Marley sighed. “I have a feeling that Piers is going to wake up one day and realize he’s made the worst mistake of his life. I almost wish I was there to see it.”
“Don’t feel so bad, Jewel,” Bella said soothingly. “I’m afraid all of the Anetakis men are rather dense when it comes to love.”
“So true,” Marley agreed.
“You’ll keep us posted on how things go with Eric? I’d love to meet him,” Bella said.
“Of course I will.”
“Do you have travel arrangements for your trip to Miami?” Marley asked.
Jewel shook her head. “Not yet. I’ve barely had time to breathe. I came straight here from the island.”
Bella stood, her expression one of take charge. “First things first. We’re going to go have a nice girly lunch followed by an afternoon of complete pampering at the spa. God knows you pregnant women need it. Then we’re going to arrange for a private jet to fly Jewel to Miami, and I’ll have a driver waiting there to pick her up and take her wherever she needs to go. Piers may be a dumb ass, but you’re still family.”
Jewel burst into tears again, and Bella groaned.
“Is it any wonder I have no desire to procreate? Pregnancy turns women into hormonal messes.”
Marley dabbed quickly at her eyes, and Jewel burst out laughing. Marley joined her, giggling through her tears and finally Bella joined them as well.
“Okay, enough sniffling. Let’s get out of here before the men return. I’ll leave them a note telling them I’ve taken Marley off for an afternoon of debauchery. They won’t be the least bit surprised,” Bella said with a grin.
“Promise me you’ll both visit me in Miami,” Jewel said fiercely. “I’ll miss you both terribly. I’ve always wanted a family—sisters—and I couldn’t ask for better sisters than you two.”
“Oh, I’ll visit,” Marley promised. “I’ll blame it all on Bella. It’s my standard excuse and keeps me out of trouble with Chrysander. Theron loves her so much that he’s frighteningly indulgent with her.”
“You’re both very lucky,” Jewel said wistfully.
Marley gave her a stricken look. “I’m so sorry, Jewel. That was incredibly thoughtless of me.”
“Blame it on the pregnancy,” Bella said. “Surely having a parasite inside you sucking all your brain cells has to negatively impact you sooner or later.”
Marley and Jewel both cracked up.
“You’re so delightfully irreverent,” Jewel teased. “It’s no wonder Theron loves you so.”
“Come on, let’s go, let’s go. My man radar tells me the menfolk will be home soon. The more distance we put between here and where we’re going, the less likely they’ll be able to track us down.”
They linked arms and headed out the door only to be stopped by Reynolds, Theron’s head of security.
Bella sighed and cast a baleful look in the man’s direction. “Can we count on you for a little discretion or will you break your neck reporting to Theron?”
Reynolds cleared his throat. “That will depend on where you think you’re going.”
Marley pressed forward. “What we have here, sir, is a damsel in distress. A very pregnant damsel in distress. She is in sore need of a day at the spa. You know, where we do all those frightening girly things that scare the devil out of men.”
Reynolds swallowed and paled slightly. “Well as long as it’s that and not a more inappropriate place.”
Bella glared at him as she walked by him to the car. “You’re never going to let me live down that strip club are you?”
“Strip club?” Jewel asked. “This I’ve got to hear.”
“And I’ll tell you all about it once we’re wrapped in mud from head to toe,” Bella said as they got into the car.
Bella leaned forward as Reynolds got into the front seat. “There’s one more thing, Reynolds. This is top secret stuff. You didn’t see Jewel, don’t know who she is, never saw her in your life, capiche?”
Reynolds nodded solemnly. “Who?”
Bella smiled in satisfaction and leaned back in the seat once more.
“He’s really an okay guy when he doesn’t have a corncob wedged up his arse.”
“I heard that,” Reynolds commented.
Bella grinned and winked at the other two women.
“Okay girls, a day at the spa it is. Then we’ll get Jewel to the airport and on her way to Miami.”
Piers stared broodingly into the surf, hands shoved into the pockets of his trousers—pants that he hadn’t changed out of in three days. He looked and felt like he’d been on a monthlong bender. He hadn’t showered or shaved. The staff avoided him like the plague, and when he did come into contact with them, they all glared at him with disapproving eyes. As if he’d been the one to drive her away.
And he had, in a way. He hadn’t made it easy for her to stay. No, he hadn’t asked her to leave in so many words, but what woman would stay with a man who’d been so cruel, so derisive?
He closed his eyes and inhaled the sea air that Jewel so loved. She loved the ocean like he loved her. Passionately.
Love was supposed to be without barriers or conditions. He’d never offered that to Jewel. He hadn’t even offered his unconditional support. No, he’d demanded and she’d given. He’d taken and she’d offered.
What a bastard he was.
How was she supposed to have ever been able to tell him the truth when he made it impossible for her to do so? He’d all but told her that he’d toss her out without thought if he found out she’d lied.
And the truth was he didn?
?t care.
He’d realized it the moment he’d found her gone. He didn’t care if the baby was his biological child or not. Jewel was married to him, which meant both belonged to him. He would be the baby’s father because it was what Jewel wanted. It was what he wanted.
He hadn’t loved Eric any less even knowing that he wasn’t his biological child. He already loved his daughter, and nothing would change that. He’d ruined his chance at having a family. A wife and a daughter. All because he’d been so sure Jewel was another Joanna.
Jewel was right. He’d been waiting for her to fail, for her to give him the ammunition he needed to destroy her because it beat him being destroyed a second time. She was right about another thing, and it hadn’t taken him long to realize it. He’d destroyed something very precious.
“I love you, yineka mou,” he whispered. “I don’t deserve your love, but I can give you mine. I can try to make up for the many wrongs I have done to you. Please forgive me.”
Just saying the words he’d vowed never to give another woman freed something buried deep in his soul. He breathed deeply, as past hurts fell away, carried on the wind further out to sea. He’d allowed himself to be ruled by bitterness and anger for too long. It was time to let go and embrace his future with Jewel.
He turned and strode back to the stone steps leading up to the house. He began barking orders as soon as he stepped inside. At first he was met by cold resistance, until the staff figured out what it was he was doing. Then there was a flurry of activity as everyone stumbled over themselves to provide him what information they could.
“I called a car for her to drive her into town,” one of the maids offered.
When the driver was summoned, he said he’d driven her to the small airport and carried her single bag inside.
Frustrated, Piers took the car to the airport to question the ticket agent, but not even the Anetakis name was able to yield him any results. No one would tell him what if any flight Jewel took—or to where.
Kirk.
The name shot back through his memory. Of course. She had often gone back to Kirk’s apartment when she needed a place to stay. Surely that’s where she would go. She seemed to trust this fellow, and there was genuine affection and concern between them.
He looked down in disgust. He couldn’t go anywhere looking as he did right now. He’d likely be arrested for vagrancy.
On his way back to the house, he phoned his pilot and instructed him to be fueled and ready to depart within the hour.
He was going to find Jewel and bring her and their child back where they belonged. Home.
Nineteen
P iers stood outside the San Francisco apartment and knocked. A few moments later, the door opened, but it wasn’t Jewel who stared back at him. It was Kirk.
“Is Jewel here?” Piers asked stiffly.
Kirk’s eyes narrowed. “Why would she be here? Why isn’t she with you?”
Piers closed his eyes. “I had hoped she’d come here. Do you have any idea where else she might go?” It galled him to ask for this man’s help, but to find Jewel, he’d do anything.
“You better come in and tell me what the hell is going on,” Kirk said.
Piers followed him inside and the two sat down in the living room.