by Brux, Boone
Nikki stiffened at the woman’s touch. “Thank you.”
“Darling, I want to introduce you to somebody.” Azzura dragged her from Aphrodite’s embrace. “This is Neil.” She beamed up at him. “Your father.”
Any other daughter would be outraged if their mother had chosen such a public event to reveal the truth of her paternity, but Nikki had gotten used to her mother’s theatrics and plotting long ago. Whether Azzura wanted her to collapse in a fit of anger, or praise her for finally bringing daughter and father together, thus turning this into the Azzura Li Fonti show, Nikki couldn’t fathom. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to give her mother the satisfaction she sought. This was her night—no matter how much she didn’t want to be there.
“Yes, we’ve met.” She walked to Ares. “You look very handsome.” She ran her hand along his lapel and looked up at him. “A tuxedo and everything. Boy, you’re really trying to score some brownie points with me.”
“I look handsome because I am handsome.” He cleared his throat. “And I came because I wanted to be here, not to win your affection.”
For being a trillion years old he certainly hadn’t learned to lie very convincingly. “Well, I appreciate your coming anyway. It’s nice to have my parents here.”
He opened his mouth and then closed it, obviously at a loss for words—for once.
Enjoying his discomfort, Nikki spread her arms. “I think I’m going to hug you now.”
The god of war recoiled as if he’d been slapped. She stood her ground and held out her arms, but didn’t move. His stance relaxed slightly.
She took a step forward. “Here I come.”
Slowly, Ares extended his arms, and she walked into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his thick waist. Her head hit him at chest level and when he enclosed her in a hug, his massive arms completely covered her shoulders and head. His hold tightened and he patted her hair rather stiffly with his giant hand. Nikki closed her eyes, drinking in the feeling of hugging her true father for the first time in her twenty-nine years. A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it down and opened her eyes again. After a few seconds he released her, and she stepped away.
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew Neil, Nikki?” The lilt in Azzura’s voice held more than a hint of irritation.
“He found me a few weeks ago.” Nikki smoothed her hands down the front of her green chiffon gown. “I didn’t think you would care since you never bothered to introduce us before.” The jab sent a ripple of satisfaction through Nikki. Wanting to change the topic, she looked at Tor’s mother. “This must be a first. Two cosmetic moguls united by a common cause.”
What she wanted to say was, two vain and manipulative divas vying for the public eye, willing to scheme to get what they want.
Azzura locked an arm around Aphrodite’s . “Oh, Bella and I are old friends. Of course we get along.”
Aphrodite’s stare contradicted Azzura’s sentiment. She expertly unhinged Azzura’s grip from her arm. “Call it a cease-fire.” She ran a fingertip along Nikki’s cheek. “We both wanted to be here for the big event.”
“I appreciate it.” A chill skittered along Nikki’s spine. She rubbed her arms, unsure if she was going to make it through the next several hours. “I know the launch is really important to a lot of people.”
“Not the launch, Nichola.” Azzura swept a swath of blond hair over her shoulder. “I mean that’s great too, but—”
“Neil?” Tor’s mother interrupted. “Why don’t you take Azzura to get a glass of champagne?” She gave him a pointed stare. “But be careful. That’s where the paparazzi have been congregating.”
“Really?” Azzura’s eyes lit up. She shook her head, giving her hair a skillful toss, and linked an arm with Ares. “How awful. Why won’t they leave us celebrities alone?”
She practically dragged Ares through the crowd toward the champagne. He cast a dark expression over his shoulder at Aphrodite, who promptly blew him a kiss.
“What did my mother mean by not the launch?”
“I haven’t the foggiest, sweetie. No offense, but your mother is a bit daft. Don’t know what Ares ever saw in her.” Aphrodite trained her gaze on Nikki, taking both of Nikki’s hands in hers. “I know you’re angry with me and you have every right to be, but don’t do anything impetuous until you let Tor explain. Give everybody a chance to settle down.”
Nikki pulled her hands free and crossed her arms, tempering her reply only because Aphrodite was a goddess. “Right, thank you for the advice.”
The music started and spotlights swept over the crowd.
“You need to get onstage.” Aphrodite spun her around and guided her forward. “Wouldn’t want to miss your entrance.”
As they headed toward the stage, Nikki noticed Demetria Mirrors standing in front of the steps, watching them approach. Nikki groaned. “I do not have the energy for her right now.”
“Would you like me to zap her to the Sahara Desert?” Tor’s mother asked a little too gleefully.
“No, I need to settle things with her now or she’s going to keep causing problems.”
As they approached, Demetria held up her hand. “Before you say anything, I wanted to tell you that I quit Kythera today and that I won’t be bothering you or Tor anymore.”
Nikki glanced at Aphrodite.
“I had nothing to do with it,” Aphrodite said.
