyes. “You don’t mean now—”
“I’m afraid so. We’ve been lucky I haven’t had to leave before today. I just had a phone call and must get to the airport ASAP.”
“Philip—” She moaned his name.
“I wish it weren’t true, but I have to investigate a potentially explosive story for the Forum Chronicle in Italy and time is of the essence. The last thing I want to do is leave you.”
She looked fragmented. “But I hoped you’d fly to Greece with me next week when I returned home. I want you to meet my family. There’s so much I want to show
you and do wi—”
“I’m sure I would have loved all of it,” he broke in, crushing her against him once more. Since meeting her, he’d wanted to take her away and make love to her for weeks on end. But he would never do it without them being married first and the time wasn’t right for that. Not yet...
“I can’t believe you have to go.” She was heartbroken. So was he. Talk about agony. At this point tears gushed down her cheeks. He kissed them away.
“Surely you know I never want to be separated from you. I don’t want to go anywhere without you, but I have a job to do. One day I’ll explain all the reasons why I have to go alone. Sweetheart, I promise I’ll write to you all the time so you won’t forget me.”
“As if I could.” The words came out in choking sobs.
“I love you, Giannina Angelis. One day we’ll be together forever. Remember that.”
“Philip—” She half sobbed his name. “Don’t go—” The pain on her lovely face, the anguish in her voice, was killing him.
“I’ll be back. I swear it!” After another long deep kiss, he broke free of her and left the apartment before he couldn’t. His only solace was that in tearing himself away, he was removing the danger to her. Alex was glad she’d be going back to Greece, where she’d be safe until he could claim her.
Copyright © 2021 by Rebecca Winters
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ISBN-13: 9781488073779
Tycoon’s Unexpected Caribbean Fling
Copyright © 2021 by Ella Hayes
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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