Secret Paradise (Kimani Romance) Read Online Free Page A

easiest man to work with. Especially now. He uses a cane and J.D. says he can be very impatient and domineering.”
    Nikki brushed her sister’s concerns aside. “I’ve dealt with that type before. Don’t worry about me. I need a change and this is just the kind of project I was waiting for. Nothing can stop me from seizing this opportunity. Give me the details when I get home. I’ll call you.”
    “But—”
    “Bye.” Nikki hung up the phone and released a little squeal of delight. This project was just what she needed. She’d finally get a chance to see inside the elusive Lucian Kontos’s island mansion and meet the man. She wasn’t sure which intrigued her more.
    “Nikki!”
    She spun around at the sound of her name and saw Benjamin running toward her. He was the kind of man who looked good in front of a camera and behind it. He had an easy smile and a great body. He moved with practiced grace, which made you feel comfortable around him. He was also the kind of man who was easy to say yes to, which was why Nikki hadn’t broken up with him months ago.
    “I’m so glad I found you,” he said, giving her a quick hug.
    Nikki stared at him, stunned, and annoyed that he felt and smelled so good. Whatever he asked her, she had to say no. “What are you doing here?”
    “I was in the area when I called and I spoke to Abby and she told me you’d gone for a walk. I thought you’d end up here, but I wasn’t sure.”
    Damn . Even her walks were routine. “Benjamin,” she said slowly. “What are you doing here?”
    “I’m doing what I should have done years ago.” He got down on one knee. “Nikki—”
    She tugged on his sleeve. “Get up. Don’t do this,” she said as some passersby stared.
    “Marry me.”
    Nikki knelt in front of him. “I don’t want to get married. I just got a great assignment and that’s where my focus is right now. My career.”
    “We don’t have to get married right away.”
    “Benjamin.”
    He seized her shoulders. “I don’t want to lose what we have. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized how much you mean to me.” His brown eyes melted into hers. “Please say yes.”
    Saying yes to him had always been so easy. It had also been fun. She’d never regretted a moment. He was a good man. Could she get a better one? Could she find someone else who allowed her to have her own life? Who didn’t make demands on her time? Was it right to break up something just because she was bored? Maybe she was being too hasty. Just say yes. “Yes,” she said, but the moment she did, her answer felt wrong. She didn’t have the courage to take it back.
    He kissed her. “I love you. We’ll make each other happy.” He grabbed her hand and slipped on a ring.
    “Benjamin, wait,” she said, amazed by the large stone. “I may have—”
    “I know it’s a big decision, but we’ll make it work.”
    “How much did this cost you?”
    “Doesn’t matter. You’re worth it, and I’ll spend the rest of my life telling you so.”
    “This is all happening so fast.” She started to take the ring off. “I can’t say yes to this. Let me think some more.”
    Benjamin covered her hand. “No pressure. Just think of it as a gift and nothing else. I want you to wear it so that wherever you go, you’ll think of me.”
    Nikki grinned. “Is that all?”
    “No.” His tone grew serious. “I want other men to know who your heart belongs to.”
    Her heart. Did her heart really belong to him? Had it ever belonged to anyone? It didn’t matter. At least it was a change in their relationship, taking it to a deeper level, and she had to appreciate that. She wanted to tell him so, but her thoughts drifted to new island adventures, which she knew was her answer to everything.
    Monica hung up the phone and stared at her husband, who was giving their son, Markos, named after the doctor who’d helped save Lucian’s life, a piggyback ride, while their daughter, Starla, busied herself with her