“Why?” Nikki looked back at Demetria.
“Let’s just say I’ve seen the error of my ways.” She turned to leave but stopped, casting a look over her shoulder. “Be sure to tell Tor that, would you?”
“Oh, I will.” Nikki’s gaze cut to Aphrodite. “That was easy.”
“Yes. Let’s hope not too easy.” Aphrodite pushed Nikki toward the steps. “The presentation is about to begin. Why don’t you go onstage and get ready? First Tor will make his speech, applause-applause-applause, fireworks, and then they’ll reveal the new package and the new face of Goddess, which is you.”
Nikki took a deep breath and exhaled. As hard as she tried to be excited, all she wanted to do was go home and curl up in her bed. “All right.”
“You’ll be fantastic.” She patted Nikki on the shoulder. “Just smile and follow your heart.”
Nikki furrowed her brow at the odd advice and ascended the steps. What felt like spastic butterflies beat against the inside of her stomach. Heat flushed her body, suddenly making her palms sweat. She rubbed her hands together, not wanting to wipe them on her one-of-a-kind designer gown.
People rushed around the stage, doing last-minute prep. She worked her way through the crowd as if in slow motion, feeling out of place for the first time ever at an event. Everybody had a task. Hers was merely to look pretty and smile for the cameras.
She found a spot out of the way at the edge of the stage just as the intro music flared to life. Lights flashed onto the stage, sweeping back and forth across the gleaming black floor. Tor appeared opposite her on the other side of the stage. Her heartbeat quickened. He was the most handsome man she’d ever seen.
His gaze held hers and he smiled. To her surprise, he lifted his hand to his mouth and blew her a kiss.
A tingle burned along her nose and in the back of her eyes. She blinked a few times to prevent the tears from spilling out. No matter what had happened, she would always be crazy in love with the man.
A voice boomed over the loudspeaker, welcoming the crowd to the launch of Kythera’s newest line, Goddess. Applause and whistles erupted from the sea of people beyond the stage. Cameras flashed sporadically around the cavernous room. Then the announcer introduced Toraos Stephanos, CEO of Kythera Cosmetics.
He stepped onto the stage and into a riot of camera flashes. A single spotlight zeroed in on him. Applause erupted again. Women yelled like they were seeing their favorite rock star, and with the way he looked tonight, she couldn’t blame them. He was breathtaking.
Blue glinted off his black hair and his tuxedo was cut to show off every del
icious inch of his sculpted body. He’d chosen an eggplant-colored bow tie that matched the Goddess package.
His voice poured over the crowd like hundred-year-old brandy. The people quieted, their gazes fixed on him. “I’d like to thank everyone for being here. This is a very exciting night, not just for Kythera Cosmetics but for me personally. The Goddess line is a dream I set in motion over a year ago and is now about to go public.”
Nikki shifted to look at the crowd. They were hanging on his every word. Many of the women stared up at him with dreamy looks on their faces. She knew that expression and had seen it with nearly every woman who ever had an encounter with Tor. It used to make her jealous, but now she only felt sorry for them. There was no defense against Toraos Stephanos’s thrall. There was a natural order in life. Gods would always be something a human could touch briefly, but never hold on to. Sometimes the same fate befell a demigoddess.
“Every woman is beautiful in her own way. Perhaps it’s her smile or her body. Maybe it’s the way she cares for her children when she’s exhausted from working all day, or the love in her eyes when she looks at her husband of fifty years. There are many things that make a woman beautiful.”
Movement sounded behind Nikki and she turned. Stacey and Creed approached, each wearing a huge smile. Relief washed through Nikki. At least she’d have two friends she could trust here tonight. Stacey wrapped her arm around Nikki’s shoulder and squeezed with silent encouragement. She hugged her friend back and they returned their attention to Tor.
“When I began this project, I had a very vivid image in my mind about what Goddess Cosmetics would be, but somewhere along the way those ideas became muddled and fell by the wayside. A new and scarier path emerged. One I didn’t want to go down.”
Nikki thought about all they had done to get the Goddess line ready. There had been a few stumbling blocks but nothing too daunting—at least not for Tor. She glanced at Stacey, who was looking at her with barely repressed glee. Nikki scowled. “What?”
Stacey pressed a finger to her lips. “Shhh.”
Nikki glanced at Creed, but his attention was fixed on the stage.
“I almost blew it,” Tor continued. “I almost let the most important thing in my life get away because I didn’t believe I could have success in business and my personal life, especially when they overlapped.”
Tor turned toward her and held out his hand. “Nikki.”
Her eyes grew wide and her heart began to race.
“Go on.” Stacey gave her a little push forward. “He’s waiting for you.”
