Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

LIZZIE

V omo Island, Fiji, South Pacific

As the helicopter circled the island, I cupped the microphone attached to my headphones and called out to Richard, "It's gorgeous!"

He placed an arm on my shoulder and leaned over to point out the window. Speaking into his own microphone, he said, "It's two hundred twenty-five acres. The highest point is Mt. Vomo. The panoramic views from the summit are amazing. I'll take you up there tomorrow."

"Is it a volcano?"

Richard nodded yes.

My mouth dropped open. "Oh, my God, Richard! Is it safe?"

His thumb caressed the back of my neck. "Don't worry, little one. It's an extinct volcano. It's perfectly safe."

Just the thought of standing on top of a volcano, even an extinct one, with the possibility of all that heat and hot lava energy just beneath the surface made my stomach flip with apprehension and excitement.

As the helicopter navigated to the southeast corner of the island where the helipad was located, Richard told me more about the island's history. How it was once used as a ceremonial meeting place for chiefs from the surrounding Fiji islands and then as a vacation spot for the royal family.

Richard had bought it only a few months ago from a distant royal relation.

Looking over the lush greenery, the sparkling pearl beaches and the insanely crystal-clear blue water, it already felt like paradise.

We stepped off the helicopter onto the tarmac. A man dressed in khaki shorts and a button-down short-sleeved white shirt came running up to us.

"Welcome, Your Graces. My name is Timoci, and I am honored to assist you. We prepared the villa for your arrival. With your permission, I can oversee the unloading of your luggage if you'd like to take the Jeep," he offered, holding out the keys to Richard.

"Thank you, Timoci," replied Richard, clapping him on the shoulder. "We could only bring a few bags with us this trip. The helicopter is returning with the rest of our luggage."

Timoci nodded his head. "I will see it taken care of, Your Grace." Turning, he gestured to a gate on the other side of the tarmac. "Through that gate, you will find the primary road. Just follow that and you will see the villa."

Taking my hand, Richard led me to the silver Jeep, which looked nothing like any Jeep I had ever seen. It looked like a mash-up between a Jeep and a monster truck.

Laughing, I asked, "What kind of Jeep is this?"

Richard helped me climb into my seat before moving to the driver's side. Hopping into the vehicle, he responded, "It's called a Jeep Hurricane. It was never officially on the market."

He gave me a wink before he started up the Jeep and put it into gear.

As we cruised along the road that took us close to the water's edge, I watched Richard as much as the stunning landscape. He looked devastatingly handsome in his unbuttoned white linen shirt, showing off his muscled chest and flat abs. Even the mark from the bullet in the center of his chest couldn't mar the male beauty of his body. It tousled his dark wavy hair in the light breeze and he had a relaxed ease to his smile.

It was crazy, of course, but the color of his eyes even seemed brighter. Usually I thought of them like the dark sapphire color of a deep, unfathomable ocean, but now they were an azure blue reflecting the waters that surrounded us.

Who would have thought my proper and disciplined English duke of a husband would look more in his element on a remote tropical island?

As we pulled up to the villa, an older woman dressed in a bright orange and green sulu greeted us. After telling us her name was Neomai, she informed us dinner would be ready in an hour.

Placing a hand on my lower back, Richard gave me a tour. It really was too beautiful. The villa was massive and sat on numerous pillars driven directly into the sand on the edge of the beach. While having the structure of an authentic Fijian villa, there were also touches of European luxury.

It had an open floor plan, with just about every room opening up onto a wide patio that surrounded the house. Furnished in dark bamboo with crisp white decor touches, everything felt clean and fresh.

It had everything you could wish for in a vacation villa. Cozy reading nooks tucked into the shade of a crop of palm trees complete with hammocks. Outdoor Jacuzzis with a view of the volcano. A small heated pool only steps away from the bedroom. Decks with fire pits and comfy padded lounges.

Richard needed to check on a few details so he left me alone to rinse off in one of the outdoor showers, which felt incredibly naughty. I dressed carefully in one of my new resort dresses from Gucci's summer collection. It was a pale, blush pink with small gold accents, which draped loosely over my body like a sarong. It had a plunging open neckline, so I wore one of my jeweled bird brooches on a heavy, braided gold chain that rested just between my breasts. As a special surprise for Richard, I wore nothing underneath it.

He joined me out on one of the patios overlooking the beach and water. His hair was wet from his own shower. Dressed in another open white linen shirt, this time paired with a faded pair of jeans. I bit my lip, feeling a delicious stirring between my legs, finding even his bare feet sexy as hell.

Yes, I was definitely liking vacation Richard.

Dinner was a traditional lovo feast. A whole Spanish mackerel was cooked by wrapping it in banana leaves with coconut and then burying it in the ground and covering it with hot rocks. Richard's private chef served the delicate fish with roasted taro and cassava root vegetables. It was divine.

What was especially exciting was that our dinner table actually sat on a sizeable piece of glass that had a view of the sea below. As we ate, I could watch as blacktip reef sharks slowly circled below my feet.

We finished our meal by sipping cups of kava, a rather bitter traditional drink made from a pepper plant. Richard entertained me with stories of kava's taboo history and how it was rumored to have hallucinogenic properties and certain aphrodisiac qualities.

After our meal, he took my hand and led me down to the beach. Everything felt quiet and still except for the occasional call from a kingfisher.

The full moon looked impossibly large as it loomed over the horizon, sending a shaft of light across the mirror-like waters onto the beach.

Richard raised our clasped hands to his lips and kissed the back of my hand. "Are you happy, my love?"

Inhaling the sweet, warm floral scent of the air, I smiled. "Supremely so. Thank you for bringing me here. I think I could stay here forever."

Richard returned my smile.

"Careful what you wish for, my little bird."

Laughing, I pushed my bare feet into the soft sand as we watched the hypnotic flow of the waves gently reaching the shore, then receding.

Thinking about all the happy years that laid before us, all the birthdays and holidays and anniversaries, I couldn't help saying to Richard, "You have all this wealth," turning, I gestured to the villa behind us, "all these gorgeous houses and everything you could ever want. What could I possibly ever get you as a gift?"

Richard pulled me into his arms. Placing a hand under my chin, he tilted my gaze up to his own. Looking deeply into my eyes, he answered, "A boy."

My heart swelled with love and yearning at the idea of having this amazing man's children. Ruthlessly, I tamped down any dark misgivings I might have had over him having that much power and control over me.

Placing my palm over his heart, I said, "I think that could be arranged."

Richard brought his lips to mine, taking possession of my mouth and all my senses in an overwhelming kiss that left me breathless, before picking me up and carrying me to our bed.

Richard loved me, and in the end… that was all that mattered.