This wasn’t how the program was supposed to go. First the product reveal and then her. She glided forward in a confused daze, praying she didn’t trip. The bright lights pierced her eyes, blacking out most of the crowd except for the first few rows that lined the stage. Clapping began, washing through the blackness in a wave until the roar became deafening. More cameras flashed as she closed the distance between her and Tor. Her stomach threatened to rebel. She took a deep breath and continued walking.
Tor’s hand never lowered and his gaze never wavered. His solid presence was the only thing that kept her moving. When she reached him, he took her hand. At first touch, warmth spread through her. He twined his fingers with hers and he pulled her close.
“I’d like to introduce the new face of Goddess Cosmetics: Nikki Triano.” The cheers escalated, and he waited a second for the noise to dim before he continued. “But she is so much more than that to me.”
The space around them shifted. The crowd grew quiet, almost as if it were just the two of them.
“Nikki, you are beautiful inside and out. I’d never barter that away. There is nothing in this world more precious to me than your love. Not Kythera Cosmetics. Not money. Not my freedom.” He looked down at their hands and back up at her. “You’ve been beside me through everything, and I think I’ve loved you for far longer than I even realized.”
Her heart was beating so fast she thought it would burst from her chest. Was he telling the truth?
“I know I’ve asked so much from you over the years and you’ve given it freely.” His thumb rubbed the palm of her hand. “And I still have two more requests. First, trust me when I say I’d give up everything to be with you.”
Another lump formed in Nikki’s throat, making it impossible to speak. She wanted to believe him. More than anything in the entire world she hoped he was telling the truth. Her gaze skated over the crowd and back to him. She nodded and swallowed, her voice coming out in a whisper. “I believe you.”
“Then I have one more request.” A cautious smile spread across Tor’s mouth. He released her hand and reached into the pocket of his tuxedo jacket, pulling out a small glass box. She was certain her heart had just stopped, and when he knelt before her, it was all she could do to breathe.
“Nichola Triano…” He flipped open the box to reveal the biggest diamond she had ever seen. It sparkled under the bright lights. “I have everything a man could want, but without you to share it with, it means nothing. I know I can be difficult, moody, and I’m not very good at expressing my feelings. I don’t deserve you, but if you give me the chance, I will spend my life trying.” He lifted the ring from the box and held it up to her. “Nikki, will you marry me?”
The scene before her was like something out of a dream. It’s what she’d wanted for the last six years, except for one thing—the baby. She glanced out at the crowd again. Their faces were focused completely on her. How could she say yes without telling him first? A baby might change everything.
“Excuse me for a second.” She held up a finger to the crowd and then bent, bringing her mouth to Tor’s ear. “Uh, yes, I will marry you, but first you should know that I’m pregnant.”
She straightened and waited for his reply. His eyes rounded and his mouth opened and closed a few times. He lowered the ring and for a second she thought he was rescinding his proposal. Instead he reached and gently gripped her hand, sliding the ring onto her finger.
A deafening cheer blasted from the crowd, making it impossible to speak or be heard. Tor stood and dragged her to him, kissing her with the exuberance of a man who had gained the world. Without hesitation, she returned the kiss.
After the lengthy kiss, he held her away from him. “We’re having a baby?”
She nodded. “Are you happy?”
He cupped her face in his hands. “Just when I think I have everything, you give me another miracle.”
“It’s you who has given me the miracle.”
Fireworks ignited at different points along the stage, and the curtain dropped to reveal her face and the new line of Goddess Cosmetics. The noise from the crowd intensified and Nikki laughed. Tor released her, giving her over to the flood of family pouring onto the stage. They were wrapped in a melee of hugs and congratulations.
Stacey grabbed her hand and yanked it toward her, gawking at Nikki’s engagement ring. “Holy Mother of the Gods, that is some serious bling.”
Nikki started to reply, but she was pulled into a hug by Ares. “I approve of this marriage.”
She couldn’t be sure, but she thought his voice cracked a bit. She smiled against his chest. “Thanks…” She hesitated. “Daddy.”
He released her, looking a bit confused. “Daddy? Daddy…” He nodded. “I approve of the endearment. You may continue calling me that.”
Tor reclaimed her, wrapping his arm around her waist and holding her to him. That’s where she remained for the rest of the night, through hundreds of photographs and thousands of congratulations. And by his side is where she would remain for the rest of her life, because she was officially engaged to Toraos Stephanos, millionaire, demigod, and… father of her baby.
Sometimes life really was beautiful.
About the Author
As a multi-published and an award winning writer, Boone’s books drip with experiences from real life. Addicted to anything that might make a good story, she weaves tales that range from dark fantasy to humor
ous romance. Settled in the icy regions of Alaska with the love of her life and twin daughters, it’s not uncommon to find her tapping away on her iPad on a windy beach or the barren tundra. Be warned, anyone and every event is fodder for one of Boone’s novels.
